Nevada State Route 376

State Route 376
Tonopah–Austin Road
Route information
Maintained by NDOT
Length:	99.810 mi[1] (160.629 km)
Existed:	1976 – present
History:	Established as part of SR 8A by 1929
Major junctions
South end:	US 6 east of Tonopah
North end:	US 50 southeast of Austin
Highway system
Highways in Nevada Interstate U.S. State pre-1976 Scenic ← SR 375 SR 377 →

State Route 376 (SR 376) is a 100-mile (160 km) state highway in central Nevada in the United States. It connects U.S. Route 6 (US 6) near Tonopah north to U.S. Route 50 near Austin. The Tonopah–Austin Road existed as early as 1919, and was designated the southernmost segment of State Route 8A before being renumbered to SR 376 in 1976.

Route description

View south along State Route 376 near US 50

The southern terminus of State Route 376 is located about 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Tonopah on US 6 in western Nye County. From there, the highway heads north through the Ralston Valley for about 13 miles (21 km). The route then curves westward around some mountains to enter the southern end of the Big Smoky Valley. SR 376 continues northeastward through the center of the valley, providing access to Manhattan (via State Route 377) and Round Mountain.^[2]

First reassurance sign along northbound SR 376

Passing the Round Mountain turnoff, SR 376 shifts to the west edge of Big Smoky Valley, passing through Carvers in the process. The highway passes east of the Arc Dome, the highest point of the Toiyabe Range.^[3] Following the base of the Toiyabe mountains, the route continues northward for several miles to enter Lander County near the community of Kingston. 16 miles (26 km) north of Kingston, State Route 376 reaches its northern terminus at a junction with US 50 about 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Austin.^[2]

History

SR 376 was previously the southernmost segment of State Route 8A

Roads linking Tonopah to Austin appear on Nevada maps as early as 1919, although it the exact composition of the route and its highway number was not clearly distinguished.^[4] By 1929, a mostly-unimproved route connecting Tonopah to US 50 east of Austin had been clearly established as the southern portion of State Route 8A. This early iteration of the route passed directly through Manhattan and Round Mountain.^[5] By 1933, the routing of SR 8A had bypassed the two towns to the west.^[6] The southern terminus of the highway was moved 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Tonopah on US 6 by 1937.^[7] SR 8A had become a paved highway throughout its entire length by 1950.^[8]

State Route 8A remained relatively unchanged for many years after it was paved. However, the route number was changed in the 1976 renumbering of Nevada's state highways. The SR 8A designation was eliminated and replaced by State Route 376 on July 1, 1976.^[9] This change was first seen on the 1978–79 version of Nevada's state highway map.^[10] The highway has not been changed since its renumbering.

Major intersections

Note: Mileposts in Nevada reset at county lines. The start and end mileposts for each county are given in the county column.

County	Location	mi[11]	km	Destinations	Notes
Nye 0.00-81.75	​	0.00	0.00	US 6 – Tonopah, Ely
	​			Belmont Road – Belmont	former SR 82
	​			SR 377 – Manhattan
	​			Round Mountain Road – Round Mountain
Lander 0.00-18.06	​	18.06	29.06	US 50 – Austin, Eureka
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Other segments of former State Route 8A:

• State Route 140, the northern segment that ran west from U.S. Route 95 via Denio to northwestern Nevada.
• State Route 305, the central segment that ran from Austin to Battle Mountain.

References

1. "State Maintained Highways of Nevada: Descriptions and Maps". Nevada Department of Transportation. January 2012. Retrieved 4 Feb 2012.
2. Official Highway Map of Nevada (Map) (2007–08 ed.). Nevada Department of Transportation. 2007. § C3,C4,D3.
3. "Toiyabe Dome Reset". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
4. Road Map of the State of Nevada (Map). Nevada Department of Highways. 1919. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
5. Highway Map, State of Nevada (Map). 1" = 25 mi. Nevada Department of Highways. 1929. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
6. Official Road Map of Nevada (Map). Nevada State Highway Department. 1933. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
7. Official Road Map of the State of Nevada (Map). Nevada Department of Highways. 1937. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
8. Official Highway Map of Nevada (Map). Nevada Department of Highways. 1950. § C4,D4,E4. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
9. Nevada State Maintained Highways: Descriptions, Index and Maps. Nevada Department of Transportation. January 2001. p. 112.
10. Official Highway Map of Nevada (Map) (1978–79 ed.). Nevada State Highway Department. 1978. § C3,C4,D3. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
11. Nevada Department of Transportation (May 2008). "Maps of Milepost Location on Nevada's Federal and State Highway System by County" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-04-13.