U.S. Route 166

U.S. Route 166
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 66
Length:	164 mi (264 km)
Existed:	1926 – present
Major junctions
West end:	US-81 in South Haven, KS
	I-35 / Kansas Turnpike east of South Haven, KS US-77 in Arkansas City, KS K-15 in eastern Cowley County, KS K-99 south of Sedan, KS US-75 north of Caney US-169 in Coffeyville, KS US-59 in Chetopa, KS, US-69 west of Baxter Springs, KS K-66 in Baxter Springs, KS US-400 east of Baxter Springs, KS
East end:	I-44 / US 400 near Joplin, MO
Highway system
United States Numbered Highways List Bannered Divided Replaced

U.S. Route 166 (US 166) is a 164-mile (264 km) west–east United States highway. This route and US-266 are the only two remaining spurs of historic U.S. Route 66 (which was decommissioned in 1985), since US-666 was renumbered to US-491 in 2003.

US-166 meets the old route of US-66, now designated US-69 Alternate, in Baxter Springs in the southeast corner of Kansas.

Route description

Lengths
	mi	km
KS	163.223	262.682
MO	0.6	1.0

Kansas

US-166's western terminus in South Haven, Kansas

US 166's eastern terminus approaching I-44 in Newton County, Missouri

US 166 is a west–east highway that meanders about 164 miles (264 km) along the Kansas–Oklahoma state line. The highway's western terminus is in South Haven, Kansas at an intersection with US-81, approximately 1-mile (1.6 km) north of the northern terminus of US-177. US 166's eastern terminus is an intersection with I-44 just inside the Missouri state line, near the boundary where Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri meet, which is shared by Cherokee County, Ottawa County, and Newton County, respectively.

About 4 miles (6.4 km) east from its intersection with US-81, the highway intersects with the Kansas Turnpike (I-35) at exit 4. Continuing east about 60 miles (97 km), US-166 crosses the Arkansas River into Arkansas City, where it travels concurrent with US-77 for approximately 2 miles (3.2 km), splitting off near Parkerfield.

Traveling 50 miles (80 km) east of Arkansas City, US-166 turns northeast, arcing above Cowley County Lake Dam and Cedar Vale. It dives south of Sedan. However, a business loop connects the main US-166 route with Sedan.

Continuing east from Sedan, about 34 miles (55 km) to Coffeyville, US-166 skims through Peru and Niotaze to an intersection with US-75 near Havana. The two routes turn south for a 3-mile (4.8 km) concurrency. US-166 splits off just north of Caney turning east again through Tyro to Coffeyville. US-166 has a brief concurrency with US-169 in the Coffeyville area.

Eastward about 50 miles (80 km) from Coffeyville to Baxter Springs, US-166 crosses the Verdigris River, bypassing Edna and Bartlett. US-166 passes through Chetopa, where US-166 and US-59 travel concurrent. Leaving Chetopa, US-166 crosses over the Neosho River and crosses US-69 Alternate, 6 miles (9.7 km) before Baxter Springs.

Heading east from Baxter Springs, US-166 crosses the Spring River. Approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) later, US-166 intersects with US-400. US-166/US-400 then turn sharply southeast for 6 miles (9.7 km) to cross the Missouri state line.

Missouri

US 166's eastern terminus is its intersection with I-44, 0.6 miles (0.97 km) from the state line and about 1,000 feet (300 m) from the point where Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma meet.

History

US 166 is an original 1926 route and originally ran from South Haven to Baxter Springs, Kansas. In 1945, it was extended east through Joplin, Missouri, where it paralleled US 66 to Springfield. This extension absorbed Route 38, which had been formed in 1922 from Carthage to west of Springfield and realigned to Joplin in about 1930, with the former route becoming Route 38N and soon US 71 Alternate. In 1966, following the completion of the last section of I-44 in Missouri, the east end of US 166 was truncated back from Springfield to its current terminus. Most sections of US 166 between Joplin and Springfield were not upgraded to Interstate Highway standards and were renumbered as I-44 Business Loops, state highways (such as Route 174) or turned over to local or county jurisdiction.

Major intersections

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Sumner	South Haven	0.000	0.000	US-81	Western terminus
	​	3.481	5.602	I-35 / Kansas Turnpike	Parclo interchange; I-35 exit 4
Cowley	Arkansas City	20.540	33.056	US-77
	​	22.993	37.004	US-77
	​	40.883	65.795	K-15
	​	44.833	72.152	K-15
Chautauqua	​	66.984	107.800	US-166 Bus.	Western terminus of US 166 BUS
	​	71.325	114.786	US-166 Bus. / K-99	Eastern terminus of US 166 BUS
Montgomery	​	85.579	137.726	US-75	Trumpet interchange
	​	88.577	142.551	US-75
	Coffeyville	106.083	170.724	US-169
	​	108.104	173.977	US-169
Labette	​	120.743	194.317	K-101	Southern terminus of K-101
	​	128.927	207.488	K-134	Southern terminus of K-134
	Chetopa	135.054	217.348	US-59
		136.548	219.753	US-59
Cherokee	​	150.694	242.518	US-69
	Baxter Springs	156.181	251.349	US-69 Alt.
	​	158.017	254.304	US-400
	​	161.322	259.623	K-26	Southern terminus of K-26
Missouri state line
Newton	​	0.6	0.97	I-44	I-44 exit 1; eastern terminus of US 166, eastern terminus of US 400
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Bannered routes

Business loops

• U.S. Route 166 Business – Sedan, Kansas
• U.S. Route 166 Business – Joplin, Missouri (decommissioned)
• U.S. Route 166 Business – Springfield, Missouri (decommissioned)

City route

• U.S. Route 166 City - Springfield, Missouri (decommissioned)

Truck route

• U.S. Route 166 Truck - Springfield, Missouri (decommissioned)

See also

• Kansas portal
• Missouri portal
• U.S. Roads portal

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• Endpoints of US highways

Browse numbered routes
← K-163	KS	K-167 →
← Route 165	MO	Route 168 →