Nevada State Route 375, Desert highway in Lincoln County, United States
Nevada State Route 375, the Extraterrestrial Highway, is a two-lane asphalt road running 98.414 miles (158.382 km) from State Route 318 at Crystal Springs northwest to US 6 at Warm Springs in Nye and Lincoln counties. It crosses desert terrain along the northern edge of the Nellis Air Force Range, climbing Hancock Summit (5,592 ft), Coyote Summit (5,591 ft) and Queen City Summit (5,935 ft), its highest point. A green sign near the route reads "EXTRATERRESTRIAL HIGHWAY" with a flying-saucer drawing.
An unimproved road along the present alignment existed by 1932 as State Route 25A, renumbered State Route 25 in 1933. A section through the Tonopah bombing range was closed to the public by 1950, and the west end was realigned to Warm Springs by 1957. The route was fully paved by 1958 and became State Route 375 in the 1976 renumbering, first shown on the 1978 state map. The Extraterrestrial Highway name was officially adopted in February 1996.
The Little A'Le'Inn in Rachel, pronounced "alien", is the town's focal point, with a small motel, an alien-themed restaurant and bar, and extraterrestrial souvenirs. The state tourism commission's 1996 renaming campaign drew on stories of Area 51 and sightings in Tikaboo Valley. The 1996 film Independence Day premiered in Rachel on 18 April 1996, attended by actors Jeff Goldblum, Robert Loggia, Bill Pullman and Brent Spiner, with a time capsule sealed until 2050.
SR 375 runs 98.4 miles between the SR 318 junction at Crystal Springs and US 6 at Warm Springs, with Rachel near the midpoint as the main stop for fuel and supplies. The two-lane road has long straight stretches and summits at Hancock (5,592 ft), Coyote (5,591 ft) and Queen City (5,935 ft). The speed limit is 70 mph, and only about 200 vehicles use the route daily.
The route crosses the Alamo Breccia, a Devonian rock formation linked to a meteorite impact about 360 million years ago. Geologist John E. Warme noted that the highway threatens the site to the west, while parts to the north stay unstudied inside Area 51.
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