U.S. Route 82 (US 82) is an east–west United States highway in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. Created on July 1, 1931 across central

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

and southern

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

, US 82 eventually became a 1,625-mile (2,615 km) route extending from the White Sands of

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

to Georgia's Atlantic coast. The highway's eastern terminus is in

Brunswick, Georgia Brunswick () is a city in and the county seat of Glynn County in the U.S. state of Georgia. As the primary urban and economic center of the lower southeast portion of Georgia, it is the second-largest urban area on the Georgia coastline after Sa ...

, at an interchange with

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

. It is co-signed for its last ½-mile with

U.S. Route 17 U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Highway that spans in the southeastern United States. It runs close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length, with ...

. Its western terminus is in

Alamogordo, New Mexico Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...

at an intersection with

U.S. Route 54 U.S. Route 54 (US 54) is an east–west United States Highway that runs northeast–southwest for from El Paso, Texas, to Griggsville, Illinois. The Union Pacific Railroad's Tucumcari Line (former Southern Pacific and Rock Island Lines "Golden S ...

and

U.S. Route 70 U.S. Route 70 or U.S. Highway 70 (US 70) is an east–west United States highway that runs for from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. It is a major east–west highway of the Southeastern United States, Southeastern, Southern Unite ...

Route description

New Mexico

US 82 begins at an intersection with US highways 54 and 70 north of

Alamogordo Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...

, and south of La Luz, New Mexico. Heading east out of Alamogordo the road ascends into the Sacramento Mountains, traveling through the Lincoln National Forest. While climbing steep Mexican Canyon, the highway passes the abandoned railroad trestles of the El Paso and Northeastern Railway, and passes through the only road tunnel in New Mexico. The road then traverses the New Mexico villages of High Rolls,

Cloudcroft Cloudcroft is a village in Otero County, New Mexico, United States, and is located within the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 674 at the 2010 census. Despite being located in an otherwise arid region, its high elevation (; one of ...

, and

Mayhill Mayhill is a district of Swansea, Wales, at the top of a steep hill of the same name just north west of the Swansea city centre, city centre, partly separated from Townhill, Swansea, Townhill to the west. Mayhill Garden City started in 1914 as a ...

After descending the mountains into the rugged, flat plains of eastern New Mexico, it generally follows a north-northeasterly bearing until Artesia, where it takes a more due-easterly bearing on through to Lovington, veering back slightly to the north before crossing into Texas.

Texas

US 82 crosses into Texas from New Mexico at Texas Farm to Market Road 769, turning northeastward toward Plains, where it merges with US 380. US 82 is co-signed with US 380 from Plains to

Brownfield In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use. It may be potentially contaminated, but this is not required for the area to be considered brownfield. The term is also used to describe land prev ...

, where it joins US 62, and US 380 leaves the route. US 82/62 continues northeastward toward Lubbock. In Lubbock, US 82 and US 62 split, where US 82 is a limited access freeway west of

US Route 87 U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north-south roa ...

. From

Wolfforth Wolfforth ( ) is a small town located in Lubbock County. The town was named for 2 brothers, George Wolffarth who was a rancher in the area, and Eastin Wolffarth who was Lubbock County Sherriff around 1900. The population was 3,670 at the 2010 cens ...

to downtown Lubbock, US 82 is named Marsha Sharp Freeway after Marsha Sharp, former head basketball coach of the Texas Tech Lady Raiders and

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's bask ...

inductee. It once again merges with US 62 (along with

State Highway 114 The following highways are numbered 114: Canada * New Brunswick Route 114 * Prince Edward Island Route 114 Costa Rica * National Route 114 Germany * Bundesautobahn 114 (A114) India * National Highway 114 (India) Japan * Route 114 (Japan) ...

) east of the campus of

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

, where it continues eastward through Ralls, where US 62 makes a sharp turn to the north and leaves the route. US 82 continues eastward across the level plains of the

Llano Estacado The Llano Estacado (), sometimes translated into English as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas. One of the largest mesas or tablelands on the North A ...

to Crosbyton and then dips downward as it crosses the White River of

Blanco Canyon Blanco Canyon is a canyon located in the U.S. state of Texas. Eroded by the White River into the Caprock Escarpment on the east side of the Llano Estacado, the canyon runs for in a southeasterly direction, gradually widening from its beginning ...

, where the

Texas Department of Transportation The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a government agency in the American state of Texas. Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with the construction and maintenance of the state's immense state highway system ...

maintains the Silver Falls Rest Area with facilities and hiking trails. After climbing out of

, US 82 eventually exits the

and enters the rolling plains near

Dickens, Texas Dickens is a city in and the county seat of Dickens County, Texas, United States. The population was 286 at the 2010 census, down from 332 at the 2000 census. Charles Weldon Cannon (1915–1997), a Dickens County native, made his famous boots ...

. US 82/SH 114 continues eastward as a co-signed route until

Seymour Seymour may refer to: Places Australia *Seymour, Victoria, a township *Electoral district of Seymour, a former electoral district in Victoria *Rural City of Seymour, a former local government area in Victoria *Seymour, Tasmania, a locality ...

, where it merges with U.S. Highways

183 Year 183 ( CLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Victorinus (or, less frequently, year 936 ''Ab urbe ...

277 __NOTOC__ Year 277 ( CCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Paulinus (or, less frequently, year 1030 ''A ...

and

283 Year 283 ( CCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Carus and Carinus (or, less frequently, year 1036 ''Ab urbe cond ...

, with US 183 and 283 leaving the route at Mabelle. US 82/277 continues eastward to Wichita Falls, merging with

US 287 U.S. Route 287 (US 287) is a north–south (physically northwest–southeast) United States highway. At long, it is the second longest three-digit U.S. Route, behind US 281. It serves as the major truck route between Fort Worth and Am ...

just south of downtown. US 82 leaves US 287 at Henrietta and continues east, signed independently (apart from various state highway routes) across the remainder of Texas, crossing into Arkansas in downtown Texarkana.

Arkansas

US 82 enters Arkansas in downtown Texarkana, then proceeds almost due east across the flat plains of the Red River. It crosses the Red River at Garland City on a new bridge, then passes through the towns of Lewisville and

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

. At Magnolia the route joins US 79 for approximately two miles before continuing eastward. The route passes through the cities of

El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...

and Strong before crossing the Ouachita River just north of Lake Jack Lee, then continues through

Crossett Crossett is the largest city in Ashley County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 5,507, according to 2010 Census Bureau estimates. Combined with North Crossett and West Crossett, the population is 10,752. Crossett was incorporated i ...

and

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

Lake Village Lake Village is a city in and the county seat of Chicot County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,575 at the 2010 census. It is located in the Arkansas Delta. Lake Village is named for its location on Lake Chicot, an oxbow lake fo ...

. The route continues from there across the Mississippi River to

Greenville, MS Greenville is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 34,400 at the 2010 census. It is located in the area of historic cotton plantations and culture known as the Mississippi Delta. Hi ...

. US 82 closely follows the historical alignment of Arkansas Highway 2.

Mississippi

Through the entire state, the highway is four-laned with interchanges at major junctions. After crossing the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

from

via a four-laned, cable-stayed Mississippi River bridge, the road briefly travels northeast toward central Greenville, then turns east to

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

, passing through

Indianola Indianola may refer to: Places in the United States * Indianola, California (disambiguation) ** Indianola (Eureka), California * Indianola, Florida * Indianola, Georgia * Indianola, Illinois * Indianola, Iowa * Indianola, Kansas, a former settleme ...

Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood. Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to: People * Greenwood (surname) Settlements Australia * Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region * Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth C ...

Winona Winona, Wynona or Wynonna may refer to: Places Canada * Winona, Ontario United States * Winona, Arizona * Winona, Indiana * Winona Lake, Indiana * Winona, Kansas * Winona, Michigan * Winona County, Minnesota ** Winona, Minnesota, the seat of Wi ...

, and Starkville, while bypassing Itta Bena. According to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, construction is now underway on a U.S. 82 bypass around Greenville. The new road will commence at the recently opened Mississippi River Bridge and terminate at the current U.S. 82 near Leland, creating a half-loop freeway around South Greenville. Cloverleaf interchanges are presently being built at the freeway's junctions with MS 454 and MS 1. This new bypass will be the southern terminus for the planned freeway connector to Interstate 69, which is also under construction through the northern Mississippi Delta. From Starkville east through

and on to the Alabama state line, US 82 is built to freeway standards.

Alabama

US82 West Signs - Tuscaloosa (40996564565)

Throughout Alabama, US 82 is paired with unsigned State Route 6 (SR 6). The highway enters the state east of

Columbus, Mississippi Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, on the eastern border of Mississippi, United States, located primarily east, but also north and northeast of the Tombigbee River, which is also part of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterwa ...

, and bears southeast towards Northport and

Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...

, where it crosses over

I-20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Between ...

and

I-59 Interstate 59 (I-59) is an Interstate Highway located in the southeastern United States. It is a north–south route that spans from a junction with I-10 and I-12 at Slidell, Louisiana, to a junction with I-24 near Wildwood, Georgia. ...

south of town. It is known in West Alabama as McFarland Boulevard, in memory of Ward Wharton McFarland, a political, business, and civic leader who died in 1979. After leaving Tuscaloosa, the route continues southeast, passing through the cities of Brent, Centreville, and Maplesville en route to

Prattville Prattville is a city located within both Autauga and Elmore counties in the State of Alabama but serves as the county seat of Autauga County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 37,781. Nicknamed "The Fountain City" due to t ...

, on the northern edge of the Montgomery metropolitan area. This approximately drive goes through some of the most rural areas of the state, much of it two lanes with the exception of the section from Tuscaloosa to Centreville. Upon arriving in Prattville, it runs concurrently with I-65, with which it goes through downtown Montgomery with (also junctioning with the current southern terminus of

I-85 Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65, I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with Interstate 95, I ...

), and splits off to the east south of downtown. After leaving Montgomery, the route continues southeast through Union Springs and Midway en route to Eufaula, on the Alabama–Georgia state line, where it junctions with US 431. The route then crosses over the

Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chatta ...

into Georgetown, Georgia, over Lake Eufaula. Currently in Pickens County, Alabama, a widening project of US 82 is underway to make the highway four lanes. New bridges are being constructed using Federal Highway Administration monies, as well as matching Alabama Department of Transportation funds. Four-laning the highway in Tuscaloosa County, west of Northport to the Pickens County line, was completed in the fall of 2010. The highway is now four lanes from the Mississippi state line to just southeast of Centreville at mile marker 88, with the exception of a short two lane stretch from Gordo to the Tuscaloosa County line.

Georgia

US 82 is a

U.S. Highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...

in the U.S. state of Georgia. Throughout much of southern Georgia, US 82 is paired with State Route 520 and designated as "Corridor Z" and "South Georgia Parkway." West of Dawson, US 82 is paired with State Route 50, the historic State Route number for US 82 in Georgia. From Dawson onwards, US 82 becomes a four-lane highway as it moves through Albany and then onto

Tifton Tifton is a city in Tift County, Georgia, United States. The population was 17,045 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Tift County. The area's public schools are administered by the Tift County School District. Abraham Baldwin Ag ...

where US 82 intersects with I-75. After this the highway moves east through southern plains and Waycross, near the Okefenokee Swamp. US 82 then proceeds to Brunswick, where it terminates at the intersection with I-95.

History

During the initial creation of the US Highway System, the US 82 designation was unassigned. The Mississippi Highway Department requested the creation of a route between Greenville and

, additionally proposing that it should be extended eastward to

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

, and into Arkansas. The

American Association of State Highway 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 St ...

(AASHO) initially balked at the request because it was not accompanied by concurrent requests from Arkansas or Alabama, and because the proposed route utilized several private toll bridges. Following concurrence from Arkansas, the route was approved on July 1, 1931. In Arkansas, US 82 completely replaced State Road 2, running from the Mississippi River to US 71 in Texarkana. US 82 was extended east into Alabama and west into Texas in 1934; making US 82 a route from US 385 in Lubbock to US 11 in Tuscaloosa. Over the next eight years, construction and other routing improvements reduced the total length to . In 1948, the route was extended east to Waycross, Georgia, with an extension east to US 17 in

Midway, Georgia Midway is a city in Liberty County, Georgia, United States. It is a part of the Hinesville-Fort Stewart metropolitan statistical area. The population was 2,121 as of the 2010 census, up from 1,100 at the 2000 census. Midway has several museums, ...

eight years later. On November 26, 1960, an extension to Las Cruces, New Mexico was denied due to substandard roadway conditions in New Mexico, but was later approved on June 18, 1963. The route was extended east to I-95 in

Chester, Georgia Chester is a town in Dodge County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,596 at the 2010 census, up from 305 in 2000, due to inclusion of Dodge State Prison within the town limits. History The town takes its name from Chester, New York. ...

on June 25, 1979. The east ends of US 82 and

U.S. Route 84 U.S. Route 84 (US 84) is an east–west U.S. Highway that started as a short Georgia–Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme. Later, in 1941, it had been extended all the way to Colorado. The highway's eastern terminus is a short distan ...

were swapped in 1989 after the roads around Waycross, Georgia, were reconfigured. This change made US 82's eastern terminus I-95 in

, which is the current terminus today. New Mexico decided to delete an overlap with US 70 between Alamogordo and Las Cruces, resulting in the current western terminus at US 54/ US 70. In the movie Smokey and the Bandit, it was the main route to Texarkana from Atlanta and back.

Future

U.S. Route 82 is proposed to have an interchange with Interstate 69 in the near future. The highway is also receiving a new routing to bypass Greenville, Mississippi.

Major intersections

;New Mexico : in

: in Artesia ;Texas : in Plains. The highways travel concurrently to

. : in Brownfield. US 62/US 81 travels concurrently to Lubbock. US 82/US 385 travels concurrently through Brownfield. : in Lubbock : in Lubbock : in Lubbock. The highways travel concurrently to southwest of Ralls. : south of Guthrie : north-northeast of

. US 82/US 183/US 283 travels concurrently to Mabelle. US 82/US 277 travels concurrently to Wichita Falls. : in Wichita Falls. US 82/US 281 travels concurrently through Wichita Falls. US 82/US 287 travels concurrently to west of Henrietta. : in Ringgold : in Gainesville : in Whitesboro : in

Sherman Sherman most commonly refers to: *Sherman (name), a surname and given name (and list of persons with the name) ** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General *M4 Sherman, a tank Sherman may also refer to: Places United St ...

: in Bells : in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. The highways travel concurrently through Paris. : northwest of De Kalb : west of New Boston : in Texarkana : in Texarkana. The highways travel concurrently to Texarkana, Arkansas. : on the

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

–

state line on the Texarkana–Texarkana, Arkansas city line. The highways travel concurrently to Texarkana, Arkansas. ;Arkansas : in Texarkana : in

: in Magnolia. The highways travel concurrently through Magnolia. : in

: east of

. The highways travel concurrently to

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

. : south of Montrose : in

. US 65/US 82 travels concurrently to Fairview. US 82/US 278 travels concurrently to east of Leland, Mississippi. ;Mississippi : east of Leland. : in

: in

. The highways travel concurrently through Greenwood. : in

: in Winona : west-southwest of

. The highways travel concurrently to Columbus. ;Alabama : in Northport. The highways travel concurrently through Northport. : in

: in Tuscaloosa : in

: in Prattville. The highways travel concurrently to Montgomery. : in Montgomery : in Montgomery. US 80/US 82 travels concurrently through Montgomery. : in Montgomery : in Montgomery. US 82/US 231 travels concurrently to south-southeast of

Pike Road Pike Road is a town in Montgomery County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,439, up from 5,406 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Montgomery metropolitan area. Pike Road was founded in 1815. Pike Road was in ...

. : in Union Springs. The highways travel concurrently through Union Springs. : in Eufaula. The highways travel concurrently through Eufaula. ;Georgia : east of

Cuthbert Cuthbert of Lindisfarne ( – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxon saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Nor ...

: in Albany. The highways travel concurrently through Albany. : in

: in Tifton. The highways travel concurrently to east-southeast of Tifton. : in Tifton : northwest of Alapaha. The highways travel concurrently to Alapaha. : in

Pearson Pearson may refer to: Organizations Education *Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada *Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC *Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation) Companies *Pearson PLC, a UK-based int ...

: west of Deenwood. The highways travel concurrently to Waycross. : in Waycross. The highways travel concurrently through Waycross. : in Nahunta : west of Brunswick. The highways travel concurrently for approximately . : west of Brunswick

Special routes

Twelve special routes of US 82 currently exist: four in Arkansas, four in Texas, two in New Mexico, one in Mississippi, and one in Georgia.

References

External links

Endpoints of U.S. Highway 82
{{DEFAULTSORT:82 United States Numbered Highway System U.S. Highways in New Mexico U.S. Highways in Alabama