U.S. Route 95

U.S. Route 95 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that traverses the western interior of the contiguous United States. It is the longest north–south U.S. Highway, running approximately 1,650 miles from the international border with Mexico at San Luis, Arizona, to the international border with Canada at Eastport, Idaho. The route serves as a critical transportation corridor through the arid landscapes of the Mojave Desert, the Great Basin, and the Inland Northwest, connecting major cities like Las Vegas, Reno, and Coeur d'Alene.

Route description

From its southern terminus at Arizona State Route 195 near San Luis, Arizona, the highway proceeds north through the agricultural Yuma area before entering the stark terrain of the Mojave Desert. It passes through the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge and serves the city of Quartzsite before crossing into Nevada near Searchlight. In Southern Nevada, it is a major multi-lane artery through the Las Vegas Valley, concurrent with Interstate 515 and U.S. Route 93 through the heart of Las Vegas. North of the metropolitan area, it ascends into central Nevada, passing near the Nevada Test Site and serving the remote communities of Tonopah and Hawthorne along the edge of Walker Lake. The route then climbs into western Nevada, crossing the Forty Mile Desert and meeting Interstate 80 at Winnemucca. It continues north through the Humboldt River valley, passing McDermitt on the Nevada–Oregon border. In Eastern Oregon, it is a remote highway through the Oregon High Desert, serving Jordan Valley and Ontario before crossing the Snake River into Idaho. In the Idaho Panhandle, it follows the Clearwater River and Saint Joe River drainages, passing through Lewiston, Moscow, and Coeur d'Alene before reaching its northern terminus at the Canadian border in Eastport, Idaho.

History

The highway was originally designated as part of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, with its initial alignment running from San Diego north to the Oregon state line. Its southern terminus was later moved east to its current location in Arizona. Significant realignments occurred throughout the 20th century, particularly in Nevada, where it replaced earlier auto trails like the Las Vegas–Tonopah–Reno Stage Road. The construction of Hoover Dam and the growth of Las Vegas spurred major improvements, including upgrades to a four-lane divided highway through the Las Vegas Valley. In Idaho, routing was stabilized along the western part of the state, supplanting earlier routes that ventured further east. The highway has been incrementally modernized, with many sections, especially near urban areas, now built to freeway standards.

Major intersections

Key junctions from south to north include the southern terminus at Arizona State Route 195, an interchange with Interstate 10 in Quartzsite, and a complex confluence with Interstate 515, U.S. Route 93, and U.S. Route 95 in Las Vegas. In Nevada, it intersects Interstate 80 in Winnemucca. In Idaho, it meets Interstate 84 in Fruitland, Interstate 90 in Coeur d'Alene, and finally terminates at the Canada–United States border in Eastport, Idaho, where it connects to British Columbia Highway 95.

Auxiliary routes

Several auxiliary routes have been designated to serve urban areas along the main highway. These include U.S. Route 95 Alternate in Downtown Las Vegas, which follows Las Vegas Boulevard and Boulder Highway. In Idaho, U.S. Route 95 Alternate provides a business route through Moscow. Historically, other auxiliary routes existed, such as in Yuma, but many have been decommissioned or redesignated as state routes over time.

In popular culture

The highway's iconic and desolate stretches through the Mojave Desert have featured prominently in numerous films and television series, often symbolizing isolation and journey. It is famously depicted in the opening sequence of the 1994 film *The Stand*, showing a pandemic-stricken Las Vegas. The route is also a central setting in the 1971 road movie *Vanishing Point*, which follows a car delivery driver from Denver to San Francisco. In music, the highway is referenced in songs by artists like Johnny Cash and Gram Parsons, who evoked the lonesome travel imagery of the American West.