Baseline Road (Arizona)

Infobox_road
highway_name = Baseline Road
marker_

alternate_name = 7600 South (Phoenix, Maricopa County)
5200 South (Tempe)
2000 South (Mesa)
4000 South (Apache Junction)
length =
direction = East-West
starting_terminus = 11600 East (Mesa)
ending_terminus = 9900 West (Gila River Indian Reservation)
cities = ("from east to west") Apache Junction, Mesa,Tempe, Phoenix, Gila River Indian Reservation, Avondale, Goodyear, Buckeye
established =
system =

Baseline Road is a significant arterial road in the Greater Phoenix area in Arizona, United States of America.

Background

This road is so named because it runs along the length of the primary baseline for Arizona as given under the PLSS.

This line is called the Gila and Salt River Base Line, and runs east-west from the "zero point" atop a hill near the confluence of the Gila and Salt rivers, on 115th Avenue at Baseline Road. This site is next to Phoenix International Raceway. 115th Avenue is laid out atop the north-south base meridian.

Due to natural obstructions, this road is not continuous. The road is located in Maricopa County and Pinal County. There is also a rural road named Baseline Road in southern La Paz County close to the Colorado River which is located near Arizona's baseline.

Description of Route

Because of the grid plan used by cities in Arizona, the name for the road is applied for non-contiguous sections and is theoretically reserved for future east-west roads built at the same latitude.

Starting from east, the road begins in Apache Junction in Pinal County, named Baseline Avenue and is a small segment of thoroughfare in a residential neighborhood at the foothills of the Superstition Mountains. The route picks up again and runs due westward, running parallel to US 60. At the Maricopa County border, the road enters Mesa and is named Baseline Road. It becomes a major arterial road as it passes through Gilbert and Tempe. In Tempe, it intersects Loop 101 and then Interstate 10. Continuing, the road runs through south Phoenix and the major arterial segment of the road terminates in the Gila River Indian Community, approximately where the Salt River joins the Gila River.

The road reappears on the other side of the Gila River at an orthogonal junction with Perryville Rd. as CR-85 and continues westward through central Buckeye. From there, it continues through farmland in western Maricopa county in various non-continuous segments. The segment of Baseline Road furthest west in Maricopa County is just past 547th Avenue.

Due to the ease of navigation on this extremely long route, as well as the significant number of municipalities that the route encompasses, it is a favorite street for those electing not to use Phoenix's many highways such as Route 60.

Landmarks

Notable locations along or near Baseline Road include Arizona Mills and Phoenix International Raceway. Baseline Road runs through the historical farming community of Laveen.

ee also

* Gila and Salt River Meridian

External links

* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Phoenix,+AZ&ie=UTF8&z=12&ll=33.377846,-112.061234&spn=0.1961,0.43396&om=1&iwloc=addr Google Maps: Displaying south Phoenix and Tempe showing Baseline Road]
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* [http://www.mcdot.maricopa.gov/home.htm Maricopa County Department of Transportation Website]
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* [http://www.mcdot.maricopa.gov/survey/gdacs/Cadastral_Corners.htm MCDOT Geodetic Densification and Cadastral Survey page]