U.S. Route 40 in Colorado

U.S. Route 40 marker

U.S. Route 40

Map of Colorado with US 40 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by CDOT
Length: 496.442 mi[1] (798.946 km)
Existed: 1926 – present
Major junctions
West end: US-40 at the Utah state line
 
East end: US-40 east of Arapahoe at the Kansas state line
Highway system
Colorado State Highways
← SH 39SH 41 →
View along US 40 in Mount Vernon Canyon, Colorado, 1942. Photo by Andreas Feininger.

In the U.S. state of Colorado, U.S. Route 40 is a major east–west route. It crosses the Rocky Mountains, passing over the Continental Divide at Berthoud Pass before descending to the front range. It then traverses through the Denver Metro Area, then exits by following I-70 and US 287. It is concurrent with US 287 for about 145 miles to Kit Carson. US 40 exits into Kansas east of Arapahoe in Cheyenne. At a length of almost 500 miles, US 40 is the longest numbered route in the state.

Route description

Entering Colorado to the south of Dinosaur National Monument, U.S. 40 runs east through the small town of Dinosaur along Brontosaurus Boulevard. The route continues a generally easterly course though Moffat and Routt counties, passing through several small communities along the way. It generally follows the course of the Yampa River. U.S. 40 becomes Lincoln Avenue as it runs through historic downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Taking a circuitous route through Rabbit Ears Pass, Muddy Pass and Berthoud Pass it descends the escarpment along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. Just to the east of Empire, it merges with Interstate 70 for the first time. US 40 and I-70 will frequently share pavement across the U.S. The route leaves I-70 at exit 244, to the west of Idaho Springs and rejoins it again at between exits 252 and 254 in El Rancho. It parallels I-70, mostly as a frontage road, until the intersection with State Highway 26 to the south of Golden[2][3]

Beginning in Golden, US 40 becomes Colfax Avenue, the main east–west thoroughfare through the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Along with US 40, the entire route along Colfax Avenue is cosigned as Business Loop 70. The route travels northeast through Golden, then turns due east to travel through Lakewood, Denver, and Aurora. Among the sights to be seen along US 40 is Lake Steam Bath, once the location of a thriving health industry centered on tuberculosis sanatoriums. Also along Colfax Avenue in Denver is the Denver branch of the United States Mint, which produces 50 million coins per day. US 40 rejoins I-70 at exit 288, just to the east of Aurora.[3][4][5]

At exit 359 in Limon, US 40 leaves I-70 along Main Street, which it shares with Business Loop 70, US 24, US 287, and SH 71. US 40/US 287 continues to the southeast to the town of Kit Carson. From there, it leaves US 287 and continues east through the towns of Cheyenne Wells and Arapahoe before entering the state of Kansas.[3][4]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[6]kmDestinationsNotes
Moffat​0.0000.000 US-40 west – Utah, Salt Lake City
Dinosaur2.9134.688 SH 64 east (Stegosaurus Freeway) – Rangely
Blue Mountain11.01817.732 CR 134 – Rangelyformer SH 387
Maybell59.78196.208 SH 318 west – Sunbeam
Craig89.322143.750 SH 13 south / CR 7 – MeekerWest end of SH 13 overlap; former SH 355 north
90.531145.696 SH 394 south (Ranney Street)former SH 13 south
90.838146.190 SH 13 north (Yampa Avenue) – Baggs, RawlinsEast end of SH 13 overlap
RouttSteamboat Springs130.773210.459 CR 129 (Elk River Road) – Clark, Hahns Peak, Steamboat Lake State Park, Pearl Lake State Parkformer SH 129
134.414216.318Mt. Werner RoadInterchange
​136.515219.700 SH 131 south – Oak Creek, Wolcott, Stagecoach Reservoir State Park
Grand
 No major junctions
 154.070247.952Rabbit Ears Pass summit (Continental Divide)
Jackson​157.327253.193 SH 14 east – Walden
 157.512253.491Muddy Pass summit (Continental Divide)
Grand​178.257286.877 SH 134 west – Toponas, Stagecoach Reservoir State Park
Kremmling184.529296.971 SH 9 south (6th Street) – Dillon
​209.165336.618 SH 125 north – Walden
Granby211.081339.702 US 34 east – Grand Lake, Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Arapaho National Forest
 242.972391.026Berthoud Pass summit (Continental Divide)
Clear Creek​257.684
232.333		414.702
373.904		 I-70 west (US 6 west) – GeorgetownWest end of I-70/US 6 overlap
​232.333–
244.260		373.904–
393.098		See I-70
​244.260
257.146		393.098
413.836		 I-70 east – DenverEast end of I-70 overlap; no access from US 40 west to I-70 east
​257.751
269.441		414.810
433.623		 US 6 east to SH 119 – Blackhawk, Central City, GoldenEast end of US 6 overlap
​271.489436.919 To I-70 west / Beaver Brook Drive – Floyd Hill
Jefferson​272.552438.630 To I-70 east
​276.180444.469 I-70 west
​276.920
0.374		445.660
0.602		 SH 74 east (Evergreen Parkway) – Evergreen
​0.194
251.318		0.312
404.457		 I-70 westWest end of I-70 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
​252.244405.947Chief HosaI-70 exit 253
​253.528
279.244		408.014
449.400		 I-70 eastEast end of I-70 overlap
​280.570451.534Lookout Mountain Road - Buffalo Bill's Grave & Museum, Lookout Mountain Nature Center, Boettcher Mansionformer SH 68
​281.977453.798 To I-70 / Grapevine Road
Golden284.888458.483 I-70 Bus. west / CR 93 to I-70West end of I-70 Bus. overlap; former SH 26 (older SH 93 south)
285.716459.815Heritage Roadformer SH 93 north
286.871461.674 US 6 (6th Avenue) to SH 470 – Golden, Central City
​287.903463.335 I-70
Lakewood291.444469.034 SH 391 (Kipling Street)
292.943471.446 SH 121 (Wadsworth Boulevard)
294.273473.586 SH 95 (Sheridan Boulevard)
City and County of Denver296.157476.618 US 287 north / SH 88 south (Federal Boulevard)West end of US 287 overlap; interchange
296.792477.640 I-25 (US 6 / US 85 / US 87) / Auraria Parkway – Colorado Springs, Fort Collins
300.625483.809 SH 2 (Colorado Boulevard)
Adams–Arapahoe
county line		Aurora306.341493.008 I-225 to I-70
312.142
288.219		502.344
463.844		 I-70 (US 36 west) – DenverWest end of I-70 / US 36 overlap; east end of I-70 Bus. overlap; no access from US 40 east to I-70 west
See I-70 for exits
LincolnLimon359.499
0.498		578.558
0.801		 I-70 eastWest end of I-70 Bus. overlap; east end of I-70 overlap
0.000
376.714		0.000
606.262		 US 24 west – Colorado SpringsWest end of US 24 overlap
377.668607.798 SH 71 southWest end of SH 71 overlap
378.795609.611 SH 71 north (1st Avenue) – BrushEast end of SH 71 overlap
379.193610.252 I-70
​380.464
386.010		612.297
621.223		 I-70 (US 24 east)East end of I-70 Bus./US 24 overlap
​397.833640.250 CR 109 – Genoaformer SH 109 north
Hugo399.092642.276Third Avenueformer SH 109 south
CheyenneAroya425.472684.731 SH 94 west – Colorado Springs
Kit Carson445.142716.387 SH 59 north – Seibert
​446.051717.850 US 287 south – EadsEast end of US 287 overlap
Cheyenne Wells470.311756.892 US 385 north (5th Street) – BurlingtonWest end of US 385 overlap
​470.885757.816 US 385 south – Sheridan LakeEast end of US 385 overlap
​486.924783.628 US-40 east – Kansas
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ↑ Colorado Department of Transportation, Highway Data, accessed July 2007
  2. ↑ Brusca, Frank X. (2002). "US 40 Scrapbook: Colorado". U.S. Route 40: America's Golden Highway. route40.net. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  3. 1 2 3 Salek, Matthew E. (2006). "US 40". Colorado Highways. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
  4. 1 2 Mapsource. Garmin Ltd. 2003.
  5. ↑ Royston, Reggie (2001). "Denver's Road of Riches: Colfax Avenue". National Geographic News. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
  6. ↑ Colorado Department of Transportation, Highway Data Explorer, accessed November 2013
KML is from Wikidata
U.S. Route 40
Previous state:
Utah		 Colorado Next state:
Kansas
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