U.S. Route 34 in Colorado

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U.S. Highway 34

US 34 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by CDOT
Length259.529 mi[1] (417.671 km)
Existed1972[2]–present
Major junctions
West end US 40 in Granby
Major intersections US 36 in Estes Park
US 287 in Loveland
I-25 / US 87 near Loveland
US 85 in Greeley
US 6 / I-76 in Fort Morgan
US 385 in Wray
East end US 34 near Laird
Location
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountiesGrand, Larimer, Weld, Morgan, Washington, Yuma
Highway system
  • Colorado State Highway System
← SH 30→ SH 35

U.S. Route 34 (US 34) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that travels from Granby, Colorado, to Berwyn, Illinois. In the U.S. state of Colorado, US 34 is a 260-mile-long (420 km) road that spans across northern Colorado. It begins at US 40 in Granby and ends at the Nebraska border, where it continues as US 34, east of Laird.

Route description

View of US 34 in Rocky Mountain National Park, at an altitude above 11,000 feet
View of US 34 in Rocky Mountain National Park, at Rainbow Curve

Granby to Rocky Mountain National Park

The route begins in Granby at US 40. It then follows the Colorado River Valley near Granby Lake and enters Arapaho National Recreational Area.[3]

Trail Ridge Road

Main article: Trail Ridge Road

After entering Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado's Front Range, US 34 follows the North Fork Colorado River through Kawuneeche Valley. It passes over Milner Pass and reaches the Alpine Visitor Center. Then it continues east, passing its highest point at 12,183 feet[4] near Fall River Pass. It exits the park at US 36 at Deer Ridge Junction.

US 34 here is the highest continuous highway in the United States.[4]

This section of US 34 requires a $30 national park entrance fee, making this segment into a toll road.

Estes Park to Loveland

From here, it passes by Estes Park, has a business route, and then continues east through Big Thompson Canyon before entering Loveland as Eisenhower Boulevard, becoming a four-lane expressway. Here, it intersects I-25 and U.S. Highway 287.

Greeley to Nebraska border

At Greeley, it passes by U.S. Highway 85 in a complex interchange[2] and U.S. 34 Business, and crosses the South Platte River. It also has an interchange with SH 257.[5] From here, it is no longer an expressway. It intersects SH 144 and SH 39, then joins I-76 at Wiggins. It leaves, and follows the North Fork Republican River east into Nebraska, where it intersects SH 71, SH 52, SH 63, SH 61, SH 59, and U.S. Highway 385.

History

Parts of the route were originally designated as US 38. US 34 was extended into Colorado in 1939.[2]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
GrandGranby0.0000.000 US 40 – Granby, Denver, Hot Sulphur Springs, Steamboat SpringsWest end of route
Grand Lake14.68323.630West Portal Road – Grand Lake and Villageformer SH 278
Rocky Mountain National Park16.326.2Grand Lake Entrance Station
Rocky Mountain National Park entrance fee required
25.741.4Colorado River Trailhead
Eastbound road closure gate (closed winters)
Larimer49.479.5Many Parks Curve
Westbound road closure gate (closed winters)
53.75886.515
 US 36 east – Moraine Park, Bear Lake, Estes Park
55.54689.393Old Fall River Road – Endovalley
57.68692.837Fall River Entrance Station
Rocky Mountain National Park entrance fee required
Estes Park60.96598.114

 US 34 Bus. east (Elkhorn Avenue)
62.08199.910MacGregor Avenue – Devils Gulch, Glen Havenformer SH 262
62.507100.595


 US 36 / US 34 Bus. west (Elkhorn Avenue / St. Vrain Avenue) to SH 7 – Lyons
Drake75.584121.641 CR 43 – Glen Havenformer SH 262
​85.617137.787 CR 27 – Masonvilleformer SH 186
Loveland91.924147.937
 US 287 south (Cleveland Avenue) – Longmont, Central Business District
92.009148.074
 US 287 north (Lincoln Avenue) – Fort Collins
96.250154.899 I-25 (US 87) – Denver, Fort Collins
WeldGreeley102.476164.919

 US 34 Bus. east (10th Street) – Greeley		Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
102.804165.447 SH 257 – Windsor, Milliken
111.233179.01223rd Avenue / 27th Street
112.772181.489


 US 85 south / US 85 Bus. north (8th Avenue) – Denver, Greeley		West end of US 85 overlap
113.136182.075
 US 85 north – Cheyenne		East end of US 85 overlap
​115.411185.736

 US 34 Bus. west
​117.251188.697 CR 49 – Hudson, Keenesburgformer SH 37 south
Kersey119.178191.798 CR 53 / 1st Street – Kerseyformer SH 37 north
Morgan​144.470232.502 SH 144 – Orchard, Jackson Lake State Park
​149.164240.056 SH 39 / SH 52 – Goodrich, Wiggins
​149.345
66.288		240.347
106.680
 I-76 west (US 6 west) – Denver		Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; western end of I-76 overlap
​73.130117.691Long Bridge RoadI-76 exit 73; former SH 144
​75.704
158.794		121.834
255.554
 I-76 east (US 6 east)		Eastern end of I-76 overlap
Fort Morgan162.962262.262

 SH 52 north (Main Street) to I-76
Brush172.414277.473

 SH 71 north (Colorado Avenue) to I-76		West end of SH 71 overlap
​173.570279.334
 SH 71 south – Last Chance, Limon		East end of SH 71 overlap
​173.852279.788

 To US 6 / I-76 – Sterling
WashingtonAkron196.336315.972 SH 63 (Cedar Avenue) – Sterling, Anton
Otis209.305336.844
 SH 61 north (Dade Street) – Sterling
YumaYuma223.345359.439 SH 59 (Detroit Street) – Haxtun
Wray249.931402.225 US 385 (Dexter Street) – Holyoke
​259.529417.671
 US 34 east – Haigler, McCook		Nebraska state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ a b "Segment Descriptions for Highway 34". Colorado Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2010-03-17.
  2. ^ a b c Salek, Matthew E. (January 30, 2010). "Colorado US 34". Retrieved March 17, 2010.
  3. ^ The United States (Map). National Geographic. October 2006.
  4. ^ a b "Destinations: Trail Ridge Road, Colorado". Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  5. ^ "Interchange Information for Highway 034". Retrieved March 30, 2010.


U.S. Route 34
Previous state:
Terminus 		Colorado Next state:
Nebraska
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