List of U.S. Routes in New Mexico

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]

U.S. Highway 60 marker
U.S. Highway 285 marker
Standard route signage in New Mexico
Map
U.S. Highways in New Mexico highlighted in red
System information
Length2,980.838 mi[n 1] (4,797.194 km)
Highway names
InterstatesInterstate XX (I-XX)
US HighwaysU.S. Route XX (US XX)
StateState Road XX (NM XX)
System links
  • New Mexico State Highway System

One decommissioned U.S. Route, U.S. Route 66, colloquially known as the nation's 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 painted the old shield on some of the roadways that make up the path of the former highway, such as New Mexico State Road 333.[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]

List

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Number Length (mi)[2] Length (km) Southern or western terminus Northern or eastern terminus Formed Removed Notes
  US 54 356.076 573.049 US 54 at the Texas state line US 54 at the Texas state line 01926-01-011926[1] current
  US 56 94.172 151.555 I-25 Bus. in Springer US 56 / US 64 / US 412 at the Oklahoma state line 01957-01-011957[8] current
  US 60 397.895 640.350 US 60 at the Arizona state line US 60 at the Texas state line 01931-01-011931[9] current
  US 62 109.710 176.561 US 62 at the Texas state line US 62 at the Texas state line 01932-01-011932[10] current
  US 64 430.634 693.038 US 64 at the Arizona state line US 56 / US 64 / US 412 at the Oklahoma state line 01926-01-011926[1] current
  US 66 US 66 at the Arizona state line US 66 at the Texas state line 01926-01-011926[1] 01985-01-011985[11] Replaced by I-40; also known as the Mother Road[3]
  US 70 448.264 721.411 US 70 at the Arizona state line US 70 / US 84 at the Texas state line 01926-01-011926[1] current
  US 80 US 80 at the Arizona state line US 80 at the Texas state line 01926-01-011926[1] 01991-01-011991[12] Replaced by I-10; formed part of the Dixie Overland Highway
  US 82 192.557 309.890 US 54 near Alamogordo US 82 at the Texas state line 01960-01-011960[13] current
  US 84 357.47 575.29 US 70 / US 84 at the Texas state line US 84 at the Colorado state line 01936-01-011936[14] current
  US 85 483 777 US 85 at the Texas state line US 85 at the Colorado state line 01926-01-011926[1] current Replaced by I-10 and I-25; New Mexico portion still recognized by AASHTO[15]
  US 87 99.85 160.69 US 87 at the Texas state line US 87 at the Colorado state line
  US 160 0.861 1.386 US 160 at the Arizona state line US 160 at the Colorado state line Was formerly US 164
  US 164 US 164 at the Arizona state line US 164 at the Colorado state line Renumbered US 160
  US 180 245.77 395.53 US 180 at the Arizona state line US 180 at the Texas state line
  US 180 111.71 179.78 US 62 / US 180 at the Texas state line US 62 / US 180 at the Texas state line
  US 285 412.654 664.102 US 285 at the Texas state line US 285 at the Colorado state line
  US 366 US 366 at the Texas state line US 566 near Lincoln 01926-01-011926[1] Replaced by US 54
  US 380 242.092 389.609 I-25 near San Antonio US 380 at the Texas state line
  US 385 US 64 US 385 at the Texas state line 01926-01-011926[1] Replaced by US 87
  US 412 94.172 151.555 I-25 Bus. in Springer US 56 / US 64 / US 412 at the Oklahoma state line
  US 485 US 85 near Santa Fe US 85 near Raton 01926-01-011926[1] 01933-01-011933[16] Replaced by US 64
  US 491 107.308 172.695 I-40 / NM 602 in Gallup US 491 at the Colorado state line Was formerly US 666
  US 550 174.885 281.450 I-25 in Bernalillo US 550 at the Colorado state line
  US 566 US 85 near Socorro US 70 in Clovis 01926-01-011926[1] 01932-01-011932[17] Replaced by US 380
  US 666 I-40 / NM 602 in Gallup US 666 at the Colorado state line 01926-01-011926[1] 02003-01-012003[2] Renumbered US 491; also known as the Devil's Highway[6]
  US 789 Arizona state line Colorado state line Proposed, but never commissioned; would have been co-signed with US 66 then US 666
  •       Former

Special routes

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Number Length (mi) Length (km) Southern or western terminus Northern or eastern terminus Formed Removed Notes
 
  US 54 Bus.
Serves Alamogordo
 
  US 54 Bus.
2.410 3.879 Serves Tucumcari
 
  US 64 Bus.
3.1 5.0 Serves Farmington
 
  US 70 Bus.
Serves Alamogordo
 
  US 70 Bus.
Served Ruidoso
 
  US 70 Truck
7.5 12.1 Serves Roswell
 
  US 70 Bus.
Served Portales
 
  US 80 Alt.
Las Cruces Anthony
 
  US 82 Truck
Serves Artesia
 
  US 82 Truck
Serves Lovington
 
  US 85 Alt.
Anthony Las Cruces
 
  US 85 Byp.
Served Santa Fe
 
  US 85 Alt.
Barelas Alameda
   
  US 285 Alt.
Artesia South Springs Acres
   
  US 285 Truck
Serves Roswell
   
  US 285 Alt.
Served Santa Fe
   
  US 285 Byp.
Served Santa Fe
  •       Former

See also

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Notes

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

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bureau of Public Roads & American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: United States Geological Survey. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved November 7, 2013 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  2. ^ a b c d New Mexico Department of Transportation. "State Routes" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  3. ^ a b McClure, Rosemary (November 29, 2010). "Get your kicks on Route 66—and 499 other great highways". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  4. ^ Rand McNally (1926). "New Mexico" (Map). Auto Road Atlas. Scale not given. Chicago: Rand McNally. 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 26, 2006. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  6. ^ a b Weingroff, Richard F (June 18, 2003). "US 666: Beast of a Highway?". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
  7. ^ "NM 597" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
  8. ^ Hesch, Louis (1957). Official Road Map of New Mexico (ZIP) (Map). 1:1,267,200. Santa Fe: New Mexico State Highway Department. §§ 9B, 8B. Retrieved August 3, 2019 – via University of New Mexico RGIS.
  9. ^ Weingroff, Richard (June 18, 2003). "U.S. Route 666: "Beast of a Highway"?". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  10. ^ Broome, B.C.; Hesch, Louis (1932). Official Road Map of New Mexico (ZIP) (Map). 1:1,267,200. Santa Fe: New Mexico State Highway Department. Retrieved August 3, 2019 – via University of New Mexico RGIS.
  11. ^ "No more kicks on Route 66". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. June 29, 1985. p. 10A. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  12. ^ Weingroff, Richard F. (April 6, 2010). "US Route 80: The Dixie Overland Highway". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  13. ^ Weingroff, Richard (June 27, 2017). "U.S. 82". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  14. ^ Broome, B.C.; Hesch, Louis (1936). Official Road Map of New Mexico (ZIP) (Map). 1:1,267,200. Santa Fe: New Mexico State Highway Department. Retrieved August 3, 2019 – via University of New Mexico RGIS.
  15. ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (December 2009). "U.S. Route Number Database". American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
  16. ^ Broome, B.C.; Hesch, Louis (1933). Official Road Map of New Mexico (ZIP) (Map). 1:1,267,200. Santa Fe: New Mexico State Highway Department. Retrieved August 3, 2019 – via University of New Mexico RGIS.
  17. ^ "End of US highway 566". Retrieved August 20, 2019.[self-published source]
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