U.S. Highway 159 (US 159) is a auxiliary route of US 59. It travels from

Nortonville, Kansas Nortonville is a city in Jefferson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 601. History Nortonville was platted in 1873. It was named for L. Norton, Jr., a railroad employee. The first post office i ...

at US 59 to

New Point, Missouri New Point is an unincorporated community in eastern Holt County, Missouri, United States. It is located approximately five miles northeast of Oregon and was originally named Grant. Its post office has closed and mail now comes from Oregon. New Po ...

, also at US 59. The highway permits through traffic on US 59 to bypass the cities of

Atchison, Kansas Atchison is a city and county seat of Atchison County, Kansas, United States, along the Missouri River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,885. The city is named in honor of US Senator David Rice Atchison from Missouri ...

and Saint Joseph, Missouri, traveling instead through

Falls City, Nebraska Falls City is a city and county seat of Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,133 at the 2020 census, down from 4,325 in 2010 and 4,671 in 2000. History Falls City was founded in the summer of 1857 by James Lane, John ...

and

Hiawatha, Kansas Hiawatha ( Ioway: ''Hári Wáta'' pronounced ) is the largest city and county seat of Brown County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,280. History Etymology B.L. Rider reportedly was responsible ...

(assuming the bridge over the Missouri River is open).

Route description

Kansas

The southwestern end of U.S. Route 159 is in

. It joins with U.S. Route 73 in

Horton, Kansas Horton is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,523. History Horton was founded in 1886. It was named for Albert H. Horton, chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. On Januar ...

. The two highways overlap and passing through

and

Reserve, Kansas Reserve is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 67. It is located approximately 1.5 miles south of the Nebraska-Kansas border. History A post office was opened in Reserve in 188 ...

, stretching to the Nebraska border. The highway provides an important connection between

and

, providing Nebraska residents with an alternative connection to

St. Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Small parts of St. Joseph extend into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includ ...

when there is a problem with the Rulo bridge.

Nebraska

U.S. Route 159 enters Nebraska through its southern border in Richardson County. It enters south of Falls City, Nebraska concurrently with U.S. Route 73. After coming up through the south end of Falls City, the U.S. Route 159 turns east (with Route 73 continuing north). After the eastbound turn, U.S. Route leaves the state at the Missouri River bridge in

Rulo, Nebraska Rulo is a village in Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 144 at the 2020 census. History Rulo was laid out in 1857. It was named for Charlie Rouleau, the original owner of the town site. In 1933, the foundation for ...

Missouri

U.S. Route 159 enters the state of Missouri crossing the Missouri River near the Rulo bridge south of Big Lake, Missouri. It crosses

Interstate 29 Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...

near Fortescue, Missouri before ending at US-59 near New Point. Its total length in Missouri is approximately .

History

When the route was commissioned in 1934, U.S. Route 159 only went between Nortonville, Kansas and Horton, Kansas. In 1945, it was extended north to Craig, Missouri via Falls City, Nebraska. After 1975, the route in Missouri was altered to go east from the Fortescue area to what is now its current terminus near New Point, Missouri. The old route which went to Craig is now Route 111.Sanderson, Dal
End of US highway 159
In 2013, a new bridge over the Missouri River, located about 650 feet south of the old

Rulo Bridge The Rulo Bridge is the name for whatever bridge crosses Missouri River on U.S. Route 159 (US 159) from the village of Rulo in Richardson County, Nebraska, to Holt County, Missouri, west of Big Lake. 1939 Bridge The old Rulo bridge ...

, opened to traffic. In April 2019, a large portion of this route was closed for several months because of flooding of the Missouri River. The bridge and the road between Rulo, Nebraska and

Missouri Route 111 Route 111 is a highway in northwestern Missouri. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 136 in Rock Port; its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 59 in Oregon. The entire length of Route 111 is part of the Lewis and Clark Trail The Lewis and ...

was reopened in September 2019, and the remainder of the route to

was reopened in late October.

Major intersections

Notes

References

External links

Endpoints of U.S. Highway 159
{{DEFAULTSORT:59-1 United States Numbered Highway System U.S. Highways in Kansas U.S. Highways in Nebraska U.S. Highways in Missouri 1 U.S. Route 159 U.S. Route 159 U.S. Route 159 U.S. Route 159 U.S. Route 159