Lincoln Highway

America's first transcontinental auto highway (1913) — US-30 across Nebraska from Omaha to Wyoming.

The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States, dedicated in 1913 and named for President Abraham Lincoln. In Nebraska, the route follows what is now US-30 from Omaha west through the Platte River valley to the Wyoming border at Pine Bluffs. Nebraska's stretch passes through some of the most historically important towns along the entire 3,389-mile coast-to-coast route.

Route Information

Nebraska Length: ~455 miles
Route: US-30, Omaha to Wyoming border
Designation: Historic Highway Corridor / All-American Road
Established: 1913

Counties & Towns (East to West)

Douglas County

Omaha — eastern terminus in Nebraska

Dawson County

Lexington · Cozad — 100th Meridian marker

Lincoln County

North Platte — Buffalo Bill Cody's ranch nearby

Keith County

Ogallala — "Queen of the Cowtowns"

Cheyenne County

Sidney — western Nebraska gateway

Points of Interest

Kearney's Archway — monument straddling I-80 near the Lincoln Highway corridor
100th Meridian Museum, Cozad — the dividing line between East and West
Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, North Platte
Boot Hill Cemetery, Ogallala
Original Lincoln Highway alignment (unpaved) in western Nebraska

History

Carl Fisher conceived the Lincoln Highway in 1912 as a hard-surfaced road coast-to-coast. Dedicated on October 31, 1913, it ran from Times Square in New York to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. Nebraska's stretch through the Platte Valley followed natural geography that had guided emigrant wagon trains, Pony Express riders, and the transcontinental telegraph. The route pioneered the modern American road trip.

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