US Bicycle Routes (USBR) through Kansas
Designated and Potential Routes
USBR 76 is also known as the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. The section of USBR 76 through Kansas extends 487 miles and runs from Greely County on the Colorado border to Crawford County on the Missouri border. USBR 76 was named after the year of the Bikecentennial (1976), a large bike tour organized in honor of the US Bicentennial, and includes portions of U.S. 54, Kansas 19, and Kansas 96.
USBR 66 connects three small towns: Galena, Riverton, and Baxter Springs. Of the 2,451 miles of the storied Historic Route 66, now also designated as USBR 66, from Chicago to the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, CA, only 13.2 miles is tucked within the extreme southeast corner Kansas. The three towns on this short byway ensure a relatively high level of support services that complement the Route 66 experience.
USBR 55 is a north-south route located in the eastern part of Kansas that begins in Irving, KS at the KS/NE state line then continues south for 288 miles, passing through 10 counties, before it ends in Caney, KS at the KS/OK state line. USBR 55 uses a mix of highways, local roads and crushed limestone trail. Approximately 47 miles (16%) of the USBR 55 is unpaved taking advantage of a major resource of the state, the Prairie Spirit Trail, consisting of well-maintained crushed limestone, that connects Ottawa to Humboldt. USBRs 50 is expected to be signed by Fall 2025.
USBR 50 is in the northeast corner of Kansas and will serve as a future connection between Nebraska and Missouri. USBR 50 begins in Irving, KS mostly following K-7 with a stop in Troy, KS before continuing south to end in Atchison, KS on the US 59 bridge. The total length of the fully paved route is 40 miles. USBRs 55 is expected to be signed by Fall 2025.Did you know? USBRs do not usually follow one highway, nor do their names necessarily coincide with a main stretch of highway. USBRs use a mix of highways, county roads and sometimes trails for increased safety and are typically informed by the local communities the routes passes through.
More Resources:
Adventure Cycling What's the Story with Kansas? published July 22,2019
Trans Am Bike Race 2016 Video
AASHTO, Adventure Cycling Formalize Partnership to Reach 50,000-Mile Bike Route System
Adventure Cycling Association: Solutions for Making Rumble Strips Safer for Cyclists
Kansas Policy on Longitudinal Milled-In Rumble Strips revised September 1, 2020
KDOT Press Release of USBR 76 and 66 sign unveiling
2023-25 Kansas Bicycle Map, online Map Request Portal, and Interactive Bicycle Map
To explore USBRs 76, 66, 55, 50, and other USBRs, visit: https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/.
For more information on USBRs in Kansas, contact Jenny Kramer, jenny.Kramer@ks.gov
For more information on the KDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, and to find more resources on cycling in Kansas,
go to: https://www.ksdot.org/burRail/bike/default.asp.
