Portal:U.S. roads/Selected article/April 2008

The Loneliest Road in America custom sign along the highway

U.S. Route 50 in Nevada crosses the center of Nevada and was designated the Loneliest Road in America by Life in July 1986. The name was intended as a pejorative, but instead, Nevada officials seized on it as a marketing slogan. The Nevada Commission on Tourism publishes novelty passports that visitors can validate at approved stops. Visitors can submit the completed passport for a certificate signed by the state governor to show they have "survived" the loneliest road. While route 50 may or may not be the loneliest road in America, its reputation for loneliness is merited. In the stretch of highway between Fallon and Delta, Utah, a span of 409 miles (658 km), there are only three major towns: Austin, Eureka and Ely.

The route follows a historic corridor, first used for the Pony Express, and later for the Lincoln Highway. The highway was first designated Nevada State Route 2. The highway passes through the center of the Great Basin and passes through a series of Basin and Range features in its path across the state. There are also several ghost towns along this path.

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