Interstate 64 (I-64) is an 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. T ...

in the

Eastern United States The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...

. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with

I-264 Interstate 264 is the designation for two Interstate Highways in the United States, both of which are related to Interstate 64: *Interstate 264 (Kentucky) Interstate 264 (I-264) is a partial loop around the city of Louisville, Kentucky, sou ...

and I-664 at Bower's Hill in

Chesapeake, Virginia Chesapeake is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,422, it is the second-most populous independent city in Virginia, tenth-largest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 90th ...

. I-64 connects the major metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri; Louisville and Lexington in Kentucky; Charleston, West Virginia; and Richmond and

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...

in Virginia.

Route description

, - , MO , , , - , IL , , , - , IN , , , - , KY , , , - , WV , , , - , VA , , , - , Total , , I-64 has concurrencies with

I-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 ...

I-57 Interstate 57 (I-57) is a north–south Interstate Highway in Missouri and Illinois that parallels the old Illinois Central Railroad for much of its route. It runs from Sikeston, Missouri, at I-55 to Chicago, Illinois, at I-94. I-57 essen ...

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 ...

I-77 Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...

, I-81, and

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadi ...

. I-64 does not maintain exit number continuity for any of the overlaps, as each of the six north–south routes maintain their exit numbering on their respective overlaps with I-64. Of all the overlaps, I-64 only goes northeast and southwest with I-55 and I-81, while going southeast and northwest with the other interstates.

Missouri

In Missouri, the stretch was originally labeled as the Daniel Boone Expressway then only as US 40, and, as such, is still known to some locals in the St. Louis area as Highway 40, even though the road has been designated as both I-64 and US 40 since 1988. This road is also the southernmost portion of the Avenue of the Saints. An interchange at Highway N in O'Fallon opened on December 13, 2004. This interchange also accommodates the tie-in of the Route 364 freeway to I-64. In April 2007, construction started to rebuild of I-64 in St. Louis from Spoede Road to Kingshighway. This project included repaving the entire road, rebuilding the

overpass An overpass (called an overbridge or flyover in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries) is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An ''overpass'' and ''underpass'' together form ...

es and interchanges, adding a fourth lane between Spoede Road and

I-170 Interstate 170 (I-170), also known as the Inner Belt Expressway, is an north–south Interstate Highway in Greater St. Louis, Missouri. I-170 connects to I-270 at its northern terminus and I-64 at its southern terminus. I-170 crosses its ...

, and connecting I-64 to I-170 in all directions. Construction resulted in the complete closure of portions of the expressway in 2008 and 2009. In 2008, I-64 was closed from I-270 to I-170, reopening December 15, 2008. Beginning December 15, 2008, I-64 from I-170 to Kingshighway was closed. On December 6, 2009, with a grand opening ceremony and dedication, I-64 was completed in its entire length in Missouri from the Poplar Street Bridge to I-70 in Wentzville. As of December 7, 2009, I-64 is now complete and signed all the way to I-70 in Wentzville. All stoplights have been removed. The portion of I-64 in St. Louis has been named the

Jack Buck John Francis "Jack" Buck (August 21, 1924 – June 18, 2002) was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. His play-by-play work earned him recognition from numerous hal ...

Memorial Highway, in honor of the late sportscaster.

Illinois

I-64 enters Illinois from St. Louis, Missouri, via the Poplar Street Bridge, where it overlaps I-55 as it crosses the Mississippi River. After crossing the city of East St. Louis and the rest of suburban St. Clair County, the freeway heads southeast through rural

Southern Illinois Southern Illinois, also known as Little Egypt, is the southern third of Illinois, principally along and south of Interstate 64. Although part of a Midwestern state, this region is aligned in culture more with that of the Upland South than the Mi ...

. Shortly after passing MidAmerica Airport at exit 23, I-64 enters

Clinton County Clinton County may refer to: *Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New York, and later the fourth Vice President of the United States: ** Clinton County, New York **Clinton County, Ohio *Counties named for DeWitt Clinton, ...

, then Washington County. After providing access to towns such as

Carlyle Carlyle may refer to: Places * Carlyle, Illinois, a US city * Carlyle, Kansas, an unincorporated place in the US * Carlyle, Montana, a ghost town in the US * Carlyle, Saskatchewan, a Canadian town ** Carlyle Airport ** Carlyle station * Carly ...

, Breese,

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...

, and Centralia, the freeway overlaps I-57 through the

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is ...

area for approximately . East of Mount Vernon in Illinois, services along I-64 are slim to none. It is an almost completely flat and empty freeway, crossing Jefferson, Wayne, and

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

counties as it progresses east toward Indiana and the

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...

, area. East of the St. Louis area, there are numerous oil wells dotting the landscape. The section from

Illinois Route 127 Illinois Route 127 is a north–south highway in central and southern Illinois. Its southern terminus is at Illinois Route 3 near Olive Branch and its northern terminus at Interstate 55, along with the southern terminus of Illinois Route 48 in ...

(IL 127) to I-57 opened on October 4, 1974. The section from IL 161 to IL 127 opened in December 1973. The section in the Metro East, except for a short section near I-55/I-70, opened on December 23, 1975. The section from US 460 (later IL 142) to US 45 opened on August 7, 1975.

Indiana

I-64 crosses the Wabash River and enters the state of Indiana. It passes

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late Latin, Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail ...

( State Road 69 (SR 69); exit 4) and

Poseyville Poseyville is a town in Robb Township, Posey County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 1,045 at the 2010 census. History The town of Poseyville was originally called Palestine when the town was first surveyed and laid out by ...

( SR 165; exit 12) and also passes under nearby SR 68 (no direct interchange serves SR 68, though one can access said route from either SR 165 or SR 65). The Interstate then passes three officially marked exits for Evansville ( SR 65, US 41, and I-69 (formerly designated as

I-164 Interstate 164 (I-164) was a spur highway of I-64, between that highway and U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) in Evansville, Indiana. I-164, also known as the Robert D. Orr Highway, had a total length of . Requested as an Interstate and approve ...

)) then proceeds through part of the scenic Hoosier National Forest, with exits leading to

Dale Dale or dales may refer to: Locations * Dale (landform), an open valley * Dale (place name element) Geography ;Australia * The Dales (Christmas Island), in the Indian Ocean ;Canada * Dale, Ontario ;Ethiopia *Dale (woreda), district ;Norway *D ...

and

Huntingburg Huntingburg is a city in Patoka Township, Dubois County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 6,362 at the 2020 census. Located in southwestern Indiana, the city is known for its downtown with numerous antique shops. It is part o ...

( US 231; exit 57);

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

and

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

( SR 162; exit 63); French Lick and Tell City ( SR 37; exit 79); and Indiana's first state capital, Corydon ( SR 135; exit 105). Near milepost 61, there is a time change from

Central Time Zone The North American Central Time Zone (CT) is a time zone in parts of Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, some Caribbean Islands, and part of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Central Standard Time (CST) is six hours behind Coordina ...

( Spencer County) to

Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and a sma ...

( Dubois County). Between mileposts 60 and 80, I-64 crosses the Central/Eastern time zone boundary five times. As with all time zone changes on highways maintained by the

Indiana Department of Transportation The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Indiana charged with maintaining and regulating transportation and transportation related infrastructure such as state owned airports, state highways ...

(INDOT), these changes in time zone are not marked with any roadside signage. Between Evansville and New Albany, I-64 intersects a few major north–south arterial highways, such as US 231, SR 37, and SR 135 and offers access to I-65 to Indianapolis via I-265 before crossing into Kentucky on the

Sherman Minton Bridge The Sherman Minton Bridge is a double-deck through arch bridge spanning the Ohio River, carrying I-64 and U.S. Route 150, US 150 over the river between Kentucky and Indiana. The bridge connects the west side of Louisville, Kentucky to downtown ...

. The route in Indiana can be described as being somewhat winding, especially the farther east one travels within the state. The longest straight line distance along the route is the stretch from the SR 65 exit to the 26 milemarker, east of US 41. There are many points along the route where the two halves of the highway are nearly apart, especially around the Hoosier National Forest and points to the east. In addition, there are several points, especially in the very sharp valleys along its route in Dubois,

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land ...

, Crawford, and Harrison counties, where the highway towers more than above the surrounding terrain.

Kentucky

I-64 enters

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 Virgini ...

at Louisville, paralleling the Ohio River along the Riverfront Expressway. It intersects with several downtown interchanges before coming to the Kennedy Interchange, where it intersects I-65 and

I-71 Interstate 71 (I-71) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes/Midwestern and Southeastern region of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-64 and I-65 (the Kennedy Interchange) in Louisv ...

in a tangle of ramps often referred to as the "Spaghetti Junction". Moving eastward, I-64 passes through Shelbyville, Frankfort, Midway, Lexington, Winchester, Mount Sterling, Owingsville, and Morehead, before leaving the state near Ashland at Catlettsburg. It overlaps

as it makes an arc around the northeast of Lexington's urban core, with the exit numbers for I-75 used for the concurrent portion. The two Interstates separate a few miles east of downtown Lexington.

West Virginia

I-64 travels for within the state of

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

, passing by the major cities of Huntington, Beckley, and Lewisburg and directly through the capital city of

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

. It has only two major junctions within the state:

in Charleston and in Beckley. It also crosses the

Kanawha River The Kanawha River ( ) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi (156 km) long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, its valley has been a significant industrial region of the st ...

a total of four times in a stretch (twice west of Charleston, immediately before entering the downtown Charleston area, then approximately east of downtown Charleston in Kanawha City). Between I-64's two junctions with I-77, I-64 and I-77 overlap. From the final crossing of the

east of Charleston to their split at exit 40 south of Beckley, the two Interstates are tolled, forming a part of the

West Virginia Turnpike West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...

. While the two expressways overlap, the exit signs are those for I-77. Thus, eastbound travelers entering from Kentucky will see exit numbers increase until exit 60, at which time I-77's exit numbers are used, decreasing from exit 100.

Virginia

I-64 in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

runs east–west through central Virginia from West Virginia via

Covington Covington may refer to: People * Covington (surname) Places United Kingdom * Covington, Cambridgeshire * Covington, South Lanarkshire United States * Covington, Georgia * Covington, Indiana * Covington, Kentucky, the largest American cit ...

, Lexington, Staunton, and

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen ...

to Richmond. From Lexington to Staunton, it overlaps I-81 (using I-81 exit numbers). In Richmond, it overlaps I-95. From Richmond, I-64 continues southeasterly through Newport News and Hampton to the Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel and then through

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nort ...

and a small portion of

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous cit ...

to end in

Chesapeake Chesapeake often refers to: * Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian * The Chesapeake, a.k.a. Chesapeake Bay * Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula Chesapeake may also refer to: Populated p ...

. I-64 itself does not reach the Oceanfront area of Virginia Beach, as it continues through the western portion of Virginia Beach as part of the circumferential Hampton Roads Beltway. At its terminus, eastbound I-64 runs over westbound (and westbound I-64 eastbound) as the route forms a fishhook around Norfolk.

intersects the beltway, providing access to other parts of Norfolk and Chesapeake and extending east to the Oceanfront. Access to the Oceanfront area is accomplished from I-64 via a portion of

, a roadway originally built as the

Virginia Beach Expressway Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are s ...

, funded by tolls to retire revenue bonds.

History

Elements of I-64, such as the Sherman Minton bridge over the Ohio River on the Indiana–Kentucky border, were completed by the early 1960s. The Interstate was complete between St. Louis and Charleston with the completion of the 9th Street overpass in Louisville in December 1976. In Virginia, the proposed southern route between Clifton Forge and Richmond called for the Interstate to follow from Richmond via US 360 and US 460, via Lynchburg to Roanoke and US 220 from Roanoke to Clifton Forge, then west following US 60 into West Virginia. The initial 1957 recommendation by a state-retained engineering consultant was for the northern route, but, due in large part to the efforts of a Virginia Senator Mosby G. Perrow Jr. from Lynchburg, the state changed the location to the southern route in 1959. Despite assurances from the federal government that the route would be decided by the state, Virginia's 1959 decision was overturned in favor of the northern route through Charlottesville. I-64 had a proposed routing around the US 50 corridor in Illinois when the Interstates were first planned. Local pressure pushed the routing closer to the US 460 corridor because of the cheaper cost and shorter mileage compared to the original routing, but not before construction was started on a short section that is now US 50 between

Vincennes, Indiana Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the lower Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state, nearly halfway between Evansville and Terre Haute. Founded in 1732 by French ...

, and Lawrenceville, Illinois. It is also worth noting that the apparent route of I-64 would have taken it through the southern end of Carlyle Lake which was also under construction at this time. I-64 signs started going up in August 1987 on the US 40 freeway in St. Louis. This change was made in part due to truck drivers deliberately using US 40 to avoid mandatory fines for overweight trucks.St. Louis Post-Dispatch. August 16, 1987. On September 9, 2011, the

was closed down by Indiana governor

Mitch Daniels Mitchell Elias Daniels Jr. (born April 7, 1949) is an American academic administrator, businessman, author, and retired politician. A Republican, Daniels served as the 49th governor of Indiana from 2005 to 2013. Since 2013, Daniels has been p ...

after construction crews found cracks in the main load bearing structural element. Mainline traffic was redirected to I-265, then south on I-65 across the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge before rejoining I-64 at the Kennedy Interchange in Louisville. Repairs were completed in a few months later, and the Sherman Minton Bridge reopened at 11:50 pm on February 17, 2012.

Junction list

;Missouri : in

Wentzville Wentzville is an exurb of St. Louis that is located in western St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 44,372, making it the 15th largest city in Missouri. Wentzville has been the ...

. I-64/US 40 travels concurrently to East St. Louis, Illinois. I-64/US 61 travels concurrently to the Frontenac– Ladue city line. : in Town and Country : on the Frontenac–Ladue city line : in Richmond Heights : in St. Louis. I-55/I-64 travels concurrently to East, St. Louis, Illinois. ;Illinois : in East St. Louis : in Caseyville. I-64/US 50 travels concurrently to O'Fallon. : in Richview : in

. The highways travel concurrently to south-southwest of Mount Vernon. : north of Mill Shoals ;Indiana : west-southwest of Warrenton : west-northwest of

Elberfeld Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929. History The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "''elverfelde''" was in a do ...

. Former Junction of Interstate 164 : in

: west of New Albany. The highways travel concurrently to

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana borde ...

. : in New Albany ;Kentucky : in Louisville : in Louisville : in Louisville : in Louisville : in Louisville : on the Middletown–Louisville city line : in Frankfort : southeast of Frankfort : northwest of Lexington : in Lexington. The highways travel concurrently through Lexington. : in Lexington : northeast of Winchester : in Mt. Sterling : northeast of Mt. Sterling : east-southeast of Owingsville : northeast of Olive Hill : in Coalton : south-southwest of Catlettsburg ;West Virginia : in

Kenova Kenova is a city in Wayne County, West Virginia, United States, situated at the confluence of the Ohio and Big Sandy Rivers. Located near a tristate border, the city's name is a portmanteau of Kentucky, Ohio, and Virginia (Va). Founded i ...

. The highways travel concurrently to Huntington. : in Barboursville : in Teays Valley : in South Charleston : in

. The highways travel concurrently through Charleston. : in Charleston : in Charleston. The highways travel concurrently to southeast of Crab Orchard. : north of Chelyan : south-southeast of

Crawley Crawley () is a large town and borough in West Sussex, England. It is south of London, north of Brighton and Hove, and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Crawley covers an area of and had a population of 106,597 at the time of th ...

: in Lewisburg : east of White Sulphur Springs : east-southeast of White Sulphur Springs. The highways travel concurrently to

Callaghan, Virginia Callaghan is an Unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 348. Humpback Covered Bridge and Wood Hall are listed on the U.S. National Regist ...

. ;Virginia : in Mallow. I-64/US 60 travels concurrently to north-northwest of Lexington. I-64/US 220 travels concurrently to east-northeast of Clifton Forge. : in East Lexington : east of East Lexington. The highways travel concurrently to Jolivue. : northeast of East Lexington : in Greenville : in Waynesboro : in Rockfish Gap : in Yancey Mills : west-southwest of

: east-southeast of Charlottesville : north-northeast of Zion Crossroads : northeast of Gum Spring : in Short Pump : in Innsbrook : in

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990. Dumbarton was the ca ...

: in Dumbarton : in Richmond : in Richmond. The highways travel concurrently through Richmond. : in Richmond : on the boundary of Richmond with East Highland Park : east of

Sandston Sandston is a census-designated place (CDP) in Henrico County, Virginia, United States, just outside the state capital of Richmond. The population as of the 2010 Census was 7,571. It was designated a Historic District by Henrico County in ...

: in Newport News : in Hampton : in Hampton : in Hampton. The highways travel concurrently to

: in Norfolk : in Norfolk : in Norfolk : in

. I-64/US 17 travels concurrently through Chesapeake. : in Chesapeake : in Chesapeake

Auxiliary routes

*—Former spur to

, known as the

Robert D. Orr Robert Dunkerson Orr (November 17, 1917 – March 10, 2004) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 45th governor of Indiana from 1981 to 1989. A member of the Republican Party, he served as United States Ambassador to Singapor ...

Highway, became I-69 in 2014. *—Loop around

; also called the Georgia Davis Powers/Shawnee Expressway west of the

Dixie Highway Dixie Highway was a United States auto trail first planned in 1914 to connect the Midwest with the South. It was part of a system and was expanded from an earlier Miami to Montreal highway. The final system is better understood as a network o ...

( US 31W) exit and the Watterson Expressway east of US 31W/Dixie Highway *, , , —All serving the

region around

References

External links

Indiana Highway Ends: I-64

Illinois Highway Ends: I-64

{{DEFAULTSORT:I064 64 64