U.S. Route 60

For the U.S. Route 60 in the 1925 plan, which became U.S. Route 66 in 1926, see U.S. Route 60 (1925).

U.S. Route 60 is an east-west United States highway, running 2,670 miles (4,300 km) from Virginia to Arizona. Despite the "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route ended in Springfield, Missouri at the intersection with Route 66. In fact, Route 66 was almost given the US 60 designation, which would have made it more difficult for Bobby Troup to write a song about "getting kicks" on the route.

Termini

As of 2005, the highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia at the south end of Pacific Avenue (South end of Rudee Inlet bridge). Its western terminus was from 1932 to 1966 in Los Angeles, California but was moved to east of Quartzsite, Arizona at an intersection with Interstate 10 after the highway was decommissioned through California starting in 1964. US 60 signage can be seen at this intersection which is about 5 miles (8 km) west of Brenda, Arizona. I-10 and California State Highway 60 replaced US 60 from Arizona to Los Angeles.Endpoints of US highways

Historic termini

In the original 1926 routing, US 60's western terminus was in Springfield, Missouri at its intersection with Route 66.

Original alignment as proposed US 62

During the fight over the numbering of the Chicago-Los Angeles Highway (which became US 66), the Virginia Beach, Virginia to Springfield, Missouri road was proposed as US 62. Proposed US 62 followed US 60 from Virginia Beach to Poplar Bluff, MO, but did not continue across southern Missouri on the accepted US 60 alignment. Instead, it followed what is now U.S. Route 160 to Doniphan, Missouri State Highway 142 to Thayer, U.S. Route 63 to the junction with Missouri State Highway 14 north of West Plains, and Missouri 14 to Ozark where it ended at what was once U.S. Route 65 (now Business 65) south of the town (this intersection is now in the city limits of Ozark). The realignment was part of the compromise over the US 60 vs. US 62 numbering (for further see Cyrus Avery).

States traversed

The highway passes through the following states:

California

U.S. Route 60 has been decommissioned in California.

Arizona

Texas

New Mexico

Oklahoma

Missouri

Prior to the U.S. Highway System, U.S. Route 60 was Missouri State Highway 16.

Illinois

U.S. Route 60 is multiplexed with U.S. Route 62 for its entire length (which is less than a mile (1.6 km)) in Illinois. It crosses Illinois at its very southern tip between the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

Kentucky

In Kentucky, especially in the eastern and central part of the state, US 60 was largely replaced by Interstate 64 for long distance travel, since both routes follow each other through much of this area. However, several cites in this area rely on US 60 to connect them to the interstate. However, in the western part of the state the US 60 is not paired with an interstate highway and serves a much more independent purpose, connecting communites located along the Ohio River.

West Virginia

Prior to the U.S. Highway System, U.S. Route 60 was West Virginia State Route 3. Portions of U.S. 60 are the Midland Trail, a National Scenic Byway.

Virginia

U.S. Route 60 runs through to Virginia Beach, Virginia via the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. The road is two lanes for much of its journey eastward through the state, but widens to four lanes in Chesterfield County near the village of Midlothian, and then to six lanes through the urban parts of Chesterfield County and in most of the city of Richmond. In New Kent County, US 60 is a lightly-traveled four-lane divided highway that is sometimes used as an alternate route to the congested Interstate 64.

Business US 60

There are numerous sections of Business US 60. The business route for Aurora runs several miles through rural areas primarily to the west of the city (in addition, it passes through Verona).

Business US 60 — Dexter, Missouri
Business US 60 — Sikeston, Missouri
Business US 60 — Poplar Bluff, Missouri
Business US 60 — Van Buren, Missouri
Business US 60 — Willow Springs, Missouri
Business US 60 — Cabool, Missouri
Business US 60 — Mountain Grove, Missouri
Business US 60 — Mansfield, Missouri
Business US 60 — Rogersville, Missouri
Business US 60 — Springfield, Missouri (decommissioned)
Business US 60 — Aurora, Missouri
Business US 60 — Monett, Missouri
Business US 60 — Neosho, Missouri
Business US 60 — Seneca, Missouri

In all cases, Business US 60 is a former alignment of US 60.

Alternate Route US 60

Originally built as a "bypass route" around downtown Louisville, Kentucky, Alt US 60 used several existing roads running through Louisville to get between the east and south sides of town without having to travel through the heavily congested downtown or west ends of town. 'Alt 60' runs northeast to southwest from St. Matthews, Kentucky to Shively, Kentucky; including a stretch on one of Frederick Law Olmstead's last remaining parkways, Eastern Parkway.

Trivia

As a result of US 60 crossing the Ohio River between Illinois and Kentucky multiplexed with US 51 and US 62, and crossing the Mississippi River between Illinois and Missouri multiplexed with US 62, rather than crossing the Mississippi River directly from Kentucky to Missouri, Kentucky and Missouri are the only two states to share a boundary with no road directly connecting the two states.

William Jefferson Blythe, Jr., father of former president Bill Clinton, died on Route 60 outside Sikeston, Missouri after being thrown from his car and drowning in a drainage ditch.