U.S. Highway 50
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U.S. Highway 50
United States Highway 50 is an east-west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number suggests, US 50 is a coast-to-coast route, or at least nearly so. Signs at both termini give the Maryland to California distance as 3,073 miles (4,946 km), though the exact mileage varies due to bypasses, Interstate highway co-signings, and other realignments.
US 50 serves both Jefferson City, Missouri, and Carson City, Nevada, two of only five state capitals not served by an Interstate highway.
In Nevada, US 50 is known as "The Loneliest Road in America", due to the bleak terrain and very low traffic. This stretch is also home to "The Loneliest Payphone in America".
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Termini
As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in Ocean City, Maryland at the southern end of a barrier island, where it intersects Maryland State Highway 528. Its western terminus is in West Sacramento, California at an intersection with Interstate 80.
The Sacramento terminus used to have a sign saying "US 50 East / Ocean City, MD / 3073 Miles". It was stolen by a fraternity sometime during 2002, and was replaced with a more ordinary mileage sign. When installed, the replacement erroneously listed the distance as 3,037 miles (4,888 km), but it was subsequently patched over with the correct mileage. [1] (http://www.route50.com/sign_battle_saga.htm)
US 50 once extended all the way to San Francisco, by going south through Stockton and then west to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. This part was decommissioned in favor of Interstate 580.
States traversed
The highway passes through the following states:
- Maryland
- District of Columbia (via New York Avenue)
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Back into Maryland (for less than 10 miles)
- Back into West Virginia
- US 50 is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System's Corridor D from Clarksburg, West Virginia to Parkersburg, West Virginia at the Ohio River
- Ohio
- US 50 is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System's Corridor D from Parkersburg, West Virginia at the Ohio River to Cincinnati, Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Missouri
- Kansas
- Colorado
- Utah
- Nevada
- California
Alternate Names and Multiplexes
- Known as the John Hanson Highway from Annapolis, Maryland to Washington, DC.
- Multiplexed with
- Maryland State Highway 16 in Cambridge, Maryland
- U.S. Highway 301 from Queenstown, Maryland to Bowie, Maryland
- Maryland State Highway 2 in Annapolis, Maryland
- Interstate 595 (unsigned) from Annapolis, Maryland to the Capital Beltway in New Carrollton, Maryland
- Interstate 66 across the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge between Washington, D.C., and Arlington County, Virginia
- Known as the Northwestern Turnpike from Winchester, Virginia to Parkersburg, West Virginia where it crosses the Ohio River.
- Known as the Loneliest Road in America in Nevada.
- In Nevada it follows closely the route of the Pony Express
- Known as the Lincoln Highway in California
Historical Sites Along US 50
- Virginia
- Arlington National Cemetery
- Ox Hill Battlefield Park (site of the Battle of Chantilly during the United States Civil War)
- West Virginia
Known as the Capitol City Freeway sharing the route with Business I-80 between I-80 in West Sacramento and Hwy-99 in Sacramento.
Major Water Crossings
- The Chesapeake Bay is crossed via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis, Maryland.
- The Potomac River has 3 US 50 crossings.
- The first is in Washington, DC on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge
- The second is a crossing of the South Branch of the Potomac River in Hampshire County, West Virginia
- The third is a crossing of the North Branch of the Potomac River at the West Virginia-Maryland border.
- The Ohio River is crossed near Parkersburg, West Virginia and will receive a new bridge as part of Corridor D
Alternate routes
As of 2004, Alternate US 50 in Nevada has an eastern terminus west of Fallon. It heads to the northwest to an intersection with Interstate 80 in Fernley, then turns due south with Alternate US 95. It rejoins US 50 in Silver Springs, with Alt US 95 continuing south. The two legs of Alt US 50 and the main line route form a 30 mile (48 km) triangle in the Nevada desert.
Related US Routes
- U.S. Highway 150
- U.S. Highway 250
- U.S. Highway 350
- U.S. Highway 450
- U.S. Highway 550
- U.S. Highway 650
- List of United States Highways
Sources and external links
- Endpoints of US highways (http://www.geocities.com/usend5059/End050/end050.htm)