U.S. Route 287 (US 287) is a north–south (physically northwest–southeast)

United States highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...

. At long, it is the second longest three-digit U.S. Route, behind US 281. It serves as the major truck route between Fort Worth and

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall County ...

, and between Fort Collins, Colorado, and Laramie, Wyoming. The highway is broken into two segments by Yellowstone National Park, where an unnumbered park road serves as a connector. The highway's northern terminus is in Choteau, Montana, south of the Canada–United States border, Canadian border, at an intersection with U.S. Route 89, US 89. Its southern terminus (as well as those of U.S. Route 69, US 69 and U.S. Route 96, US 96) is in Port Arthur, Texas at an intersection with Texas State Highway 87, State Highway 87 (SH 87), up the Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana), Sabine River from the Gulf of Mexico. It intersects its parent route U.S. Route 87, US 87 twice, overlapping it from Amarillo, Texas, Amarillo to Dumas, Texas, and then crossing it in Denver, Colorado. US 287 is the shortest route between Denver and Dallas- Fort Worth.

Route description

Texas

US 287 originates at its southern terminus in Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur as a branch of Texas State Highway 87, SH 87. From Port Arthur, US 287 concurrency (road), runs concurrently with U.S. Route 69, US 69 and U.S. Route 96, US 96 to Lumberton, Texas, Lumberton, where US 96 diverges to the northeast and the co-signed US 287/US 69 continues northwesterly until US 287 and US 69 diverge in Woodville, Texas, Woodville. Continuing northwesterly, US 287 merges with Interstate 45 (I-45) in Corsicana, Texas, Corsicana and follows the Interstate to Ennis, Texas, Ennis, where it branches off and continues through Waxahachie, Texas, Waxahachie, crossing Interstate 35E (Texas), I-35E and continuing north through Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, where it encounters and briefly merges with three different Interstates (Interstate 820 (Texas), I-820, Interstate 20, I-20, and Interstate 35W (Texas), I-35W). From Fort Worth, US 287 continues north to Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita Falls and continues just south of the Oklahoma border before entering the Texas Panhandle. A section of US 287, between Midlothian, Texas, Midlothian and Waxahachie, Texas, Waxahachie, was dedicated as the Chris Kyle Memorial Highway, in honor of fallen SEAL Chris Kyle, whose hometown was Midlothian. The highway continues through Amarillo, Texas, Amarillo, where it intersects Interstate 40, I-40, and then runs north to Kerrick, Texas, Kerrick and crosses into neighboring Oklahoma.

Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, US 287 remains within Cimarron County, Oklahoma, Cimarron County, located at the end of the Oklahoma Panhandle, Panhandle. After crossing the state line north of Kerrick, Texas, the highway intersects Oklahoma State Highway 171, SH 171 at its southern terminus. US 287 continues northwesterly, crossing the Beaver River (Oklahoma), Beaver River, toward Boise City, Oklahoma, Boise City, the county seat. On the east side of town, the highway formerly ran concurrently with U.S. Route 56, US 56, U.S. Route 64, US 64, U.S. Route 412, US 412, and Oklahoma State Highway 3, SH 3. These five highways then entered the traffic circle in downtown Boise City. US 287 emerged from the north side of the circle, as well as U.S. Route 385, US 385 and SH 3. Now US 287 bypasses town to the east. These three highways (US 287, US 385, SH 3) head north to the Colorado state line. SH 3 ends there, while US 287 and US 385 continue onward into Colorado.

Colorado

From Oklahoma, US 287 and US 385 enter into a very rural part of Colorado. They continue in a north/northwest direction through the state. The two highways pass through the town of Campo, Colorado, Campo, and make an interchange with US 160 on the outskirts of Springfield. In Lamar, Colorado, Lamar and Carlton, Colorado, Carlton, the highways make an interchange with US 50. Here US 385 heads east on US 50, and US 287/US 50 continue to the north. Just outside the town the highways make a sharp turn toward the west, and the road heading north is Colorado State Highway 196, SH 196. South of Wiley, Colorado, Wiley, US 50 heads west, while US 287 turns north toward Wiley. East of Eads, Colorado, Eads, US 287 turns toward the west again, briefly merging with Colorado State Highway 96, SH 96. In Eads, SH 96 continues toward the west, while US 287 turns toward the north. Near Kit Carson, Colorado, Kit Carson, US 287 again turns toward the west and merges with US 40. Near Limon, the two highways make two interchanges with Interstate 70, I-70 before passing through Limon, Colorado, Limon. Then the two highways merge with I-70. Near the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, Denver US 36 merges with the group of highways making the road, I-70/US 287/US 36/US 40. Just past E-470, I-70 and US 36 split to follow a more northerly course, while US 287 and US 40 continue west into Downtown Denver on Colfax Avenue. The I-25, US 6, US 87, and US 85 interchange marks US 287's second junction with its parent route, US 87; the other is in Texas. Shortly thereafter, at a cloverleaf interchange with Federal Boulevard, Colorado State Highway 88, SH 88 runs south, US 40 continues west on Colfax, and US 287 turns toward the north on Federal Boulevard. After crossing US 36 (Denver–Boulder Turnpike), US 287 turns west onto 120th Avenue where it overlaps Colorado State Highway 128, SH 128. Just before meeting US 36 again in Broomfield, Colorado, Broomfield, US 287 bends back to the north, leaving SH 128 which continues west through an interchange with Colorado State Highway 121, SH 121 and US 36. At Baseline Road in Lafayette, Colorado, Lafayette, Colorado State Highway 7, SH 7 joins US 287 for about a mile, before SH 7 splits to the west on Arapahoe Avenue towards Boulder, Colorado, Boulder. It intersects Colorado State Highway 119, SH 119 as it enters Longmont, Colorado, Longmont on Main Street, and then it intersects Colorado State Highway 66, SH 66 at the north edge of town. In 2021 the Colorado State Senate Joint Resolution 21-018 designated the section of U.S. 287 between Colorado State Highway 66, SH 66 in Longmont, Colorado, Longmont and Colorado State Highway 402, SH 402 in Loveland, Colorado, Loveland as the SPC Gabriel David Conde Memorial highway. Gabriel Conde was a Berthoud High School graduate and a student at the Colorado School of Mines who joined the U.S. Army in 2015. He was killed in action in Afghanistan in April 2018. The road bypasses Berthoud, Colorado, Berthoud en route to Loveland, Colorado, Loveland, where US 287 splits into the pair of one-way streets Lincoln Avenue (northbound) and Cleveland Avenue (southbound). It then divides the Loveland cemetery. This is the only cemetery in the US with a US Highway dividing it. Continuing north, US 287 passes through Fort Collins, Colorado, Fort Collins on College Avenue, merging with Colorado State Highway 14, SH 14 at Jefferson Street. On the edge of the mountains at Teds Place, Colorado, Ted's Place, SH 14 splits and heads west into Poudre Canyon, while US 287 continues north into Wyoming. The section of US 287 between Fort Collins and Laramie, Wyoming, carries very heavy truck traffic and is regarded as quite dangerous.

Wyoming

US 287 enters Wyoming through a pass between the Laramie Mountains to the east and the Medicine Bow Mountains to the west. In Laramie, US 287 crosses Interstate 80, I-80 and merges with US 30 and the two highways continue to head north. After passing Medicine Bow, Wyoming, Medicine Bow, these highways turn west-southwest and return to I-80 near Walcott, Wyoming, Walcott, where they merge with the interstate west until Rawlins, Wyoming, Rawlins. US 287 branches off from I-80 and US 30 and heads into the town. US 287 merges with Wyoming Highway 76 (WYO 76), Wyoming Highway 80, WYO 82, and Wyoming Highway 30, WYO 30 for a short distance just outside Rawlins, though WYO 76 ends when US 287 branches to the northwest as a stand-alone highway. It is also possible to take Business US 287 (WYO 80, WYO 30) into Rawlins. In Downtown Rawlins, WYO 80 and WYO 30 head toward the west while Business US 287 heads to the north, merging with Wyoming Highway 789, WYO 789 where WYO 30 and WYO 80 split off the highway. A short while later Business US 287 and WYO 789 merge with mainline US 287, which made a detour around the city. US 287 and WYO 789 stay merged all the way to Lander, Wyoming, Lander, where WYO 789 heads toward the northeast and US 287 heads toward the northwest. US 287 merges with US 26 in the very mountainous terrain of West Central Wyoming, and the two highways head west. The highways enter Grand Teton National Park. In Moran, Wyoming, Moran, US 287 and US 26 meet US 191 and US 89. US 26 heads south merging with US 191 and US 89. US 287 heads north merging with US 191 and US 89, passing through the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway before ending at the South Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. While US 287 and other U.S. Routes are officially discontinuous through the park, some commercially produced maps show these highways running inside Yellowstone National Park itself along its unnumbered roads and across the Wyoming–Montana state line.

Montana

US 287 in Montana begins at the West Entrance of Yellowstone National Park in West Yellowstone, Montana, West Yellowstone, terminating a concurrency with US 20. US 287 and US 191 split north of the town. US 287 heads toward the northwest, merging with Montana Highway 2 (MT 2) north of Sappington, Montana, Sappington, and running northeast. At I-90, MT 2 ends and US 287 continues to head north. In Townsend, Montana, Townsend, US 287 merges with US 12 and the two highways continue north. At I-15 (near Helena, Montana, Helena), US 287 continues north on I-15 and US 12 heads west through downtown Helena. Northeast of Wolf Creek, Montana, Wolf Creek, US 287 and I-15 split with US 287 heading northwest and I-15 heading northeast. US 287 ends at US 89 in Choteau, Montana, Choteau.

History

When US 287 was first commissioned in 1939, it extended only from the south entrance of Yellowstone National Park to Denver, Denver, Colorado. The route was extended southward to the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast at Port Arthur, Texas in 1940, and northward into Montana to U.S. Route 89, US 89 at Choteau, Montana in 1965. US 89 continues north of Choteau into Alberta as Alberta Highway 2, Highway 2 through the major cities of Calgary, Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, Edmonton, connecting with a Canadian link to the Alaska Highway in the latter. Included in the route of US 287 is former U.S. Route 370, US 370, which was commissioned in 1926 and connected Amarillo, Texas, Amarillo to Bowie, Texas, Bowie, traveling Concurrency (road), concurrently with U.S. Route 70, US 70 between Vernon, Texas, Vernon and Wichita Falls, Texas. The Canada to Gulf Highway Association, which later became the U.S. Highway 287 Association, was active from the 1910s until the 1970s to promote US 287 as a popular tourist route, and was composed of members from businesses and organizations in cities along the route. The Wyoming state transportation department started widening US 287 in 2009.

Future

In 2017, House Bill 2026 (HB 2026) was filed in the Texas Legislature to provide funding for a study on upgrading US 287 in Texas to an Interstate highway, with the eventual goal of designating US 287 as an Interstate from Beaumont, Texas, to the Canadian border in Montana. HB 2026 later died in committee. On April 22, 2021, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a Bill that would rename the part of the Highway in the State after the 45th U.S. President Donald Trump. As of April, 2021 it was in discussion in the Oklahoma State Senate, State Senate.

Major intersections

Southern segment :Texas :: in Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur :: in Port Arthur. US 69/US 287 travels concurrently to Woodville, Texas, Woodville. US 96/US 287 travels concurrently to south of Lumberton, Texas, Lumberton. :: in Beaumont, Texas, Beaumont. The highways travel concurrently through Beaumont. :: in Beaumont :: in Woodville :: in Corrigan, Texas, Corrigan :: in Palestine, Texas, Palestine. The highways travel concurrently through Palestine. :: in Palestine :: in Corsicana, Texas, Corsicana. The highways travel concurrently to Ennis, Texas, Ennis. :: in Waxahachie, Texas, Waxahachie :: in Waxahachie :: in Midlothian, Texas, Midlothian :: in Arlington, Texas, Arlington. The highways travel concurrently to Fort Worth. :: in Fort Worth. I-820/US 287 travels concurrently through Fort Worth. :: in Fort Worth :: in Fort Worth. The highways travel concurrently through Fort Worth. :: in Fort Worth :: in Fort Worth. US 81/US 287 travels concurrently to Bowie, Texas, Bowie. :: in Decatur, Texas, Decatur :: west of Henrietta, Texas, Henrietta. The highways travel concurrently to Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita Falls. :: in Wichita Falls. The highways travel concurrently through Wichita Falls. :: in Wichita Falls. US 277/US 287 travels concurrently through Wichita Falls. :: in Wichita Falls. The highways travel concurrently through Wichita Falls. :: in Oklaunion, Texas, Oklaunion. The highways travel concurrently to Vernon, Texas, Vernon. :: in Vernon :: in Childress, Texas, Childress :: in Amarillo, Texas, Amarillo. The highways travel concurrently through Amarillo. :: in Amarillo. US 60/US 287 travels concurrently through Amarillo. :: in Amarillo. The highways travel concurrently to Dumas, Texas, Dumas. :: in Stratford, Texas, Stratford :Oklahoma :: east of Boise City, Oklahoma, Boise City :: north of Boise City. The highways travel concurrently to Lamar, Colorado. :Colorado :: south of Springfield, Colorado, Springfield :: in Lamar. US 50/US 287 travels concurrently to south of Wiley, Colorado, Wiley. :: east of Kit Carson, Colorado, Kit Carson. The highways travel concurrently to Denver. :: east-southeast of Limon, Colorado, Limon. US 24/US 287 travels concurrently to west of Limon. :: in Limon :: in Limon. The highways travel concurrently to Aurora, Colorado, Aurora. :: in Byers, Colorado, Byers. The highways travel concurrently to Aurora. :: in Aurora :: in Denver :: in Denver :: in Berkley, Colorado, Berkley :: in Westminster, Colorado, Westminster :: in Loveland, Colorado, Loveland :Wyoming :: in Laramie, Wyoming, Laramie :: in Laramie. The highways travel concurrently to east of Rawlins. :: south-southeast of Walcott, Wyoming, Walcott. The highways travel concurrently to east of Rawlins, Wyoming, Rawlins. :: west-northwest of Morton, Wyoming, Morton. The highways travel concurrently to Moran, Wyoming, Moran. :: in Moran. US 89/US 191/US 287 travels concurrently to the South Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. ;Yellowstone National Park segment (unofficial designation) :: travels concurrently from the park's South Entrance to north-northwest of Grant Village, West Thumb. :: travels concurrently from the park's South Entrance to the park's West Entrance. :: in West Thumb. US 20/US 191 travels concurrently to the park's West Entrance. ;Northern segment :;Montana :: from the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park; the highways travel concurrently to West Yellowstone, Montana, West Yellowstone. :: northwest of Three Forks, Gallatin County, Montana, Three Forks :: in Townsend, Montana, Townsend. The highways travel concurrently to Helena, Montana, Helena. :: in Helena. I-15/US 287 travels concurrently to northeast of Wolf Creek, Montana, Wolf Creek. :: in Choteau, Montana, Choteau

References

External links

Endpoints of US Highway 287
{{DEFAULTSORT:87-2 U.S. Route 287, United States Numbered Highway System U.S. Route 87, 287 U.S. Highways in Wyoming 1935 establishments in the United States