U.S. Route 40 in Colorado
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by Colorado Department of Transportation | ||||
| Length: | 496.442 mi[1] (798.946 km) | |||
| Existed: | 1926 – present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end: |  US-40 at Utah state line |
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 US 34 near Granby  I-70 / US 6 at Empire SH 470 in Golden US 287 from Denver to Kit Carson   I-25 / US 85 / US 87 in Denver I-225 in Aurora US 36 near Aurora E-470 near Aurora I-70 from Watkins to Limon US 385 at Cheyenne Wells |
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| East end: | US-40 east of Arapahoe at Kansas state line |
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| Highway system | ||||
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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.
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Route description [edit]
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 Colorado 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 [edit]
| County | Location | Mile[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |||
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| Moffat |
0.000 | 0.000 | US-40 west – Utah |
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| Dinosaur | 2.913 | 4.688 |  SH 64 south (Stegosaurus Freeway) |
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| 11.018 | 17.732 |  CR 134 south (Blue Mountain) |
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| Maybell | 59.781 | 96.208 |  SH 318 west |
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| Craig | 89.322 | 143.750 |  SH 13 south (Great Divide Road) |
West end of SH 13 overlap | ||||
| 90.531 | 145.696 |  SH 394 south (Ranney Street) |
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| 90.838 | 146.190 | SH 13 north (Yampa Avenue) |
East end of SH 13 overlap | |||||
| Routt |
Steamboat Springs | 134.414 | 216.318 | Mt. Werner Road | Interchange | |||
| 136.515 | 219.700 |  SH 131 south |
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| Grand |
No major junctions | |||||||
| Grand–Jackson |
154.070 | 247.952 | Rabbit Ears Pass summit (Continental Divide) | |||||
| Jackson |
157.327 | 253.193 |  SH 14 east |
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| Jackson–Grand |
157.512 | 253.491 | Muddy Pass summit (Continental Divide) | |||||
| Grand |
178.257 | 286.877 |  SH 134 west |
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| Kremmling | 184.529 | 296.971 |  SH 9 south (6th Street) |
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| 209.165 | 336.618 |  SH 125 north |
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| Granby | 211.081 | 339.702 | US 34 east |
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| Grand–Clear Creek |
242.972 | 391.026 | Berthoud Pass summit (Continental Divide) | |||||
| Clear Creek |
257.684 | 414.702 | I-70 west (US 6 west) – Grand Junction |
West end of I-70/US 6 overlap | ||||
| 257.684– 269.441 |
414.702– 433.623 |
See I-70 for exits | ||||||
| 269.441 | 433.623 | I-70 east – Denver |
East end of I-70 overlap; no westbound access | |||||
| 270.021 | 434.557 |  US 6 east to SH 119 |
East end of US 6 overlap | |||||
| 271.489 | 436.919 | To I-70 west |
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| Jefferson |
272.552 | 438.630 | To I-70 east |
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| 276.180 | 444.469 | I-70 west |
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| 276.920 | 445.660 |  SH 74 east (Evergreen Parkway) |
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| 277.515 | 446.617 | I-70 west |
West end of I-70 overlap; no eastbound access | |||||
| 277.515– 279.244 |
446.617– 449.400 |
See I-70 for exits | ||||||
| Genesee | 279.244 | 449.400 | I-70 east |
East end of I-70 overlap | ||||
| 281.977 | 453.798 | To I-70 / Grapevine Road |
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| Golden | 284.888 | 458.483 |  I-70 Bus. west to I-70 |
West end of I-70 Bus. overlap | ||||
| 286.871 | 461.674 | US 6 (6th Avenue) to SH 470 |
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| 287.903 | 463.335 | I-70 |
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| Lakewood | 291.444 | 469.034 |  SH 391 (Kipling Street) |
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| 292.943 | 471.446 |  SH 121 (Wadsworth Boulevard) |
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| Jefferson–Denver |
Lakewood–Denver | 294.273 | 473.586 |  SH 95 (Sheridan Boulevard) |
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| City and County of Denver |
296.157 | 476.618 |  US 287 north / SH 88 south (Federal Boulevard) |
West end of US 287 overlap; interchange | ||||
| 296.794 | 477.644 | I-25 (US 85 / US 87) / Auraria Parkway – Colorado Springs, Fort Collins |
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| 300.625 | 483.809 |  SH 2 (Colorado Boulevard) |
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| Adams–Arapahoe |
Aurora | 306.341 | 493.008 | I-225 to I-70 |
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| 312.142 | 502.344 | I-70 (US 36 west) / I-70 Bus. ends – Denver |
West end of I-70 / US 36 overlap; east end of I-70 Bus. overlap | |||||
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312.142– 382.160 |
502.344– 615.027 |
See I-70 for exits | |||||
| Lincoln |
Limon | 382.160 | 615.027 | I-70 east / I-70 Bus. begins |
West end of I-70 Bus. overlap; east end of I-70 overlap | |||
| 382.184 | 615.066 |  US 24 west – Colorado Springs |
West end of US 24 overlap | |||||
| 383.138 | 616.601 |  SH 71 south |
West end of SH 71 overlap | |||||
| 384.265 | 618.415 | SH 71 north (1st Avenue) |
East end of SH 71 overlap | |||||
| 384.663 | 619.055 | I-70 / I-70 Bus. ends |
East end of I-70 Bus. overlap | |||||
| 386.010 | 621.223 | I-70 / US 24 east |
East end of US 24 overlap | |||||
| Cheyenne |
Aroya | 425.472 | 684.731 |  SH 94 west |
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| Kit Carson | 445.142 | 716.387 |  SH 59 north |
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| 446.051 | 717.850 | US 287 south |
East end of US 287 overlap | |||||
| Cheyenne Wells | 470.311 | 756.892 | US 385 north (5th Street) |
West end of US 385 overlap | ||||
| 470.885 | 757.816 | US 385 south |
East end of US 385 overlap | |||||
| 486.924 | 783.628 | US-40 east – Kansas |
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See also [edit]
Related U.S. Routes [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ a b Colorado Department of Transportation, Highway Data, accessed July 2007
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c Salek, Matthew E. (2006). "US 40". Colorado Highways. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
- ^ a b Mapsource. Garmin Ltd. 2003.
- ^ Royston, Reggie (2001). "Denver's Road of Riches: Colfax Avenue". National Geographic News. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
| U.S. Route 40 |
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| Previous state: Utah |
Colorado | Next state: Kansas |
