 U.S. Route 50 ( US 50 ) is a transcontinental highway in the United States , stretching from West Sacramento , California , in the west to Ocean City , Maryland , on the east coast . The Nevada portion crosses the center of state and was named The Loneliest Road in America by Life magazine in July 1986 . The name was intended to refer to the relative lack of population centers along the road, not the relative lack of traffic. It was also known as the Lincoln Highway, which it paralleled in much of its course.
The road is part of the U.S. Highway System . It is maintained by the National Highway Administration (