U.S. Bicycle Route 76 (USBR 76) is a cross-country bicycle route east of

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 ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It is one of the two original U.S. Bicycle Routes, the other being U.S. Bicycle Route 1. USBR 76 runs from the Midwestern 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 th ...

to the eastern seaboard state of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. It is also known as the TransAmerica Bike Route and is contained within the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. A spur, U.S. Bicycle Route 176, was established in Virginia in 2016.

History

Bicycle Route 76 originated as the Bikecentennial, the route for a large bike tour organized for the 1976 celebration of the

United States Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...

. The Adventure Cycling Association was at that time also known as the "Bikecentennial." USBR 76 was established in 1982 as an original U.S. Bicycle Route, along with U.S. Bicycle Route 1 from

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

to Virginia. Bicycle traffic along a good deal of Bicycle Route 76 has been sparse to practically non-existent for several years. However, a 2003 conference encouraged the establishment of new interstate bicycle routes, as well as proposing the extension the two existing ones, 76's western terminus being conjectured on the

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

coast. Since 2014, the annual

Trans Am Bike Race The Trans Am Bike Race (TABR) is an annual, self-supported, ultra-distance cycling race across the United States. The route is about long and uses the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail that was developed by the Adventure Cycling Association for the Bik ...

has used the route.

Route description

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Kansas

In Kansas, USBR 76 runs from the Colorado state line at

K-96 K96 or K-96 may refer to: *K-96 (Kansas highway) K-96 is a state highway in central and southern Kansas. Its western terminus is at the Colorado state line east of Towner, Colorado, where it continues as Colorado State Highway 96; its east ...

near Towner, Colorado, to the Missouri state line at K-126 near Pittsburg, Kansas.

Missouri

In the state of

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, USBR 76 is signed. The route begins at the

border west of Golden City, continuing east across of the state before reaching the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

just west of

Chester, Illinois Chester is a city in and the county seat of Randolph County, Illinois, United States, on a bluff above the Mississippi River. The population was 6,814 at the 2020 census. It lies south of St. Louis, Missouri. History Founding Samuel Smith is ...

. The route passes through the following counties: * Ste. Genevieve County * St. Francois County * Iron County * Reynolds County * Shannon County * Texas County * Wright County * Webster County * Greene County ** Just east of Walnut Grove, USBR 76 intersects the Frisco Highline Trail, which connects the route to Springfield to the south and Bolivar to the north * Dade County * Jasper County * Barton County

Illinois

In the state of

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

, USBR 76 intersects the Tunnel Hill State Trail in southern Illinois and passes through the following counties: *

Randolph County Randolph County is the name of eight counties in the United States: *Randolph County, Alabama *Randolph County, Arkansas *Randolph County, Georgia *Randolph County, Illinois *Randolph County, Indiana *Randolph County, Missouri *Randolph County, Nort ...

* Jackson County * Williamson County * Johnson County * Pope County * Hardin County

Kentucky

In the state of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

, USBR 76 is signed, and a map is available as part of a state bicycle tours publication.

Virginia

In the state of

, part of USBR 76 is signed, and a map is available as part of a state bicycling publication. The route passes along the following roads and through the following counties and communities: * State Route 80 (Virginia) from

Elkhorn City, Kentucky Elkhorn City is a home rule-class city in Pike County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 982 at the 2010 census. The city is located in proximity to the Breaks Interstate Park. History Elkhorn City was first settled by William ...

to Meadowview, Virginia in Washington County * Buchanan County (10.9 mi.) * Dickenson County (20.6 mi.) * Russell County (20.1 mi.) * Washington County (38.4 mi.) ** Meadowview to Damascus ** U.S. Route 58 from Damascus, where the route crosses the

Virginia Creeper Trail The Virginia Creeper Trail is a multi-purpose rail trail. Located in southwestern Virginia, the trail runs from Abingdon to Whitetop, Virginia, near Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and the North Carolina state line. The trail accommodate ...

and the

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...

to County Route 603 through

Smyth County Smyth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,800. Its county seat is Marion. History Smyth County was formed on February 23, 1832, from Washington and Wythe counties. The county ...

to Troutdale in Grayson County * Smyth County (6.4 mi.) * Grayson County (7.4 mi.) ** State Route 16 from Troutdale to Sugar Grove in Smyth County *

(14.7 mi.) * Wythe County (34.7 mi.) * Pulaski County (23 mi.) * City of Radford (2.6 mi.) * Montgomery County (27.9 mi.) ** County Routes 787, 664, 600, and 666 from Radford to Christiansburg ** Ellett Road (County Route 723) from

Cambria Cambria is a name for Wales, being the Latinised form of the Welsh name for the country, . The term was not in use during the Roman period (when Wales had not come into existence as a distinct entity). It emerged later, in the medieval period, ...

in Christiansburg to Ellett crossing the Eastern Continental Divide and passing under the Wilson Creek Bridge, second tallest bridge in Virginia, and part of the Virginia Smart Road, and passing Trinity United Methodist Church, Earhart House, and Blankenship Farm ** Lusters Gate Road (County Route 723) from Ellett to Lusters Gate passing through the

Virginian Railway Underpass Virginian Railway Underpass is a historic concrete arch bridge located at New Ellett, Montgomery County, Virginia. It was built in 1906, and is a single circular barrel underpass constructed of cast-in-place concrete. The underpass at ground level ...

and New Ellett and through Ellett Valley with the North Fork of the

Roanoke River The Roanoke River ( ) runs long through southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Ap ...

to the east and the Eastern Continental Divide and Blacksburg a few miles to the west ** Catawba Road (County Route 785) from Lusters Gate to the Roanoke County line passing through Catawba Valley * Roanoke County (13.7 mi.) ** Blacksburg Road (County Route 785) from the Montgomery County line to

Catawba Catawba may refer to: *Catawba people, a Native American tribe in the Carolinas *Catawba language, a language in the Catawban languages family *Catawban languages Botany *Catalpa, a genus of trees, based on the name used by the Catawba and other N ...

passing out of the Roanoke River watershed and into the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...

( James River) watershed ** County Route 779 from Catawba to the

Botetourt County Botetourt County ( ) is a US county that lies in the Roanoke Region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Located in the mountainous portion of the state, the county is bordered by two major ranges, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Mou ...

line * Botetourt County (40.5 mi.) * Rockbridge County (17 mi.) * City of Lexington (3 mi.) * Rockbridge County (27.6 mi.) * Augusta County and Nelson County (29.8 mi) * Just south of Waynesboro near Afton Mountain, the route runs along the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenan ...

for about 25 miles, overlooking the Shenandoah Valley to the west and Nelson County's Rockfish Valley to the east. *

Albemarle County Albemarle County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, which is an independent city and enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Char ...

(38.9 mi.) * City of Charlottesville (3.7 mi.) * Fluvanna County (21.7 mi.) * Goochland County (4.1 mi.) * Louisa County (31.4 mi.) *

Hanover County Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover Courthouse. Hanover County is a part of the Greater Richmond Region. History Located in the wester ...

(50.7 mi.) *

Henrico County Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,389 making it the fifth-most populous county in Virginia. Henrico County is incl ...

(16 mi.) * Charles City County (26.8 mi.) * James City County (13.9 mi.) ** Along the

Colonial Parkway Colonial Parkway is a scenic parkway linking the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. It is part of the National Park Service's Colonial National Historical Park. Virginia's official state cla ...

to Yorktown * City of Williamsburg (3.2 mi.) * York County (11.4 mi) ** Yorktown Total miles: 560.1

Auxiliary routes

U.S. Bicycle Route 176

U.S. Bicycle Route 176 is a connector route that connecting

USBR 1 U.S. Bicycle Route 1 (often called U.S. Bike Route 1, abbreviated USBR 1) is a cross-country bicycle route that will run the length of the United States eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine. It is one of the two original U.S. Bicycle Routes, ...

and USBR 76 at a point a little further south than where the routes cross. It travels along the

Virginia Capital Trail The Virginia Capital Trail (VCT) (informally, the ''Cap Trail'', or simply ''the Cap'') is a dedicated, paved bicycle and pedestrian trail crossing four counties and between Jamestown and Richmond, Virginia — that is, between the Colony ...

for .

References

External links

Adventure Cycling - TransAmerica Trail
{{authority control 076 Bike paths in Illinois Bike paths in Kansas Bike paths in Kentucky Bike paths in Missouri Bike paths in Virginia