Highway 103 (AR 103, Ark. 103, and Hwy. 103) is a designation for two north–south
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
s in Arkansas. One segment begins in
Clarksville in the
Arkansas River Valley
The Arkansas River Valley (usually shortened to River Valley) is a region in Arkansas defined by the Arkansas River in the western part of the state. Generally defined as the area between the The Ozarks, Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, the River V ...
and runs north to the
Ozark National Forest
The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant port ...
. A second route runs through a sparsely populated segment of the
Ozark Mountains
The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant portio ...
between the
Buffalo National River
The Buffalo River, located in Northern Arkansas, was the first List of areas in the United States National Park System#National rivers and national wild and scenic rivers, National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River i ...
and
Highway 21 near the
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
state line.
The northern segment was created in 1928 and was designated as Arkansas Highway 21E (AR 21E) in the 1950s. Upon restoration as AR 103, the route saw extensions in 1957, 1960, and 1973. The second segment began as AR 123 in 1926 but was renumbered to AR 103 in a 1937 swap. This route was extended in the 1940s, 1963, and 1965. Both routes are maintained by the
Arkansas Department of Transportation
The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT), formerly the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, is a government department in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Its mission is to provide a safe, efficient, aesthetically pleasing and en ...
(ArDOT).
Route description
ArDOT maintains both segments of AR 103 as part of the state highway system. Excluding concurrencies, the highest traffic of either segment was immediately north of I-40 in Clarksville, estimated at 14,000 vehicles per day
on average in 2021, dropping as it travels north, including 5,000 VPD on the University of the Ozarks campus to 740 north of Harmony. The northern segment was estimated at 280 VPD in rural Newton County, with counts peaking north of Green Forest at 1600 VPD in 2021.
For reference, roads under 400 VPD are classified as "very low volume local road" by the
(AASHTO).
No segment of AR 103 is part of the
National Highway System (NHS),
a network of roads important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.
Clarksville to Ozark National Forest
Highway 103 begins at the intersection of Lakeview Drive as Marina Road in
Clarksville near the Spadra Creek Use Area along the
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...
. The route runs east then turns north to cross
Interstate 40 (I-40) at exit 58. Now entering the central part of the city, Highway 103 becomes Rogers Avenue and has an intersection with
Highway 123 before meeting
US Highway 64 in downtown Clarksville.
Now forming a
concurrency westbound with US 64, the highways pass the
Dunlap House and
Johnson County Courthouse, both listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
(NRHP).
The concurrency ends when Highway 103 turns north and becomes College Avenue. Highway 103 passes the historic
First Presbyterian Church before entering the
University of the Ozarks
University of the Ozarks (U of O) is a private university in Clarksville, Arkansas. Enrollment averages around 900 students, representing 25 countries. U of O is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
History
University of the Oz ...
campus, with the majority of the campus buildings including the historic
Clarksville National Guard Armory and
Munger-Wilson Memorial Chapel located on the west side of the highway.
Following the university, Highway 103 exits Clarksville and heads northwest to
Harmony
In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...
through sparsely populated forested land.
Harmony brings an intersection with
Highway 164 near the
Harmony Presbyterian Church before turning north and entering the
Ozark National Forest
The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant port ...
, administrated by the
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...
. The highway winds slowly through the dense forest, including
hairpin turns, crossing the
Mulberry River, a
National Wild and Scenic River
The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...
before an intersection with
Highway 215, where the highway terminates.
Buffalo River to Oak Grove
Highway 103 begins on the border of the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
's
Buffalo National River
The Buffalo River, located in Northern Arkansas, was the first List of areas in the United States National Park System#National rivers and national wild and scenic rivers, National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River i ...
at
Highway 43 in
Newton County near
Ponca
The Ponca ( Páⁿka iyé: Páⁿka or Ppáⁿkka pronounced ) are a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca ...
.
The highway runs north into
Carroll County to
Osage and passes
Stamps Store
The Stamps Store is a historic commercial building on Arkansas Highway 103 in Osage, Arkansas, a hamlet off United States Route 412 between Alpena and Huntsville. It is a -story stone structure, with a front-gable roof, and vernacular Romanesque ...
before forming a concurrency with
US 412 to the west.
Following this overlap, Highway 103 runs north through
Conner and
Rule
Rule or ruling may refer to:
Education
* Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), a university in Cambodia
Human activity
* The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power
* Business rule, a rule perta ...
before forming a concurrency with
US 62 in
Green Forest. The highway turns north, ending this concurrency near the historic
Green Forest Water Tower after which the route continues north through unincorporated areas to terminate at
Highway 21 in
Oak Grove near the
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
state line.
History
The first designation of Highway 103 was created during the original
1926 Arkansas state highway numbering
In 1926, Arkansas renumbered its highways into a more traditional format. The system to be replaced was established in 1924 as Arkansas' first comprehensive highway plan.McLaren, Christie. "Arkansas Highway History and Architecture, 1910-1965.Art ...
between
Lurton and
Western Grove.
By the September 1, 1928 map, a second segment of AR 103 was created between Green Forest and Oak Gove.
In 1937, the segment between Lurton and Western Grove switched numbers with Highway 123, which ran between Clarksville to the Ozark National Forest boundary south of Oark. Around 1945, the route was extended north to Oark.
Between 1950 and 1955, the segment between Green Forest and Oak Grove was designated AR 21E. The
Arkansas General Assembly
The General Assembly of Arkansas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 ...
passed the Act 148 of 1957, the Milum Road Act, creating 10–12 miles (16–19 km) of new state highways in each county.
In response to the act, the
Arkansas State Highway Commission
The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT), formerly the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, is a government department in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Its mission is to provide a safe, efficient, aesthetically pleasing and e ...
extended the AR 103 designation south from Green Forest to Rule on July 10, 1957. On June 29, 1960, the Highway Commission extended the designation south to
AR 68 (now
US 412) at
Osage, but changed the routing to run from Rule to AR 68 at
Gobbler instead two months later.
On April 24, 1963, the highway was extended south to
Jamestown, an area which has since been annexed into Clarksville. The designation was extended south once more on June 23, 1965 to the current southern terminus at Lakeview Drive.
A third segment of AR 103 was created pursuant to Act 9 of 1973, which directed county judges and legislators to designate up to 12 miles (19 km) of county roads as state highways in each county.
Though initially running from AR 43 to the Newton/Carroll County line, the roadway was extended into Carroll County to AR 68 the following month, thus combining the new segment with the previously extant highway from Gobbler to Oak Grove.
[.]
Major intersections
Mile markers reset at some concurrencies.
See also
*
List of state highways in Arkansas
The following is a list of state highways in Arkansas. The state does not use a numbering convention. Generally the two-digit odd numbered highways run north–south with a few exceptions; and even-numbered two-digit state highways run east–we ...
Notes
References
External links
{{commons category-inline, Arkansas Highway 103
103
Transportation in Johnson County, Arkansas
Transportation in Newton County, Arkansas
Transportation in Carroll County, Arkansas