Interstate 40 (I-40)


Barstow, CA to Wilmington, NC

Interstate 40

Barstow, CA to Wilmington, NC

I-40 stretches 2,555 miles across the southern US, largely following the old Route 66 alignment through the Mojave Desert, Albuquerque, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Nashville, and Raleigh to the North Carolina coast. It is a major cross-country freight artery for the southern tier. Hazards include summer heat through the Mojave and high desert, mountain grades through the Continental Divide in New Mexico, and the Amarillo-to-Oklahoma City wind corridor that produces some of the strongest sustained crosswinds on any US interstate.

Length
2555 miles
Risk Rating
MODERATE

Risk Factors

Mojave Desert heat and grades (CA) Continental Divide grades (NM) High winds (TX Panhandle/OK) Flash flooding (NM/AZ) Summer heat extremes

Notorious Segments

  • Continental Divide, NM
  • Amarillo wind corridor, TX

Connected Hubs

Regions

United States West Southwest South