U.S. Route 40 in Colorado

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U.S. Highway 40

Map
US 40 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by CDOT
Length496.442 mi[1] (798.946 km)
Existed1926–present
Major junctions
West end US 40 at the Utah state line
Major intersections
East end US-40 east of Arapahoe at the Kansas state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountiesMoffat, Routt, Jackson, Grand, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Elbert, Lincoln, Cheyenne
Highway system
  • Colorado State Highway System
← SH 39→ SH 41

U.S. Route 40 (US 40) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that travels from Silver Summit, Utah, to Atlantic City, New Jersey. In the U.S. state of Colorado, US 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 Interstate 70 (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

US 40 in Byers Canyon between Parshall and Hot Sulphur Springs. The Union Pacific railroad line is visible on the left. The Colorado River is at the bottom of the canyon and is not visible.

Entering Colorado to the south of Dinosaur National Monument, US 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. US 40 becomes Lincoln Avenue as it runs through historic downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

View along US 40 in Mount Vernon Canyon, Colorado, 1942. Photo by Andreas Feininger.

Taking a circuitous route through Rabbit Ears Pass, Muddy Pass and Berthoud Pass (crossing the Continental Divide each time) it descends the escarpment along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. Just to the east of Empire, it merges with I-70 for the first time. US 40 and I-70 will run concurrently numerous times across the U.S. The route leaves I-70 at exit 244, to the east 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 former State Highway 26 (SH 26) to the south of Golden[2][3]

US 40 westbound concurrent with I-70 BL and US 287 on Colfax Avenue in Denver

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 – Vernal, Salt Lake City		Continuation into Utah
Dinosaur2.9134.688
 SH 64 east (Stegosaurus Freeway) – Rangely		Western terminus of SH 64
Blue Mountain11.01817.732 CR 134 – RangelyFormer SH 387
Maybell59.78196.208
 SH 318 west – Sunbeam		Eastern terminus of SH 318
Craig89.322143.750
 SH 13 south / CR 7 – Meeker		West end of SH 13 overlap; former SH 355 north
90.531145.696
 SH 394 south (Ranney Street)		Northern terminus of SH 394; former SH 13 south
90.838146.190
 SH 13 north (Yampa Avenue) – Baggs, Rawlins		East 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		Northern terminus of SH 131
GrandNo major intersections
 154.070247.952Rabbit Ears Pass summit (Continental Divide)
Jackson​157.327253.193
 SH 14 east – Walden		Western terminus of SH 14
 157.512253.491Muddy Pass summit (Continental Divide)
Grand​178.257286.877
 SH 134 west – Toponas, Stagecoach Reservoir State Park		Eastern terminus of SH 134
Kremmling184.529296.971
 SH 9 south (6th Street) – Dillon		Northern terminus of SH 9
​209.165336.618
 SH 125 north – Walden		Southern terminus of SH 125
Granby211.081339.702
 US 34 east – Grand Lake, Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Arapaho National Forest		Western terminus of US 34
 242.972391.026Berthoud Pass summit (Continental Divide)
Clear Creek​257.684
232.333		414.702
373.904
 I-70 west (US 6 west) – Georgetown		West 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 – Denver		East 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, Golden		East 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		Western terminus of SH 74
​0.194
251.318		0.312
404.457
 I-70 west		West 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 east		East 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 BL west / CR 93 to I-70		West 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; northern terminus of SH 88; 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 east		West end of I-70 Bus. overlap; east end of I-70 overlap
0.000
376.714		0.000
606.262
 US 24 west – Colorado Springs		West end of US 24 overlap
377.668607.798
 SH 71 south		West end of SH 71 overlap
378.795609.611
 SH 71 north (1st Avenue) – Brush		East 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		Eastern terminus of SH 94
Kit Carson445.142716.387
 SH 59 north – Seibert		Southern terminus of SH 59
​446.051717.850
 US 287 south – Eads		East end of US 287 overlap
Cheyenne Wells470.311756.892
 US 385 north (5th Street) – Burlington		West end of US 385 overlap
​470.885757.816
 US 385 south – Sheridan Lake		East end of US 385 overlap
​486.924783.628
 US-40 east – Sharon Springs		Continuation into Kansas
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

State Highway 40

State Highway 40

Route information
Maintained by CDOT
Length24.1 mi (38.8 km)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
Highway system
  • Colorado State Highway System

State Highway 40 (SH 40) represents the former two-lane alignment of US 40 in Arapahoe and Elbert Counties, prior to its demotion by the then-Colorado Department of Highways when they moved the route to then new I-70 in 1968.

SH 40 begins in Arapahoe County the town of Byers at a junction with SH 36 (N Main Street/Old Highway 36), just across the railroad tracks from downtown. It heads southeast to leave Byers and travel along the flat plains of eastern Colorado for the next several miles. The highway passes through the tiny community of Peoria, where there is an interchange with I-70/US 40/US 287 (exit 322), before passing by the Richmil Ranch Open Space park.

SH 40 then enters the town of Deer Trail, passing along the western edge of town as 1st Avenue as it has an intersection with I-70 BS (Cedar Street). It continues southeastward across the plains to leave Deer Trail and crosses into Elbert County. The highway passes through the tiny community of Lowland, where it has another interchange with I-70/US 40/US 287 (exit 336), before crossing a creek to enter the small town of Agate along 1st Avenue, with SH 40 coming to an end shortly thereafter at a junction with Main Street. Main Street (as unsigned I-70 BS) leads 0.3 miles (0.48 km) west to an interchange with I-70/US 40/US 287 (exit 340).

The entire length of SH 40 is a rural, two-lane, state highway, running parallel to both the eastbound lanes of modern I-70 to its north, as well as a railroad track to its south. SH 40 never goes beyond a half mile from the Interstate.[7]


CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
ArapahoeByers0.00.0

 SH 36 (Main Street/Old Highway 36) to I-70 (US 40/US 287) / US 36 – Strasburg		Western terminus; former US 40 follows SH 36 west
Peoria6.19.8
 Peoria Road to I-70 (US 40/US 287)		I-70 exit 322
Deer Trail12.319.8
 I-70 BS (Cedar Street) to I-70 (US 40/US 287)
ElbertLowland20.633.2
 CR 178 to I-70 (US 40/US 287)		I-70 exit 336
Agate24.138.8
 Main Street to I-70 (US 40/US 287)
1st Avenue		Eastern terminus; former US 40 continues east along 1st Avenue
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ^ Colorado Department of Transportation, Highway Data Archived 2007-10-08 at the Wayback Machine, 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. ^ a b c Salek, Matthew E. (2006). "US 40". Colorado Highways. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
  4. ^ a b 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 Archived 2012-09-10 at the Wayback Machine, accessed November 2013
  7. ^ Google (December 10, 2021). "Map of Colorado State Highway 40" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 10, 2021.

External links

U.S. Route 40
Previous state:
Utah 		Colorado Next state:
Kansas
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