U.S. Route 87

U.S. Highway 87 is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas. Most of the portion from Billings, Montana, to Raton, New Mexico, is co-signed along Interstates 90 and 25. It is also co-signed along the majority of Interstate 27 in Texas.

As of 2004, the highway's northern terminus is Havre, Montana, at U.S. Highway 2. Its southern terminus is Port Lavaca, Texas.

Route description

Texas

New Mexico

US 87 continues in a northwesterly direction in New Mexico, and is signed by NMDOT primarily as an east–west route. It merges with US 64 (and thus the Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway) in Clayton, shortly after entering New Mexico. It continues to the northwest until Des Moines, when it takes a more westerly approach to Raton. In Raton, it separates from US 64 and merges with Interstate 25 and US-85, with which it remains concurrent through Raton Pass and into Colorado, though it is unsigned on much of the concurrency.

U.S. Route 87 in Texas

In the U.S. state of Texas, U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south U.S. Highway that begins near the Gulf Coast in Port Lavaca, Texas and heads north through San Antonio, Lubbock, and Amarillo to the New Mexico border near Texline.

Route description

US 87's southern terminus is at an intersection with State Highway 238 in Port Lavaca, Texas. It takes a northwesterly route out of the town, and follows this path all the way to Cuero, where it merges with (and is briefly co-signed with) US 183 before turning back toward the north. US 87 follows a gentle northwesterly route until just before Smiley, where it takes a more due-westerly turn. At Nixon, US 87 merges with State Highway 97 and continues west as a co-signed route until just west of Stockdale, where SH 97 leaves the route and US 87 continues to the northwest to San Antonio.

On the southeast side of the city, US 87 merges with Interstate 10 (I-10), where it continues through San Antonio as a co-signed, concurrent route for 54 miles (87 km), until an exit at Comfort, where the highway once again picks up its own signage and continues on, in an almost due northern heading before making a slight turn back to the northwest to Mason, where it merges with US 377.

Interstate 25 in Colorado

In the U.S. state of Colorado, Interstate 25 follows the north–south corridor through Colorado Springs and Denver. The highway enters the state from the north near Carr and exits the state near Starkville. The highway also runs through the cities of Fort Collins, Loveland, and Pueblo. The route is concurrent with U.S. Highway 87 through the entire length of the state. I-25 replaced U.S. Highway 87 and most of U.S. Highway 85 for through traffic.

Historical nicknames for this route have included the Valley Highway (through Denver), Monument Valley Highway (through Colorado Springs), and the Pueblo Freeway (through Pueblo). Within El Paso County, the route has been dedicated as the Ronald Reagan Highway. In Pueblo County, the route is called John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway.

Interstate 25 is also considered to be part of the unofficial Pan-American Highway.

Route description

New Mexico state line to Pueblo

Following the Santa Fe Trail from New Mexico, Interstate 25 enters Colorado as a typical four-lane Interstate Highway, where its entire route in Colorado lies close to the east side of the Rocky Mountains. The route turns from north to west-northwest as I-25 serves Wootton. After leaving Wootton, I-25 turns back up north and bypasses near the east side of the Trinidad Lake State Park, home of the Trinidad Lake.