Arizona State Highway 260 winding its way through the Tonto Forest just below the Mogollon Rim

State Route 260, also known as SR 260, is a long east–west major state highway in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. It connects State Route 89A in Cottonwood to

U.S. Route 180 U.S. Route 180 is an east–west United States highway. Like many three-digit routes, US 180 no longer meets its "parent", US 80. US 80 was decommissioned west of Mesquite, Texas, and was replaced in Texas by Interstate 20 and Interstate 1 ...

and

U.S. Route 191 U.S. Route 191 (US 191) is a spur of U.S. Route 91 that has two branches. The southern branch runs for from Douglas, Arizona on the Mexican border to the southern part of Yellowstone National Park. The northern branch runs for from the north ...

Eagar Eagar is a town in Apache County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 4,885. Eagar was first settled in 1871. History Brothers William Walter John Thomas and Joel Sixtus settled the area under the dir ...

. The highway begins in Yavapai County before entering

Coconino County Coconino County is a county in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its population was 145,101 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Flagstaff. The county takes its name from ''Cohonino'', a name applied to the Havasupai p ...

and then entering

Gila County Gila County ( ) is in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,272. The county seat is Globe. Gila County comprises the Payson, Arizona Micropolitan Statistical Area. Gila County contains p ...

before reentering Coconino County and then entering

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

and

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

counties, where the highway ends.

Route description

The western terminus of SR 260 is located at State Route 89A in Cottonwood and heads eastbound along much of the Mogollon Rim, finally ending at its junction with

and

. SR 260 is part of the National Highway System between Show Low and Payson. Stretches of this highway are known by various names, include Camp Verde Bridgeport Highway, General George Crook Trail, Zane Grey Highway, Camp Verde-Payson Highway, and White Mountain Road / Boulevard. The northernmost stretch between Cottonwood and

Camp Verde Camp Verde ( yuf-x-yav, ʼMatthi:wa; Western Apache: Gambúdih) is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town is 10,873. The town hosts an annual corn festival in July, sponsored and orga ...

was originally State Route 279, while the original stretch of road from Payson to Eagar was originally State Route 160. SR 260 was scheduled in 1995, to be widened and upgraded between Payson and

Heber-Overgaard Heber-Overgaard is a census-designated place (CDP) in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. Situated atop the Mogollon Rim, the community lies at an elevation of . The population was 2,898 at the 2020 census. Heber and Overgaard are technically ...

to a four lane divided highway with bridges over wildlife corridors to reduce accidents with deer/elk and other wildlife. The road project has never been completed and is still two lanes over much of the route and is congested at times during holiday weekends with traffic from the Phoenix area to areas along the eastern Rim. Care must be observed due to narrow two lanes and wildlife crossing the road. It is also closed during winter storms because of its elevation changes between Payson and Show Low. Star Valley is bisected by Highway 260

History

SR 260 was originally designated in 1955 as SR 160 from Payson to Show Low. In 1969, US 160 extended into Arizona so SR 160 was renumbered to SR 260 to avoid confusion. In 1972, it extended east to Eagar, replacing SR 173 and part of SR 73. On December 15, 1989, SR 260 extended west to Cottonwood over SR 279.

Junction list

References

External links

SR 260 at Arizona Roads
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260 __NOTOC__ Year 260 ( CCLX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Saecularis and Donatus (or, less frequently, year 1013 ''Ab ...

Transportation in Yavapai County, Arizona Transportation in Coconino County, Arizona Transportation in Gila County, Arizona Transportation in Navajo County, Arizona Transportation in Apache County, Arizona