U.S. Route 56

U.S. Route 56 (US 56) is an east–west United States highway that runs for approximately 640 miles (1,030 km) in the Midwestern United States. US 56's western terminus is at Interstate 25 Business (I-25 Bus.), US 412 and New Mexico State Road 21 (NM 21) in Springer, New Mexico and the highway's eastern terminus is at US 71 in Kansas City, Missouri. Much of it follows the Santa Fe Trail.

U.S. Route 56 marker

U.S. Route 56

US 56 highlighted in red
Route information
Length640.250 mi (1,030.382 km)
Existed1957[1]–present
Major junctions
West end I-25 BL / US 412 / NM 21 at Springer, NM
Major intersections
East end US 71 at Kansas City, MO
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesNew Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri
Highway system
  • New Mexico State Highway System
  • Oklahoma State Highway System
  • Kansas State Highway System
← US 55US→ US 57
← NM 55NM→ NM 56
← SH-55OK→ SH-56
← K-55KS→ K-57
← I-55MO→ I-57

Route description

The highway passes through New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. The eastbound shoulder also touches a corner of Texas at a small road junction near the New Mexico/Oklahoma border.

New Mexico
US 56 & US 412 eastbound in Springer
US 56 & US 412 east of Gladstone just after NM 120

US 56 runs concurrent with US 412 for its entire length in New Mexico, and are signed as such through the state. The two routes begin in Springer and head east towards Abbot, where they serve as the northern terminus of State Road 39. Continuing east, US 56/412 meet the southern terminus of NM 193 south of Farley, the northern terminus of NM 120 east of Gladstone, and the southern terminus of NM 453. US 56/412 intersect US 64 and US 87 in Clayton, New Mexico, and US 64 joins with US 56/412 in their trek northeast. The three routes serve as the southern terminus of NM 406 as they enter the Kiowa National Grassland. The three routes then cross into Oklahoma together.

Oklahoma

US-56's short path through Oklahoma consists of a diagonal slice across the western part of the Oklahoma Panhandle. US-56/64/412 enter Oklahoma near the southwest corner of the Panhandle, where they also enter Rita Blanca National Grassland. They leave the grassland near Felt. Three miles[2] (4.8 km) southwest of Boise City, US-385 joins the concurrency. The routes then enter Boise City, where they enter a traffic circle around the Cimarron County Courthouse that involves US-56, US-64, US-385, US-412, State Highway 3, and SH-325. After leaving the traffic circle, US-56 overlaps US-64, US-412, and SH-3. 1.7 miles (2.7 km) east of the courthouse, US-56 meets US-287 at an interchange. US-56/64/412/SH-3 continue northeast for 6 miles (9.7 km),[2] where US-56 splits to travel northeast on its own.

The route parallels the Cimarron Valley Railroad for the remainder of its time in Oklahoma. Keyes is the next town on US-56, and it also serves as the northern terminus of SH-171 where the two highways intersect. US-56 crosses into Texas County east of Sturgis. Just before crossing the Kansas line, US-56 meets the north end of SH-95. US-56 then enters Kansas on the east edge of Elkhart.

Kansas
Scranton, Kansas on US 56, in 1974
US 56 (Santa Fe Auto Tour Route) east of Council Grove, Kansas

US-56 enters the state at the Kansas/Oklahoma border near Elkhart. It weaves its way across the state from southwest to northeast, passing through such towns as Dodge City, Great Bend, McPherson, Council Grove, and Baldwin City. It joins with I-35/US-50 east of Gardner, and goes northeast with I-35 into the Kansas City Metro Area. It exits the state as part of Shawnee Mission Parkway in Merriam.

Missouri
Main article: Ward Parkway
Eastern terminus of US 56 at US 71 in Kansas City, MO

For one mile (1.6 km) in Kansas City's Country Club Plaza, Route 56 follows the noted boulevard Ward Parkway along with 47th St through the Country Club Plaza. The route ends at an intersection with U.S. Route 71. It also includes Blue Parkway and Swope Parkway at certain points.

History
Green US-56 marker formerly used in Kansas

In the early 1950s, towns along what was then the K-45 corridor, connecting Ellsworth, Kansas to the Oklahoma state line at Elkhart, formed the Mid-Continent Diagonal Highway Association[3] to push for a new highway from Springer, New Mexico (on US 85) northeast across the Oklahoma Panhandle, along K-45, and continuing to Manitowoc, Wisconsin on Lake Michigan.[4] By mid-1954, it was being promoted as U.S. Route 55 between the Great Lakes and the Southwestern United States.[5] The first submissions to the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) to establish the route were made in 1954; all placed the northeast end at Manitowoc, Wisconsin (absorbing US 151 from Cedar Rapids, Iowa), while they varied on whether the southwest end was to be at Albuquerque, New Mexico or Nogales, Arizona.[6] The first route considered in northeast Kansas was via US 40 from Ellsworth to Topeka and K-4 and US 59 via Atchison to St. Joseph, Missouri.[7] A revised route adopted in March 1955, due to AASHO objections to the original route, which traveled concurrently with other U.S. Highways for over half of its length, followed K-14, K-18, US 24, K-63, K-16, and US 59 via Lincoln and Manhattan.[8] In July, the US 50-N Association proposed a plan that would have eliminated US 50N by routing US 55 along most of its length, from Larned east to Baldwin Junction, and then along US 59 to Lawrence and K-10 to Kansas City; towns on US 50N west of Larned, which would have been bypassed, led a successful fight against this.[9][10]

However, in September of that year, the Kansas Highway Commission accepted that plan, taking US 55 east to Kansas City.[11] On June 27, 1956, the AASHO Route Numbering Committee considered this refined plan for US 55, between Springer, New Mexico and Kansas City, Missouri, with a short US 155 along the remaining portion of US 50N from Larned west to Garden City. The committee approved the request, but since the proposed route was more east–west than north–south, it changed it to an even number – US 56 – and the spur to US 156.[6]

On June 26, 1958, AASHO denied the New Mexico Department of Transportation's request to extend US 56 west from Springer to Santa Fe, which would have followed US 85, US 84 and US 285.[12]

State Highway 114 marker

State Highway 114

LocationNear Boise City, Oklahoma – near Elkhart, Kansas

US 56 originally took a different route between Boise City, Oklahoma and Elkhart, Kansas. The original route followed US 64 east to an intersection south of Eva. It then split off to the north towards Elkhart.[13] By 1961, the section north of US 64 had been overlaid with SH-95.[14] The following year, US 56 was rerouted over SH-114, bringing it to its current diagonal path across the Oklahoma Panhandle.[15] The old alignment is still on the Oklahoma highway system as the north half of SH-95.

Major intersections
StateCountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
New MexicoColfaxSpringer0.0000.000
 NM 21 west (4th Street west) – Miami		Continuation beyond western terminus


 I-25 BL (Maxwell Avenue) to I-25 / NM 58 – Las Vegas, Raton, Cimarron, Taos Ski Valley, Springer Lake

 US 412 begins		Western terminus of US 56/US 412; western end of US 412 overlap
Abbott19.71931.735
 NM 39 south – Roy, Mosquero		Northern terminus of NM 39
​31.69051.000
 NM 193 north – Farley		Southern terminus of NM 193
Union​46.68875.137
 NM 120 south – Yates		Northern terminus of NM 120
​54.04086.969
 NM 453 north – Grenville		Southern terminus of NM 453
Clayton82.400132.610 NM 402 (S. 1st Avenue)
82.530132.819
 US 64 west / US 87 (1st Street) – Dalhart, Raton		Western end of US 64 overlap
​85.890138.227
 NM 406 north – Seneca		Southern terminus of NM 406
New Mexico–Oklahoma line94.172
0.00		151.555
0.00		Mileposts reset at state line
OklahomaCimarron​28.4945.85
 US 385 south – Dalhart		Western end of US-385 overlap
Boise City32.3152.00


 US 385 north / SH-3 west (Cimarron Avenue north) / SH-325 west (Main Street west) – Kenton, Denver Co.		Traffic circle around Cimarron County courthouse; eastern end of US-385 concurrency; western end of SH-3 concurrency; eastern terminus of SH-325
​34.0354.77 US 287 – Amarillo, Denver CO, Stratford TXInterchange
​40.0964.52
 US 64 / US 412 / SH-3 east – Guymon		Eastern end of US-64/US-412/SH-3 overlap
Keyes48.5478.12
 SH-171 south – Kerrick		Northern terminus of SH-171
Texas​71.46115.00
 SH-95 south – Guymon		Northern terminus of SH-95
Oklahoma–Kansas line71.68
0.000		115.36
0.000		Mileposts reset at state line
KansasMortonElkhart2.3663.808
 K-27 north – Richfield		Southern terminus of K-27
Rolla17.74628.559
 K-51 west – Richfield		Western end of K-51 overlap
Stevens​25.99441.833
 K-25 south – Guymon OK		Western end of K-25 overlap
Hugoton33.62954.121
 K-51 east – Liberal		Eastern end of K-51 overlap
35.77557.574
 K-25 north – Ulysses		Eastern end of K-25 overlap
Seward
 No major junctions
HaskellSatanta61.81399.478
 K-190 west – Ulysses		Western end of K-190 overlap
62.893101.216
 K-190 east – Liberal, Meade		Eastern end of K-190 overlap
Sublette69.316111.553 US-160 / US-83 – Liberal, Garden City, Meade
Gray​87.201140.336
 K-144 west – Ulysses		Eastern terminus of K-144
​100.191161.242 K-23 – Cimarron, Meade
FordDodge City116.209187.020
 US-400 west – Garden City		Western end of US-400 overlap
119.752192.722
 US-283 south – Minneola		Western end of US-283 overlap
123.182198.242
 US-400 east – Greensburg		Eastern end of US-400 overlap
126.894204.216
 US-50 west – Cimarron		Western end of US-50 overlap
Wright128.630207.010
 US-283 north – Jetmore		Eastern end of US-283 overlap
EdwardsKinsley156.790252.329
 US-50 east – Hutchinson		Eastern end of US-50 overlap
116.838188.033
 US-183 south – Greensburg		Western end of US-183 overlap
Pawnee​165.995267.143
 US-183 north – La Crosse		Eastern end of US-183 overlap
Larned182.397293.540

 K-19 Spur south – Belpre		Northern terminus of K-19 Spur
183.810295.814
 K-156 west – Jetmore		Western end of K-156 overlap; former US-156 west
BartonGreat Bend204.229328.675
 K-96 west – Ness City		Western end of K-96 overlap
206.006331.535 US-281 – St. John, Russell
​209.801337.642
 K-156 east – Ellsworth		Eastern end of K-156 overlap; former US-156 east
RiceLyons236.876381.215
 K-96 east / K-14 (Grand Avenue) – Ellsworth, Hutchinson		Eastern end of K-96 overlap
McPhersonMcPherson265.669427.553
 K-153 south – Hutchinson		Northern terminus of K-153; former US-81
266.667429.159

 US 81 Bus. south – Newton, Hutchinson, Opera House		Western end of US-81 Bus. overlap
269.185433.211

 US 81 Bus. ends / I-135 / US-81 – Salina, Wichita		Eastern end of US-81 Bus. overlap; I-135 exit 60
Marion​285.158458.917
 K-15 south – Newton		Western end of K-15 overlap
Lehigh286.642461.306
 K-168 north – Lehigh		Southern terminus of K-168
Hillsboro291.156468.570
 K-15 north – Abilene		Eastern end of K-15 overlap
Marion301.399485.055
 K-256 south – Marion		Northern terminus of K-256
​305.390491.478

 US-77 south / K-150 east – Emporia, El Dorado		Western end of US-77 overlap; western terminus of K-150; roundabout
DickinsonHerington324.997523.032

 US 56 Bus. east – Herington		Western terminus of US-56 Bus.; no access to US-56 Bus. from US-56 westbound
327.060526.352


 US-77 north / US 56 Bus. west – Herington, Junction City		Eastern end of US-77 overlap; eastern terminus of US-56 Bus.
Morris​337.304542.838
 K-149 north – White City		Southern terminus of K-149
Council Grove351.155–
351.323		565.129–
565.400		 K-177 – Cottonwood Falls, Manhattan
LyonAdmire372.731599.852 K-99 – Emporia, Alma
​376.162605.374 I-335 / Kansas Turnpike – Emporia, TopekaKansas Tpke. exit 147
Miller378.469609.087
 K-78 south – Miller		Northern terminus of K-78
Osage​386.959622.750
 K-31 south / 229th Street – Osage City		Wye intersection; western end of K-31 overlap
Burlingame393.732633.650
 K-31 north – Harveyville		Eastern end of K-31 overlap
​383.775617.626 US-75 – Lyndon, Topeka
DouglasBaldwin City426.126685.783 US-59 – Lawrence, Ottawa
​436.919703.153
 K-33 south – Wellsville		Northern terminus of K-33
JohnsonGardnerNew Century AirCenterInterchange
448.458721.723

 I-35 south / US-50 west – Wichita		Western end of I-35/US-50 overlap; I-35 exit 210
Olathe451.688726.921214Lone Elm Road / 159th StreetExit numbers follow I-35
453.208729.368215
 US-169 south / K-7 – Paola		Western end of US-169 concurrency
454.468731.395217Old Highway 56Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
455.668733.327218Santa Fe Street
457.998737.076220119th Street
Lenexa460.198740.617222A
 I-435 / US-50 east		Eastern end of US-50 concurrency; I-435 exit 83
222B

 I-435 west to K-10		I-435 exit 83
461.658742.96722495th StreetDiverging diamond interchange[16]
Lenexa–Overland Park line462.908744.978225A87th Street Parkway
Overland Park–Lenexa line225C75th StreetEastbound exit only
Lenexa463.398745.767225B
 US-69 south (Overland Parkway)		Western end of US-69 concurrency; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Overland Park–Merriam line464.788748.00422775th StreetNo eastbound exit
Merriam465.828749.677228A67th Street
466.348750.514
 I-35 north – Des Moines		Eastern end of I-35 overlap; I-35 exit 228B
Overland Park–Shawnee line467.710752.706

 US-69 north (Metcalf Avenue) to I-635		Eastern end of US-69 overlap; interchange
Mission–Fairway lineRoe Avenue / Johnson DriveInterchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Westwood–Mission Woods line471.201758.325
 US-169 north (Rainbow Boulevard)		Eastern end of US-169 overlap
Kansas–Missouri line471.450
0.000		758.725
0.000		State Line RoadMileposts reset; no state maintenance inside Missouri
MissouriJacksonKansas City2.9484.744 US 71 (Bruce R. Watkins Drive)Interchange; eastern terminus; road continues as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Herington business loop

Business plate.svg

U.S. Highway 56 Business marker

U.S. Highway 56 Business

LocationHerington, Kansas
ExistedOctober 13, 1979[17]–present

U.S. Route 56 Business (US-56 Bus.) is a short business loop through Herington, Kansas. US-56 begins at US-56 and US-77 south of Herington. At this intersection, there is no access to eastbound US-56 or northbound US-77 from US-56 Bus. and no access to US-56 Bus. from westbound US-56 or southbound US-77. US-56 Bus. heads north through flat lands with scattered trees for 1.1 miles (1.8 km) then enters Herington. The highway continues for roughly 0.55 miles (0.89 km) then curves east and becomes Trapp Street. US-56 Bus. then crosses Lime Creek as it continues through the city. After roughly 0.85 miles (1.37 km) the highway exits the city and reaches its eastern terminus at US-56 and US-77.

US-56 Bus. and US-77 Bus. was approved through Herington in a meeting on October 13, 1979. US-77 Bus. was approved to be decommissioned in a meeting on June 9, 1991, leaving just US-56 Bus..[18]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Dickinson County.

LocationmikmDestinationsNotes
​0.000.00

 US-56 west / US-77 south		Western terminus; no access to US-56 east/ US-77 north from US-56 Bus. west; no access to US-56 Bus. from US-56 west/ US-77 south
Herington2.54.0
 US-56 west / US-77 – Junction City, Lincolnville		Eastern terminus
​
 US-56 east – Council Grove		Continuation beyond eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Temporary route

Temporary plate 1961.svg

U.S. Highway 56 Temporary marker

U.S. Highway 56 Temporary

LocationNear Boise City, Oklahoma – Elkhart, Kansas
Length42.9 mi[6] (69.0 km)
ExistedJuly 11, 1956[6]–c. 1961[14][15]

U.S. Route 56 Temporary (US-56 Temp.) was a 42.9-mile-long (69.0 km) temporary route of US 56 in Oklahoma. It began on modern US-56 northeast of Boise City, Oklahoma and followed US 64 and SH 3 east to SH 95. It then traveled north along SH 95 to Elkhart, Kansas. The route was approved on July 11, 1956, along existing highways, when the current routing of US-56 was being constructed.[6] By 1962, US 56 was rerouted over SH 114, bringing it to its current diagonal path across the Oklahoma Panhandle.[14][15]

Major intersections
CountyLocationmi[6]kmDestinationsNotes
Cimarron​0.000.00

 US 56 / US 64 / SH-3 west / SH-114 east		Transitioned to US 56 west; west end of US 64/SH-3 overlap; western terminus of SH-114
Texas​2743

 US 64 / SH-3 east / SH-95 south		East end of US 64/SH-3 overlap; west end of SH-95 overlap
​4166
 SH-114 west		Eastern terminus of SH-114
Oklahoma–Kansas line42.969.0
 SH-95 ends


 US 56 east / K-27 north		Transitioned to US 56 east; eastern end of SH-95 overlap; northern terminus of SH-95; southern terminus of K-27
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References
Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 56
KML is from Wikidata
  1. Official Road Map of New Mexico (ZIP File) (Map). 1:1,267,200. Cartography by Louis Hesch. Santa Fe: New Mexico State Highway Department. 1957. §§ 9B,8B. Retrieved August 3, 2019 – via University of New Mexico RGIS.
  2. Official State Map (PDF) (Map) (Centennial ed.). Oklahoma Department of Transportation. 2007.
  3. "Highway Assured". Atchison Daily Globe. December 17, 1953. p. 20. Retrieved October 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Vernon Tip Traylor..." Great Bend Daily Tribune. October 1, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved October 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "New Mexico Okays US-55 Road Proposal". Great Bend Daily Tribune. June 2, 1954. p. 7. Retrieved October 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Chronological History Documentation: US 56 Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine (correspondence between ODOT, AASHO, and other DOTs)
  7. "Another Effort to Reroute Proposed Federal Highway". Great Bend Daily Tribune. January 6, 1955. Retrieved October 7, 2020 – via NewspaperArchive.
  8. "New US-55 Route Approved Here". Great Bend Daily Tribune. March 20, 1955. p. 3. Retrieved October 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Call Meeting On Road Proposals". Great Bend Daily Tribune. July 26, 1955. p. 1. Retrieved October 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "US 50N Boosters Turn Down New Route, Name". Great Bend Daily Tribune. July 29, 1955. Retrieved October 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Highway Boosters Here Oppose New US-55 Plan". Great Bend Daily Tribune. September 16, 1955. Retrieved October 7, 2020 – via NewspaperArchive.
  12. U.S. Route Numbering Committee (November 29, 1958). "U.S. Route Numbering Committee" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. p. 159 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  13. Oklahoma's Highways 1957 (PDF) (Map). Oklahoma Department of Highways. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  14. Oklahoma 1961 Road Map (PDF) (Map). Oklahoma Department of Highways. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  15. Oklahoma 1962 (PDF) (Map). Oklahoma Department of Highways. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  16. Carney, Candi (August 16, 2016). "The construction is over! Drivers have access to the I-35 and 95th Street interchange". KSHB. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  17. Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (October 13, 1979). "Route Numbering Committee Agenda Showing Action Taken by the Executive Committee" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. p. 508 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  18. Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (October 12, 1991). "Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering to the Executive Committee" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2017.
Browse numbered routes
← NM 55NM→ NM 56
← SH-55OK→ SH-56
← K-55KS→ K-57
← I-55MO→ I-57
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