K-38 (Kansas highway)

K-38 began at a wye intersection with K-15, which headed west toward Winfield and south toward Dexter, in central Cowley County. The highway headed east as a low-grade bituminous surface road with crossings of Grouse Creek, a tributary of the Arkansas River, and Bullington Creek. K-38 veered away from the east–west section line around its crossing of Otter Creek and returned before the route reached the Cowley–Chautauqua county line.{{cite map|author=Bureau of Transportation Planning|title=General Highway Map: Cowley County|edition=1984|url=https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/PastPublishedCounty/cowley1985.pdf|scale=1:125,000|publisher=Kansas Department of Transportation|location=Topeka, KS|format=PDF|access-date=May 4, 2017}} The highway became a gravel road on entering Chautauqua County. K-38 continued east {{convert|2|mi|km}} to its end at a junction of section line roads, east–west Ranch Road and north–south Road 2, near the Caney River in northwestern Chautauqua County; the nearest city to the highway's terminus is Grenola in southwestern Elk County, and the closest city in the county was Cedar Vale to the south.{{cite map|author=Bureau of Transportation Planning|title=General Highway Map: Chautauqua County|edition=1984|url=https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/PastPublishedCounty/chautauqua1984.pdf|scale=1:125,000|publisher=Kansas Department of Transportation|location=Topeka, KS|format=PDF|access-date=May 4, 2017}}

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) tracks the traffic levels on its highways, and in 1997, they determined that on average the traffic varied from 90 vehicles near the eastern terminus to 500 vehicles near the western terminus.{{cite map |author = Bureau of Transportation Planning |year = 1996 |url = https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/CountMaps/HistoricalFlowmap/countFY96.pdf |title = Traffic Flow Map Kansas State Highway System |scale = [c. 1:1,584,000] |location = Topeka |publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation |access-date = April 17, 2020}} K-38 was not included in the National Highway System,{{cite map |author = Federal Highway Administration |author-link = Federal Highway Administration |date = May 8, 2019 |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/kansas/ks_kansas.pdf |title = National Highway System: Kansas |scale = Scale not given |location = Washington, DC |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |access-date = April 18, 2020 }} a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility.{{cite web |first1 = Stefan |last1 = Natzke |first2 = Mike |last2 = Neathery |first3 = Kevin |last3 = Adderly |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/ |work = National Highway System |title = What is the National Highway System? |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |date = September 26, 2012 |access-date = April 18, 2020 }}

K-38 was first designated as a state highway by KDOT on January 7, 1937. At that time it extended from K-15 east to the county maintained road that ran between Cedarvale and Grenola.{{cite web |author = State Highway Commission of Kansas |date = January 7, 1937 |url = http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003709073&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |title = Resolution revising the description of the alignment of K-38 in Cowley and Chautauqua Counties as passed by the State Highway Commission of Kansas January 7, 1937 |location = Topeka |publisher = State Highway Commission of Kansas |access-date = April 18, 2020}} K-38 was decommissioned on November 21, 1997.{{Cite web| url=https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/mapchangehist/1997KSmapCHANGES.pdf |title=KDOT 1997 Highway and Route Changes |publisher=Kansas Department of Transportation|location=Topeka, KS| date=October 7, 2005| accessdate=2020-04-18}} It is now a county road for both Cowley County (CR-28) and Chautauqua County (Ranch Road).

{{Jcttop|state=KS|length_ref=}}

{{KSint

|county=Cowley

|location=none

|mile=0.000

|road={{Jct|state=KS|KS|15|city1=Dexter|city2=Winfield}}

|notes=Western terminus

}}

{{KSint

|county=Chautauqua

|location=none

|mile=12.990

|road=Road 2 / Ranch Road east

|notes=Eastern terminus

}}

{{Jctbtm}}

{{reflist|30em|refs=}}

{{Attached KML}}

• [http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/MapsState.asp Kansas Department of Transportation State Map]
• [http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/HistoricStateMaps.asp KDOT: Historic State Maps]
• [http://www.route56.com/highways/highways.php?hwy=38&seg=1&hist=1 Kansas Highways Routelog: K-38]

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