U.S. Route 138
Encyclopedia
U.S. Route 138, commissioned in 1926, is a short (71 miles) east–west highway in Colorado
and Nebraska
that runs predominantly northeast to southwest paralleling the South Platte River
and Interstate 76. Like all spurs of the former U.S. Route 66
and U.S. Route 199
, U.S. Route 138 is an orphan route. U.S. Route 38 was commissioned in 1926, but U.S. Route 6 was extended over it to Long Beach, California.(but was truncated to Bishop in 1964) Therefore, U.S. 138 still meets its former parent route.
southwest of Iliff
. It becomes more easterly as it goes through Iliff, Proctor and Crook
, where it intersects Colorado State Highway 55
. It continues on to Sedgwick
, where it meets Colorado State Highway 59
. After passing through Ovid
, it then meets U.S. Highway 385 west of Julesburg
, and they overlap into Julesburg. Also in Julesburg, U.S. 138 intersects Colorado State Highway 11. U.S. 138 then leaves Julesburg going northeast and enters Nebraska.
. It continues east from I-80 and enters Big Springs
. At Big Springs, U.S. 138 turns north and ends at U.S. Highway 30.
, where it met U.S. Route 38 from 1926 to 1931 (US 38 became U.S. Route 6
); the eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 30
north of Big Springs, Nebraska
. US 138 is an example of a "child" route that has long outlived its "parent"; before U.S. Route 99
was decommissioned in 1964, US 138 was the only US route to not have a "parent" route.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
that runs predominantly northeast to southwest paralleling the South Platte River
South Platte River
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River and itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West, located in the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska...
and Interstate 76. Like all spurs of the former U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
and U.S. Route 199
U.S. Route 199
U.S. Route 199 is a U.S. highway in the U.S. states of California and Oregon. The highway was established in 1926 as a spur of U.S. Route 99, which has since been replaced by Interstate 5. US 199 stretches from U.S. Route 101 near Crescent City, California northeast to Interstate 5 in Grants...
, U.S. Route 138 is an orphan route. U.S. Route 38 was commissioned in 1926, but U.S. Route 6 was extended over it to Long Beach, California.(but was truncated to Bishop in 1964) Therefore, U.S. 138 still meets its former parent route.
Colorado
U.S. 138 begins in Sterling at U.S. 6 and Business Loop 76. It goes northeast and intersects Colorado State Highway 113Colorado State Highway 113
State Highway 113 is a long state highway in northeastern Colorado.-Route description:SH 113 begins in the south at a junction with U.S. Highway 138 approximately nine miles northeast of Sterling and proceeds north for almost sixteen miles before passing though the small town of Peetz and...
southwest of Iliff
Iliff, Colorado
The Town of Iliff is a Statutory Town located in Logan County, Colorado, United States. The population was 213 at the 2000 census. The town's name is shared with the 2300 South block in the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area street system; Iliff Avenue is a major traffic artery in Aurora and has an...
. It becomes more easterly as it goes through Iliff, Proctor and Crook
Crook, Colorado
Crook is a Statutory Town in Logan County, Colorado, United States. The population was 128 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was named for General George Crook, officer during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Geography:...
, where it intersects Colorado State Highway 55
Colorado State Highway 55
State Highway 55 is a highway that connects Crook, Colorado to I-76.-Route description:SH 55 runs , starting at a junction with U.S. Route 138 in Crook, then south across the South Platte River to I-76...
. It continues on to Sedgwick
Sedgwick, Colorado
Sedgwick is a statutory town in Sedgwick County, Colorado, United States. The population was 191 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was named for Fort Sedgwick, which was named after John Sedgwick, who was a Major General in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Geography:Sedgwick is...
, where it meets Colorado State Highway 59
Colorado State Highway 59
State Highway 59 is a long state highway in eastern Colorado.-Route description:SH 59 begins in the south at a junction with U.S. Highway 40 in Kit Carson. From there, the road proceeds northward for before intersecting Interstate 70 at that highway's exit 405 just south of the Seibert city...
. After passing through Ovid
Ovid, Colorado
Ovid is a statutory town in Sedgwick County, Colorado, United States. The population was 330 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ovid is located at ....
, it then meets U.S. Highway 385 west of Julesburg
Julesburg, Colorado
The historic town of Julesburg is a statutory town that is the county seat of Sedgwick County, Colorado, United States. The town is located on the north side of the South Platte River. The population was 1,467 at the U.S. Census 2000...
, and they overlap into Julesburg. Also in Julesburg, U.S. 138 intersects Colorado State Highway 11. U.S. 138 then leaves Julesburg going northeast and enters Nebraska.
Nebraska
Shortly after entering Nebraska, U.S. 138 intersects Interstate 80Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
. It continues east from I-80 and enters Big Springs
Big Springs, Nebraska
Big Springs is a village in Deuel County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 418 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Big Springs is located at ....
. At Big Springs, U.S. 138 turns north and ends at U.S. Highway 30.
History
The western terminus is in Sterling, ColoradoSterling, Colorado
The City of Sterling is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Logan County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 14,777 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Sterling is located at...
, where it met U.S. Route 38 from 1926 to 1931 (US 38 became U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
); the eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the...
north of Big Springs, Nebraska
Big Springs, Nebraska
Big Springs is a village in Deuel County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 418 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Big Springs is located at ....
. US 138 is an example of a "child" route that has long outlived its "parent"; before U.S. Route 99
U.S. Route 99
U.S. Route 99 was the main north–south highway on the West Coast of the United States until 1964, running from Calexico, California, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Blaine, Washington, on the U.S.-Canada border. It was a route of the United States Numbered Highways, assigned in 1926 and existing...
was decommissioned in 1964, US 138 was the only US route to not have a "parent" route.