U.S. Route 54 (US 54) is an east–west United States Highway that runs northeast–southwest for from El Paso, Texas, to Griggsville, Illinois. The Union Pacific Railroad's Tucumcari Line (former Southern Pacific and Rock Island Lines "Golden State Route") runs parallel to US 54 from El Paso to Pratt, Kansas, which comprises about two-thirds of the route. The highway's western (and southern) terminus is in the city of El Paso, near the Mexican border and the eastern terminus is at Interstate 72 (I-72) in Griggsville. Route description |- | (El Paso) | |- | | |- | (Panhandle) | |- | | |- | | |- | | |- | | |- |Total | |} Texas (El Paso) US 54 begins in El Paso at Loop 375 downtown. (US 54/Patriot Freeway) The highway serves as a major freeway for the Metro area's network, running north–south along the city's eastern slope of the Franklin Mountains range. The highway runs through the city for approximately before reaching the New Mexico state line. Within the network, it is a military connector for Fort Bliss and Holloman Air Force Base. New Mexico US 54 enters New Mexico in Chaparral as part of the El Paso, Texas Metro area network. It also serves as a military highway to connect Fort Bliss in El Paso to Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, New Mexico (via U.S. Route 70). The speed limit is 75 mph on the divided highway section upon entering the state to approximately south of Alamogordo, with a 35 mph zone in Orogrande. Upon entering Alamogordo, US 54 becomes concurrent with U.S. Route 70. US 54/US 70 then intersects the beginning of U.S. Route 82 at the north end of Alamogordo (near La Luz). The limit is 60 mph from Alamogordo to Tularosa and 55 mph north of Tularosa, where the concurrency with US 70 ends, and the highway reverts to being two lanes wide and not divided. The highway runs north through the central portion of the state, passing through Carrizozo and intersecting U.S. Route 380. The route then turns northeast before passing through Vaughn. Upon entering Vaughn, the route is briefly concurrent with U.S. Route 60 and U.S. Route 285. In Vaughn, US 285 splits off to the south. Exiting Vaughn, US 60 splits off to the southeast, and the route continues northeast to Santa Rosa where it becomes concurrent with Interstate 40.