Several

special route In road transportation in the United States, a special route is a road in a numbered highway system that diverts a specific segment of related traffic away from another road. They are featured in many highway systems; most are found in the Int ...

s of

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlanti ...

exist. In order from west to east they are as follows.

California

Oakland business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) was a

business route A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...

of US 50 in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

. It existed when US 50 use to extend west to

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. The business loop's western terminus was at the

MacArthur Maze The MacArthur Maze (or simply the Maze, also called the Distribution Structure) is a large freeway interchange near the east end of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge in Oakland, California. It splits Bay Bridge traffic into three freeways— ...

interchange. From there, it ran concurrently with State Route 17 (present-day Interstate 880) along Cypress Street, later the

Cypress Freeway The Cypress Street Viaduct, often referred to as the Cypress Structure or the Cypress Freeway, was a 1.6-mile-long (2.5 km), raised two-deck, multi-lane (four lanes per tier) freeway constructed of reinforced concrete that was originally pa ...

, to Broadway in

Downtown Oakland Downtown Oakland is the central business district of Oakland, California, United States; roughly bounded by both the Oakland Estuary and Interstate 880 on the southwest, Interstate 980 on the northwest, Grand Avenue on the northeast, and Lake ...

. US 50 Bus. then headed north on Broadway and then east on Grand Avenue towards the end of

Lake Merritt Lake Merritt is a large tidal lagoon in the center of Oakland, California, just east of Downtown Oakland, Downtown. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. It is historically significant as the United States' first official wildlife ...

. The business route then turned south on El Embarcadaro and then east on Lakeshore Avenue before rejoining US 50 at MacArthur Boulevard, later the

MacArthur Freeway MacArthur or Macarthur may refer to: Places * Macarthur, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra, Australia * Macarthur, New South Wales, a region of Metropolitan Sydney, Australia ** Division of Macarthur ** Macarthur railway station * ...

. The business route was decommissioned when US 50 was truncated back to

West Sacramento West Sacramento (also known as West Sac) is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. The city is separated from Sacramento by the Sacramento River, which also separates Sacramento and Yolo counties. It is a fast-growing community; the p ...

and Interstate 580 replaced the US route through Oakland.

Sacramento business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) was a

of US 50 in

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

California alternate route

U.S. Route 50 Alternate (US 50 Alt.) was an

alternate route An official alternate route is a special route in the United States that provides an alternate alignment for a highway. They are loop roads and found in many road systems in the United States including the U.S. Highway system and various state an ...

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The route is used as a detour around flooding in the

American River , name_etymology = , image = American River CA.jpg , image_size = 300 , image_caption = The American River at Folsom , map = Americanrivermap.png , map_size = 300 , map_caption ...

canyon, which the main route of US 50 uses to scale the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

. It has been activated and deactivated on multiple occasions and concealed signs have been permanently installed so the route can be reactivated as needed. The route has never been officially approved by AASHTO. The route follows a local road called

Mormon Emigrant Trail The California Trail was an emigrant trail of about across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California. After it was established, the first half of the California Trail fo ...

from Sly Park up a ridge to eventually connect with

California State Route 88 State Route 88 (SR 88), also known as the Carson Pass Highway, is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It travels in an east–west direction from Stockton in the San Joaquin Valley, crossing the Sierra Nevada at Carson Pass, and end ...

over

Carson Pass Carson Pass is a mountain pass on the crest of the central Sierra Nevada, in the Eldorado National Forest and Alpine County, eastern California. The pass is traversed by California State Route 88. It lies on the Great Basin Divide, with the West ...

, using a small portion of

California State Route 89 State Route 89 (SR 89) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that travels in the north–south direction, serving as a major thoroughfare for many mountain communities in the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Range. It starts from ...

over

Luther Pass Luther Pass (el. 7,740 ft. / 2,359 m) is a mountain pass in California in the Sierra Nevada, between the Carson River basin to the southeast and Lake Tahoe to the northwest. It is traversed by State Route 89 and lies on the boundary between ...

to reconnect with US 50 near

South Lake Tahoe South Lake Tahoe is the most populous city in El Dorado County, California, United States, in the Sierra Nevada. The city's population was 21,330 at the 2020 census, down from 21,403 at the 2010 census. The city, along the southern edge of Lake ...

Nevada

Carson City temporary route

U.S. Route 50 Temporary (US 50 Temp.) was a

temporary route In road transportation in the United States, a special route is a road in a numbered highway system that diverts a specific segment of related traffic away from another road. They are featured in many highway systems; most are found in the Int ...

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

. It was in use when from 2009 to 2018 when Interstate 580 was partially built and terminated at the Fairview Drive exit. It followed Fairview Drive to connect the freeway alignment with the Carson Street Alignment. It was removed once I-580 was completed.

Carson City business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) was a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

, and carried the unsigned designation of SR 530. It followed the original alignment of US 50 along William Street once US 50 was moved to an alignment concurrent with Interstate 580. It was removed as part of a mileage swap between the

Nevada Department of Transportation The Nevada Department of Transportation (Nevada DOT or NDOT) is a government agency in the U.S. state of Nevada. NDOT is responsible for maintaining and improving Nevada's highway system, which includes U.S. highways and Interstate highways within ...

and Carson City public works in 2010.

Silver Springs–Fallon alternate route

U.S. Route 50 Alternate (US 50 Alt.) is an

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Nevada–Utah

Ely–Provo alternate route

U.S. Route 50 Alternate (US 50 Alt.) was an

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

. It existed from the 1950s to the 1970s and followed the original routing of US 50 along what is now

U.S. Route 93 U.S. Route 93 (US 93) is a major north–south United States highway, numbered highway in the western United States. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 60 in Arizona, US 60 in Wickenburg, Arizona. The northern terminus is at the ...

, U.S. Route 93 Alternate,

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...

Utah State Route 201 State Route 201 (SR-201) is an east–west expressway and freeway located in Salt Lake County in the U.S. state of Utah. Colloquially known by some as the ''21st South Freeway'', the route serves as an alternative to Interstate 80 (I-80) throu ...

and

U.S. Route 89 U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern sectio ...

Utah

Colton–Castle Gate temporary route

U.S. Route 50 Temporary (US 50 Temp.) was a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, departing the alignment of what is now

U.S. Route 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...

along what is now called Emma Park Road and returning to US 6 via

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 ...

. The first road built between Helper and

Soldier Summit A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' deri ...

exited the

Price River The Price River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 30, 2020 southeastward flowing river in Carbon, Utah and Emery counties in eastern Utah. It is a tributary to ...

Canyon along modern

US 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 ...

near Castle Gate and returned to the current alignment of

via Emma Park Road to bypass a narrow, meandering portion of the canyon. Once announced this road would be used for the

Midland Trail The Midland Trail, also called the Roosevelt Midland Trail, was a national auto trail spanning the United States from Washington, D.C. west to Los Angeles, California and San Francisco, California ('' though the Lincoln Highway guide published i ...

(precursor to US 6) a shorter, more direct route was proposed that remained in Price Canyon for the entire ascent. Once finished both routes were briefly used for US 50. This portion of then US 50 is today designated US 6. The road is occasionally as a detour when US 6 through price canyon is closed.

Colorado

Pueblo–Avondale

U.S. Route 50 Business is a

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 sover ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

. ;Major intersections

Olathe

U.S. Route 50 Business is a

in the

. ;Major intersections

Kansas

Garden City alternate route

U.S. Route 50 Alternate (US-50 Alt.) was an

US-50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic O ...

in the U.S. state of

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 ...

Garden City business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US-50 Bus.) is a

in the U.S. state of

Garden City bypass

U.S. Route 50 Bypass (US-50 Byp.) was a bypass of

in the U.S. state of

Dodge City alternate route

U.S. Route 50 Alternate (US-50 Alt.) was an

in the U.S. state of

Dodge City business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US-50 Bus.) was a

in the U.S. state of

Dodge City bypass

U.S. Route 50 Bypass (US-50 Byp.) was a bypass of

in the U.S. state of

Ottawa business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US-50 Bus.) was a

in the U.S. state of

Kansas–Missouri

Kansas–Missouri optional route

U.S. Route 50 Optional (US 50 Opt.) was an optional route of US 50 in the U.S. states of

and

Missouri Missouri 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 is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

Missouri

Warrensburg business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) is a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Knob Noster business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) is a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Smithton spur route

U.S. Route 50 Spur (US 50 Spur) is a

spur route A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A bypass or beltway should not be considered a true spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the s ...

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

California business route

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) is a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

St. Martins business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) is a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Jefferson City business loop 1

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) was a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Jefferson City business loop 2

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) is a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

St. Louis business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) was a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

St. Louis truck route

U.S. Route 50 Truck (US 50 Truck) was a

truck route A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Missouri–Illinois

St. Louis bypass

U.S. Route 50 Bypass (US 50 Byp.) was a

bypass route A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety. A bypass spe ...

of US 50 in the U.S. states of

and

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. In 1955, US 50 Bypass was formed as a southern bypass of St. Louis. Between 1955 and 1957, US 50 Bypass originally ran roughly via present-day

Lindbergh Boulevard Lindbergh Boulevard, named after the aviator, Charles Lindbergh, is a section of U.S. Routes 61 and 67 that extends through Missouri. Lindbergh Boulevard is home to Missouri's only traffic tunnel underneath a runway at Lambert–St. Louis I ...

Jefferson Barracks Bridge The Jefferson Barracks Bridge, officially the Jefferson Barracks Memorial Arch Bridge, is a pair of bridges across the Mississippi River on the south side of St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area. Each bridge is long with a long arch bridge span ...

, IL 3, IL 158, IL 163, IL 157, IL 13, North Belt West, and IL 159 before ending at US 50 in Fairview Heights. In 1958, part of the bypass route in Illinois was rerouted north to connect to Cahokia. The new part of the route followed via present-day IL 3 (roughly) and IL 157. On June 25, 1974, AASHTO approved the decommissioning of US 50 Bypass in order for US 50 to avoid St. Louis while also connecting to East St. Louis.

Illinois

Sumner–Lawrenceville alternate route

U.S. Route 50 Alternate (US 50 Alt.) was an

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

. Before 1946, US 50 originally ran through Sumner and Lawrenceville. After US 50 was rerouted north of the original alignment in 1946, the old alignment was then signed as US 50 Alternate. US 50 Alternate was then decommissioned in 1962 after the US 50 expressway bypassed downtown Lawrenceville. The old US 50 alignment was then signed as Illinois Route 250 in 1965.

Lawrenceville business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) is a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

. After 1962, US 50 was rerouted north to bypass Lawrenceville and the former alignment that only crossed through Lawrenceville was signed as US 50 Business.

Indiana

Vincennes business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) was a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

Washington business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) was a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Bedford business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) is a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Ohio

Cincinnati bypass

U.S. Route 50 Bypass (US 50 Byp.) was a bypass of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

Cincinnati truck route

U.S. Route 50 Truck (US 50 Truck) was a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

Athens—Ellenboro alternate route

U.S. Route 50 Alternate (US 50 Alt.) was an

of US 50 in the U.S. states of

and

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. It followed a routing between

Athens, Ohio Athens is a city and the county seat of Athens County, Ohio. The population was 23,849 at the 2020 census. Located along the Hocking River within Appalachian Ohio about southeast of Columbus, Athens is best known as the home of Ohio Universit ...

and

Ellenboro, West Virginia Ellenboro is a town in Ritchie County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 222 at the 2020 census. The town is located at the junction of U.S. Route 50 and West Virginia Route 16; the North Bend Rail Trail also passes through the t ...

via

Marietta, Ohio Marietta is a city in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Ohio, United States. It is located in southeastern Ohio at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, northeast of Parkersburg, West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, Mar ...

and

St. Marys, West Virginia St. Marys is a city and the county seat of Pleasants County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,847 at the 2020 census. St. Marys was established in 1849 by Alexander Creel, who is said to have had a vision of Mary while pas ...

Belpre business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) was a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

West Virginia

Parkersburg business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Bus.) was a

of US 50 in the U.S. state of

District of Columbia

Washington, D.C. alternate route

U.S. Route 50 Alternate (US 50 Alt.) is an

of US 50 in the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Washington, D.C. bypass

U.S. Route 50 Bypass (US 50 Byp.) was a bypass of US 50 in the

Washington, D.C. temporary route

U.S. Route 50 Temporary (US 50 Temp.) was a

of US 50 in the

and the U.S. state of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Maryland

Salisbury business loop

U.S. Route 50 Business (US 50 Business) is a

in the

. The highway runs from US 50 on the northwest side of

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

US 13 U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 (I-95) just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to US 1 in the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. ...

and US 50 on the east side of Salisbury in central

Wicomico County Wicomico County () is located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Maryland, on the Delmarva Peninsula. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,588. The county seat is Salisbury. The county was named for the Wicomico River, whic ...

. US 50 Business is a four- to six-lane divided highway within and on either side of the

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

of Salisbury, where the highway intersects MD 349, US 13 Business, and MD 346. US 50 Business west of MD 349 is a mid-1950s upgrade of the original highway entering Salisbury from the northwest. The business route between MD 349 and MD 346 was a relocation of US 50 from Main Street built in the early 1960s. East of MD 346, US 50 Business is part of the relocation of US 50 between Salisbury and

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

completed in the mid-1960s. US 50 Business was designated when the US 50 portion of the Salisbury Bypass was completed in 2002.

References

{{US 50 *50 50 50 50 50 50 *50 50 50 50 50 50 50