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U.S. Route 40

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Article Genealogy
Parent: Cecil County, Maryland Hop 4
Expansion Funnel Raw 93 → Dedup 0 → NER 0 → Enqueued 0
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U.S. Route 40
CountryUSA
TypeUS
Route40
Length mi2285.74
Length km3678.52
Established1926
Direction aWest
Terminus aSilver Summit
JunctionI, 80, I, 215, I, 15, I, 70, I, 70, I, 70, I, 64, I, 44, I, 55, I, 170, I, 70, I, 55, I, 57, I, 74, I, 70, I, 465, I, 74, I, 65, I, 70, I, 71, I, 270, I, 77, I, 70, I, 470, I, 79, I, 70, I, 79, I, 76, I, 68, I, 70, I, 95, I, 295, I, 95, US, 13
Direction bEast
Terminus bAtlantic City, New Jersey
StatesUtah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey

U.S. Route 40 is a major east–west United States Highway stretching from Silver Summit, Utah, to Atlantic City, New Jersey. For much of its length, it closely parallels or is concurrent with Interstate 70, serving as a vital corridor through the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Historically, it follows the path of the National Road, the first major improved highway built by the federal government in the early 19th century.

Route description

From its western terminus near Salt Lake City, the route traverses the rugged terrain of the Wasatch Range before descending into the Colorado Plateau. In Colorado, it climbs through the Rocky Mountains via Berthoud Pass and follows the Colorado River valley. Across the Great Plains in Kansas and Missouri, the highway serves cities like Topeka, Kansas City, and St. Louis. East of the Mississippi River, it crosses the farmlands of Illinois and Indiana, passing Terre Haute and Indianapolis. In Ohio, it connects Dayton and Columbus before entering the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia near Wheeling. The route crosses Pennsylvania, skirting south of Pittsburgh and passing through Uniontown and Washington. It then crosses the Allegheny Mountains into Maryland, where it serves Hagerstown and Baltimore before a brief traverse through Wilmington, Delaware. Its eastern end is in the resort city of Atlantic City on the Atlantic Ocean.

History

The highway's lineage is deeply tied to American expansion, primarily following the historic National Road authorized by Thomas Jefferson in 1806 and constructed from Cumberland, Maryland, westward to Vandalia, Illinois. This road, also known as the Cumberland Road, was a crucial artery for pioneers moving into the Northwest Territory. With the creation of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, the National Road was largely incorporated into the new U.S. Route 40, extending it further east and west. Significant realignments occurred throughout the 20th century, particularly with the construction of the Interstate Highway System; Interstate 70 supplanted much of its through-traffic role. Notable historic segments include the Brick Road in Indiana and the Virginia section, which was later redesignated as U.S. Route 48 and then Interstate 68.

Major intersections

Key junctions from west to east include its western terminus at Interstate 80 in Utah and a confluence with Interstate 15 near Salt Lake City. In Denver, it meets Interstate 25 and begins a long concurrency with Interstate 70. Major crossroads in the Midwest include Interstate 35 in Kansas City, Interstate 55 and Interstate 64 in St. Louis, and Interstate 65 in Indianapolis. In Ohio, it intersects Interstate 75 in Dayton and Interstate 71 in Columbus. Eastern intersections include Interstate 79 in Washington, Pennsylvania, Interstate 81 in Hagerstown, Maryland, and Interstate 95 in both Baltimore and Wilmington, Delaware.

The route has been featured in numerous cultural works, symbolizing American travel and nostalgia. It is famously depicted in the CBS television series *Route 66*, though that show focused on U.S. Route 66. The highway is central to the Jazz standard "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" by Bobby Troup. It appears in literature such as Jack Kerouac's On the Road, embodying the spirit of the Beat Generation. The National Road portion is celebrated in folk music and is the subject of historical documentaries by Ken Burns. Landmarks like the S Bridge in Ohio and the Casselman River Bridge in Maryland are frequent subjects for photographers and painters.

Several auxiliary routes have served to connect or bypass cities along the mainline. These include U.S. Route 40 Alternate in Kansas, Missouri, and Maryland. There are also business routes through cities like Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Dayton, and Baltimore. Historically, the route had significant overlaps, such as with U.S. Route 50 across the Midwest and with U.S. Route 322 in Pennsylvania. Its eastern extension was once part of U.S. Route 322 into Atlantic City.

Category:U.S. Route 40 Category:United States Numbered Highways Category:Transportation in Utah Category:Transportation in Colorado Category:Transportation in Kansas Category:Transportation in Missouri Category:Transportation in Illinois Category:Transportation in Indiana Category:Transportation in Ohio

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