# U.S. Route 285 in Colorado

U.S. Route 285 (US 285) is the section north-south highway in Colorado that starts at the New Mexico state line and ends at I-25, US 87, and SH 30 in Denver.

## Route description

Heading north from the Colorado border, US 285 passes through the main part of the San Luis Valley, eventually reaching Alamosa. As the highway heads north, it begins to ascend to the northern end of the valley and eventually climbs over Poncha Pass, elevation 9,012 feet (2,747 m), and drops sharply down the other side into the Arkansas River Valley.
The highway brushes Salida and follows the Arkansas River north up the valley, then takes a sharp eastward turn just before the small town of Buena Vista. 285 then climbs over Trout Creek Pass, elevation 9,346 feet (2,849 m), and enters the high-altitude South Park basin.
A few miles north, the highway passes through Fairplay and the historic South Park City site, then reaches its highest elevation: 10,051 feet (3,064 m), at the summit of Red Hill Pass. US 285 then leaves the South Park basin and climbs over Kenosha Pass, elevation 10,001 feet (3,048 m), and skirts the south side of the Mount Evans massif as it descends its way through the foothills range towards Denver.
As the highway leaves the Rocky Mountains and reaches Denver's southwest suburbs, it becomes Hampden Avenue, an important artery in the south Denver metro area, then reaches its northern terminus at I-25. The high speed, dual-carriageway segment of US 285 that aligns with Hampden Avenue in the grid system is locally known as the Hampden Avenue Freeway.
On March 14, 2008 both houses of the Colorado legislature, in a unanimous vote, named the section between Kenosha Pass and C-470 the Ralph Carr Memorial Highway.

## History

The short segment between US 50 at Salida and US 24 at Buena Vista closely parallels the original U.S. Route 650, which was designated in 1926, but eliminated in 1936 when US 285 was commissioned along its present extent from Sanderson to Denver, mostly replacing state-numbered highways.
Between Bailey and Como, US 285 mostly follows the route of the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad, part of the original narrow gauge transcontinental railroad.

## Gallery

* View of South Park along U.S. Highway 285 looking east toward the Front Range
* San Antonio Mountain in New Mexico, as seen from the Colorado side of the NM-CO state line on US 285
* U.S. 285 entering Saguache County from the north

## Junction list

All exits are unnumbered.
| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| Conejos | ​ | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 285 south – Santa Fe, Tres Piedras | Continuation into New Mexico |
| Conejos | Antonito | 5.200 | 8.369 | SH 17 west – Chama | South end of SH 17 concurrency |
| Conejos | Romeo | 12.707 | 20.450 | SH 142 east – Manassa, San Acacio | |
| Conejos | La Jara | 19.817 | 31.892 | SH 136 east – Sanford | |
| Conejos | La Jara | 20.418 | 32.860 | SH 15 west – Capulin, Monte Vista | |
| Alamosa | Estrella | 26.829 | 43.177 | SH 368 west | |
| Alamosa | ​ | 31.257 | 50.303 | SH 370 west – Waverly | |
| Alamosa | Alamosa | 34.102 | 54.882 | US 160 east / SH 17 (Sixth Street east) – Fort Garland | 6th St. is a one-way street, outbound access only; north end of SH 17 concurrency; south end of US 160 concurrency |
| Alamosa | Alamosa | 34.175 | 54.999 | US 160 / SH 17 (Main Street) | Main St. is a one-way street, inbound access only; no southbound access to Main St. |
| Rio Grande | Monte Vista | 51.159 | 82.332 | US 160 west (First Avenue west) / SH 15 south (Broadway south) – Del Norte | North end of US 160 concurrency |
| Rio Grande–Saguache county line | ​ | 62.904 | 101.234 | SH 112 – Del Norte, Hooper | |
| Saguache | Saguache | 86.290 | 138.870 | SH 114 west – Parlin | |
| Saguache | Villa Grove | 100.518 | 161.768 | SH 17 south – Moffat, Hooper | |
| Chaffee | Poncha Springs | 126.480 | 203.550 | US 50 east – Salida, Cleora, Wellsville, Howard | South end of US 50 concurrency |
| Chaffee | Poncha Springs | 126.853 | 204.150 | US 50 west – Maysville, Monarch, Sargents, Parlin | North end of US 50 concurrency |
| Chaffee | ​ | 133.883 | 215.464 | SH 291 east – Salida | |
| Chaffee | Johnson Village | 148.065 | 238.288 | US 24 west – Buena Vista | South end of US 24 concurrency |
| Park | ​ | 161.789 | 260.374 | US 24 east – Hartsel | North end of US 24 concurrency |
| Park | Fairplay | 181.971 | 292.854 | SH 9 south – Garo, Hartsel | South end of SH 9 concurrency |
| Park | Fairplay | 182.989 | 294.492 | SH 9 north – Alma Junction, Blue River | North end of SH 9 concurrency |
| Park | ​ | 224.537 | 361.357 | CR 43 north (Deer Creek Road) / CR 72 south – Deer Creek, Id-Ra-Ha-Je | Interchange |
| Jefferson | ​ | 231.000 | 371.758 | Elk Creek Road – Shaffers Crossing | Interchange |
| Jefferson | Conifer | 235.316 | 378.704 | Foxton Road / Kennedy Gulch Road | Interchange |
| Jefferson | Conifer | 235.945 | 379.717 | CR 73 / Pleasant Park Road – Evergreen | Right-in/right-out interchange; CR 73 is former SH 73 |
| Jefferson | Conifer | | | Main Street | Interchange; northbound exit only |
| Jefferson | Aspen Park | 236.659 | 380.866 | Light LaneConifer Town Center Parkway | Northbound signage; right-in/right-out interchangeSouthbound signage; interchange |
| Jefferson | Aspen Park | 237.062 | 381.514 | Main Street / Conifer RoadBarkley Road | Northbound signage; right-in/right-out interchangeSouthbound signage; right-in/right-out interchange |
| Jefferson | Aspen Park | 237.794 | 382.692 | Meyer Parkway / Conifer Road – Aspen Park | Right-in/right-out interchange |
| Jefferson | ​ | 238.877 | 384.435 | South Turkey Creek Road | Interchange |
| Jefferson | ​ | 244.121 | 392.875 | North Turkey Creek Road – Tinytown | Interchange |
| Jefferson | Indian Hills | 246.167 | 396.167 | Parmalee Gulch Road | Partial interchange |
| Jefferson | ​ | 248.443 | 399.830 | SH 8 east to SH 74 – Morrison, Evergreen | South end of freeway, western terminus of SH-8 |
| Jefferson | ​ | 250.082 | 402.468 | SH 470 to I-25 / I-70 | Cloverleaf interchange; split into separate east (to I-25) and west (to I-70) exits; SH 470 exits 5A-B |
| Jefferson | Lakewood | 252.052 | 405.638 | Simms Street | |
| Jefferson | Lakewood | 253.512 | 407.988 | SH 391 north (Kipling Street) | Southern terminus of SH 391 |
| Jefferson | Lakewood | 255.034 | 410.437 | SH 121 (Wadsworth Boulevard) | |
| City and County of Denver | City and County of Denver | 256.547 | 412.872 | SH 95 north (Sheridan Boulevard) | North end of freeway, southern terminus of SH-95 |
| Arapahoe | Sheridan | 258.063 | 415.312 | SH 88 (Federal Boulevard) | Interchange |
| Arapahoe | Sheridan | 258.41 | 415.87 | Bryant Street | Right-in/right-out interchange; northbound entrance and exit only |
| Arapahoe | Sheridan | 259.326 | 417.345 | US 85 (Santa Fe Drive) | Interchange; split into separate north and south exits southbound |
| Arapahoe | Englewood | 260.167 | 418.698 | Broadway | Interchange; former SH 75 |
| Arapahoe | Englewood | 261.716 | 421.191 | SH 177 south (University Boulevard) | Northern Terminus of SH 177 |
| Arapahoe–Denver county line | Englewood–Denver line | 262.688 | 422.755 | SH 2 north (Colorado Boulevard) | Southern Terminus of SH-2 |
| City and County of Denver | City and County of Denver | 263.874 | 424.664 | I-25 (US 87) / SH 30 (Hampden Avenue east) | Northern terminus of US 285; I-25 exit 201; highway continues east as SH 30 (Hampden Ave.) |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access Route transition ||||||