| To make the connection to westbound Colorado 60, follow the frontage road north to Weld County Route 16 west, then turn south on Weld County Route 5. To the west, Colorado 60 almost straddles the county line separating Weld County from Larimer County. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The right lane (a temporary third lane) becomes exit only for Exit 254, To Westbound Colorado 60 to Campion, which is just south of Loveland. The next exit is Exit 255, Junction Colorado 402 west to Loveland. Interstate 25 temporarily leaves Weld County and enters Larimer County. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The next exit along northbound Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 is Exit 255, Junction Colorado 402. Photo taken 11/12/05.
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| This is a view of Interstate 25/U.S. 87 northbound as seen from the northbound frontage road on the east side of the freeway. Note the old style guardrail for the culvert crossing. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The next exit along northbound Interstate 25/U.S. 87 is Exits 257A-B, Junction U.S. 34 east to Greeley and west to Loveland and Estes Park. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Use U.S. 34 west (Exit 257B) to Boyd Lake State Park, a 17,000-acre lake that is popular with swimmers, water-skiers, and fishermen during the warm summer months. A museum and tourist information center is also located at the state park. To reach the park, follow U.S. 34 west to Madison Avenue northbound, which connects to the park headquarters via Larimer County Route 24E east and County Route 11C north. To reach the east shore of the lake, use Boyd Lake Avenue northbound. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 cross over the Big Thompson River, which winds its way east from the high country in Rocky Mountain National Park, through the town of Estes Park, and then into Big Thompson Canyon en route to Loveland. The river continues east to merge with the South Platte River. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| From northbound Interstate 25/U.S. 87, there are three major routes to Rocky Mountain National Park: (1) U.S. 36 (Denver-Boulder Turnpike) northwest, (2) Colorado 66 west, and (3) U.S. 34 west. U.S. 34 travels due west to Estes Park via Big Thompson Canyon. On the west side of Estes Park, U.S. 34 enters Rocky Mountain National Park. Once in the park, U.S. 34 connects onto Trail Ridge Road, which crosses the Continental Divide via one of the highest roads in the country. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Northbound Interstate 25/U.S. 87 reaches Exit 257A, Junction U.S. 34 east to the city of Greeley. The next exit in this cloverleaf interchange is Exit 257B, Junction U.S. 34 (Eisenhower Boulevard) west to Boyd Lake State Park, Loveland, Estes Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The second offramp in this interchange is Exit 257B, which connects northbound Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 to westbound U.S. 34 (Eisenhower Boulevard) to Loveland and points west. U.S. 34 west terminates at its junction with U.S. 40 in Granby on the western slope of the Front Range, southwest of Grand Lake. During winter months, U.S. 34 west is closed over Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, so Interstate 70 and U.S. 40 is a suitable alternate route to Granby and Grand Lake. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The next exit along northbound is Exit 259, Crossroads Boulevard. Use this exit to reach the Fort Collins-Loveland Airport: Follow Crossroads Boulevard west to the western frontage road, then turn north on the I-25 frontage road until Earhart Road. Turn west on Earhart Road, which leads directly into the airport. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| In addition to the airport, Exit 259 also serves the Larimer County Events Center and Fairgrounds, which appears on the east side of the freeway, so use Crossroads Boulevard east to the events center and county fairgrounds. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Northbound Interstate 25/U.S. 87 reaches Exit 259, Crossroads Boulevard. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The next exit along northbound Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 is Exit 262, Junction Colorado 392 East and Larimer County Route 32 West. Colorado 392 is an east-west state route that travels east from Interstate 25 to Windsor, at the junction with Colorado 257. From there Colorado 392 connects to U.S. 85 at Lucerne and continues east toward Barnesville. To the west, Larimer County Route 32 travels past Duck Lake to become Carpenter Road, which meets U.S. 287 midway between the cities of Loveland and Fort Collins. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Northbound Interstate 25/U.S. 87 reaches Exit 262, Junction Colorado 392 east to Windsor. A short distance east of the interchange along Colorado 392 is the Ptarmigan Country Club. This unusual word "Ptarmigan" refers to "small chicken-like birds which live year round in the arctic lands, and are found most commonly on tundra hiding in rocks or bushes." (Source: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Arctic Studies Center). The country club features a golf course and small housing community. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The next four exits serve the city of Fort Collins, which is the last suburbanized area along the string of cities from the Denver metropolitan area north along the Interstate 25 corridor. North of Fort Collins, Interstate 25/U.S. 87 enjoys a more rural setting with far lower traffic counts on the way toward Cheyenne, Wyoming. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The first exit to serve Fort Collins along northbound is Exit 265, Harmony Road. Until 2005, Harmony Road was part of the state highway system (Colorado 68, which connected U.S. 287/College Avenue and Interstate 25/U.S. 87). The highway was returned to local control, and Colorado 68 was decommissioned. Photos taken 08/31/04 and 11/12/05.
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| Immediately after the Harmony Road interchange is a rest area (Exit 266), which is the last rest area along northbound Interstate 25/U.S. 87 in Colorado. In addition, a welcome center is located at Exit 268 (Prospect Road). Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Fort Collins is home to 126,848 people (2003 estimate published on the official city webpage), rests at an average elevation of 5,000 feet above sea level, and is perhaps best known as the home of Colorado State University, one of the largest universities in the state. The university is located on the northwest corner of the intersection of U.S. 287/College Avenue and Prospect Road, so the most direct route to the university campus is via Exit 268, Prospect Road. However, this route can be congested, and both Colorado 68 (Harmony Road, Exit 266) and Colorado 14 (Mulberry Street, Exit 269) are faster routes that both connect to U.S. 287/College Avenue. Hughes Stadium, where Colorado State University football is played, is located near the west edge of the city. This makes it a bit more difficult to reach from the freeway. The most direct route is to take Prospect Road west to Overland Trail south, but another option is to take Exit 266, Harmony Road west to Taft Hill Road north to Drake Road west to Overland Trail north. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Northbound Interstate 25/U.S. 87 reaches Exit 268, Junction Colorado 68 (Harmony Road). Use Harmony Road west to U.S. 287/College Avenue, southern Fort Collins, Colorado State University (via U.S. 287 north), Front Range Community College (at intersection with Shields Street), and Horsetooth Reservoir. Fort Collins is "The Choice City," and it was incorporated as a town in 1873, only nine years after it was founded as a military fort in 1864. As a city today, Fort Collins encompasses over 51.28 square miles of area. Its weather is relatively moderate, with nearly 300 days of sunshine and approximately 14.5 inches of precipitation (rainfall and snowfall combined) annually. Photos taken 08/31/04 and 11/12/05.
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| The next exit along northbound Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 is the last rest area located in the state of Colorado. At Exit 268, a Colorado welcome center is available, and the Wyoming Welcome Center is available at Exit 7, Junction Business Loop I-25 and Wyoming 212. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| A state patrol station is also available at the Rest Area interchange (Milepost 266). Despite the proximity of the Front Range urban area (such as Loveland and Fort Collins, both large cities), Interstate 25 remains far enough to the east that most development stays closer to the mountains. As development increases, however, it can be expected to see more housing and commercial development spread east toward the freeway corridor. Already, traffic counts on Interstate 25 dictate that the freeway should be expanded to include at least one more lane in each direction, and further expansion may be necessary in the future as the area continues to grow. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Northbound Interstate 25 (U.S. 87) approaches Exit 266, Rest Area. Continue north to Exit 268 for the Colorado Welcome Center and tourist information. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Indeed, the next blue service sign indicates that next exit (Exit 268, Prospect Road) connects to the Colorado Welcome Center. Upon exiting, follow the signs to the visitor information center. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The next exit along northbound Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 is Exit 268, Prospect Road. Use Prospect Road west to Fort Collins. As part of its governmental services, the city of Fort Collins provides for electricity for its residents. Along with three other regional municipalities (Estes Park, Longmont, and Loveland), the city is part of the Platte River Power Authority . This authority transmits hydroelectric power generated through the Western Area Power Administration, and it also has generating facilities in the Front Range, in Craig (coal fire) and in Medicine Bow, Wyoming (wind turbines). Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Immediately prior to the exit ramp to Exit 268, Prospect Road, is the exit to the last weigh station along Interstate 25 (U.S. 87) in Colorado along northbound. Another weigh station (called a Port of Entry in Wyoming) is located north of the state line, after the first Wyoming exit. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| As noted earlier, Prospect Road is another good route to Colorado State University, and it is also the most direct. Follow Prospect Road west directly to the campus in the heart of Fort Collins. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Northbound Interstate 25 (U.S. 87) reaches Exit 268, Prospect Road. The next interchange along the freeway serves major east-west arterial Colorado 14 at Exits 269A-B. Colorado 14 travels west to Fort Collins and east toward Sterling along the South Platte River on the Interstate 76 corridor in Northeastern Colorado. Exit 269B is the final Fort Collins exit; from there northward, the traffic counts of Interstate 25 decrease significantly, and the freeway enters a more rural atmosphere. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| For travelers en route to central Wyoming, use Colorado 14 west (Exit 269B) to U.S. 287 north. U.S. 287, which has been paralleling Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 since leaving downtown Denver, angles northwest from Fort Collins. This federal highway is a much faster route to Laramie, Wyoming, since it cuts off the trip to Cheyenne. The distance to Laramie from Fort Collins is around 65 miles via U.S. 287, while the distance to Laramie via Cheyenne (using Interstate 25 north and Interstate 80 west) can add another half hour to 45 minutes to the trip. U.S. 287 is also the best route to all central and northwestern Wyoming destinations, including Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Follow U.S. 287 north to Laramie, Interstate 80 northwest to Rawlins, and U.S. 287 from there northwest to the national parks via Lander. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| To the east (Exit 269A), Colorado 14 serves the plains of northern and northeastern Colorado, leaving Larimer County, passing through Ault and several other small Weld County communities, and ending in Sterling, the seat of Logan County. The highway passes ranches and farms as well as land preserved as part of the Pawnee National Grassland. At Sterling, Colorado 14 ends at its junction with Business Loop I-76 and U.S. 6. U.S. 6 picks up the trajectory of Colorado 14, and the federal highway continues due east toward Holyoke in Phillips County and thence onward to Nebraska. U.S. 138, which begins in Sterling and follows the South Platte River and Interstate 76, angles northeast from Sterling to join transcontinental routes Interstate 80 and U.S. 30 near Big Springs. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| After the ramp to eastbound Colorado 14, northbound Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 reach the offramp to Colorado 14 west. Colorado 14 west joins with U.S. 287 north, and the two routes pass the community of Laporte before splitting. U.S. 287 continues northwest into Laramie, Wyoming, while Colorado 14 again turns west, into the mountains. The highway becomes a beautiful, scenic corridor that follows the Cache La Poudre River through the Roosevelt National Forest. Colorado 14 ascends to an elevation of 10,276 feet as its crosses Colorado's section of the Medicine Bow Mountains (which include the Snowy Range west of Laramie in Wyoming) at Cameron Pass. Continuing west, Colorado 14 descends into a basin, where it passes through the town of Walden (Junction Colorado 125). The long state highway comes to an end at U.S. 40 near Rabbit Ears Pass (elevation 9,426 feet, the Continental Divide) southeast of Steamboat Springs, a world famous ski resort town. U.S. 40 then continues west toward Craig and thence onward to Utah. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The next exit along northbound Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 is Exit 271, Mountain Vista Drive. Use Mountain Vista Drive to reach the Anheuser Busch brewery, which is located near the west frontage road of Interstate 25. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Northbound Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 reaches Exit 271, Mountain Vista Drive. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Nearly seven miles separate the exits for Mountain Vista Drive (Exit 271) and Junction Colorado 1 (Exit 278). During this distance, settlements become a bit more sporadic, and agriculture that was fairly common along the Front Range becomes less and less common. By the time Interstate 25 reaches Wyoming, almost all of the land is used for ranching instead of farming. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Northbound Interstate 25/U.S. 87 reach Exit 278, Junction Colorado 1. Colorado 1 is a fairly short route today, but that belies its history as an important corridor that spanned the state along today's Interstate 25 and U.S. 85-87 route. Colorado 1 gradually lost significance as the U.S. numbered highways came into existence; much of it was cosigned with U.S. 87 or U.S. 85 until (possibly) the mid-1960s. Prior to the relocation of U.S. 87 onto Interstate 25 in the 1960s, today's Colorado 1 follows the old alignment of U.S. 87. (U.S. 87 used to follow today's U.S. 287 route from 1936 until the mid-1960s.) Between 1940 and the mid-1960s, U.S. 87 was merged with U.S. 287 between Denver and Fort Collins. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| At the top of the offramp from northbound Interstate 25/U.S. 87 to Exit 278, Junction Colorado 1 is this guide sign pointing the way to the community of Wellington. Some services are available at this exit, but there are not too many more services north of here on Interstate 25 until reaching the urban area of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Photo taken 02/02/02.
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| It is only 20 miles from the Wellington exit (junction Colorado 1) north to the Colorado-Wyoming State Line. Unlike most other mileage signs in the state, this sign shows the destination and control cities in all capital letters. Cheyenne is now the official control city as Interstate 25 takes aim toward Wyoming. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The next exit along northbound Interstate 25 is Exit 281, Junction Larimer County Route 70, Owl Canyon Road. This county route travels west toward Owl Canyon, where it meets U.S. 287. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Northbound Interstate 25/U.S. 87 reach Exit 281, Junction Larimer County Route 70, Owl Canyon Road at this diamond interchange. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The next exit along northbound is Exit 288, Junction Larimer County Route 82, Buckeye Road. This exit serves local ranches and farms, and no services are available at this interchange. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Northbound Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 reach Exit 288, Junction Larimer County Route 82, Buckeye Road. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The next exit along northbound Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 is Exit 293, Junction Weld County Route 128 east to Carr and west to Larimer County Route 29 and Norfolk. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 turn a bit to the northeast, enough so that the freeway leaves Larimer County and re-enters Weld County. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Northbound Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 reaches Exit 293, Junction Weld County Route 128 east to Carr and west to Larimer County Route 29 and Norfolk. There is very little at Norfolk, but Carr is a small farming and ranching community. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| This mileage sign provides the distance to the Wyoming State Line (five miles) and the city of Cheyenne (16 miles). Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| Some badlands and rock formations appear on the east side of Interstate 25. Photo taken 08/31/04.
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| The Terry Ranch buffalo appears as a silhouette on a nearby hill. We are almost out of the Centennial State of Colorado and nearly in the Equality State of Wyoming. Photos taken 08/31/04.
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| A sea of billboards awaits northbound travelers as Interstate 25 passes Milepost 299 and enters Wyoming, the Equality State. A vehicle turnout is located immediately prior to the state line and "Welcome to Wyoming" sign. Photos taken 08/31/04.
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Page Updated December 2, 2005.
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