8-K

                                UNITED STATES
                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                           WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                                   FORM 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT

                    Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                       Securities Exchange Act of 1934


              Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):

                              November 25, 1996



                        U S WEST COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
            (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)







                                        

COLORADO                              1-3040              84-0273800
(State or Other                  (Commission        (I.R.S. Employer
Jurisdiction of Incorporation)  File Number)  Identification Number)



                            7800 EAST ORCHARD ROAD
                          ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO 80111
            (Address of principal executive offices)   (zip code)

                                (303) 793-6500
             (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                NOT APPLICABLE
        (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)




ITEM  5.    OTHER  EVENTS

     On  November  25,  1996,  U  S  WEST  Communications, Inc. issued a press
release  entitled "U S WEST Communications Receives King County Superior Court
Decision in Washington State Rate Order Appeal."  In addition, on November 26,
1997,  U S WEST Communications, Inc. issued a press release entitled "U S WEST
Communications  To  Continue  Appeal  of  Washington  State Rate Order.".  The
releases  are  attached  hereto  as  Exhibits.


ITEM  7.    FINANCIAL  STATEMENTS  AND  EXHIBITS

     (c)    Exhibits

     99A.  Press  Release,  dated  November  25,  1996.

     99B.  Press  Release,  dated  November  26,  1996.


                                  SIGNATURE


     Pursuant  to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has  duly  caused  this  report  to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned  hereunto  duly  authorized.


U  S  WEST  Communications,  Inc.



By:/s/  Stephen  E.  Brilz
   Stephen  E.  Brilz
   Assistant  Secretary


Dated:    November  27,  1996

EX-99

EXHIBIT  99A

U  S  WEST  Communications,  Inc.
7800  East  Orchard  Road
Englewood,  Colorado    80111

[U  S  WEST  Communications  Group  logo  and  registered  mark]

News  Flash


November  25,  1996


    U S WEST COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVES KING COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DECISION IN
                      WASHINGTON STATE RATE ORDER APPEAL

ENGLEWOOD,  Colo.  -- The King County Superior Court in Washington State today
ruled on U S WEST Communications' appeal of the April 11, 1996 rate order from
the  Washington  State  Utilities  and  Transportation  Commission  (WUTC)  to
decrease rates in net by $91.5 million.  In its first rate increase request in
13  years,  U S WEST had sought to raise rates for basic residential service. 
Instead,  the  commission  ordered  a  revenue  reduction  --  primarily  in
highly-competitive  services such as access, toll, and business local exchange
service  --  and ordered U S WEST Communications to set a flat fee of $10.50 a
month  for  basic  local  service  --  one  of the lowest rates in the nation.

Althought  the  Company  has not yet received the Court's written decision, it
was informed by the Court this afternoon that it upheld the WUTC's rate order.
 U S WEST Communications is disappointed by the announced outcome in this rate
case.   The Company will continue to exercise its legal and procedural options
as  appropriate,  and will announce its future actions relative to this matter
once  it  has  received  and  reviewed  the  decision  in  full.

U  S WEST Communications Group provides telecommunications and high-speed data
services  to  more  than  25  million  customers  in 14 western and midwestern
states.    The company is one of two major groups that make up  U S WEST.  U S
WEST  is  in  the  connections  business, helping customers share information,
entertainment  and  communications  services  in  local  markets  worldwide.


More  information:    Bruce  M.  Mann  (303-793-6368)  or  Becky  Winning
(303-793-6367)

EX-99

EXHIBIT 99B
U  S  WEST  Communications  Group
Investor  Relations
7800  East  Orchard  Road,  Suite  290
Englewood,  Colorado    80111
303-793-6365
                                                                    NEWS FLASH

November  26,  1996

                  U S WEST COMMUNICATIONS TO CONTINUE APPEAL
                        OF WASHINGTON STATE RATE ORDER


ENGLEWOOD,  Colo.  -- U S WEST Communications Group (NYSE:USW) announced today
that  it  will  continue  its  appeal  of  the  Washington State Utilities and
Transportation  Commission's  April  1995  rate  case  decision.

In  February,  1995,  U  S  WEST  Communications  filed  a  rate case with the
Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC).  In its first
rate  increase  request  in  13  years, U S WEST had sought to raise rates for
basic  residential  service.    In  April of 1996, the WUTC denied the revenue
increase and instead ordered a $91.5 million revenue reduction -- primarily in
highly-competitive  services such as access, toll, and business local exchange
service.    The WUTC also ordered U S WEST Communications to set a flat fee of
$10.50  a  month for basic local service - the second-lowest residential phone
rate  in  the  nation.

U  S  WEST  Communications  immediately  filed  an  appeal  in the King County
Superior  Court and requested a stay of the order.  Major issues of the appeal
included:

     *        Depreciation  expense
     *        Imputation  of  yellow  pages  revenues
     *        Service  quality
     *        Unbundling  of  Centrex  services
     *        Operating  expenses
     *        Cost  studies

In  April,  a stay was granted pending the outcome of the King County Superior
Court's  ruling  on  the  appeal.



On November 25, Judge Lasnik ruled on the appeal.  In his summary decision, he
upheld  the  WUTC  on  all  points  on  the  basis  of  the standard of review
established  in  the  State  Administrative  Procedure  Act.

"It's not unusual for a lower court in the state of Washington to defer to the
state  appellate courts, and in this case, the judge's summary ruling was very
brief  and  did  not  include  a  substantive  discussion on the merits of the
appeal,"  said Sol Trujillo, chief executive officer and president of U S WEST
Communications  Group.    "We plan to file a notice of appeal and a motion for
stay  with  the  Washington  State  Supreme  Court  as  soon  as  possible.

"We'll  also  continue to work with the Commission to resolve related issues. 
We  believe our arguments have merit, and we will pursue all regulatory, legal
and  legislative  options  to  protect our shareowners' investment in U S WEST
Communications,"  he  added.

The  Company plans to ask for expedited treatment from the Court; however, the
timing of related rulings is at the Court's discretion.  The Company will make
a  decision  on  whether  to  begin  accruing  for  the  $91.5 million revenue
reduction when it receives a ruling from the appellate court, which it expects
in  the  coming  weeks.

U  S WEST Communications Group provides telecommunications and high-speed data
services  to  more  than  25  million  customers  in 14 western and midwestern
states.   The Company is one of two groups that make up U S WEST.  U S WEST is
in  the  connections  business,  helping  customers  share  information,
entertainment  and  communications  in  local  markets  worldwide.

For  more  information,  contact:   Bruce Mann (303) 793-6368 or Becky Winning
(303)  793-6367.

                                     ###