List of U.S. Routes in New Mexico

Standard route signage in New Mexico
System information
Length: 2,980.838 mi[n 1] (4,797.194 km)
Highway names
Interstates: Interstate XX (I-XX)
US Routes: U.S. Route XX (US XX)
State: State Road XX (NM XX)
System links

U.S. Routes in the U.S. state of New Mexico account for 2,980.838 miles (4,797.194 km) of the state highway system. The first United States Numbered Highways U.S. Routes were formed in 1926,[1] and served as the primary thoroughfares across the entire state. Twenty six of the 33 counties in New Mexico are served by current U.S. Routes. The only counties lacking U.S. Route coverage are: Bernalillo, Cibola, Harding, Los Alamos, Mora, Sierra, and Valencia.[2]

One decommissioned U.S. Route, U.S. Route 66, colloquially known as the nations Mother Road,[3] and briefly known as U.S. Route 60,[4] crossed through Northern New Mexico, connecting the cities of Albuquerque and Gallup.[1] The state recognized its historical value, and has posted commemorative signs, and has pained the old shield on some of the roadways that make up the path of the former highway, such as New Mexico State Road 33.[5] Other highways have been renamed or renumbered, such as U.S. Route 491, which was formerly U.S. Route 666. With the 666 designation, the road was nicknamed Devil's Highway because of the common Christian belief that 666 is the Number of the Beast. The effort to get the route renumbered was led by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.[6]

The longest current U.S. Route in New Mexico is U.S. Route 70, spanning 448.264 miles (721.411 km) across southern New Mexico, while the shortest is U.S. Route 160, which clips the extreme northwestern corner of the state, measuring 0.86 miles (1.38 km) long between the Arizona and Colorado borders.[2] U.S. Route 160, in conjunction with New Mexico State Road 597, provide access to the Four Corners Monument where the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah meet.[7]

Current routes

Number South or west terminus North or east terminus Length (mi)[2] Length (km) Notes
US 54 US 54 at the Texas state line US 54 at the Texas state line 356.076 573.049
US 56 I-25 Bus. in Springer US-56 at the Oklahoma state line 94.172 151.555
US 60 US 60 at the Arizona state line US 60 at the Texas state line 397.895 640.350
US 62 US 62 at the Texas state line US 62 at the Texas state line 109.710 176.561
US 64 US 64 at the Arizona state line US 56 in Clayton 430.634 693.038
US 70 US 70 at the Arizona state line US 70 at the Texas state line 448.264 721.411
US 82 US 54 near Alamogordo US 82 at the Texas state line 192.557 309.890
US 84 US 60 in Fort Sumner US 84 at the Colorado state line 288.864 464.882
US 87 US 87 at the Texas state line US 56 / US 64 near Clayton 9.496 15.282
US 160 US 160 at the Arizona state line US 160 at the Colorado state line 0.861 1.386 Was formerly US 164
US 180 US 180 at the Arizona state line I-10 Bus. in Deming 163.634 263.343
US 285 US 285 at the Texas state line US 285 at the Colorado state line 412.654 664.102
US 380 I-25 near San Antonio US 380 at the Texas state line 242.092 389.609
US 491 I-40 / NM 602 in Gallup US 491 at the Colorado state line 107.308 172.695 Was formerly US 666
US 550 I-25 in Bernalillo US 550 at the Colorado state line 174.885 281.450

Former routes

Number South or west terminus North or east terminus Added Removed Notes
US 66 US 66 at the Arizona state line US 66 at the Texas state line 1926[1] 1985[8] Replaced by I-40. Also known as the Mother Road.[3]
US 80 US 80 at the Arizona state line US 80 at the Texas state line 1926[1] 1991[9] Replaced by I-10. Formed part of the Dixie Overland Highway.
US 85 US 85 at the Texas state line US 85 at the Colorado state line 1926[1] Replaced by I-10 and I-25. New Mexico portion still recognized by AASHTO.[10]
US 164 US 164 at the Arizona state line US 164 at the Colorado state line Renumbered US 160
US 366 US 366 at the Texas state line US 566 near Lincoln 1926[1] Replaced by US 54
US 385 US 64 US 385 at the Texas state line 1926[1] Replaced by US 87
US 412 I-25 / US 85 at Springer US-56 / US-64 / US-412 at the Oklahoma state line Replaced by US 56. New Mexico portion still recognized by AASHTO.[10]
US 485 US 85 near Santa Fe US 85 near Raton 1926[1] Replaced by US 64
US 566 US 85 near Socorro US 70 in Clovis 1926[1] Replaced by US 380
US 666 I-40 / NM 602 in Gallup US 666 at the Colorado state line 1926[1] 2003[2] Renumbered US 491. Also known as the Devil's Highway.[6]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Sum of the mileage of current U.S. Routes listed, and cited, on this page.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 United States System of Highways (Map). Bureau of Public Roads, United States Department of Agriculture. November 11, 1926. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "State Routes" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 McClure, Rosemary (November 29, 2010). "Get your kicks on Route 66 -- and 499 other great highways". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  4. ↑ Auto Road Atlas (Map). Rand McNally. 1926. p. 69. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Route 66 Stencil Project In Moriaty" (PDF). ¿Que Pasa? (New Mexico Department of Transportation). August 2005. p. 4. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Weingroff, Richard F (June 18, 2003). "U.S. 666: Beast of a Highway?". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
  7. ↑ Google (November 26, 2010). "NM 597" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
  8. ↑ "No more kicks on Route 66". Eugene Register-Guard (Guard Publishing Co.). Associated Press. June 29, 1985. p. 10A. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  9. ↑ Weingroff, Richard F. (April 6, 2010). "U.S. Route 80 The Dixie Overland Highway". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "U.S. Route Number Database". Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. December 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2013.

External links