Length: 47.862 mi.

County: Grant, Sierra, Doña Ana

History: Route 26 is an original state route, and included this route from Deming to Nutt, and present-day NM-27. Originally it may have followed a road north from Hillsboro along the east flank of the Black Range and then east into Hot Springs (Truth or Consequences). This road no longer shows on a map. It then followed what became NM-52 east through Engel, and over the mountain to Tularosa. In 1927, it was cut back to Hillsboro. Some time in the 1940s, the routes north and east from Nutt (originally designated NM-27) were reversed and NM-26 was routed to Hatch.

Improvements: Paved, two lane

Comments: This is an important shortcut between I-10 west of Deming and I-25 north of Hatch. Two-lane but improvements to shoulders are underway. Posted 65 mph west of Hatch.

Length: 30.200 miles

County: Grant, Sierra

History: This was an original, pre-1927 route. Route 27 ran from Nutt to Hatch along present-day NM-26, and the designation stayed the same until the 1940s. At that time, the routes north and east from Nutt were reversed and NM-27 was routed toward Hillsboro.

Improvements: Paved, two lane

Photo taken south of Mesilla

Length: 30.346 miles

County: Doña Ana

History: One of the original routes, it terminated at Mesquite until the mid-1930s when it was extended to Las Cruces. U.S. 85 was routed onto a new alignment some time around the late 1930s, and the old alignment was first designated as NM-134 and soon afterward an extension of NM-28. The extension through Doña Ana was removed from the state system, probably around 1988.

Improvements: Two lane, paved

Comments: This is a pleasant drive through the lower Rio Grande Valley. It passes through historic Mesilla and the Staumann Farms pecan orchards, among the largest in the world.

(2) South terminus: NM-3 at Duran
North terminus: U.S. 70/60 at Vaughn (1930?-34)

Length (1): ~10 miles; (2): 17 miles

County: (1): San Miguel; (2): Torrance, Guadalupe

History: When the U.S. highway system was established in 1927, Route 3 in northeast New Mexico was rerouted from what became U.S. 54 to its current more north-south alignment. At first, NM-29 was established along a route from Villanueva to Bernal, which later became NM-3, and NM-3 ran from Vaughn to Anton Chico. When NM-3 was rerouted along its current more westerly route by 1930, the NM-29 designation was moved to the piece of old Route 3 between Duran and Vaughn, which was not then part of U.S. 54. This route became part of the extension of U.S. 54 around 1934.

Improvements: Gravel during this time period.

Comments: See also original NM-30. The original segment of NM-29 is no longer in the state highway system since NM-3 was rerouted from Villanueva northwest to Ribera.

Photo taken at NM-17 in Chama.

Length 1.05 miles

County: Rio Arriba

History: This road appears to have been the original route to the Colorado border and beyond to the village of Chromo and ultimately to Pagosa Springs. It was originally designated as a leg of NM-17 and may have been temporarily removed from the state system in the 1930s. It was designated NM-29 some time in the 1940s. The road to Colorado existed until the 1970s at least, but does not show on a detailed current state atlas.

Improvements: Never paved, except for a segment at Chama.

Comments: This road does not show on the 2003 official New Mexico highway map, but from its current signage (6-2004) appears to still be a state route.

Length: ~20 miles

County: San Miguel

History: Established by 1927 along a route that probably no longer exists as a passable road. The segment from Ribera southeast to Villanueva is now NM-3, while part of the road near Anton Chico is now NM-119.

Improvements: Poor quality dirt road during this time period.

Comments: There appears to be no remnant of this road today between Villanueva and Anton Chico.

Length: 8.949 miles

County: Santa Fe, Rio Arriba

History: It's unclear when this road was first designated as such. In the mid-30s, NM-5 extended down the south half of this road to (then) NM-4. It was designated NM-30 by the 1950s.

Improvements: Two lane, paved

Comments:

Length: 22.676 mi.

County: Eddy

History: The current route has no connection to the original route. Original Route 31 extended from Route 2 at Hagerman to Lovington. The original route was extended south along what is now a county road and part of NM-360 to U.S. 62-180, then down the route that presently comprises 31. In the 1988 renumbering, the original route was renamed NM-249.

Improvements: Two lane, paved

Comments:

Length 41.323 mi

County: Catron

History: Original Route 32 ran north from Quemado toward Inscription Rock. By the mid-1930s, the southward extension to NM-12 had been established. Some time in the 1940s, the road north of U.S. 60 was redesignated NM-117 and 32 was shifted to a more westerly route that went through Salt Lake and Fence Lake, taking a more direct route into Gallup. In the 1988 renumbering, 32 was terminated at U.S. 60, and its former route was renumbered 601, 36, and 602 into Gallup.

Improvements: Two lane, paved

Comments:

(2) West terminus: NM-24 at Piñon
East terminus: NM-83 (U.S. 82) E of Elk

Length: (1): 45 mi; (2): 26 mi.

County: Otero, Chaves

History: First incarnation established by 1927, ran from north of Alamogordo through Cloudcroft east to what was then NM-34. When the original NM-33 and 34 east to the Texas border was renumbered NM-83 in the early 1930s, the NM-33 designation was moved onto the piece of former NM-34 that had run from Pinon to Elk. By 1940s, it was renumbered as an extension of NM-24, its current designation.

Comments: I can't tell if this route and NM-24 ended at the same spot or if 24 extended further southeast. The original NM-33 is now part of U.S. 82.

Length: ~100 mi.

County: Otero, Chaves, Lea

History: Part established pre-1927, combined with a road from old NM-3 to Orogrande by 1927. The entire route was shown on a 1932 map as "Poor Road." The segment from near Elk east to Lovington was combined with NM-33 and renumbered NM-83 by 1932, but the remaining piece to the Texas border kept the NM-34 designation probably until about 1944. That is when U.S. 62 was moved onto its current routing through Hobbs and U.S. 180 was extended into New Mexico from Texas, and NM-83 then took over the last piece of NM-34. The remaining section of NM-34 from Piñon to Elk became NM-33, and is now NM-24. The road east of Orogrande is now NM-506.

Comments:

Length: 20.2 miles

County: San Miguel

History: Established in the 1950s as a dirt road connecting U.S. 285 and U.S. 85. The portion in Santa Fe County was removed from the state highway system in 1990 and is designated as County Road 34.

Improvements: Only paved portion is the I-25 frontage road (likely old U.S. 85)

Comments:

County: McKinley, San Juan

History: Route 35 is one of the original state routes, estending from Gallup up to Bloomfield. The first modern NM-35 has a confused history with NM-56 north of the Chaco Canyon. The 1932 map shows 35 extending north through Chaco Canyon but 56 designating the last leg before intersecting 55. My guess is that it may have been routed over a primitive road that paralled 55. The 1936 map has the southern part called 164 and the northern part 56. Just to confuse things, in 1936 and on the official NM map from 1940 it is also shown on what is now NM-170 north of Farmington, and by the late 1930s this is the only remaining segment of original NM-35. The 1937 map has the entire route south of NM-44 as 35, and running from U.S. 550 to the Colorado border in 1940, but south of 44 it has been replaced by 56 by the late 1940s. The southern part of this route is part of NM-371, and from near Crownpoint to Chaco Canyon it includes Indian routes 9 and 14. From Chaco Canyon north it is NM-57 (but see the discussion for NM-57 concerning closure near Chaco Canyon).

Improvements: Dirt or primitive roads during the time this designation was active.

Comments: Very difficult to separate the history of original NM-35 from that of NM-56. See also NM-164. More maps from the early to mid-30s would be helpful.

Length: 27.52 mi.

County: Grant

History: Part of former NM-25 and NM-61. Portion that was NM-25 was redesignated around 1970 to eliminate duplication with I-25. NM-61 was probably truncated in 1988.

Improvements: Paved, two lane

Comments:

Photo taken October 2005 at W end of NM-117.

Length: 72.22 mi.

County: Catron, Cibola, McKinley

History: Originally ran along what is now NM-53 from the Arizona border to East of Zuni. At some point, 53 ws extended west and 36 was routed south from Zuni to NM-36, then southeast from Fence Lake to Pie Town. A northern extension from east of Zuni to NM-36 was established in the 1950s. By 1988, the segments from Zuni south (which does not show on a current detailed map) and from NM-53 north to NM-602 (old 32), which is Indian route 4, were removed from the state highway system. The designation 32 was rerouted in 1988 onto the southernmost leg of old NM-117, and the former route to Pie Town became NM-603.

Improvements: Paved, two lane

Comments: The current route does not include any portion of the original route.

Length: 14.162 mi.

County: Lincoln

History: First established c. 1930. Segment south of the junction with NM-48 attached to 48 in the 1988 renumbering.

Improvements: Paved, two lane

Comments:

Length: 29.266 mi.

County: Taos, Colfax

History: Established c. 1930 along its present route. Extended south to Mora mid-1930s. This southern segment was renumbered NM-434 in 1988.

Improvements: Two lane, paved

Comments: Passes just north of Wheeler Peak, highest point in New Mexico. Serves several ski areas, including Red River. Very scenic drive, and generally a good mountain road.

Length: 93.712 mi.

County: Quay, Harding, Colfax

History: Part of original route 39. (which ran south to near Mule Creek). Extended south to Grady in the mid-1930s. This segment renumbered NM-469 in 1988. A short-lived extension to U.S. 64-87 west of Capulin --- more or less present-day NM-193 --- existed in the early 1940s but was removed from the state system after a few years. NM-193 came along some years later.

Improvements: Paved, two lane

Comments:

County: Otero

History: This route existed briefly in the late 1920s, and appears to have been removed from the state system by the early 1930s.

Improvements: Appears to have been dirt in the late 1920s.

Comments: This road still exists as forest roads, but has not been a state highway since the early 1930s. This designation pre-1927 was used on the piece of the El Camino Real (King's Highway) that ran across the Jornada del Muerto, but that road was removed from the state highway system by 1927.

See also

Length: ~ 8 mi.

County: Curry

History: Established 1950s. Renumbered as NM-19 in 1988 to avoid duplication with I-40.

Comments: This road appears to provide access for farms on the far eastern edge of New Mexico.

Length: 62.091 mi.

County: Torrance, Santa Fe

History: Established on the alignment of original Route 41. The segment from Moriarty to Willard was U.S. 470 and then 366 from 1927 until 1939. Extended south from NM-15 or 10 in the late 1930s over former NM-161. This segment removed from state highway system around 1960. An extension north to Lamy existed from the 1960s to 1988.

Improvements: Two-lane paved.

Comments: With extension and subsequent removal of south end from state system, this route is about the same as when it was established in the 1920s.

Photo (windshield) taken at U.S. 54 in Corona, March 2008.

Length: 35.542 mi.

County: Lincoln, Torrance

History: Established by mid 1930s. Extended east over former NM-179 to U.S. 285 in the 1940s, then north from there to U.S. 60 near Yeso in the 1950s. In 1988, the segment from U.S. 285 to U.S. 60 was removed from the state highway system, and the segment between U.S. 54 and 285 was renumbered NM-247. The route therefore has reverted to its original termini.

Improvements: Two-lane, paved.

Comments:

County: Otero

History: This route existed briefly in the late 1920s, but by 1932 it was marked as an extension of NM-24. It kept this designation until 1988, when it became NM-244.

Improvements: Appears to have been dirt in the late 1920s.

Comments:

Length: Unknown (but short)

County: Sandoval

History: Dates of establishment and removal from the state highway system unknown. Probably existed into the 1990s, established before 1988.

Comment: I was advised of this route by Rick Ballentine, who indicated it appeared to be aligned over a bridge west of old NM-44 (now U.S. 550) that had been washed out and terminated on a mesa. One can find this designation marked on the USGS topo map. I wonder if the designation (one removed from 44) was accidental or intentional.

Length: 151.987 mi. (after 1988)

County: Sandoval, Rio Arriba, San Juan

History: Route 44 was an original state route from north of Albuquerque to Farmington. In the 1930s, between Cuba and Farmington NM-44 took a more northerly route through Canyon Largo, while the current alignment was designated NM-55. By the 1940s, 44 was on its final alignment north of U.S. 85. In the 1940s, it was connected to original NM-45 through Placitas ultimately to Cedar Crest, Its extension east of U.S. 85 (I-25) was renumbered in 1988 as NM-165 and as an extension of NM-536 (formerly just the Sandia Peak highway), and the segment between Bloomfield and Aztec, because it had a short common section with U.S. 64, was designated as a separate route, NM-544.

Comments: Because of its important connecting function, this road always carried a signficant amount of traffic. As a two-lane road, it was a dangerous road with a high accident rate. A common bumper sticker read, "Pray for me...I drive 44." New Mexico dedicated a considerable amount of money in the 1990s ($312 million) to upgrading the entire road over a several-year period, and once construction was complete renamed the road as an extension of U.S. 550.

County: Sandoval, Bernalillo

History: This route existed briefly in the late 1930s to the 1940s, but became the extension of NM-44 once the routes were connected.

Improvements: Apparently a dirt road.

Comments:

Length: 12.67 mi.

County: Bernalillo

History: Established in the 1940s. This follows Coors Road into the southwest side of Albuquerque.

Improvements: Paved, two lane except for four lane urban segments. Rerouted to the west to provide a direct connection with Coors Road.

Comments: This is confusing but there are two separate north-south roads running west of the Rio Grande in Albuquerque: Coors Road and Coors Blvd. Coors Blvd. (45) came in from the south and ended at Central Avenue. Coors Road. (previously marked NM-448) intersected Central about 1/2 mile west of Coors Blvd. The north end of Coors Blvd. was realigned in the 1990s to intersect Central at Coors Blvd., and NM-45 was moved onto the realigned road and terminates at Central. North of Central, Coors Road is a city street to a point north of I-40 and then becomes NM-448.

Length: ~10 mi.

County: Bernalillo, Sandoval

History: Established in the 1950s. Redesignated as an extension of NM-448 and NM-528 in the 1988 renumbering.

Comments: This road went through Corralles prior to the heavy development in the Rio Rancho area. Where it crossed the Rio Grande, it was called Corralles Road; now it is Alameda Blvd.

Length 59.644 mi.

County: Socorro, Valencia, Bernalillo

History: Established c. 1930 from south of Belen to Albuquerque (2nd and Central). Extended north along 2nd Street to the North Valley in the 1940s. That segment renumbered Alternate U.S. 85 from the 1950s to the 1980s. Redesignated as NM-47 in the mid-1980s. In the 1988 renumbering, the south end of NM-47 was shifted onto old NM-6 from Rio Communities southeast to U.S. 60 near Abo Pass. The south end of NM-47 was renumbered NM-304. Near Albuquerque, 47 was moved onto the route of old NM-361 along SE Broadway, eliminating a jog from SE Broadway to SW 2nd Street in the South Valley. The old routing of 47 along SW 2nd St. was redesignated NM-303 (now removed from highway system). NM-47 replaced 361 and a small part of NM-98 north on Broadway (where it now is connected to Edith Blvd.) to Candelaria, where it jogs west to 2nd Street NW.

Improvements: Paved, mostly two lane except for four lane urban segments such as south of Albuquerque

Comments: I'm curious about why the south end was shifted as it was, since it appers the straight route would have been to maintain 47 on its old route (however, the road bends onto the new routing). As noted above, there have been a number of changes in the routings of state highways in the downtown Albuquerque area. 47 is about the only survivor of the old routes through there. Also, even though the official elimination of Alternate U.S. 85 didn't happen until the 1980s, and maps continued to show this designation, I observed that NM-47 was marked in place of Alternate 85 around 1977. Its northern terminus is the end of its intersecting route, NM-556; in fact, there is a "South NM-556 - Tramway Blvd." * sign north of the intersection of 2nd and 4th Streets. NM-313 intersects 1/4 mile north of this point.

* Yes, the northbound route is marked southbound. NM-556 is consistently marked northbound north of I-40, even after the route bends west.

Length 22.14 mi.

County: Lincoln

History: Established c. 1930, running from NM-37 at Angus to U.S. 380 (then 566) at Capitan. Extended north and east to Roswell in the 1940s. The segment from Capitan to Roswell was renumbered NM-246 in the 1988 renumbering, and 48 was extended south to Hollywood over the southern part of NM-37.

Improvements: Paved, two lane

Comments: Maps from the 1950s are ambiguous about whether the Angus to Capitan segment was in the state system during this time. They don't show a route shield in this segment, but it is relatively short compared to the rest of the route as it then existed.

Length 6 mi.

County: Valencia

History: Probably established 1940s, when NM-6 was moved south from Los Lunas as an overlay of U.S. 85 to Belen, where it replaced old NM-52 going southeast. This arrangement probably existed until 1988, when the southerly extension of NM-6 was renumbered, and NM-6 was again extended east to Valencia.

Improvements: Paved, 2-lane

Comments:

Length: 6.028 mi.

County: Santa Fe, San Miguel

History: Until the 1940s, U.S. 84-85 went through Pecos along what is now NM-63 and NM-50. The designation NM-50 first shows up in the early 1950s after construction of the bypass around Pecos.

Improvements: Paved, two-lane

Comments: I have a map from the early 1980s that shows old U.S. 85 through Pecos as Alternate U.S. 84-85. This is the only map that shows this designation, and due to the date (after a time when U.S. alternates would have been used in New Mexico) I tend not to believe it.