The US 40 Changed How America Crossed the West — Then California Wiped It Off the Maps in 1964

The US 40 was once one of the most important highways connecting America’s roads across the West. For decades, it carried travelers, commerce, and long-distance traffic through California before a new generation of highways began to replace its role. In 1964, California officially removed US 40 from its highway system as Interstate 80 took over much of its route. But the story of US 40 did not end there. Its former alignment remained scattered across the landscape, preserving traces of a road that had helped transform how Americans traveled across the West. In this video, we follow the rise, transformation, and disappearance of US 40 in California — and discover why this forgotten highway became part of the story of America’s transition from historic highways to the modern Interstate system. This is the story of the highway that changed how America crossed the West — and then disappeared from the maps.