Current and historic US Highway ends
in Aberdeen WA

Photo credits: Chris Elbert; Stephen Taylor

Until 1967, the west end of US 410 was in Aberdeen WA. That year, the 410 designation was decommissioned in favor of an extended US 12 - the west end of which has been in Aberdeen ever since. The photo below is looking down the final westbound stretch of US 12/historic US 410:

Elbert, May 2005

That's called Wishkah Street locally - and at this point, it becomes one-way westbound (eastbound traffic uses Heron Street, which is one block to the left). The sign on the bridge over the Wishkah River ahead is shown close-up below:

Elbert, May 2005

Actually, we were already within Aberdeen's city limits, but west of the river is downtown Aberdeen. Shortly after crossing, the sign shown below was posted:

Elbert, May 2005

There used to be an identical sign on the right-hand side of the road too...

Taylor, 2000

...but Chris didn't see that when he was there (and he reports that both "End" signs were gone as of July 2006). The intersection with G Street (the first traffic signal above) is where northbound US 101 comes in before continuing west on Wishkah. But southbound 101 uses H Street, which is the next intersection - and that's technically where westbound US 12 ends (and where US 410 used to end). The signage at that intersection is shown close-up below:

Elbert, May 2005

The map below shows how these streets are configured; roads designated US 12 are shown with a yellow highlight:

basemap by Eagle Eye Maps

As I've said, southbound US 101 uses Heron, the block to the south of Wishkah. The photo below is looking northeast on Heron:

Elbert, May 2005

The green sign in the distance is shown close-up below:

Elbert, May 2005

That's at H Street, where eastbound US 12 begins. US 410 may have begun here too, during part of its existence (depending when Aberdeen converted to one-ways), but I would think the original route through town was on Wishkah. One block ahead is the sign shown below:

Elbert, May 2005

That's G Street, or northbound US 101. The photo below is approaching the same intersection, but this time from northbound US 101 (northwest on G Street):

Elbert, May 2005

For travellers heading this direction, the west beginning of US 12 is to the right on Heron. Olympia is 50 miles distant, and Detroit is another 2400 miles or so beyond that.