U.S. Route 51 or U.S. Highway 51 (US 51) is a major south-north United States highway that extends from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana, to within of the Wisconsin– Michigan state line. As most of the United States Numbered Highways ending with "1", it is a cross-country north-south route extending from the Gulf Coast region to the Great Lakes region. Much of the highway in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin runs parallel to or is cosigned with Interstate 39 (I-39) and much of the route in several states also parallels the Illinois Central Railroad. From LaPlace, Louisiana, Mississippi, to Memphis, Tennessee, much of that portion of US 51 runs largely parallel or is concurrent with Interstate 55 (I-55). The highway's northern terminus is between Hurley, Wisconsin, and Ironwood, Michigan, where it ends with a Trumpet interchange at US 2. Its southern terminus is in Laplace, Louisiana, ending at US 61. US 51 is routed through the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wisconsin. In addition to singing about US 61 on his album '' Highway 61 Revisited'', musician Bob Dylan also commemorated US 51, covering the folk song "

Highway 51 Blues "Highway 51 Blues" is a song composed by American blues pianist Curtis Jones, released on a 78 record on January 12, 1938. Bob Dylan's track "Highway 51", released as the closing track of his debut album ''Bob Dylan'' on March 19, 1962, incorpo ...

", earlier recorded by both

Curtis Jones Curtis Jones may refer to: * Curtis Jones (pianist) (1906–1971), American blues pianist * Curtis Jones (singer) or Green Velvet (born 1968), American singer, record producer, and DJ * Curtis Jones (minister) (born 1986), American minister conv ...

and Tommy McClennan, on his eponymous album '' Bob Dylan''. The North Mississippi Allstars also paid tribute to the highway in the title track of their album ''51 Phantom''. In Memphis, Tennessee, all of US 51 south of South Parkway East was renamed from Bellevue Boulevard to Elvis Presley Boulevard on January 17, 1972. Graceland is located on this section of the highway, in the subdivision of Whitehaven. In 2004, the six states that US 51 traverses banded together as the ''Explore Hwy 51 Coalition'' to help promote this "All-American Road". The group now offers visitor information for traveling the length of the road.

Route description

Louisiana

US 51 begins at the intersection with US 61 in

Laplace Pierre-Simon, marquis de Laplace (; ; 23 March 1749 – 5 March 1827) was a French scholar and polymath whose work was important to the development of engineering, mathematics, statistics, physics, astronomy, and philosophy. He summarized ...

and heads northeast. It intersects

I-10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...

before running concurrently with I-55. Near the interchange with I-12, the route splits from I-55. It intersects US 190 in

Hammond Hammond may refer to: People * Hammond Innes (1913–1998), English novelist * Hammond (surname) * Justice Hammond (disambiguation) Places Antarctica * Hammond Glacier, Antarctica Australia *Hammond, South Australia, a small settlement in South ...

and remains running parallel with I-55 before entering Mississippi. In the 1930s, this highway was called Jefferson Davis Highway.Times Picayune, January 26, 1930

Mississippi

US 51 enters Mississippi from Louisiana in Osyka and runs parallel with I-55. It intersects US 98 in McComb and US 84 south of Brookhaven. Northwest of Crystal Springs, it runs concurrently with I-55 and then splits at the interchange with

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 ...

in Jackson. The highway then runs through Jackson, intersecting US 80. Outside Ridgeland, it passes under I-55 as it continues northeast. It continues through

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...

, Pickens,

Goodman Goodman or Goodmans may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Goodman Games, American publisher. * Goodman Global, an American HVAC manufacturer. * Goodman Group, an Australian property company. * Goodmans Industries, a British electronic comp ...

, and

Durant Durant may refer to: People * Durant (surname) Fictional characters * Durant (Pokémon), a species in ''Pokémon Black'' and ''White'' * ''John Durant'' (General Hospital), a character on the soap opera ''General Hospital'' Places * Durant, ...

. The highway continues to run along I-55, intersecting US 82 in

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 US 278 in Batesville. The route passes under I-69 before entering Tennessee. The Mississippi section of US 51 is defined at Mississippi Code Annotated § 65-3-3.

Tennessee

US 51 enters Tennessee from Mississippi and travels through Memphis. It intersects I-55 and then I-240 before intersecting US 78. It then runs concurrently with US 79 before intersecting I-69. As it exits Memphis, it intersects I-40 and heads northeasterly. In

Dyersburg Dyersburg is a city and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States. It is located in northwest Tennessee, northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 16,164 at the 2020 census, down 5.72% from the 2010 census ...

, it runs concurrently with US 412 for a half a mile before intersecting

I-155 Interstate 155 is the designation for two Interstate Highways in the United States, both of which are related to Interstate 55: *Interstate 155 (Illinois), a spur to Peoria *Interstate 155 (Missouri–Tennessee) Interstate 155 (I-155) is a ...

's eastern terminus. US 51 then continues northeasterly before entering Kentucky. US 51 between Memphis and Kentucky is planned on running concurrently with I-69.

Kentucky

US 51 enters Kentucky at Fulton, running concurrently with I-69 and continues northward through the towns of Clinton, Bardwell and Wickliffe to the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

. The route intersects and runs concurrently with US 62 before separating from it in Cairo. Along the way it also intersects US 60. The route then enters Illinois before running concurrently with I-57.

Illinois

1927 Mississippi flood Mounds-Cairo IL highway

US 51 enters Illinois from Kentucky at the city of Cairo. The route heads northward to a village near Cairo called Mounds, and shares the pavement with I-57, following it for to

Dongola Dongola ( ar, دنقلا, Dunqulā), also spelled ''Dunqulah'', is the capital of the state of Northern Sudan, on the banks of the Nile, and a former Latin Catholic bishopric (14th century). It should not be confused with Old Dongola, an ancien ...

, before splitting and heading north. The route remains two lanes from Dongola to just before

Assumption Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven. Assumption may also refer to: Places * Assumption, Alberta, Canada * Assumption, Illinois, United States ** Assumption Town ...

with the exception of a section between Centralia and I-64. North of Assumption, US 51 becomes an expressway to Decatur. In Decatur, US 51 follows I-72 to bypass town. US 51 leaves I-72 after , and heads north to Bloomington– Normal as an expressway. At Bloomington–Normal, US 51 follows I-74 for a mile, then I-55 for , before following

I-39 Interstate 39 (I-39) is a highway in the Midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois, at I-55 to State Trunk Highway 29 (WIS 29) in the town of Rib Mountain, Wisconsin, which is approximately south of Wausau. I- ...

for . US 51 follows I-39, intersecting I-80 and I-88 along the way. The highway also follows US 20 south of Rockford (while still following I-39). I-39/US 51 joins

I-90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

, making US 51 one of the only toll roads in Illinois that is a U.S. Highway. US 51 exits I-39/I-90 just a mile south of the Wisconsin state line. US 51 follows Illinois Route 75 (IL 75) west to the intersection of IL 251, then turns north through South Beloit to enter Wisconsin.

Wisconsin

In the state of Wisconsin, US 51 enters from Illinois at Beloit. US 51 splits off from I-39/I-90 in South Beloit, Illinois and continues northward through Janesville and Edgerton. In Edgerton, US 51 rejoins I-39/I-90 for before splitting off towards Stoughton and McFarland. US 51 runs almost parallel to I-39/I-90 through the eastern portion of

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

, crosses the Interstate in DeForest, and finally rejoins I-39 again at

Portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

. US 51 runs concurrently with I-39 until I-39's terminus in Wausau and continues on as a mixture of freeway and expressway until just north of the interchange with US 8. From there through Hazelhurst, US 51 is a two-lane road with sporadic three-lane sections (which were constructed in 2008). US 51 expands to four lanes, with a central fifth turn lane from Hazelhurst to Arbor Vitae; north of Arbor Vitae it returns to two lanes and continues to its northern end in

Hurley Hurley may refer to: Places ;In the United Kingdom: * Hurley, Berkshire * Hurley, Warwickshire * Hurley Common, Warwickshire ;In the United States: * Hurley, Alabama * Hurley, Mississippi * Hurley, Missouri * Hurley, New Mexico * Hurley, New Y ...

, where it terminates at US 2.

Major intersections

;Louisiana : in

LaPlace Pierre-Simon, marquis de Laplace (; ; 23 March 1749 – 5 March 1827) was a French scholar and polymath whose work was important to the development of engineering, mathematics, statistics, physics, astronomy, and philosophy. He summarized ...

: in LaPlace : northeast of LaPlace. The highways travel concurrently to

. : in Hammond ;Mississippi : in McComb : south of Brookhaven : in Crystal Springs. The highways travel concurrently to Jackson. : in Jackson. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Jackson : in

: in Batesville ;Tennessee : in Memphis : in Memphis : in Memphis. US 51/US 64/US 70/US 79 travels concurrently through the city. : in Memphis : in Memphis : in Memphis : in Millington : in

. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Dyersburg. I-69/US 51 travels concurrently to southwest of Troy. : northeast of Union City. The highways travel concurrently to South Fulton. : in South Fulton ;Kentucky : in Fulton. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Bardwell. The highways travel concurrently to

Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( ) is the southernmost city in Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County. The city is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Fort Defiance, a Civil War camp, was built here in 1862 by Union General Ulysses ...

. : in Wickliffe. The highways travel concurrently to Cairo, Illinois. ;Illinois : in Cairo. The highways travel concurrently to near

. : in Richview : in Sandoval. The highways travel concurrently through the village. : in Vandalia Township. The highways travel concurrently to Vandalia. : in Vandalia : in Harristown : in Harristown. The highways travel concurrently to Decatur. : in Bloomington Township. The highways travel concurrently to northwest of Normal. : in Bloomington. The highways travel concurrently to Normal. : in Bloomington : in Normal. I-39/US 51 travels concurrently to South Beloit. : in El Paso : in LaSalle : in LaSalle : on the

Troy Grove Troy Grove is a village in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 225 at the 2020 census, down from 250 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Troy Grove is notable as the birthplace ...

– Ophir township line : in Mendota Township : on the

Amboy Amboy may refer to: Places * Amboy, Córdoba, village in Calamuchita Department, Córdoba province, Argentina United States * Amboy Crater, feature in Mojave National Preserve, California Settled U.S. places * Amboy, California * Amboy, Ge ...

–

Franklin Grove Franklin Grove is a village in Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2010 census, down from 1,052 in 2000. History Franklin Grove was named for James R. Franklin, a pioneer who settled in a grove near the town site ...

township line : in Dement Township : in Rockford. The highways travel concurrently to Cherry Valley. : in Cherry Valley. The highways travel concurrently to South Beloit. ;Wisconsin : in the Town of Janesville : in the Town of Albion. The highways travel concurrently through the town. : in

: in Madison : in the Town of Burke : in the Town of Fort Winnebago. The highways travel concurrently to the Town of Rib Mountain. : in Stevens Point. The highways travel concurrently to the Town of Hull. : in the Town of King : in the Town of Kimball

References

External links

Endpoints of US 51
{{Authority control 51 51 051 051