U.S. Route 6 in Nevada
Encyclopedia
In the U.S. state
of Nevada
, U.S. Route 6 (US 6) cuts across the middle portion of the state, serving the cities of Tonopah
and Ely
, en route to Utah
and points further east.
The entire highway in Nevada is designated as part of the Grand Army of the Republic Highway.
, where it is signed east–west for the first time on its journey. The route follows the Midland Trail
for much of its length across central Nevada. Shortly after entering Nevada, it climbs Montgomery Pass and then descends into Coaldale
, where it meets US 95
. The two routes run concurrently for 41 miles (66 km) until Tonopah
, where US 95 splits southward towards Las Vegas. US 6 then heads eastward towards Ely.
There are no services anywhere between Tonopah and Ely (a distance of about 168 miles), and although US 50
has the nickname "The Loneliest Road in America", US 6 has a solid case for the title, as Tonopah and Ely are the only cities it goes through in the 306 miles (492.5 km) it traverses in Nevada. In addition, there is not much traffic for US 6, as it ends 38 miles (61.2 km) south of the California
/Nevada
border in the small town of Bishop, CA
(with connections to the former western terminus of US 6 in Los Angeles
). The most heavily traveled portion of US 6 is the portion that is concurrent with US 95, as the latter route connects Las Vegas and Reno
, the two largest metropolitan areas in Nevada. Upon reaching Ely, US 6 Business branches off into the central business district before meeting US 50 and US 93. The three routes run southeast out of town for 26 miles (41.8 km) until Majors Place
, where US 93 splits off southward towards Interstate 15
and Las Vegas
. US 6 and US 50 both spend the last 37 miles (59.5 km) running concurrently into Utah
.
US 6 was routed entirely over existing state highways in Nevada as follows:
All of the concurrent state routes were removed from US 6 by 1939 except for SR 3 between Coaldale and Tonopah. Also, US 6 was realigned to enter Utah north of Baker instead of passing through the town. In 1940, SR 3 was replaced by US 95 between Coaldale and Tonopah. In 1954, US 50 was realigned between Ely and the Utah border and was concurrently routed over US 6.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, U.S. Route 6 (US 6) cuts across the middle portion of the state, serving the cities of Tonopah
Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah is a census-designated place located in and the county seat of Nye County, Nevada. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95 approximately mid-way between Las Vegas and Reno....
and Ely
Ely, Nevada
Ely is the largest city and county seat of White Pine County, Nevada, United States. Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. Ely's mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50, with the discovery of copper in 1906...
, en route to Utah
U.S. Route 6 in Utah
U.S. Route 6 is a major east–west state highway through the central part of the U.S. state of Utah. Although it is about longer than US-50, it serves more populated areas, and in fact follows what had been US-50's routing until it was moved to follow I-70 in 1976...
and points further east.
The entire highway in Nevada is designated as part of the Grand Army of the Republic Highway.
Route description
US 6 enters Nevada near the town of BentonBenton, California
Benton is a census-designated place in Mono County, California, United States. It is located 3 miles east-northeast of the community of Benton Hot Springs and north of the community of Bishop, at an elevation of 5387 feet...
, where it is signed east–west for the first time on its journey. The route follows the Midland Trail
Midland Trail
For the trail's section in West Virginia see: The Midland Trail in West Virginia.The Midland Trail, also called the Roosevelt Midland Trail, was a national auto trail spanning the United States from Washington, D.C...
for much of its length across central Nevada. Shortly after entering Nevada, it climbs Montgomery Pass and then descends into Coaldale
Coaldale, Nevada
Coaldale is a ghost town in Esmeralda County, Nevada. There is reportedly also a community with the same name in Nye County, Nevada. Coaldale had a store, cafe, motel, and service station as late as 1993, but is now abandoned.- External links :*...
, where it meets US 95
U.S. Route 95 in Nevada
In the U.S. state of Nevada, U.S. Route 95 is a major U.S. highway traversing the state from north to south directly through Las Vegas and providing connections to both Carson City and Reno...
. The two routes run concurrently for 41 miles (66 km) until Tonopah
Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah is a census-designated place located in and the county seat of Nye County, Nevada. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95 approximately mid-way between Las Vegas and Reno....
, where US 95 splits southward towards Las Vegas. US 6 then heads eastward towards Ely.
There are no services anywhere between Tonopah and Ely (a distance of about 168 miles), and although US 50
U.S. Route 50 in Nevada
U.S. Route 50 is a transcontinental highway in the United States, stretching from Sacramento, California in the west to Ocean City, Maryland on the east coast. The Nevada portion crosses the center of state and was named The Loneliest Road in America by Life magazine in July 1986...
has the nickname "The Loneliest Road in America", US 6 has a solid case for the title, as Tonopah and Ely are the only cities it goes through in the 306 miles (492.5 km) it traverses in Nevada. In addition, there is not much traffic for US 6, as it ends 38 miles (61.2 km) south of the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
/Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
border in the small town of Bishop, CA
Bishop, California
Bishop is a city in Inyo County, California, United States. Though Bishop is the only city and the largest populated place in Inyo County, the county seat is Independence. Bishop is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley, at an elevation of 4147 feet . The population was 3,879 at the...
(with connections to the former western terminus of US 6 in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
). The most heavily traveled portion of US 6 is the portion that is concurrent with US 95, as the latter route connects Las Vegas and Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, the two largest metropolitan areas in Nevada. Upon reaching Ely, US 6 Business branches off into the central business district before meeting US 50 and US 93. The three routes run southeast out of town for 26 miles (41.8 km) until Majors Place
Majors Place, Nevada
Majors Place is a community in White Pine County, Nevada. It includes a gas station and a restaurant....
, where US 93 splits off southward towards Interstate 15
Interstate 15 in Nevada
In the U.S. State of Nevada, Interstate 15 begins in Primm, continues through Las Vegas and it crosses the border with Arizona in Mesquite. The freeway runs entirely in Clark County. Many motorists use Interstate 15 to visit Las Vegas, as it is the only primary Interstate Highway in the city. The...
and Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. US 6 and US 50 both spend the last 37 miles (59.5 km) running concurrently into Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
History
US 6 was one of the original U.S. highways in the 1925 Bureau of Public Roads plan. It was commissioned in 1926, but was not extended west into Nevada until 1937. The alignment of US-6 in Nevada is largely unchanged since then.US 6 was routed entirely over existing state highways in Nevada as follows:
- CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
state line west of Montgomery Pass to Basalt, concurrently routed with State Route 10 - Basalt to CoaldaleCoaldale, NevadaCoaldale is a ghost town in Esmeralda County, Nevada. There is reportedly also a community with the same name in Nye County, Nevada. Coaldale had a store, cafe, motel, and service station as late as 1993, but is now abandoned.- External links :*...
, concurrently routed with State Route 15 - Coaldale to TonopahTonopah, NevadaTonopah is a census-designated place located in and the county seat of Nye County, Nevada. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95 approximately mid-way between Las Vegas and Reno....
, concurrently routed with State Route 3 - Tonopah to ElyEly, NevadaEly is the largest city and county seat of White Pine County, Nevada, United States. Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. Ely's mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50, with the discovery of copper in 1906...
, concurrently routed with State Route 4 (also called the Midland Trail). - Ely to present-day Major's Place, concurrently routed with US 93 and State Route 7
- Major's Place to the UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
state line southeast of BakerBaker, NevadaBaker, Nevada is a small community and census-designated place in White Pine County, Nevada. It is located from Great Basin National Park on State Route 487. The town is named after an early settler, George W. Baker...
, concurrently routed with State Route 14
All of the concurrent state routes were removed from US 6 by 1939 except for SR 3 between Coaldale and Tonopah. Also, US 6 was realigned to enter Utah north of Baker instead of passing through the town. In 1940, SR 3 was replaced by US 95 between Coaldale and Tonopah. In 1954, US 50 was realigned between Ely and the Utah border and was concurrently routed over US 6.
Major intersections
- Note: Mileposts in Nevada reset at county lines; the start and end mileposts for each county are given in the county column. A "~" indicates an approximate milepost location.
| County | Location | Mile | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mineral Mineral County, Nevada Mineral County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 5,071. In 2009, it was estimated to have dropped to 4,662. Its county seat is Hawthorne.-History:... 0.00-15.20 |
0.00 | California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... state line |
||
| Basalt | ||||
| Esmeralda Esmeralda County, Nevada Esmeralda County is a county in the west of U.S. state of Nevada. Its county seat is Goldfield. Its 2000 census population was officially 971, making its population density 0.1045 inhabitants/km² , the second-lowest of any county-equivalent outside of Alaska. As of 2010, the population had... 0.00-57.74 |
||||
| Coaldale Coaldale, Nevada Coaldale is a ghost town in Esmeralda County, Nevada. There is reportedly also a community with the same name in Nye County, Nevada. Coaldale had a store, cafe, motel, and service station as late as 1993, but is now abandoned.- External links :*... |
West end of US 95 overlap | |||
| ~25 | ||||
| Nye Nye County, Nevada -National protected areas:* Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Death Valley National Park * Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest * Spring Mountains National Recreation Area -Demographics:... 0.00-132.02 |
Tonopah Tonopah, Nevada Tonopah is a census-designated place located in and the county seat of Nye County, Nevada. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95 approximately mid-way between Las Vegas and Reno.... |
East end of US 95 overlap | ||
| Warm Springs Warm Springs, Nevada Warm Springs is an unincorporated community in the Tonopah Basin and Nye County, Nevada, near the mountain pass which divides the Kawich and Hot Creek ranges . It is located at the junction of U.S... |
~50 | |||
| Currant Currant, Nevada Currant is a small town in Nye County, Nevada. Settled in 1868, it was first a farming town with a small population. Its current population is 65.-Transportation:Currant is located on U.S. Route 6 at the junction of State Route 379... |
~120 | |||
| White Pine White Pine County, Nevada White Pine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. Its population at the 2010 census was 10,030. Its county seat is Ely. It is the home of Great Basin National Park... 0.00-101.88 |
||||
| Ely Ely, Nevada Ely is the largest city and county seat of White Pine County, Nevada, United States. Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. Ely's mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50, with the discovery of copper in 1906... |
37.96 | West end of US 50-US 93 overlap | ||
| Old SR 486 | Serves Cave Lake State Park Cave Lake State Park Cave Lake State Park is a state park of Nevada, USA, featuring a reservoir in White Pine County. Located about east of the town of Ely, Cave Lake is situated at an elevation of within the northern section of the Schell Creek Range... |
|||
| Major's Place | East end of US 93 overlap | |||
| Serves Lehman Caves National Monument | ||||
| 101.88 | Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the... state line |
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