U.S. Route 6 in Nebraska
# U.S. Route 6 in Nebraska

U.S. Highway 6 (US-6) in the U.S. state of Nebraska is a United States Numbered Highway which goes from the Colorado border west of Imperial in the west to the Iowa border in the east at Omaha. Significant portions of the highway are concurrent with other highways, most significantly, US-34 between Culbertson and Hastings. Also, from Milford east to the Iowa border, the highway is closely paralleled by Interstate 80 (I-80). Large portions of the route parallel the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.

## Route description

### Before concurrency with US-34

US-6 enters Nebraska from Colorado west of Imperial on a short southeasterly segment. It turns east and stays due east until shortly before Imperial. It then goes into Imperial and meets Nebraska Highway 61 (N-61). The two routes are paired together until they separate at the Enders Reservoir State Recreation Area. It goes in a generally southeasterly direction until it meets US-34 west of Culbertson.

### Western Nebraska

US-6 and US-34 continue east together through Culbertson and at McCook, is briefly concurrent with US-83. US-6/US-34 continue together in a northeasterly direction through Cambridge, then turns due east and meets US-283 in Arapahoe. Near Edison, it meets US-136, which begins at its intersection with US-6/US-34. Further east, the two highways meet N-4 and turns northeast toward Holdrege. In Holdrege, US-6/US-34 meet US-183. The highways continue on a northeasterly trajectory through Minden until Heartwell. At Heartwell, US-6/US-34 turns due east until Hastings. In Hastings, US-6/US-34 meet US-281 and US-34 separates to go with US-281 while US-6 continues eastward.

### Eastern Nebraska

US-6 continues on a due east highway from Hastings. Near Sutton, the highway turns northeast to go through Sutton. It continues east, and, at Fairmont, US-6 encounters US-81. After passing through Friend, US-6 meets N-15, and the two highways overlap until shortly before Milford. US-6 goes east, then north out of Milford, then US-6 turns east to go toward Lincoln.

### Lancaster County

In Lincoln, US-6 comes into the city on West "O" Street, portions of which are divided highway. At Sun Valley Boulevard, it turns to go northeasterly. At North 10th Street, US-6 turns north-northwest and becomes North 11th Street, a divided highway. At Cornhusker Highway, US-6 turns east with a short urban connection to I-180 on the west along Cornhusker. US-6 then follows Cornhusker Highway, which is a divided highway, northeast out of the city. At the eastern end of Cornhusker Highway (near Waverly), US-6 meets I-80.

### Omaha

From I-80, US-6 goes northeast through Waverly, Greenwood, and Ashland. East of Ashland, US-6 crosses the Platte River. After that, US-6 meets N-31 in Gretna, where US-6 turns north with N-31 on a divided highway. US-6/N-31 meet US-275 and N-92 near the Elkhorn neighborhood of Omaha, and they separate in Elkhorn itself at a freeway interchange which also has Nebraska Link 28B, a connector to US-275.

At this point, US-6 goes onto the freeway, the West Dodge Expressway, and turns due east to go toward Fowntown Omaha. At 137th Street is the exit for Boys Town. Between 120th and 108th streets, US-6 is an elevated freeway with separate viaducts for eastbound and westbound traffic. Shortly after this ends, US-6 meets I-680. East of I-680, US-6 continues east as West Dodge Road and at Cass Street, turns briefly southeast where West Dodge Road ends, and follows Dodge Street eastward. Before North 30th Street, US-6 splits into two one-way streets, with Dodge Street serving westbound traffic, and Douglas Street serving the eastbound. US-6 goes through downtown and then goes up onto I-480, which is an elevated freeway around Downtown Omaha, and, shortly thereafter, crosses into Iowa via the Grenville Dodge Memorial Bridge.

## History

When the U.S. Numbered Highway System was created in 1926, much of the current US-6 in Nebraska was US-38. The route was slightly different in the Omaha area, as it turned east from 204th Street onto Q Street to go through what was the city of Millard. It went through Millard on what is now Millard Avenue (N-50), then north on 132nd Street, then east on Center Street, and then north on 36th Street to end at Farnam Street. In 1932, US-38 was deleted and replaced by US-6.

The cities of Hastings and Lincoln also each had a US-6 City. These are former routes for US-6 in those cities. US-6 City in Hastings was deleted in 1970 and, in Lincoln, US-6 City was deleted in 1983.

## Future

The Nebraska Department of Roads is planning a total rebuild and partial realignment/rerouting of US-6 from its current path along Sun Valley Boulevard in Lincoln. The project is years away from being built.

## Commemorative and other highway names

* Grand Army of the Republic Highway (statewide)
* Carl T. Curtis Drive in Kearney County
* West "O" Street, Sun Valley Boulevard, North 11th Street, Cornhusker Highway in Lincoln
* 204th Street, West Dodge Expressway, West Dodge Road, Dodge Street, Douglas Street, Gerald R. Ford Expressway in Omaha

## Major intersections

All exits are unnumbered.

| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Chase | ​ | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 6 west – Holyoke, Sterling | Continuation into Colorado |
| Chase | Imperial | 24.11 | 38.80 | S-15A south (Broadway Street) | |
| Chase | Imperial | 24.95 | 40.15 | N-61 north | Western end of N-61 overlap |
| Chase | Enders | 34.53 | 55.57 | N-61 south | Eastern end of N-61 overlap |
| Hayes | Hamlet | 49.70 | 79.98 | S-43A north | |
| Hitchcock | Palisade | 57.21 | 92.07 | N-25A north (Main Street) | |
| Hitchcock | ​ | 63.36 | 101.97 | N-25 | |
| Hitchcock | ​ | 70.54 | 113.52 | L-44C east | |
| Hitchcock | ​ | 71.11 | 114.44 | US 34 west | Western end of US 34 overlap |
| Hitchcock | ​ | 71.52 | 115.10 | L-44C west | |
| Hitchcock | Culbertson | 74.03 | 119.14 | N-17 south | |
| Red Willow | McCook | 84.78 | 136.44 | US 83 north | Western end of US 83 overlap |
| Red Willow | McCook | 86.21 | 138.74 | US 83 south (6th Street) | Eastern end of US 83 overlap |
| Furnas | Cambridge | 111.38 | 179.25 | N-47 south (Patterson Street) | |
| Furnas | Arapahoe | 125.86 | 202.55 | US 283 (Nebraska Avenue) | |
| Furnas | ​ | 132.06 | 212.53 | US 136 east | |
| Furnas | ​ | 139.99 | 225.29 | N-46 south | |
| Harlan | ​ | 144.46 | 232.49 | N-4 east | |
| Phelps | Holdrege | 157.16 | 252.92 | N-23 west (4th Avenue) | |
| Phelps | Holdrege | 157.76 | 253.89 | US 183 (Burlington Street) | |
| Kearney | Axtell | 169.60 | 272.94 | N-44 south (21 Road) | Western end of N-44 overlap |
| Kearney | Axtell | 173.68 | 279.51 | N-44 north (25 Road) | Eastern end of N-44 overlap |
| Kearney | Minden | 180.78 | 290.94 | N-10 (Brown Avenue) / Oregon National Historic Trail / California National Historic Trail / Pony Express National Historic Trail | |
| Adams | Kenesaw | 197.40 | 317.68 | S-1A north (Smith Way) | |
| Adams | Juniata | 205.38 | 330.53 | S-1B north (Juniata Avenue) | |
| Adams | Hastings | 208.88 | 336.16 | S-1C north | |
| Adams | Hastings | 210.87 | 339.36 | US 281 south (Baltimore Avenue) / Oregon National Historic Trail / California National Historic Trail / Pony Express National Historic Trail | Western end of US 281 overlap |
| Adams | Hastings | 211.37 | 340.17 | US 34 east / US 281 north (Burlington Avenue) | Eastern end of US 34/US 281 overlap |
| Clay | Harvard | 227.15 | 365.56 | S-18A north (Road K) | |
| Clay | ​ | 230.17 | 370.42 | N-14 south (Road N) | Western end of N-14 overlap |
| Clay | ​ | 233.14 | 375.20 | N-14 north (Road Q) | Eastern end of N-14 overlap |
| Clay | Saronville | 236.14 | 380.03 | S-18G north (Road T) | |
| Fillmore | Fairmont | 255.63– 255.65 | 411.40– 411.43 | US 81 | Interchange |
| Saline | Cordova | 268.79 | 432.58 | S-76A north | |
| Saline | Friend | 271.79 | 437.40 | L-80E | |
| Saline | ​ | 277.78 | 447.04 | N-15 south | Western end of N-15 overlap |
| Saline | Dorchester | 278.39 | 448.03 | N-33 east | |
| Saline | Dorchester | 280.98 | 452.19 | L-76E south | |
| Seward | ​ | 289.50 | 465.91 | N-15 north | Eastern end of N-15 overlap |
| Seward | ​ | 295.48 | 475.53 | L-80H north | |
| Seward | ​ | 301.51 | 485.23 | N-103 | |
| Lancaster | Emerald | 306.49 | 493.25 | S-55A south (SW 84th Street) | |
| Lancaster | Lincoln | 308.96 | 497.22 | L-55K north (NW 48th Street) to I-80 – Lincoln Air Park | |
| Lancaster | Lincoln | 309.85– 310.47 | 498.66– 499.65 | I-80 west | Closed; former exit 396 on I-80 |
| Lancaster | Lincoln | 310.68– 310.69 | 499.99– 500.01 | US 77 (Homestead Expressway) / I-80 east | Interchange |
| Lancaster | Lincoln | 314.32 | 505.85 | To I-180 / US 34 / Cornhusker Highway / 11th Street | |
| Lancaster | Lincoln | 314.50 | 506.14 | 14th Street / Antelope Valley Parkway | Interchange; no westbound exit (westbound access via Adams St or Yolande Ave) |
| Lancaster | Lincoln | 318.09 | 511.92 | L-55X north (56th Street) | Former US 77 north |
| Lancaster | Lincoln | 319.80 | 514.67 | 70th Street south | Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance via Cotner Boulevard |
| Lancaster | Waverly | 322.69– 323.27 | 519.32– 520.25 | I-80 – Omaha | I-80 exit 409 |
| Cass | ​ | 335.61 | 540.11 | N-63 south to I-80 | |
| Saunders | Ashland | 337.44 | 543.06 | N-66 | |
| Platte River | Platte River | 340.22 | 547.53 | Bridge | Bridge |
| Sarpy | Gretna | 344.88 | 555.03 | N-31 south (216th Street) | Western end of N-31 overlap |
| Sarpy | Gretna | 348.46 | 560.79 | N-370 east (West Gruenther Road) | |
| Douglas | ​ | 354.53 | 570.56 | US 275 / N-92 (West Center Road) | Interchange |
| Douglas | Omaha | 356.53 | 573.78 | N-31 north (204th Street) / L-28B west (West Dodge Expressway west) – Fremont, Wahoo | Eastern end of N-31 overlap; western end of freeway section; L-28B is former US 30A west |
| Douglas | Omaha | 357.52 | 575.37 | 192nd Street | |
| Douglas | Omaha | 358.52 | 576.98 | 180th Street | |
| Douglas | Omaha | 359.41 | 578.41 | 168th Street | |
| Douglas | Omaha | 360.51 | 580.18 | 156th Street | |
| Douglas | Omaha | 361.00 | 580.97 | 150th Street / Applied Parkway | Applied Pkwy. not signed westbound |
| Douglas | Omaha | 361.50 | 581.78 | 144th Street | |
| Douglas | Omaha | 361.97 | 582.53 | 137th Street – Boys Town | |
| Douglas | Omaha | 362.50 | 583.39 | 132nd Street | |
| Douglas | Omaha | 363.20– 363.23 | 584.51– 584.56 | 120th Street / 114th Street – Old Mill | |
| Douglas | Omaha | 364.23– 365.12 | 586.17– 587.60 | I-680 to I-80 | I-680 exit 3 |
| Douglas | Omaha | 365.29– 365.33 | 587.88– 587.94 | 102nd Street / 98th Street / Regency Parkway – Westroads Mall | 98th St. not signed eastbound |
| Douglas | Omaha | 365.57 | 588.33 | 96th Street | At-grade intersection; eastern end of freeway section |
| Douglas | Omaha | 366.02 | 589.05 | 90th Street (N-133 north) | Southern terminus of N-133 |
| Douglas | Omaha | 369.84 | 595.20 | Saddle Creek Road | Interchange; bridge over Saddle Creek Underpass; former N-38 |
| Douglas | Omaha | 371.27 | 597.50 | I-480 east (Gerald R. Ford Expressway) / US 75 north (North Freeway) | Interchange; I-480/US 75 exits 2A-B |
| Douglas | Omaha | 372.80 | 599.96 | To 9th Street | Interchange; eastbound left exit only |
| Douglas | Omaha | 372.80 | 599.96 | The Riverfront | Interchange; eastbound exit only |
| Douglas | Omaha | 372.88 | 600.09 | I-480 west (Gerald R. Ford Expressway) to I-80 | Western end of I-480 overlap; westbound left exit and eastbound left entrance; I-480 exit 4 |
| Missouri River | Missouri River | 373.00 | 600.29 | Grenville Dodge Memorial Bridge; Nebraska–Iowa line | Grenville Dodge Memorial Bridge; Nebraska–Iowa line |
| Missouri River | Missouri River | 373.00 | 600.29 | I-480 east / US 6 east / Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway – Council Bluffs | Continuation into Iowa |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Closed/former Concurrency terminus Incomplete access Route transition ||||||
