K-8 is the name of two separate state highways in Kansas

Kansas

Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...

, United States. The southern highway is 1.3 miles (2.1 km) long road, linking Oklahoma State Highway 8 (SH-8) to the town of Kiowa

Kiowa, Kansas

Kiowa is a city in Barber County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,026.-19th century:Kiowas was the city where anti-saloon advocate Carrie Nation vandalized her first saloon.-Geography:...

. The northern highway links U.S. Route 36 (US-36) near Athol

Athol, Kansas

Athol is a city in Smith County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 44.-History:In 1871, the song Home on the Range was written by Dr. Brewster Higley in a cabin 8 miles north of Athol.-Geography:...

 to Nebraska Highway 10

Nebraska Highway 10

Nebraska Highway 10 is a highway in Nebraska. Its southern terminus is at the Kansas border south of Franklin. Its northern terminus is at an intersection with Nebraska Highway 92 and Nebraska Highway 58 in Loup City.-Route description:...

 (N-10) near the town of Franklin

Franklin, Nebraska

Franklin is a city in Franklin County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,026 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Franklin County.-Geography:Franklin is located at ....

.

Southern highway

Classified as a major collector road

Collector road

A collector road or distributor road is a low to moderate-capacity road which serve to move traffic from local streets to arterial roads. Unlike arterials, collectors are also designed to provide access to residential properties...

, the southern K-8 is a continuation of SH-8, linking northern Oklahoma to the town of Kiowa. Approximately half way between the state line and the northern terminus, the highway crosses a single track

Single track (rail)

A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....

 originally belonging to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...

, which is now part of BNSF Railway

BNSF Railway

The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...

's Kansas Division.

Northern highway

The northern K-8, also classified as a major collector road, begins at an intersection with US-36 near Athol, traveling north through rural farmland in northern Smith County

Smith County, Kansas

Smith County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county's population was 3,853 for the 2010 census. Its county seat is Smith Center. It is named in memory of Maj. J. Nelson Smith, who was part of the 2nd Colorado Cavalry, killed in action at the Battle of Westport on October 21,...

. The highway terminates at the Nebraska state line, where the roadway continues as N-10.

History

K-8 was constructed between 1918 and 1932, traveling south-north through the middle of the state. By 1940, the highways were truncated to their current segments. US-281 has replaced the former state-wide K-8 as the primary link between Oklahoma and Nebraska.

Southern highway

Northern highway