Route informationMaintained by CDOTLength259.529 mi[1] (417.671 km)Existed1972[2]-presentMajor junctionsWest end US 40 in GranbyMajor intersections US 36 in Estes Park US 287 in Loveland I-25 / US 87 near Loveland US 85 in Greeley I-76 / US 6 in Fort Morgan US 385 in WrayEast end US 34 near Laird LocationCountryUnited StatesStateColoradoCountiesGrand, Larimer, Weld, Morgan, Washington, Yuma Highway system
- United States Numbered Highway System
- List
- Special
- Divided
- Colorado State Highway System
- Interstate
- US
- State
- Scenic
← SH 30→ SH 35
U.S. Route 34 (US 34) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that travels from Granby, Colorado, to Berwyn, Illinois. In the U.S. state of Colorado, US 34 is a 260-mile-long (420 km) road that spans across northern Colorado. It begins at US 40 in Granby and ends at the Nebraska border, where it continues as US 34, east of Laird.
The route begins in Granby at US 40. It then follows the Colorado River Valley near Lake Granby and enters Arapaho National Recreation Area.[3]
After entering Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado’s Front Range,[citation needed] US 34 follows the North Fork Colorado River through Kawuneeche Valley. It passes over Milner Pass and reaches the Alpine Visitor Center. Then it continues east, passing its highest point at 12,183 feet[4] near Fall River Pass. It exits the park at US 36 at Deer Ridge Junction.
US 34 here is the highest continuous highway in the United States.[4]
This section of US 34 requires a $30 national park entrance fee, making this segment into a toll road.
From here, it passes by Estes Park, has a business route, and then continues east through Big Thompson Canyon before entering Loveland as Eisenhower Boulevard, becoming a four-lane expressway. Here, it intersects I-25 and U.S. Highway 287.
At Greeley, it passes by U.S. Highway 85 in a complex interchange[2] and U.S. 34 Business, and crosses the South Platte River. It also has an interchange with SH 257.[5] From here, it is no longer an expressway. It intersects SH 144 and SH 39, then joins I-76 at Wiggins. It leaves, and follows the North Fork Republican River east into Nebraska, where it intersects SH 71, SH 52, SH 63, SH 61, SH 59, and U.S. Highway 385.
Parts of the route were originally designated as US 38. US 34 was extended into Colorado in 1939.[2]
CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes GrandGranby0.0000.000 US 40 – Granby, Denver, Hot Sulphur Springs, Steamboat SpringsWest end of route Grand Lake14.68323.630West Portal Road – Grand Lake and Villageformer SH 278 Rocky Mountain National Park16.326.2Grand Lake Entrance StationRocky Mountain National Park entrance fee required 25.741.4Colorado River TrailheadEastbound road closure gate (closed winters) Larimer49.479.5Many Parks CurveWestbound road closure gate (closed winters) 53.75886.515 US 36 east – Moraine Park, Bear Lake, Estes Park 55.54689.393Old Fall River Road – Endovalley 57.68692.837Fall River Entrance StationRocky Mountain National Park entrance fee required Estes Park60.96598.114 US 34 Bus. east (Elkhorn Avenue) 62.08199.910MacGregor Avenue – Devils Gulch, Glen Havenformer SH 262 62.507100.595 US 36 / US 34 Bus. west (Elkhorn Avenue / St. Vrain Avenue) to SH 7 – Lyons Drake75.584121.641 CR 43 – Glen Havenformer SH 262 85.617137.787 CR 27 – Masonvilleformer SH 186 Loveland91.924147.937 US 287 south (Cleveland Avenue) – Longmont, Central Business District 92.009148.074 US 287 north (Lincoln Avenue) – Fort Collins 96.250154.899 I-25 (US 87) – Denver, Fort Collins WeldGreeley102.476164.919 US 34 Bus. east (10th Street) – GreeleyEastbound exit and westbound entrance 102.804165.447 SH 257 – Windsor, Milliken 111.233179.01223rd Avenue / 27th Street 112.772181.489 US 85 south / US 85 Bus. north (8th Avenue) – Denver, GreeleyWest end of US 85 overlap 113.136182.075 US 85 north – CheyenneEast end of US 85 overlap 115.411185.736 US 34 Bus. west 117.251188.697 CR 49 – Hudson, Keenesburgformer SH 37 south Kersey119.178191.798 CR 53 / 1st Street – Kerseyformer SH 37 north Morgan144.470232.502 SH 144 – Orchard, Jackson Lake State Park 149.164240.056 SH 39 / SH 52 – Goodrich, Wiggins 149.34566.288240.347106.680 I-76 west (US 6 west) – DenverWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; western end of I-76 overlap 73.130117.691Long Bridge RoadI-76 exit 73; former SH 144 75.704158.794121.834255.554 I-76 east (US 6 east) – Fort Morgan, SterlingEastern end of I-76 overlap Fort Morgan162.962262.262 SH 52 north (Main Street) to I-76 Brush172.414277.473 SH 71 north (Colorado Avenue) to I-76West end of SH 71 overlap 173.570279.334 SH 71 south – Last Chance, LimonEast end of SH 71 overlap 173.852279.788 To US 6 / I-76 – Sterling WashingtonAkron196.336315.972 SH 63 (Cedar Avenue) – Sterling, Anton Otis209.305336.844 SH 61 north (Dade Street) – Sterling YumaYuma223.345359.439 SH 59 (Detroit Street) – Haxtun Wray249.931402.225 US 385 (Dexter Street) – Holyoke 259.529417.671 US 34 east – Haigler, McCookNebraska state line 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi U.S. Route 34 Previous state:Terminus Colorado Next state:Nebraska
