# U.S. Route 50 in Colorado

U.S. Route 50 (US 50) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that travels from West Sacramento, California, to Ocean City, Maryland. In the U.S. state of Colorado, US 50 is a major highway crossing through the lower midsection of the state. It connects the Western Slope with the lower Front Range. The highway serves the areas of Pueblo and Grand Junction as well as many other smaller areas along its corridor. The long-term project to widen the highway from two lanes to a four lane expressway between Grand Junction and Montrose was completed in January 2005. Only about 25% of the remainder of highway 50 in Colorado is four lane highway.

## Route description
### Western Slope

U.S. Highway 50 begins in Colorado at the Utah state line, concurrent with Interstate 70 as well as U.S. Highway 6. At Interstate 70 exit 11, U.S. Highway 6 & 50 end their concurrency with Interstate 70 and begin using the old highway alignment directly north of Interstate 70 while they travel through the communities of Mack, Loma, and Fruita. These communities were bypassed by Interstate 70. Near mile marker 15 the Colorado River adjoins Interstate 70 and runs nearby for the next 16 miles (26 km). In Fruita routes 6 and 50 intersect State Highway 340, the gateway to the Colorado National Monument. The monument's sandstone canyons and rock spires are visible to the south from the highways.
U.S. Highway 6 & 50 meet again with Interstate 70 at exit 26 where they begin a concurrent segment with Interstate 70 Business. The three routes travel southeast towards downtown Grand Junction. U.S. Highway 6 ends its concurrency with U.S. Highway 50 and Interstate 70 Business with a free flowing, grade separated interchange at North Avenue. The two remaining routes continue south onto surface streets in downtown Grand Junction. At Grand Avenue, they once again intersect with Colorado 340, which forms a loop between Grand Junction and Fruita. There are several points of access to the Colorado National Monument from the highway 340 loop.
After turning onto two east–west one-way streets (Ute and Pitkin Avenues); U.S. Highway 50 detaches itself from Interstate 70 Business, crosses the Colorado River and travels as an expressway, through suburban Grand Junction, to the cities of Delta and Montrose. Leaving Grand Junction and the area known as Orchard Mesa, the highway descends into the community of Whitewater and the Gunnison River valley. It intersects with State Highway 141 and begins a short concurrency with highway 141. Near this intersection Mount Sneffels (14,158 feet (4,315 m)) and the Sneffels Range of the San Juan Mountains are clearly visible at 80 miles (130 km) to the south-southeast.
As it follows the Gunnison River valley in a southeasterly direction, it is bounded on the east by Grand Mesa, which rises to over 11,000 feet (3,400 m) and on the west by the Uncompahgre Plateau, averaging 9,500 feet (2,900 m) and rising to 10,300 feet (3,100 m). U.S. Highway 50 travels through Delta as a typical surface street, having junctions with State Highway 92 and State Highway 348. Then highway 50 heads towards Montrose in the Uncompahgre River valley, passing through Olathe as an expressway bypass. Olathe is the home of a popular annual sweet corn festival. Agriculture in the area is greatly enhanced by irrigation water supplied by reservoirs on the Gunnison River. U.S 50 arrives in Montrose on Townsend Ave. The route then junctions with U.S. Highway 550 and turns east onto the San Juan Avenue bypass and then onto Main St. heading eastward out of Montrose.
The highway is a four-lane expressway from the Utah border to the eastern boundary of Montrose except for surface streets in the towns of Grand Junction, Delta and Montrose. From Montrose east to the Kansas border it is primarily a two-lane highway with only short stretches of four-lane highway. The widening of the last segment of the highway between Utah and Montrose was completed in January 2005. The first 94 miles (151 km) of route 50 is a four-lane highway. Of the remaining 375 miles (604 km), only about 90 miles (140 km) had been widened to four lanes as of 2012, primarily around larger towns.
About ten miles east of Montrose, the highway intersects SH 347. This 5.2-mile-long (8.4 km) highway provides access to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Highway 50 then passes over Cerro Summit, about 8,000 feet (2,400 m), descends to the small community of Cimarron on the Cimarron River and ascends again to Blue Mesa Summit, 8,704 feet (2,653 m), before dropping into Blue Creek Canyon. 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the stream crossing, where Blue Creek empties into the Gunnison River, is the Curecanti Needle, a striking rock formation that is the symbol of the now defunct Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. The needle is now accessible only by boat since the abandoned railroad line was flooded by Morrow Point Lake, formed by the completion of the Crystal Dam in 1976. U.S. Highway 50 rises again over a third low pass before reaching State Highway 92. A short distance north of the intersection, highway 92 crosses the Blue Mesa Dam which forms Blue Mesa Reservoir, the largest body of water in the state of Colorado. Highway 50 crosses the reservoir at Middle Bridge, intersects State Highway 149 near the east end of the reservoir and continues into the town of Gunnison, home of Western Colorado University.
East of Gunnison the highway intersects with State Highway 114, passes through the communities of Parlin and Sargents and then ascends to Monarch Pass (elevation 11,312 feet (3,448 m)) on the continental divide. Monarch Pass is the highest point on the entire length of U.S. 50.

### Arkansas River Valley

After descending from Monarch Pass, the highway enters the Arkansas River Valley near the town of Salida. The headwaters of the Arkansas are about 50 miles (80 km) north near Leadville, in Climax. The Arkansas is the second-longest tributary to the Mississippi-Missouri River system. U.S. 50 closely follows the Arkansas River from Salida to Kansas. East of Salida, the highway enters a deep canyon, dubbed Bighorn Sheep Canyon. There are several small communities in the canyon including Howard, Coaldale and Cotopaxi. The major industries in the canyon are fishing and river rafting.
Near mile marker 267, the highway crosses the river. Before the highway climbs uphill and leaves the canyon, Parkdale, Colorado is home to rafting, mining and a recreational area along the river. A short distance later, Colorado State Highway 9 intersects from the north as the highway enters the Royal Gorge area. Fremont County Road 3A leads to the rim of the Royal Gorge and its famous suspension bridge. The Royal Gorge Bridge is 1,260 feet (380 m) long and 956 feet (291 m) above the Arkansas River. It was built in 1929 and remains a popular tourist attraction that reopened to the public in 2014 after a devastating fire destroyed much of the surrounding park in 2013. The bridge remained intact but some boards were blackened. The damaged boards were replaced to maintain the integrity of the bridge.
After passing by the Royal Gorge, Highway 50 lowers off Eight Mile Hill and becomes a divided four lane highway. It then passes by the scenic route Skyline Drive on its way into Cañon City. At 1st Street, the highway is known locally as Royal Gorge Boulevard. Fremont County, which includes Cañon City, is the home to 15 prisons, including ADX Supermax, the only federal Supermax prison in the United States, located south of Florence, Colorado.
U.S. 50 intersects State Highway 67, State Highway 115 and State Highway 120 in Fremont County before crossing into Pueblo County. Then the highway enters Pueblo West on its way to intersect with State Highway 45. Highway 50 enters Pueblo, the home of the annual Colorado State Fair, as a six-lane divided highway and joins Interstate 25. Pueblo is at the edge of the Rocky Mountains, the beginning of the plains of southeastern Colorado. As the highway heads east across the plains, it generally follows the path of the Arkansas River until it reaches Kansas. Along the route it passes through several small communities including Fowler, Rocky Ford and La Junta.
Just beyond La Junta, the highway passes Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site where travelers can find information about life on the plains. The highway continues on to Las Animas, Colorado, home of the Boggsville Historic Site, and Lamar.
Between Pueblo and Kansas, Highway 50 intersects with a number of state highways and U.S. highways. The U.S. highways are U.S. Highway 350, 287, 385 and 400. It runs concurrently with 287 and 385 for short distances and with 400 from Granada, Colorado, to Dodge City, Kansas, a distance of 136 miles (219 km).
U.S. route 50 in Colorado ends at the Kansas state line, about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Holly, Colorado, 467.6 miles (752.5 km) from the Utah border. Holly has the lowest elevation of any town in Colorado at 3,392 feet (1,034 m).

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
| Mesa | ​ | 0.000 | 0.000 | | I-70 west (US 6 / US 50 west) – Salina | Continuation into Utah |
| Mesa | ​ | 1.814 | 2.919 | 2 | Rabbit Valley | Exit number follows I-70 |
| Mesa | Mack | 11.106 | 17.873 | | I-70 east | Eastern end of I-70 concurrency; I-70 exit 11 |
| Mesa | Loma | 15.132 | 24.353 | | SH 139 to I-70 – Loma, Rangely | To I-70 via SH 139 south |
| Mesa | Fruita | 19.955 | 32.114 | | SH 340 east (Coulson Street) to I-70 | Western terminus of SH 340 |
| Mesa | Grand Junction | 26.080 | 41.972 | | I-70 BL begins / I-70 – Denver, Utah | Western end of I-70 BL overlap; I-70 exit 26; diverging diamond interchange |
| Mesa | Grand Junction | 28.244 | 45.454 | | Patterson Road / 24 RoadRedlands Parkway south | Partial interchange |
| Mesa | Grand Junction | 30.4474.367 | 49.0007.028 | | US 6 east (North Avenue) | Interchange; eastern end of US 6 concurency; no eastbound entrance; mileposts change to reflect I-70 BL mileage |
| Mesa | Grand Junction | 4.952 | 7.969 | | SH 340 west (Grand Avenue) – Colorado National Monument | Eastern terminus of SH 340; eastbound eccess via Spruce Street |
| Mesa | Grand Junction | 5.66131.76 | 9.11051.11 | | I-70 BL (Ute Avenue) | One-way street, inbound access only; mileposts change to reflect US 50 mileage |
| Mesa | Grand Junction | 31.827 | 51.221 | | I-70 BL east (Pitkin Avenue east) to I-70 east – Denver | One-way street, outbound access only; eastern end of I-70 Bus. concurrency |
| Mesa | Grand Junction | 32.235 | 51.877 | | Riverside Parkway to US 50 / I-70 BL | Interchange |
| Mesa | Grand Junction | 34.206 | 55.049 | | B½ Road | Interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; former SH 340 east |
| Mesa | ​ | 38.504 | 61.966 | | SH 141 north (32 Road) to I-70 east – Clifton, Denver | Western end of SH 141 concurrency |
| Mesa | Whitewater | 41.137 | 66.204 | | SH 141 south – Gateway, Naturita | Eastern end of SH 141 concurrency |
| Delta | Delta | 70.919 | 114.133 | | SH 92 east (1st Street) to SH 65 north / SH 133 east – Grand Mesa, Black Canyon National Park North Rim | Western terminus of SH 92 |
| Delta | Delta | 71.428 | 114.952 | | SH 348 (6th Street) | |
| Montrose | Olathe | 81.472 | 131.116 | | US 50 Bus. east – Olathe | Western terminus of US 50 Bus. |
| Montrose | Olathe | 82.613 | 132.953 | | SH 348 west – Olathe | Eastern terminus of SH 348 |
| Montrose | Olathe | 83.145 | 133.809 | | US 50 Bus. west – Olathe | Eastern terminus of US 50 Bus. |
| Montrose | Montrose | 91.878 | 147.863 | | US 550 south (Townsend Avenue south) – Ouray | Northern terminus of US 550; former US 50 east |
| Montrose | ​ | 100.545 | 161.811 | | SH 347 north – Black Canyon National Park | Southern terminus of SH 347 |
| Gunnison | Curecanti NRA | 131.129 | 211.032 | | SH 92 west – Crawford, Hotchkiss | Eastern terminus of SH 92 |
| Gunnison | Curecanti NRA | 148.052 | 238.267 | | SH 149 south – Lake City, Creede, South Fork | Northern terminus of SH 149 |
| Gunnison | Gunnison | 157.394 | 253.301 | | SH 135 north (Main Street) – Crested Butte | Southern terminus of SH 135 |
| Gunnison | ​ | 165.601 | 266.509 | | SH 114 – Saguache | |
| Saguache | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions |
| Continental Divide | Continental Divide | 199.277 | 320.705 | Monarch Pass Summit Gunnision–Chafee county line | Monarch Pass Summit Gunnision–Chafee county line | Monarch Pass Summit Gunnision–Chafee county line |
| Chaffee | Poncha Springs | 216.770 | 348.857 | | US 285 north – Buena Vista, Leadville | Western end of US 285 concurrency |
| Chaffee | Poncha Springs | 217.345 | 349.783 | | US 285 south – Monte Vista | Eastern end of US 285 concurrency |
| Chaffee | Salida | 222.399 | 357.916 | | SH 291 north (Oak Street) / CR 105 – Salida National Historic District | Southern terminus of SH 291; former US 50 west |
| Fremont | Texas Creek | 252.663 | 406.622 | | SH 69 south – Westcliffe | Northern terminus of SH 69 |
| Fremont | ​ | 269.130 | 433.123 | | SH 9 north – Guffey, Hartsel | Southern terminus of SH 9; USBR 76 west |
| Fremont | Cañon City | 278.704 | 448.531 | | SH 115 east (9th Street) – Florence | Western terminus of SH-115 |
| Fremont | ​ | 285.633 | 459.682 | | SH 67 south / CR 67 north (Phantom Canyon Road) – Florence, Victor | Northern terminus of SH 67; southern terminus of CR 67 |
| Fremont | Penrose | 289.769 | 466.338 | 289 | SH 115 – Penrose, Colorado Springs, Florence | Interchange |
| Fremont | ​ | 294.339 | 473.693 | | SH 120 (R Street) | |
| Pueblo | Pueblo West | 309.900 | 498.736 | 309 | Purcell Boulevard | Interchange |
| Pueblo | Pueblo West | 312.088 | 502.257 | 312 | SH 45 south (Pueblo Boulevard) | Partial interchange; northern terminus of SH 45 |
| Pueblo | Pueblo | 314.598101.389 | 506.296163.170 | | I-25 north (US 85 / US 87 north) / SH 47 east – Colorado Springs, La Junta | Western end of I-25/US 85/US 87 concurrency; western terminus of SH-47; I-25 exit 101; mileposts change to reflect I-25 mileage |
| Pueblo | Pueblo | 100.681 | 162.030 | 100B | 29th Street | Exit number follows I-25; no westbound entrance |
| Pueblo | Pueblo | 99.981315.960 | 160.904508.488 | | I-25 south (US 85 / US 87 south) – Trinidad | Southern end of I-25/US 85/US 87 concurrency; I-25 exit 100A; mileposts change to reflect US 50 mileage |
| Pueblo | Pueblo | 318.707 | 512.909 | 318 | SH 47 north (Cesar Chavez Boulevard) / SH 96 west (4th Street) | Western end of SH 96 concurrency; eastern terminus of SH-47; interchange |
| Pueblo | Pueblo | 321.640 | 517.629 | 321 | Pueblo Memorial Airport | Interchange |
| Pueblo | Baxter | 322.130 | 518.418 | | SH 233 south | Northern terminus of SH 233 |
| Pueblo | Devine | 324.229 | 521.796 | | SH 231 south (36th Lane) | Northern terminus of SH 231 |
| Pueblo | ​ | 329.135 | 529.691 | 329 | Pueblo Chemical Depot | Interchange |
| Pueblo | North Avondale | 329.334 | 530.012 | | SH 96 east – Ordway, Boone | Eastern end of SH 96 concurrency |
| Pueblo | ​ | 332.246 | 534.698 | | US 50 Bus. west – Avondale | Eastern terminus of US 50 Bus. |
| Pueblo | ​ | 335.764 | 540.360 | | SH 209 north – Boone | Southern terminus of SH 209 |
| Otero | Fowler | 350.909 | 564.733 | | SH 167 (Main Street) | |
| Otero | Manzanola | 359.712 | 578.900 | | SH 207 north (Park Street) – Crowley | Southern terminus of SH 207 |
| Otero | ​ | 366.970 | 590.581 | | SH 71 north – Ordway | Western end of SH 71 concurrency |
| Otero | Rocky Ford | 368.109 | 592.414 | | SH 202 (2nd Street) | |
| Otero | Rocky Ford | 368.930 | 593.735 | | SH 71 south / SH 266 (12th Street) | Eastern end of SH 71 concurrency |
| Otero | La Junta | 378.419 | 609.006 | | SH 10 west – Walsenburg | Eastern terminus of SH 10 |
| Otero | La Junta | 378.816 | 609.645 | | US 350 west (Grant Avenue) / Santa Fe Trail Scenic Byway – Trinidad | Eastern terminus of US 350 |
| Otero | La Junta | 380.231 | 611.922 | | SH 109 (Bradish Avenue) to SH 194 – Cheraw, Kim, Bents Old Fort National Historic Site | |
| Bent | Las Animas | 398.769 | 641.756 | | SH 101 (Carson Avenue) – Boggsville National Historic District | |
| Bent | ​ | 400.160 | 643.995 | | SH 194 west – Bents Fort | Eastern terminus of SH 194; interchange |
| Bent | ​ | 404.627 | 651.184 | | SH 183 south – Ft. Lyon | Northern terminus of SH 183 |
| Bent | ​ | 420.744 | 677.122 | | SH 196 – McClave | |
| Prowers | ​ | 427.737 | 688.376 | | US 287 north – Limon | Interchange; western end of US 287 concurrency |
| Prowers | Lamar | 435.390 | 700.692 | | US 287 south / US 385 south – Springfield | Eastern end of US 287 concurrency; western end of US 385 concurrency |
| Prowers | Granada | 452.769 | 728.661 | | US 385 north (Main Street) / US 400 begins – Bristol, Sheridan Lake, Cheyenne Wells | Eastern end of US 385 concurrency; western end of US 400 concurrency; western terminus of US 400 |
| Prowers | Holly | 463.506 | 745.941 | | SH 89 (First Avenue) – Lycan | |
| Prowers | ​ | 467.583 | 752.502 | | US-50 east / US-400 east – Syracuse, Garden City | Continuation into Kansas |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access |||||||