 U.S. Route 285 | |
|---|---|
 US 285 highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Auxiliary route ofUS 85 | |
| Length | 846 mi[citation needed] (1,362 km) |
| Existed | 1934[citation needed]–present |
| Major junctions | |
| South end |  US 90 nearSanderson, TX |
| Major intersections | |
| North end |    I-25 /US 87 /SH 30 at Denver, CO |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Texas,New Mexico,Colorado |
| Highway system | |
U.S. Route 285 is a north–southUnited States highway, running 846 miles (1,362 km) through the states ofTexas,New Mexico andColorado. The highway's southern terminus is inSanderson, Texas at an intersection withU.S. Route 90. US 285 has always had an endpoint inDenver, Colorado, although the original US 285 went north from Denver (that segment is now a part ofU.S. Route 287). Today the highway's northern terminus is in Denver, at exit 201 onInterstate 25.
US 285 is a secondary route ofUS 85, which it crosses in metro Denver, and technically crosses again inSanta Fe, New Mexico (today its parent route is largely concurrent withInterstate 25 through New Mexico, and as a result US 85 is no longer signed in New Mexico). US 285 also intersects a sibling route,US 385, inFort Stockton, Texas.
| mi[1] | km | |
|---|---|---|
| TX | 170 | 274 |
| NM | 412 | 663 |
| CO | 264 | 425 |
| Total | 846 | 1362 |
The southern terminus of US 285 is atU.S. 90 inSanderson. Proceeding northward, it crossesI-10 atFort Stockton, then meetsI-20 atPecos on its way toNew Mexico.
As 285 traverses north on the eastern plains ofNew Mexico, it passes throughCarlsbad, Artesia and thenRoswell. In Artesia the route intersects with U.S. Route 82. In Roswell, the route intersects withU.S. Route 70 andU.S. Route 380. The route next heads northwest toVaughn where it has a brief concurrency withU.S. Route 54 andU.S. Route 60. The route then continues northwest and has a junction withInterstate 40 atClines Corners.
Heading north out of Clines Corners, the route continues towards the state capital. At the outskirts ofSanta Fe, the route becomes concurrent withI-25,U.S. Route 84, and its unsigned parent (U.S. Route 85) for several miles heading west through the foothills of theSangre De Cristo Mountains toSanta Fe. After exiting I-25, US 285 follows Saint Francis Drive through Santa Fe. The route continues north by northwest toEspañola andChamita, where the concurrency with US 84 ends. The route then traverses theCarson National Forest where 285 now makes a long climb up to theColorado Plateau, passing throughOjo Caliente as it ascends to theSan Luis Valley. After crossingUS 64, the highway passes through the village ofTres Piedras, New Mexico at the south end of the valley, then proceeds north to the Colorado border.
On March 7, 2019, the Legislature of the State of New Mexico, in a unanimous vote, named the 27 mile section between Clines Corners and Encino the "RepresentativeLorenzo "Larry" Larrañaga Corridor".[2]
Heading north from the Colorado border, US 285 passes through the main part of theSan Luis Valley, eventually reachingAlamosa.
The route separates fromUS 160 atMonte Vista, where it heads due north along an uncommonly straight 33 mile section known to locals as the “Gun Barrel,”[3] ending atSaguache.
The highway turns briefly east from Saguache, but it bends around north and begins to ascend to the northern end of the valley, eventually climbing overPoncha Pass, elevation 9,012 feet (2,747 m), then dropping sharply down the other side into the Arkansas River Valley.
The highway brushesSalida and follows the Arkansas River north up the valley, then takes a sharp eastward turn just before the small town ofBuena Vista. 285 then climbs overTrout Creek Pass, elevation 9,346 feet (2,849 m), and enters the high-altitudeSouth Park basin.
A few miles north, the highway passes throughFairplay and the historicSouth Park City site, then reaches its highest elevation: 10,051 feet (3,064 m), at the summit ofRed Hill Pass. US 285 then leaves theSouth Park basin and climbs overKenosha Pass, elevation 10,001 feet (3,048 m), and skirts the south side of theMount Evans massif as it descends its way through the foothills range towards Denver.
As the highway leaves theRocky Mountains and reaches Denver's southwest suburbs, it becomesHampden Avenue, an important artery in the Denver metro area, then reaches its northern terminus atI-25.
On March 14, 2008, both houses of the Colorado legislature, in a unanimous vote, named the section between Kenosha Pass andC-470 theRalph Carr Memorial Highway.[4][5]
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The short segment betweenUS 50 atSalida andUS 24 atBuena Vista closely parallels the originalU.S. Route 650,[6] which was designated in 1926, buteliminated in 1936 when US 285 was commissioned along its present extent from Sanderson to Denver, mostly replacing state-numbered highways.
BetweenBailey andNathrop, south of Buena Vista, Colorado, US 285 mostly follows the route of theDenver, South Park and Pacific Railroad. The highway passes by the historic community ofComo, which became in its day, the natural central hub for the Denver South Park & Pacific. This town was the junction point of three main lines run by the railroad: from Denver to Como across Kenosha Pass; from Como to Leadville via Boreas and Fremont Passes; and from Como to Gunnison and beyond via Trout Creek Pass and the famousAlpine Tunnel.[7] At Kenosha Pass in Park County, CO, remains part of a wye used by the railroad to turn around helper locomotives that assisted trains to ascend the steep mountain passes.
On December 18, 2024, the highway was the site of a fatal wreck when a truck was struck by aUnion Pacific Railroad freight train at thelevel crossing inPecos, Texas.[8]
US-285 appeared in the Season 2 episode ofStargate SG-1 called "1969". When the military convoy that SG-1 was being transported in breaks down, a sign in the background clearly shows they are on US-285.[9] They would travel back east largely followingUS-66.
US 90 inSanderson
US 385 inFort Stockton. The highways travel concurrently through Fort Stockton.
I-10 /US 67 in Fort Stockton
I-20 inPecos
US 62 /US 180 inCarlsbad. The highways travel concurrently through Carlsbad.
US 82 inArtesia
US 70 /US 380 inRoswell. US 70/US 285 travels concurrently to north of Roswell.
US 54 /US 60 southeast ofVaughn. US 54/US 285 travels concurrently to southwest of Vaughn. US 60/US 285 travels concurrently toEncino.
I-40 inClines Corners
I-25 /US 84 /US 85 inEldorado at Santa Fe. I-25/US 85/US 285 travels concurrently to south ofSanta Fe. US 84/US 285 travels concurrently to north-northwest ofHernandez.
US 64 inTres Piedras
US 160 inAlamosa. The highways travel concurrently toMonte Vista.
US 50 inPoncha Springs. The highways travel concurrently through Poncha Springs.
US 24 inJohnson Village. The highways travel concurrently toAntero Junction.US 85 inSheridan andEnglewoodI-25 /US 87 inDenver| Browse numbered routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
← SH 283 | TX | → SH 285 | ||
← I-270 | CO | → US 287 | ||
