Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west

Interstate Highway 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 ...

in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with

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 ...

in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in

Florence, South Carolina Florence is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. It is the primary city within the Florence metropolit ...

. Between Texas and South Carolina, I-20 runs through northern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. The major cities that I-20 connects to include Dallas, Texas;

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...

; Jackson, Mississippi; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; and Columbia, South Carolina. From its terminus at I-95, the highway continues about eastward into the city of Florence as Interstate Business 20.

Route description

, - , TX , , 636.08 , , 1023.67 , - , LA , , 189.87 , , 305.57 , - , MS , , 154.61 , , 248.82 , - , AL , , 214.7 , , 345.5 , - , GA , , 202.61 , , 326.07 , - , SC , , 141.51 , , 227.74 , - , Total , , 1539.4 , , 2477.4 I-20 runs from Texas to South Carolina serving major southern economic hubs such as Dallas–Fort Worth and Atlanta.

Texas

I-20 begins in Scroggins Draw at a fork with I-10. From there, the highway travels east-northeastward through

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

Midland Midland may refer to: Places Australia * Midland, Western Australia Canada * Midland, Albert County, New Brunswick * Midland, Kings County, New Brunswick * Midland, Newfoundland and Labrador * Midland, Ontario India * Midland Ward, Kohima, Nagal ...

, and Abilene before turning eastward toward Dallas–Fort Worth. The La Entrada al Pacifico corridor runs along I-20 between

U.S. Route 385 U.S. Route 385 (US 385) is a spur of U.S. Route 85 that runs for 1,206 miles (1,941 km) from Deadwood, South Dakota to Big Bend National Park in Texas. Route description , - , TX , 545 , 877 , - , OK , 36 , 58 , - , CO , 317 , 510 ...

(US 385) and

Farm to Market Road 1788 A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

(FM 1788). Between Monahans and I-10, I-20 has an speed limit. From the highway's opening in the 1960s through 1977, I-20 originally went through the heart of the Metroplex via the Dallas–Fort Worth Turnpike. This old route is now signed I-30 (Dallas–Fort Worth Turnpike and from US 80/I-30 intersection at Mesquite to downtown Dallas), US 80 (former stretch between I-635 and

Terrell Terrell, Terell, Terrel, or Terrelle may refer to: Places United States *Terrell, Georgia, unincorporated community *Terrell, North Carolina, unincorporated community in Catawba County, North Carolina, United States *Terrell, Texas, city in Kau ...

), and State Highway Spur 557 (Spur 557, bypass around Terrell). In 1977, I-20 was rerouted to go through the southern sections of Fort Worth, Arlington,

Grand Prairie Grand Prairie is a city in Dallas, Tarrant, and Ellis counties of Texas, in the United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It had a population of 175,396 according to the 2010 census, making it th ...

, Dallas, and Mesquite. It split off from the old route initially at I-820 in west Fort Worth the later on at its current junction near Aledo in Parker County. It rejoins the old route near Terrell. Part of I-20 in Dallas used to be signed as I-635 and shares the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway name with the remainder of I-635. Parts on the south side of Fort Worth were originally signed as I-820. I-20 continues eastward from Terrell, bypassing

Tyler Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...

, Longview, and Marshall before crossing the Louisiana border near Waskom.

Louisiana

In Louisiana, I-20 roughly parallels US 80 through the northern part of the state. Entering the state from near Waskom, Texas, the highway immediately enters the

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population o ...

– Bossier City metropolitan area, intersecting

I-49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway that exists in multiple segments: the original portion entirely within the state of Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from Interstate 220 (Louisiana), I-220 in S ...

near downtown Shreveport and passing close to

Barksdale Air Force Base Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in northwest Louisiana, United States, in Bossier Parish. It is contiguous to Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwestern edge. Barksdale AFB ...

in Bossier City. I-20 traverses mainly rural, hilly terrain, bypassing

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detm ...

, Grambling, and

Ruston Ruston may refer to: Place names ;United States * Ruston, Louisiana * Ruston, Washington ;United Kingdom * East Ruston, Norfolk, England * Ruston, North Yorkshire, England * Ruston Parva, East Riding of Yorkshire, England Companies * Ruston (engi ...

before reaching Monroe. From Monroe, I-20 enters flatter terrain as it approaches the Mississippi River. Before crossing the Mississippi, the highway passes Tallulah. At the Mississippi River, I-20 leaves Louisiana and enters

Vicksburg Vicksburg most commonly refers to: * Vicksburg, Mississippi, a city in western Mississippi, United States * The Vicksburg Campaign, an American Civil War campaign * The Siege of Vicksburg, an American Civil War battle Vicksburg is also the name of ...

Mississippi

Upon entering Mississippi by crossing the Mississippi River, I-20 immediately enters

. Between Edwards and

Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...

, the highway mostly follows the original two-lane routing of US 80. In Jackson, I-20 sees a short concurrency with both I-55 and US 49. Also in Jackson is an unusually expansive

stack interchange A directional interchange, colloquially known as a stack interchange, is a type of grade-separated junction between two controlled-access highways that allows for free-flowing movement to and from all directions of traffic. These interchanges e ...

, at the

junction Junction may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Junction'' (film), a 2012 American film * Jjunction, a 2002 Indian film * Junction (album), a 1976 album by Andrew Cyrille * Junction (EP), by Basement Jaxx, 2002 * Junction (manga), or ''Hot ...

of I-20, I-55 North, and US 49 South. The interchange replaces a former directional interchange at I-55 North and a cloverleaf at US 49. From the Stack, I-20 continues eastward to

Meridian Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to Science * Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon * ...

, where it begins the nearly overlap with

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. ...

. The route of the Mississippi section of I-20 is defined in Mississippi Code § 65-3-3.

Alabama

I-20 (along with I-59) crosses the Alabama state line near York, and it stays conjoined as it passes through western Alabama and Tuscaloosa. At Birmingham, the two highways pass through downtown together before splitting at exit 130 just east of the Birmingham airport. I-20 continues eastward through Oxford/ Anniston, Alabama, and the Talladega National Forest, passing by the Talladega Superspeedway in the process, which is visible from the highway. Also in Birmingham, the intersection of I-20 / I-59 and I-65 was known as a Malfunction Junction because of the interchange's somewhat-confusing design, and the number of traffic accidents that occurred there. This section of the Interstate and its interchanges have since been reconfigured.

Georgia

I-20 enters Georgia near Tallapoosa and after passing through western Georgia, it enters the

Atlanta metropolitan area Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ...

. On clear days, eastbound motorists get their first view of downtown Atlanta as they come over the top of the

Six Flags Hill Six Flags Hill is a hill located on Interstate 20 west of Atlanta, Georgia. It is about a mile west of the Six Flags Over Georgia theme park, and is a major reference point for Atlanta radio and television traffic reporters. Motorists travel ...

. The Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park is easily visible off exit 46 eastbound. The highway then passes through the center of Atlanta, meeting with I-75 and

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 ...

, which share a common expressway (the " Downtown Connector"). It continues through Metropolitan Atlanta eastward and through the eastern half of Georgia until it exits the state, crossing the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the norther ...

at Augusta. Throughout the state, I-20 is conjoined with unsigned State Route 402 (SR 402). Also, I-20 from the Alabama state line to I-285 in Atlanta is named the "Tom Murphy Freeway", but it is called the "Ralph David Abernathy Freeway" within I-285. The Interstate Highway is also named the Purple Heart Highway from I-285 in DeKalb County to US 129/ US 441/ SR 24 in Madison, Georgia, and it is called the Carl Sanders Highway from US 129/US 441/SR 24 to the South Carolina state line.

South Carolina

Upon leaving Augusta, I-20 crosses the

and enters the Palmetto State and heads northeastward, bypassing Aiken, South Carolina, Aiken and Lexington, South Carolina, Lexington before reaching the state capital of Columbia, South Carolina, Columbia, which can be reached most directly by taking Interstate 26, I-26 east at exit 64 ("Malfunction Junction"), then, almost immediately, Interstate 126, I-126/U.S. Route 76, US 76. At Columbia, I-20 bypasses the city to the north and again turns northeastward, bypassing Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Fort Jackson and Camden, South Carolina, Camden. After crossing the Wateree River, it turns due east, passes by tiny Bishopville, before reaching the Florence, South Carolina, Florence area. It is near Florence where I-20 sees its eastern terminus at Interstate 95 in South Carolina, I-95. However, for about , the highway continues into Florence as Interstate 20 Business (Florence, South Carolina), I-20 Bus. I-20 in the Palmetto State is known as either the J. Strom Thurmond Freeway or John C. West Freeway. The first section to be completed was the bridge over the Savannah River in 1965; the last, the section between U.S. Route 401, US 401 and I-95 (including the business spur), opened in August 1975.

History

I-20 was built in 1957 connecting Texas to the east coast running through Shreveport La, Ruston La, and Monroe La making it their first Interstate. I-20's exit numbers in Georgia were changed in 2000.

Future

In 2003, the North Carolina Department of Transportation proposed extending I-20 eastward from Florence to Wilmington, North Carolina, Wilmington at the behest of North Carolina Governor Mike Easley and his 'Strategic Transportation Plan' for the southeast portion of the state. The proposed route would follow US 76 east from Florence to Whiteville, North Carolina, then parallel US 74/US 76 into Wilmington. Part of this route is already designated the future eastern extension of Interstate 74, I-74. As part of the 2005 SAFETEA-LU transportation legislation, North Carolina received $5 million for a feasibility study for this extension. While this extension has considerable support among towns in southeastern North Carolina, the South Carolina DOT has stated that they have no interest in upgrading their portion of US 76 to an Interstate. Instead, South Carolina is concentrating their efforts on plans to build Interstate 73, I-73 that will terminate near Myrtle Beach. This proposed extension is currently unfunded.

Junction list

;Texas : at Scroggins Draw : in Pecos, Texas, Pecos : in

: in Big Spring, Texas, Big Spring : east of Roscoe, Texas, Roscoe. The highways travel concurrently to the Tye, Texas, Tye– Abilene city line. : in Abilene : in Baird, Texas, Baird : in Cisco, Texas, Cisco : south-southeast of Brazos, Texas, Brazos : in Hudson Oaks, Texas, Hudson Oaks : northeast of Aledo, Texas, Aledo : in Fort Worth, Texas, Fort Worth : in Fort Worth : in Benbrook, Texas, Benbrook : in Fort Worth : in Fort Worth. I-20/US 287 travels concurrently to Arlington. : in

: in Dallas : on the Dallas–Lancaster, Texas, Lancaster city line : on the Dallas–Hutchins, Texas, Hutchins city line : on the Dallas–Balch Springs, Texas, Balch Springs city line : in Balch Springs : in Lindale, Texas, Lindale : south-southeast of Winona, Texas, Winona : northeast of Kilgore, Texas, Kilgore. The highways travel concurrently to Longview. : in Marshall : west-southwest of Jonesville, Texas, Jonesville. The highways travel concurrently to west of Waskom, Texas, Waskom. ;Louisiana : in Greenwood, Louisiana, Greenwood : in

: in Shreveport : in Shreveport : in Shreveport : in Shreveport : in Shreveport. The highways travel concurrently to Bossier City. : in Bossier City : near Haughton, Louisiana, Haughton : in Dixie Inn, Louisiana, Dixie Inn. The highways travel concurrently to

. : southeast of Minden : in

: east-northeast of Calhoun, Louisiana, Calhoun : in Monroe : in Rayville, Louisiana, Rayville : in Tallulah : in Delta, Louisiana, Delta. The highways travel concurrently to Clinton, Mississippi. ;Mississippi : in

. The highways travel concurrently through Vicksburg. : in Jackson, Mississippi, Jackson. I-20/US 49 travels concurrently to Pearl, Mississippi, Pearl. : in Jackson. I-20/I-55 travels concurrently to Richland, Mississippi, Richland : in Brandon, Mississippi, Brandon : in Brandon : east-southeast of Lake, Mississippi, Lake : west-southwest of

. The highways travel concurrently to Meridian. : in Meridian. The highways travel concurrently to Birmingham. : in Meridian. The highways travel concurrently through Meridian. : in Meridian : west-northwest of Kewanee, Mississippi, Kewanee ;Alabama : near Cuba, Alabama, Cuba : south of Knoxville, Alabama, Knoxville : in Tuscaloosa : in Tuscaloosa : in Tuscaloosa : in Tuscaloosa : south of Lake View, Alabama, Lake View. The highways travel concurrently to Bessemer, Alabama, Bessemer. : southwest of McCalla, Alabama, McCalla : in Birmingham : in Birmingham : in Birmingham : in Birmingham : in Irondale, Alabama, Irondale : in Leeds, Alabama, Leeds : on the Leeds–Moody, Alabama, Moody line : northwest of Cooks Springs, Alabama, Cooks Springs. The highways travel concurrently to Pell City, Alabama, Pell City. : in Pell City : in Riverside, Alabama, Riverside : east of Oxford ;Georgia : in Bremen, Georgia, Bremen : in Atlanta : in Atlanta : in Atlanta : on the Panthersville, Georgia, Panthersville–Candler-McAfee, Georgia, Candler-McAfee CDP line : southeast of Lithonia, Georgia, Lithonia. The highways travel concurrently to Covington, Georgia, Covington. : in Social Circle, Georgia, Social Circle : in Madison, Georgia, Madison : in Barnett, Georgia, Barnett : north of Thomson, Georgia, Thomson : south of Appling, Georgia, Appling : in Augusta ;South Carolina : in North Augusta, South Carolina, North Augusta : in North Augusta : north-northeast of Aiken, South Carolina, Aiken : southeast of Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina, Batesburg-Leesville : east of Lexington, South Carolina, Lexington : north of Oak Grove, South Carolina, Oak Grove : on the Seven Oaks, South Carolina, Seven Oaks–St. Andrews, South Carolina, St. Andrews CDP line : in St. Andrews : north of Columbia, South Carolina, Columbia : in Columbia : in Dentsville, South Carolina, Dentsville : on the Dentsville–Woodfield, South Carolina, Woodfield CDP line : in Lugoff, South Carolina, Lugoff : in Camden, South Carolina, Camden : southwest of Bishopville, South Carolina, Bishopville : northeast of Lamar, South Carolina, Lamar : in Florence, South Carolina, Florence

Auxiliary routes

Two I-420s were planned, but never completed or built. Interstate 420 (Louisiana), One was to be a Bypass (road), bypass around Monroe, Louisiana, but was never built. Interstate 420 (Georgia), The other I-420 was planned as a bypass to the south of Downtown Atlanta. Due to Atlanta freeway revolts, anti-freeway sentiments, this I-420 was never completed, and the already-built portion has been signed as SR 154/SR 166, named Langford Parkway (formerly the Lakewood Freeway). *

: Interstate 220 (Louisiana), I-220 * Jackson, Mississippi: Interstate 220 (Mississippi), I-220 * Augusta, Georgia: Interstate 520, I-520 * Fort Worth, Texas: Interstate 820, I-820

References

External links

*
I-20 on Interstate-Guide.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:I20 Interstate 20, Interstate Highway System, 20