State Highway 90 is a 41.9 mi (67.4 km) long state highway

State highway

State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...

 at the western edge of Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

.

Route description

SH 90 begins in the west at the border with Utah where it becomes Utah State Route 46

Utah State Route 46

State Route 46 is a state highway at the eastern edge of Utah running for in San Juan County.-Route description:The route begins in the west at its junction with US-191 at La Sal Junction about twenty miles south of Moab and proceeds eastward to the south of the La Sal Mountains through the town...

 which continues westward to meet U.S. Highway 191 about twenty miles (32 km) south of Moab, UT

Moab, Utah

Moab is a city in Grand County, in eastern Utah, in the western United States. The population was 4,779 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and largest city in Grand County. Moab hosts a large number of tourists every year, mostly visitors to the nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks...

. From the Utah border the road passes eastward for about 34 miles (54.7 km) through a very remote area, first along a section of La Sal Creek, then over a pass and though Paradox Valley

Paradox Valley

Paradox Valley is a basin located in Montrose County in the U.S. state of Colorado. The dry, sparsely populated valley is named after the apparently paradoxical course of the Dolores River—instead of flowing down the length of the valley, the river cuts across the middle...

, where it crosses the Dolores River Bridge

Dolores River Bridge

The Dolores River Bridge is a through truss bridge spanning the Dolores River near Bedrock, Colorado. It carries State Highway 90 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places ....

 near the town of Bedrock

Bedrock, Colorado

Bedrock is an unincorporated town and U.S. Post Office in Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The ZIP Code of the Bedrock Post Office is 81411.-History:The town of Bedrock was established in 1883. The Bedrock Post Office opened on November 8, 1883...

. After leaving the valley, it joins up with State Highway 141

Colorado State Highway 141

State Highway 141 is a long state highway in far western Colorado. Though nominally oriented north–south, SH 141 winds around a considerable amount due to the rugged terrain and ultimately forms a giant S shape.-Route description:...

 at Vancorum where this portion of the road ends. The road then reappears approximately eight miles west of Montrose

Montrose, Colorado

The City of Montrose is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 15,479 in 2005. The main road that leads in and out of Montrose is U.S...

 and travels into downtown Montrose where its western end occurs at its intersection with U.S. Highway 550. The two sections of the road are joined by a 49 miles (78.9 km) section composed mostly of unpaved road and a brief stretch of SH 141 neither of which are officially part of SH 90. Thus the official length of the road is 41.9 miles (67.4 km), but driving from one end to the other will require traveling at least 89 miles (143.2 km). If only paved routes are used, that distance increases considerably.

History

The route was established in the 1920s without the current gap. In 1954, all was cut out except the current eastern section, and the current western section was added back in 1963. The route was also entirely paved by 1963.

Major intersections

The entire route is located in Montrose County, Colorado

Montrose County, Colorado

Montrose County is the 17th most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 41,276 at U.S. Census 2010. The county was named for its county seat, the City of Montrose...

.

Location	Mile	Destination	Notes
	0.000	at the Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...  state line	West end of route
Vancorum	33.874		End of western section
Gap in SH 90
	81.533	CR 59 / CR 90	Begin eastern section
Montrose Montrose, Colorado The City of Montrose is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 15,479 in 2005. The main road that leads in and out of Montrose is U.S...	89.858		East end of route