Wyoming Highway 789 (WYO 789) is a 407-mile-long (655 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Wyoming. WYO 789 travels south-to-north from the Colorado state line to the Montana state line. For most of its length, it is concurrent with other routes. It was the path of a formerly-proposed U.S. Route 789 that was canceled.

Wyoming Highway 789 marker

Wyoming Highway 789

Canada to Mexico Highway
Map
WYO 789 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by WYDOT
Length407.14 mi[1] (655.23 km)
Major junctions
South end SH 13 at Colorado state line near Baggs
Major intersections
North end US 310 at the Montana state line north of Frannie
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWyoming
CountiesCarbon, Sweetwater, Natrona, Fremont, Hot Springs, Washakie, Big Horn
Highway system
  • Wyoming State Highway System
WYO 585 WYO 10

Route description edit

WYO 789 begins at the Colorado state line just south of Baggs. It travels north for about 4 miles (6.4 km) to Baggs. After Baggs, it continues north for about 45 miles (72 km) until it reaches the county line.

After crossing the county line, WYO 789 travels north for about 6 miles (9.7 km) where it reaches exit 187 of I-80/US 30. WYO 789 joins I-80/US 30 eastbound.

 
WYO 789 in Rawlins, May 2014

I-80/US 30/WYO 789 re-enter Carbon County. Just west of Rawlins, WYO 789 leaves at exit 211, joining I-80 Bus./US 30 Bus. through Rawlins. North of town, WYO 789 intersects US 287 and travels concurrent with it north for 50 miles (80 km) to the county line, after which it passes through Natrona County for about 2 miles (3.2 km).

US 287/WYO 789 continue in a northwest direction, passing through the towns of Jeffrey City and Sweetwater Station. About 40 miles (64 km) from Sweetwater Station, US 287/WYO 789 enter Lander. WYO 789 splits from US 287 here and continues northeast for 24 miles (39 km), alone, to Riverton. WYO 789 joins US 26 until they reach Shoshoni. Here, US 26/WYO 789 intersect US 20 where WYO 789 continues north with US 20 west.

US 20/WYO 789 continue through the Wind River Canyon into Thermopolis. From there, the highway veers off in a northeasterly direction into Washakie County. From the Washakie county line, the highway travels approximately 21 miles (34 km) before crossing the Big Horn River into Worland where it joins US 16/US 20.

Upon crossing into Big Horn County, US 16/US 20/WYO 789 veer back to the northwest and cross back over the Big Horn River after reaching Manderson. It continues on 20 miles (32 km) to the north through Basin and Greybull. Upon reaching Greybull, US 16/US 20/WYO 789 head west and join US 14 for about 5 miles (8.0 km).

At that point, WYO 789 separates from the concurrency of US 14/US 16/US 20 and returns to its northern path along with US 310 for about 28 miles (45 km) to the town of Lovell. For about 3 miles (4.8 km), US 310/WYO 789 travels west along US 14 Alt. US 310/WYO 789 then turn north for about 3 miles (4.8 km) to Cowley and then head west about 7 miles (11 km) to Deaver.

From Deaver, US 310/WYO 789 travel about 6 miles (9.7 km) north to Frannie, where they straddle the boundary between Big Horn County and Park County. Just to the north of Frannie, US 310/WYO 789 bends slightly to the west, so that the road is actually inside Park County by about 400 feet before reaching the Montana state line. At the state line, WYO 789 ends, while US 310 continues north.

History edit

 

U.S. Route 789

LocationNogales, Arizona, to Sweet Grass, Montana
Existedyes

WYO 789 was part of a 1950s proposal for a border-to-border U.S. Route 789 that would have traveled from Nogales, Arizona, to Sweet Grass, Montana. After the US 789 proposal was rejected by AASHTO[when?], US 789 became part of a series of state highways numbered 789 traveling along the proposed route. Wyoming, however, was the only state that actually applied the number exclusively to existing highways (but only in some sections)[clarification needed], whereas the other states simply added a concurrent SR 789 over existing highways. Because of this, all the states except Wyoming deleted the designation and removed the signs.

Major intersections edit

CountyLocation[2]mi[3]kmDestinationsNotes
Carbon0.000.00 
 
SH 13 south – Craig, Meeker, Rifle
Continuation beyond Colorado state line
Baggs2.524.06  WYO 70 – DixonWestern terminus of WYO 70
Sweetwater53.1985.60 
 
 
 
I-80 west / US 30 west – Rock Springs
Western end of I-80/US 30 concurrency; Exit 187 on I-80
Carbon77.77125.16 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I-80 east / US 30 east / I-80 BL ends / US 30 Bus. ends – Cheyenne
Eastern end of I-80/US 30 concurrency; western end of I-80 Bus./US 30 Bus. concurrency; I-80/US 30, exit 211
Rawlins79.41127.80 
 
 
 
 
 
 
US 287 south / I-80 BL east / US 30 Bus. east – Laramie
Eastern end of I-80 Bus./US 30 Bus. concurrency; southern end of US 287 concurrency
81.13130.57 
 
US 287 Byp.
Northern terminus of US 287 Bypass; southern end of Chief Washakie Trail
112.47181.00  WYO 73 – BairoilEastern terminus of WYO 73
123.52198.79  WYO 220 / California National Historic Trail / Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail / Oregon National Historic Trail / Pony Express National Historic Trail – CasperWestern terminus of WYO 220
Natrona
No major junctions
Fremont165.63266.56  WYO 135 – RivertonSouthern terminus of WYO 135
195.82315.14  WYO 28 / California National Historic Trail / Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail / Oregon National Historic Trail / Pony Express National Historic Trail – Rock SpringsEastern terminus of WYO 28
Lander204.00328.31 
 
US 287 north / Chief Washakie Trail north – Dubois, Teton, Yellowstone, Sinks Canyon State Park
Northern end of US 287 concurrency
215.59346.96Ethete Road – ArapahoeFormer WYO 138
Arapahoe227.02365.35Ethete Road / Sand Creek Massacre Trail west – ArapahoeFormer WYO 137
227.38365.93  
 
WYO 135 to WYO 136 (Gas Hills Road) – Rawlins, Castle Gardens
Northern terminus of WYO 135
Riverton228.73368.11 
 
US 26 west (Main Street) – Dubois, Yellowstone, Teton
Southern end of US 26 concurrency
242.61390.44  WYO 134 – PavillionEastern terminus of WYO 134
Shoshoni250.87403.74 
 
 
 
US 20 east / US 26 east (2nd Street east) / Sand Creek Massacre Trail east – Casper
Northern end of US 26 concurrency; southern end of US 20 concurency
Hot Springs280.62451.61  WYO 173 (Buffalo Creek Road)Western terminus of WYO 173
Thermopolis283.27455.88   WYO 120 – Meeteetse, Cody, Wyoming Dinosaur CenterSouthern terminus of WYO 120; access to Hot Springs Memorial Hospital
Lucerne290.55467.59  WYO 172 (Black Mountain Road)Western terminus of WYO 172
Kirby294.95474.68  WYO 175 – KirbyWestern terminus of WYO 175
Washakie307.28494.52 
 
 
 
WYO 431 west / WYO 432 east
Eastern terminus of WYO 431; southern terminus of WYO 432
315.35507.51  WYO 433Southern terminus of WYO 433
Worland316.01508.57 
 
To WYO 432
316.33509.08 
 
  US 16 east – Buffalo
Southern end of US 16 concurrency; access to Washakie Medical Center
Big HornManderson334.98539.10  WYO 31 – Manderson, HyattvilleWestern terminus of WYO 31
336.15540.98  WYO 433Northern terminus of WYO 433
Basin346.60557.80  WYO 30 – BurlingtonEastern terminus of WYO 30
349.45562.39  WYO 36 (Golf Course Road)Northern terminus of WYO 36
Greybull354.23570.08 
 
US 14 east (Greybull Avenue) – Shell, Sheridan
Southern end of US 14 concurrency
359.21578.09   
 
 
 
US 14 / US 16 / US 20 west / US 310 begins – Cody, Yellowstone
Eastern terminus of US 310; northern end of US 14, US 16, and US 20 concurrencies; southern end of US 310 concurrency
Lovell386.24621.59 
 
US 14A east – Burgess Junction
Southern end of US 14A concurrency
387.98624.39  WYO 32 – EmblemNorthern terminus of WYO 32
389.44626.74 
 
US 14A west – Byron, Powell, Cody
Northern end of US 14A concurrency
Cowley393.34633.02  WYO 35Northern terminus of WYO 35
Deaver399.35642.69  WYO 114 – Garland, Powell, CodyEastern terminus of WYO 114
Park407.14655.23 
 
US 310 east – Bridger, Billings
Continuation into Montana; northern end of US 310 concurrency
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Google (28 December 2016). "Overview map of WYO 789" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  2. ^ Geography Division (2016). "Wyoming Governmental Unit Reference Map". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  3. ^ "WYDOT Reference Marker Book November 2004" (PDF). Wyoming Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2011.

External links edit

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