State Road 68 is a 45.5 mi (73.2 km) long state highway

State highway

State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...

 in northern New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

. NM 68 begins in the south in Española

Española, New Mexico

Española also known as Espanola , is a city primarily in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, in the United States. A portion of the central and eastern section of the city is in Santa Fe County. Española was founded in 1880 as a railroad village, incorporated as a city in 1925. The city is situated in...

 at the road's junction with U.S. Route 285

U.S. Route 285

U.S. Route 285 is a north–south United States highway, running 845 miles through the states of Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. The highway's northern terminus is in Denver, Colorado, at exit 201 on Interstate 25. Its southern terminus is in Sanderson, Texas at an intersection with U.S....

 and U.S. Route 84

U.S. Route 84

U.S. Route 84 is an east–west United States highway. It started as a short Georgia-Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme, but now extends all the way to Colorado. The highway's eastern terminus is a short distance east of Midway, Georgia, at an intersection with I-95. The road continues...

 which run concurrently at that point. The road then runs northeast through Alcalde

Alcalde, New Mexico

Alcalde is a census-designated place in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 377 at the 2000 census. "Alcalde" literally means "Mayor" in Spanish.-Geography:...

, Velarde, and Ranchos de Taos

Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico

Ranchos de Taos is a census-designated place in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,390 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ranchos de Taos is located at ....

, where it meets the north end of New Mexico State Road 518

New Mexico State Road 518

State Road 518 is a long state highway in northern New Mexico. NM 518 begins in the south near Interstate 25 in Las Vegas and proceeds north to La Cueva where the road turns northwest at its junction with New Mexico State Road 442. The road continues northwest through Mora and eventually ends at...

, before reaching its northern terminus at U.S. Route 64

U.S. Route 64

U.S. Route 64 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles from eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 160 in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. The highway's eastern terminus is at NC 12 and U.S. Route...

 in Taos

Taos, New Mexico

Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...

. State Road 68 is known as the "River Road" route to Taos, as it follows the Rio Grande River along its route. This is as opposed to NM 76, which is called the "High Road." Between Española and Velarde, State Road 68 is a four-lane divided highway with a 60-mph speed limit (with a 55-mph limit as it nears Velarde and 45-mph limit through Velarde); between Velarde and Taos, Highway 68 is a two-lane highway with very few passing lanes.