U.S. Highway 20
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United States Highway 20 is an east-west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number suggests, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Though it is not signed in Yellowstone National Park, an implied route from the "eastern" US 20 to the "western" US 20 through the park may be assumed. Spanning 3,365 miles (5,415 km), it's the longest road in the United States [1] (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/longest.htm).
JDBridgeUS20May2004.jpg
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Termini
As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in downtown Boston, Massachusetts at an intersection with Massachusetts Highway 2. Its western terminus is in Newport, Oregon at an intersection with U.S. Highway 101, within a mile of the Pacific Ocean.
Historic termini
Until 1940, the western endpoint of US 20 was the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
Historic routes
Between Fort Dodge, Iowa and Dubuque, Iowa the route has been upgraded to four lanes, the last link of this completed in 2003. Much of the old route is a few miles north of the present route except between Interstate 35 and Waterloo. There, the old route is farther north, going through Iowa Falls, Aplington, and the north side of Cedar Falls along what is now Iowa Highway 57.
Highway 20 crosses the Mississippi River at Dubuque, Iowa. The bridge crossing the river is known as the Julien Dubuque Bridge.
From just west of South Bend, Indiana to Elkhart, Indiana the old route of US 20 through the cities is now Indiana State Highway 933.
Historic names
- US 20 is referred to as the Old Mass Pike in Massachusetts.
- In New York, part of Rt. 20 follows the old Cherry Valley Turnpike and is still referred to by that name in some places.
Alternate routes
As of 2004, US 20 has two alternate routes.
US 20A in New York has an eastern terminus about five miles west of Canandaigua, the county seat of Ontario County. It rejoins US 20 in the Buffalo suburb of Lackawanna, near the intersection of US 20 and US 62. While the main line of US 20 takes a direct path to Buffalo via Avon, US 20A veers to the south to serve Geneseo. The town of Attica, famous for the Attica Prison riots of 1971, lies between US 20 and 20A.
Alternate US 20 in Ohio has an eastern terminus in the Toledo suburb of Maumee. It rejoins US 20 north of Montpelier, shortly before the Indiana border. The arrow-straight parallel routes are never more than five miles apart for the entire 50-mile stretch through the Ohio farm country, with the main line of US 20 taking the more northerly route. Alternate US 20 is little more than a toll-free alternative to Interstate 80, a mile to its north.
States traversed
The highway passes through the following states:
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Pennsylvania (the 30-mile, 48 km) stretch including Erie)
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Nebraska
- Wyoming
- Montana (less than 10 miles, 16 km)
- Idaho
- Oregon
Principal Cities
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Worcester, Massachusetts
- Springfield, Massachusetts
- Albany, New York
- Syracuse, New York
- Buffalo, New York
- Erie, Pennsylvania
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Toledo, Ohio
- South Bend, Indiana
- Gary, Indiana
- Chicago, Illinois
- Rockford, Illinois
- Waterloo, Iowa
- Sioux City, Iowa
- O'Neill, Nebraska
- Valentine, Nebraska
- Chadron, Nebraska
- Casper, Wyoming
- Idaho Falls, Idaho
- Boise, Idaho
- Corvallis, Oregon
Related US Routes
- U.S. Highway 120
- U.S. Highway 220 (not a "child" of US 20)
- U.S. Highway 320
- U.S. Highway 420
- List of U.S. Highways
Sources and external links
- Endpoints of US highways (http://www.geocities.com/usend2029/End020/end020.htm) (used with permission)
- U.S. Route 20 (http://www.usroute20.com)