U.S. Route 93: From the Joshua Forest to the Canadian Border

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Spanning 1,359 miles, U.S. Route 93 is a vital artery of the American West. It connects the desert landscapes of Arizona to the forests of Montana, serving as a critical link between major cities and national parks while carrying a history of rapid expansion and evolving safety standards.

Established in 1926, U.S. Route 93 was not part of the original highway plan. It initially connected the Canadian border at Roosville, Montana, to Wells, Nevada. Over the following decades, the route underwent significant extensions. By 1932, it reached Glendale, Nevada, and by 1935, it was extended to Kingman, Arizona. Its current southern terminus in Wickenburg, Arizona, was finalized in 1993 following the decommissioning of U.S. Route 89 in that area.

The highway is known for its diverse geography, passing through the Joshua Forest Parkway in Arizona and traversing the western shore of Flathead Lake in Montana, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River. It also crosses the Snake River Canyon via the Perrine Bridge in Idaho. These segments are punctuated by scenic designations, such as the Salmon River Scenic Byway and the Lincoln Highway, which represents the first road to cross the United States.

Safety and infrastructure have been central to the road's evolution. Once considered one of the deadliest routes in America, it has seen extensive improvements, including the 2010 opening of the Hoover Dam Bypass, which replaced a segment closed to trucks after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Today, the highway is a primary corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas, with future plans involving its integration into the newly designated Interstate 11 freeway corridor.

The route's cultural footprint is as varied as its terrain. It features in songs by Hank Williams Jr. and the band The Unidynes, and its Arizona stretch appears in the music video for Avenged Sevenfold's 'Dear God.' In Montana, the highway runs through the Flathead Indian Reservation, where signage honors the historic Salish and Kutenai names for local landmarks, reflecting the deep history of the lands it traverses.

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