AZ-85

AZ-85

State Route 85 (SR 85) is a 128.86-mile-long (207.38 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Arizona. The highway runs from the United States–Mexico border near Lukeville to the north ending at Interstate 10 (I-10) in Buckeye. The highway also intersects I-8 in Gila Bend and serves as a connector between I-8 and I-10 and for travelers between Phoenix and Yuma as well as San Diego. SR 85 between I-10 and I-8, as well as I-8 between SR 85 and I-10 in Casa Grande, is touted as a bypass of the Phoenix area for long-distance travelers on I-10. SR 85 was established in 1936 as a route between Gila Bend and Ajo. It was extended southward to the Mexican border in 1955, and was extended northward to Phoenix when it replaced U.S. Route 80 (US 80) in 1977. The northern end of the highway was realigned in 1994 onto the connecting highway between I-10 and Buckeye. The remaining portion of the highway between Buckeye and Phoenix was gradually turned over to the cities and county along the route during the 1990s, with the final portion turned over in 2001.

Update this biography »
Complete biography of AZ-85 »