Arizona State Route 61 as New Mexico State Road 53. Arizona State Route 61 State Route 61, also known as SR 61, is a highway in northern Arizona running generally southwest to northeast, from its southern terminus at U.S. Route 60 east of Show Low to the New Mexico border at Zuni, where it becomes New Mexico State Road 53. Parts of this route, particularly near St. Johns, overlap U.S. Route 180 and U.S. Route 191. The southern terminus of SR 61 is located at a junction with US 60 east of Show Low. From here, the highway heads towards the northeast towards an
Arizona State Route 93 being extended from Kingman by way of US 66 through Ash Fork. A new US 193 was proposed from Phoenix through Sacaton and Casa Grande to Picacho. At the time, US 89 served the road between Ash Fork and Phoenix, while State Route 87, State Route 187 and State Route 84 ran between Sacaton and Picacho through Casa Grande (of which only SR 87 still traverses today). Upon hearing of the proposed extensions, citizens of Wickenburg, Arizona, Wikieup and Aguila protested to have US 93 run through their towns instead. The protest was considered and the Arizona Highway Department changed