Interstate 635 (I-635) is a connector highway between

I-35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

in Overland Park, Kansas, and I-29 in Kansas City, Missouri, approximately long. It is mostly in the US state of Kansas, servicing the city of

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of t ...

, but extends into Kansas City, Missouri, as well. The freeway's southern terminus is at a

stack interchange A directional interchange, colloquially known as a stack interchange, is a type of grade-separated junction between two controlled-access highways that allows for free-flowing movement to and from all directions of traffic. These interchanges e ...

with I-35. South of this, the mainline becomes an expressway carrying U.S. Route 69 (US 69). The freeway provides a route around Downtown Kansas City by crossing through residential areas of

, and

Riverside, Missouri Riverside is a city in Platte County, Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area within the United States. The population was 2,937 at the 2010 census. History Riverside lies on the edge of the Missouri River and was formally ...

. It also provides another direct route to

Kansas City International Airport Kansas City International Airport (originally Mid-Continent International Airport) is a public airport in Kansas City, Missouri located northwest of Downtown Kansas City in Platte County, Missouri., effective December 30, 2021. The airport o ...

Route description

Kansas

I-635 begins at

in Johnson County near

Shawnee, Kansas Shawnee is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States. It is the seventh most populous municipality in the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 67,311. History Territory of Kansas Before ...

, at exit 1A. There is a parclo interchange with Merriam Drive at exit 1B almost immediately after its terminus. It then enters Wyandotte County and

. There is a diamond interchange with Shawnee Drive at exit 1C and a parclo interchange with Metropolitan Avenue at exit 1A upon entering the

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

neighborhood. There is an interchange with K-32/Kansas Avenue at exit 3 and then crosses the

Kansas River The Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwesternmost part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwesternmost portion of the extensive Mississippi River dra ...

into central Kansas City, Kansas. Immediately after crossing the river, there is an interchange with I-70 at exits 4A and 4B. There are several interchanges further north, including State Avenue (exit 5), Parallel Parkway (exit 6), and Leavenworth Road and North 38th Street (exit 7). The last public interchange before entering Missouri is K-5. A private maintenance facility crossing at grade exists between this exit and the Missouri River.

Missouri

I-435 Interstate 435 (I-435) is an Interstate Highway beltway that encircles much of the Kansas City metropolitan area within the states of Kansas and Missouri in the United States. Route description I-435, a loop route of I-35, is long and in ...

, I-635's mileposts do not reset after crossing into Missouri. I-635 crosses the Missouri River from Kansas into Platte County and the city of

. There is an interchange with Horizons Parkway at exit 9 and then US 69 at exit 10. US 69 briefly runs concurrently with I-635 north before exiting at the interchange with Route 9 (exits 11A and 11B). I-635 runs a few more miles north, then terminates at I-29/ US 71 at exits 12A and 12B.

History

Interstate 635 approaching Interstate 70, Kansas

Missouri began the plans for I-635 in 1958 when

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction throughout the United S ...

(AASHTO) approved proposals that also included what would become

and I-470; the plan for I-635 took the route eastward along what is now K-5 to US 69 and northward across the Fairfax Bridge toward I-29. When money from the Highway Trust Fund became available for a new Missouri River crossing, I-635 got a more westward alignment after 1968. Part of the original alignment was built as a spur going into Fairfax as K-5. In 1990, the highway was given the name Harry Darby Memorial Highway, in honor of US Senator

Harry Darby Harry Darby (January 23, 1895January 17, 1987) was an American politician from Kansas. Life and career Born in Kansas City, Kansas, Darby graduated from the University of Illinois, and served in the United States Army during the World War I, ...

. The interchange with I-70 and the bridge over the Santa Fe Railyard in

were reconstructed in 2004. Maintenance work on the bridge over the Missouri River finished in September 2005.

Exit list

References

External links

* Kansas Highway Maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT {{DEFAULTSORT:Interstate 635 (Kansas-Missouri) 35-6 Kansas-Missouri 35-6 35-6 6 Transportation in Johnson County, Kansas Transportation in Wyandotte County, Kansas Transportation in Platte County, Missouri Transportation in the Kansas City metropolitan area 1975 establishments in Kansas 1975 establishments in Missouri