U.S. Highway 20 marker

U.S. Highway 20

US 20 highlighted in red, with its unofficial segment through Yellowstone National Park highlighted in blue
Route information
Maintained by WYDOT
Length434.003 mi[1] (698.460 km)
RestrictionsIntermittent closures during winter
Major junctions
West endEastern entrance of Yellowstone National Park
Major intersections
East end US 20 at Nebraska state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWyoming
CountiesPark, Big Horn, Washakie, Hot Springs, Fremont, Natrona, Converse, Niobrara
Highway system
  • Wyoming State Highway System
← US 18→ WYO 22

U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west highway in the state of Wyoming. The eastern segment of US 20 in the state starts at the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park along with the western terminuses of US 14 and US 16. US 14/US 16/US 20 runs east to Greybull, where US 14 continues east and US 16/US 20 turns south; at Worland, US 16 turns east while US 20 continues south, passing through Wind River Canyon south of Thermopolis. US 20 joins US 26 in Shoshoni, where it turns east and continues all the way through Casper. From Casper, US 20/US 26 parallels Interstate 25 (I-25) and US 87 for 26 miles (42 km), until all four link up together just southeast of Glenrock. I-25/US 20/US 26/US 87 stays combined to Orin, where US 20 turns east from I-25, at the western end of US 18. US 18/US 20 run concurrently from Orin to Lusk, where US 18 turns north and US 20 continues east into Nebraska.

Route description

Yellowstone National Park

US 14, US 16, and US 20 at the East Entrance of Yellowstone Park

Google Maps and other mapmakers may show US 20 and other U.S. Highways going through Yellowstone National Park;[2] however, they are officially discontinuous and unsigned inside the park.[3]

Unofficially, Google Maps marks the start of the western part of US 20, along with US 191 and US 287, at the state line near West Yellowstone, Montana. The road parallels the Madison River until a junction with US 89.[4] The three routes then turn south along US 89 (Grand Loop Road), paralleling the Firehole River. Past Old Faithful, the four routes curve east before reaching the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake. While the rest of the routes turn south, US 20 travels northeast along the lake. US 20 even leaves the Grand Loop Road at an intersection midway along the lake. This intersection also marks the western "terminuses" of US 14 and US 16. US 20 travels through for 65.8 miles (105.9 km) by the time it exits the park.[5]

Yellowstone–Nebraska state line

US 20, US 26, and US 87 exiting I-25 in Casper

The eastern section of US 20 begins at the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park. US 20, along with US 14 and US 16, then meanders east along the Shoshone River, heading toward Wapiti, Buffalo Bill Reservoir, and Cody. US 14A begins at Cody and continues to follow the river, while the three head straight to Greybull. Before Greybull, however, Wyoming Highway 789 (WYO 789) joins the concurrency. At Greybull, US 14 leaves the concurrency. At this point, the concurrency parallels the Bighorn River. In Worland, US 16 turns east and leaves the concurrency. South of the Boysen Dam, the road runs along the eastern front of the Boysen Reservoir. In Shoshoni, US 20 turns east along US 26, while WYO 789 turns west along the same route.[6]

As US 20 and US 26 head toward Casper, the two routes travel along a limited-access road before traveling east along I-25 and US 87. US 20, US 26, and US 87 exit onto Beverly Street (exit 186) and travel east along Yellowstone Highway. Before reaching Glenrock, the three U.S. Highways are sandwiched between the North Platte River to the north and I-25 to the south. The three routes rejoins the interstate after Glenrock. US 20 leaves the freeway at Orin; this interchange is also where US 18 begins eastward. US 87 briefly joins the concurrency before US 20 turns east away from US 18/US 85. After passing through Van Tassell, US 20 crosses the Nebraska state line.[6]

History

US 20 became a U.S. Highway in 1926. Prior to 1940, it ended at Yellowstone National Park.[7] In 1940, it was extended westward to Albany, Oregon;[8] however, as U.S. Highways are not formally designated in national parks such as Yellowstone, US 20 can be thought of as made up of two parts broken by Yellowstone National Park.[9]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
Yellowstone National Park0.0000.000East Entrance RoadContinuation into Yellowstone National Park; US 20 resumes in Montana at the park's west entrance
Yellowstone National Park boundary (East Entrance); fees required
Western end of US 14 and US 16 overlaps
ParkPahaska Tepee2.0003.219Westbound road closure gate (closed winters)
Cody49.41079.518 WYO 291 (South Fork Road)
51.87083.477

 US 14A east / WYO 120 west – Powell, Big Horn Natl Rec Area		Western end of WYO 120 overlap
54.11987.096
 WYO 120 south – Meeteetse, Thermopolis		Eastern end of WYO 120 overlap
Big Horn​85.056136.884 WYO 30 – Burlington
Emblem85.665137.864 WYO 32 – Powell, Lowell
​100.147161.171

 US 310 west / WYO 789 north – Lovell		Western end of WYO 789 overlap
Greybull105.126169.184
 US 14 east – Shell, Sheridan		Eastern end of US 14 overlap
​109.910176.883 WYO 36 (Golf Course Road)
Basin112.765181.478 WYO 30 – Burlington
​123.215198.295 WYO 433
Manderson113.782183.114 WYO 31 – Manderson, Hyattville
WashakieWorland143.029230.183
 US 16 east – Buffalo		Eastern end of US 16 overlap; access to Washakie Medical Center
143.353230.704
 To WYO 432 (Railroad Ave)
144.015231.770 WYO 433
​151.982244.591

 WYO 431 west / WYO 432 east
Hot Springs​164.032263.984 WYO 175 – Kirby
​168.825271.698 WYO 172 (Black Mountain Road)
Thermopolis176.083283.378 WYO 120 – Meeteetse, Cody, Wyoming Dinosaur CenterAccess to Hot Springs Memorial Hospital
​178.727287.633 WYO 173 (Buffalo Creek Road)
​180.991291.277Eastbound road closure gate (weather depending)
Fremont​205.123330.113Westbound road closure gate (weather depending)
Shoshoni208.495335.540

 US 26 west / WYO 789 south – Riverton		Eastern end of WYO 789 overlap; western end of US 26 overlap
209.053336.438Eastbound road closure gate (weather depending)
Moneta229.753369.752Eastbound road closure gate (weather depending)
Natrona​255.323410.903Waltman rest area
​295.633475.775Westbound road closure gate (weather depending)
Mountain View302.481486.796


 US 20 Bus. / US 26 Bus. / WYO 257 to WYO 220 – Casper, Rawlins
​304.547490.121 WYO 254 (Salt Creek Highway) – Casper Point of Entry
Casper305.360491.429189

 I-25 north / US 87 north – Sheridan		Western end of I-25 and US 87 overlaps
306.267492.889188BPoplar Street (WYO 220)
306.682493.557188A

 I-25 BL / US 87 Bus. east / WYO 255 south (Center Street)		No northbound entrance; western terminus of I-25 Bus./US 87 Bus.; WYO 255 unsigned
309.340497.834187McKinley Street
308.082–
308.415		495.810–
496.346		186
 I-25 south – Cheyenne		Eastern end of I-25 overlap
Evansville309.431497.981

 WYO 258 south (Curtis Street) to I-25
​312.244502.508


 WYO 256 north / WYO 253 south to I-25
ConverseGlenrock330.088531.225
 WYO 95 north – Rolling Hills
330.607532.060
 I-25 BL west		Western end of I-25 BL overlap
​335.188539.433I-25 road closure gate (weather depending)
​335.438539.835160

 I-25 north / I-25 BL ends – Casper		Western end of I-25 overlap; eastern end of I-25 BL overlap
​340.130547.386156Bixby Road
​342.071550.510154Barber Road
​345.142555.452151Ayres Natural Bridge
​345.866556.617150Inez Road
​350.305563.761146
 WYO 96 east (La Prele Road)
Douglas356.207573.260140

 I-25 BL south (US 20 Bus. / US 26 Bus. / US 87 Bus.) to WYO 59 – Douglas, Gillette
360.836580.709135
 I-25 BL north (US 20 Bus. / US 26 Bus. / US 87 Bus.) – Douglas
Orin369.841595.201126



 I-25 south / US 26 east / US 87 south / US 18 begins – Glendo		Eastern end of I-25, US 26, and US 87 overlaps; western end of US 18 overlap
​371.659598.127
 WYO 319 south
Eastbound road closure gate (weather depending)
Niobrara​401.555646.240Westbound road closure gate (weather depending)
Manville402.546647.835 WYO 270 – Manville, Lance Creek, Guernsey
​409.535659.083Westbound road closure gate (weather depending)
​410.055659.920Lusk rest area
Lusk410.356660.404
 WYO 273 north
411.649662.485
 US 85 south – Torrington		Southern end of US 85 overlap
412.145663.283

 US 18 east / US 85 north – Newcastle		Eastern end of US 18 overlap; northern end of US 85 overlap
412.615664.039Eastbound road closure gate (weather depending)
​434.003698.460
 US 20 east – Harrison		Continuation into Nebraska
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. 1 2 State Maintenance Engineer’s Office (October 1, 2017). "Maintenance Section Reference Book" (PDF). Wyoming Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  2. ↑ Google (January 1, 2023). "Yellowstone National Park" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  3. ↑ National Park Service (July 2022). Yellowstone National Park (PDF) (Map). National Park Service. p. 1. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  4. ↑ Google (July 15, 2022). "West Yellowstone, Montana" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  5. ↑ Google (July 15, 2022). "US 20 at Yellowstone" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Google (July 15, 2022). "Overview Map of US 20 (WY; non-Yellowstone)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  7. ↑ Bureau of Public Roads & American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: United States Geological Survey. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved December 31, 2022 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  8. ↑ Executive Committee (June 3, 1940). "Addenda to Minutes of Executive Committee" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. Retrieved December 31, 2022 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  9. ↑ Lew, Josh (February 5, 2021). "Take a Classic Road Trip on America's Longest Highway". Treehugger. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
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