# U.S. Route 56

U.S. Route 56 (US 56) is an east–west United States highway that runs for approximately 640 miles (1,030 km) in the Midwestern United States. US 56's western terminus is at Interstate 25 Business (I-25 Bus.), US 412 and New Mexico State Road 21 (NM 21) in Springer, New Mexico and the highway's eastern terminus is at US 71 in Kansas City, Missouri. Much of it follows the Santa Fe Trail.

## Route description

The highway passes through New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. The eastbound shoulder also touches a corner of Texas at a small road junction near the New Mexico/Oklahoma border.

### New Mexico

US 56 runs concurrent with US 412 for its entire length in New Mexico, and are signed as such through the state. The two routes begin in Springer and head east towards Abbot, where they serve as the northern terminus of State Road 39. Continuing east, US 56/412 meet the southern terminus of NM 193 south of Farley, the northern terminus of NM 120 east of Gladstone, and the southern terminus of NM 453. US 56/412 intersect US 64 and US 87 in Clayton, New Mexico, and US 64 joins with US 56/412 in their trek northeast. The three routes serve as the southern terminus of NM 406 as they enter the Kiowa National Grassland. The three routes then cross into Oklahoma together.

### Oklahoma

US-56's short path through Oklahoma consists of a diagonal slice across the western part of the Oklahoma Panhandle. US-56/64/412 enter Oklahoma near the southwest corner of the Panhandle, where they also enter Rita Blanca National Grassland. They leave the grassland near Felt. Three miles (4.8 km) southwest of Boise City, US-385 joins the concurrency. The routes then enter Boise City, where they enter a traffic circle around the Cimarron County Courthouse that involves US-56, US-64, US-385, US-412, State Highway 3, and SH-325. After leaving the traffic circle, US-56 overlaps US-64, US-412, and SH-3. 1.7 miles (2.7 km) east of the courthouse, US-56 meets US-287 at an interchange. US-56/64/412/SH-3 continue northeast for 6 miles (9.7 km), where US-56 splits to travel northeast on its own.
The route parallels the Cimarron Valley Railroad for the remainder of its time in Oklahoma. Keyes is the next town on US-56, and it also serves as the northern terminus of SH-171 where the two highways intersect. US-56 crosses into Texas County east of Sturgis. Just before crossing the Kansas line, US-56 meets the north end of SH-95. US-56 then enters Kansas on the east edge of Elkhart.

### Kansas

US-56 enters the state at the Kansas/Oklahoma border near Elkhart. It weaves its way across the state from southwest to northeast, passing through such towns as Dodge City, Great Bend, McPherson, Council Grove, and Baldwin City. It joins with I-35/US-50 east of Gardner, and goes northeast with I-35 into the Kansas City Metro Area. It exits the state as part of Shawnee Mission Parkway in Merriam.

### Missouri

For one mile (1.6 km) in Kansas City's Country Club Plaza, Route 56 follows the noted boulevard Ward Parkway along with 47th St through the Country Club Plaza. The route ends at an intersection with U.S. Route 71. It also includes Blue Parkway and Swope Parkway at certain points.

## History

In the early 1950s, towns along what was then the K-45 corridor, connecting Ellsworth, Kansas to the Oklahoma state line at Elkhart, formed the Mid-Continent Diagonal Highway Association to push for a new highway from Springer, New Mexico (on US 85) northeast across the Oklahoma Panhandle, along K-45, and continuing to Manitowoc, Wisconsin on Lake Michigan. By mid-1954, it was being promoted as U.S. Route 55 between the Great Lakes and the Southwestern United States. The first submissions to the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) to establish the route were made in 1954; all placed the northeast end at Manitowoc, Wisconsin (absorbing US 151 from Cedar Rapids, Iowa), while they varied on whether the southwest end was to be at Albuquerque, New Mexico or Nogales, Arizona. The first route considered in northeast Kansas was via US 40 from Ellsworth to Topeka and K-4 and US 59 via Atchison to St. Joseph, Missouri. A revised route adopted in March 1955, due to AASHO objections to the original route, which traveled concurrently with other U.S. Highways for over half of its length, followed K-14, K-18, US 24, K-63, K-16, and US 59 via Lincoln and Manhattan. In July, the US 50-N Association proposed a plan that would have eliminated US 50N by routing US 55 along most of its length, from Larned east to Baldwin Junction, and then along US 59 to Lawrence and K-10 to Kansas City; towns on US 50N west of Larned, which would have been bypassed, led a successful fight against this.
However, in September of that year, the Kansas Highway Commission accepted that plan, taking US 55 east to Kansas City. On June 27, 1956, the AASHO Route Numbering Committee considered this refined plan for US 55, between Springer, New Mexico and Kansas City, Missouri, with a short US 155 along the remaining portion of US 50N from Larned west to Garden City. The committee approved the request, but since the proposed route was more east–west than north–south, it changed it to an even number – US 56 – and the spur to US 156.
On June 26, 1958, AASHO denied the New Mexico Department of Transportation's request to extend US 56 west from Springer to Santa Fe, which would have followed US 85, US 84 and US 285.
US 56 originally took a different route between Boise City, Oklahoma and Elkhart, Kansas. The original route followed US 64 east to an intersection south of Eva. It then split off to the north towards Elkhart. By 1961, the section north of US 64 had been overlaid with SH-95. The following year, US 56 was rerouted over SH-114, bringing it to its current diagonal path across the Oklahoma Panhandle. The old alignment is still on the Oklahoma highway system as the north half of SH-95.

## Major intersections

| State | County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
| New Mexico | Colfax | Springer | 0.000 | 0.000 | | NM 21 west (4th Street west) – Miami | Continuation beyond western terminus |
| New Mexico | Colfax | Springer | 0.000 | 0.000 | | I-25 BL (Maxwell Avenue) to I-25 / NM 58 – Las Vegas, Raton, Cimarron, Taos Ski Valley, Springer Lake US 412 begins | Western terminus of US 56/US 412; western end of US 412 overlap |
| New Mexico | Colfax | Abbott | 19.719 | 31.735 | | NM 39 south – Roy, Mosquero | Northern terminus of NM 39 |
| New Mexico | Colfax | ​ | 31.690 | 51.000 | | NM 193 north – Farley | Southern terminus of NM 193 |
| New Mexico | Union | ​ | 46.688 | 75.137 | | NM 120 south – Yates | Northern terminus of NM 120 |
| New Mexico | Union | ​ | 54.040 | 86.969 | | NM 453 north – Grenville | Southern terminus of NM 453 |
| New Mexico | Union | Clayton | 82.400 | 132.610 | | NM 402 (S. 1st Avenue) | |
| New Mexico | Union | Clayton | 82.530 | 132.819 | | US 64 west / US 87 (1st Street) – Dalhart, Raton | Western end of US 64 overlap |
| New Mexico | Union | ​ | 85.890 | 138.227 | | NM 406 north – Seneca | Southern terminus of NM 406 |
| New Mexico–Oklahoma line | New Mexico–Oklahoma line | New Mexico–Oklahoma line | 94.1720.00 | 151.5550.00 | | Mileposts reset at state line | Mileposts reset at state line |
| Oklahoma | Cimarron | ​ | 28.49 | 45.85 | | US 385 south – Dalhart | Western end of US-385 overlap |
| Oklahoma | Cimarron | Boise City | 32.31 | 52.00 | | US 385 north / SH-3 west (Cimarron Avenue north) / SH-325 west (Main Street west) – Kenton, Denver Co. | Traffic circle around Cimarron County courthouse; eastern end of US-385 concurrency; western end of SH-3 concurrency; eastern terminus of SH-325 |
| Oklahoma | Cimarron | ​ | 34.03 | 54.77 | | US 287 – Amarillo, Denver CO, Stratford TX | Interchange |
| Oklahoma | Cimarron | ​ | 40.09 | 64.52 | | US 64 / US 412 / SH-3 east – Guymon | Eastern end of US-64/US-412/SH-3 overlap |
| Oklahoma | Cimarron | Keyes | 48.54 | 78.12 | | SH-171 south – Kerrick | Northern terminus of SH-171 |
| Oklahoma | Texas | ​ | 71.46 | 115.00 | | SH-95 south – Guymon | Northern terminus of SH-95 |
| Oklahoma–Kansas line | Oklahoma–Kansas line | Oklahoma–Kansas line | 71.680.000 | 115.360.000 | | Mileposts reset at state line | Mileposts reset at state line |
| Kansas | Morton | Elkhart | 2.366 | 3.808 | | K-27 north – Richfield | Southern terminus of K-27 |
| Kansas | Morton | Rolla | 17.746 | 28.559 | | K-51 west – Richfield | Western end of K-51 overlap |
| Kansas | Stevens | ​ | 25.994 | 41.833 | | K-25 south – Guymon OK | Western end of K-25 overlap |
| Kansas | Stevens | Hugoton | 33.629 | 54.121 | | K-51 east – Liberal | Eastern end of K-51 overlap |
| Kansas | Stevens | Hugoton | 35.775 | 57.574 | | K-25 north – Ulysses | Eastern end of K-25 overlap |
| Kansas | Seward | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions |
| Kansas | Haskell | Satanta | 61.813 | 99.478 | | K-190 west – Ulysses | Western end of K-190 overlap |
| Kansas | Haskell | Satanta | 62.893 | 101.216 | | K-190 east – Liberal, Meade | Eastern end of K-190 overlap |
| Kansas | Haskell | Sublette | 69.316 | 111.553 | | US-160 / US-83 – Liberal, Garden City, Meade | |
| Kansas | Gray | ​ | 87.201 | 140.336 | | K-144 west – Ulysses | Eastern terminus of K-144 |
| Kansas | Gray | ​ | 100.191 | 161.242 | | K-23 – Cimarron, Meade | |
| Kansas | Ford | Dodge City | 116.209 | 187.020 | | US-400 west – Garden City | Western end of US-400 overlap |
| Kansas | Ford | Dodge City | 119.752 | 192.722 | | US-283 south – Minneola | Western end of US-283 overlap |
| Kansas | Ford | Dodge City | 123.182 | 198.242 | | US-400 east – Greensburg | Eastern end of US-400 overlap |
| Kansas | Ford | Dodge City | 126.894 | 204.216 | | US-50 west – Cimarron | Western end of US-50 overlap |
| Kansas | Ford | Wright | 128.630 | 207.010 | | US-283 north – Jetmore | Eastern end of US-283 overlap |
| Kansas | Edwards | Kinsley | 156.790 | 252.329 | | US-50 east – Hutchinson | Eastern end of US-50 overlap |
| Kansas | Edwards | Kinsley | 116.838 | 188.033 | | US-183 south – Greensburg | Western end of US-183 overlap |
| Kansas | Pawnee | ​ | 165.995 | 267.143 | | US-183 north – La Crosse | Eastern end of US-183 overlap |
| Kansas | Pawnee | Larned | 182.397 | 293.540 | | K-19 Spur south – Belpre | Northern terminus of K-19 Spur |
| Kansas | Pawnee | Larned | 183.810 | 295.814 | | K-156 west – Jetmore | Western end of K-156 overlap; former US-156 west |
| Kansas | Barton | Great Bend | 204.229 | 328.675 | | K-96 west – Ness City | Western end of K-96 overlap |
| Kansas | Barton | Great Bend | 206.006 | 331.535 | | US-281 – St. John, Russell | |
| Kansas | Barton | ​ | 209.801 | 337.642 | | K-156 east – Ellsworth | Eastern end of K-156 overlap; former US-156 east |
| Kansas | Rice | Lyons | 236.876 | 381.215 | | K-96 east / K-14 (Grand Avenue) – Ellsworth, Hutchinson | Eastern end of K-96 overlap |
| Kansas | McPherson | McPherson | 265.669 | 427.553 | | K-153 south – Hutchinson | Northern terminus of K-153; former US-81 |
| Kansas | McPherson | McPherson | 266.667 | 429.159 | | US 81 Bus. south – Newton, Hutchinson, Opera House | Western end of US-81 Bus. overlap |
| Kansas | McPherson | McPherson | 269.185 | 433.211 | | US 81 Bus. ends / I-135 / US-81 – Salina, Wichita | Eastern end of US-81 Bus. overlap; I-135 exit 60 |
| Kansas | Marion | ​ | 285.158 | 458.917 | | K-15 south – Newton | Western end of K-15 overlap |
| Kansas | Marion | Lehigh | 286.642 | 461.306 | | K-168 north – Lehigh | Southern terminus of K-168 |
| Kansas | Marion | Hillsboro | 291.156 | 468.570 | | K-15 north – Abilene | Eastern end of K-15 overlap |
| Kansas | Marion | Marion | 301.399 | 485.055 | | K-256 south – Marion | Northern terminus of K-256 |
| Kansas | Marion | ​ | 305.390 | 491.478 | | US-77 south / K-150 east – Emporia, El Dorado | Western end of US-77 overlap; western terminus of K-150; roundabout |
| Kansas | Dickinson | Herington | 324.997 | 523.032 | | US 56 Bus. east – Herington | Western terminus of US-56 Bus.; no access to US-56 Bus. from US-56 westbound |
| Kansas | Dickinson | Herington | 327.060 | 526.352 | | US-77 north / US 56 Bus. west – Herington, Junction City | Eastern end of US-77 overlap; eastern terminus of US-56 Bus. |
| Kansas | Morris | ​ | 337.304 | 542.838 | | K-149 north – White City | Southern terminus of K-149 |
| Kansas | Morris | Council Grove | 351.155– 351.323 | 565.129– 565.400 | | K-177 – Cottonwood Falls, Manhattan | |
| Kansas | Lyon | Admire | 372.731 | 599.852 | | K-99 – Emporia, Alma | |
| Kansas | Lyon | ​ | 376.162 | 605.374 | | I-335 / Kansas Turnpike – Emporia, Topeka | Kansas Tpke. exit 147 |
| Kansas | Lyon | Miller | 378.469 | 609.087 | | K-78 south – Miller | Northern terminus of K-78 |
| Kansas | Osage | ​ | 386.959 | 622.750 | | K-31 south / 229th Street – Osage City | Wye intersection; western end of K-31 overlap |
| Kansas | Osage | Burlingame | 393.732 | 633.650 | | K-31 north – Harveyville | Eastern end of K-31 overlap |
| Kansas | Osage | ​ | 383.775 | 617.626 | | US-75 – Lyndon, Topeka | |
| Kansas | Douglas | Baldwin City | 426.126 | 685.783 | | US-59 – Lawrence, Ottawa | |
| Kansas | Douglas | ​ | 436.919 | 703.153 | | K-33 south – Wellsville | Northern terminus of K-33 |
| Kansas | Johnson | Gardner | | | | New Century AirCenter | Interchange |
| Kansas | Johnson | Gardner | 448.458 | 721.723 | | I-35 south / US-50 west – Wichita | Western end of I-35/US-50 overlap; I-35 exit 210 |
| Kansas | Johnson | Olathe | 451.688 | 726.921 | 214 | Lone Elm Road / 159th Street | Exit numbers follow I-35 |
| Kansas | Johnson | Olathe | 453.208 | 729.368 | 215 | US-169 south / K-7 – Paola | Western end of US-169 concurrency |
| Kansas | Johnson | Olathe | 454.468 | 731.395 | 217 | Old Highway 56 | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Kansas | Johnson | Olathe | 455.668 | 733.327 | 218 | Santa Fe Street | |
| Kansas | Johnson | Olathe | 457.998 | 737.076 | 220 | 119th Street | |
| Kansas | Johnson | Lenexa | 460.198 | 740.617 | 222A | I-435 / US-50 east | Eastern end of US-50 concurrency; I-435 exit 83 |
| Kansas | Johnson | Lenexa | 460.198 | 740.617 | 222B | I-435 west to K-10 | I-435 exit 83 |
| Kansas | Johnson | Lenexa | 461.658 | 742.967 | 224 | 95th Street | Diverging diamond interchange |
| Kansas | Johnson | Lenexa–Overland Park line | 462.908 | 744.978 | 225A | 87th Street Parkway | |
| Kansas | Johnson | Overland Park–Lenexa line | 462.908 | 744.978 | 225C | 75th Street | Eastbound exit only |
| Kansas | Johnson | Lenexa | 463.398 | 745.767 | 225B | US-69 south (Overland Parkway) | Western end of US-69 concurrency; westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Kansas | Johnson | Overland Park–Merriam line | 464.788 | 748.004 | 227 | 75th Street | No eastbound exit |
| Kansas | Johnson | Merriam | 465.828 | 749.677 | 228A | 67th Street | |
| Kansas | Johnson | Merriam | 466.348 | 750.514 | | I-35 north – Des Moines | Eastern end of I-35 overlap; I-35 exit 228B |
| Kansas | Johnson | Overland Park–Shawnee line | 467.710 | 752.706 | | US-69 north (Metcalf Avenue) to I-635 | Eastern end of US-69 overlap; interchange |
| Kansas | Johnson | Mission–Fairway line | | | | Roe Avenue / Johnson Drive | Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Kansas | Johnson | Westwood–Mission Woods line | 471.201 | 758.325 | | US-169 north (Rainbow Boulevard) | Eastern end of US-169 overlap |
| Kansas–Missouri line | Kansas–Missouri line | Kansas–Missouri line | 471.4500.000 | 758.7250.000 | | State Line Road | Mileposts reset; no state maintenance inside Missouri |
| Missouri | Jackson | Kansas City | 2.948 | 4.744 | | US 71 (Bruce R. Watkins Drive) | Interchange; eastern terminus; road continues as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access Tolled ||||||||

## Related routes
### Herington business loop

U.S. Route 56 Business (US-56 Bus.) is a short business loop through Herington, Kansas. US-56 begins at US-56 and US-77 south of Herington. At this intersection, there is no access to eastbound US-56 or northbound US-77 from US-56 Bus. and no access to US-56 Bus. from westbound US-56 or southbound US-77. US-56 Bus. heads north through flat lands with scattered trees for 1.1 miles (1.8 km) then enters Herington. The highway continues for roughly 0.55 miles (0.89 km) then curves east and becomes Trapp Street. US-56 Bus. then crosses Lime Creek as it continues through the city. After roughly 0.85 miles (1.37 km) the highway exits the city and reaches its eastern terminus at US-56 and US-77.
US-56 Bus. and US-77 Bus. was approved through Herington in a meeting on October 13, 1979. US-77 Bus. was approved to be decommissioned in a meeting on June 9, 1991, leaving just US-56 Bus..

#### Major intersections

The entire route is in Dickinson County.
| Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| ​ | 0.00 | 0.00 | US-56 west / US-77 south | Western terminus; no access to US-56 east/ US-77 north from US-56 Bus. west; no access to US-56 Bus. from US-56 west/ US-77 south |
| Herington | 2.5 | 4.0 | US-56 west / US-77 – Junction City, Lincolnville | Eastern terminus |
| ​ | 2.5 | 4.0 | US-56 east – Council Grove | Continuation beyond eastern terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Incomplete access |||||

### Temporary route

U.S. Route 56 Temporary (US-56 Temp.) was a 42.9-mile-long (69.0 km) temporary route of US 56 in Oklahoma. It began on modern US-56 northeast of Boise City, Oklahoma and followed US 64 and SH 3 east to SH 95. It then traveled north along SH 95 to Elkhart, Kansas. The route was approved on July 11, 1956, along existing highways, when the current routing of US-56 was being constructed. By 1962, US 56 was rerouted over SH 114, bringing it to its current diagonal path across the Oklahoma Panhandle.

#### Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| Cimarron | ​ | 0.00 | 0.00 | US 56 / US 64 / SH-3 west / SH-114 east | Transitioned to US 56 west; west end of US 64/SH-3 overlap; western terminus of SH-114 |
| Texas | ​ | 27 | 43 | US 64 / SH-3 east / SH-95 south | East end of US 64/SH-3 overlap; west end of SH-95 overlap |
| Texas | ​ | 41 | 66 | SH-114 west | Eastern terminus of SH-114 |
| Oklahoma–Kansas line | Oklahoma–Kansas line | 42.9 | 69.0 | SH-95 ends US 56 east / K-27 north | Transitioned to US 56 east; eastern end of SH-95 overlap; northern terminus of SH-95; southern terminus of K-27 |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Route transition ||||||