CA RxR 3.11: US 6: A Major Route no More

[cahwyguy]

Once a major route running from Provincetown MA to Long Beach CA, today's US 6 in California is a shadow of its former self. For your lunchtime enjoyment (and mine), here's our podcast on Route 6 in California: LRN 6, Sign Route 6, and of course, US 6 and all of its history.

On CA Route by Route: https://caroutebyroute.org/2025/05/23/ca-rxr-3-11-us-6-a-major-route-no-more/
On Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/caroutebyroute/episodes/CA-RxR-3-11-US-6-A-Major-Route-no-More-e3398sf/a-abv8gja

Ready, set, discuss.

[NWI_Irish96]

I live on a former alignment of US 6 from before it got re-routed onto I-80/94 between IN 51 and IL 83.

[mgk920]

US 6 is still the HAZMAT and oversized vehicle route over the Continental Divide (Loveland Pass) to bypass the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels on I-70 in Colorado.

Mike

[Max Rockatansky]

US 6 is still the HAZMAT and oversized vehicle route over the Continental Divide (Loveland Pass) to bypass the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels on I-70 in Colorado.

Mike

For context, the podcast is only about California.  In California US 6 isn't anything all that special anymore.

I did mention Dale's research (on USends) which suggests US 6 is now nominally longer than US 20.  Daniel in podcast also asked me if I thought US 6 was the loneliest US Route (referring to Nevada).  My response was US 191 given it has absolutely desolate stretches like the Coronado Trail.

[ClassicHasClass]

I dunno, US 6 between Tonopah and Ely is pretty darn desolate.

[Max Rockatansky]

I dunno, US 6 between Tonopah and Ely is pretty darn desolate.

Not Coronado Trail desolate.  If I recall correctly the Coronado Trail and another segment of US 191 in Wyoming had two of the top three traffic counts in the US Route System.  I can't for the life of me find the thread where we discussed that.