U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs for from Newport, Oregon to Boston, Massachusetts. Within the State of Nebraska it is a

state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

that begins on the Wyoming–Nebraska state line west of Harrison near the Niobrara River and runs to the Nebraska– Iowa state line in

South Sioux City South Sioux City is a city in Dakota County, Nebraska, United States. It is located immediately across the Missouri River from Sioux City, Iowa, and is part of the Sioux City, IA-NE- SD Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, ...

. Throughout its length the route passes through a diverse range of landscapes including bluffs and escarpments in the Northwest

Panhandle A salient (also known as a panhandle or bootheel) is an elongated protrusion of a geopolitical entity, such as a subnational entity or a sovereign state. While similar to a peninsula in shape, a salient is most often not surrounded by water on ...

, the

Nebraska Sandhills The Sandhills, often written Sand Hills, is a region of mixed-grass prairie on grass-stabilized sand dunes in north-central Nebraska, covering just over one quarter of the state. The dunes were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1984. ...

in the northern part of the state, and rolling hills and plains as the highway approaches the Missouri River valley south of Sioux City, Iowa. Throughout its length, US 20 is a two-lane highway with the exception of the easternmost which is four-lane divided highway, the last of which is concurrent with Interstate 129. The between the Wyoming border and

Valentine A valentine is a card or gift given on Valentine's Day, or one's sweetheart. Valentine or Valentines may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Valentine (name), a given name and a surname, including a list of people and fictional char ...

is designated as the Bridges to Buttes Byway, one of nine scenic byways in the state of Nebraska.

Route description

Bridges to Buttes Scenic Byway

The Nebraska Department of Roads has designated nine stretches of state highway as scenic byways throughout the state. These are typically two-lane highways traveling through diverse terrain and passing by historical markers and attractions that put the rich history of Nebraska's past on display. Along US 20 the route between the Wyoming state line and

, a stretch, is designated the Bridges to Buttes Scenic Byway. Along this route, the highway passes through diverse landscapes such as escarpments and the

as well as historical points of interest including Fort Robinson.

Wyoming state line to Rushville

US 20 enters Nebraska along the Wyoming state line east of Van Tassell just north of the Niobrara River passing through gently rolling plains with intermittent rock outcroppings on the way to Harrison. Harrison, the state's northwesternmost town, is home to the Sioux County Historical Museum. Just a few miles northeast of town lies Sowbelly Canyon, a part of the Pine Ridge escarpment. The highway then continues into the eastern reaches of Sioux County which are marked by high plains, bluffs and escarpments including the Red Cloud Buttes as the road passes through Fort Robinson State Park. The park is home to Fort Robinson, a former U.S. Army fort instrumental during the Sioux Wars between 1876 and 1890 and where

Crazy Horse Crazy Horse ( lkt, Tȟašúŋke Witkó, italic=no, , ; 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band in the 19th century. He took up arms against the United States federal government to fight against encroachment by wh ...

surrendered in 1877. From there the highway continues to the northeast where it enters Crawford. Here the highway runs to the north concurrently with

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and

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along the east side of town for a mile before turning to the northeast, traveling through rolling plains passing south of Whitney Lake before meeting up with US 385 west of Chadron. US 20 runs concurrently with US 385 to the west side of town where 385 departs to the south while US 20 continues east through Chadron. Chadron is home to Chadron State Park, Nebraska's oldest state park containing nearly of Pine Ridge wilderness. It is also home to the Pine Ridge Ranger District of the Nebraska National Forest. The Museum of Fur Trade is also located in Chadron at the site of a former fur trading post run by the

American Fur Company The American Fur Company (AFC) was founded in 1808, by John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant to the United States. During the 18th century, furs had become a major commodity in Europe, and North America became a major supplier. Several British co ...

between 1837 and 1876. The highway leaves Chadron and runs southeast alongside the Little Bordeaux Creek. As the road continues towards

Hay Springs Hay Springs is a city in Sheridan County in the state of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The population was 570 at the 2010 census. History Hay Springs was established in 1885 when the railroad was extended to that ...

it makes a climb as it passes through a portion of the Pine Ridge Escarpment. To the north, the Beaver Wall escarpment provides views of the surroundings including the buttes at Crawford all the way to the Black Hills. In Hay Springs, US 20 meets up with N-87, which joins from the south. Together, the two highways run concurrently for nearly , through Hay Springs and into Rushville. On the west side of Rushville, Highway 87 leaves to the north towards Pine Ridge, South Dakota while US 20 continues through town.

Rushville to Valentine

After departing Rushville, US 20 bends to the northeast passing agricultural fields and grasslands. The highway passes through the small village of Clinton and continues on to the northeast before reaching the city of Gordon. Gordon was home to

outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...

Doc Middleton who operated a saloon in town between 1900 and 1913. Highway 20 leaves the city traveling east and just as the road turns to the northeast east of Gordon enters the western reaches of the

. The road winds its way to the northeast before arriving at the village of Merriman in Cherry County. Cherry County is the largest county, by land area, in Nebraska with over it is larger than the states of Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island combined. Here, US 20 intersects N-61 which is one of the most desolate highways in the state. Traveling south it is almost to the next town, Hyannis. From Merriman, US 20 continues east through the northern reaches of the sandhills. Between Merriman and Crookston, the highway is within of the South Dakota border. Continuing through the sandhills, the highway winds its way east until it enters the small village of Cody. Cody was named for a railroad foreman and not

Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, Bison hunting, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa, Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but ...

. The highway continues on to the east through the small villages of Nenzel, Kilgore, and Crookston. Here the highway crosses over the Minnechaduza Creek marking the northern extent of the Nebraska Sandhills. The route then turns southeast, running parallel to the Minnechaduza Creek along the edge of the sandhills towards the city of

. US 20 meets up with several other highways in Valentine, US 83, N-12, and N-97 serving as a crossroads of North Central Nebraska. The Niobrara River runs along the southeast side of Valentine and the portion east of town is the start of the

Niobrara Valley Preserve The Niobrara Valley Preserve is a 56,000 acre (226 km sq.) conservation area in Brown County, Nebraska, Brown and Keya Paha County, Nebraska, Keya Paha counties of Nebraska owned by The Nature Conservancy. History Prior to the European settlem ...

, which preserves thousands of acres or riverine canyons and grasslands along a stretch of the river. This portion of the river is also designated as a National Scenic River. Valentine marks the eastern terminus of the Bridges to Buttes Scenic Byway.

Valentine to O'Neill

From Valentine, US 20 takes a southeast line crossing the Niobrara River back into the sandhills. It continues towards the southeast through the small villages of

Wood Lake Wood Lake may refer to: Places in the United States * Wood Lake, Louisiana * Wood Lake, Minnesota * Wood Lake, Nebraska Lakes Canada * Wood Lake (British Columbia) United States * Wood Lake (Lyon County, Minnesota) * Wood Lake, a lake in Watonwan ...

and Johnstown before turning to the east. After leaving Johnstown, the road enters flat plains where agricultural fields utilizing center pivot irrigation dot the landscape as the highway heads east towards Ainsworth. In Ainsworth, the road meets up with N-7 and runs concurrently for before US 183 also joins from the south. The three highways continue east and cross over a canyon formed by Long Pine Creek just north of Long Pine. later, the three highways diverge in Bassett. Highway 7 continues north towards Springview while US 183 heads south to Taylor. US 20 continues east through the small villages of

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...

and

Stuart Stuart may refer to: Names * Stuart (name), a given name and surname (and list of people with the name) Automobile *Stuart (automobile) Places Australia Generally *Stuart Highway, connecting South Australia and the Northern Territory Northe ...

before turning southeast and entering the city of Atkinson. From here the highway continues east along the southern edge of flat plains dotted with agricultural fields into the city of

O'Neill The O'Neill dynasty (Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin, that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically the most prominent family of the Northern ...

. O'Neill is located in the Elkhorn Valley and lies just north of the river of the same name.

O'Neill to Iowa

US 20 leaves O'Neill headed southeast concurrently with US 275 for before turning due east towards the village of Orchard. The highway continues east beyond Orchars and past the small villages of Royal, Brunswick, and Plainview. As US 20 continues east towards Osmond there is a marked change in terrain as the road transitions from the flat plains to rolling hills of eastern Nebraska on the way to the Missouri River. From Osmond, the highway continues east before crossing US 81 then turns northeast and travels along with Middle Logan Creek through the communities of

Randolph Randolph may refer to: Places In the United States * Randolph, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Randolph, Arizona, a populated place * Randolph, California, a village merged into the city of Brea * Randolph, Illinois, an unincorporated commun ...

and Belden. The highway takes a jog to the north at Laurel for before turning back to the east. After passing by the towns of Waterbury, Willis, and Jackson, US 20 emerges from the rolling hills into the Missouri River plain. As it approaches

the highway becomes a four-lane divided highway for the first time along its entire length. Shortly, thereafter, the highway becomes

expressway Expressway may refer to: * Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic. * Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road. *Expressway, the fictional s ...

and runs concurrently with Interstate 129 as it intersects US 75 and US 77. The highway continues east to the Missouri River where it crosses into Iowa functioning as a bypass around the southeastern side of Sioux City, Iowa.

History

NE Alliance 1958 with current US20 alignment

Prior to the assignment of US 20, this route across northern Nebraska carried several different route numbers. In 1922, the highway followed the routes of N-79, N-78, N-77,

N-65 N65 may refer to: Roads * N65 highway (Philippines) * N65 road (Ireland) * Nebraska Highway 65, in the United States Other uses * N65 (Long Island bus) * Escadrille N65, a unit of the French Air Force * , a S-class submarine of the Royal N ...

, and N-49 from west to east between the Wyoming state line and South Sioux City. This route generally followed the former

Cowboy Line A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...

, part of the Chicago and North Western Railway, from Wyoming to Sioux City via O'Neill. This is now a partially abandoned railway that has been converted into a biking and hiking trail. In the mid-1920s the multiple state highway designations gave way to a single route number,

N-1 N1, N.I, N-1, or N01 may refer to: Information technology * Nokia N1, an Android tablet * Nexus One, an Android phone made by HTC * Nylas N1, a desktop email client * Oppo N1, an Android phone * N1, a Sun Microsystems software brand now mostly ...

which encompassed the entire route from Wyoming to Iowa and was the immediate predecessor to US 20 in 1926. There have been a few realignments of US 20 since its designation in 1926. An older alignment of US-20 ran about south of the current section east of Laurel. This alignment went due east from Laurel, along present day 869th Road, passing Dixon and Allen to an intersection with present-day N-9 where it turned north to meet up with the current alignment. West of Fort Robinson, an old alignment of US 20 traveled along modern day Smiley Canyon Scenic Drive. This is a winding road that runs through Smiley Canyon north of the current alignment. During the winters, this area of US 20 would become treacherous leading to many accidents. In November, 2010, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman approved designating US-20 from Hay Springs to Fort Robinson in honor of Crazy Horse, capping a year-long effort by citizens of Chadron. The designation may extend east another 100 miles through Cherry County to Valentine. The following year, on June 5, the highway was officially dedicated during a ceremony at Fort Robinson State Park.

Major intersections

References

External links