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''For the original U.S. Route 163 which ran in Iowa between 1934 and 1937, go to Iowa Highway 163.''
'U.S. Route 163' is a U.S. Highway, commissioned in 1971, that runs 64 miles (103 km) through Utah and Arizona. Forty Four (70.8km) of its length is also inside the Navajo Nation. Its route number is a "violation" of the usual AASHTO numbering scheme, as it comes nowhere near its implied "parent", U.S. Route 63. The highway cuts through the heart of Monument Valley and has been featured in numerous movies and comercials.

Contents

Route description

Arizona

Utah

Route History

References

Route description

Arizona

US 163 begins at Kayenta in Navajo County and travels due north until it reaches Monument Valley where it reaches the Utah state line.

Utah

The Utah portion of the highway begins in monument valley, in San Juan County. The highway proceeds North East until the town of Mexican Hat where the highway both crosses the San Juan River and exits the Navajo Nation. From Mexican Hat the highway travels due East to its terminous in Bluff. The entire length of US 163 in Utah has been designated the 'Bluff to Monument Valley Scenic byway' by the Utah State Legislature ^[2]
;Legal definition
The Utah section of U.S. 163 is defined at Utah Code Annotated § 72-4-122(3).^[3]

Route History

The highway was formed in 1971 as part of a re-alignment of US highways in the Four Corners region. Prior to 1971 the Arizona portion of what is now US-163 was designated Arizona State Route 464^[4]. Prior to 1971, the Utah portion was designated Utah State Route 47 which extended to Monticello, Utah at a junction with U.S. Route 160.^[5] With the re-alignment US 160 was re-routed into Arizona instead of Utah. US 163 also absorbed the former route of US 160 to its former terminus at I 70 at Crescent Junction. In 1982, U.S. Route 191 was formed
and Utah truncated US 163 at Bluff.^[6] Utah truncated US-163 without approval from AASHTO, as such, by AASHTO's logs 163 still ends at Crescent Junction with I 70^[7]

References

1. US Highways from US 1 to US 830 Robert V. Droz
2. http://www.utah.com/byways/monument_valley.htm Utah Travel Council, Last Checked 29 Aug 2007
3. [1]
4. http://www.arizonaroads.com/us/us163.html Arizona Roads by Alan Hamalton, Last Checked 29-08-2007
5. http://members.aol.com/utahhwys/041-060.htm#rte047 Utah Highways by Dan Stober, Last Checked 29 August 2007
6. http://www.geocities.com/usend9099/End191/end191.htm US Highway Ends by Mapguy, Last Checked 29 AUG 2007
7. http://www.geocities.com/usend6069/End163/end163.htm US Highway Ends by Mapguy, Last Checked 29 AUG 2007