U.S. Route 40 is an historic east–west U.S. Highway that today runs from the Park City area in northern Utah to Atlantic City on the New Jersey coast. Established with the original 1926 U.S. Highway system, U.S. 40 long served as one of the nation's principal cross-country corridors. In its present alignment its length is commonly cited as about 2,286 miles; that figure reflects the route after mid-20th-century truncations and reclassifications.
Overview and character of the route
The highway passes through a wide variety of landscapes and urban settings: mountain passes and high plains in the West, agricultural and industrial areas in the Midwest, and historic towns and suburban corridors in the Mid-Atlantic. Along its course the road alternates among two-lane rural highway, urban arterial streets, and multi-lane divided roads. In many sections it runs parallel to or is concurrent with Interstate highways, and in the West several former U.S. 40 segments were replaced or renumbered when the Interstate system was built.
States, major cities, and notable places
- U.S. 40 currently crosses these states: Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.
- Important cities and regional centers reached by or near the route include Park City, Utah, Denver, Topeka, Indianapolis, Columbus, and Atlantic City.
- Historic and former state capitals and waypoints along or near U.S. 40 include Vandalia (a former Illinois capital), Zanesville (a former Ohio capital), and Wheeling (an early West Virginia capital).
- On the eastern end the highway connects or comes close to historic termini and transportation hubs such as Cumberland, Maryland and larger cities including Baltimore.
Historical development
Several stretches of U.S. 40 follow and preserve much older roads. The section from Vandalia, Illinois toward Cumberland, Maryland includes large portions of the National Road, one of the first major federally funded highways in the United States, begun in the early 19th century. Other segments were associated with or paralleled early transcontinental auto trails, notably the Lincoln Highway.
In the western United States U.S. 40 originally continued farther west to Nevada and California, reaching cities such as Reno and, in earlier incarnations, extending toward the San Francisco Bay area. During the mid-20th century much of that western alignment was superseded by the Interstate Highway System—especially Interstate 80—and large stretches were decommissioned, truncated, or redesignated.
Significance and preservation
U.S. 40 remains important for local and regional travel, historic interpretation, and tourism. The National Road portion is recognized for its role in early westward movement and commerce; travelers along the route can find historic markers, preserved bridges, and buildings that reflect 19th- and early 20th-century transportation history. In many towns the highway serves as a main street or business route, and numerous business loops, bypasses, and realignments document changing traffic patterns over time.
Using and studying U.S. 40
For people planning road trips, research, or preservation work, U.S. 40 offers a concentrated view of American highway evolution from early turnpikes and federal road projects through the auto-trail era and into the Interstate Age. State departments of transportation, local historical societies, and dedicated heritage groups provide maps, interpretive guides, and guidance for driving historic segments.
For further place-based information and detailed maps consult regional sources such as municipal tourism offices and state highway agencies; selected place references linked here include Park City, Atlantic City, historic western endpoints like Reno, the related Interstate 80, and National Road waypoints at Vandalia, Cumberland, and Baltimore.