U.S. Route 70 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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US 70 highlighted in red
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| Route information | |
| Length | 2,381 mi (3,832 km) |
| Existed | 11 November 1926–present |
| History | Re-routed several times west of New Mexico between 1926 and 1969. |
| Major junctions | |
| West end |   US 60 / SR 77 at Globe, AZ |
 I-10 at Lordsburg, NM  I-25 / US 85 at Las Cruces, NM  I-27 / US 87 at Plainview, TX I-35 at Ardmore, OK I-30 at Little Rock, AR  I-40 / I-55 at Memphis, TN I-40 / I-65 at Nashville, TN I-75 at Lenoir City, TN I-40 at Knoxville, TN I-95 at Selma, NC |
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| East end | Seashore Drive / School Drive in Atlantic, NC |
| Location | |
| States: | Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina |
| Highway system | |
| United States Numbered Highways List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced |
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U.S. Route 70 (or US 70) is a long highway that crosses the United States from east to west. It stretches for about 2,381 miles (3,832 km). The road starts near the Atlantic Ocean in Atlantic, North Carolina. It ends in Globe, Arizona, in the eastern part of the state.
US 70 is a very important road in the southern and southwestern parts of the U.S. In the past, it used to go all the way from coast to coast. It started in North Carolina and ended near the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles, California. Before the big Interstate Highway System was built, US 70 was sometimes called the "Broadway of America." This was because it was one of the main roads for traveling across the country.
Contents
Exploring U.S. Route 70
US 70 travels through seven different states. It starts in Arizona and goes all the way to North Carolina. Let's take a closer look at its journey.
| mi | km | |
|---|---|---|
| AZ | 122 | 196 |
| NM | 448 | 721 |
| TX | 255 | 410 |
| OK | 290 | 467 |
| AR | 291 | 468 |
| TN | 480 | 773 |
| NC | 495 | 797 |
| Total | 2,381 | 3,382 |
Journey Through Arizona
US 70 begins in Globe, Arizona. Here, it meets U.S. Route 60 and Arizona State Route 77. It then goes into the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. The road continues southeast for about 17 miles (27 km).
Later, US 70 reaches Safford, Arizona. For about 10 miles (16 km), it shares the road with U.S. 191. After that, it travels another 37 miles (59 km) before entering New Mexico.
Journey Through New Mexico
In New Mexico, US 70 continues heading southeast. It passes through Lordsburg, New Mexico, where it joins Interstate 10 for a while. Then, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, it becomes a city street called Picacho Avenue.
After crossing Interstate 25, US 70 becomes a faster, controlled-access highway. It crosses the Organ Mountains through San Augustin Pass. Then, it goes across the White Sands Missile Range. Sometimes, the highway closes for a few hours for missile tests. This usually happens once or twice a week.
The road then passes the entrance to White Sands National Park. It also goes by Holloman Air Force Base. In Alamogordo, New Mexico, US 70 joins U.S. Route 54. This part of the road is divided. The two highways then split in Tularosa, New Mexico.
US 70 then climbs into the Sacramento Mountains. It enters the Lincoln National Forest. The road also goes through the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation. It passes near the town of Ruidoso, New Mexico. In Hondo, New Mexico, it joins U.S. 380.
US 70 then goes around Roswell, New Mexico with U.S. 285. Finally, it heads northeast through Portales, New Mexico and Clovis, New Mexico. It enters Texas at Texico, New Mexico. In New Mexico, US 70 is the only non-interstate road with a speed limit of 75 miles per hour for a long stretch.
Journey Through Texas
When US 70 enters Texas, it joins U.S. Highway 60 and U.S. Highway 84. US 60 soon splits off. US 70 and US 84 then go southeast to Muleshoe, Texas, where they also split.
US 70 then heads east. It meets U.S. Highway 385 in Springlake, Texas. It also has an interchange with Interstate 27 in Plainview, Texas. The road then turns south to join U.S. Highway 62 in Floydada, Texas.
The two roads go east to Paducah, Texas, where US 62 splits off. US 70 then continues to Vernon, Texas. Here, it overlaps with U.S. Highway 287 and U.S. Highway 183. Near Oklaunion, US 70 and US 183 split off to cross the Red River of the South into Oklahoma.
Journey Through Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, US 183 soon separates from US 70 near Davidson, Oklahoma. US 70 then has an interchange with Interstate 44. This is the start of the H.E. Bailey Turnpike. US 70 passes south of Waurika, Oklahoma.
Near Wilson, Oklahoma, US 70 becomes a four-lane divided highway. It goes through Lone Grove, Oklahoma before reaching Ardmore, Oklahoma. Here, it briefly joins Interstate 35. US 70 also serves as the start of U.S. Highway 177 in Madill, Oklahoma.
US 70 then goes to Durant, Oklahoma. It has an interchange with the U.S. Highway 69/U.S. Route 75 freeway. East of Soper, Oklahoma, US 70 joins U.S. Highway 271. They both go towards Hugo, Oklahoma.
In Hugo, they meet the Indian Nation Turnpike. US 271 then splits off. US 70 goes through downtown Hugo. It also goes around Idabel, Oklahoma to the north. It then meets U.S. Highway 259 and Oklahoma State Highway 3. They overlap into Broken Bow, Oklahoma. US 70 then splits off to the east before leaving Oklahoma.
Journey Through Arkansas
US 70 enters Arkansas west of De Queen, Arkansas. It crosses through the northern part of the town. Here, it meets U.S. Route 71 and U.S. Route 59 and overlaps with them for about 8 miles (13 km). It then heads northeast to Dierks, Arkansas, where it joins U.S. Route 278.
US 70 then goes east-northeast to Hot Springs, Arkansas. It bypasses the city to the south on a freeway that it shares with U.S. Route 270. US 70 then heads east to join Interstate 30.
The two highways run together to Little Rock, Arkansas, the state capital. In Little Rock, US 70 splits off from I-30. It turns northeast onto Stagecoach Road. Then it becomes Broadway Avenue and crosses the Arkansas River into North Little Rock, Arkansas. It crosses I-30 again and meets U.S. Route 165.
US 70 then crosses Interstate 440 and leaves the Little Rock area. It runs close to Interstate 40. US 70 stays near I-40 throughout eastern Arkansas. It passes through Forrest City, Arkansas. Finally, US 70 joins Interstate 55 to cross the Mississippi River into Tennessee.
Journey Through Tennessee
US 70 enters Tennessee in Memphis, Tennessee. Here, it is with Interstate 55, U.S. Route 61, U.S. Route 64, and U.S. Route 79. I-55 turns south, but the US routes continue east. US 61 then splits off.
US 64, 70, and 79 stay together through downtown Memphis. They follow Danny Thomas Boulevard, Union Avenue, and East Parkway. Then they turn east onto Summer Avenue. Near the city line, they meet Interstate 40.
Outside Memphis, in Bartlett, Tennessee, US 64 separates from US 70 and US 79. US 70 and US 79 head northeast, running next to I-40 to Brownsville, Tennessee. East of Brownsville, US 79 leaves US 70.
US 70, now with its hidden state route name Tennessee State Route 1, goes east. It meets I-40 again before entering Jackson, Tennessee. The route continues northeast from Jackson. In Huntingdon, Tennessee, US 70 Alternate rejoins US 70. The main route then turns east toward New Johnsonville, Tennessee, where it crosses the Tennessee River.
From the river, US 70 continues east through Waverly, Tennessee and Dickson, Tennessee to the Nashville, Tennessee area. Southwest of Nashville, U.S. Route 70S splits off. US 70 follows I-40 into Nashville. It meets I-40 and Interstate 65 west of the city center.
The route turns south, acting as special lanes for I-40/I-65. It then joins U.S. Route 431 and US 70S briefly. At an intersection, US 431 and US 70S split from US 70. US 70 continues east, near the Cumberland River. It meets Tennessee State Route 155.
US 70, now with Tennessee State Route 24, heads east out of Nashville to Lebanon, Tennessee. Here, U.S. Route 70N splits from the main US 70. US 70 goes southeast through Smithville, Tennessee. It rejoins US 70S in Sparta, Tennessee and US 70N in Crossville, Tennessee.
From Crossville to the North Carolina line, US 70 runs very close to I-40. It passes through Rockwood, Tennessee and Kingston, Tennessee. In Dixie Lee Junction, Tennessee, US 70 meets U.S. Route 11. They run together through Farragut, Tennessee and into Knoxville, Tennessee. In Knoxville, US 70 is called Kingston Pike.
On the east side of Knoxville, it joins U.S. Route 25W and U.S. Route 11E. This part is called Asheville Highway. US 11E separates later. US 25W stays with US 70 to Newport, Tennessee. In Newport, US 70 is joined by U.S. Route 25E, which becomes U.S. Route 25. US 25 and US 70 stay together into North Carolina.
Journey Through North Carolina
US 70 enters North Carolina as a two-lane road with U.S. Route 25. It widens to four lanes near Marshall, North Carolina. It then merges with Interstate 26, U.S. Route 19, and U.S. Route 23 into Asheville, North Carolina.
In downtown Asheville, it leaves the freeway and goes onto city streets. It passes through Beaucatcher Tunnel. It then runs north of Interstate 40, through cities like Marion, North Carolina, Morganton, North Carolina, Hickory, North Carolina, Conover, North Carolina, and Statesville, North Carolina.
From Statesville, it goes southeast to Salisbury, North Carolina. Here, it starts to run next to Interstate 85. It goes through Lexington, North Carolina, Thomasville, North Carolina, High Point, North Carolina, and Greensboro, North Carolina. In this area, it runs with Interstate 85 Business and U.S. Route 29.
US 70 passes through Greensboro with Interstate 40, Interstate 85 Business, and briefly US Routes 29 and 220. It then heads east on the Wendover Avenue expressway towards Burlington. It becomes a two-lane road again outside Greensboro. It then runs north of Interstate 40/Interstate 85.
In Alamance County, it becomes a four-lane expressway through Burlington, North Carolina. Then it goes back to two lanes through Mebane, North Carolina, Efland, and Hillsborough, North Carolina. It briefly joins I-85 in Eno. Then it turns southeast through downtown Durham, North Carolina and Raleigh, North Carolina.
After a short overlap with Interstate 40 near Garner, North Carolina, it continues southeast. It goes through or around Clayton, North Carolina, Smithfield, North Carolina, Selma, North Carolina, Goldsboro, North Carolina, and Kinston, North Carolina.
Near New Bern, North Carolina, US 70 briefly becomes a freeway. It then returns to an expressway through Havelock, North Carolina. After passing through Morehead City, North Carolina and Beaufort, North Carolina, it becomes a two-lane road again. It travels along the Core Sound. After passing the end of North Carolina Highway 12 near Sea Level, North Carolina, US 70 ends its long journey in Atlantic, North Carolina.
History of US 70
Much of what is now US 70 was once known as the Lee Highway. In the early days of cars, roads were not well organized. They had many different names that changed in each town. There were no road numbers.
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In the 1910s, the first national highway was planned: the Lincoln Highway. It stretched across the northern U.S. from coast to coast. A similar road was planned for the southern U.S., named the Lee Highway after General Robert E. Lee. These highways were a big change because drivers could follow one road with the same name across the country. A large part of today's US 70 was once the Lee Highway.
US 70 was officially created on November 11, 1926. It originally ran between Beaufort, North Carolina and U.S. Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona. Over the years, its route changed several times. In 1932, it was rerouted to El Paso, Texas. This temporarily removed US 70 from Arizona.
In 1934, the route changed again. US 70 was rerouted to California. It went through Las Cruces, New Mexico, Deming, New Mexico, Globe, Arizona, and Phoenix, Arizona. It ended in Los Angeles. Between Globe and Los Angeles, US 70 shared the road with US 60.
In the 1960s, parts of US 70 in California were removed because of the new Interstate 10. By 1969, US 70 was shortened to its current end in Globe, Arizona.
The song "The Ballad of Thunder Road" by Robert Mitchum and Don Raye is famous. It was made into a 1958 film. The song is about moonshiners (people who illegally make alcohol) and police chases. The film was inspired by a real event on the Kingston Pike part of Highway 70 in Knoxville, Tennessee. A moonshiner died there while running from the police.
Old Road Sections
Some old parts of US 70 still exist today. One such section is in Lonoke County, Arkansas. It is about 4 miles (6.4 km) long. It runs mostly next to the current US 70. This old road was built around 1913. Some of its original pavement is still there. The current road replaced it in 1930-31.
Future Plans for US 70
Currently, a part of US 70 in Greensboro, North Carolina, runs with US 29/US 220 and I-40. There are plans to move US 70 in Greensboro, High Point, and Thomasville. The new plan will make US 70 follow Wendover Avenue and NC Highway 68. This will give US 70 a more direct path through these cities. It will also help improve safety and connections in the region.
Major Intersections
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- I-10 in Lordsburg. The highways travel together to Las Cruces.
- I-25 / US 85 in Las Cruces
US 54 in Alamogordo. The highways travel together to Tularosa.
US 82 in Alamogordo
US 380 in Hondo. The highways travel together to Roswell.
US 285 in Roswell. US 70/US 285 travels together to north of Roswell.
US 60 / US 84 in Clovis. US 60/US 70 travels together to Texico. US 70/US 84 travels together to Muleshoe, Texas.
- Texas
US 385 in Springlake- I-27 / US 87 in Plainview
US 62 in Floydada. The highways travel together to Paducah.
US 287 in Vernon. The highways travel together to Oklaunion.
US 183 in Vernon. US 70/US 183 travels together to Davidson, Oklahoma.
- Oklahoma
I-44 west-southwest of Randlett.
US 81 in Waurika- I-35 in Ardmore. The highways travel together through Ardmore.
US 77 in Ardmore
US 377 in Madill. The highways travel together through Madill.
US 69 / US 75 in Durant
US 271 east-northeast of Soper. The highways travel together to south of Hugo.
US 259 in Idabel. The highways travel together to Broken Bow.
- Arkansas
US 59 / US 71 in De Queen. The highways travel together for a while.
US 278 in Dierks. The highways travel together for a short distance.
US 270 in Hot Springs. The highways travel together through Hot Springs.- I-30 northwest of Haskell. The highways travel together to Little Rock.
I-430 in Little Rock
I-630 in Little Rock
I-30 / US 65 / US 67 / US 167 in Little Rock
US 165 in North Little Rock
I-440 in North Little Rock
US 63 in Hazen. The highways travel together through Hazen.
US 49 in Brinkley. The highways travel together through Brinkley.
I-55 / US 61 / US 64 / US 79 in West Memphis. I-55/US 61/US 70 travels together to Memphis, Tennessee. US 64/US 70 travels together to the Memphis–Bartlett, Tennessee city line. US 70/US 79 travels together to Brownsville, Tennessee.
- Tennessee
US 78 in Memphis
US 51 in Memphis. The highways travel together through Memphis.- I-40 in Memphis
I-269 in Arlington- I-40 east of Brownsville
US 45 in Jackson- I-40 northeast of Jackson
US 641 south of Camden
US 70S in Nashville- I-40 in Nashville
- I-40 / I-65 in Nashville. The highways travel together through Nashville.
US 70S / US 431 in Nashville. The highways travel together through Nashville.
US 231 in Lebanon
US 70N in Lebanon- I-40 in Lebanon
- US 70N in Crossville
US 127 in Crossville
US 27 south-southwest of Rockwood. The highways travel together to Rockwood.
US 321 in Lenoir City
US 11 southwest of Farragut. The highways travel together to Knoxville.
I-140 in Knoxville.- I-40 / I-75 in Knoxville
US 129 in Knoxville
US 441 in Knoxville. The highways travel together through Knoxville.
I-40 / I-275 in Knoxville
US 11 / US 11E / US 11W in Knoxville. US 11E/US 70 travels together to south-southeast of Mascot.
I-40 / US 25W in Knoxville. US 25W/US 70 travels together to Newport.- I-40 west of Dandridge
US 411 in Newport. The highways travel together through Newport- I-40 / US 411 in Newport
US 25 / US 25E / US 25W in Newport. US 25/US 70 travels together to Woodfin, North Carolina.- US 321 in Newport. The highways travel together through Newport.
- North Carolina
Future I-26 / US 19 / US 23. The highways travel together to Asheville.- US 25 in Asheville
Future I-26 / I-240 / US 19 / US 23 in Asheville. I-240/US 70 travels together through Asheville.- I-40 in Black Mountain. The highways travel together to southwest of Old Fort.
US 221 in Marion- US 64 in Morganton. The highways travel together through Morganton.
- US 321 in Hickory
- US 64 in Statesville
US 21 in Statesville
I-77 in Statesville
US 601 in Salisbury. The highways travel together through Salisbury.
US 29 / US 601 in Salisbury. US 29/US 70 travels together to Greensboro.
I-85 / US 52 northeast of Spencer. I-85/US 70 travels together to southwest of Lexington. US 52/US 70 travels together to west of Lexington.
I-74 / US 311 in High Point- I-85 southwest of Greensboro. The highways travel together through Greensboro.
I-73 / I-85 / US 421 in Greensboro
US 220 in Greensboro- I-40 / US 220 in Greensboro. The highways travel together through Greensboro.
I-840 in Greensboro- I-85 in Eno. The highways travel together to Durham.
US 15 / US 501 in Durham. The highways travel together through Durham.
I-540 in Raleigh
I-440 / US 1 in Raleigh
US 401 in Raleigh. The highways travel together through Raleigh.- I-40 / US 64 in Raleigh
- I-40 in Garner. The highways travel together to west-southwest of Clayton.
US 301 in Selma- I-95 in Selma
I-795 in Goldsboro
US 13 / US 117 in Goldsboro. The highways travel together through Goldsboro.
US 258 in Kinston. The highways travel together through Kinston.
US 17 west of New Bern. The highways travel together to the New Bern–James City city line.- Seashore Drive/School Drive in Atlantic
Special Routes of US 70
Branch Routes
In Tennessee, US 70 has two special branches: US 70N and US 70S. This is the only place where a U.S. Route splits into "North" and "South" branches, and the main US 70 still continues. US 70N starts in Lebanon, Tennessee, east of Nashville, and ends in Crossville, Tennessee. US 70S begins in Bellevue, Tennessee, a part of Nashville, and ends in Sparta, Tennessee.
Alternate Routes
There are two active alternate routes for US 70. They are both called US 70A.
- Brownville-Huntingdon, Tennessee
- Pine Level, North Carolina
Business Routes
Many towns have "Business" routes for US 70. These are usually older parts of the highway that go through the center of a town, while the main US 70 might bypass it.
- Alamogordo, New Mexico
- Ruidoso, New Mexico
- Portales, New Mexico
- Hugo, Oklahoma
- De Queen, Arkansas
- Glenwood, Arkansas
- Hot Springs, Arkansas
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Huntingdon, Tennessee
- Camden, Tennessee
- Dickson, Tennessee
- Lebanon, Tennessee
- Marshall, North Carolina
- Morganton, North Carolina
- Lexington, North Carolina
- Hillsborough, North Carolina
- Durham, North Carolina
- Clayton, North Carolina
- Smithfield, North Carolina
- Goldsboro, North Carolina
- Kinston, North Carolina
- Newport, North Carolina
- New Bern, North Carolina
Bypass Routes
Some towns also have "Bypass" routes for US 70. These are newer roads built to go around the town, helping traffic move faster.
