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U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
to the
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coast in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. The highway's eastern terminus is in
Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the most populous city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeastern Virginia. It is the sixth-most populous city in the ...
, where it is known as General Booth Boulevard, just south of the city's Oceanfront resort district at the intersection of Rudee Point Road and Harbor Point. Its original western terminus was in
Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...
; it was then extended to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, but in 1964, it was truncated to end southwest of
Brenda, Arizona Brenda is a census-designated place (CDP) in La Paz County, Arizona, La Paz County, Arizona, United States. Description The community is located approximately east of Quartzsite, Arizona, Quartzsite and northeast of Interstate 10 in Arizona, ...
, at an interchange with Interstate 10 (I-10) after the US 60 highway designation was removed from California. I-10 replaced US 60 from Beaumont, California, to Arizona, and California State Route 60 (SR 60) replaced US 60 from Los Angeles to Beaumont.


Route description

, - , AZ , 368 , 592 , - , NM , 366 , 590 , - , TX , 225 , 362 , - , OK , 355 , 571 , - , MO , 341 , 549 , - , IL , 0.9 , 1.5 , - , KY , 489 , 787 , - , WV , 179 , 288 , - , VA , 302 , 486 , - , Total , 2,655 , 4,273


Arizona

The westernmost stretch of US 60, to the
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
state line, has been replaced by
Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
(I-10). The western terminus of US 60 is near Brenda, from where it travels northeast to Wickenburg. Once US 60 enters Surprise, it carries the name Grand Avenue through the
Phoenix metropolitan area The Phoenix metropolitan area, also known as the Valley of the Sun, the Salt River Valley, metro Phoenix, or The Valley, is the largest metropolitan statistical area in the Southwestern United States, with its largest principal city being the c ...
before joining I-17 and I-10 in Phoenix for approximately . In Tempe, US 60 exits I-10 and becomes the Superstition Freeway, a significant part of the Phoenix freeway system that serves cities such as
Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge, or hill, bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and standing distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks, such as shales, capped by a ...
, Gilbert, and Apache Junction. East of the Phoenix area, US 60 bears roughly east-northeast through mountainous areas, passing through
Globe A globe is a spherical Earth, spherical Model#Physical model, model of Earth, of some other astronomical object, celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but, unlike maps, they do not distort the surface ...
, Show Low, and Springerville before entering
New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
.


New Mexico

US 60 enters New Mexico in Catron County east of Springerville, Arizona. The road makes an arc through Catron County, with the apex at Quemado, avoiding Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and Escondido Mountain. East of Pie Town, the road crosses the Continental Divide. Between the Divide and Datil, US 60 cuts through the Datil Mountains and
Cibola National Forest The Cibola National Forest (pronounced SEE-bo-lah) is a 1,633,783 acre (6,611.7 km2) United States National Forest in New Mexico, US. The name Cibola is thought to be the original Zuni Indian name for their pueblos or tribal lands. The name wa ...
. In Datil, US 60 serves as the eastern terminus of NM-12. East of Datil, US 60 traverses the northern end of the Plains of San Augustin, then crosses the county line into Socorro County. The road bisects the
Very Large Array The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is a centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory in the southwestern United States built in the 1970s. It lies in central New Mexico on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena, Ne ...
complex, and a track used in rearranging the antennas that make up the Array crosses the highway. into the county, the highway passes through Magdalena. It then enters the county seat of Socorro, where it meets
Interstate 25 Interstate 25 (I-25), also known as the Pan-American Freeway, is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 st ...
. US 60 heads north, beginning a concurrency with the Interstate. US 60 splits off from I-25 near Bernardo, about north of Socorro. It turns back eastward, rising through Abo Pass at the southern end of the Manzano Mountains before crossing into Torrance County and passing through Mountainair, where it intersects NM-55. After passing through Willard, it sets out across the Pedernal Hills. In Encino, it begins a concurrency with US-285. Just after crossing into Guadalupe County, US-54 joins the concurrency. The three highways pass through Vaughn and then go their separate ways, with US 285 heading southeast towards the direction of Roswell, US 54 heading northeast towards both Santa Rosa and
Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States, southeastern and Southwestern United States, southwestern portions of the United States. At a leng ...
, and US 60 heading east towards Clovis. US 60 angles southeast toward Yeso, entering De Baca County en route. Curving back towards the east, the road enters
Fort Sumner Fort Sumner was a Fortification, military fort in New Mexico Territory charged with the internment of Navajo and Mescalero, Mescalero Apache populations from 1863 to 1868 at nearby Bosque Redondo. History On October 31, 1862, Congress of the ...
, the county seat, later. Just west of town, it serves as the northern terminus of NM-20, and in Fort Sumner proper, it begins a concurrency with US-84, which will persist for the remainder of the routes' miles in New Mexico. East of town the two highways encounter NM-212, a spur to Fort Sumner State Monument, and NM 252 in Taiban. US 60/84 passes through Tolar near the De Baca– Roosevelt County line. The two routes do not stay in Roosevelt County for long, however, proceeding into Curry County west of Melrose. The highways pass through Melrose, St. Vrain, and Grier before widening out to a four-lane highway as they approach Clovis, the Curry County seat. In Clovis, the home of Cannon Air Force Base, the highways meet up with US-70, which joins the concurrency. The three highways proceed through Texico, and then cross the state line near Farwell, Texas. For the distance of more than 300 miles (480 km) between Abo Pass and Amarillo, the highway parallels the Southern Transcon, one of the busiest transcontinental railroads in the west.


Texas

US 60 runs in a northeasterly direction across the Texas Panhandle. It enters the state as a four-lane divided highway at Farwell on the Texas-New Mexico border, and heads northeast, intersecting U.S. Route 385 at
Hereford Hereford ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Wye and lies east of the border with Wales, north-west of Gloucester and south-west of Worcester. With ...
. At
Canyon A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency t ...
, the route begins a concurrency with both U.S. Route 87 and
Interstate 27 Interstate 27 (I-27) is an Interstate Highway, entirely in the US state of Texas, running north from Lubbock, Texas, Lubbock to Interstate 40 in Texas, I-40 in Amarillo, Texas, Amarillo. These two cities are the only control cities on I-27 ...
; the three routes are united to Amarillo. At Amarillo, the road crosses
Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States, southeastern and Southwestern United States, southwestern portions of the United States. At a leng ...
and has a short concurrency with Historic US 66 on Amarillo Boulevard. The road continues as a divided highway, heading northeast to
Pampa The Pampas (; from Quechuan languages, Quechua 'plain'), also known as the Pampas Plain, are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentina, Argentine Provinces of Argentina, provinces of Buenos Aires Pro ...
, where the road goes to two lanes. At
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
, the route briefly returns to four-lane status and forms a concurrency with U.S. Route 83. US 60 leaves Texas for Oklahoma east of Higgins.


Oklahoma

Except for three short sections near Enid, Vinita, and Ponca City, US 60 is a two-lane highway its entire length across Oklahoma. It enters the state west of Arnett and travels east to Orienta where it begins a concurrency with U.S. Highway 412. At Enid, it leaves the concurrency with US-412 and begins another with U.S. Highway 64 with which it is united for . Near
Tonkawa The Tonkawa are a Native American tribe from Oklahoma and Texas. Their Tonkawa language, now extinct language, extinct, is a linguistic isolate. Today, Tonkawa people are enrolled in the Federally recognized tribes, federally recognized Tonkawa ...
, US 60 has an interchange with
Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...
. At Ponca City, US 60 enters Osage County, leaving it at Bartlesville. From Vinita to Afton, the highway has a concurrency with Historic U.S. Highway 66 and U.S. Highway 69. The road meets
Interstate 44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, T ...
at Vinita and Afton. It passes through Twin Bridges State Park about west of the Missouri state line.


Missouri

US 60 crosses southern
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
, south of
Interstate 44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, T ...
. It crosses the Missouri-Oklahoma state line near the Missouri town Seneca. It is concurrent with U.S. Route 62 from Charleston and spans the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
to enter Illinois. Prior to the creation of the U.S. Highway system, U.S. Route 60 was Route 16. Between the Missouri-Oklahoma state line and south of Seneca and
Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...
, US 60 is a two-lane highway, often splitting into alternating three-lane highways beginning at Monett. At
Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...
, the road becomes a four-lane divided highway, turning southeast onto the James River Freeway in the Springfield city limits. Most of the route east of Springfield is four-lane divided and several stretches are freeway-graded. On July 9, 2010, The
Missouri Department of Transportation The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT, ) is a state government organization in charge of maintaining public roadways of the U.S. state of Missouri under the guidance of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission (MHTC). MoDOT ...
(MoDOT) finished the process of upgrading US 60 to four lanes along a segment between the towns of Willow Springs and Van Buren. This project's overall completion indicates that US 60 is now a four-lane facility from Springfield to Charleston, a distance of approximately . A stretch of US 60 from east of US 65 in Springfield to Rogersville has been in long range plans on being upgraded to freeway status, therefore removing all at-grade crossings, installing overpasses and interchanges, and access roads. At
Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...
, US 60 meets Missouri Route 5, which runs south towards Ava. U.S. 60 is briefly concurrent with Route 5 north of Mansfield, after which Route 5 continues north towards Hartville. On the southeast side of Cabool US 60 encounters US Route 63 and continues as a concurrency to Willow Springs, where the two routes separate with Route 60 continuing east to Mountain View and Route 63 continues south toward West Plains. US 60 intersects
Interstate 55 Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The ...
and Interstate 57 just southeast of Sikeston. It runs concurrently with I-57 from this junction to the east side of Charleston. From Charleston to Bird's Point, where the route leaves Missouri on a bridge crossing of the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
, US 60 is now concurrent with U.S. Route 62 and - for a short distance - Route 77. William Jefferson Blythe Jr., the biological father of former U.S. president
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
, died on Route 60 (now Route 114) outside of Sikeston, Missouri after being thrown from his car and drowning in a drainage ditch.


Illinois

U.S. 60 continues its concurrency with U.S. Highway 62 for its entire length, , in Illinois.Illinois Technology Transfer Center
T2 GIS Data
Retrieved June 2, 2006. As documented in Wikipedia:WikiProject U.S. Roads/Lengths/Illinois.
The routes enter Illinois at its very southern tip between the
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
and
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
rivers. The concurrent routes pass Fort Defiance, which lies at the lowest and southernmost point of
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, then intersect with U.S. 51 south of
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
, turning eastward along with southbound U.S. 51 to cross the
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
into Kentucky.


Kentucky

US 60, along with US 51 and US 62, crosses into the Commonwealth of Kentucky from
Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( , sometimes ) is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County, Illinois, Alexander County. A river city, Cairo has the lowest elevation of any location in Illinois and is the only Illinoi ...
. US 60 splits off from this concurrency at Wickliffe, and heads northeast towards Paducah. US 60 has an interchange with Interstate 24 and enters the city along with Business Loop 24. US 60 joins US 62 once again, and the routes head out of Paducah. US 60 splits off to the northeast and crosses the
Tennessee River The Tennessee River is a long river located in the Southern United States, southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. Flowing through the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, it begins at the confluence of Fren ...
, while US 62 heads southeast and serves as the western terminus of US 68. From there, US 60 roughly follows the
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
, traveling through the city of Smithland, and junctions US 641 at Marion. US 60 continues northeast to Morganfield, and then to Henderson, where it joins US 41-A on the west side of town. The two routes head to northeast Henderson, where they have an interchange with
US 41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part i ...
. Kentucky's segment of Interstate 69 ends south of Henderson, but construction has begun to connect it with
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, where the interstate will be concurrent with US 41 and share the rebuilt interchange with US 60. From that interchange, US 60 heads east towards the city of Owensboro. US 60 becomes the Wendell H. Ford Expressway, around the south side of the city of Owensboro. The route serves as the eastern terminus of the Audubon Parkway (future I-69 spur), as well as the northern terminus of US 431.
US 231 U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is a north–south U.S highway that is a parallel route of US 31. It runs for from St. John, Indiana, at US 41 to south of US 98 in downtown Panama City, Florida. One of its most notable landmark ...
joins US 60 and the routes serve as the northern terminus of I-165 (formerly the William H. Natcher Parkway). The routes travel north, leaving Owensboro, towards Maceo. At Maceo, US 60 splits from US 231 and heads east along the Ohio River traveling through the cities of Lewisport, Hawesville, and Cloverport. The route then goes southeast to Hardinsburg, and then traverses northeast to US 31W north of
Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository (also known as Fort Knox), which is used to house a larg ...
. US 60 joins US 31W, and the routes travel north to the city of
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
. US 60 branches off an alternate route, Alt. US 60, which traverses the south side of Louisville, while the main US 60 travels through the north side. The routes head north through the city, having an interchange with I-264 along the way. At Bernheim Lane, US 31W splits off US 60 and parallels on the west side, while US 60 continues north, traveling further into the city. US 60 joins US 150, and the routes travel east out of the downtown area. The routes junction US 31E, and US 60 goes north on US 31E, while US 150 goes south on US 31E. Then, US 60 turns off onto US 42, has an interchange with Interstate 64, and then splits off of US 42 and heads out of Louisville. Before leaving, Alternate US 60 joins back, and US 60 has an interchange with I-264 once more, and then with I-265. US 60 parallels Interstate 64 as the route travels east through Shelbyville, and on into the capital city of Frankfort. Here, US 60 junctions US 127, and heads on east into the city. US 60 crosses the Kentucky River and continues east to US 421 and US 460. US 60 joins US 421, and the routes travel south for a bit, and then US 421 splits off of US 60 and heads east. US 60 heads southeast, crossing over to the south side of Interstate 64. US 60 joins US 62 once again in a strange concurrency (US 60 is heading east while US 62 is heading west, and vice versa). US 60 quickly splits off at
Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...
, and then the route travels east towards Lexington. US 60 enters Lexington after having an interchange with Kentucky Route 4 (KY 4). US 60 goes into the city, joining US 68 for a block, and then turns south onto US 25 and US 421. The three routes travel through downtown Lexington, and then US 60 splits off and heads east out of the city. On its way out, US 60 has an interchange with US 421 By-Pass and then with Interstate 75. US 60 continues on east, paralleling Interstate 64. The route travels through
Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
, and then junctions US 460 in Mount Sterling. After leaving the city, US 60 crosses over to the north side of Insterstate 64, creating an interchange. From here, US 60 travels through the cities of Owingsville, Morehead, and Grayson, before turning northeast to head to the city of Ashland. In the city, US 60 joins US 23, and the two routes head south along the
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
. The routes continue to Catlettsburg, where US 60 leaves US 23 and heads east, crossing over the Big Sandy River on the Billy C. Clark Bridge into the state of
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
.


West Virginia

In
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
, US 60 largely follows the path of the Midland Trail. It enters the state at Kenova by crossing over the Big Sandy River from the city of Catlettsburg,
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
. From there, it heads through Huntington east to Charleston. From Charleston, US 60 heads southeast on its own course apart from Interstate 64, its replacement. The road first follows the
Kanawha River The Kanawha River ( ) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi (156 km) long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, its watershed has been a significant industrial region of th ...
to its source at Gauley Bridge, where US 60 then climbs out of the river valley and follows a twisting path through Rainelle and back to Interstate 64 at Sam Black Church. This stretch was the last section of US 60 to be bypassed by the Interstate system in West Virginia. I-64 between Beckley and Sam Black Church, West Virginia, was not completed and open to traffic until July 15, 1988. Due to its location, many miles away from I-64, US 60 still serves a large amount of traffic through the central part of the state, even though I-64 has replaced the highway for most through traffic. From the early 1970s, when I-64 was completed through Charleston to the West Virginia Turnpike until 1988, all east-west I-64 traffic was routed onto the mostly two lane U.S. 60 from Charleston to Sam Black Church where I-64 resumed. During this time U.S. 60 was signed by W.V.D.O.T. with a U.S. 60 shield and a "to I-64 (east or west)" sign in order to assure travelers they would eventually return to the interstate highway by following the federal designated route. This stretch of highway from Charleston to Sam Black Church is significant as it was the second to last segment of U.S. highway to be replaced by an interstate (of the original 1960s grid plan). From Sam Black Church east through Lewisburg to White Sulphur Springs, US 60 lives in the shadow of I-64 and carries a very small amount of traffic. Just east of White Sulphur Springs, US 60 joins I-64 for the last in the state before they enter
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
at Allegheny Mountain.


Virginia

In Virginia, U.S. Route 60 runs west to east through the central part of the state, generally close to and paralleling the Interstate 64 corridor, except for the crossing of the
Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...
, and in the
South Hampton Roads South Hampton Roads is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia's Tidewater region in the United States with a total population of 1,177,742 as of 2020. It is part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA ( M ...
area. Between Lexington in the
Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...
and Richmond, I-64 uses a lower elevation crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains located about further north, where it runs parallel to U.S. Route 250 through Rockfish Gap. In contrast, through this section, the older US 60 is mostly a rural two-lane road. With the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains at a higher altitude in more rugged terrain, US 60 in this area offers much more challenging and weather-sensitive driving conditions, as well as a history of many crashes in the years before I-64 was completed. East of north–south U.S. Route 29 (which runs parallel to the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge), the older US 60 and I-64 gradually converge as they pass through the rolling hills of the rocky Piedmont region in an easterly direction to reach the
Fall Line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is noticeable especially the place rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the ...
at Richmond, where they again become very close. From Richmond east to the harbor area near the mouth of
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
, US 60 again essentially parallels I-64 through Williamsburg and the Historic Triangle region, extending down the Virginia Peninsula east to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel which it shares with I-64. Along the way in Newport News, a notable section of Huntington Avenue (the block between 25th and 26th streets) carries US 60 in both directions overlapping, and is possibly the only example of a highway in the United States with such a configuration. A few miles south of the bridge-tunnel, in
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
, US 60 diverges to the east to follow the south shoreline of the
Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...
through Ocean View and past the south entrance to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to reach Cape Henry. There it curves south to run along the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
shoreline to end near the south end of the Virginia Beach resort strip.


History


Historical California alignment

U.S. Route 60 has been fully decommissioned in California since 1972, when
Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
was completed in California. It had a clear east-west orientation and was so signed. Between downtown Los Angeles (its western terminus at its interchange with Interstates 5 and 10) it had an existence separate from U.S. Routes 70 and 99, lying to its south. US 60 passed through Pomona and Riverside, meeting US 70 and US 99 near Beaumont, east of which it coincided with US 70 and US 99 as far to the east as Indio. East of Indio, US 99 separated from US 60 and US 70, both continuing through the Colorado Desert to the Arizona state line at the Colorado River near Blythe almost entirely as a two-lane highway. After the Great Renumbering of 1964, US 60 remained intact east of Beaumont, but for only eight years. Meanwhile, US 70 and US 99 had disappeared completely in Southern California. West of Beaumont, the route that had been US 60 was re-signed as State Route 60 (although often on a somewhat different alignment than the later California 60, as the new freeway had not yet been completed). East of Beaumont, US 60 remained in existence while Interstate 10 supplanted it, with the course of US 60 being moved to Interstate 10 and some sections of the old highway being demolished. In 1972, California decommissioned whatever remained of US 60 within the state as the last segments of Interstate 10 were opened. Parts of old US 60 (which in places coincided with US 70 and US 99) remain as business loops of Interstate 10 in Indio and Blythe. US 60 had its beginnings in the Midland Trail, an auto trail organized in 1912 by residents of
Grand Junction, Colorado Grand Junction is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat and largest city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction's population was 65,560 at the 2020 United St ...
. The next year, this route was considered but rejected for the
Lincoln Highway The Lincoln Highway is one of the first transcontinental highways in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated Octob ...
, after which the Midland Trail Association laid out and marked its own transcontinental highway, eventually connecting
Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an Independent city (United States), independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the List of c ...
with Los Angeles, California. When the Joint Board on Interstate Highways published its preliminary plan for a system of interstate routes in 1925, the Midland Trail was split among many numbers, including U.S. Route 52, 52, U.S. Route 62, 62, U.S. Route 150, 150, U.S. Route 50, 50, and U.S. Route 40, 40. East of
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
, where it would become US 60, it was assigned parts of 52 and 62. Route 52 began at Newport News and followed the Midland Trail to Richmond, but took a more southerly route to Lexington, Virginia. The trail was used again through
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
to Huntington, WV, Huntington, where Route 52 split to the northwest. Route 62 began at Ashland, Kentucky (near Huntington) and followed the Midland Trail across northeastern
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
to Louisville, where the trail crossed the
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
and became Route 150. Route 62 continued southwest along the south bank of the Ohio River to Wickliffe, KY, Wickliffe in western Kentucky, and then crossed the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
at the Ohio's mouth. The final portion of Route 62 crossed southern
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
to Springfield, MO, Springfield on an existing main highway that had been numbered 16 by the state.Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas, 1926, accessed via th
Broer Map Library
/ref> Kentucky Governor William J. Fields objected to the Joint Board's plan, which took most major east–west routes (multiples of ten) to the East Coast of the United States, East Coast, but sent Route 60 from
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
northeast to end in Chicago, leaving none to cross Kentucky, the only Mississippi Valley state without such a route. Proposals were considered for splitting US 60 into 60N and 60E at Springfield (MO) or using 62 for the Chicago route; Missouri had already prepared maps that showed the original plans for 60 and 62. The final plan, agreed to by the affected states, assigned US 66 to the Los Angeles-Chicago highway and US 60 to the route from Springfield to Virginia Beach (extended from Newport News), absorbing all of 62 and part of 52 from the 1925 plan.Richard F. Weingroff
From Names to Numbers: The Origins of the U.S. Numbered Highway System
United States Numbered Highways, ''American Highways'' (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AASHO), April 1927 Although US 60 initially stretched less than halfway across the country, due to its late creation, it was soon extended west to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. One auto trail — the Atlantic and Pacific Highway - and three other U.S. Highways played a part in this extension. The Atlantic and Pacific Highway had been organized in 1921, and connected New York City with Los Angeles. The original alignment of U.S. Route 70 entered Clovis, New Mexico from the east, as it does now, but continued west to Holbrook, Arizona. Crossing US 70 at Clovis was the El Paso, Texas, El Paso- Amarillo U.S. Route 366 (1926), U.S. Route 366. Finally, U.S. Route 164 was created by 1928, stretching northeast and east from Amarillo to U.S. Route 64 and U.S. Route 81 in Enid, Oklahoma. The American Association of State Highway Officials approved the first part of the extension in May 1930, following the rest of Missouri's Route 16 to the Oklahoma state line, and several state highways to Enid, before absorbing US 164 to a terminus at Amarillo. The remainder to Los Angeles was approved at AASHO's June 1931 meeting, and involved a number of other changes. US 60 replaced US 366 from Amarillo to Clovis, where it continued west along US 70 to Springerville, Arizona. The remainder of US 70 to Holbrook, Arizona became a new U.S. Route 260, while US 60 followed the Atlantic and Pacific Highway, which it had picked up at Vaughn, New Mexico, southwest and west through Phoenix to Los Angeles. US 70 was not truncated to Clovis, but was instead redirected southwest along US 366 to El Paso, and later reached Los Angeles itself, though most of the route west of Globe, Arizona overlap (road), overlapped US 60. After the Interstate Highway System was signed into law in 1956, the Midland Trail portion of US 60, from
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
east to the
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
area, was bypassed by Interstate 64. From Phoenix west to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
paralleled and, for the most part, replaced US 60. I-10 and I-64 were mostly completed by the late 1970s, though part of Interstate 64 in West Virginia, built on a new alignment east from Beckley, did not bypass the old winding US 60 until July 15, 1988. California decommissioned its portion of US 60 in 1972; most was replaced by I-10, while the independent piece in the Los Angeles area became State Route 60 (California), State Route 60. In 1982, the portion overlap (road), overlapping I-10 in western Arizona was removed. US 60 between Phoenix and Louisville remains a major regional corridor in most places, and is not paralleled by an Interstate for any significant length.


Major intersections

;Arizona : southwest of Brenda : in Wickenburg : in Phoenix. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Phoenix. The highways travel concurrently to Tempe. : in
Globe A globe is a spherical Earth, spherical Model#Physical model, model of Earth, of some other astronomical object, celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but, unlike maps, they do not distort the surface ...
: in Springerville. The highways travel concurrently through the town. ;New Mexico : in Socorro. The highways travel concurrently to south-southwest of Abeytas, New Mexico, Abeytas. : in Encino. The highways travel concurrently to southeast of Vaughn. : southwest of Vaughn. The highways travel concurrently to east-southeast of Vaughn. : in
Fort Sumner Fort Sumner was a Fortification, military fort in New Mexico Territory charged with the internment of Navajo and Mescalero, Mescalero Apache populations from 1863 to 1868 at nearby Bosque Redondo. History On October 31, 1862, Congress of the ...
. The highways travel concurrently to Texico. : in Clovis. The highways travel concurrently to Texico. ;Texas : in
Hereford Hereford ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Wye and lies east of the border with Wales, north-west of Gloucester and south-west of Worcester. With ...
: in
Canyon A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency t ...
. The highways travel concurrently to Amarillo. : north of Canyon. The highways travel concurrently to Amarillo. : in Amarillo. US 60/US 287 travels concurrently through the city. : south-southwest of
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
. The highways travel concurrently to north-northeast of Canadian. ;Oklahoma : west of Arnett. The highways travel concurrently to east of Arnett. : west-southwest of Seiling, Oklahoma, Seiling : in Seiling. US 60/US 270 travels concurrently through the city. US 60/US 281 travels concurrently to Chester, Oklahoma, Chester. : in Orienta. The highways travel concurrently to Enid. : in Enid. The highways travel concurrently to Pond Creek, Oklahoma, Pond Creek. : in Enid. The highways travel concurrently to west of Pond Creek. : in
Tonkawa The Tonkawa are a Native American tribe from Oklahoma and Texas. Their Tonkawa language, now extinct language, extinct, is a linguistic isolate. Today, Tonkawa people are enrolled in the Federally recognized tribes, federally recognized Tonkawa ...
: in Tonkawa. The highways travel concurrently to Ponca City. : east of Tonkawa. The highways travel concurrently to Ponca City. : in Bartlesville. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Nowata, Oklahoma, Nowata : west-southwest of Vinita. The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Afton. : in Vinita : northeast of Afton. The highways travel concurrently for approximately . : northeast of Afton ;Missouri : in Neosho, Missouri, Neosho : southwest of Springfield. The highways travel concurrently to Springfield. : in Springfield : southeast of Cabool. The highways travel concurrently to southeast of Willow Springs. : south-southwest of Hendrickson, Missouri, Hendrickson. The highways travel concurrently to northwest of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Poplar Bluff. I-57/US 60 will travel concurrently to Sikeston. : in Sikeston. : on the Sikeston–Miner, Missouri, Miner city line. I-57/US 60 travels concurrently to Charleston. : in Charleston. US 60/US 62 travels concurrently to Wickliffe, Kentucky, with a short
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
segment in-between. ;Illinois : in
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
. The highways travel concurrently to Wickliffe, Kentucky. ;Kentucky : in Paducah : in Paducah. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Paducah. US 60/US 62 travel concurrently to Riverview, McCracken County, Kentucky, Riverview. : in Marion : in Henderson : in Owensboro : in Owensboro. The highways travel concurrently to Maceo. : in Owensboro : in
Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository (also known as Fort Knox), which is used to house a larg ...
. The highways travel concurrently to
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
. : in Louisville : in Shively, Kentucky, Shively : in Louisville. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Louisville. The highways travel concurrently for one block. : in Louisville. US 31E/US 60 travel concurrently through the city. : in Louisville : in Louisville : on the St. Matthews, Kentucky, St. Matthews–Louisville city line : in Middletown, Kentucky, Middletown : in Frankfort : in Frankfort. US 60/US 421 travels concurrently through the city. : southeast of Frankfort : in
Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...
. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Lexington. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Lexington. US 25/US 60/US 421 travels concurrently through the city. : in Lexington : northeast of
Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
: in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, Mt. Sterling. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : northeast of Mt. Sterling : east-southeast of Owingsville : northeast of Olive Hill, Kentucky, Olive Hill : in Coalton, Kentucky, Coalton : in Ashland. The highways travel concurrently to Catlettsburg. ;West Virginia : in Huntington : in Barboursville, West Virginia, Barboursville : in South Charleston, West Virginia, South Charleston : in Charleston : in Charleston : in Charleston. The highways travel concurrently to southeast of Snow Hill, Kanawha County, West Virginia, Snow Hill. : in Chelyan, West Virginia, Chelyan : in Hico, West Virginia, Hico : south-southeast of Crawley, West Virginia, Crawley : in Lewisburg : east of White Sulphur Springs : east-southeast of White Sulphur Springs. The highways travel concurrently to Callaghan, Virginia. ;Virginia : in Covington. The highways travel concurrently to east-northeast of Clifton Forge, Virginia, Clifton Forge. : in Mallow, Virginia, Mallow. The highways travel concurrently to north-northwest of Lexington. : southeast of Lexington : southeast of Lexington : in Buena Vista, Virginia, Buena Vista : in Amherst, Virginia, Amherst : in Sprouses Corner, Virginia, Sprouses Corner : northwest of Powhatan, Virginia, Powhatan : in Richmond : in Richmond. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : east-southeast of Sandston, Virginia, Sandston : in Newport News, Virginia, Newport News : in Newport News : in Newport News : in Hampton, Virginia, Hampton. The highways travel concurrently to
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
. : in Norfolk : in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Virginia Beach : in Virginia Beach : 5th Street/General Booth Boulevard in Virginia Beach


See also

* U.S. Route 160 * U.S. Route 260 * U.S. Route 360 * U.S. Route 460 * Special routes of U.S. Route 60


References


External links


Endpoints of U.S. Highway 60

Illinois Highway Ends: US 60
{{Authority control U.S. Route 60, U.S. Highways in California, 60 Interstate 10, 060 United States Numbered Highway System, 60 U.S. Highways in West Virginia, 60