U.S. Route 50 in Nevada

U.S. Route 50
The Loneliest Road in America Lincoln Highway
US 50 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NDOT
Length	408.82 mi[1][2] (657.93 km)
Existed	1926–present
Major junctions
West end	US 50 at California state line
Major intersections	I-580 / US 395 / US 395 Bus. in Carson City US 50 Alt. / US 95 Alt. in Silver Springs US 50 Alt. near Fallon US 95 in Fallon US 6 / US 93 in Ely US 93 in White Pine County
East end	US 6 / US 50 at Utah state line
Location
Country	United States
State	Nevada
Counties	Douglas, City of Carson City, Lyon, Churchill, Lander, Eureka, White Pine
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided Nevada State Highway System Interstate US State Pre‑1976 Scenic
← SR 28 → I-80

U.S. Route 50 (US 50) is a transcontinental highway in the United States, stretching from West Sacramento, California, in the west to Ocean City, Maryland, on the east coast. The Nevada portion crosses the center of the state and was named "The Loneliest Road in America" by Life magazine in July 1986. The name was intended as a pejorative, but Nevada officials seized it as a marketing slogan. The name originates from large desolate areas traversed by the route, with few or no signs of civilization. The highway crosses several large desert valleys separated by numerous mountain ranges towering over the valley floors, in what is known as the Basin and Range province of the Great Basin.

US 50 has a diverse route through the state, traversing the resort communities of Lake Tahoe, the state capital in Carson City, historical sites such as Fort Churchill State Historic Park, petroglyphs, alpine forests, desert valleys, ghost towns, and Great Basin National Park.

The route was constructed over a historic corridor, initially used for the Pony Express and Central Overland Route and later for the Lincoln Highway. Before the formation of the U.S. Highway System, most of US 50 in Nevada was designated State Route 2. The routing east of Ely has changed significantly from the original plans. The route change resulted from a rivalry between Nevada and Utah over which transcontinental route was better to serve California-bound traffic, the Lincoln Highway or the Victory Highway.