U.S. Route 127 (US 127) is a north–south

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 eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at US 27 in

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

. The northern terminus is at

Interstate 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 S ...

(I-75) near

Grayling, Michigan Grayling ( ') is a city and the county seat of Crawford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the only incorporated community in Crawford County. The population was 1,884 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by Grayling Charter Town ...

. Since 1987, it has been the core of the annual World's Longest Yard Sale, also known as 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 ...

(127 Yard Sale), which now stretches from

Addison, Michigan Addison is a village in Lenawee County, Michigan, Lenawee County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 605 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census. The village is located on the boundary between Rollin Township, Michigan, Rollin ...

, to

Gadsden, Alabama Gadsden is a city in and the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is located on the Coosa River about northeast of Birmingham and southwest of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan ...

. The sale, held every August, was started to demonstrate that the older U.S. Highway System has something to offer that the

Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...

does not. In

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, US 127 tripled in length in 2002, taking mileage from its parent, US 27.

Route description

Tennessee

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 ...

, US 127 traverses rural areas of the

Cumberland Plateau The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and portions of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The terms "Alle ...

in eastern

Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the s ...

and western

East 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 ...

. The route officially begins in the northern Chattanooga suburb of Red Bank at an interchange with US 27, where it overlaps

Tennessee State Route 8 State Route 8 (SR 8) is a north–south state highway in East and Middle Tennessee. It connects the cities of Chattanooga and McMinnville via Signal Mountain and Dunlap. Route description Hamilton County SR 8 begins in Hamilton Co ...

. From there it runs primarily northwest as it passes Signal Mountain, and later

Walden Ridge Walden Ridge (or Walden's Ridge) is a mountain ridge and escarpment located in Tennessee, in the United States. It marks the eastern edge of the Cumberland Plateau and is generally considered part of it. Walden Ridge is about long, running g ...

before entering Dunlap, where it turns northeast along

Tennessee State Route 28 State Route 28 (SR 28) is a state highway in the state of Tennessee, traversing the state in a north–south axis from south of Jasper to the Kentucky state line at Static. Route description Marion County SR 28 begins just south of Jasper at ...

. After TN 8 leaves at the interchange with TN 111, US 127/TN 28 follows through the

Sequatchie Valley Sequatchie Valley is a relatively long and narrow valley in the U.S. state of Tennessee and, in some definitions, Alabama. It is generally considered to be part of the Cumberland Plateau region of the Appalachian Mountains; it was probably formed ...

, passing through the city of Pikeville, then curves back to the northwest as it enters Crossville, only to return towards the northeast as it enters Jamestown. From that point on it returns towards the northwest one more time as it winds through the woods surrounding the Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park. Finally in

Static Static may refer to: Places *Static Nunatak, a nunatak in Antarctica United States * Static, Kentucky and Tennessee *Static Peak, a mountain in Wyoming **Static Peak Divide, a mountain pass near the peak Science and technology Physics *Static el ...

, the road runs along the Tennessee-Kentucky border where it makes a sharp turn at the northern terminus of TN 111 before entering Kentucky.

Kentucky

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, US 127 is cosigned with

US 42 U.S. Route 42 (US 42) is an east–west United States highway that runs southwest–northeast for from Louisville, Kentucky to Cleveland, Ohio. The route has several names including Pearl Road from Cleveland to Medina in Northeast Ohio, Readi ...

through Cincinnati's Northern Kentucky suburbs until east of

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

, then passes south through Owenton. This was the road driven by

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York ...

when he wrote "Blue Grass makes me Blue" in 1947. At the state capital of Frankfort, it becomes a four-lane highway, then skirts Lawrenceburg,

Harrodsburg Harrodsburg is a home rule-class city in Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census. Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the House of Burgesses after Boonesbo ...

, and Danville. It enters the hilly Knobs Region at Junction City, where it becomes a two-lane route, and continues through Hustonville, crossing the drainage divide between the Kentucky and Green river watersheds and roughly following the scenic upper Green River valley through Casey County, crossing the river at

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

. South of

Dunnville Dunnville is an unincorporated community located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada near the historic Talbot Trail. It was formerly an incorporated town encompassing the surrounding area with a total populat ...

it climbs onto the Eastern Pennyroyal Plateau and cuts through Russell Springs and Jamestown. It crosses Wolf Creek Dam, which creates

Lake Cumberland Lake Cumberland is a reservoir in Clinton, Pulaski, Russell, Wayne, and Laurel, counties in Kentucky. The primary reasons for its construction were a means for flood control and the production of hydroelectric power. Its shoreline measures ...

. It runs very briefly with KY 90 north of Albany and crosses into Tennessee at

. The new route through Clinton County includes a bypass west of Albany; the original plan for a more direct eastern route was abandoned because of historic and scenic concerns. In the county US 127 runs through sinkhole plains along the escarpment that marks the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau, creating scenic views.

Ohio

US 127 serves several cities and rural communities along the extreme western edge of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, including

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, New Miami, Seven Mile,

Somerville Somerville may refer to: *Somerville College, Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford Places *Somerville, Victoria, Australia * Somerville, Western Australia, a suburb of Kalgoorlie, Australia * Somerville, New Zealand, a subur ...

, Camden, Eaton, Greenville, Celina, Van Wert, Paulding and Bryan. In Cincinnati, it shares a short concurrency with its parent route, US 27, along with

. From there, it heads north through Fairfield and

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

. The highway is a four-lane, divided bypass around Greenville. US 127 crosses the

Ohio Turnpike The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor between Chicago and Pittsburgh. The road runs east–west in the northern section of ...

near West Unity, but does not intersect with it. It also joins with

US 36 U.S. Route 36 (US 36) is an east–west United States highway that travels approximately from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio. The highway's western terminus is at Deer Ridge Junction, an intersection in ...

for about . The first city US 127 enters after leaving Kentucky is Cincinnati. The last municipality that US 127 goes through before reaching Michigan is West Unity. Except for Defiance County, US 127 passes through the county seats of all nine counties in Ohio that share a border with Indiana. It also traverses a portion of

Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...

before entering Michigan. In total, US 127 traverses across Ohio.

Michigan

, US 127 runs from the Ohio border south of

Hudson Hudson may refer to: People * Hudson (given name) * Hudson (surname) * Henry Hudson, English explorer * Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back * Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...

north to the junction 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 ...

, south of Grayling, a distance of . The highway is the primary route connecting

Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...

and central Michigan to Northern Michigan and the Mackinac Bridge; it serves the cities of

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

, and Clare. From the south side of Jackson northerly, it is mostly a four-lane freeway, except for the notable exception of a stretch from north of St. Johns to just south of Ithaca, where access to the road is not limited. Prior to 2002, US 127 ran from

I-69 Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of 10 unconnected segments with an original continuous segment from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, at ...

north of

East Lansing East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County with a smaller portion extending north into Clinton County. At the 2020 Census the population was 47,741. Located directly east of the state capital ...

southerly to the Ohio border near

, a total of . From the Ohio border until Jackson, the highway follows the course (with minor deviations) of the

Michigan Meridian The Michigan meridian is the principal meridian (or north-south line) used as a reference in the Michigan Survey, the survey of the U.S. state of Michigan in the early 19th century. It is located at 84 degrees, 21 minutes and 53 seconds west long ...

used to

survey Survey may refer to: Statistics and human research * Statistical survey, a method for collecting quantitative information about items in a population * Survey (human research), including opinion polls Spatial measurement * Surveying, the techniq ...

Michigan in the early 19th century. That stretch is generally named Meridian Road. In the non-freeway sections of the route, it is known as Bagley Road. A proposed

I-73 Interstate 73 (I-73) is a north–south Interstate Highway, located within the US state of North Carolina. Currently, there is one continuous section of I-73, totaling , first traversing the U.S. Route 220 (US 220) freeway from ...

would incorporate US 127 between Jackson and Grayling. However, Michigan abandoned plans for build I-73 in 2001.

History

Southern terminus

US 127 originally terminated at Toledo when it was commissioned in 1926. At that time, the southern portion ran from Somerset to Toledo along the route of present-day

U.S. Route 223 US Route 223 or US Highway 223 (US 223) is a diagonal (northwest–southeast) United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway lying in the states of Michigan and Ohio. The southernmost section is completely concurrency ( ...

. In 1930 the southern terminus moved to Cincinnati, and in 1958 it was extended to its present southern terminus at Chattanooga.

Northern terminus

The northern terminus of US 127 was in or near

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

, from its inception in 1926 to 2002. In 2002, the terminus was moved to an intersection with

south of Grayling in

Crawford County, Michigan Crawford County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 Census, the population was 12,988. The county seat is Grayling, Michigan, Grayling. History The county is named for C ...

, replacing all of US 27 north of Lansing.

Major intersections

;Tennessee : in

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

: in Crossville : in Crossville : in Crossville ;Kentucky : in Danville. The highways travel concurrently through Danville. : northeast of

: in Lawrenceburg : in Frankfort : in Frankfort : in Frankfort. The highways travel concurrently through Frankfort. : in Glencoe : north-northeast of Glencoe. The highways travel concurrently to . : in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

: in Florence. The highways travel concurrently to the

state line. : in Crestview Hills : in Fort Mitchell : in Covington ;Ohio : in

. The highways travel concurrently through Cincinnati. : in Cincinnati : in Cincinnati : in Cincinnati : in Cincinnati : in Cincinnati : on the Pleasant Run– Mount Healthy Heights–

Forest Park A forest park is a park whose main theme is its forest of trees. Forest parks are found both in the mountains and in the urban environment. Examples Chile * Forest Park, Santiago China *Gongqing Forest Park, Shanghai * Mufushan National Fores ...

line. : in Eaton : exit 10 Eaton, OH (4 miles south) : west of Lewisburg : west-northwest of Jaysville. The highways travel concurrently to Greenville. : southeast of Rockford : in Van Wert. US 127/US 224 travels concurrently to north-northeast of Van Wert. : east of

Cecil Cecil may refer to: People with the name * Cecil (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) * Cecil (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Canada *Cecil, Alberta, ...

: south of Bryan : east of Alvordton. The highways travel concurrently to west of Fayette. ;Michigan : southeast of

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

: east of Somerset : northeast of

. The highways travel concurrently to north-northwest of Jackson. : at

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

south-southeast of

. I-496/US 127 travels concurrently to

. : north-northwest of East Lansing : in Clare. The highways travel concurrently to north-northwest of Clare. : south of Grayling

References

External links

Endpoints of US highway 127
{{US 27 1 27-1 Interstate 75