# U.S. Route 34

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Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 34 US 34 highlighted in red Route information Length 1,122 mi[citation needed] (1,806 km) Existed 1926[citation needed]–present Major junctions West end US 40 at Granby, CO Major intersections I-25 / US 87 near Loveland, CO I-76 / US 6 near Wiggins, CO I-80 / US 281 near Grand Island, NE I-80 / I-180 / US 77 at Lincoln, NE I-29 / US 275 near Glenwood, IA I-35 near Osceola, IA I-74 in Galesburg, IL I-39 / US 51 in Mendota, IL I-88 / I-355 in Downers Grove, IL I-294 at Western Springs, IL East end IL 43 at Berwyn, IL Location Country United States States Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois Highway system United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided ← US 33 → US 35

**U.S. Route 34** (**US 34**) is an east–west [United States highway](/source/United_States_highway) that runs for 1,122 miles (1,806 km) from north-central [Colorado](/source/Colorado) to the western suburbs of [Chicago](/source/Chicago). Through [Rocky Mountain National Park](/source/Rocky_Mountain_National_Park) it is known as the [Trail Ridge Road](/source/Trail_Ridge_Road) where it reaches an elevation of 12,183 feet (3,713 m), making it one of the highest paved through highways in the United States. The highway's western terminus is [Granby, Colorado](/source/Granby%2C_Colorado) at [US 40](/source/U.S._Route_40_in_Colorado). Its eastern terminus is in [Berwyn, Illinois](/source/Berwyn%2C_Illinois) at [Illinois Route 43](/source/Illinois_Route_43).

U.S. Route 34 becomes a toll road for a short distance in Colorado, where it passes through [Rocky Mountain National Park](/source/Rocky_Mountain_National_Park).

## Route description

View of US 34 in Rocky Mountain National Park, from an elevation above 11,000 feet (3,400 m)

### Colorado

Main article: [U.S. Route 34 in Colorado](/source/U.S._Route_34_in_Colorado)

See also: [Trail Ridge Road](/source/Trail_Ridge_Road)

In the state of Colorado, U.S. Route 34 runs north from [Granby](/source/Granby%2C_Colorado) through [Rocky Mountain National Park](/source/Rocky_Mountain_National_Park). It passes through [Estes Park](/source/Estes_Park%2C_Colorado), [Loveland](/source/Loveland%2C_Colorado), and [Greeley](/source/Greeley%2C_Colorado) before entering Nebraska east of [Wray](/source/Wray%2C_Colorado).

Within Rocky Mountain National Park US 34 is known as [Trail Ridge Road](/source/Trail_Ridge_Road). Due to its high elevation through the park and over the [Continental Divide](/source/Continental_Divide_of_the_Americas), Route 34 closes entirely in winter from the Colorado River Trailhead on the west (10 miles north of the Grand Lake entrance) to Many Parks Curve on the east (8 miles from the Estes Park entrance.) Closure runs roughly from mid-October to Memorial Day weekend in May, and can occur at any time in summer due to high alpine snow storms.[1]

Route 34 transverses [Fall River Pass](/source/Fall_River_Pass) and [Milner Pass](/source/Milner_Pass) in the [Front Range](/source/Front_Range) of Colorado.

### Nebraska

Main article: [U.S. Route 34 in Nebraska](/source/U.S._Route_34_in_Nebraska)

In the state of Nebraska, U.S. Route 34 is a major east–west arterial surface road along the southern portion of Nebraska. It enters Nebraska west of [Haigler](/source/Haigler%2C_Nebraska) and [overlaps](/source/Concurrency_(road)) other routes for the majority of its routing. U.S. 34 passes through [Hastings](/source/Hastings%2C_Nebraska), [Grand Island](/source/Grand_Island%2C_Nebraska), [Seward](/source/Seward%2C_Nebraska), and [Lincoln](/source/Lincoln%2C_Nebraska) before entering Iowa between [Plattsmouth](/source/Plattsmouth%2C_Nebraska) and [Bellevue](/source/Bellevue%2C_Nebraska).

U.S. Route 34 from between Hastings and Grand Island is known as the [Tom Osborne](/source/Tom_Osborne) Expressway, which is named for the former Hastings resident, [Nebraska Cornhuskers](/source/Nebraska_Cornhuskers) football coach, and Congressman. In [Lincoln](/source/Lincoln%2C_NE), U.S. 34 overlaps with [Interstate 180](/source/Interstate_180_(Nebraska)) from its junction with [Interstate 80](/source/Interstate_80) into downtown where it becomes North 9th/North 10th Streets, then east as "O" Street. Also, the segment from the [Lancaster County](/source/Lancaster_County%2C_Nebraska)/[Cass County](/source/Cass_County%2C_Nebraska) border to [Nebraska Highway 1](/source/Nebraska_Highway_1) south of [Elmwood](/source/Elmwood%2C_Nebraska) is the [Bess Streeter Aldrich](/source/Bess_Streeter_Aldrich) Memorial Highway, after the former author and Elmwood resident.

### Iowa

Main article: [U.S. Route 34 in Iowa](/source/U.S._Route_34_in_Iowa)

US 34 near its junction with US 71, [Montgomery County, Iowa](/source/Montgomery_County%2C_Iowa).

In the state of Iowa, U.S. Route 34 is a major east–west arterial surface road across southern Iowa. It enters Iowa west of [Glenwood](/source/Glenwood%2C_Iowa) and then passes through Glenwood, [Red Oak](/source/Red_Oak%2C_Iowa), [Corning](/source/Corning%2C_Iowa), and [Creston](/source/Creston%2C_Iowa) before intersecting [Interstate 35](/source/Interstate_35) at [Osceola](/source/Osceola%2C_Iowa). East of Osceola, it continues through [Chariton](/source/Chariton%2C_Iowa) and Georgetown then onto [Albia](/source/Albia%2C_Iowa) before meeting [U.S. Route 63](/source/U.S._Route_63) at a [traffic circle](/source/Traffic_circle) in [Ottumwa](/source/Ottumwa%2C_Iowa).

East of Ottumwa to Burlington, the highway overlaps [Iowa Highway 163](/source/Iowa_Highway_163). This segment of highway is an expressway with some freeway segments. As of November 12, 2008, it bypasses [Fairfield](/source/Fairfield%2C_Iowa) and then bypasses [Mt. Pleasant](/source/Mount_Pleasant%2C_Iowa), with a portion of this also concurrent with [US-218](/source/U.S._Route_218) and [Iowa 27](/source/Iowa_Highway_27), which is also the Iowa route for the [Avenue of the Saints](/source/Avenue_of_the_Saints). It then continues southeast towards [Burlington](/source/Burlington%2C_Iowa) bypassing New London and then Danville and Middletown. The freeway segment through Burlington was completed in the 1970s. It then crosses the [Mississippi River](/source/Mississippi_River) on the [Great River Bridge](/source/Great_River_Bridge) into Illinois which was completed in the early 1990s. In 2015, a 15-mile segment of U.S. Route 34 in [Montgomery](/source/Montgomery_County%2C_Iowa) and [Adams](/source/Adams_County%2C_Iowa) counties won the Sheldon G. Hayes Award for the highest quality asphalt pavement in the nation.[2]

Much of this route was originally known as the Bluegrass Highway and parallels tracks of what was originally the [Burlington and Missouri River Railroad](/source/Burlington_and_Missouri_River_Railroad) and is now the [BNSF](/source/BNSF). [Amtrak's](/source/Amtrak) [California Zephyr](/source/California_Zephyr) passenger rail service also parallels this route.

U.S. 34 in the state of Iowa is officially designated the **Red Bull Highway** in honor of the [34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division](/source/34th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)).

### Illinois

Main article: [U.S. Route 34 in Illinois](/source/U.S._Route_34_in_Illinois)

See also: [Ogden Avenue](/source/Ogden_Avenue)

U.S. 34 in western [Illinois](/source/Illinois)

In the state of Illinois, U.S. Route 34 enters at the Mississippi River across from [Burlington, Iowa](/source/Burlington%2C_Iowa). It passes through or around the cities of [Monmouth](/source/Monmouth%2C_Illinois), [Galesburg](/source/Galesburg%2C_Illinois), [Kewanee](/source/Kewanee%2C_Illinois), [Princeton](/source/Princeton%2C_Illinois), [Mendota](/source/Mendota%2C_Illinois), [Yorkville](/source/Yorkville%2C_Illinois), [Oswego](/source/Oswego%2C_Illinois), [Aurora](/source/Aurora%2C_Illinois), [Naperville](/source/Naperville%2C_Illinois), [Lisle](/source/Lisle%2C_Illinois), [Downers Grove](/source/Downers_Grove%2C_Illinois), [Westmont](/source/Westmont%2C_Illinois), [Clarendon Hills](/source/Clarendon_Hills%2C_Illinois), [Hinsdale](/source/Hinsdale%2C_Illinois), [Western Springs](/source/Western_Springs%2C_Illinois), [La Grange](/source/La_Grange%2C_Illinois), [Brookfield](/source/Brookfield%2C_Illinois), [Lyons](/source/Lyons%2C_Illinois) and [Riverside](/source/Riverside%2C_Illinois) and continues in a largely southwest-northeast direction to its eastern terminus at [Illinois Route 43](/source/Illinois_Route_43) and [Historic US 66](/source/US_Route_66_in_Illinois) in [Berwyn](/source/Berwyn%2C_Illinois).[3] Through much of the Chicago area, the highway is known as "[Ogden Avenue](/source/Ogden_Avenue)", after [William Butler Ogden](/source/William_Butler_Ogden), Chicago's first mayor. The entire highway in Illinois is named the **Walter Payton Memorial Highway** after Pro Football Hall of Famer [Walter Payton](/source/Walter_Payton), who wore #34 for the Chicago Bears. The highway is 211.37 miles (340.17 km) long within the state.

## Major intersections

**Colorado**
- [US 40](/source/U.S._Route_40) in [Granby](/source/Granby%2C_Colorado)

- [US 36](/source/U.S._Route_36) in [Deer Ridge Junction](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deer_Ridge_Junction,_Colorado&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [US 36](/source/U.S._Route_36) in [Estes Park](/source/Estes_Park%2C_Colorado)

- [US 287](/source/U.S._Route_287) in [Loveland](/source/Loveland%2C_Colorado)

- [I-25](/source/Interstate_25) / [US 87](/source/U.S._Route_87) in Loveland

- [US 85](/source/U.S._Route_85) in [Evans](/source/Evans%2C_Colorado). The highways travel concurrently to [Greeley](/source/Greeley%2C_Colorado).

- [I-76](/source/Interstate_76_(Colorado%E2%80%93Nebraska)) / [US 6](/source/U.S._Route_6) northeast of [Wiggins](/source/Wiggins%2C_Colorado). The highways travel concurrently to west-southwest of [Log Lane Village](/source/Log_Lane_Village%2C_Colorado).

- [US 385](/source/U.S._Route_385) in [Wray](/source/Wray%2C_Colorado)

**Nebraska**
- [US 6](/source/U.S._Route_6) west of [Culbertson](/source/Culbertson%2C_Nebraska). The highways travel concurrently to [Hastings](/source/Hastings%2C_Nebraska).

- [US 83](/source/U.S._Route_83) in [McCook](/source/McCook%2C_Nebraska). The highways travel concurrently through the city.

- [US 283](/source/U.S._Route_283) in [Arapahoe](/source/Arapahoe%2C_Nebraska)

- [US 136](/source/U.S._Route_136) north-northwest of [Edison](/source/Edison%2C_Nebraska)

- [US 183](/source/U.S._Route_183) in [Holdrege](/source/Holdrege%2C_Nebraska)

- [US 281](/source/U.S._Route_281) in Hastings. The highways travel concurrently to [Grand Island](/source/Grand_Island%2C_Nebraska).

- [I-80](/source/Interstate_80) south of Grand Island

- [US 81](/source/U.S._Route_81) in [York](/source/York%2C_Nebraska). The highways travel concurrently to north of York.

- [I-80](/source/Interstate_80) / [I-180](/source/Interstate_180_(Nebraska)) / [US 77](/source/U.S._Route_77) in [Lincoln](/source/Lincoln%2C_Nebraska). I-180/US 34 travels concurrently through the city.

- [US 75](/source/U.S._Route_75) east of [Union](/source/Union%2C_Nebraska). The highways travel concurrently to north-northwest of [La Platte](/source/La_Platte%2C_Nebraska).

**Iowa**
- [I-29](/source/Interstate_29) / [US 275](/source/U.S._Route_275) north-northwest of [Pacific Junction](/source/Pacific_Junction%2C_Iowa). US 34/US 275 travels concurrently to east-southeast of [Glenwood](/source/Glenwood%2C_Iowa).

- [US 59](/source/U.S._Route_59) north of [Emerson](/source/Emerson%2C_Iowa)

- [US 71](/source/U.S._Route_71) north of [Villisca](/source/Villisca%2C_Iowa)

- [US 169](/source/U.S._Route_169) in [Afton](/source/Afton%2C_Iowa). The highways travel concurrently to west of [Thayer](/source/Thayer%2C_Iowa).

- [I-35](/source/Interstate_35) in [Osceola](/source/Osceola%2C_Iowa)

- [US 69](/source/U.S._Route_69) in Osceola

- [US 65](/source/U.S._Route_65) in [Lucas](/source/Lucas%2C_Iowa). The highways travel concurrently through the city.

- [US 63](/source/U.S._Route_63) in [Ottumwa](/source/Ottumwa%2C_Iowa). The highways travel concurrently to east of Ottumwa.

- [US 218](/source/U.S._Route_218) north of [Mt. Pleasant](/source/Mt._Pleasant%2C_Iowa). The highways travel concurrently to Mt. Pleasant.

- [US 61](/source/U.S._Route_61) in [Burlington](/source/Burlington%2C_Iowa)

**Illinois**
- [US 67](/source/U.S._Route_67) south-southwest of [Monmouth](/source/Monmouth%2C_Illinois). The highways travel concurrently to Monmouth.

- [US 150](/source/U.S._Route_150) in [Galesburg](/source/Galesburg%2C_Illinois)

- [I-74](/source/Interstate_74) in Galesburg

- [US 6](/source/U.S._Route_6) west of [Sheffield](/source/Sheffield%2C_Illinois). The highways travel concurrently to [Princeton](/source/Princeton%2C_Illinois).

- [US 52](/source/U.S._Route_52) in [Mendota](/source/Mendota%2C_Illinois)

- [I-39](/source/Interstate_39) / [US 51](/source/U.S._Route_51) east of Mendota

- [US 30](/source/U.S._Route_30) on the [Oswego](/source/Oswego%2C_Illinois)–[Montgomery](/source/Montgomery%2C_Illinois) city line. The highways travel concurrently one block.

- [I-355](/source/Interstate_355) on the [Lisle](/source/Lisle%2C_Illinois)–[Downers Grove](/source/Downers_Grove%2C_Illinois) city line

- [I-294](/source/Interstate_294_(Illinois)) on the [Hinsdale](/source/Hinsdale%2C_Illinois)–[Western Springs](/source/Western_Springs%2C_Illinois) city line

- [US 12](/source/U.S._Route_12) / [US 20](/source/U.S._Route_20) / [US 45](/source/U.S._Route_45) in [La Grange](/source/La_Grange%2C_Illinois)

- [IL 43](/source/Illinois_Route_43) on the [Riverside](/source/Riverside%2C_Illinois)–[Lyons](/source/Lyons%2C_Illinois)–[Berwyn](/source/Berwyn%2C_Illinois) city line

[4]

## Related routes

[Special routes of U.S. Route 34](/source/Special_routes_of_U.S._Route_34)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Road Status Report - Rocky Mountain National Park"](https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/road_status.htm). Nps.gov. Retrieved August 17, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["2015 Sheldon G. Hayes Award Winner & Finalists"](http://www.asphaltpavement.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1081&Itemid=100253). National Asphalt Pavement Association. February 10, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-illterm_3-0)** ["US 34"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173756/http://highwayexplorer.com/il_EndsPage.php?id=2034&section=1). *Illinois Highway Ends*. Archived from [the original](http://highwayexplorer.com/il_EndsPage.php?id=2034&section=1) on October 10, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-randmcnally_4-0)** Rand McNally (2014). *The Road Atlas* (Walmart ed.). Chicago: Rand McNally. pp. 21, 32, 38–39, 62–63. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-528-00771-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-528-00771-2).

## External links

**[KML file](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Attached_KML/U.S._Route_34&action=raw)** ([edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Attached_KML/U.S._Route_34&action=edit) · [help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Attached_KML))

[Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 34](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Attached_KML/U.S._Route_34)

KML is from Wikidata

- [Endpoints of U.S. Highway 34](https://www.usends.com/endpoints/us-30-us-39/34)

- [Ogden Avenue](http://www.forgottenchicago.com/ogden.php) history and photography at Forgotten Chicago.

- [Image of new Missouri River bridge under construction](https://maps.google.com/?ll=41.067801,-95.880303&spn=0.032549,0.066047&t=h&z=15)

v t e United States Numbered Highway System 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 87 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 101 163 400 412 425 Mainline highways Divided routes Special routes Routes in italics are no longer a part of the system. Highlighted routes are considered main routes of the system.

Browse numbered routes ← SH 30 list → SH 35 ← N-33 NE → N-35 ← Iowa 31 IA → I-35 ← IL 33 IL → IL 34

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [U.S. Route 34](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_34) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_34?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.