Campbell Pass

Campbell Pass is an infrequently used name for a heavily travelled crossing of the Continental Divide in west-central New Mexico. This broad, gentle mountain pass, located in McKinley County between Gallup and Grants, is the site of the town of Continental Divide. The pass was selected as the route to be traversed by the original main line of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1880 (now the Southern Transcon of the BNSF Railway). The famous U.S. Route 66 was built through the pass in 1926, and is now the route of its successor, Interstate 40.

The origin of the name Campbell Pass is obscure, and it appears to be used mostly in connection with the railroad.