The United States Numbered Highway System in the 55-State Union Series Timeline

 

The shields for all U.S. Routes in the United States Numbered Highway System (click to enlarge).

Since the Interstate Highway System has already been covered, it's now time to cover the U.S. Routes!

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 highways were coordinated among the states, they are sometimes called Federal Highways, but the roadways were built and have always been maintained by state or local governments since their initial designation in 1926.

The route numbers and locations are coordinated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The only federal involvement in AASHTO is a nonvoting seat for the United States Department of Transportation. Generally, most north-to-south highways are odd-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the east and the highest in the west, while east-to-west highways are typically even-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the north, and the highest in the south, though the grid guidelines are not rigidly followed, and many exceptions exist. Major north–south routes generally have numbers ending in "1", while major east–west routes usually have numbers ending in "0". Three-digit numbered highways are generally spur routes of parent highways; for example, U.S. Route 421 (US 421) is a spur off US 21. Some divided routes, such as US 31E/US 31W, exist to provide two alignments for one route. Special routes, which can be labeled as alternate, bypass or business, depending on the intended use, provide a parallel routing to the mainline U.S. Highway—an example being US 74 and its many special routes.

Before the U.S. Routes were designated, auto trails designated by auto trail associations were the main means of marking roads through the United States. These were private organizations, and the system of road marking at the time was haphazard and not uniform. In 1925, the Joint Board on Interstate Highways, recommended by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), worked to form a national numbering system to rationalize the roads. After several meetings, a final report was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in November 1925. After getting feedback from the states, they made several modifications; the U.S. Highway System was approved on November 11, 1926.

Expansion of the U.S. Highway System continued until 1956, when the Interstate Highway System was laid out and began construction under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. After the national implementation of the Interstate Highway System, many U.S. Routes that had been bypassed or overlaid with Interstate Highways were decommissioned and removed from the system. This included the controversial de-commissioning of U.S. Route 66, which originally ran from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, although in 2010, U.S. Route 66 was officially re-commissioned onto a slightly modified form of its original routing under the Barack Obama administration. In some places, the U.S. Routes remain alongside the Interstates and serve as a means for interstate travelers to access local services and as secondary feeder roads or as important major arteries in their own right. In other places, where there are no nearby Interstate Highways, the U.S. Routes often remain as the most well-developed roads for long-distance travel. While the system's growth has slowed in recent decades, the U.S. Highway System remains in place to this day and new routes are occasionally added to the system.

Altamasstachia, Hawaii, Mallettbarr & Puerto Rico are the only states that are not served by the United States Numbered Highway System.

Here is a list of all U.S. Routes in the United States Numbered Highway System. The states served by each U.S. Route are in parentheses and are listed in west-east and north-south direction.

U.S. Route 1 (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida)

U.S. Route 2 (Western Segment: Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Superior) (Eastern Segment: New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine)

U.S. Route 3 (New Hampshire, Massachusetts)

U.S. Route 4 (New York, Vermont, New Hampshire)

U.S. Route 5 (Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut)

U.S. Route 6 (California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts)

U.S. Route 7 (Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut)

U.S. Route 8 (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Superior)

U.S. Route 9 (New York, New Jersey, Delaware)

U.S. Route 10 (North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan)

U.S. Route 11 (New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kanawha, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana)

U.S. Route 12 (Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan)

U.S. Route 13 (Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina)

U.S. Route 14 (Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois)

U.S. Route 15 (New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 16 (Wyoming, South Dakota)

U.S. Route 17 (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida)

U.S. Route 18 (Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin)

U.S. Route 19 (Pennsylvania, Kanawha, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida)

U.S. Route 20 (Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts)

U.S. Route 21 (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 22 (Ohio, Kanawha, Pennsylvania, New Jersey)

U.S. Route 23 (Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida)

U.S. Route 24 (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan)

U.S. Route 25 (Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia)

U.S. Route 26 (Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska)

U.S. Route 27 (Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida)

U.S. Route 29 (Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida)

U.S. Route 30 (Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kanawha, Pennsylvania, New Jersey)

U.S. Route 31 (Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama)

U.S. Route 32 (Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois)

U.S. Route 33 (Indiana, Ohio, Kanawha, Virginia)

U.S. Route 34 (Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois)

U.S. Route 35 (Indiana, Ohio, Kanawha)

U.S. Route 36 (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio)

U.S. Route 37 (Kentucky, Tennessee)

U.S. Route 40 (Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kanawha, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey)

U.S. Route 41 (Superior, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida)

U.S. Route 42 (Ohio, Kentucky)

U.S. Route 43 (Tennessee, Alabama)

U.S. Route 44 (New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts)

U.S. Route 45 (Superior, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama)

U.S. Route 46 (New Jersey)

U.S. Route 48 (Kanawha, Virginia)

U.S. Route 49 (Arkansas, Mississippi)

U.S. Route 50 (California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kanawha, Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland)

U.S. Route 51 (Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana)

U.S. Route 52 (North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kanawha/Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 53 (Minnesota, Wisconsin)

U.S. Route 54 (Texas (two segments), New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois)

U.S. Route 55 (Minnesota, Iowa)

U.S. Route 56 (New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri)

U.S. Route 57 (Texas)

U.S. Route 58 (Tennessee, Virginia)

U.S. Route 59 (Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas)

U.S. Route 60 (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Kanawha, Virginia)

U.S. Route 61 (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana)

U.S. Route 62 (Texas (two segments), New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York)

U.S. Route 63 (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana)

U.S. Route 64 (Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina)

U.S. Route 65 (Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana)

U.S. Route 66 (California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois)*

U.S. Route 67 (Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas)

U.S. Route 68 (Ohio, Kentucky)

U.S. Route 69 (Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 70 (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina)

U.S. Route 71 (Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas/Texas, Louisiana)

U.S. Route 72 (Tennessee (two segments), Mississippi, Alabama)

U.S. Route 73 (Nebraska, Kansas)

U.S. Route 74 (Tennessee, North Carolina)

U.S. Route 75 (Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 76 (Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina)

U.S. Route 77 (Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 78 (Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 79 (Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky)

U.S. Route 80 (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia)

U.S. Route 81 (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 82 (New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia)

U.S. Route 83 (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 84 (Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia)

U.S. Route 85 (North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas)

U.S. Route 86 (Louisiana, Mississippi)

U.S. Route 87 (Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas)

U.S. Route 88 (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi)

U.S. Route 89 (Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Arizona)

U.S. Route 90 (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida)

U.S. Route 91 (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana)

U.S. Route 92 (Florida)

U.S. Route 93 (Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona)

U.S. Route 95 (Idaho. Oregon, Nevada, California, Arizona)

U.S. Route 96 (Texas)

U.S. Route 97 (Washington, Oregon, California)

U.S. Route 98 (Mississippi, Alabama, Florida)

U.S. Route 101 (Washington, Oregon, California)

U.S. Route 113 (Delaware, Maryland)

U.S. Route 117 (North Carolina)

U.S. Route 119 (Pennsylvania, Kanawha, Kentucky)

U.S. Route 121 (Virginia, Kanawha)

U.S. Route 123 (Georgia, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 127 (Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee)

U.S. Route 129 (Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida)

U.S. Route 130 (New Jersey)

U.S. Route 131 (Michigan, Indiana)

U.S. Route 136 (Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana)

U.S. Route 138 (Colorado, Nebraska)

U.S. Route 141 (Superior, Wisconsin)

U.S. Route 150 (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky)

U.S. Route 151 (Iowa, Wisconsin)

U.S. Route 155 (Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa)

U.S. Route 158 (North Carolina)

U.S. Route 159 (Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri)

U.S. Route 160 (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri)

U.S. Route 163 (Utah, Arizona)

U.S. Route 165 (Arkansas, Louisiana)

U.S. Route 166 (Kansas, Missouri)

U.S. Route 167 (Arkansas, Louisiana)

U.S. Route 169 (Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma)

U.S. Route 171 (Louisiana)

U.S. Route 175 (Texas)

U.S. Route 176 (North Carolina, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 177 (Kansas, Oklahoma)

U.S. Route 178 (North Carolina, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 180 (Arizona, New Mexico (two segments), Texas (two segments))

U.S. Route 181 (Texas)

U.S. Route 183 (South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 189 (Wyoming, Utah)

U.S. Route 190 (Texas, Louisiana)

U.S. Route 191 (Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona)

U.S. Route 192 (Florida)

U.S. Route 195 (Washington, Idaho)

U.S. Route 197 (Washington, Oregon)

U.S. Route 199 (Oregon, California)

U.S. Route 201 (Maine)

U.S. Route 202 (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware)

U.S. Route 206 (Pennsylvania, New Jersey)

U.S. Route 209 (Pennsylvania, New York)

U.S. Route 211 (Virginia)

U.S. Route 212 (Montana/Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota)

U.S. Route 218 (Minnesota, Iowa)

U.S. Route 219 (New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kanawha, Virginia)

U.S. Route 220 (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kanawha, Virginia, North Carolina)

U.S. Route 221 (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida)

U.S. Route 222 (Pennsylvania, Maryland)

U.S. Route 223 (Michigan, Ohio)

U.S. Route 224 (Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania)

U.S. Route 231 (Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida)

U.S. Route 250 (Ohio, Kanawha, Virginia)

U.S. Route 258 (Virginia, North Carolina)

U.S. Route 259 (Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 264 (North Carolina)

U.S. Route 266 (Oklahoma)

U.S. Route 270 (Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas)

U.S. Route 271 (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 275 (Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri)

U.S. Route 276 (North Carolina, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 277 (Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 278 (Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 280 (Alabama, Georgia)

U.S. Route 281 (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 283 (Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 285 (Colorado, New Mexico, Texas)

U.S. Route 286 (Louisiana, Mississippi)

U.S. Route 287 (Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 290 (Texas)

U.S. Route 301 (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida)

U.S. Route 302 (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine)

U.S. Route 310 (Montana, Wyoming)

U.S. Route 311 (Virginia, North Carolina)

U.S. Route 319 (Georgia, Florida)

U.S. Route 321 (Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 322 (Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey)

U.S. Route 331 (Alabama, Florida)

U.S. Route 340 (Maryland, Kanawha, Virginia)

U.S. Route 341 (Georgia)

U.S. Route 350 (Colorado)

U.S. Route 360 (Virginia)

U.S. Route 366 (Missouri)

U.S. Route 371 (Arkansas, Louisiana)

U.S. Route 377 (Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 378 (Georgia, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 380 (New Mexico, Texas)

U.S. Route 383 (Nebraska, Kansas)

U.S. Route 385 (South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas)

U.S. Route 395 (California (two segments), Nevada, Oregon, Washington)

U.S. Route 400 (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri)

U.S. Route 401 (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 411 (Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama)

U.S. Route 412 (New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee)

U.S. Route 421 (Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina)

U.S. Route 422 (Ohio, Pennsylvania)

U.S. Route 425 (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi)

U.S. Route 431 (Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama)

U.S. Route 441 (Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida)

U.S. Route 460 (Kentucky, Virginia/Kanawha)

U.S. Route 466 (California, Nevada, Arizona)

U.S. Route 491 (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico)

U.S. Route 501 (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 521 (North Carolina, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 522 (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kanawha, Virginia)

U.S. Route 550 (Colorado, New Mexico)

U.S. Route 601 (North Carolina, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 611 (Pennsylvania)

U.S. Route 641 (Kentucky, Tennessee)

U.S. Route 701 (North Carolina, South Carolina)

U.S. Route 730 (Oregon, Washington)

U.S. Route 789 (Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona)

U.S. Route 901 (Zeconnemeleth)

* - U.S. Route 66 originally existed from November 11, 1926 until June 26, 1985, when it was de-commissioned, citing the expanding growth of the Interstate Highway System. On August 11, 2010, U.S. Route 66 was officially re-commissioned onto a slightly modified form of its original routing.