Colorado State Highway 114
Encyclopedia
State Highway 114 is a 61.7 mi (99.3 km) long state highway
in southern central Colorado
.
. From there the route initially proceeds southward for more than twenty miles (32 km) before turning more nearly eastward and entering Gunnison National Forest
and climbing up to cross the Continental Divide
at North Pass
at an elevation of 10149 ft (3,093 m). At North Pass the road crosses into Rio Grande National Forest
through which it passes generally eastward for roughly four and a half miles before leaving National Forest Service land and continuing for a further twenty-six miles before reaching Saguache
at the northern edge of the San Luis Valley
. There the road finds its eastern terminus at U.S. Highway 285.
. By 1954, the route was paved for about 12 miles (19.3 km) and was paved for another 8 miles (12.9 km) two years later. In 1963, the section over Cochetopa Pass was deleted and North Pass
was used instead, paved by 1964.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in southern central Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
Route description
SH 114 begins in the west at its junction with U.S. Highway 50 approximately eight miles east of GunnisonGunnison, Colorado
The historic City of Gunnison, a Home Rule Municipality, is the county seat and the most populous city of Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,854. It was named in honor of John W...
. From there the route initially proceeds southward for more than twenty miles (32 km) before turning more nearly eastward and entering Gunnison National Forest
Gunnison National Forest
The Gunnison National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 1,672,136 acres in Mesa, Gunnison, Hinsdale and Saguache Counties in Western part of the U.S. state of Colorado...
and climbing up to cross the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
at North Pass
North Pass
North Pass is a mountain pass over the Continental Divide in Colorado traversed by state route 114 between Saguache, Colorado and Gunnison, Colorado. It is an all-weather paved road, but, as of 2011, there are no snow plows operating between 7 PM and 7 AM....
at an elevation of 10149 ft (3,093 m). At North Pass the road crosses into Rio Grande National Forest
Rio Grande National Forest
Rio Grande National Forest is a 1.86 million acre U.S. National Forest located in southwestern Colorado. The forest encompasses the San Luis Valley, which is the world's largest agricultural alpine valley, as well as one of the worlds largest high deserts located around mountains. The...
through which it passes generally eastward for roughly four and a half miles before leaving National Forest Service land and continuing for a further twenty-six miles before reaching Saguache
Saguache, Colorado
The historic town of Saguache is a Statutory Town that is the county seat and most populous town of Saguache County, Colorado, United States. The population was 578 at the U.S. Census 2000.-Name:...
at the northern edge of the San Luis Valley
San Luis Valley
The San Luis Valley is an extensive alpine valley in the U.S. states of Colorado and New Mexico covering approximately and sitting at an average elevation of above sea level. The valley sits atop the Rio Grande Rift and is drained to the south by the Rio Grande River, which rises in the San Juan...
. There the road finds its eastern terminus at U.S. Highway 285.
History
The route was defined in the 1920s, using a routing over Cochetopa PassCochetopa Pass
Cochetopa Pass is a mountain pass in Colorado. It lies between the city of Gunnison and the town of Saguache. It lies on the Continental Divide, which separates the Gunnison and Rio Grande National Forests...
. By 1954, the route was paved for about 12 miles (19.3 km) and was paved for another 8 miles (12.9 km) two years later. In 1963, the section over Cochetopa Pass was deleted and North Pass
North Pass
North Pass is a mountain pass over the Continental Divide in Colorado traversed by state route 114 between Saguache, Colorado and Gunnison, Colorado. It is an all-weather paved road, but, as of 2011, there are no snow plows operating between 7 PM and 7 AM....
was used instead, paved by 1964.
Major intersections
| County | Location | Mile | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunnison Gunnison County, Colorado Gunnison County is the fifth most extensive of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado in the United States. The county population was 15,324 at the 2010 census. The county was named for John W. Gunnison, a United States Army officer and captain in the Army Topographical Engineers, who surveyed... |
0.000 | West end of route | ||
| Saguache Saguache County, Colorado Saguache County is the seventh most extensive of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county name comes from a Ute language word meaning “blue earth” or “water at blue earth”. The county population was 5,917 at U.S. Census 2000... |
Saguache Saguache, Colorado The historic town of Saguache is a Statutory Town that is the county seat and most populous town of Saguache County, Colorado, United States. The population was 578 at the U.S. Census 2000.-Name:... |
61.697 | East end of route |