Layton and Kaysville Spurs

Today, we'll move south to the Kaysville and Layton area of Davis County and talk about some of the state routes in that part of the Wasatch Front. More specifically, we'll talk about SR 109, the original 110, and 206.

Although the major through routes through the area had existed since the earliest days of the highway system, it wasn't until 1931 that branches off the main highways were added as state routes. Among them were SR 109 and SR 110, which were both spurs west from US 91 (designated SR 1 in state law):

(109) From route 1 at Layton westerly four miles.

(110) From Kaysville westerly to West Kaysville.

As a side note, the next two spurs off US 91 to the north were SR 108 and SR 107 (which you can read about here). So SRs 107, 108, 109, and 110 were all spurs off US 91, increasing to the south. It's cool to see how route number systems were organized in the past, and also sad to see how little effort has been expended to maintain that number organization.

In the legislative description, "Layton" referred to the intersection of Main Street and Gentile Street, the origin of Layton's street-numbering grid. The unusual street name most likely derives from a common practice in 1800s Utah of referring to non-Mormons as "Gentiles"; apparently the street was named after the two non-Mormon settlers that lived near the west end of it.

At any rate, 109 began at Main and went west on Gentile "four miles". That suggests a western terminus at the intersection with Bluff Road, which is confirmed by a 1940 Census Bureau map and a later USGS map as well.

US Census, 1940.

SR 110 was very similar to 109, just in the next town south. It began in Kaysville at US 91 (Main Street) and ran west to a place called "West Kaysville". That was located at the intersection of 200 North and Angel Street:

US Census, 1940.

In 1939, another spur from US 91 was created, but this one ran north-south:

Beginning at route 1 in Clearfield, and running south approximately four and one-half miles.

That began at the point in Clearfield where US 91 (now SR 126) curved from a southward to a southeastward direction - basically, this is a five-way intersection between Main Street (N/S), Center Street (E/W), and State Street (SE). From there, SR 206 went south on Main Street into Layton, where the name changed to 3200 West. The route continued to Gentile Street (SR 109).

That route is not fully drivable today because it is cut in two places: once by the Union Pacific Railroad, and again further south by the Freeport Center. But back in 1939, the Freeport Center didn't exist and there was a railroad crossing, so the section line road simply continued through. The 206 designation was too new to make it onto the 1940 census maps, but the road can be seen:

US Census, 1940.

In 1941, SR 110 was extended eastward. Rather than ending at US 91 in downtown Kaysville, it now continued east up 200 North to US 89 (legally SR 49):

USGS (Kaysville), 1955.

(Notice US 91 had been moved to bypass Kaysville by the time that map was made, though this did not change anything about 110.)

In 1942, due to World War II, a large area of land in Clearfield was set aside as the Clearfield Naval Supply Depot, which resulted in the closure of SR 206 between 700 South and 1700 South (SR 108; Syracuse Road, now Antelope Drive). The legislative description was not updated to reflect this, possibly because it was thought the Naval Supply Depot would be a temporary thing. But even after the war ended, the depot remained, and the north end of SR 206 was truncated to SR 108.

USGS (Clearfield), 1955.

The Naval Supply Depot was decommissioned in 1962. Some of the land became the Clearfield Job Corps, but most of it became the Freeport Center - a significant warehouse, manufacturing, and distribution center for over 70 companies.

None of these three routes were changed until 1969, when a mass decommissioning took a heavy toll on the state routes in this area. All of SRs 109, 110, and 206 were deleted as route designations...

...however, SR 109 was immediately recreated...on the same street as it had followed originally! But instead of heading west from Main Street in Layton, the new SR 109 went east. It ran along Gentile Street and Oak Hills Drive, from US 91 (now SR 126) east to US 89. The route hasn't changed since; interestingly, it is one of the few state highways to cross I-15 without any sort of interchange.

Unknown (UDOT?), 1983.

The entirety of original SR 109 and 206 were decommissioned and from the state system. Most of SR 110 was, too, but the short segment between I-15 and Kaysville's Main Street has been retained as part of SR 273.

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Route Photos

SR 109

SR 109 eastbound reassurance shield as we head out of downtown Layton. 

In typical UDOT fashion, the route have newer traffic lights that include the shield along with the name.

This is weird, though - not only is there no shield, but there's no suffix, either. In Utah this practice is generally restricted to Salt Lake City or older signs in Murray, but there are a handful in Layton. To my knowledge this is the only example on a state highway. 

A school zone was in full force even though we were in the middle of a pandemic and there was no school in session.

Gentile Street veers off to the left here. SR 109 will become Oak Hills Drive.

The thick development common to most of the Wasatch Front hasn't really made it to this area yet, so 109 takes on an exurban feel here.

It also affords great views of the Wasatch Mountains, here with a little bit of snow left on top.

To be honest this is probably my favorite state highway in Davis County.

But all good things must come to an end. 109's end is coming up as we approach US 89.

Turn left on 89 for Ogden and right for Salt Lake.

SR 109 ends here.

For many years, this intersection has been marked by an erroneous "SR 89" sign. But that likely won't last through the next year, because 89 is currently in the process of being upgraded to a freeway.