U.S. Route 64 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 ...

running from

Teec Nos Pos, Arizona Teec Nos Pos (Navajo: '')'' is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The population was 507 at the 2020 census. It is the western terminus of U.S. Route 64. Geography Teec Nos Pos is located at (36.923142, - ...

east to

Nags Head, North Carolina Nags Head is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. It is a busy vacation spot because of its beaches and sand dunes of Jockey's Ridge. The population was 3,146 at the 2020 census. History Early maps of the area show Nags Head as ...

. In the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 ...

, the route runs from the

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

border in Fort Smith east to the

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

border in

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

. The route passes through several cities and towns, including Fort Smith, Clarksville, Russellville, Conway, Searcy, and

West Memphis West Memphis is the largest city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 26,245 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, ranking it as the state's 18th largest city, behind Bella Vista, ...

. US 64 runs parallel to

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

until Conway, when I-40 takes a more southerly route.

Route description

US 64 crosses Arkansas' western border over 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 ...

, heading southeast into downtown Ft. Smith. Upon entry to

, the highway passes the

Fort Smith National Historic Site Fort Smith National Historic Site is a National Historic Site located in Fort Smith, Arkansas, along the Arkansas River. The first fort at this site was established by the United States in 1817, before this area was established as part of Indi ...

, Ft. Smith Confederate Monument, Commercial Hotel and the

West Garrison Avenue Historic District The West Garrison Avenue Historic District is a historic district encompassing the oldest commercial section of Fort Smith, Arkansas. When listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) ...

, all 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 ...

. The highway turns northwest near the New Theatre, following the

Arkansas and Missouri Railroad The Arkansas and Missouri Railroad is a Class III short-line railroad headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas. The A&M, as it is known, operates of line from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Monett, Missouri. The railroad interchanges freight cars with ...

and concurring with US 71 Business onto 10th and 11th Streets. Westbound traffic runs on 10th St and eastbound traffic on 11th St past the Fort Smith Masonic Temple. Traffic converges onto Midland Boulevard. US 64 crosses the Arkansas River again near the American Doughboy Monument as it enters Van Buren on Broadway. US 64 passes the Van Buren Post Office before turning east onto Main Street, then northeast again becoming the Alma Highway. US 64 passes a former alignment, now designated as Oak St. After Oak St, US 64 crosses I-540 and continues east to

Alma Alma or ALMA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film * ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922 * ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017 * ''Alma'' (play), a 1996 drama by Joshua Sobol about Alma ...

. US 64 closely follows

until Conway, while also closely following the

, the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

, and the southern edge of 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 ...

. US 64 continues through mountainous Franklin County, intersecting the

Pig Trail Scenic Byway The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

Ozark 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 ...

. The route passes the

Franklin County Courthouse Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral div ...

, and the Ozark Courthouse Square Historic District in Ozark before exiting town continuing east. Route 64 passes a historically significant connector road in Wiederkehr Village before entering

Altus Altus or ALTUS may refer to: Music *Alto, a musical term meaning second highest musical or vocal type *Altus (voice type), a vocal type also known as countertenor Places * Altus, Arkansas, US **Altus AVA, a wine-growing region near Altus, Arkans ...

and entering Johnson County. US 64 runs through Coal Hill and

Hartman __NOTOC__ Hartman is surname of German language, German origin. Notable people with the surname include: A *Angélica María, Angélica María Hartman (born 1944), American-born Mexican actress and singer *Anton Hartman (1918–1982), South Afri ...

before curving northeast and crossing over I-40. The route continues to Clarksville, home of 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 ...

. The route passes the Johnson County Courthouse, historic American Legion Hut, Clarksville Municipal Airport, and

Lake Dardanelle Lake Dardanelle is a major reservoir on the Arkansas River in Arkansas, USA. and is an integral part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS), which allows barge transportation from the Mississippi River to the Tulsa Port o ...

before again crossing over I-40 and entering Pope County. US 64 then parallels

, through Russellville and Morrilton. In

Faulkner County Faulkner County is located in the Central Arkansas region of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 113,237, making it the fifth most populous of Arkansas's 75 counties. The county seat and largest city is Conwa ...

, it briefly converges with U.S. Route 65B through Conway heading south before diverging from US 65 Business and Interstate 40 by turning east onto Oak Street. The highway next approaches Vilonia, following a southerly bypass around the city that opened in October 2011 (replacing its former alignment along Vilonia's Main Street) and rejoining its prior alignment west of the White County line and continuing to

El Paso El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...

, where it intersects Arkansas Highway 5. US 64 then travels east to Beebe, where it originally entered town via Center Street and joined with

US 67 U.S. Route 67 is a major north–south U.S. highway which extends for 1,560 miles (2,511 km) in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas, where it continues so ...

and

US 167 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. This former route along Center Street has since been resigned U.S. Route 67B, as all three US highways have been relocated to a concurrent divided highway northwest of Beebe. US 64 runs along this divided highway past McRae,

Garner Garner may refer to: Places United States * Garner, Arkansas * Garner, Iowa * Garner, Missouri * Garner, North Carolina Other uses * Garner (surname), a surname * Granary, a grain store * ''Tennessee v. Garner'', a United States Supreme Court cas ...

, and Searcy, where its original route took it north along Main Street, then east along Race Avenue. This former route is now signed U.S Route 67B. Later, US 64, 67, and 167 were rerouted southeast of Searcy along Eastline Road, which is now signed

Arkansas Highway 367 Arkansas Highway 367 (AR 367 or Hwy. 367) is a designation for two north–south List of Arkansas state highways, state highways in Arkansas. A southern route of travels north from U.S. Route 167 in Arkansas, U.S. Route 167 (U ...

. Currently, all three highways continue to run northeast along a divided highway running parallel to Eastline Road. US 64 diverges from US 67 & 167 on the northeast side of

Bald Knob Bald Knob is the highest summit of Back Allegheny Mountain in Pocahontas County, West Virginia and is part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. At an altitude of above sea level, Bald Knob is the third-highest point in West Virginia and the Alle ...

, where its former route took it downtown along Highway Avenue, which is now signed Arkansas Highway 367. US 64 turns east toward the White River and Woodruff County, while the divided US 67 diverges northeast, and US 167 diverges north. Highway 64 out of altus

US 64 continues east through Augusta and McCrory, intersecting with

US Route 49 U.S. Route 49 (US 49) is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Piggott, Arkansas, at an intersection with US Route 62/Highway 1/ Highway 139 (US 62/AR 1/AR 139). Its southern terminus is ...

at Fair Oaks and bypassing

Wynne Wynne is a surname of Welsh origin. This is a list of notable people with the surname, sorted by profession: Art, literature, and music * Bill Wynne (1922–2021), American photographer and writer * David Wynne (composer) (1900–83), Wels ...

while in Cross County, and proceeding into Crittenden County through Earle and Crawfordsville, until joining with

Interstate 55 Interstate 55 (I-55) 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, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The h ...

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mario ...

. Its former route continued east along Military Road, turning south onto the

Great River Road The Great River Road is a collection of state and local roads that follow the course of the Mississippi River through ten states of the United States. They are Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Miss ...

, and converging with

US Route 63 U.S. Route 63 (US 63) is a , north–south United States Highway primarily in the Midwestern and Southern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at Interstate 20 (I-20) in Ruston, Louisiana; the northern terminus is at US ...

, which has since also been rerouted along Interstate 55. The former route is signed

Arkansas Highway 77 Highway 77 (AR 77, Ark. 77, and Hwy. 77) is a north–south state highway in Northeast Arkansas. The route of runs from US Highway 70 (US 70) in West Memphis north through small towns and agricultural areas of the Arkansas Delta to th ...

US 64 continues south to West Memphis, where its former route entered the city from the north via Missouri Street, turning east (diverging from US 63 while converging with US 70 & 79) onto Broadway. Its current route turns east north of West Memphis as Interstates 55 and 40 briefly converge, before entering Tennessee (and downtown Memphis) along the Interstate 55 bridge. Each August, a large

yard sale A garage sale (also known as a yard sale, tag sale, moving sale and by many other namesSome rarely used names include "attic sale," "basement sale," "rummage sale," "thrift sale," "patio sale," "lawn sale," and "jumble sale".) is an informal ...

similar to the

Highway 127 Corridor Sale The Highway 127 Corridor Sale, also called the 127 Yard Sale, is an outdoor second-hand sale held annually for four days beginning the first Thursday in August along U.S. Route 127 (US 127). The event has been promoted as "The World's Longes ...

takes place along of US 64 in Arkansas, in locations stretching from Fort Smith to Beebe.

History

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 ...

has served as an east-west pathway across Arkansas for centuries, with travelers taking advantage of the flat natural topography between 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 ...

and the

Ouachita Mountains The Ouachita Mountains (), simply referred to as the Ouachitas, are a mountain range in western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. They are formed by a thick succession of highly deformed Paleozoic strata constituting the Ouachita Fold and Thru ...

. When the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

began constructing the

Memphis to Little Rock Road The Memphis to Little Rock Road (also known as the Military Road) was a Historic trails and roads in the United States, settlement road constructed between 1819 and Reconstruction era, Reconstruction in Arkansas. The project was one of many inter ...

on January 31, 1824, it followed a historic trail through the region.

National Register of Historic Places

Four original segments of US 64 remain intact and are listed on the

. The Menifee segment was listed in 2006, the Scotia segment was listed in 2007, and the Van Buren and Altus segments were listed in 2010. The Horsehead Creek Bridge near

was listed in 2014. The original segment listings are contained within the ''Arkansas Highway History and Architecture Multiple Property Submission'', which preserves history from Arkansas's highway building era between 1910 and 1965. The Horsehead Creek Bridge was listed within the ''Historic Bridges of Arkansas MPS''. Two other bridges were NRHP-listed until their demolition: the 1920 Galla Creek Bridge near Pottsville was removed in 2000, and the 1930 Augusta Bridge over the White River was removed in 2002.

Van Buren

The Old US 64-Van Buren Segment is a stretch of historic roadway in Van Buren. Now designated Oak Lane, this stretch of concrete road was built in 1928 by Shultz Construction Co. as part of the original alignment of US 64, whose current alignment (built in 1968) travels to the south. This stretch of road is about long and wide, carrying two lanes of traffic with no shoulder. It is made out of a tan-colored aggregate mixed with concrete. This segment was part of the first concrete-paved road in

Crawford County Crawford County is the name of eleven counties in the United States: * Crawford County, Arkansas * Crawford County, Georgia * Crawford County, Illinois * Crawford County, Indiana * Crawford County, Iowa * Crawford County, Kansas * Crawford County, ...

Altus

The Johnson County Line-Ozark-Crawford County Line Road, Altus Segment is a historic roadbed in

. It consists of a section of stone-paved roadbed, located on the north side of US 64 between Robin Way and County Road 515. The roadbed is about wide, with gravel shoulders, and has a small concrete bridge spanning a ditch. Built sometime between c. 1918 and 1931, it is the only known example of stone pavement in rural Arkansas. US 64 was redirected onto a new terrain roadway in 1931, leaving this segment as a nameless connector road.

Horseshead Creek Bridge

The US 64 Horsehead Creek Bridge is a historic bridge, carrying US 64 across Horsehead Creek east of

. Its two main spans are Parker pony trusses, in length, with steel deck girder approach spans giving the bridge a total length of . The trusses are mounted on concrete piers, with the approaches on concrete piers and abutments. The bridge was built in 1933–1934 by Fred Luttjohann, and served as a major crossing point and transportation route until the construction of Interstate 40 (I-40) to the north.

Scotia

The Old US 64, Scotia Segment is a section of historic roadway in the

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

Scotia Scotia is a Latin placename derived from ''Scoti'', a Latin name for the Gaels, first attested in the late 3rd century.Duffy, Seán. ''Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge, 2005. p.698 The Romans referred to Ireland as "Scotia" around ...

. It extends eastward from Country Lane, south of the current alignment of US 64. It is about in length, following an arced route, and is covered in a

bituminous Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...

that has in places deteriorated into gravel. It is believed to be the longest-surviving element of the c. 1920 alignment of US 64 in Arkansas, and was built on an alignment dating to the 1830s. It is believed this road formed part of the

Trail of Tears The Trail of Tears was an ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of approximately 60,000 people of the "Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government. As part of the Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, ...

Menifee

Old U.S. Route 64 is a historic former alignment of US 64 in Menifee. Now a portion of Canal Road, it consists of a section of concrete pavement, extending southward from the current alignment of US 64 near the center of Menifee. Built in 1931 by the Zeigler Construction Company, it is the longest intact portion of the highway's original alignment in Conway County. It was bypassed by the present alignment in 1961.

Historic segment gallery

Old_U.S._Hwy_64_-Van_Buren_Segment_looking_East.JPG, Van Buren segment looking east Johnson County Line-Ozark-Crawford County Line Road, Altus Segment.JPG, Altus segment U.S. 64 Horsehead Creek Bridge.JPG, Horsehead Creek Bridge Old US 64, Scotia Segment.JPG, Scotia segment Old US 64, Menifee Segment.JPG, Menifee segment

Major intersections

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Arkansas 64 National Register of Historic Places in Crawford County, Arkansas National Register of Historic Places in Conway County, Arkansas National Register of Historic Places in Franklin County, Arkansas National Register of Historic Places in Johnson County, Arkansas National Register of Historic Places in Pope County, Arkansas Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas Transportation in Sebastian County, Arkansas Transportation in Crawford County, Arkansas Transportation in Franklin County, Arkansas Transportation in Johnson County, Arkansas Transportation in Pope County, Arkansas Transportation in Conway County, Arkansas Transportation in Faulkner County, Arkansas Transportation in White County, Arkansas Transportation in Woodruff County, Arkansas Transportation in Cross County, Arkansas Transportation in Crittenden County, Arkansas