U.S. Route 385 is a spur of U.S. Route 85

U.S. Route 85

U.S. Route 85 is a north–south United States highway that runs for in the Mountain - Northern Plains states of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, connecting with Mexican Federal Highway 45...

. It currently runs for 1,206 miles (1,941 km) from Deadwood, South Dakota

Deadwood, South Dakota

Deadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census...

 to Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park is a national park located in the U.S. state of Texas. Big Bend has national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the United States, which includes more than 1,200 species of plants, more than 450 species of birds, 56...

 in Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

.

Route description

|-
|TX
|545
|877
|-
|OK
|36
|58
|-
|CO
|317
|510
|-
|NE
|186
|299
|-
|SD
|122
|196
|-
|Total
|1206
|1941
|}

Texas

US 385 is designated as a part of the La Entrada al Pacifico

La Entrada al Pacífico

The La Entrada al Pacífico trade corridor was designated as "Trade Corridor 56" by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. The corridor is an international project between Mexico and the United States as a route from the Pacific Ocean port of Topolobampo in the Mexican state of...

 trade corridor from Interstate 10 in Fort Stockton

Fort Stockton, Texas

Fort Stockton is a city in Pecos County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,846 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pecos County.-Geography:Fort Stockton is located at ....

 to Interstate 20 in Odessa

Odessa, Texas

Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...

. The section from Fort Stockton to McCamey

McCamey, Texas

McCamey is a city in Upton County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,805 at the 2000 census. The Texas legislature has declared McCamey "the Wind Energy Capital of Texas" because of the many wind farms that have been built in the area. Its history, however, is primarily that of an oil...

 is concurrent to US 67.
From Odessa, US 385 meets up with U.S. Highway 62 in Seminole, Texas

Seminole, Texas

Seminole is a city in and the county seat of Gaines County in west Texas, United States. The population was 6,430 at the 2010 census. It is the birthplace of Country music singers Larry Gatlin and Tanya Tucker...

 and continues northward to Brownfield, Texas

Brownfield, Texas

Brownfield is a city in Terry County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,940 at the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Terry County near Lubbock in West Texas.-Geography:...

, where US 385 continues northward towards Levelland, Texas

Levelland, Texas

Levelland is a city in Hockley County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,542. It is the county seat of Hockley County. It is located on the Llano Estacado, west of Lubbock. Major industries include cotton farming and petroleum production...

 and crosses by U.S. Highway 84 in Littlefield, Texas

Littlefield, Texas

Littlefield is a city in and the county seat of Lamb County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,507 at the 2000 census. It is located in a significant cotton growing region, northwest of Lubbock on the Llano Estacado just south of the beginning of the Texas Panhandle...

. From Littlefield, US 385 continues northward until it crosses Interstate 40 and then goes in a half circle to Hartley, Texas

Hartley, Texas

Hartley is a census-designated place in Hartley County, Texas, United States. The population was 540 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hartley is located at ....

 where US 385 joins U.S. Highway 87. US 385 and US 87 follow a northwest track until the two meet U.S. Highway 54 and then split, with US 385 continuing northward until it exits Texas at the Oklahoma border.

On rural US 385, Speed limit is 75 mph in all counties (except Ector) going south of Gaines County starting between Seminole and Andrews down to US 90 in Marathon.

Oklahoma

In Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

, US-385 runs through Cimarron County

Cimarron County, Oklahoma

Cimarron County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Throughout most of its history it has had the smallest population and the lowest population density of any county in Oklahoma. As of 2010 census, the population was 2,475...

 at the end of the Oklahoma panhandle

Oklahoma Panhandle

The Oklahoma Panhandle is the extreme western region of the state of Oklahoma, comprising Cimarron County, Texas County, and Beaver County. Its name comes from the similarity of shape to the handle of a cooking pan....

. Fourteen miles north of the border, it joins with US-56, US-64, and US-412. The three highways run northeast into the county seat, Boise City

Boise City, Oklahoma

Boise City is a city in and the county seat of Cimarron County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,266 at the 2010 census.'Boise' rhymes with 'voice'...

. In the middle of town, the highways come to a traffic circle

Traffic circle

A traffic circle or rotary is a type of circular intersection in which traffic must travel in one direction around a central island. In some countries, traffic entering the circle has the right-of-way and drivers in the circle must yield. In many other countries, traffic entering the circle must...

 surrounding the Cimarron County Courthouse. The traffic circle serves seven highways (with most passing through, forming the state's only six-way concurrency

Concurrency (road)

A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...

): U.S. Routes 56, 64, 287, 385 and 412, and State Highways 3 and 325. Every numbered highway in the county except one meets at this traffic circle.

After leaving the circle, US-385 heads northward, overlapping US-287 and SH-3, the state's longest state highway. SH-3 ends at the state line while US-287/385 continue north into Colorado.

The section of US-385 that overlaps SH-3 is also signed as Governor George Nigh

George Nigh

George Patterson Nigh , is a popular civic leader in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Nigh served as the 17th and the 22nd Governor of Oklahoma. He was the first Oklahoma Governor to be re-elected and the first to win all 77 counties in the state...

's Northwest Passage, after the governor of Oklahoma responsible for improvements to the corridor.

Colorado

U.S. 385 passes north–south through the easternmost counties 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...

. It enters Colorado south on Campo

Campo, Colorado

The town of Campo is a Statutory Town located in Baca County, Colorado, United States. The population was 150 at the 2000 census. The town is situated on the Great Plains, straddling U.S...

 on an overlap with U.S. Route 287

U.S. Route 287

U.S. Route 287 is a north–south United States highway. It is long. It serves as the major truck route between the Texas cities of Fort Worth and Amarillo...

. The overlap continues north until Lamar

Lamar, Colorado

The City of Lamar is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Prowers County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 8,869 at the U.S...

. At Lamar, the route turns east on an overlap with U.S. Route 50

U.S. Route 50

U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...

 and this overlap ends in Granada

Granada, Colorado

Granada is a Statutory Town in Prowers County, Colorado, United States. The population was 640 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Granada is located at ....

. The highway turns north at Granada and meets Interstate 70

Interstate 70

Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...

 at Burlington

Burlington, Colorado

Burlington is a Home Rule Municipality, county seat, most populous place and only city in Kit Carson County, Colorado, United States. Its population was 4191 at the U.S. Census 2010...

 and Interstate 76 at Julesburg

Julesburg, Colorado

The historic town of Julesburg is a statutory town that is the county seat of Sedgwick County, Colorado, United States. The town is located on the north side of the South Platte River. The population was 1,467 at the U.S. Census 2000...

. The highway leaves Colorado northwest of Julesburg.

Nebraska

U.S. 385 passes north–south through the Nebraska Panhandle

Nebraska Panhandle

The Nebraska Panhandle is an area in the west of the state of Nebraska. A panhandle is an area extending from the rest of a political unit; the Nebraska panhandle is two-thirds as broad as the rest of the state. It is approximately 100 miles east to west and 125 miles north to south...

. It enters Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

 south of Chappell

Chappell, Nebraska

Chappell is a city in Deuel County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 983 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Deuel County.-Geography:Chappell is located at ....

 and overlaps U.S. Route 30

U.S. Route 30

U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the...

 between Chappell and Sidney

Sidney, Nebraska

Sidney is a city in Cheyenne County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,282 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cheyenne County.-History:The city was named for Sidney Dillon, a railroad attorney...

. At Sidney, it turns north, meeting U.S. Route 26

U.S. Route 26

U.S. Route 26 is an east–west United States highway. It started in Ogallala, Nebraska, and gradually grew to reach the West Coast in Oregon. When the U.S. highway system was first defined, it was limited to Nebraska and Wyoming; by the 1950s, it continued into Idaho and Oregon. The...

 at Bridgeport

Bridgeport, Nebraska

Bridgeport is a city in Morrill County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,594 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morrill County.-Geography:Bridgeport is located at ....

. It goes through Alliance

Alliance, Nebraska

-External links:* * *...

 before intersecting U.S. Route 20

U.S. Route 20

U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...

 at Chadron

Chadron, Nebraska

Chadron is a city in Dawes County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 5,851 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dawes County. Chadron is the home of Chadron State College....

. It exits the state northwest of Chadron.

South Dakota

U.S. 385 enters South Dakota

South Dakota

South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

 south of Oelrichs

Oelrichs, South Dakota

Oelrichs is a town in Fall River County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 126 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Oelrichs is located at ....

. It is overlapped with U.S. Route 18

U.S. Route 18

U.S. Route 18 is an east–west U.S. highway in the Midwestern United States. The western terminus is in Orin, Wyoming at an interchange with Interstate 25. Its eastern terminus of US 18 is in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, US 18 runs concurrent with other U.S...

 between Oelrichs and Hot Springs

Hot Springs, South Dakota

Hot Springs is a city in Fall River County, South Dakota, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,711. It is the county seat of Fall River County...

  It turns north and enters Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park is a United States national park north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. Established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, it was the seventh U.S. National Park and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world. The cave is...

 before turning west to go through Pringle

Pringle, South Dakota

Pringle is a town in Custer County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 112 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Pringle is located at ....

. At Custer, it begins an overlap with U.S. Route 16

U.S. Route 16

U.S. Route 16 is an east–west United States Highway between Rapid City, South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming....

, which ends near Hill City

Hill City, South Dakota

Hill City is the oldest existing city in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 948 at the 2010 census. Hill City is located southwest of Rapid City on State Highway 16 and on U.S. Route 385 that connects Deadwood to Hot Springs...

. It gradually turns northwesterly and ends at an intersection with U.S. Route 85

U.S. Route 85

U.S. Route 85 is a north–south United States highway that runs for in the Mountain - Northern Plains states of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, connecting with Mexican Federal Highway 45...

 at Deadwood

Deadwood, South Dakota

Deadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census...

.

Legally, the South Dakota section of U.S. 385, with the exception of concurrencies with U.S. 18 and U.S. 16 and a gap at Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park is a United States national park north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. Established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, it was the seventh U.S. National Park and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world. The cave is...

, is defined at South Dakota Codified Laws § 31-4-235.

History

Today's U.S. Route 385 is the second route to bear the number. The original route eventually became part of U.S. 87 and the U.S. 385 designation was decommissioned around 1935.

The current U.S. 385 first appeared in 1959. Originally, the route continued along U.S. 287 north of Lamar, Colorado, splitting in Kit Carson

Kit Carson, Colorado

The historic Town of Kit Carson is a Statutory Town in Cheyenne County, Colorado, United States. The population was 253 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kit Carson is located at ....

 to follow U.S. 40 east to meet up with the present-day alignment in Cheyenne Wells

Cheyenne Wells, Colorado

Cheyenne Wells is a Statutory Town that is the county seat and most populous town of Cheyenne County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,010 at the 2000 census.J. L...

.