K-14 (Kansas highway)

K-14
K-14 highlighted in red, K-14 Truck highlighted in blue
Route information
Maintained by KDOT and the cities of Kingman, Sterling, Lyons, Ellsworth and Beloit
Length	219.276 mi[2] (352.891 km)
Existed	1926[1]–present
Major junctions
South end	US-160 / K-2 in Harper
Major intersections	US-54 / US-400 through Kingman County K-96 near South Hutchinson US-50 / K-61 in South Hutchinson US-56 / K-96 in Lyons K-156 in Ellsworth I-70 / US-40 through Ellsworth County US-24 / K-9 in Beloit US-36 in Mankato
North end	N-14 at the Nebraska state line north of Mankato
Location
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Counties	Harper, Kingman, Reno, Rice, Ellsworth, Lincoln, Mitchell, Jewell
Highway system
Kansas State Highway System Interstate US State Spurs
← K-13 → K-15

K-14 is a 219.3-mile-long (352.9 km) north–south state highway which runs through the central part of the U.S. state of Kansas. K-14's southern terminus is at U.S. Highway 160 (US-160) and K-2 in the city of Harper, and the northern terminus is a continuation as Nebraska Highway 14 (N-14) at the Nebraska border by Superior, Nebraska. Along the way it intersects several major east–west highways in the larger cities it passes through, including US-54 and US-400 by Kingman; US-50, K-61 and K-96 by South Hutchinson; K-156 and K-140 by South Ellsworth; Interstate 70 (I-70) and US-40 north of Ellsworth; K-18 in Lincoln; US-24 and K-9 in Beloit; and US-36 east of Mankato. The northern and southern halves of the highway differ fairly significantly in terms of terrain and landscape. The southern half of K-14 travels over fairly flat terrain in the valley of the Arkansas River. Just north of the intersection with K-4 in southern Ellsworth County, K-14 passes into the Smoky Hills region, traveling over a series of broad, rolling hills, providing several scenic vistas of the surrounding countryside. The portion of the highway between Lincoln and Beloit is particularly hilly.

Before state highways were numbered in Kansas there were auto trails, which were an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. In the city of Kingman K-14 crosses the former Atlantic and Pacific Highway. By Hutchinson the highway crosses the former New Santa Fe Trail. Further north in Lyons, K-14 crosses the former National Old Trails Road and Old Santa Fe Trail. The highway crosses K-4, which closely follows the former Bee Line. In Ellsworth, the highway crosses the former Golden Belt. Further north in Lincoln, the highway intersects the former Blue Line. In Beloit, K-14 crosses the former Roosevelt National Highway, former Sunflower Trail, and former Kansas White Way. The section of K-14 that overlaps US-36 closely follows the Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway.

K-14 was first designated as a state highway in 1926, to a highway from K-44 in Anthony north through Kingman, Ellsworth, Beloit, and Mankato to the Nebraska border. By 1928, K-14 was realigned to follow US-36 east from Mankato then turn north toward Nebraska. By 1932, K-14 was extended west along the former K-44 to K-8 in Kiowa. By 1933, K-14 was extended west from Kiowa to Hardtner then south from there to the Oklahoma border, which created a short overlap with K-8. By 1939, K-8 was truncated to the west end of the overlap with K-14. Also at this time K-8 north of there became US-281, which also paralleled K-14 west from there through Hardtner to the Nebraska border. In 1994, K-14 was truncated to end at K-2 and US-160 in Harper, which eliminated the overlap with US-281, US-160, and K-2. In 2009, K-14 was rerouted along K-61 from Arlington to South Hutchinson then along K-96 from South Hutchinson through Nickerson to the former end of the K-14 and K-96 overlap west of Nickerson. In 2012, it was realigned further east between Kingman and South Hutchinson along former K-17.