US 93

US 93
Title	U.S. Route 93
Type	U.S. Highway
Length mi	1,359
Established	1926
Direction a	South
Terminus a	Wickenburg, Arizona
Direction b	North
Terminus b	Roosville, British Columbia border
States	Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Montana

US 93

U.S. Route 93 is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway running from Wickenburg in Arizona to the international border near Roosville, British Columbia. The highway traverses diverse landscapes including the Sonoran Desert, the Basin and Range Province, the Snake River corridor, and the Rocky Mountains, linking metropolitan centers such as Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Boise, Idaho, and Missoula, Montana. It serves as a primary freight and passenger artery connecting cross-border commerce, tourism to national parks, and regional communities.

Route description

From its southern terminus near Wickenburg, the route proceeds north through the Sonoran Desert and crosses the Agua Fria River corridor before entering the Prescott National Forest environs toward Kingman, Arizona. It intersects major corridors including Interstate 10 and facilitates access to Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument via spur roads. Entering Nevada near Boulder City, the highway parallels the southern edge of Las Vegas Valley and connects to McCarran International Airport and the Strip via arterial routes, then continues north toward Henderson, Nevada and the Mojave Desert margins.

In central Nevada the highway traverses the Great Basin, passing through Ely, Nevada and skirting the Wheeler Peak environs, intersecting with U.S. Route 50 and Interstate 80-linked corridors that serve Reno, Nevada and Salt Lake City. Crossing into Idaho, the route follows the Salmon River and the Snake River canyons, providing river access points used by Bureau of Land Management managed recreation and linking to Craters of the Moon National Monument approaches. Through southern Idaho the highway serves the Boise Metropolitan Area, intersecting Interstate 84 and connecting to Ketchum, Sun Valley, and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area by feeder routes.

North of Boise the corridor continues through Twin Falls, Idaho and the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument vicinity, crosses the Camas Prairie and enters Montana where it ascends through the Bitterroot Range toward Missoula, Montana. Approaching its northern terminus, the route serves Kalispell, provides access to Glacier National Park via state highways, and reaches the border at Roosville where it links with Canadian routes into British Columbia.

History

Designated in 1926 as part of the original United States Numbered Highway System overseen by the American Association of State Highway Officials, the route evolved from territorial roads, pioneer wagon trails, and early automotive routes that connected Tucson, Arizona-area mining towns to inland markets. The 1930s and 1940s saw improvements driven by the Civilian Conservation Corps and wartime priorities linked to Fort Huachuca logistics and Hoover Dam construction traffic patterns.

Postwar expansion and the rise of automobile tourism prompted realignments to serve Las Vegas and resort development tied to figures such as Bugsy Siegel and enterprises like MGM Resorts International-era properties. Federal highway programs, notably the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, influenced interchange design and integration with the emerging Interstate network near Interstate 15 and Interstate 84. Environmental reviews in the late 20th century concerning the Bitterroot Range and Snake River crossings shaped bridge and corridor upgrades.

Recent decades have seen safety-focused projects influenced by incidents on mountainous segments and collaboration among state departments such as the Arizona Department of Transportation, Nevada Department of Transportation, Idaho Transportation Department, and Montana Department of Transportation.

Major intersections

Major junctions include intersections with Interstate 10 near Phoenix, Arizona access routes; connectivity to U.S. Route 60 and U.S. Route 93 Business spurs in northwestern Arizona; interchange with Interstate 15 in southern Nevada providing links to Los Angeles and Salt Lake City; crossings with U.S. Route 50 near Ely, Nevada; concurrency and interchanges with U.S. Route 20 and Interstate 84 near the Boise metropolitan area; junctions with U.S. Route 26 and U.S. Route 12 in Idaho and Montana; and northern connections to provincial routes at Roosville facilitating access to Cranbrook, British Columbia and Fernie, British Columbia.

Future and planned projects

Planned projects include corridor widening and safety improvement efforts funded through federal and state transportation programs administered by organizations such as the Federal Highway Administration and state DOTs. Proposed upgrades target truck-climbing lanes in Idaho's mountain passes, interchange modernization near the Las Vegas metro influenced by tourism growth, and bridge retrofit projects along the Snake River to improve seismic resilience. Environmental assessments involving the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management continue where alignments intersect protected landscapes and wildlife migration corridors.

Auxiliary routes

Auxiliary and related numbered routes include business loops and spurs serving urban centers: business routes through Wickenburg, Kingman, and Ely; state-maintained connectors to Glacier National Park and Sun Valley; and historic alignments preserved as scenic byways, some designated under state scenic programs and linked to National Scenic Byways corridors.

Related transportation and economic impact

The route supports freight movement between southwestern supply nodes, Pacific Northwest markets, and cross-border trade with Canada, affecting logistics companies, regional ports, and industries such as mining operations near Butte, Montana and tourism enterprises serving Grand Canyon and Glacier National Park. Its role in passenger travel underpins hospitality, casino, and outdoor recreation sectors in Las Vegas, Boise, and Kalispell. Planning efforts often coordinate with regional economic development organizations and metropolitan planning organizations like the Las Vegas-Clark County Regional Transportation Commission and the Ada County Highway District to balance mobility, safety, and economic objectives.

Category:U.S. Highways Category:Roads in Arizona Category:Roads in Nevada Category:Roads in Idaho Category:Roads in Montana