U.S. Highway 138 (US 138), commissioned in 1926, is an east–west U.S. Highway in Colorado and Nebraska that travels predominantly northeast to southwest, paralleling the South Platte River and Interstate 76 (I-76). Similarly to the spurs of the former US 66 and US 99, US 138 is an orphan route. US 38 was commissioned in 1926, but US 6 was extended over it to Long Beach, California (it was subsequently truncated to Bishop, California in 1964). Therefore, US 138 still meets its former parent route's path.

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Quick Facts Route information, Length ...

U.S. Route 138
US 138 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 38
Length	71.29 mi[1][2] (114.73 km)
Existed	1926–present
Major junctions
West end	US 6 / SH 14 in Sterling, CO
Major intersections	US 385 in Julesburg, CO I-80 near Big Springs, NE
East end	US 30 near Big Springs, NE
Location
Country	United States
States	Colorado, Nebraska
Counties	CO: Logan, Sedgwick NE: Deuel
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided

Close

The western terminus is in Sterling, Colorado, where it met U.S. Route 38 from 1926 to 1931 (US 38 became U.S. Route 6); the eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 30 north of Big Springs, Nebraska. US 138 is an example of a "child" route that has long outlived its "parent"; before U.S. Route 99 was decommissioned in 1964, US 138 was the only US route to not have a "parent" route.^{[citation needed]}