U.S. Route 20 in Nebraska

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 20 in Nebraska. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 20.

U.S. Highway 20 marker

U.S. Highway 20
Route information
Maintained by NDOR
Length: 431.57 mi[1] (694.54 km)
Existed: 1926 – present
Major junctions
West end: US 20 west of Harrison
  US 385 near Chadron
US 83 near Valentine
US 183 at Bassett
US 281 at O'Neill
US 275 at O'Neill
US 81 near Randolph
US 75 / US 77 near South Sioux City
East end: I-129 / US 20 / US 75 at South Sioux City
Highway system
N-19N-21

U.S. Highway 20 in Nebraska is a major eastwest artery running across northern Nebraska. It enters the state in sparsely populated northwest Nebraska as a rural two lane highway. It exits concurrently with Interstate 129 and U.S. Highway 75 by a Missouri River crossing at South Sioux City.

Route description

U.S. 20 enters Nebraska from Wyoming near the Niobrara River and continues 9 miles (14 km) before encountering the first city on the route, Harrison. It then crosses the White River near Fort Robinson and, at Crawford heads northeast where it meets with U.S. Highway 385 for two miles (3 km) before entering Chadron. It then heads southeast toward Hay Springs where it again turns in an east/northeasterly direction toward Merriman. At this point U.S. 20 is only about 5 miles (8.0 km) from the South Dakota border. From Merriman it heads east through the small towns of Cody, Nenzel, and Kilgore to Valentine. This 196-mile (315 km) section of U.S. 20 has been noted by the Department of Roads for its history and natural beauty and has been designated as the "Bridges to Buttes Byway."[1][2]

US 20 enters Nebraska

At Valentine U.S. 20 heads south as it overlaps U.S. Highway 83 for 5 miles (8.0 km). It then continues southeast towards Ainsworth passing through Wood Lake and Johnstown on the way. At Ainsworth it heads due east past Bassett and Newport. Then near Stuart it follows the Elkhorn River through Atkinson and Emmet before meeting up with U.S. 275 in O'Neill.[1][2]

In O'Neill U.S. 20 turns southeast and joins with U.S. Highway 275 for 13 miles (21 km), passing through Inman before again branching off on its own. From there it passes through Orchard, Royal, Plainview and Osmond before it junctions with U.S. Highway 81. From there it continues east through Laurel where it turns due north on a concurrency with Nebraska Highway 15 for 3 miles (4.8 km). Heading east again it passes through Willis and then Jackson near the South Sioux City outskirts.[1][2]

The last section of U.S. 20 is essentially a southern bypass of South Sioux City. About one mile (1.6 km) before the U.S. 20/U.S. 75/77 Jct it becomes an expressway. At the junction of U.S. Highway 75 and U.S. Highway 77 it joins with U.S. 75 and Interstate 129 as a freeway into Iowa. From there it continues its function as a southeast bypass of Sioux City.[1][2]

History

An older alignment of US-20 ran about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the current section east of Laurel. This alignment went due east from Laurel, passing just north of Dixon and Allen, then headed north to the current alignment along Nebraska Highway 9.[3]

In November, 2010, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman approved designating US-20 from Hay Springs to Fort Robinson in honor of Crazy Horse, capping a year-long effort by citizens of Chadron. The designation may extend east another 100 miles through Cherry County to Valentine.[4] These segments of US-20 are also part of the Nebraska Bridges to Buttes Scenic Highway and follows the well-known Cowboy Line, a partially abandoned railroad now used as a hiking and biking trail.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
Sioux 0.000.00 US 20 west Lusk, CasperContinuation into Wyoming
Harrison8.9914.47 N-29 south (Main Street)
DawesCrawford35.3456.87 N-2 east / N-71 southWestern end of N-2/N-71 overlap
36.2058.26 N-2 west / N-71 northEastern end of N-2/N-71 overlap
Whitney45.0772.53 S-23A north (Whitney Spur Road)
 56.0690.22 L-23D north
 56.3990.75 US 385 northWestern end of US 385 overlap
Chadron58.5994.29 US 385 south (Ash Street)Eastern end of US 385 overlap
SheridanHay Springs78.88126.95 N-87 southWestern end of N-87 overlap
Rushville90.27145.28 N-87 northEastern end of N-87 overlap
91.29146.92 N-250 south (Chamberlain Street)
Gordon105.91170.45 N-27 (South Main Street)
CherryMerriman135.81218.57 N-61 south (Mills Street)Western end of N-61 overlap
135.84218.61 N-61 northEastern end of N-61 overlap
Nenzel167.03268.81 S-16F south (Main Street)
Valentine196.72316.59 N-97 south (Airport Road)
196.92316.91 US 83 north (South Main Street)Western end of US 83 overlap
 202.08325.22 US 83 southEastern end of US 83 overlap
BrownAinsworth242.08389.59 N-7 south (North Main Street)Western end of N-7 overlap
Long Pine247.55398.39 US 183 northWestern end of US 183 overlap
250.39402.96 S-9A south
RockBassett259.17417.09 US 183 south / N-7 north (Clark Street)Eastern end of US 183/N-7 overlap
Newport270.25434.93 N-137 north (4th Street)
HoltAtkinson289.25465.50 N-11 northWestern end of N-11 overlap
289.76466.32 N-11 south (South Hyde Street)Eastern end of N-11 overlap
O'Neill307.09494.21 US 281 north (North Harrison Street)Western end of US 281 overlap
307.59495.02 US 281 south (South 4th Street) / US 275 beginsEastern end of US 281 overlap, west end of US 275 overlap
 320.62515.99 US 275 southEastern end of US 275 overlap
Page322.80519.50 S-45A north
Ewing326.69525.76 L-45B south
Antelope 342.73551.57 N-14
Brunswick345.77556.46 S-2B south (527th Avenue)
 349.75562.87 N-13 northWestern end of N-13 overlap
PiercePlainview354.43570.40 N-13 southEastern end of N-13 overlap
Osmond364.55586.69 N-121 south (546th Avenue)Western end of N-121 overlap
367.84591.98 N-121 north (549th Avenue)Eastern end of N-121 overlap
McLean371.83598.40 S-70A north (553rd Avenue)
 373.83601.62 US 81 (555th Avenue)
CedarBelden385.36620.18 N-57 north (566th Avenue)Western end of N-57 overlap
386.38621.82 N-57 south (567th Avenue)Eastern end of N-57 overlap
Laurel391.41629.91 N-15 southWestern end of N-15 overlap
 393.92633.95 N-15 north (572 Avenue)Eastern end of N-15 overlap
 394.62635.08 N-59 west (872nd Road)
Dixon 399.20642.45 N-116 south (577 Avenue)
 406.93654.89 N-9 southWestern end of N-9 overlap
 407.74656.19 N-9 northEastern end of N-9 overlap
Waterbury413.05664.74 S-26A south
Dakota 418.07672.82 N-12 west
 426.33686.11 N-110 south (G Avenue)
South Sioux City428.36689.38 I-129 beginsWestern end of I-129 overlap
428.74–
428.76
689.99–
690.02
1 US 75 south / US 77 – Fairgrounds, Sioux CityWestern end of US 75 overlap; signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north)
429.86691.792South Sioux City, Dakota City
Missouri River431.57694.54Sergeant Floyd Memorial Bridge; Nebraska–Iowa state line
WoodburySioux City I-129 / US 20 east / US 75 northContinuation into Iowa
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nebraska Highway Reference Log Book
  2. 1 2 3 4 Google (2010-11-11). "overview of U.S. Route 20 in Nebraska" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
  3. "Nebraska Highways 1 to 30". Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  4. Rempp, Kerri (2010-11-17). "Nebraska highway to be named for Lakota leader". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved 2010-12-17.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

U.S. Route 20
Previous state:
Wyoming
Nebraska Next state:
Iowa
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