View source for U.S. Route 73

{{Short description|Numbered Highway in Kansas and Nebraska in the United States}}

{{Infobox road
|country=USA
|type=US
|route=73
|map={{maplink-road|from=U.S. Route 73.map}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=US&nbsp;73 highlighted in red
|maint=[[Kansas Department of Transportation|KDOT]], [[Nebraska Department of Transportation|NDOT]], and local jurisdictions
|length_mi=113.17
|length_ref=<ref group=lower-alpha>Mileage is a summation of each state's length</ref>
|established=1926{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}
|tourist= {{Jct|country=USA|LCT}}
|direction_a=South
|direction_b=North
|terminus_a={{Jct|state=KS|I|70|KTA||US|24|US|40|K|7}} in [[Bonner Springs, Kansas|Bonner Springs, KS]]
|junction={{Jct|state=KS|K|7}} in [[Atchison, Kansas|Atchison, KS]]<br>{{Jct|state=KS|US|59}} in Atchison, KS<br>{{Jct|state=KS|US|36}} in [[Hiawatha, Kansas|Hiawatha, KS]]
|terminus_b={{Jct|state=NE|US|75}} in [[Dawson, Nebraska|Dawson, NE]]
|states=[[Kansas]], [[Nebraska]]
|counties='''KS:''' [[Wyandotte County, Kansas|Wyandotte]], [[Leavenworth County, Kansas|Leavenworth]], [[Atchison County, Kansas|Atchison]], [[Brown County, Kansas|Brown]]<br>'''NE:''' [[Richardson County, Nebraska|Richardson]]
|previous_type=US
|previous_route=72
|next_type=US
|next_route=74
}}

'''U.S. Route 73''' ('''US 73''') is a north&ndash;south [[United States highway]] that runs for {{convert|113|mi|km}} from northeast [[Kansas]] to southeast [[Nebraska]]. The highway's southern terminus is [[Bonner Springs, Kansas]] at [[Interstate 70 in Kansas|I-70]].  Its northern terminus is near [[Dawson, Nebraska]] at [[U.S. Highway 75 in Nebraska|US 75]].

==Route description==
{{lengths table}}
|-
|[[U.S. Route 73 in Kansas|KS]]
|{{convert|91.120|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
|[[U.S. Route 73 in Nebraska|NE]]
|{{convert|22.05|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
|Total
|{{convert|113.17|mi|km|disp=table}}
|}
===Kansas===
[[Image:073us eterm.jpg|thumb|left|US-73's former southern terminus at I-435 in Kansas City in 2007.]]
U.S. Route 73 begins at [[Interstate 70 (Kansas)|I-70]] in [[Kansas City, Kansas|Kansas City]] in a concurrency with [[U.S. Route 24 (Kansas)|U.S. Route 24]], [[U.S. Route 40 (Kansas)|U.S. Route 40]], and [[K-7 (Kansas highway)|K-7]]. Two miles north of its terminus, US 24 and US 40 turn west, while US 73 continues north with K-7. It continues north with K-7 through [[Lansing, Kansas|Lansing]], where it intersects [[K-5 (Kansas highway)|K-5]]. US 73 and K-7 then continue through [[Leavenworth, Kansas|Leavenworth]]. It goes northwesterly from Leavenworth, meeting K-192 near [[Easton, Kansas|Easton]] and at [[Atchison, Kansas|Atchison]], turns west. At Atchison, it loses K-7 and is briefly concurrent with [[U.S. Route 59 (Kansas)|U.S. Route 59]]. It goes west and turns northwest near [[Lancaster, Kansas|Lancaster]] at its intersection with [[K-9 (Kansas highway)|K-9]]. It goes through [[Huron, Kansas|Huron]] and begins a concurrency with K-20 near [[Everest, Kansas|Everest]]. It goes west into [[Horton, Kansas|Horton]] and intersects [[U.S. Route 159 (Kansas)|U.S. Route 159]]. The two highways continue north together and meet [[U.S. Route 36 (Kansas)|U.S. Route 36]] at [[Hiawatha, Kansas|Hiawatha]]. After a brief northwesterly routing through [[Reserve, Kansas|Reserve]], US 73 and US 159 turn north and enter Nebraska.

===Nebraska===
U.S. Routes 73 and 159 enter Nebraska northwest of [[Reserve, Kansas]].  [[U.S. Route 159 in Nebraska|U.S. Route 159]] turns east in [[Falls City, Nebraska]] toward [[Rulo, Nebraska]] and continues east toward [[Interstate 29 in Missouri]].  A few miles north of Falls City, U.S. Route 73 turns west, passes through [[Verdon, Nebraska|Verdon]], and ends at [[U.S. Route 75]] just north of [[Dawson, Nebraska]].{{clear left}}

==History==
The original southern terminus was at [[Atoka, Oklahoma]] at an intersection with [[U.S. Highway 75]].  From the creation of the highway in 1926 until April&nbsp;11, 1935,<ref>{{cite news |title=New Highway Number |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45743119/us-73w-april-11-1935/ |access-date=February 27, 2020 |work=Council Grove Republican |date=April 11, 1935 |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> US 73 was split between [[Oswego, Kansas]] and [[Horton, Kansas]].  US 73E followed modern [[US 160]] from Oswego to [[Columbus, Kansas|Columbus]], then modern [[US 69]] to Kansas City, where it then latched onto what is now US 73.  The US 73E designated then went from Kansas City to Horton.  US 73W followed the route of modern [[U.S. Route 59]] from Oswego to [[K-39 (Kansas highway)|K-39]], K-39 west to [[Chanute, Kansas|Chanute]], modern [[U.S. Route 169]] from Chanute to [[Garnett, Kansas|Garnett]], modern US 59 again from Garnett to [[Nortonville, Kansas|Nortonville]], and then modern [[U.S. Route 159]] from Nortonville to [[Horton, Kansas|Horton]].  On April 10, 1935, US 73 was truncated at [[Kansas City, Kansas|Kansas City]] with the modern designations taking over the old routes and US 69 taking over the Atoka-Oswego segment.<ref name="LJW1935-04-10">{{cite news
| author     = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
| title      = Change Numbers on U.S. Highway
| url        = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AO1FAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Cb4MAAAAIBAJ&pg=5382%2C2228643
| newspaper  = Lawrence Journal-World
| date       = 10 April 1935
| access-date = 7 July 2014
}}</ref>  In Kansas City, US 73 previously followed [[U.S. Route 24]] into downtown [[Kansas City, Kansas]], terminating at the [[Intercity Viaduct]] (Lewis and Clark Viaduct), before [[Interstate 435]] was completed. After I-435 was completed, US 73 ended at its intersection with I-435. On December 1, 2008, the southern terminus was rerouted, along with US 24 and US 40, southward along K-7 to its new terminus at I-70.<ref name="AASHTO2008">[http://cms.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/USRN%20Minutes%20October%2017,%202008.doc AASHTO October 2008 meeting]</ref>

Nebraska also had a split highway, with the split between [[Tekamah, Nebraska|Tekamah]] and [[Winnebago, Nebraska|Winnebago]] between 1935 and 1957.  US 73E went north through [[Decatur, Nebraska|Decatur]] along the current route of [[U.S. Route 75]], while US 73W went west from Tekamah along current [[Nebraska Highway 32]] to [[Oakland, Nebraska|Oakland]], then north from Oakland in a concurrency with [[U.S. Route 77]].

The original northern terminus was south of [[Auburn, Nebraska]], near [[Howe, Nebraska]]. US 73 went east through Howe, then south to [[Stella, Nebraska]], then east through [[Shubert, Nebraska]], then south to the current highway.<ref>[http://www.dm.net/~chris-g/ne61-100.html#US-73 Nebraska Highways 61 to 100]{{unreliable source?|failed=y|date=August 2013}}</ref> In 1932, the highway was extended to [[South Sioux City, Nebraska]]. In 1965, the route was shortened to [[Winnebago, Nebraska]].  In 1984, U.S. 75 was removed from western Iowa along [[Interstate 29]] and placed on U.S. 73's route, superseding it through [[Omaha, Nebraska]] and truncating the highway to its present northern terminus near [[Dawson, Nebraska]].

{{Infobox road small
|state=KS
|type=KS
|county=
|route=227
|established=September 9, 1968
|decommissioned=1980
|location=[[Atchison, Kansas|Atchison]]
|length_mi=
|length_ref=
}}
{{Attached KML|from=K-227 (Kansas highway)}}
'''K-227''' was a highway in Kansas that was designated on September 9, 1968.<ref name=1968resolution>{{cite web |author = State Highway Commission of Kansas |date = September 11, 1968 |url = http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003708676&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |title = Resolution for relocation and redesignation of Road in Atchison County |location = Topeka |publisher = State Highway Commission of Kansas |access-date = April 28, 2020}}</ref> K-227's southern terminus was at [[K-4 (Kansas highway)|K-4]] and [[U.S. Route 59 in Kansas|U.S. Route 59]] (US-59) in the city of [[Atchison, Kansas|Atchison]] and the northern terminus was at [[K-9 (Kansas highway)|K-9]] and [[U.S. Route 73 in Kansas|US-73]] in Atchison. In 1980, US-73 was realigned along K-227 and at that time K-227 was decommissioned.

==Major intersections==
{{mileposts}}
{{Jcttop|state_col=State|length_ref=}}
{{KSint
|sspan=16
|county=Wyandotte
|cspan=2
|location=Bonner Springs
|type=concur
|mile=0.000
|road={{Jct|state=KS|I|70|KTA||dir2=west|US|24|dir3=east|US|40|dir4=east|KS|7|dir5=south|city1=Olathe|city2=Topeka|location3=[[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]]}}
|notes=Southern end of US-24, US-40, and K-7 overlaps; exit 224 on I-70
}}
{{KSint
|location1=Bonner Springs
|location2=Kansas City
|type=concur
|mile=1.584
|road={{Jct|state=KS|US|24|dir1=west|US|40|dir2=west|name2=State Avenue|LCT}}
|notes=Interchange; northern end of US-24 and US-40 overlaps 
}}
{{KSint
|county=Leavenworth
|cspan=5
|location=Leavenworth
|lspan=4
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|K|5|dir1=south|location1=[[Leavenworth National Cemetery]]}}
}}
{{KSint
|type=concur
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|K|92|dir1=west|name1=Spruce Street|city1=McLouth}}
|notes=Southern end of K-92 overlap
}}
{{KSint
|type=concur
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|K|92|dir1=east|road|Frontier Military Historic Byway|dir2=ends|road|Glacial Hills Scenic Byway|dir3=begins|location1=[[Platte City, Missouri|Platte City Mo.]]}}
|notes=Northern end of K-92 overlap
}}
{{KSint
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|CR|14|county1=Leavenworth|name1=[[Santa Fe Trail]]|road|N. 20th Street}}
|notes=Interchange
}}
{{KSint
|township=Kickapoo
|ctdab=Leavenworth
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|K|192|dir1=west|city1=Easton}}
}}
{{KSint
|county=Atchison
|cspan=5
|township=Walnut
|ctdab=Atchison
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|K|74|dir1=west|city1=Potter}}
}}
{{KSint
|location=Atchison
|lspan=3
|type=concur
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|K|7|dir1=north|name1=10th Street|US|59|dir2=north|LCT||road|Glacial Hills Scenic Byway|city1=Troy|location2=[[St. Joseph, Missouri|St. Joseph Mo.]]}}
|notes=Northern end of K-7 overlap; southern end of US-59 overlap
}}
{{KSint
|type=concur
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|US|59|dir1=south|city1=Oskaloosa}}
|notes=Northern end of US-59 overlap
}}
{{KSint
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|to1=y|K|7|dir1=north|road|Woodlawn Avenue|extra=airport|location1=[[Amelia Earhart Airport]]}}
}}
{{KSint
|township=Lancaster
|ctdab=Atchison
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|K|9|dir1=west|city1=Effingham}}
}}
{{KSint
|county=Brown
|cspan=4
|township=Washington
|ctdab=Brown
|type=concur
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|K|20|dir1=east|city1=Everest}}
|notes=Southern end of K-20 overlap
}}
{{KSint
|location=Horton
|lspan=2
|type=concur
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|US|159|dir1=south|city1=Muscotah}}
|notes=Southern end of US-159 overlap
}}
{{KSint
|type=concur
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|K|20|dir1=west|to2=y|US|75}}
|notes=Northern end of K-20 overlap
}}
{{KSint
|location=Hiawatha
|mile=
|road={{Jct|state=KS|US|36|city1=Seneca|city2=Troy}}
|notes=Interchange
}}
{{Jctbridge
|river=&nbsp;
|river_wide=yes
|mile=91.12
|mile2=0.00
|line=yes
|place={{Jct|state=NE|LCT||dir1=begins}}; Kansas–Nebraska state line
}}
{{NEint
|sspan=4
|county=Richardson
|cspan=4
|location=Falls City
|lspan=2
|type=concur
|mile=4.11
|road={{Jct|state=NE|US|159|dir1=north|name1=E. 14th Street|city1=Rulo}}
|notes=Northern end of US&nbsp;159 overlap
}}
{{NEint
|mile=4.59
|road={{Jct|state=NE|NE|8|dir1=west|name1=21st Street|city1=Salem}}
}}
{{NEint
|location1=Ohio Precinct
|location2=Liberty Precinct
|ctdab=Richardson
|mile=13.49
|road={{Jct|state=NE|NE|67|dir1=north|location1=[[Indian Cave State Park]]}}
}}
{{NEint
|location=Grant Precinct
|ctdab=Richardson
|mile=22.05
|road={{Jct|state=NE|US|75|LCT||city1=Dawson|city2=Omaha}}
}}
{{Jctbtm|exit|keys=concur}}

==See also==
{{portal|U.S. Roads}}
* [[List of United States Numbered Highways]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{reflist|22em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|U.S. Route 73}}
{{Wikivoyage|Lewis and Clark Trail}}
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
* [http://usends.com/73.html Endpoints of U.S. Highway 73]


{{US Highways}}

{{authority control}}

{{start srbox}}
{{ks browse|previous_type=KS|previous_route=71|route=[[List of Kansas numbered highways|KS]]|next_type=KS|next_route=74}}
{{ne browse|previous_type=NE|previous_route=71|route=[[List of Nebraska numbered highways|NE]]|next_type=NE|next_route=74}}
{{s-end}}


[[Category:U.S. Route 73| ]]
[[Category:United States Numbered Highway System|73]]
[[Category:U.S. Highways in Oklahoma|73]]
[[Category:U.S. Highways in Kansas|73]]
[[Category:U.S. Highways in Nebraska|73]]
[[Category:Transportation in Wyandotte County, Kansas]]
[[Category:Transportation in Leavenworth County, Kansas]]
[[Category:Transportation in Atchison County, Kansas]]
[[Category:Transportation in Brown County, Kansas]]
[[Category:Transportation in Richardson County, Nebraska]]