Nevada State Route 207 Explained

State:NV
Type:NV
Route:207
Alternate Name:Kingsbury Grade
Map:Nevada 207 map.svg
Map Notes:Nevada State Route 207, highlighted in red
Map Alt:Nevada State Route 207 starts near the shores of Lake Tahoe and runs east through Daggett Pass to meet SR206 near Minden.
Length Mi:11.082
Length Round:3
Length Ref:[1]
Established:1976
Direction A:West
Terminus A: at Stateline-Kingsbury line
Direction B:East
Previous Type:NV
Previous Route:206
Next Type:NV
Next Route:208

State Route 207 (SR 207) is an 11.082miles state highway in western Douglas County, Nevada, United States. Commonly known as the Kingsbury Grade, it is one of three Nevada highways that connect the western edge of the state to the Lake Tahoe region through the Carson Range. The route was part of State Route 19 prior to 1976.

Route description

SR 207 begins at a junction with U.S. Route 50 in Stateline, less than 1miles from the California state line near the southern shores of Lake Tahoe. From there, the route heads eastward on an uphill climb through the Kingsbury area to travel through Daggett Pass (elevation 7344feet).[2]

After exiting the pass, SR 207 continues its trek eastward through Toiyabe National Forest lands. It goes through several switchbacks, eventually turning southward as it descends the mountains. The road goes down an escarpment to the Carson Valley floor. SR 207 comes to an end at its junction with Foothill Road (SR 206), at the site of Mottsville west of Gardnerville.[1] [3]

History

See also: Nevada State Route 19.

A road connecting Lake Tahoe to the Carson Valley, situated in the approximate location of today's SR 207, appears on Nevada state maps as early as 1919.[4] By 1929, this unimproved road was included in the state highway system as the northwestern end of the former SR 19, a longer route stretching from Lake Tahoe through Minden and south to the California state line near Holbrook.[5] This section of the former SR 19 was 13miles long,[6] about 9miles of which comprised the Kingsbury Grade portion of highway.[7] SR 19 through the mountains remained unimproved for many years; the route was not paved until 1967.[8] By 1968, the eastern end of the Kingsbury Grade was moved southwards to line up with what is now Mottsville Lane, mirroring the approximately 11miles alignment of the present highway.[9]

Following the realignment, the Kingsbury Grade section of SR 19 was not altered until the 1976 renumbering of Nevada's state highway system on July 1, 1976. In that process, this portion of SR 19 was assigned to the new SR 207.[10] This change was first seen on state highway maps in 1978.[11] Also included in the new SR 207 was the 3miles section of Mottsville Lane which connects Kingsbury Grade to SR 88, making SR 207 about 14miles long; however, this section appears to have been removed from the route by 1983.[12] The route has been largely unchanged since.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: State Maintained Highways of Nevada: Descriptions and Maps. Nevada Department of Transportation. Nevada Department of Transportation. Jan 2017. 6 May 2017.
  2. Kingsbury and Zephyr Cove Area . Nevada Department of Transportation . 2007 . 30 May 2011.
  3. Quadrangle 7-12 . Nevada Department of Transportation . 1997 . 30 May 2011.
  4. Road Map of the State of Nevada. Nevada Department of Highways. 1919 . 3 Jun 2011.
  5. Highway Map  - State of Nevada. Nevada Department of Highways. 1929. 3 Jun 2011.
  6. Official Road Map of the State of Nevada. Nevada Department of Highways. 1936. 3 Jun 2011.
  7. Official Road Map of the State of Nevada. Nevada Department of Highways. 1941. 3 Jun 2011.
  8. 1967 Official Highway Map of Nevada. Nevada Department of Highways. E1. 1967. 3 Jun 2011.
  9. 1968 Official Highway Map of Nevada. Nevada Department of Highways. Lake Tahoe Region. 1968. 3 Jun 2011.
  10. Book: Nevada's State Maintained Highways: Descriptions, Index and Maps. 2001. Nevada Department of Transportation. 101.
  11. Official Highway Map of Nevada. Nevada Department of Highways. Lake Tahoe Region. 1978. 1978-1979. 3 Jun 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20150122214240/http://contentdm.library.unr.edu/u?%2Fhmaps%2C535. 22 January 2015. dead.
  12. Official Highway Map of Nevada. Nevada Department of Transportation . Lake Tahoe Region. 1983. 1983-1984. 3 Jun 2011.