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U.S. Route 160 in Colorado

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This article is about the section of U.S. Route 160 in Colorado. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 160.
U.S. Highway 160 marker
U.S. Highway 160
Map
Map of Colorado with US 160 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by CDOT
Length490.0 mi (788.6 km)
Existed1926–present
Major junctions
West end US 160 at the New Mexico state line
Major intersections
East end US-160 at the Kansas state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountiesMontezuma, La Plata, Archuleta, Mineral, Rio Grande, Alamosa, Costilla, Huerfano, Las Animas, Baca
Highway system
  • Colorado State Highway System
← SH 159→ SH 165

U.S. Route 160 (US 160) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that travels from Tuba City, Arizona, to Poplar Bluff, Missouri. In the state of Colorado, US 160 starts at the New Mexico state line southwest of Cortez and ends at the Kansas state line east of Springfield.

Route description

[edit]
US 160 entering the Wolf Creek Pass tunnel

US 160 enters Colorado near the Four Corners Monument. It goes northeast and intersects US 491, then turns north to enter Cortez with US 491. East of Cortez, a road leads south from US 160 to Mesa Verde National Park. It continues east to Durango, where it intersects US 550. After overlapping with US 550 south of Durango, US 160 turns east and meets US 84 at Pagosa Springs. It then goes northeast and crosses the Continental Divide at Wolf Creek Pass, the area made popular in 1975 in C.W. McCall's album Wolf Creek Pass.[1]

US 160 in La Veta Pass

From Wolf Creek Pass, US 160 continues northeast and turns east at South Fork. At Monte Vista, an overlap begins with US 285, which continues southeast into Alamosa. It turns east, then goes northeast to go through North La Veta Pass, then continues east to Walsenburg, where it intersects Interstate 25 (I-25).

The Spanish Peaks (East Spanish Peak at far left, West Spanish Peak to its right) and Trinchera Peak in the distance, taken from along U.S. 160, about 8 miles (13 km) west of Walsenburg

From Walsenburg, US 160 continues south with I-25 to Trinidad, then turns northeast to intersect US 350. It continues east, passing through the Comanche National Grassland before intersecting the concurrent US 287 and US 385 south of Springfield. It continues east and enters Kansas east of Walsh.

History

[edit]
U.S. Highway 164 marker
U.S. Highway 164
LocationFlagstaff, AZ–Cortez, CO
Existed1964–1970

As commissioned in 1930 the western terminus was Trinidad.[2] In 1939, US 160 absorbed all of former route U.S. Highway 450 which ran from US 50 at Crescent Junction, Utah to US 85 at Walsenburg.[3]

In 1970, many US Highways in the Four Corners region were realigned. US 160 was diverted southwesterly from Cortez to follow its present route past the Four Corners into Arizona, absorbing the route numbered U.S. Highway 164.[4]

In 2021, the portion of the highway between Walsenburg and the highway's junction with Colorado State Highway 12 was designated a National Scenic Byway. The designation, which includes State Highway 12 and the county roads over Cordova Pass, is called the Scenic Highway of Legends.[5]

Junction list

[edit]
CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
Montezuma​0.000.00
 US 160 west – Four Corners, Flagstaff AZ		Continuation into New Mexico
​4.97.9 SH 41Southern Terminus of SH-41
​18.229.3 US 491 – ShiprockWestern end of US 491 concurrency
Cortez37.961.0 US 491 – MonticelloEastern end of US 491 concurrency
40.364.9 SH 145 – TellurideSouthern Terminus of SH-145
Mancos4572Mesa Top Ruins Road – Mesa Verde National ParkInterchange
54.687.9
 US 160 Bus.
56.090.1 SH 184 – Dolores
57.091.7
 US 160 Bus.
La PlataHesperus72.7117.0 SH 140 – Kline, Redmesa
Durango83.2133.9 US 550 – SilvertonWestern end of US 550 concurrency
85.9138.2
 SH 3 north
​87.6141.0 US 550 – BloomfieldEastern end of US 550 concurrency
​90.6145.8 Wilson Gulch DriveInterchange; access to Mercy Regional Medical Center
​90.6145.8 SH 172 – OxfordAccess to Durango-La Plata County Airport
Bayfield100.6161.9
 US 160 Bus.
102.7165.3
 US 160 Bus.
Archuleta​126.1202.9 SH 151 – Arboles
Pagosa Springs143.5230.9
 US 84 east – Chama		Western terminus of US 84
Mineral
 No major junctions
Rio GrandeSouth Fork184.9297.6 SH 149 – Rio Grande National Forest
Del Norte200.9323.3 SH 112 – Center
Monte Vista214.5345.2

 US 285 north (North Broadway) / SH 15 south (South Broadway)		Western end of US 285 concurrency
AlamosaAlamosa231.6372.7 SH 17 south / US 285 – AntonitoEastern end of US 285 concurrency; western end of SH 17 concurrency
Rio Grande232.6374.3Bridge
Alamosa East232.8374.7
 SH 17 north – Salida, Buena Vista		Eastern end of SH 17 concurrency
Costilla​246.7397.0
 SH 150 north – Great Sand Dunes National Park
Fort Garland257.1413.8 SH 159 – San Luis
Huerfano​292.9471.4 SH 12 – La Veta
Walsenburg304.1489.4

 I-25 BL south (Main Street south) to I-25 south		Western end of I-25 Bus. concurrency
304.3489.7Main Street north (I-25 BL north)Eastern end of I-25 Bus. concurrency
305.2491.2

 I-25 north (US 85 / US 87 north) / SH 10 east – Pueblo, La Junta		Western end of I-25/US 85/US 87 concurrency; I-25 exit 50; western terminus of SH 10
See I-25
Las AnimasTrinidad340.4547.8
 I-25 south (US 85 / US 87 south) / Goddard Avenue		Eastern end of I-25/US 85/US 87 concurrency; I-25 exit 15

 SH 239 north		No access eastbound
341.2549.1 Main Street / Santa Fe Trail Scenic BywayServes Mt. San Rafael Hospital; former US 160 west
​346.6557.8
 US 350 east / Santa Fe Trail Scenic Byway – La Junta		Access to Perry Stokes Airport
​375.8604.8 SH 389 – Branson
​409.5659.0 SH 109 – La Junta
BacaSpringfield457.1735.6 US 287 / US 385 – Amarillo, Odessa, Denver, Lamar
​465.0748.3 SH 100 – Vilas
​490.0788.6
 US-160 east – Johnson City		Continuation into Kansas
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Ligo, Joe (May 19, 2021). "The 1970s Trucking Craze Can Be Traced Back to a Regional TV Commercial for Bread". The Drive. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  2. ^ U.S. Highway Ends by Dale Sanderson (Mapguy), Last Retrieved September 25, 2007[self-published source]
  3. ^ U.S. Highway Ends by Dale Sanderson (Mapguy), Last Retrieved September 25, 2007[self-published source]
  4. ^ U.S. Highway Ends by Dale Sanderson (Mapguy), Last Retrieved September 25, 2007[self-published source]
  5. ^ "Two New National Scenic Byways for Colorado". Colorado Department of Transportation. State of Colorado. February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
[edit]
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Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 160 in Colorado
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Media related to U.S. Route 160 in Colorado at Wikimedia Commons


U.S. Route 160
Previous state:
New Mexico 		Colorado Next state:
Kansas
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