U.S. Route 85 (US 85) is a north–south
United States Highway
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 hi ...
that travels in the Mountain and Northern Plains states of the United States. The southern terminus of the highway is at the
Mexican border
Mexico shares international borders with three nations:
*To the north the United States–Mexico border, which extends for a length of through the states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.
*To the southe ...
in
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
, connecting with
Mexican Federal Highway 45. The northern terminus is at the
Canadian border
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
in
Fortuna, North Dakota, where the route continues north as
Saskatchewan Highway 35
Highway 35 is a paved undivided provincial highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from the US Border near Port of Oungre (where it meets United States Route 85) to a dead end near the north shore of Tobin Lake. Saskatchewa ...
. The highway route is part of the
CanAm Highway
CanAm Highway is an international highway that connects Mexico to Canada through the United States. It travels along U.S. Route 85 (US 85) and Interstate 25 (I-25), passing through six U.S. states (Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, So ...
. Sections of US 85 are designated as the
Theodore Roosevelt Expressway
The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway (also known as the National Highway System High Priority Corridor 58), is made up of several existing highways between Rapid City, South Dakota and the Port of Raymond between Saskatchewan and Montana. It is the ...
.
Route description
, -
,
TX
, 21
, 34
, -
, NM
, 483
, 777
, -
,
CO
, 310
, 499
, -
,
WY
, 256
, 412
, -
,
SD
, 154
, 248
, -
,
ND
, 255
, 410
, -
, Total
, 1479
, 2380
The highway passes through
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, 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 wes ...
,
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...
,
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...
, and
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...
. From
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces (; "the crosses") is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the seat of Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 census the population was 111,385. Las Cruces is the largest city in both Doña Ana County and southern Ne ...
to
Fountain, Colorado
The City of Fountain is a home rule municipality located in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 29,802 at the 2020 United States Census, a +15.31% increase since the 2010 United States Census. Fountain is a part of ...
, US-85 shares its alignment with
I-25
Interstate 25 (I-25) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexic ...
and is not signed.
Texas
US 85 in Texas begins at the Mexico–US border with
US 62
U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs from the Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canadian border. It is the only east-west United States Numbered Highway that connects Mexico and Canada ...
and travels north through
El Paso
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...
, beginning at the
Santa Fe Street Bridge, and following Santa Fe Street, then Paisano Drive westward, along the
Rio Grande until Paisano Drive ends where it joins with
Interstate 10, about before both reach the New Mexico border. The route is concurrent with I-10 for the remainder of its route within Texas.
The original route of US 85 in Texas had the highway concurrent with Doniphan Drive (after Paisano Drive), and parallelling the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...
through the
Mesilla Valley
The Mesilla Valley is a geographic feature of Southern New Mexico and far West Texas. It was formed by repeated heavy spring floods of the Rio Grande.
Background
The fertile Mesilla Valley extends from Radium Springs, New Mexico, to the west s ...
communities of
Canutillo,
Vinton and
Anthony
Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the '' Antonii'', a ''gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton, ...
before crossing the Texas/New Mexico state line in
Anthony, New Mexico
Anthony is a city in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 9,360 at the 2010 census. It is located on the New Mexico–Texas state line in the Upper Mesilla Valley (immediately north of Anthony, Texas), and on Interstat ...
, then following the road which is now
New Mexico State Road 478
State Road 478 (NM 478) is a state highway located entirely within Doña Ana County, New Mexico. Starting in Anthony and ending in Las Cruces, NM 478 was once a section of historic US 80, a major transcontinental highway between San D ...
(NM 478) up the Mesilla Valley to
Las Cruces. This route is marked as
Texas State Highway 20
State Highway 20 (SH 20) is a highway maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) that runs from New Mexico State Road 460 at the state line between Texas and New Mexico at Anthony in El Paso County to Interstate 10 at McNa ...
north of the intersection with Mesa Street/Country Club Drive.
New Mexico
The unsigned route of US 85 through New Mexico exists only on paper to maintain continuity with signed sections in Colorado and Texas. Except for a 4-mile segment through
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
(signed as Business Loop 25), US 85 in New Mexico is entirely concurrent with Interstate Routes. For the first it shares its route with I-10, then continues north for the remainder of its length in New Mexico concurrent with I-25. US-85 was de-signed in segments between 1970 and 1990 as I-25 was built through the state. I-25 between
Bernalillo
Bernalillo () is a town in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 8,320. It is the county seat of Sandoval County.
Bernalillo is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Histor ...
and a point just south of
Santa Fe was built over the old US 85 alignment. I-25 was also built directly over US 85 from east of Santa Fe to
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
and from US 64 to the Colorado border at
Raton Pass
Ratón Pass is a 7,834 ft (2,388 m) elevation mountain pass on the Colorado–New Mexico border in the western United States. It is located on the eastern side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between Trinidad, Colorado and Raton, New ...
. At one point, the route went along the historic
El Camino Real.
The original route from
Anthony
Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the '' Antonii'', a ''gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton, ...
to
Las Cruces is now signed as
NM 478. The original route from Las Cruces to
Hatch is now signed as
NM 185;
NM 187 south of
Truth or Consequences
''Truth or Consequences'' is an American game show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards (1940–1957) and later on television by Edwards (1950–1954), Jack Bailey (1954–1956), Bob Barker (1956–1975), Steve Dunne (1957–1958), ...
(T or C);
NM 181 north of T or C;
NM 1 (the route's pre-US-85 designation) from
Redrock to
Socorro;
NM 314 from
Belen to
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
;
NM 313 from Albuquerque to Bernalillo;
NM 14 and
NM 466 through Santa Fe; and
NM 445 from Maxwell to
US 64
U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles (3,743 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 1 ...
Remnant US-85 signs can still be seen on Fourth Street in downtown Albuquerque, the original route through the city before I-25 was built.
For concurrencies of interstate, US routes, and routes of different levels of significance, the New Mexico Department of Transportation's policy is to sign only the route of greater significance, while leaving the route of lesser significance unsigned. Consistent with this policy, NMDOT has removed US 85 from its route logs, but the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) retains US 85 on a concurrent alignment with I-10 and I-25 to maintain continuity with signed segments in Texas and Colorado.
Colorado
US 85 enters
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, 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 wes ...
from New Mexico concurrent with
I-25
Interstate 25 (I-25) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexic ...
but is not signed. US 85 leaves I-25 at Exit 128 and follows Santa Fe Avenue through
Fountain
A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect.
Fountains were ori ...
before turning west briefly onto Lake Avenue, then turning north following Nevada Avenue through
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
before rejoining I-25 at Exit 148. Approaching the south side of
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, US 85 again leaves I-25 at Exit 184. From there it heads west and north as a two lane rural highway. It becomes an expressway near
Chatfield Reservoir
Chatfield Dam and Reservoir is a dam and artificial lake located on the South Platte River, south of Littleton, Colorado. The dam and reservoir were built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as a response to the disastrous flood of 1965. ...
and the southern Denver suburbs of
Littleton and
Englewood, where it is commonly known as Santa Fe Drive. It continues north through Denver for a few miles before once again joining with I-25 at mile marker 207. There it becomes a concurrency with
US 87
U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north-south roa ...
as well as I-25 and heads north through downtown Denver. At exit 214, US 85 turns east and becomes a concurrency with
I-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 c ...
and
US 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 ...
for about a mile where it exits with U.S. 6 and heads northeast through
Commerce City
The City of Commerce City is a home rule municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 62,418 at the 2020 United States Census, a 35.95% increase since the 2010 United States Census. Commerce City is the ...
. In just a few miles the US 6/US 85 concurrency merges with
I-76
Interstate 76 may refer to:
Interstate Highways in the United States
* Interstate 76 (Colorado–Nebraska)
* Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey), running through Pennsylvania
Video gaming
* ''Interstate '76
''Interstate '76'' is a vehicular ...
at mile marker 9. They travel concurrently for until exit 12 when US 85 becomes an expressway and continues north out of the Denver area through
Brighton. From there it parallels I-25 for about passing through
Fort Lupton,
Platteville,
LaSalle,
Evans
Evans may refer to:
People
*Evans (surname)
*List of people with surname Evans
Places United States
*Evans Island, an island of Alaska
*Evans, Colorado
*Evans, Georgia
*Evans County, Georgia
*Evans, New York
*Evans Mills, New York
*Evans City, ...
,
Greeley,
Eaton,
Ault Ault may refer to:
People
*Chris Ault, head coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack football team
*Dick Ault, American athlete
*John Ault, writer, academic, politician
*Doug Ault, Major League Baseball player
*E.B. "Harry" Ault, American labor union newspa ...
,
Pierce
Pierce may refer to:
Places Canada
* Pierce Range, a mountain range on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
United States
* Pierce, Colorado
* Pierce, Idaho
* Pierce, Illinois
* Pierce, Kentucky
* Pierce, Nebraska
* Pierce, Texas
* Pierce, We ...
, and
Nunn before crossing into
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...
.
Wyoming
US 85 enters Wyoming from Colorado south of
Cheyenne
The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...
. In Cheyenne it joins with Business Route 87, and a mile later with
I-180 until it meets with
US 30
U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...
. The segment with I-180 is the only fully at-grade interstate route in the U.S. At exit 12, it joins with I-25 and
US 87
U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north-south roa ...
in a concurrency for until US 85 leaves at exit 17 and travels northeast towards
Meriden. From there it heads north to
Torrington, where it meets with
US 26
U.S. Route 26 (US 26) is an east–west United States highway that runs from Seaside, Oregon to Ogallala, Nebraska. When the U.S. highway system was first defined, it was limited to Nebraska and Wyoming; by the 1950s, it continued into Idaho and ...
and concurrencies for until
Lingle, and later it meets
US 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...
and
US 18
U.S. Route 18 (US 18) is an east–west U.S. highway in the Midwestern United States. The western terminus is in Orin, Wyoming at an interchange with Interstate 25. Its eastern terminus is in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, US 18 ru ...
at
Lusk. It shares the next with US 18 and later meets
US 16
U.S. Route 16 (US 16) is an east–west United States Highway between Rapid City, South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The highway's eastern terminus is at a junction with Interstate 90/U.S. Route 14 (I-90/US 14), conc ...
near
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
. From here it is until it enters
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...
in the
Black Hills
The Black Hills ( lkt, Ȟe Sápa; chy, Moʼȯhta-voʼhonáaeva; hid, awaxaawi shiibisha) is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black ...
.
South Dakota
The
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...
section of US 85, with the exception of two
concurrencies with
US 14 Alternate and a concurrency with
I-90, is defined at South Dakota Codified Laws § 31-4-181.
US 85 enters the
Black Hills
The Black Hills ( lkt, Ȟe Sápa; chy, Moʼȯhta-voʼhonáaeva; hid, awaxaawi shiibisha) is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black ...
from Wyoming and travels northeast until it meets with
US 14 Alternate east at
Cheyenne Crossing. The two routes form a concurrency from there, along the way coming to the road which leads to
Terry Peak. Upon entering to
Lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
, the two routes are separated, and the overlap with US 85 is replaced by 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 ...
. As the route US 85 and US 14 are separated until both meet again in
Deadwood, but not before US 85 serves as the northern terminus of
U.S. Route 385. The routes run together through Deadwood before splitting, and US 85 then runs north to meet
I-90. US 85 overlaps I-90 for while heading west. At exit 10 on the north side of
Spearfish, US 85 heads back north. At
Belle Fourche
Belle Fourche (; ) is a city in and the county seat of Butte County, South Dakota, United States. Its population was 5,617 at the 2020 census. It is near the geographic center of the United States, which moved some 550 miles northwest from the g ...
it crosses
state highway 34 and
US 212
U.S. Route 212 (US 212) is a spur of US 12. It runs for from Yellowstone National Park to Minnesota Highway 62 at Edina, Minnesota. It does not intersect US 12 now, but it once had an eastern terminus at US 12 in St. Paul, Minnesot ...
. From there it continues to
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...
passing only through the small towns of
Redig,
Buffalo (where it meets
state highway 20), and
Ludlow
Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The ...
, as well as coming to the
Geographic Center of the United States
The geographic center of the United States is a point approximately north of Belle Fourche, South Dakota at . It has been regarded as such by the U.S. National Geodetic Survey (NGS) since the additions of Alaska and Hawaii to the United State ...
.
North Dakota
US 85 enters
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...
in the southwest part of the state. The first city on its route is
Bowman at the junction of
US 12
U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) and I-94, but unlike most U.S. routes that ...
. Continuing north, it passes between North Dakota's two highest points,
White Butte
White Butte is the highest natural point in the U.S. state of North Dakota. At an elevation of 3,506 ft (1,069 m), it is a prominent butte in Slope County, in the Badlands of the southwestern part of the state. It is located east of U.S ...
and Black Butte. Near
Amidon US 85 heads east for before going back north along the
Little Missouri National Grassland
Little Missouri National Grassland is a National Grassland located in western North Dakota, USA. At , it is the largest grassland in the country. Enclaved within its borders is Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is managed by the National Pa ...
for about . Near
Belfield it junctions with
I-94. After forming a concurrency with
North Dakota Highway 200
North Dakota Highway 200 (ND 200) is a major east–west state highway in North Dakota, United States. It runs from Minnesota State Highway 200 at the Minnesota border near Halstad, Minnesota to Montana Highway 200 near Fairview, Montana. A ...
, it eventually passes through part of the scenic
Badlands
Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, m ...
, crosses the
Little Missouri River and passes near the
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is an American national park of the badlands in western North Dakota comprising three geographically separated areas. Honoring U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, it is the only American national park named direc ...
(North Unit).
Then, at
Watford City it travels west for where it turns back north before
Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
. U.S. 85 continues north as North Dakota 200 turns west toward Montana. South of
Williston it crosses the
Missouri River. The stretch from Watford City to Williston is in the process of being converted into an undivided four-lane highway, and should be substantially completed in 2014. A few miles later it meets with
US 2
U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada. Unlike some routes, whi ...
where the two overlap for as an
expressway, which now bypasses Williston to the northwest. After US 2 heads east, US 85 continues north to a concurrency with
North Dakota Highway 5
North Dakota Highway 5 (ND 5) is a east–west state highway in North Dakota. Its route is in the extreme north part of the state, near the Canada–United States border. The eastern terminus is located about four miles (6 km) east of ...
. From there it is to
Fortuna
Fortuna ( la, Fortūna, equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular through the Middle Ages until at ...
where US 85 heads back north for its remaining to the Canada–US border.
History
What is now US 85 from
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
to then-
US 66 (now
NM 6) in
Los Lunas, New Mexico
Los Lunas is a village in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population is 14,835 inside the village limits due to the new housing developments at El Cerro de Los Lunas (Huning Ranch). It is the county ...
(south of
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
) was shown as U.S. Route 466 in an early 1925 plan for 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 ...
. This north–south route was never signed in the field; instead, the route was designated as U.S. Route 570 and then as part of US 85.
The number "466" was later used along
another routing.
Major intersections
;Texas
:
Benito Juárez
Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Mexican liberal politician and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. As a Zapotec, he was the first indigenous pre ...
Street and at the
Mexico–US border in
El Paso
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...
. US 62/US 85 travels concurrently through the city.
: in El Paso. The highways travel concurrently to the
Las Cruces–
University Park, New Mexico
University Park is a census-designated place (CDP) in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 4,192 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The CDP is almost all of the area bounde ...
line.
;New Mexico
: on the Las Cruces–University Park line. I-25/US 85 shares a hidden concurrency to
Fountain, Colorado
The City of Fountain is a home rule municipality located in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 29,802 at the 2020 United States Census, a +15.31% increase since the 2010 United States Census. Fountain is a part of ...
.
: in Las Cruces
: west of
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
: in
Socorro. The highways travel concurrently to south-southwest of
Abeytas.
: in
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
: in
Bernalillo
Bernalillo () is a town in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 8,320. It is the county seat of Sandoval County.
Bernalillo is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Histor ...
: south of
Santa Fe. US 84/US 85 travels concurrently to
Romeroville. US 85/US 285 travels concurrently to
Eldorado at Santa Fe.
: south of
Raton. The highways travel concurrently to Raton.
: in Raton. US 85/US 87 travels concurrently to Fountain, Colorado.
;Colorado
: in
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
. The highways travel concurrently to
Walsenburg
The City of Walsenburg is the Statutory City that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 3,049 at the 2020 census, down from 3,068 in 2010.
History
Walsenbur ...
.
: in
Pueblo
In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...
. The highways travel concurrently through Pueblo.
: in
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
: in Colorado Springs. The highways travel concurrently to
Castle Rock.
: in Denver. The highways travel concurrently through Denver.
: in Denver. The highways travel concurrently to near
Commerce City
The City of Commerce City is a home rule municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 62,418 at the 2020 United States Census, a 35.95% increase since the 2010 United States Census. Commerce City is the ...
.
: in Denver
: in Denver. I-70/US 85 travels concurrently through Denver.
: in Commerce City
: in Henderson
: in
Evans
Evans may refer to:
People
*Evans (surname)
*List of people with surname Evans
Places United States
*Evans Island, an island of Alaska
*Evans, Colorado
*Evans, Georgia
*Evans County, Georgia
*Evans, New York
*Evans Mills, New York
*Evans City, ...
. The highways travel concurrently to
Greeley.
;Wyoming
: on the
Fox Farm-College–
Cheyenne
The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...
line. I-180/US 85 travels concurrently into Cheyenne proper.
: in Cheyenne
: in Cheyenne. The highways travel concurrently to
Ranchettes.
: in
Torrington. The highways travel concurrently to
Lingle.
: in
Lusk. US 18/US 85 travels concurrently to the northeastern part of
Niobrara County. US 20/US 85 travels concurrently through Lusk.
: in
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
;South Dakota
: in
Deadwood
: in
Spearfish. The highways travel concurrently to
North Spearfish.
: in
Belle Fourche
Belle Fourche (; ) is a city in and the county seat of Butte County, South Dakota, United States. Its population was 5,617 at the 2020 census. It is near the geographic center of the United States, which moved some 550 miles northwest from the g ...
;North Dakota
: in
Bowman. The highways travel concurrently through Bowman.
: in
Belfield
: west of
Williston.
: on
Williston city line. Southern end of US 2 concurrency. Northern terminus of US 85B.
: About North of
Williston. Northern end of US 2 concurrency.
: at the
Canada–US border north-northwest of
Fortuna
Fortuna ( la, Fortūna, equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular through the Middle Ages until at ...
See also
*
Special routes of U.S. Route 85
There are a number of special routes of U.S. Route 85. These special routes connect U.S. Route 85 to downtown areas, bypass city centers or provide alternate routes around an area.
Current routes Fort Lupton, Colorado
U.S. Route 85 Business in Fo ...
References
External links
Endpoints of U.S. Highway 85
{{DEFAULTSORT:85
United States Numbered Highway System
U.S. Highways in South Dakota
U.S. Highways in Wyoming
U.S. Highways in New Mexico
Theodore Roosevelt Expressway