U.S. Route 79 (US 79) is a United States highway in the Southern United States. The route is officially considered and labeled as a north-south highway, but its path is actually more of a diagonal northeast-southwest highway. The highway's northern/eastern terminus is in Russellville, Kentucky, at an intersection with U.S. Route 68#Kentucky, U.S. Route 68 and Kentucky Route 80, KY 80. Its southern/western terminus is in Round Rock, Texas, at an interchange with Interstate 35 in Texas, Interstate 35, ten miles (16 km) north of Austin, Texas, Austin. US 79, U.S. Route 68, US 68, and Interstate 24/U.S. Route 62, US 62 are the primary east–west access points for the Land Between the Lakes recreation area straddling the Kentucky/Tennessee border.

Route description

Texas

US 79 begins at Interstate 35 in Texas, Interstate 35's Exit #253 north of Austin, Texas, Austin in Round Rock, Texas, Round Rock. The route travels eastward through Hutto, Texas, Hutto and Taylor, Texas, Taylor to Rockdale, Texas, Rockdale, where it intersects U.S. Route 77 in Texas, US 77. In Milano, Texas, Milano, US 79 turns to the northeast and begins a concurrency with U.S. Route 190 in Texas, US 190 until Hearne, Texas. The route continues through Franklin, Texas, Franklin and Jewett, Texas, Jewett before reaching Buffalo, Texas, Buffalo, where it intersects Interstate 45 at its Exit #178. US 79 has a brief duplex with U.S. Route 84 in Texas, US 84 that begins near Oakwood, Texas, Oakwood and continues through Palestine, Texas, Palestine before separating; here US 79 also intersects U.S. Route 287 in Texas, US 287. The route continues to the northeast through Jacksonville, Texas, Jacksonville, where it has a junction with U.S. Route 69 in Texas, US 69, and Henderson, Texas, Henderson, where it crosses U.S. Route 259 in Texas, US 259. The highway then travels due east to Carthage, Texas, Carthage, where it meets U.S. Route 59 in Texas, US 59 (Future Interstate 369 (Texas), I-369), before resuming a northeasterly direction and crossing into Louisiana near Panola, Texas, Panola. US 79 is also entwined with two tragedies of country music. Johnny Horton was killed by a drunk driver on the highway near Milano in 1960 and Jim Reeves, killed in a plane crash in 1964, is buried and memorialized on US 79 in his hometown of Carthage, Texas, Carthage.

Louisiana

US 79 joins U.S. Route 80 in Louisiana, US 80 near Greenwood, Louisiana, Greenwood, and the two routes are cosigned through Shreveport, Louisiana, Shreveport. US 79/80 cross the Red River of the South, Red River over the Long–Allen Bridge (Shreveport), Texas Street Bridge and continue into Bossier City, Louisiana, Bossier City. The routes parallel Interstate 20 in Louisiana, Interstate 20 through the old Bossier City Entertainment District until Minden, Louisiana, Minden, where the two routes separate: US 80 continues eastward, while US 79 turns to the northeast toward Homer, Louisiana, Homer. In Homer, the route resumes a more northerly direction, traveling through Haynesville, Louisiana, Haynesville before crossing the Arkansas border about south of Emerson, Arkansas.

Arkansas

US 79 continues northward from Louisiana into Emerson, Arkansas, Emerson and then Magnolia, Arkansas, Magnolia, where it has a brief concurrency with U.S. Route 82 in Arkansas, US 82 through the city. From here, the route turns to the northeast, through Camden, Arkansas, Camden, where it intersects U.S. Route 278 in Arkansas, US 278, and Fordyce, Arkansas, Fordyce, in which it has a brief concurrency with U.S. Route 167 in Arkansas, US 167. East of Kingsland, Arkansas, Kingsland, the highway travels in a more northerly direction as it prepares to enter the Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Pine Bluff metropolitan area. In Pine Bluff, U.S. 79 joins the Interstate 530 freeway, while a business route continues through downtown. After the freeway ends, US 79 and U.S. Route 63 in Arkansas, US 63, with which it is cosigned, leave the city toward the north. The two routes stay joined until Stuttgart, Arkansas, Stuttgart. US 79 continues to the east and northeast, through Marianna, Arkansas, Marianna and Hughes, Arkansas, Hughes, before turning due north to an intersection with Interstate 40 in Arkansas, Interstate 40 near Jennette, Arkansas, Jennette. US 79 joins I-40 and the two routes stay cosigned through the concurrency with Interstate 55 in Arkansas, Interstate 55 in West Memphis, Arkansas, West Memphis, before US 79 joins I-55 to cross the Mississippi River at the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge into Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis.

Tennessee

U.S. Route 79 enters Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis with U.S. Route 70, U.S. Route 64 and Tennessee State Route 1, travelling east along E.H. Crump Boulevard, turns north on Third Street and travels through Downtown Memphis along both Second and Third Streets (3rd St is three lanes of northbound traffic and 2nd St is three lanes southbound). It continues east on Union Avenue, north along East Parkway, and east along Summer Avenue. At Stage Road in Bartlett, Tennessee, Bartlett, it continues along Summer Avenue with US 70 while US 64 turns east along Stage Rd. From here, US 79 continues north from Bartlett, passing through the rest of Shelby County as a 4-lane undivided highway. In Arlington, Tennessee, the road narrows to 2 lanes and passes through Fayette County, Tipton County, and Haywood County until Brownsville, Tennessee. In Brownsville, U.S 79, along with U.S. 70 and SR 1, goes to the south along a bypass (named Dupree Avenue). On the east side of the city, U.S. 70 and SR 1 turn east while US 79 and 70A continue to the northeast, passing through Crockett and Gibson Counties. Recently, the section from Milan, Tennessee to the Carroll County line was widened to 4 lanes. U.S. 70A splits off from US 79 near Atwood, Tennessee and US 79 continues to the northeast into Henry County, passing through the city of Paris, Tennessee, and then crosses the Tennessee River. The portion from McKenzie, Tennessee to the Tennessee River is 4-lanes, and plans are in the works to widen the portion in between this section and the Milan section. The section from Brownsville to the Tennessee River is part of the "Austin Peay Memorial Highway" (the other portions being TN 14 from I-240 to TN 54, and the part of TN 54 from TN 14 to US 79).

Once US 79 comes into Stewart County, it passes to the south of the Land Between the Lakes recreation area and crosses the Cumberland River. The portion between the rivers is known as Donelson Parkway. Then it enters Montgomery County and the city of Clarksville, Tennessee. This portion between Dover, Tennessee and Clarksville is known as Dover Road. One through Clarksville, US 79 continues northeast and enters Kentucky. is the name given to the portion of U.S. Route 79 in Clarksville, Tennessee between the Interstate 24 (exit 4) in Clarksville to the Red River (Lynnwood-Tarpley) bridge near the Kraft Street intersection. This section of Highway 79 in Clarksville was previously called the Guthrie Highway, for nearby Guthrie, Kentucky, but in 1994, the name was changed to honor Wilma Rudolph, an Olympic runner from Clarksville, who won three gold medals in the 1960 Rome Summer Olympic Games. Between Clarksville and Dover, Tennessee, the road is known as "Dover Road".

Kentucky

US 79 enters Kentucky from Tennessee in Todd County, Kentucky, Todd County west of Guthrie, Kentucky, Guthrie and runs northeast into Logan County, Kentucky, Logan County, now terminating at the junction of U.S. Route 68 in Kentucky, US 68 on the east side of Russellville, Kentucky, Russellville on its bypass around the south side, from the Tennessee state line, after formerly terminating at a junction with U.S. Route 431 in Kentucky, US 431 in Russellville. It currently does not touch Kentucky Route 79, KY 79, whose southern terminus is at Russellville. That highway extends northward to the Ohio River, into Indiana. It is unknown if KY 79 was meant to be a northern extension of US 79.

History

Until 1944, US 79's northern terminus was in West Memphis, Arkansas. Until 1991, US 79's southern terminus was in Austin, Texas.

Major intersections

;Texas : in Round Rock, Texas, Round Rock : in Rockdale, Texas, Rockdale : in Milano, Texas, Milano. The highways travel concurrently to Hearne, Texas, Hearne. : in Buffalo, Texas, Buffalo : northeast of Oakwood, Texas, Oakwood. The highways travel concurrently to Palestine, Texas, Palestine. : in Palestine : in Jacksonville, Texas, Jacksonville : in Henderson, Texas, Henderson. The highways travel concurrently through Henderson. : north of Carthage, Texas, Carthage. The highways travel concurrently to Carthage. ;Louisiana : in Greenwood, Louisiana, Greenwood. The highways travel concurrently to Minden, Louisiana, Minden. : in Greenwood : in Shreveport, Louisiana, Shreveport : in Shreveport : in Shreveport : in Bossier City, Louisiana, Bossier City : in Dixie Inn, Louisiana, Dixie Inn ;Arkansas : in Magnolia, Arkansas, Magnolia. The highways travel concurrently through Magnolia. : in Camden, Arkansas, Camden. The highways travel concurrently to west-northwest of East Camden, Arkansas, East Camden. : northeast of Thornton, Arkansas, Thornton. The highways travel concurrently to Fordyce, Arkansas, Fordyce. : in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Pine Bluff. The highways travel concurrently through Pine Bluff. : in Pine Bluff. The highways travel concurrently to Stuttgart, Arkansas, Stuttgart. : in Pine Bluff : north of Stuttgart : northwest of Blackton, Arkansas, Blackton : south of Jennette, Arkansas, Jennette : south of Jennette. The highways travel concurrently to West Memphis, Arkansas, West Memphis. : in West Memphis. I-55/US 61/US 79 travels concurrently to Memphis, Tennessee. US 64/US 79 travels concurrently to the Memphis–Bartlett, Tennessee city line. : in West Memphis. The highways travel concurrently to Brownsville, Tennessee. ;Tennessee : in Memphis. The highways travel concurrently through Memphis. : in Memphis : in Memphis. US 72/US 79 travels concurrently through Memphis. : in Memphis : in Arlington, Tennessee, Arlington : in Bells, Tennessee, Bells : in Humboldt, Tennessee, Humboldt : in Milan, Tennessee, Milan : in Paris, Tennessee, Paris : in Clarksville, Tennessee, Clarksville ;Kentucky : in Guthrie, Kentucky, Guthrie : in Russellville, Kentucky, Russellville : in Russellville

References

External links

Endpoints of U.S. Highway 79
{{DEFAULTSORT:79 U.S. Route 79, United States Numbered Highway System U.S. Highways in Arkansas, 51 U.S. Highways in Louisiana, 51 1935 establishments in the United States