U.S. Route 40 in Utah
Encyclopedia
The west end of U.S. Route 40
is in the U.S. state
of Utah
at Silver Creek Junction (about 20.7 miles (33.3 km) east of Salt Lake City
) with Interstate 80. From there it heads southeast through Heber City and east into Colorado
on its way to the Mid-Atlantic.
and travels south-southeast as a full freeway. At the south end of the valley, Jordanelle Reservoir
comes into view and US-40 continues south high on the slope above its western shore while Utah State Route 248
climbs away to the east on the slope overlooking the northern shore. The freeway passes through several large cuttings in the side of the mountains that were dug when US-40 was relocated to make way for the reservoir; Utah State Route 319 provides access down the slope to a state park on the shore of the reservoir. South of the reservoir, the dam is visible on the left and the road loses elevation quickly before abruptly connecting to a (suburban or exurban) non-freeway segment with frequent curb cut
s and building frontage. In central Heber
, U.S. Highway 189 continues south, but US-40 turns east to leave the city. US-40 continues south and east through mountains and the Uintah Basin
to the Colorado border near Dinosaur National Monument
.
through Utah. This auto trail
was organized in 1921, and overlapped the older Lincoln Highway
through Salt Lake City. To the west, it split from the Lincoln at Mills Junction, and took a straight path across the Great Salt Lake Desert
on the proposed Wendover Cut-off
to Nevada. The east split with the Lincoln was at Kimball Junction, where the Victory turned to the southeast over an old trail that led past Heber City, over Daniel's Pass
, and along the Strawberry River
and Duchesne River
to Fort Robidoux. The highway continued east across a relatively flat area through Vernal to Colorado.
The Utah State Road Commission
took over the highway from Kimball Junction to Colorado in 1910 and 1911; in late 1926, the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) assigned US-40 to this cross-state route.
The old Lincoln Highway east of Kimball Junction was initially US-530, but in the late 1930s it became part of US-189. The split between US-40 and US-189, formerly the junction of the Victory and Lincoln Highways, was moved east from Kimball Junction to Silver Creek Junction in 1952; this change moved both routes to a new road between Keetley Junction and Silver Creek Junction, and renumbered the road between Kimball and Silver Creek Junctions from US-189 to US-40. The old road between Keetley and Kimball Junctions became State Route 248. In 1974, with its replacement - Interstate 80
- almost complete across California
, Nevada
, and Utah, the three states applied to AASHO to truncate US-40 to Silver Creek Junction. (US-40 had been removed west of Truckee, California
in 1964.) AASHO approved the truncation on June 17, 1975.
After a bypass of Myton was built, the old route along Main and Sixth Streets became State Route 252 in 1953. It was given to the city in 1969.
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
is in the U.S. state
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 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...
at Silver Creek Junction (about 20.7 miles (33.3 km) east of Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
) with Interstate 80. From there it heads southeast through Heber City and east into Colorado
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...
on its way to the Mid-Atlantic.
Route description
U.S. Route 40 begins at I-80 at Silver Creek Junction in a broad valley northeast of Park CityPark City, Utah
Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...
and travels south-southeast as a full freeway. At the south end of the valley, Jordanelle Reservoir
Jordanelle Reservoir
Jordanelle Reservoir is a reservoir in Wasatch County, Utah, United States, just north of Heber City.Jordanelle Reservoir is fed and drained primarily by the Provo River, and is impounded by the Jordanelle Dam, an Earthen dam. The construction of the dam resulted in the reroutings of U.S. Route 40...
comes into view and US-40 continues south high on the slope above its western shore while Utah State Route 248
Utah State Route 248
State Route 248 is a highway in northern Utah that connects Park City with Kamas. In Summit County it is known as Kearns Boulevard.-Route description:...
climbs away to the east on the slope overlooking the northern shore. The freeway passes through several large cuttings in the side of the mountains that were dug when US-40 was relocated to make way for the reservoir; Utah State Route 319 provides access down the slope to a state park on the shore of the reservoir. South of the reservoir, the dam is visible on the left and the road loses elevation quickly before abruptly connecting to a (suburban or exurban) non-freeway segment with frequent curb cut
Curb cut
A curb cut , curb ramp, dropped kerb , pram ramp, or kerb ramp is a solid ramp graded down from the top surface of a sidewalk to the surface of an adjoining street. It is designed for pedestrian uses and commonly found in urban areas where pedestrian activity is expected...
s and building frontage. In central Heber
Heber, Utah
Heber City is a city in Wasatch County, Utah, United States. The population was 7,297 at the 2000 census. Heber City was founded by English emigrants who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the late 1850s, and is named after the Mormon apostle Heber C. Kimball. It is...
, U.S. Highway 189 continues south, but US-40 turns east to leave the city. US-40 continues south and east through mountains and the Uintah Basin
Uintah Basin
The Uintah Basin, also spelled Uinta Basin, is a physiographic section of the larger Colorado Plateaus province, which in turn is part of the larger Intermontane Plateaus physiographic division. It is also a geologic structural basin in eastern Utah, east of the Wasatch Mountains and south of the...
to the Colorado border near Dinosaur National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument is a National Monument located on the southeast flank of the Uinta Mountains on the border between Colorado and Utah at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers. Although most of the monument area is in Moffat County, Colorado, the Dinosaur Quarry is located in Utah...
.
History
As with most states, US-40 follows the Victory HighwayVictory Highway
The Victory Highway was an auto trail across the United States between New York City and San Francisco, roughly equivalent to the present U.S. Route 40.-History:...
through Utah. This auto trail
Auto trail
The system of auto trails was an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. Marked with colored bands on telephone poles, the trails were intended to help travellers in the early days of the automobile.Auto trails were...
was organized in 1921, and overlapped the older Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
through Salt Lake City. To the west, it split from the Lincoln at Mills Junction, and took a straight path across the Great Salt Lake Desert
Great Salt Lake Desert
The Great Salt Lake Desert is a large dry lake in northern Utah between the Great Salt Lake and the Nevada border which is noted for white sand from evaporite Lake Bonneville salt deposits...
on the proposed Wendover Cut-off
Wendover Cut-off
The Wendover Cut-off, also called the Wendover Road or Wendover Route, was a section of two-lane highway in the western part of the U.S. state of Utah. Stretching 41.4 miles from Wendover to Knolls across the Great Salt Lake Desert, just north of the Western Pacific Railroad, it was an important...
to Nevada. The east split with the Lincoln was at Kimball Junction, where the Victory turned to the southeast over an old trail that led past Heber City, over Daniel's Pass
Daniel's Pass
Daniels Pass is a high mountain pass in Utah traversed by U.S. Highway 40. It is the summit of Daniels Canyon on the road between Heber and Strawberry Reservoir....
, and along the Strawberry River
Strawberry River (Utah)
The Strawberry River is an river located in eastern Utah, United States.Strawberry River's headwaters are located in the Wasatch Mountains of the western Uintah Basin...
and Duchesne River
Duchesne River
The Duchesne River, located in Uintah Basin region of Utah in the western United States, is a tributary of the Green River. The watershed of the river covers the Northeastern corner of Utah...
to Fort Robidoux. The highway continued east across a relatively flat area through Vernal to Colorado.
The Utah State Road Commission
Utah State Road Commission
The Utah Transportation Commission oversees the Utah Department of Transportation....
took over the highway from Kimball Junction to Colorado in 1910 and 1911; in late 1926, the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) assigned US-40 to this cross-state route.
The old Lincoln Highway east of Kimball Junction was initially US-530, but in the late 1930s it became part of US-189. The split between US-40 and US-189, formerly the junction of the Victory and Lincoln Highways, was moved east from Kimball Junction to Silver Creek Junction in 1952; this change moved both routes to a new road between Keetley Junction and Silver Creek Junction, and renumbered the road between Kimball and Silver Creek Junctions from US-189 to US-40. The old road between Keetley and Kimball Junctions became State Route 248. In 1974, with its replacement - Interstate 80
Interstate 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...
- almost complete across 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...
, and Utah, the three states applied to AASHO to truncate US-40 to Silver Creek Junction. (US-40 had been removed west of Truckee, California
Truckee, California
Truckee is an incorporated town in Nevada County, California, United States. The population was 16,180 at the 2010 census, up from 13,864 at the 2000 census.-Name:...
in 1964.) AASHO approved the truncation on June 17, 1975.
After a bypass of Myton was built, the old route along Main and Sixth Streets became State Route 252 in 1953. It was given to the city in 1969.
Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile | # Exit number An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore.... |
Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit | Silver Creek Junction | 0.000 | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| 0.000 | 1 | – Cheyenne | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| 1.309 | 2 | Silver Summit | |||
| 3.998 | 4 | Park City Park City, Utah Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census... , Kamas Kamas, Utah Kamas is a city in Summit County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,274 at the 2000 census.... (SR-248) |
|||
| Wasatch | 8.246 | 8 | Mayflower (SR-319) | ||
| East end of freeway | |||||
| 13.248 | |||||
| Heber City | 17.006 | ||||
| 17.945 | East end of US-189 overlap | ||||
| Duchesne | 68.247 | ||||
| Duchesne | 85.931 | ||||
| 86.434 | West end of US-191 overlap | ||||
| 86.524 | |||||
| 109.538 | |||||
| Roosevelt | 114.576 | ||||
| Uintah | 130.450 | ||||
| Vernal | 143.787 | ||||
| 144.285 | , Rock Springs | East end of US-191 overlap | |||
| Naples | 148.242 | ||||
| 157.109 | – Dinosaur National Monument Dinosaur National Monument Dinosaur National Monument is a National Monument located on the southeast flank of the Uinta Mountains on the border between Colorado and Utah at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers. Although most of the monument area is in Moffat County, Colorado, the Dinosaur Quarry is located in Utah... |
||||
| 174.624 | Colorado state line | ||||