page_title: U.S. Route 80
section_title: Arizona
hierarchical_section_title: U.S. Route 80 / History / Arizona
caption_attribution_description: English: Historic old U.S. Route 80 bridge over the Gila River in Arizona
context_page_description: U.S. Route 80 or U.S. Highway 80 is a major east-west United States Numbered Highway in the Southern United States, much of which was once part of the early auto trail known as the Dixie Overland Highway. As the "0" in the route number indicates, it was originally a cross-country route, from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Its original western terminus was at Historic US 101 in San Diego, California. However, the entire segment west of Dallas, Texas, has been decommissioned in favor of various Interstate Highways and state highways. Currently, the highway's western terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 30 on the Dallas–Mesquite, Texas city line. The highway's eastern terminus is in Tybee Island, Georgia near the interchange of I-516 and US 17 in Savannah, at the intersection of State Route 26, Butler Avenue, Inlet Avenue, and Tybrisa Street, near the Atlantic Ocean. Between Jonesville, Texas and Kewanee, Mississippi, US 80 runs parallel to or concurrently with Interstate 20. US 80 also currently runs through Dallas, Texas; Shreveport, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Montgomery, Alabama; Columbus, Georgia; Macon, Georgia; and Savannah, Georgia.
context_section_description: In Arizona, US 80 was first established in 1926 and took a route through Yuma, Phoenix, Tucson and Douglas. Between 1977 and 1989, US 80 was removed from Arizona in favor of I-10 and I-8. Much of US 80 in Arizona remains intact and completely undisturbed by I-8 and I-10, as both Interstates were constructed on more direct routes through Casa Grande and Willcox respectively, where US 80 was often a very long and indirect route through the state.
  US 80 originally entered Arizona on land north of the Colorado River and crossed over into Yuma on the Ocean To Ocean Bridge, following Penitentiary Avenue and 1st Street to 4th Avenue (I-8 Business). After 1956, US 80 came into Arizona on I-8 Business to an intersection with the earlier route. US 80 then proceeded to follow I-8 Business past US 95 through Yuma. It then followed I-8 from Yuma through Telegraph Pass to Ligurta, where it split off onto Old Highway 80. US 80 headed east a few miles north of I-8 through Wellton and Tacna to Mohawk, where it rejoined I-8. The route split off again south of I-8 through Dateland and followed the south frontage road to Aztec, rejoining I-8 again.
  In Theba, US 80 split off again as the south frontage road east to I-8 Business through Gila Bend to AZ 85. AZ 85, between Gila Bend and Buckeye, is the only section of former US 80 west of Dallas not bypassed by an Interstate. Though AZ 85 is itself a bypass of the original route through Arlington and Cotton Center. Today the older route is known as Old US 80 Highway. In Buckeye, US 80 took MC 85/Buckeye Road east through Goodyear and Tonopah into Phoenix.
  From Buckeye Road, US 80 travelled north on 17th Street, then east on Van Buren Street through the Phoenix metro area. Van Buren changes its name several times to Mill Avenue in Tempe, Main Street in Mesa and Apache Trail/Old West Highway through Apache Junction, before US 80 joined the route of US 60 to Florence Junction. Today, US 80 from Florence Junction through Florence to Tucson consists of AZ 79, AZ 79 Business and AZ 77 south of Oracle Junction. In Tucson, US 80 continued south on Oracle Road past West Miracle Mile. The highway used Drachman Street, Stone Avenue, 6th Avenue and Benson Highway to I-10 east of town.
  For the most part, US 80 followed I-10 east to Benson. Near Vail, an older section of US 80 still exists as the north frontage road and Marsh Station Road. In Benson, US 80 took I-10 Business to AZ 80, where it headed southeast to Tombstone. AZ 80 takes its number from the former U.S. Highway and makes up the majority of the former route through Cochise County through Tombstone, Bisbee and Douglas to NM 80 at the New Mexico state line. The earlier routing in Bisbee took Old Divide Road and Main Street through town, while the older Douglas route used G Avenue, 10th Street and A Avenue.
  US 80 had a major impact on developing Arizona's car culture and at times, would compete with US 66 In overall popularity. At one point in the mid 1950s, more people entered California through Arizona on US 80 than on US 66. In Tucson there are over 281 extant historic motels and structures along the original US 80 alignment, especially on the Miracle Mile and Benson Highway segments. Part of former US 80 through Tucson was added to the National Register of Historic Places in December 2017 as the Miracle Mile Historic District. On September 21, 2018 the Arizona Transportation Board designated the old alignment of US 80 as a state Historic Road connecting with the designation in California. The alignment was nominated by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation.
caption: The historic Gillespie Dam Bridge over the Gila River. Built in 1927, it once carried US 80.
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