{{Short description|State highway in Arizona and New Mexico}} {{Use American English|date=April 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2018}} {{Infobox road |state=AZ |type=AZ |route=78 |maint=ADOT & NMDOT |map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=240|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/State Route 78 (Arizona–New Mexico)}}}} |map_custom=yes |map_notes=Route 78 highlighted in red |length_mi=34.68 |length_notes={{plainlist| *{{cvt|19.47|mi}} in Arizona<ref name="ADOT Highway Log">{{cite web |url = http://tpd.az.gov/data/reports/2006SHSLog.pdf |title = 2006 ADOT Highway Log |author = Arizona Department of Transportation |author-link = Arizona Department of Transportation |access-date = April 9, 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090326060312/http://tpd.az.gov/data/reports/2006SHSLog.pdf |archive-date = March 26, 2009 }}</ref> *{{cvt|15.213|mi}} in New Mexico<ref name=nmdot>{{cite web |url = http://dot.state.nm.us/content/dam/nmdot/Data_Management/NM_AADT_Listing.pdf |title = New Mexico Department of Transportation State Road Log |author = New Mexico Department of Transportation |author-link = New Mexico Department of Transportation |accessdate = December 8, 2010 }}</ref> }} |established=1938 |direction_a=West |terminus_a={{jct|state=AZ|US|191|AZ|75}} in Three Way, AZ |direction_b=East |terminus_b={{jct|state=NM|US|180}} near Cliff, NM |system1={{infobox road/browselinks/USA|state=NM}} |browse={{az browse|previous_route=77|previous_type=AZ|next_type=AZ 1927|next_route=79|route=AZ}}{{nm browse|previous_route=77|previous_type=NM|next_type=US|next_route=80|route=NM}} }}
'''Arizona State Route 78''' ('''SR 78''') and '''New Mexico State Road 78''' ('''NM 78''') are a pair of adjoining state highways located in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico linking U.S. Route 191 (US 191) and Arizona State Route 75 near Greenlee County Airport to US 180 northwest of Cliff, New Mexico. The Arizona stretch is also known as '''Mule Creek Road'''.
==Route description== thumb|left|NM 78 at mile marker 7 The western terminus of SR 78 is located at a junction with US 191 and SR 75 in Three Way, Arizona near Greenlee County Airport. The highway heads northeast from this intersection along Mule Creek Road. There are multiple hairpin turns along this stretch of highway as it follows the surrounding terrain.<ref name="ADOT Highway Log"/><ref>{{google maps |url = https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=6241903636493900613,32.948182,-109.229900%3B18312605234394260547,33.107420,-109.047540&saddr=AZ-75+%4032.948182,+-109.229900&daddr=AZ-78+%4033.107420,+-109.047540&doflg=ptm&sll=33.0278,-109.13872&sspn=0.198324,0.319977&ie=UTF8&z=12 |title = Overview Map of SR 78 |access-date = April 23, 2008 }}</ref> State Road 78 heads eastward through the desert, passing through the community of Mule Creek, New Mexico. The road continues eastward until terminating at U.S. Route 180 northwest of Cliff, New Mexico.<ref name="google">{{google maps |url = https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=NM-78+E&daddr=NM-78+E&hl=en&geocode=Faot-QEdaBKA-Q%3BFQCW-QEdlNCD-Q&mra=me&mrcr=0&mrsp=1,0&sz=18&sll=33.134002,-108.800601&sspn=0.002376,0.004823&ie=UTF8&ll=33.113112,-108.83297&spn=0.150971,0.308647&t=h&z=12 |title = Overview Map of State Road 78 |access-date = December 8, 2010 |link = no }}</ref>
==History== Arizona section of the highway was designated as SR 78 on February 17, 1959,<ref>{{ADOT res|year=1959||079|date=February 17, 1959|access-date=June 5, 2023|text=ESTABLISH AS A STATE ROUTE FROM JCT S.R.75 & U.S.666 NE APPROX 20 MILES TO NEW MEXICO STATE LINE}}</ref> and the New Mexico section was designated along its current route in the mid-1930s as New Mexico State Road 78.<ref>{{cite map |author = Rand McNally |author-link = Rand McNally |year = 1927 |url = http://www.arizonaroads.com/maps/index.html |title = Auto Road Map of Arizona and New Mexico |scale = Scale not given |location = Chicago |publisher = Rand McNally |access-date = May 5, 2008 |via = Arizona Roads }}</ref>
By 1938, what would eventually become SR 78 on the Arizona side was still just a gravel road as were many roads in the area including US 666.<ref>{{cite map |author = Rand McNally |year = 1938 |url = http://www.arizonaroads.com/maps/index.html |title = Road Map of Arizona and New Mexico |scale = Scale not given |location = Chicago |publisher = Rand McNally |access-date = May 5, 2008 |via= Arizona Roads }}</ref> This section would remain a gravel road until 1961. The other state highways in the area were paved by this time including the majority of the New Mexico section.<ref>{{cite map |author = Rand McNally |year = 1961 |url = http://www.arizonaroads.com/maps/index.html |title = Road Map of Arizona |scale= Scale not given |location = Chicago |publisher = Rand McNally |access-date = May 5, 2008 |via = Arizona Roads }}</ref> By 1971, nearly the entire highway had been paved with the exception of a portion near the New Mexico-Arizona state line.<ref>{{cite map |author = Arizona State Highway Department |author-link = Arizona State Highway Department |year = 1971 |url = http://www.arizonaroads.com/maps/index.html |title = Road Map of Arizona |scale = Scale not given |location = Phoenix |publisher = Arizona State Highway Department |access-date = May 5, 2008 |via = Arizona Roads }}</ref> It was extended to U.S. Route 60 in New Mexico, going through Mogollon, New Mexico, by the mid-1940s and truncated at its present terminus in 1988.<ref name="rimer">{{cite web |last = Rimer |first = Steve |title = New Mexico Highways 76-100 |url = http://www.steve-riner.com/nmhighways/NM76-100.htm |work = The Unofficial New Mexico Highways Page |accessdate = December 8, 2010 }}{{sps|certain=yes|date=October 2018}}</ref>
==Junction list== {{jcttop|state_col=State|length_ref<ref name="ADOT Highway Log"/><ref name=nmdot />}} {{AZint |sspan=1 |county=Greenlee |location=Three Way |mile=0.00 |road={{jct|state=AZ|US|191|SR|75|dir2=south|city1=Safford|city2=Duncan|city3=Clifton}} |notes=Western terminus; US 191 is former {{jct|state=AZ|US|666|noshield=yes}}; road continues as US 191 south }} {{jctplace |river= |river_wide=yes |mile=19.47 |mile2=0.000 |line=y |place=Arizona–New Mexico state line }} {{NMint |sspan=1 |county=Grant |location=none |mile=15.213 |road={{jct|state=NM|US|180|city1=Glenwood|city2=Silver City}} |notes=Eastern terminus}} {{jctbtm|col=7}}
==See also== *{{portal-inline|Arizona}} *{{portal-inline|U.S. roads}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Attached KML|display=title,inline}} *[http://arizonaroads.com/arizona/az78.html SR 78 at Arizona Roads]
{{DEFAULTSORT:State Route 78 (Arizona-New Mexico)}} 078 Category:Transportation in Greenlee County, Arizona 078 Category:Transportation in Grant County, New Mexico