U.S. Route 160 in Colorado

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

U.S. Highway 160
Map of Colorado with US 160 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by CDOT
Length	490.0 mi (788.6 km)
Existed	1926–present
Major junctions
West end	US 160 at the New Mexico state line
	US 491 in Cortez US 550 in Durango US 84 in Pagosa Springs US 285 in Monte Vista US 285 in Alamosa I-25 / US 85 / US 87 in Walsenburg I-25 / US 85 / US 87 in Trinidad US 350 near Trinidad US 287 / US 385 in Springfield
East end	US-160 at the Kansas state line
Location
Counties	Montezuma, La Plata, Archuleta, Mineral, Rio Grande, Alamosa, Costilla, Huerfano, Las Animas, Baca
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided Colorado State Highways Interstate U.S. State Scenic ← SH 159 → SH 165

Route description

US 160 entering the Wolf Creek Pass tunnel

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

US 160 in La Veta Pass

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

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

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

History

U.S. Highway 164
Location	Flagstaff, AZ–Cortez, CO
Existed	1964–1970

As commissioned in 1930 the western terminus was Trinidad.[1] In 1939, US 160 absorbed all of former route U.S. Highway 450 which ran from US 50 at Crescent Junction, Utah to US 85 at Walsenburg.[2]

In 1970, many US Highways in the Four Corners region were realigned. US 160 was diverted southwesterly from Cortez to follow its present route past the Four Corners into Arizona, absorbing the route numbered U.S. Highway 164.[3]

Junction list

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Montezuma	​	0.00	0.00	US 160 west – Four Corners, Flagstaff AZ	Continuation into New Mexico
	​	4.9	7.9	SH 41	Southern Terminus of SH-41
	​	18.2	29.3	US 491 – Shiprock	Western end of US 491 concurrency
	Cortez	37.9	61.0	US 491 – Monticello	Eastern end of US 491 concurrency
		40.3	64.9	SH 145 – Telluride	Southern Terminus of SH-145
	Mancos	45	72	Mesa Top Ruins Rd	Interchange
		54.6	87.9	US 160 Bus.
		56.0	90.1	SH 184 – Dolores
		57.0	91.7	US 160 Bus.
La Plata	Hesperus	72.7	117.0	SH 140 – Kline, Redmesa
	Durango	83.2	133.9	US 550 – Silverton	Western end of US 550 concurrency
		85.9	138.2	SH 3 north
	​	87.6	141.0	US 550 – Bloomfield	Eastern end of US 550 concurrency
	​	90.6	145.8	Wilson Gulch Drive	Interchange; access to Mercy Regional Medical Center
	​	90.6	145.8	SH 172 – Oxford	Access to Durango-La Plata County Airport
	Bayfield	100.6	161.9	US 160 Bus.
		102.7	165.3	US 160 Bus.
Archuleta	​	126.1	202.9	SH 151 – Arboles
	Pagosa Springs	143.5	230.9	US 84 south – Chama	Northern terminus of US 84
Mineral	No major junctions
Rio Grande	South Fork	184.9	297.6	SH 149 – Rio Grande National Forest
	Del Norte	200.9	323.3	SH 112 – Center
	Monte Vista	214.5	345.2	US 285 north (North Broadway) / SH 15 south (South Broadway)	Western end of US 285 concurrency
Alamosa	Alamosa	231.6	372.7	SH 17 south / US 285 – Antonito	Eastern end of US 285 concurrency; western end of SH 17 concurrency
	Rio Grande	232.6	374.3	Bridge
	Alamosa East	232.8	374.7	SH 17 north – Salida, Buena Vista	Eastern end of SH 17 concurrency
Costilla	​	246.7	397.0	SH 150 north – Great Sand Dunes National Park
	Fort Garland	257.1	413.8	SH 159 – San Luis
Huerfano	​	292.9	471.4	SH 12 – La Veta
	Walsenburg	304.1	489.4	I-25 BL south (Main Street south) to I-25 south	Western end of I-25 Bus. concurrency
		304.3	489.7	Main Street north (I-25 BL north)	Eastern end of I-25 Bus. concurrency
		305.2	491.2	I-25 north (US 85 / US 87 north) / SH 10 east – Pueblo, La Junta	Western end of I-25/US 85/US 87 concurrency; I-25 exit 50; western terminus of SH 10
See I-25
Las Animas	Trinidad	340.4	547.8	I-25 south (US 85 / US 87 south) / Goddard Avenue	Eastern end of I-25/US 85/US 87 concurrency; I-25 exit 15
				SH 239 north	No access eastbound
		341.2	549.1	Main Street	Serves Mt. San Rafael Hospital; former US 160 west
	​	346.6	557.8	US 350 east – La Junta	Access to Perry Stokes Airport
	​	375.8	604.8	SH 389 – Branson
	​	409.5	659.0	SH 109 – La Junta
Baca	Springfield	457.1	735.6	US 287 / US 385 – Amarillo, Odessa, Denver, Lamar
	​	465.0	748.3	SH 100 – Vilas
	​	490.0	788.6	US-160 east – Johnson City	Continuation into Kansas
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

References

1. U.S. Highway Ends by Dale Sanderson (Mapguy), Last Retrieved September 25, 2007
2. U.S. Highway Ends by Dale Sanderson (Mapguy), Last Retrieved September 25, 2007
3. U.S. Highway Ends by Dale Sanderson (Mapguy), Last Retrieved September 25, 2007