Interstate 76 West - Julesburg to Sterling

A Colorado welcome sign stands just beyond the state line along Interstate 76 westbound.

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The initial 26.6 miles of Interstate 76 west through Colorado travel within Sedgwick County.

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I-76 traverses an area of agricultural and ranch land east of the South Platte River by the first reassurance shield in the Centennial State.

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County Road 32 1/2 passes over I-76 by a distance sign posted 61 miles from Sterling. Denver is referenced at 186 miles out, the same distance listed on a previous assembly posted in Nebraska.

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A rest area and the Colorado Welcome Center lie just off the freeway at Exit 180 in two miles. Most CDOT rest areas are found off the freeway mainline.

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U.S. 385 angles southeast from U.S. 138 (1st Avenue) to cross paths with Interstate 76 at a diamond interchange in southeast Julesburg. The US route runs 317.63 miles through Colorado, entering the Centennial State west of Julesburg and leaving it alongside U.S. 287 south to Boise City, Oklahoma.

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An array of traveler services line U.S. 385 within the vicinity of Exit 180. The CDOT rest area is located just to the west along County Road 28.

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Exit 180 departs Interstate 76 west for U.S. 385 north to U.S. 138 in Julesburg and south 30 miles to the Phillips County seat of Holyoke.

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U.S. 385 north to U.S. 138 west, and Interstate 76 west to County Road 29 form the 19 mile long South Platte River Trail scenic byway.

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With just 6,500 vehicles per day tallied by CDOT in 2015, the stretch of Interstate 76 west from south Julesburg to Exit 172 is the least traveled in the state.

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Ovid, a rural town with a population of around 300, is the next destination along Interstate 76 westbound in ten miles. Denver is 181 miles to the southwest.

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Looking north at the South Platte River. U.S. 138 splits with U.S. 385 through agricultural areas beyond the river. The US highway parallels the river to the north while I-76 runs along its course to the south.

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Interstate 76 turns west and expands to include a wide median near Johnson Lake.

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County Road 29 extends 2.4 miles south from U.S. 138 (Saunders Avenue) in Ovid to meet Interstate 76 at Exit 172.

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Entering the diamond interchange with CR 29 north to Main Street in Ovid on Interstate 76 west. CR 29 ventures south 12.3 miles across the high plains of southern Sedgwick County to the Phillips County line.

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Interstate 76 retains a wide foot print west to milepost 169, where it bends southwest to pass two miles south of Sedgwick.

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The broad South Platte River valley spreads north in this scene ahead of milepost 168.

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Advancing toward the diamond interchange (Exit 165) with SH 59 on Interstate 76 west.

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SH 59 north ends at U.S. 138 (Railroad Street) just outside the small town of Sedgwick.

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SH 59 travels 24 miles southwest from Exit 165 to Haxtun and 173.34 miles overall to U.S. 40/287 at Kit Carson.

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Long exit less stretches are a common theme along Interstate 76 throughout northeastern Colorado. Red Lion Road represents the last Sedgwick County exit in nine miles.

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High winds are also omnipresent along both I-76 and I-70 as they traverse the High Plains of eastern Colorado. Wind socks are posted periodically along both freeways.

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Entering Logan County, the second of seven counties along Interstate 76 west in Colorado.

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One mile ahead of the rural diamond interchange (Exit 155) with Red Lion Road (CR 93) on I-76 west.

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Exit 155 leaves I-76 west for Red Lion Road (CR 93). County Road numbers in Logan County count downward from east to west. CR 93 runs 12.7 miles north from the Yuma County line to U.S. 138 near Julesburg Reservoir.

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Progressing west from Red Lion Road, Interstate 76 passes by areas of Tamarack Ranch State Wildlife Area.

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Distance signs are inconsistent through northeastern Colorado, omitting regional destinations such as Sterling and Fort Morgan and instead listing the next destination alone. Crook, a farming town of 100, is located eight miles ahead along U.S. 138.

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SH 55 and Interstate 76 come together at a diamond interchange (Exit 149) in one mile.

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South from Exit 149, SH 55 becomes CR 81, the first of three locally maintained routes joining Crook with the town of Fleming.

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SH 55 measures just 5.66 miles north from County Road 81 to Exit 149 and U.S. 138 (2nd Avenue) at 1st Street in Crook.

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Reassurance marker posted west of SH 55 on Interstate 76 west.

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Denver (148 miles) reappears on I-76 westbound distance signs on this assembly posted 23 miles from Sterling.

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Interstate 76 bee lines southwest alongside South Platte River farm land and bluffs rising to the south.

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County Road 67 provides another link between Interstate 76 and U.S. 138 from forthcoming Exit 141.

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Proctor, a rural settlement along U.S. 138, is 2.9 miles to the northwest of the diamond interchange (Exit 141) with CR 67.

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Interstate 76 continues 6.9 miles southwest to a diamond interchange (Exit 134) with County Road 55.

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The small town of Iliff is nine miles to the north along U.S. 138. Interstate 76 reaches Sterling in 15 miles and Denver in 140 miles.

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County Road 55 heads north 3.7 miles from Exit 134 to cross the South Platte River and intersect U.S. 138 outside Iliff.

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A random reassurance marker precedes the off-ramp (Exit 134) for CR 55 to Iliff.

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A series of unpaved county roads meanders south from Exit 134 to the Nebraska, Kansas & Colorado Railway (NKCR) siding of Galieon and U.S. 6 near milepost 416.

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Confirming shield for Interstate 76 west at milepost 133. 7,600 vpd were recorded on the ensuing stretch by CDOT in 2015.

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U.S. 6 and Interstate 76 converge in eight miles on the east side of Sterling. The two meet again outside Brush, where they commence a long overlap west to Fort Morgan (53 miles) and the Denver metropolitan area.

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Grain elevators in Sterling dot the southern horizon in this scene at mile marker 130.

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U.S. 6 ventures 60 miles west from Chase County, Nebraska and 47 miles from Holyoke to meet Interstate 76 at Exit 125.

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SH 61 stems east from U.S. 6 to run 40.99 miles south to U.S. 34 at Otis.

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Westbound I-76 at the diamond interchange (Exit 125) with U.S. 6. Prior to 2007, Business Loop I-76 overlapped with U.S. 6 west through Sterling. The business route was truncated south to the city line at Chambers Drive.

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The Logan County visitor center doubles as rest area for I-76 travelers. The facility lies just west off U.S. 6 on CR 370 (Riverview Drive).

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The 71 mile long west from Big Spring, Nebraska along U.S. 138 concludes at U.S. 6 (Chestnut Street) and SH 14 (Main Street) in Sterling.

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Exit 125 separates with a direct ramp to U.S. 6 west for Downtown Sterling. The exchange originally included loop ramps on the north side of U.S. 6.

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SH 61 begins 0.4 miles to the east from U.S. 6. West beyond the South Platte River, U.S. 6 crosses the industrial east side of Sterling to a viaduct over the BNSF and UP Railroads.

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Interstate 76 advances 8.8 miles south from Sterling to a diamond interchange (Exit 115) with SH 63.

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3.1 miles north from Exit 115, SH 63 connects Interstate 76 with Business Loop I-76/U.S. 6 west from Atwood to Merino.

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A 56.41 mile route overall, SH 63 travels south from Atwood to U.S. 34 at Akron and U.S. 36 at Anton.

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Business Loop I-76/U.S. 6 head south from the town of Merino and pass west of Prewitt Reservoir to County Road Q. County Road Q links the US highway with Interstate 76 at Exit 102.

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Entering the rural diamond interchange (Exit 102) with County Road Q north on I-76 west.

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