Continental Divide on I-40 NM
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Description: Interstate 40 intersects the Continental Divide at a location known as Continental Divide, a place that holds particular significance as the Continental Divide is celebrated, marked, and frequented by travelers, whether by intention or by chance. The community of Continental Divide is situated at exit 47 on Interstate 40, approximately 47 miles from the Arizona border, 108 miles from Albuquerque, and positioned between exit 44 (Coolidge) and exit 53 (Thoreau). At this point, the Continental Divide is clearly denoted by signs positioned in the middle of the interstate, indicating an elevation of 7,275 feet. On the adjacent service road, it is identified by the typical concise historic roadside signs of New Mexico, with one sign on each side of the interstate. Over the years, this location has gone by various names, including Campbell Pass, Gonzales, and Summit, but its official identity is established by the presence of the local post office, designating it as Continental Divide with the corresponding zip code 87312. While this path has historical significance, having been traversed by Native Americans, pioneers in wagons, and emigrants, its definitive alignment was established when the railroad opted for this low pass over the Continental Divide as the route connecting Albuquerque to Southern California in 1880. This route continues to be a crucial transcontinental pathway utilized by the BNSF railway. Beginning in 1926, it was also part of the famous Route 66, and today, remnants of the pre-interstate era can still be found along the roadside. In close proximity to the Navajo Nation, the area hosts two, and at times, three gift shops offering Native American souvenirs, as the region is intertwined with a checkerboard pattern of Indian lands, railroad property, state land, and forested areas.