U.S. Route 160 (US 160) is a east–west

United States Numbered 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 h ...

in the Midwestern and Western United States. The western terminus of the route is at US 89 west of

Tuba City, Arizona Tuba City () is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated town and census-designated place in Coconino County, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, United States. It is the second-largest community in Coconino County. The population of the census-design ...

. The eastern terminus is at

US 67 U.S. Route 67 is a major north–south U.S. highway which extends for 1,560 miles (2,511 km) in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas Presidio is a c ...

and Missouri 158 southwest of

Poplar Bluff, Missouri Poplar Bluff is a city in Butler County, Missouri, Butler County in southeastern Missouri, United States. It is the county seat of Butler County and is known as "The Gateway to the Ozarks" among other names. The population was 16,225 at the 2020 ...

. Its route, if not its number, was made famous in song in 1975, as the road from

Wolf Creek Pass Wolf Creek Pass is a high mountain pass on the Continental Divide, in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. It is the route through which U.S. Highway 160 passes from the San Luis Valley into southwest Colorado on its way to New Mexico and Ariz ...

Pagosa Springs, Colorado Pagosa Springs (Ute dialect, Ute language: Pagwöösa, Navajo language: Tó Sido Háálį́) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the o ...

in C.W. McCall's

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

song "

Route description

Arizona

US 160 begins at US 89 near the western edge of

Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation (), also known as Navajoland, is an Indian reservation of Navajo people in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah. The seat of government is located in ...

. Near Tuba City, it intersects State Route 264. It goes through Tonalea and Cow Springs before entering Kayenta, where it intersects U.S. Route 163. It continues northeast through Dennehotso, then has a brief overlap with

U.S. Route 191 U.S. Route 191 (US 191) is a north–south highway in the Western United States and a spur of parent route U.S. Route 91 that has two segments. The southern segment runs for from Douglas, Arizona on the Mexican border to the southern part o ...

in Mexican Water. It goes east until Teec Nos Pos, where it intersects

U.S. Route 64 U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,281 miles (3,672 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route ...

, then turns northeast to go to the

Four Corners Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. Most of the Four Corners regio ...

and enters New Mexico. US 160 is one of the major routes crossing the

and in Arizona does not leave the Navajo Nation.

New Mexico

About of US 160 is located within

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 ...

. The highway travels northeast through extreme northwestern New Mexico, intersecting State Road 597, which provides access to the

Four Corners Monument The Four Corners Monument marks the quadripoint in the Southwestern United States where the U.S. state, states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. It is the only point in the United States shared by four states, leading to the area ...

. US-160 along with NM-597 do not connect to any other portion of the New Mexico state highway network, requiring New Mexico Department of Transportation crews to travel through either Arizona or Colorado to access it.

Colorado

U.S. Route 160 enters Colorado near the Four Corners Monument. It goes northeast and intersects U.S. Route 491, then turns north to enter Cortez with U.S. 491. East of Cortez, a road leads south from U.S. 160 to

Mesa Verde National Park Mesa Verde National Park is a national park of the United States and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, and the only World Heritage Site in Colorado. The park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloa ...

. It continues east to

Durango Durango, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Durango, is one of the 31 states which make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in the northwest portion of the country. With a population of 1,832,650 ...

, where it intersects

U.S. Route 550 U.S. Route 550 (US 550) is a spur of U.S. Highway 50 that runs from Bernalillo, New Mexico to Montrose, Colorado in the western United States. The section from Silverton, Colorado, Silverton to Ouray, Colorado, Ouray is frequently called ...

. After overlapping with U.S. 550 south of Durango, U.S. 160 turns east and meets

U.S. Route 84 U.S. Route 84 (US 84) is an east–westUS 84 was signed north-south in parts of Colorado and New Mexico. United States Numbered Highway that started as a short Georgia–Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme. Later, in 1941, it h ...

Pagosa Springs Pagosa Springs (Ute language: Pagwöösa, Navajo language: Tó Sido Háálį́) is a home rule municipality that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Archuleta County, Colorado, United Stat ...

. It then goes northeast and crosses the

Continental Divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not ...

. From Wolf Creek Pass, U.S. 160 continues northeast and turns east at South Fork. At Monte Vista, an overlap begins with

U.S. Route 285 U.S. Route 285 is a north–south United States highway, running 846 miles (1,362 km) through the states of Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. The highway's southern terminus is in Sanderson, Texas at an intersection with U.S. Route 90. ...

, which continues southeast into

Alamosa Alamosa is the home rule city that is the county seat of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. Alamosa is located along the Rio Grande. The city population was 9,806 in the 2020 United States census. The city is the commercial center of th ...

. It turns east, then goes northeast to go through North La Veta Pass, then continues east to

Walsenburg Walsenburg is the statutory city that is the county seat of and the most populous municipality in Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 3,049 at the 2020 census, down from 3,068 in 2010. History Walsenburg was or ...

, where it intersects

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 ...

. From Walsenburg, U.S. 160 continues south with Interstate 25 to

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

, then turns northeast to intersect U.S. Route 350. It continues east, passing through the

Comanche National Grassland Comanche National Grassland is a National Grassland located in southeastern Colorado, United States. It is the sister grassland of Cimarron National Grassland and contains both prairie grasslands and canyons. It is separated into two sections, ...

before intersecting the concurrent U.S. Route 287 and U.S. Route 385 south of Springfield. It continues east and enters Kansas east of

Walsh Walsh may refer to: People and fictional characters * Walsh (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters Places Australia * Mount Walsh, Mount Walsh National Park Canada * Fort Walsh, one of the first Royal Canadian Mounted ...

. The Wolf Creek Pass is famous in the 1975 C.W. McCall's

country song Country (also called country and western) is a music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is primarily focused on singing stori ...

of the same name.

Kansas

US-160 enters Kansas just west of

Saunders Saunders is a surname of English and Scottish origin, derived from ''Sander'', a mediaeval form of Alexander.See also: Sander (name) People * Ab Saunders (1851–1883), American cowboy and gunman * Al Saunders (born 1947), American football c ...

. It goes northeast to Johnson City, then turns east to go through Ulysses. Near Sublette, it intersects

U.S. Route 83 U.S. Route 83 (US 83) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that extends in the central United States. Only four other north–south routes are longer: US 1, US 41, US 59, and US 87, while ...

and runs concurrently southward past its intersection with U.S. Route 56. It turns east and then runs concurrently with

U.S. Route 54 U.S. Route 54 (US 54) is an east–west United States Highway that runs northeast–southwest for from El Paso, Texas, to Griggsville, Illinois. The Union Pacific Railroad's Tucumcari Line (former Southern Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific an ...

between

Plains In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, an ...

and Meade. It continues east, and runs concurrently with U.S. Route 283 and U.S. Route 183. At Medicine Lodge, it intersects

U.S. Route 281 U.S. Route 281 (US 281) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway. At it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route. The highway's northern terminus is at the International Peace Garden, north of Dunseith, North Dakota, a ...

. It continues east and at

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

, intersects

U.S. Route 81 U.S. Route 81 or U.S. Highway 81 (US 81) is a major north–south U.S. highway that extends for in the central United States and is one of the original United States Numbered Highways established in 1926 by the American Association of Sta ...

and then

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 ...

, on which the

Kansas Turnpike The Kansas Turnpike is a controlled-access toll road that lies entirely within the US state of Kansas. It runs in a general southwest–northeast direction from the Oklahoma border to Kansas City. It passes through several major Kansas citie ...

is routed in the area. East of Interstate 35, it intersects

U.S. Route 77 U.S. Route 77 (US 77) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway which extends for in the central United States. As of 2005, Its southern terminus is in Brownsville, Texas, at Veteran's International Bridge on the U.S.-Mexico borde ...

in Winfield. It goes east from Winfield, then turns north to Burden, then goes east before going south to Elk City. It then turns east and goes through

Independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

after being concurrent with

U.S. Route 75 U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway that runs in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is located at the Canadian border near Noyes, Minnesota, at a now-closed border crossing. From this point, the highway ...

. It continues east, is briefly concurrent with

U.S. Route 169 U.S. Route 169 (US 169) is a north-south U.S highway that currently runs for 966 miles (1,555 km) from the city of Virginia, Minnesota, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, at Memorial Drive. Route description Oklahoma US 169 is a major north–sou ...

and then intersects

U.S. Route 59 U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south U.S. highway (though it was signed east–west in parts of Texas). A latecomer to the U.S. Highway System, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA Corridor Highway System. It par ...

at Altamont. US-160 and US-59 then go into Oswego and separate. At Columbus, US-160 begins a concurrency with

U.S. Route 69 U.S. Route 69 (US 69) is a major north–south United States highway in the central United States. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route. The highway's ...

, which goes east to Crestline, then north to

Frontenac, Kansas Frontenac is the second largest city in Crawford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,382. History Frontenac was established as a coal mining town in 1886 in the Cherokee-Crawford Coal Field ...

. Also at Crestline, it picks up a second concurrency with U.S. Route 400, which goes north and ends just south of

Pittsburg, Kansas Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, Kansas, Crawford County, Kansas, United States, located in southeast Kansas near the Missouri state border. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and southeast Kansas. As of the 2020 United S ...

. After Frontenac, it turns east and enters Missouri.

Missouri

U.S. Route 160 enters Missouri west of Mindenmines. At Lamar, it intersects

Interstate 49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway with multiple segments. The original portion is entirely within Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from Interstate 220 (Louisiana), I-220 in Shreveport, Louisian ...

/ U.S. Route 71. It goes southeast going through Greenfield and Willard before passing through Springfield, where it intersects

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 ...

and

U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as General Booth Bouleva ...

, with which it has a short concurrency with the latter. It goes south out of Springfield into Nixa as Massey Boulevard, then turns east and intersects

U.S. Route 65 U.S. Route 65 (US 65) is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 425 in Clayton, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at Interstate 35 just south of I ...

north of Branson. It continues east to West Plains, where it intersects

U.S. Route 63 U.S. Route 63 (US 63) is a , north–south United States Highway primarily in the Midwestern and Southern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at Interstate 20 (I-20) in Ruston, Louisiana; the northern terminus is at US&nbs ...

, then ends southwest of

Poplar Bluff Poplar Bluff is a city in Butler County in southeastern Missouri, United States. It is the county seat of Butler County and is known as "The Gateway to the Ozarks" among other names. The population was 16,225 at the 2020 census. The Poplar Bluf ...

at an intersection with

U.S. Route 67 U.S. Route 67 is a major north–south U.S. highway which extends for 1,560 miles (2,511 km) in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas, where it continues ...

(Future

Interstate 57 Interstate 57 (I-57) is a north–south Interstate Highway that exists in two segments. It runs through Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois. I-57 parallels the old Illinois Central Railroad for much of its route north of Interstate 55, I-55. T ...

). In Willard, US 160 runs on a bypass along the western and southern edge of town. The old alignment through Willard is now U.S. Route 160 Business.

History

Western terminus

As commissioned in 1930 the western terminus was

Trinidad, Colorado Trinidad is the List of cities and towns in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the List of cities and towns in Colorado, most populous municipality in Las Animas County, Colorado, United Stat ...

. In 1939, US 160 absorbed all of former route U.S. Route 450 which ran from U.S. 50 at Crescent Junction, Utah to

U.S. Route 85 U.S. Route 85 (US 85) is a north–south United States Highway that travels in the Mountain and Northern Plains states of the United States. The southern terminus of the highway is at the Mexican border in El Paso, Texas, connecting w ...

Walsenburg, Colorado Walsenburg is the Colorado municipalities#Statutory city, statutory city that is the county seat of and the List of cities and towns in Colorado, most populous municipality in Huerfano County, Colorado, Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. ...

. In 1970 many US highways in the

region were re-aligned. U.S. 160 was diverted southwesterly from

Cortez, Colorado Cortez () is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home-rule municipality that is the county seat and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality of Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. The ci ...

to follow its present route past the Four Corners into Arizona, absorbing the route numbered U.S. Route 164 from 1964-1970. The portion of former US 160 (and US 450) from Crescent Jct. to Monticello, Utah was replaced with U.S. Route 163 (now

) and the portion from Monticello to

was replaced with U.S. Route 666 (now U.S. Route 491).

Eastern terminus

The eastern terminus of US 160 was originally located at an intersection with

and then-

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...

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 ...

(Grant Avenue and College Street). In the 1950s, the terminus moved eastward across the state to an intersection with then-US 60 and then-

(now US 60 Bus. and U.S. Route 67 Business) in

. The extension between Springfield and Poplar Bluff was parallel to

from Springfield to Highlandville. Between Highlandville and Holister, the highways ran concurrently. Past Holister, US 160 headed east across the

Ozark Mountains The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...

. Route 160 was later routed further north in the Branson area, replacing a section of Route 148. In 2007, the terminus was moved to its current location southwest of Poplar Bluff, eliminating a concurrency between US 160 and two other highways (US 67 and US 67 Business) over the last 10 miles (16 km) of US 160.

Missouri

When U.S. Route 160 was formed in Missouri in 1930, it replaced Route 12, which had been created in 1922 as Route 36 from

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

to Springfield and renumbered in 1926 due to

US 36 U.S. Route 36 (US 36) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that travels approximately from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio. The highway's western terminus is at Deer Ridge Junction, an inte ...

. The 1950s extension absorbed Route 80 ( Gainesville to West Plains in 1922, later extended west to Lakeview and east to Thomasville) and the part of Route 14 east of

Alton Alton may refer to: People *Alton (given name) * Alton (surname) Places Australia * Alton National Park, Queensland * Alton, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Balonne Canada * Alton, Ontario * Alton, Nova Scotia New Zealand * Alton, New Zeala ...

(created in 1922 as Route 42, and later absorbed by Route 14).

Major intersections

;Arizona : southwest of Tuba City : in Kayenta : south-southeast of Mexican Water. The highways travel concurrently to southeast of Mexican Water. : in Teec Nos Pos ;New Mexico : No major intersections ;Colorado : south of Towaoc. The highways travel concurrently to Cortez. : in

. The highways travel concurrently to south-southeast of Durango. : in

: in Monte Vista. The highways travel concurrently to

. : in

. The highways travel concurrently to

. : east-northeast of El Moro : south of Springfield ;Kansas : north-northwest of Sublette. The highways travel concurrently to northwest of Kismet. : east of

. The highways travel concurrently to east of Meade. : south-southeast of Minneola. The highways travel concurrently to north of Englewood. : north-northwest of Sitka. The highways travel concurrently to north of Coldwater. : west-southwest of Medicine Lodge. The highways travel concurrently to Medicine Lodge. : in

. The highways travel concurrently through Wellington. : east of Wellington : in Winfield : west of

. The highways travel concurrently to Independence. : south-southwest of Cherryvale. The highways travel concurrently for approximately . : east of Altamont. The highways travel concurrently to Oswego. : northeast of Columbus. The highways travel concurrently to Frontenac. : north of Crestline. The highways travel concurrently to south of

Pittsburg Pittsburg may refer to: Places United States Cities, towns, townships and counties *Pittsburg, California * Pittsburg, Florida *Pittsburg, Kansas, Crawford County *Pittsburg, New Hampshire * Pittsburg, Oklahoma *Pittsburg, Texas *Pittsburg Coun ...

. ;Missouri : in Lamar : in Springfield : in Springfield. The highways travel concurrently through Springfield. : northwest of Walnut Shade : in West Plains. The highways travel concurrently through West Plains. : east-northeast of Fairdealing

Special routes

There are currently three business routes of US 160.

Mancos

U.S. 160 Business is a business loop that serves Mancos located in southwestern

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

. It begins west of Mancos and goes straight through downtown. It parallels the Mancos River as it leaves town before it terminates at US 160. Major intersections

Bayfield

U.S. Route 160 Business is a business loop that serves Bayfield located in southwestern Colorado. The entire route runs along Bayfield parkway which begins at US 160 west of Bayfield. It crosses the Los Pinos River and runs north of downtown until it reaches its eastern terminus at US 160.

Willard

U.S. Route 160 Business is a business loop that serves Willard in southwestern

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 ...

. It runs along Jackson Street from US 160 northwest of Willard and through downtown before it terminates at US 160 southeast of town. It is also a former alignment of US 160 as it was rerouted on a bypass around Willard.

References

External links

Endpoints of US 160
* Kansas Highway Maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT {{DEFAULTSORT:60-1 United States Numbered Highway System U.S. Highways in Missouri 1 60-1

Route description

Arizona

New Mexico

Colorado

Kansas

Missouri

History

Western terminus

Eastern terminus

Missouri

Major intersections

Special routes

Mancos

Bayfield

Willard

See also

Related routes

References

External links