U.S. Route 40 (US-40) is a part of the

U.S. Highway System 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 ...

that runs from Interstate 80 (I-80) and US-189 in

Silver Summit, Utah Silver Summit is a census-designated place (CDP) in Summit County, Utah, United States. Prior to the 2010 Census, the area was designated as North Snyderville Basin CDP. The population was 1,821 at the 2000 census. Geography According to the Un ...

east to US-322 and Ocean Drive in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

. In the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, US-40 is a main east–west highway that runs from the Colorado border east to the Missouri border. A majority of the route overlaps I-70 through the state.

Route description

US 40 enters

near the unincorporated community of Weskan. The first sizable town it enters is Sharon Springs, where it intersects K-27. From there it goes northeast to Oakley and follows Eagle Eye Road before merging with I-70 east of town. The two routes remain merged until

Topeka Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central Uni ...

, although the prior alignment of US 40, named Old Highway 40, parallels I-70 for most of the way. From Ellsworth to Salina, the old alignment of US 40 is signed as K-140. In Topeka, US 40 leaves I-70 at exit 366, follows the Oakland Expressway concurrent with K-4 north to 6th Avenue, then heads east along 6th Avenue out of town. Through Topeka, US 40 closely follows the route of the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what is now the state of Kans ...

. At the

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...

county line near Big Springs, US 40 crosses to the south of I-70 and enters

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

from the west along West 6th Street. At the west side of Lawrence, the route is joined by K-10 and travels south and east to the junction with US 59 and then runs north with US 59 to cross the

Kansas River The Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwesternmost part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwesternmost portion of the extensive Mississippi River dr ...

. It follows North 2nd and North 3rd Streets, crosses back under I-70, leaves US 59, and merges with US 24 before leaving town. US 40 remains merged with US 24 as the two routes travel northeast to the town of Tonganoxie. From there, the merged routes turn due east toward

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

. In Kansas City, US 40 and US 24 intersect US 73 and K-7, and turning south toward

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the co ...

. US 40, along with US 24, then merge onto I-70 and recross the Kansas River over the Lewis and Clark Viaduct just before entering

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

. On December 1, 2008, US 40, along with US 24 and US 73, was rerouted south along K-7 west of Kansas City to the intersection with I-70. Before this date, US 40 and US 24 continued along State Avenue to College Parkway before turning right to follow Turner Diagonal for where US 40 joined Interstate 70 for the duration of its journey eastward toward Missouri. In 1951, the State of Kansas designated U.S. Route 40 as a

Blue Star Memorial Highway Blue Star Memorial Highways are highways in the United States that are marked to pay tribute to the U.S. armed forces. The National Council of State Garden Clubs, now known as National Garden Clubs, Inc., started the program in 1945 after World W ...

from border to border.

History

By October 1967, the section of I-70 from north of Dorrance to north of Salina was open to traffic. Then in an October 13, 1967 resolution, US-40 was realigned onto the newly opened section I-70.

Major intersections

Exit numbers are those of I-70 and Kansas Turnpike

Related routes

WaKeeney business loop

U.S. Route 40 Business (US-40 Bus.) is a business route through WaKeeney, Kansas, that was recommended in 1979 as substitute for the formerly proposed Interstate 70 Business Loop. It begins at exit 127 on Interstate 70/U.S. Route 40 (I-70/US-40) and travels to the north,

concurrent Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

with US-283 along South First Street. At the intersection with Barclay Avenue (Old Highway 40), US-40 Bus. and US-283 turn to the east. By the time Barclay Avenue encounters South 13th Street, US-283 turns left to the north, US-40 Bus. turns right to the south, and Old Highway 40 continues straight ahead to the east. After passing by the Kansas Veterans Cemetery, and the headquarters for the Western Co-Op Electric Association, US-40 Bus. terminates at exit 128 on I-70/US-40, while South 13th Street continues as a local road that changes its name to 260th Avenue.

Russell business loop

U.S. Route 40 Business (US-40 Bus.) was a short business loop through

Russell, Kansas Russell is the most populous city in and the county seat of Russell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,401. History In 1865, the Butterfield Overland Despatch established a short-lived st ...

. It ran from Exit 184 along

/US 40, overlapping part of

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, at t ...

(South Fossil Street) then makes a right turn onto East Wichita Avenue (old US 40). Just before the intersection with 187th Street, the road curves from east to southeast as it follows the south side of a railroad line, and passes the northeast side of the Russell Municipal Airport. East Wichita Avenue ends at 189th Street and BUS US 40 makes a right turn south as it ends at Exit 189 on I-70/US 40. Business US 40 was approved in a meeting on October 13, 1979, after Alternate US 40 was decommissioned in Russell. US-40 Bus. was approved by AASHTO to be decommissioned on October 17, 2013. US-40 Bus. was decommissioned by KDOT on November 15, 2013.

Junction City business loop

U.S. Route 40 Business (US-40 Bus.) is a business loop through Junction City. US-40 Business was approved in a meeting on October 13, 1979.

References

External links