Current and historic US Highway ends
in Flagstaff, AZ

(Note: much of the information on this page is based on the research of Robert Droz, who also provided the map scan below; click here to view his site.) Photos: Chris Elbert; Jeff Jensen

When the US routes were first created, Flagstaff was situated at the junction of US 66 and US 89. It was around 1961 that the US 180 designation was extended westward through town and on to the Grand Canyon. A few years later, a new US 164 was commissioned to serve the Indian reservations between Flagstaff and Cortez CO. The highway followed today's US 160 to Tuba City, and was then co-signed with US 89 down to Flag, where its terminus was at its junction with US 66. At the time, US 160 went north and west out of Cortez into Utah, but in 1970 it was rerouted along its present corridor (south and west into Arizona). At that point, US 164 would've been co-signed with other US routes along its entirety, so the designation was eliminated.

Fast forward about 20 years: in 1992, much of US 89 was decommissioned in Arizona, such that its south end was (and still is) in Flag. US 66 had long been decomissioned in Arizona (thanks to I-40), but US 180 still runs along part of its historic route through Flag. So, bottom line: where US 164 used to end at US 66 is basically the same place where US 89 now ends at US 180 (the only difference is that the roads were slightly realigned when the connection to I-40's exit 201 was built).

There is no "End US 89" sign. Rather, US 89 just quietly disappears as the highway merges with historic US 66 (which is now US 180 and Business I-40).

Jensen, Sep. 2002

That's essentially where US 164 used to end at US 66. Below is a closeup of the signage where one might expect to see an "End US 89" sign.

Jensen, Sep. 2002

The opposite side of that sign bridge is shown below; this marks the south beginning of US 89.

Jensen, Sep. 2002

Today that's eastbound on US 180, which follows I-40 to the right; the south beginning of US 89 is straight ahead. But this used to be eastbound US 66 and northbound US 89... and for a four-year period, it was US 164 that began straight ahead, co-signed with US 89. Below is a closeup of the signage:

Jensen, Sep. 2002

That junction has been reconfigured - the flyover ramp that used to be there is now gone, and the overhead signage has changed a bit, too:

Elbert, Apr. 2008

You have to continue ahead maybe two or three miles before the first northbound confirming assembly is seen:

Elbert, Apr. 2008

There are a few signs in Flagstaff that are misleading with regard to where US 89 begins. For example, heading east on I-40, exit signage makes it look like US 89 begins at this interchange...

Elbert, Apr. 2008

...which actually wouldn't be a bad idea. However, technically that exit leads to westbound US 180/Business I-40 (which in turn leads to the south beginning of US 89). But most traffic exiting here isn't going to be heading back west - it's more likely most people are heading north on US 89. So if it makes sense to sign this exit for US 89, then why not extend the designation to this exit?

Chris found the sign shown below a few blocks west of where US 89 ends...

Elbert, Apr. 2008

...but this sign still indicates that it continues further south.