U.S. Route 50 (US 50) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that travels from West Sacramento, California, to Ocean City, Maryland.

After turning onto two east–west one-way streets (Ute and Pitkin Avenues); U.S. Highway 50 detaches itself from Interstate 70 Business, crosses the Colorado River and travels as an expressway, through suburban Grand Junction, to the cities of Delta and Montrose.

Leaving Grand Junction and the area known as Orchard Mesa, the highway descends into the community of Whitewater and the Gunnison River valley.

Then highway 50 heads towards Montrose in the Uncompahgre River valley, passing through Olathe as an expressway bypass.

The route then junctions with U.S. Highway 550 and turns east onto the San Juan Avenue bypass and then onto Main St. heading eastward out of Montrose.

3 miles (4.8 km) north of the stream crossing, where Blue Creek empties into the Gunnison River, is the Curecanti Needle, a striking rock formation that is the symbol of the now defunct Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.

The needle is now accessible only by boat since the abandoned railroad line was flooded by Morrow Point Lake, formed by the completion of the Crystal Dam in 1976.

After descending from Monarch Pass, the highway enters the Arkansas River Valley near the town of Salida.

Before the highway climbs uphill and leaves the canyon, Parkdale, Colorado is home to rafting, mining and a recreational area along the river.

Fremont County Road 3A leads to the rim of the Royal Gorge and its famous suspension bridge.

It was built in 1929 and remains a popular tourist attraction that reopened to the public in 2014 after a devastating fire destroyed much of the surrounding park in 2013.

As the highway heads east across the plains, it generally follows the path of the Arkansas River until it reaches Kansas.

Along the route it passes through several small communities including Fowler, Rocky Ford and La Junta.

Just beyond La Junta, the highway passes Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site where travelers can find information about life on the plains.

The highway continues on to Las Animas, Colorado, home of the Boggsville Historic Site, and Lamar.