U.S. Route 285

U.S. Route 285
US 285 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 85
Length	846 mi[citation needed] (1,362 km)
Existed	1934[citation needed]–present
Major junctions
South end	US 90 near Sanderson, TX
Major intersections	I-10 / US 67 / US 385 at Fort Stockton, TX I-20 at Pecos, TX US 62 / US 180 at Carlsbad, NM US 70 at Roswell, NM US 54 / US 60 near Vaughn, NM I-40 at Clines Corners, NM I-25 / US 84 / US 85 near Santa Fe, NM US 50 at Poncha Springs, CO US 24 from Johnson Village to Hartsel, CO US 85 in Denver, CO
North end	I-25 / US 87 / SH 30 at Denver, CO
Location
Country	United States
States	Texas, New Mexico, Colorado
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided

U.S. Route 285 is a north–south United States highway, running 846 miles (1,362 km) through the states of Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. The highway's southern terminus is in Sanderson, Texas at an intersection with U.S. Route 90. US 285 has always had an endpoint in Denver, Colorado, although the original US 285 went north from Denver (that segment is now a part of U.S. Route 287). Today the highway's northern terminus is in Denver, at exit 201 on Interstate 25.

US 285 is a secondary route of US 85, which it crosses in metro Denver, and technically crosses again in Santa Fe, New Mexico (today its parent route is largely concurrent with Interstate 25 through New Mexico, and as a result US 85 is no longer signed in New Mexico). US 285 also intersects a sibling route, US 385, in Fort Stockton, Texas.

Trucking makes up a large portion of the route's traffic, but along much of its route the road is also used for local travel from one town to the next. The northern section of US 285, from Santa Fe to Denver, traverses mountainous and rocky terrain; with that in mind, anyone using the road should check weather conditions during the winter months.