State Route 63 (SR 63) is an east–west state highway in the northern portion of
eastern Tennessee
East Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. Geographically and socioculturally distinct, it comprises approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee. East Tennessee consists of 33 count ...
. It goes from
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 (I-69) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. F ...
(US 27) in
Huntsville
Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
to
SR 33 in
Sneedville, running .
SR 63 is a primary route west of
US 25E in
Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor at ...
; the portion east of the
I-75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...
junction in
Caryville is part of
Corridor F
The Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) is a series of highway corridors in the Appalachia region of the eastern United States. The routes are designed as local and regional routes for improving economic development in the historical ...
of the
Appalachian Development Highway System
The Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) is a series of highway corridors in the Appalachia region of the eastern United States. The routes are designed as local and regional routes for improving economic development in the historical ...
, which stretches from Caryville to
Jenkins, Kentucky
Jenkins is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Letcher County, Kentucky, Letcher County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,203 as of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census.
History
In autumn of 1911, the Consolidat ...
. East of Harrogate, SR 63 is a much curvier secondary route.
The portion of the highway from US 27 in Huntsville to I-75 in Pioneer is named after Congressman
Howard Baker Sr.
Howard Henry Baker Sr. (January 12, 1902 – January 7, 1964) was an American politician and a United States Representative from Tennessee.
Biography
Baker was born in Somerset, Kentucky, in 1902 to James F. Baker, an attorney and newspaper pu ...
Route description
Scott County
SR 63 begins as a primary highway in
Scott County in
Huntsville
Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
at an intersection with
US 27
U.S. Route 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 1 in Florida, US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in India ...
/
SR 29/
SR 297. It begins concurrent with SR 297. It goes east and enters downtown. It then goes through downtown and junctions with
SR 456, a short cut to
Oneida
Oneida may refer to:
Native American/First Nations
* Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy
* Oneida language
* Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York
* Oneida Na ...
, before leaving Huntsville. It continues east through rural Scott County and the community of Fairview before crossing into
Campbell County.
[https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/maps/county-maps-(us-shields)/o-w/Scott%20County.pdf ]
Campbell County
They then enter the community of
Pioneer
Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land.
In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and de ...
and SR 297 separates from SR 63 here. SR 63 then continues east alone to intersect Old Hwy. 63, the original route of SR 63 and a direct route to Caryville. It then has an interchange and becomes concurrent with
I-75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...
at exit 141. It goes south along I-75 before entering
Caryville. In Caryville, it passes by downtown and then separates from I-75 at exit 134, intersects with the other end Old Hwy. 63, and becomes concurrent with
US 25W/
SR 9. US 25W/SR 63 immediately afterwards junction with
SR 116 (John McGhee Blvd./Old US 25W) and then enters
Cove Lake State Park
Cove Lake State Park is a state park in Campbell County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The park consists of situated around Cove Lake, an impoundment of Cove Creek created by the completion of Caryville Dam in 1936. The park's ...
and passes by Cove Lake and Caryville Dam before leaving Caryville. They then enter
Jacksboro and becomes the major artery of the city, bypassing downtown to the west and running through the heart of the main business district. They then leave Jacksboro and enter
LaFollette. US 25W/SR 63 continue through the center of LaFollette and enter downtown. In downtown, US 25W and SR 63 separate with US 25W heading north towards
Jellico and Kentucky and SR 63 heads towards
Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor at ...
and
Middlesboro. SR 63 then leaves LaFollette and travels up the
Powell Valley
Powell Valley in southwest Virginia, in the United States, is located near the city of Norton and the town of Big Stone Gap in Wise County, Virginia.
Powell Valley is a picturesque location, with an overlook accessible from the Northbound lanes ...
through the communities of
Fincastle,
Well Springs,
Speedwell,
Powell Valley
Powell Valley in southwest Virginia, in the United States, is located near the city of Norton and the town of Big Stone Gap in Wise County, Virginia.
Powell Valley is a picturesque location, with an overlook accessible from the Northbound lanes ...
and
Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...
before entering Harrogate, crossing into
Claiborne County in between Fincastle and Speedwell.
[https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/maps/county-maps-(us-shields)/a-g/Campbell%20County.pdf ]
Claiborne County
In Harrogate, SR 63 passes by the Lincoln Memorial University
Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) is a private university in Harrogate, Tennessee. LMU's campus borders on Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. As of fall 2019, it had 1,975 undergraduate and 2,892 graduate and professional students.
LMU i ...
(LMU) campus then has an intersection and short concurrency with US 25E/ SR 32. It then becomes a very curvy secondary route and continues east through a mix of farmland and mountainous terrain to pass through the communities of Forge Ridge and Hopewell before crossing the Powell River and having a junction with SR 345 and crossing into Hancock County.[https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/maps/county-maps-(us-shields)/a-g/Claiborne%20County.pdf ]
Hancock County
SR 63 runs parallel to the river for several miles before going through Mulberry Gap and then crossing a mountain pass before entering Sneedville and ending as a secondary highway at an intersection with SR 33.[https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/maps/county-maps-(us-shields)/h-m/Hancock%20County.pdf ]
Major intersections
References
{{reflist
063
Transportation in Scott County, Tennessee
Transportation in Campbell County, Tennessee
Transportation in Claiborne County, Tennessee
Transportation in Hancock County, Tennessee