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US 385 at US Ends.com

multiple routes Big Bend NP to Brownfield TX 1956 Shell

multiple routes Brownfield TX to Cheyenne Wells CO 1956 Shell

multiple routes Cheyenne Wells CO to Bridgeport NE 1956 Shell

multiple routes Bridgeport NE to Pluma SD 1956 Shell

US 385 Texas to Colorado 1961 RMcN

US 385 Colorado to S. Dakota 1961 RMcN

Adjustments: Between 1958-61, US 385 was removed from Old Seagraves Rd just south of Brownfield TX.
In December 1962, AASHTO turned down a request to extend US 385 north as an overlay with US 85 to the Canadian Border above Fortuna ND.
About 1964, US 385 was rerouted between Lamar CO and Cheyenne Wells CO. US 385 now headed east with US 50 to Granada, then replaced CO 51 north back to Cheyenne Wells. Lamar to Kit Carson remained US 287 (Except used CR 20/Young St into Kit Carson) and Kit Carson to Cheyenne Wells remained US 40.

US 385 Lamar-Kit Carson-Cheyenne Wells 1963 Official

US 385 Lamar-Granada-Cheyenne Wells 1964 Official

In December 1964 (AASHO), US 385 was given a straight alignment over Beaver Creek south of Boise City OK. The old route bowed out to the east.
In November 1966, AASHTO turned down a request to extend US 385 north as an overlay with US 85 to the Canadian Border above Fortuna ND.
Between 1962-67, US 385 was removed from Old Seagraves Rd between Seagraves TX and Wellman TX.
In 1966 or 1967, US 385 was removed from Wind Cave Rd through the National Park in South Dakota; this likely is when it was also removed from about a mile of SD 87 plus abandoned alignment north of the park..
In June 1973, AASHTO turned down a request to extend US 385 north, replacing US 85 to the Canadian Border above Fortuna ND.
In November 1973, AASHTO turned down a request to extend US 385 north, replacing US 85 to the Canadian Border above Fortuna ND. This extension would've utilized some I-90 routing.
In April 1974, at AASHTO's suggestion, North Dakota contacted the 8 relative states to see if they would support replacing the entirety of US 385 from Pluma SD to Big Bend NP with US 85. They pointed out that US 85 loses its identity to I-25 for much of its route. New Mexico opposed this idea. Oklahoma was amenble to it. Nebraska was also amenable but suggested waiting until I-25 was finished in CO/NM and surely they would request eliminating US 85 then. Colorado said they wouldn't object but they would see great opposition to dropping US 85 where it would not be on I-25 north of Denver, but would support extending US 385 north over US 85 instead of duplexing the routes. Texas said they could not justify the effort but would support extending US 385 north over US 85 instead of duplexing the routes.
In June 1974, AASHTO turned down a request to extend US 385 north, replacing US 85 to the Canadian Border above Fortuna ND. This extension would again have utilized some I-90 routing.
About 1975, US 385 was placed onto its I-10 overlay out of Fort Stockton TX. The old routing is the WB Service Road.
About 1976, US 385 was removed from a little Elm St, plus Rd 11E and abandoned segment northeast of Kimbal NE.
The newest Kit Carson county map I can find (mid-1950s) shows the highway using 14th St to Webster Ave to reach 8th St in Burlington CO. State Officials appear to show this up through the 1976 issue, so about 1977 is when US 385 was changed to use Rose Ave directly to 8th St.
In the late 1970s, US 385 was completely rebuilt from Adams Rd in northern Dawes County NE to north of Cottonwood School Rd, the 7 mile abandoned route is just west of the modern highway.
By 1982, US 385 was removed from Northern St in Pringle SD.
It appears that 1985 was about when US 385 was removed from Museum Dr in Hill City SD, plus the frontage road further east, plus straightened out a couple places further east.
About 1988, US 385 was removed from Cedar St south of US 138 in Julesburg CO and rerouted northeast to meet US 138.
About 1994, US 385 was removed from Road 99B north of Bridgeport NE.
In April 2000 (AASHTO), US 385 was rerouted north out of Alliance NE to follow NE 2 for several miles, then north as new routing to the western intersection with NE 87 (now Link 7E). The old routing became a reroute NE 87, then Link 7E.

US 385 original Alliance route 1962 Official

US 385 rerouted out of Alliance 2025 Official

Between 1992-2004, US 385 was removed from part of Darcy Dr and abandoned segments north of Hot Springs SD; also straightened out in several places between SD 87 and Pringle SD.
In 2012 (AASHTO), US 385 was removed from Oklahoma 287 Frontage Rd north of Boise City OK.
Comments: US 385 is a pretty sparse route. Although Big Bend NP and several National Park sites are at the endpoints, US 385 only passes through one city with more than 15,000 people...Odessa TX.

US 285 from Las Vegas area to Raton US 385 erroneously shown on US 485 1926 Nat'l Hwys Association

US 385 becomes US 85 1927 Official

US 385 #2: Created in September 1926, running from US 290 (now Green Cedar Rd at Waring Welfare Rd) Nelson City TX to US 85 (now I-25 Bus) Raton NM. Raton to Amarillo TX was a renumbering of US 85; Amarillo to Canyon was an overlay with US 366

US 85 from Raton NM to Amarillo TX 1926 Nat'l Hwys Association

US 85 becomes US 385 1926 AASHO map

Canyon to Comfort via Lubbock, Big Spring, San Angelo and Fredericksburg (then-TX 9) was a new US Route corridor that had been floated by AASHO to Texas as a rerouted US 85 in August after AASHO had assigned it US 181 shrtly before.
All AASHO correspondence/documents listed Comfort TX as the endpoint but US 385 didn't go through there. Nelson City was not much more than a crossroads then, so perhaps they kept listing Comfort because it was a real place nearby.

US 385 from near Comfort TX to Big Spring TX 1927 Clasons

US 385 from Big Spring TX to Amarillo TX 1927 Clasons

In 1929 (bridge date), US 385 was removed from an abandoned routing that began about 2 miles nortwest of Water Valley TX, includes the portion of Michaelwicz Rd parallel to US 87, and rejoins US 87 about 0.6 miles northwest of the Walnut Creek bridge.
Also in 1929 (bridge date), US 385 was removed from abandoned routing that begins at 3rd at Robert Lee St on the east edge of Sterling City TX and proceeds southeast over 2 miles back to US 87. A 1928 map of Sterling City suggests US 385 used 3rd into town but it is unclear how it got through Sterling City.
In 1930 (bridge date), US 385 was removed from a handful of abandoned segments on the west side between Sterling City and Big Spring TX.
Also in 1930 (bridge date), US 385 was removed from N. Avenue H (some of this was destroyed by I-27). Past Kemper St the old route is abandoned in an arc that passes through the steel plant and tied into Ash St just below Loop 289.
Also in 1930 (bridge date), US 385 was given a direct routing from Happy to Canyon TX, and was removed from Main St and N. Western Ave in Happy; County Line Rd; Western St; FM 1705; Coulter Rd
In 1931 (bridge date), US 385 was removed from Emory Ave east of the RR from Ash Ave to Manchester Rd in New Deal. This appears to also be when US 385 was removed from Ash Ave/Railroad Ave and Main St in Abernathy TX.
Also around 1931, the highway was given a direct routing from McCormick Rd to Amarillo. The original routing used Coulter St; Loop 335 ROW; Bell St; 34th Ave (with dogleg on S. Western St) to Fillmore which the new routing picked up from 36th Ave.
About 1932, US 385 was given a direct routing between Grenville NM and Des Moines NM. The old route: Main St and 5th St through Grenville; driveway into Hays Ranch; abandoned west 0.6 miles; abandoned north to just across US 64-87 and the RR; abandoned along RR 3.1 miles; CR B015; CR A015 west 4.9 miles; unnamed road north 3 miles; Weatherly Rd to just short of the RR; abandoned along east side of RR for about 1.2 miles then cross RR back to US 64-87.

US 385 original New Mexico alignments 1931 Official

US 385 new alignment Grenville to Des Moines 1933 Official

About 1934, US 385 was given a direct routing between Clayton NM and Mt Dora NM. The old route: NM 370 about 0.7 miles; abandoned east side of the RR to Rockledge Rd; Rockledge Rd to its drivable end; abandoned west about 1.5 miles; abandoned northwest about 1.5 miles; abandoned NNW about 0.3 miles; abandoned west to Royce Rd; Royce Rd north; Hindes Rd west to end; abandoned west about a mile; abandoned southwest about 2 miles; abandoned SSW about 0.7 miles; abandoned WSW about 0.5 mile; abandoned along north side RR about 1.8 miles, then across RR to Mt. Dora; current US 64-87 through Mt. Dora (new 1934 route used Loop Rd around Mt. Dora).

As part of the discussion in June 1934 between AASHO and Texas regarding the extension of US 87 south into Texas. Texas wanted to replace US 385 from Raton NM to Lubbock and from Brady TX to Comfort, leaving US 385 to run from Brady to Lubbock. AASHO suggested to make that segment longer by extending US 385 northwest from Lubbock as new US routing to US 70 Muleshoe TX with the goal of extending it further to Clovis NM, Tucumcari and ending at US 85 near Las Vegas NM. Texas said they wanted US 84 to do what AASHO was suggesting for US 385. Simultaneously there is an undated document that I think is from Texas, suggesting that if US 290 were to be rerouted in the Comfort area to instead head east to Austin and Houston, then US 385 should be extended over the old US 290 to San Antonio and replace US 181 to the Gulf at Corpus Christi. This document demonstrates that US 385 had not already been extended to San Antonio with US 290 as was shown on at least one 1931 commercial map. In the end, US 385 was completely replaced by US 87 about August 1934. This is around the time the highway was rerouted at Fredericksburg TX to head directly to Comfort, but still ending at US 290 (giant wye junction of US 87 Bus and TX 27). So US 385 might have very briefly ended there, especially since Texas didn't make the change effective until March 1, 1935. The original route is Waring-Welfare Rd; RM 473; Old No. 9 Rd/Old San Antonio Rd; US 290 into Fredericksburg except east abandoned loop at Fort Martin Scott; US 87 out of Fredericksburg; 0.9 miles Balcones Dr/abandoned wavy routing/Old Mason Rd/0.4 miles of RM 2323/abandoned; about 4 miles US 87; abandoned loop west; US 87; RM 2242 through Loyal Valley; US 87 to Mason except 3.3 mile abandoned loop on east side from above the Llano River to beyond Kettner Willmann Rd. US 385 used US 87 into McCulloch County then abandoned routing east starting just inside McCulloch County to Camp San Saba, then FM 1955, then abandoned due north from jct with US 87 to cross the San Saba River and northwest back to US 87; 0.6 miles of US 87; abandoned routing that swings out eastfor 6 miles; Kevin Kelster Rd to Brady; 11th St, then US 87 through Brady and beyond; US 283 for a half mile; abandoned routing west to US 87; at CR 156, abandoned routing northwest/CR 150/abandoned dip across US 87 and back; US 87; CR 138 to Melvin; Galveston Ave/Mesquite St/Noyes Ave through Melvin; 0.3 miles of FM 2028; abandoned arc that crosses US 87 twice and connects to CR 140; CR 140/CR 3034 through Pasche and Welview for 12 miles; abandoned due west; US 87 into Eden. US 385 followed US 87 to San Angelo except: Loop 577 through Vick; Old Highway 87/abandoned through Vancourt; Loop 570 through Wall; abandoned/Cottonseed Rd/Susan Park Rd/FM 1233, Christoval Rd, Paint Rock Rd, E Ave K into San Angelo, then Chadbourne St, 29th St, Lake Dr out of San Angelo/destroyed west of US 87 by dam/barricaded alignment 4.7 miles/Old Sterling City Hwy #1; US 87 for 8.5 miles; 0.2 miles Harper Rd/abandoned RR bridge/Old Sterling Hwy #2/Wildcat Dr in Water Valley/Old Sterling Hwy #2; US 87 into Sterling City; west of downtown, US 385 used 4th which used to curve over to 7th and out of town.

US 385 final Texas alignments south of Brady renumbered to US 87 1934 Gousha

Around the time of the renumbering, the highway was given its modern routing to Big Spring. The old routing used abandoned/0.2 miles Hunt Rd/abandoned, then US 87, then abandoned loop west at Chalk Creek, then US 87, then longer abandoned west routing in the Killebrew Ln area, then US 87 to about Private Road 210; abandoned routing west about a mile; US 87 about 3 miles; abandoned loop east at Gardener Draw; US 87 about 3 miles; abandoned west loop at big curve (these last two abandoned loops were still US 87 for many years); small bit of US 87; abandoned alignment on east side, crossing over 87 at the Glasscock County line as a west side right angle loop, back across 87 for an east side right angle loop back to 87 at McDonald Rd; McDonald Rd north 3.1 miles; McDonald Rd west 3.6 miles/abandoned west of 87 about 1/3 mile; abandoned north 1/2 mile; abandoned west 1 mile, abandoned north 0.5 mile to 87 at Overton Rd; Overton Rd; Wildfire Rd west; Longshore Rd north to Wasson Rd.
US 385 used Wasson Rd, Marcy Dr, abandoned diagonal from Gregg St to 24th St, Scurry St into Big Spring. US 385 used 3rd St, then US 87 Business (Gregg St) out of Big Spring. US 385 used FM 2230; CR 21; CR 36; CR 19; FM 846 through Knott; CR 9; FM 2212 through Ackerly; County Rd U; CR 34; County Rd T/FM 178; CR 31; County Rd S; CR 30/FM 828 to Sparenberg; FM 26; CR 25; County Rd N; CR 24; County Rd M (doglegs CR 23); 8th St then US 87 Business through Lamesa.

US 385 final Texas alignments Brady to Sterling City renumbered to US 87 1934 Gousha

US 385 final Texas alignments Sterling City to Lamesa renumbered to US 87 1934 Gousha

Around the time of the renumbering, the highway was given its modern routing from Lamesa to Tahoka. The old route was immediately adjacent to the east of the railroad. It is not clear how US 385 got over to Eglin/Stenholm Blvd in Lamesa. Essentially none of the route is still driveable until O'Donnell where it picks up Loop 76 through town. It appears the route has always followed US 87 to below Tahoka (except it skirted around the east of the pond just above Skeen Lake for a number of years). US 385 then stayed north on now-abandoned route to the B Ave/11th St intersection, then used 11th east to Loop 472 through central Tahoka;
US 385 used US 87 to Lubbock except: Loop 493 through Woodrow; NB frontage road between FR 1585 and 91st St; SB frontage road between Rhodes Cir and 79th St; NB frontage road between 58th St and 27th St; Buddy Holly Ave/Municipal Dr/Ash Ave. US 385 used the SB frontage road from Ash Ave to Owen St; NB frontage road from Bluefield St to just past the airport exit; Ash Ave/SB frontage road/Loop 461 through New Deal/NB frontage road to N. CR 2400; I-27 ROW; Ave D/Loop 389; I-27 ROW to past Cemetery Rd; NB frontage road to FM 1424; I-27 ROW; I-27 Bus through Hale Center.
US 385 used the NB frontage road to CR 135; I-27 ROW a short bit; NB frontage road; I-27 Bus towards Plainview. Around the time US 385 became US 87, it appears TX 9 was moved from Broadway St/11th St to use today's I-27 Bus through Plainview. US 385 used the NB frontage road to Exit 591; US 87 to Kress; Old Hwy 87, Skipworth Ave and FM 145 through Kress; CR 14 back to US 87 for 2.5 miles; CR 14A on the east side of RR to Tulia; Broadway through Tulia; US 87, then Airport Rd/CR 13 out of Tulia; FM 1881; CR 12; County Road B; I-27 SB frontage road at Happy; Main St, then US 87 through Canyon.
US 385 used the I-27 ROW up to just past S. Georgia St in southern Amarillo; NB frontage road to S. Van Buren St (except a wider arc centered around Parker St); 36th Ave; Fillmore St; I-27 then US 87 ROW; Fillmore St through downtown; US 87 ROW to Loop 434; Loop 434
US 385 used US 87 to about 2 miles above Masterson; abandoned west about 0.3 miles then north about a mile back to US 87; US 87 to Fourway; TX 354 for 13 miles/abandoned due west/TX 354 for 1.8 miles; abandoned west about 0.3 miles; abandoned south across TX 354 for a total of about 0.8 miles; abandoned WSW back to TX 354; TX 354 for 3 miles; abandoned loop north side; TX 354 into Channing; Main St north which used to cross the RR to connect with current US 385 where it starts paralleling the adjacent RR; current US 385 to Dalhart; 7th St and Denrock Ave through central Dalhart; US 87 to Texline

US 385 final Texas alignments Lamesa to Plainview renumbered to US 87 1934 Gousha

US 385 final Texas alignments Plainview to above Amarillo renumbered to US 87 1934 Gousha

US 385 final Texas alignments above Amarillo to New Mexico renumbered to US 87 1934 Gousha

US 385 followed US 87 through Des Moines NM except: Loop Rd around Mt Dora; abandoned loop along RR just west of the Santa Fe Trail marker well east of Grenville; abandoned south loop between Saavedra Ave and CR B080; abandoned north loop between CR B080 and CR B010; abandoned west about 2 miles; abandoned south across US 64-87/southern wavy loop to past CR A045; abandoned south dip back around to the Capulin Volcano roadside marker; US 64-87 to NM 325 Capulin NM; south on Commercial Ave, then 4th St and Kiowa Rd; CR B002/CR A-18/CR A-41; NM 193 to 1.4 miles short of US 64-87; abandoned 2.6 miles northwest, then more northerly across Una de Gato Creek for about a mile, then abandoned north to US 64-87; US 64-87 for 1.3 miles; abandoned west 1.25 miles; abandoned northwest 0.75 miles; abandoned west 0.7 miles; abandoned NNW for a mile; abandoned northwest 0.7 miles; abandoned NNW about 2 miles; CR 22; short abandoned loop north of US 64-87; US 64 to I-25 Bus Raton NM.