List of special routes of the United States Numbered Highway System

A special route of the United States Numbered Highway System is a route that branches off a U.S. Highway in order to divert traffic from the main highway. Special routes are distinguished from main routes by, in most cases, the addition of an auxiliary plate that describes what type of route it is, while the main highway carries no such sign. In some locations, a single letter is placed after the route number to denote the special route type in lieu of the auxiliary plate. Among members of the roadgeek community, these routes are often called auxiliary or bannered U.S. Highways.

United States Numbered Highway System
Types of special routes in the U.S.
Highway names
US HighwaysU.S. Highway nn (US nn)
U.S. Route nn (US nn)
Special routes
  • Alternate U.S. Route nn (Alt. US nn)
  • Business U.S. Route nn (Bus. US nn)
  • Bypass U.S. Route nn (Byp. US nn)
  • Connector U.S. Route nn (Conn. US nn)
  • Scenic U.S. Route nn (Scenic US nn)
  • Spur U.S. Route nn (Spur US nn)
  • Temporary U.S. Route nn (Temp. US nn)
  • Truck U.S. Route nn (Truck US nn)
System links

There are four main types of special routes — alternate, business, bypass, and temporary; though other route types exist.

  • Alternate routes exist where an additional road is needed to meet traffic demands. They are to be of equal character and quality compared to the main road.
  • Business routes carry traffic through the central business district of a community while the main highway goes around the community.
  • Bypasses serve the opposite purpose of business routes. Truck routes are a subset of bypasses.
  • Temporary routes complete a gap between two segments of main highway that exists because the main highway has not been fully constructed.

A unique type of route in the U.S. Route system uses directional letter suffixes following the route number. These are known as divided U.S. Routes and are generally not considered to be special routes.

The following U.S. Highway special routes have existed:

  • Routes are sorted by position along the main route, from south to north and west to east.
  • Defunct routes are listed in italics.

US 1 – US 101 edit

US 1 edit

US 2 edit

US 3 edit

US 4 edit

US 5 edit

US 6 edit

US 7 edit

US 8 edit

US 9 edit

US 10 edit

US 11 edit

US 12 edit

US 13 edit

US 14 edit

US 15 edit

US 16 edit

US 17 edit

US 18 edit

US 19 edit

US 20 edit

US 21 edit

US 22 edit

US 23 edit

US 24 edit

US 25 edit

US 26 edit

US 27 edit

US 29 edit

US 30 edit

US 31 edit

US 33 edit

US 34 edit

US 35 edit

US 36 edit

US 40 edit

US 41 edit

US 42 edit

US 43 edit

US 44 edit

US 45 edit

US 49 edit

US 50 edit

US 51 edit

US 52 edit

US 53 edit

US 54 edit

US 56 edit

US 58 edit

US 59 edit

US 60 edit

US 61 edit

US 62 edit

US 63 edit

US 64 edit

US 65 edit

US 66 edit

US 67 edit

US 68 edit

US 69 edit

US 70 edit

US 71 edit

US 72 edit

US 73 edit

US 74 edit

US 75 edit

US 76 edit

US 77 edit

US 78 edit

US 79 edit

US 80 edit

US 81 edit

US 82 edit

US 83 edit

US 84 edit

US 85 edit

US 87 edit

US 89 edit

US 90 edit

US 91 edit

US 92 edit

US 93 edit

US 95 edit

US 96 edit

US 97 edit

US 98 edit

US 99 edit

US 101 edit

US 102 – US 199 edit

US 104 edit

US 111 edit

US 112 edit

US 113 edit

US 117 edit

US 119 edit

US 123 edit

US 127 edit

US 129 edit

US 130 edit

US 131 edit

US 136 edit

US 141 edit

US 150 edit

US 151 edit

US 154 edit

US 158 edit

US 160 edit

US 165 edit

US 166 edit

US 167 edit

US 169 edit

US 171 edit

US 175 edit

US 176 edit

US 178 edit

US 180 edit

US 181 edit

US 183 edit

US 189 edit

US 190 edit

US 191 edit

US 195 edit

US 200 – US 299 edit

US 201 edit

US 202 edit

US 206 edit

US 209 edit

US 211 edit

US 212 edit

US 218 edit

US 219 edit

US 220 edit

US 221 edit

US 222 edit

US 223 edit

US 224 edit

US 230 edit

US 231 edit

US 240 edit

US 250 edit

US 258 edit

US 259 edit

US 260 edit

US 264 edit

US 270 edit

US 271 edit

US 275 edit

US 276 edit

US 277 edit

US 278 edit

US 281 edit

US 283 edit

US 285 edit

US 287 edit

US 290 edit

US 300 – US 399 edit

US 301 edit

US 302 edit

US 309 edit

US 311 edit

US 319 edit

US 321 edit

US 322 edit

US 331 edit

US 340 edit

US 341 edit

US 350 edit

US 360 edit

US 377 edit

US 378 edit

US 380 edit

US 385 edit

US 395 edit

US 400 – US 499 edit

US 401 edit

US 411 edit

US 412 edit

US 421 edit

US 422 edit

US 431 edit

US 441 edit

US 460 edit

US 466 edit

US 500 – US 599 edit

US 501 edit

US 521 edit

US 522 edit

US 541 edit

US 550 edit

US 600 – US 699 edit

US 601 edit

US 611 edit

US 641 edit

US 666 edit

US 700 – US 799 edit

US 701 edit

US 730 edit

See also edit


External links edit

  • "Alternate U S Highways: Bannered Routes". US-highways.com. August 31, 2005. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015.