 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(July 2015) |
 U.S. Route 231 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US 231 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byINDOT | ||||
| Length | 284.277 mi[1] (457.499 km) | |||
| Existed | August 22, 1952[2]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  US 231 atKentucky state line | |||
| Major intersections |
| |||
| North end |  US 41 inSt. John | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Indiana | |||
| Counties | Spencer,Dubois,Martin,Daviess,Greene,Owen,Putnam,Montgomery,Tippecanoe,White,Jasper,Porter,Lake | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is the longest numbered highway inIndiana, covering over 284 miles (457 km). It is a main north–south highway in the western part of the state. The southern terminus of US 231 in Indiana is at theKentucky state line and the northern terminus is atUS 41 just south ofSt. John. The highway is a mixture of expressway and two-lane roadway. The expressway portions exist mainly in southern Indiana and around theLafayette-West Lafayette area, with the rest mainly being two lanes.
US 231 is maintained by theIndiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) like all other U.S. Highways in the state. The department tracks the traffic volumes along all state highways as a part of its maintenance responsibilities using a metric calledaverage annual daily traffic (AADT). This measurement is a calculation of the traffic level along a segment of roadway for any day of the year. In 2010, INDOT calculated that the section of US 231 with the lowest average daily traffic levels – with 1,100 vehicles and 180 commercial vehicles – was fromUS 52 toI–65. The peak traffic volumes on US 231 was 27,990 vehicles and 1,950 commercial vehicles AADT along the section concurrent withUS 52.[3]
US 231 enters Indiana on theWilliam H. Natcher Bridge over theOhio River from Kentucky. The road enters as a four–lane divided highway and immediately has afolded diamond interchange (also called a "parclo" interchange) withState Road 66 (SR 66). The highway heads north passing a large, coal fired power plant (Rockport Generating Station) and through farmland towardsChrisney; the expressway thenintersects withSR 70. The route turns northeast, passing through woods, just south ofLincoln State Park. The road turns north having an interchange withSR 162; this exit allows access to the State Park, as well as theHoliday World & Splashin' Safari theme park, a few miles to the east.
The expressway then turns northwest and skirts the south and west sides ofDale. On the south side of town, the roadway intersectsSR 62; this is the old route of US 231, which joins the expressway for a brief period before turning east at the junction withSR 68.I–64 is a little more than a mile north from this point, with its interchange just south of the end of the expressway.
U.S. 231 entersDubois County, crossing into theEastern Time Zone. From this point northward through the remainder of Southern Indiana, the highway will remain mostly a rural two-lane road.[4][5]
US 231 heads towardsHuntingburg, passing through rural farmland. The highway enters Huntingburg from the south, passing throughresidential areas. The route has atraffic light in downtown Huntingburg withSR 64. North of downtown Huntingburg, the road passes throughcommercial properties, before leaving town. The highway then heads north towardsJasper, passing by a mix of both farmland and woodland. US 231 enters Jasper from the south, passing by commercial lots. West of downtown Jasper, the route begins aconcurrency withSR 56, with both routes heading east. The concurrency enters downtown and has a traffic light at the northern terminus ofSR 164. That is intersection US 231 and SR 56 turn towards the north. The two highways head north into residential areas. The road leaves Jasper heading northeastward towardLoogootee. InHaysville, the concurrency with SR 56 ends. US 231 heads north-northeast from SR 54, before turning more northward. The highway enters Loogootee and begins a concurrency with bothU.S. Route 50 (US 50) andUS 150. The concurrency travels due north, then turns northeast and enters downtown Loogootee. In downtown, the concurrency ends, with US 50 and US 150 heading east and US 231 heading northwest. The highway then heads north towardsBloomfield, passing theNaval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division.[4][5] It then crossesI-69.
The route enters Bloomfield from the south, beginning a concurrency withSR 54 in downtown. This intersection is also the southern terminus ofSR 157. US 231 and SR 54 head due west after about 4 miles (6.4 km), after which SR 54 keeps heading due west and US 231 turns due north. This intersection is the northern terminus ofSR 57. US 231 then heads north for about 4 miles (6.4 km) untilSR 67. The two routes head northeast heading towards Spencer, along the banks of theWhite River. The highway turns towards the north away from the river and the concurrency ends. SR 67 heads northeast again and US 231 heads northwest. The road then travels towardsCloverdale, passing through an intersection withSR 42. The route enters Cloverdale passing by a mix of commercial and residential properties. On the north side of Cloverdale, the highway becomes a four-lane divided highway, with an interchange atI–70.[4][5]
North of I–70, US 231 narrows to a two-lane highway, heading towards the northwest. The route has a traffic light atUS 40, south ofGreencastle. The highway enters Greencastle from the southeast and begins to turn north, passingDePauw University to the west. In downtown Greencastle, the highway has a traffic light with the western terminus ofSR 240. US 231 leaves Greencastle heading further north forCrawfordsville, passing through a traffic light atUS 36, a brief concurrency withSR 236, and an intersection withSR 234. On the south side of Crawfordsville, the route becomes a four-lane undivided highway, passing through commercial development. The road then heads toward downtown Crawfordsville, and begins a concurrency with bothSR 32 andSR 47. The concurrency passesWabash College and has an intersection withUS 136. At this intersection, the concurrency with SR 32 and SR 47 turns east onto US 136. US 231 becomes a four-lane divided highway north of US 136, heading through the north side of Crawfordsville. Through the north side of Crawfordsville, the road passes through mainly residential land, with a few commercial properties near the interchange withI–74.[5][6]
North of I–74, the road returns to a two–lane rural highway and heads north for Lafayette. On the way to Lafayette, the route passes through rural farmland, paralleling aCSX rail line.[7] The road enters Lafayette and becomes a four-lane divided highway as it runs through a mix of farmland and residential areas. The highway has a traffic light atSR 25 andUS 52. As of 2013[update], the route crosses theWabash River and heads forWest Lafayette, where it runs along the south and west edges of thePurdue campus.[8] US 231 continues north for a few miles, then turns westbound. It passes a few commercial properties, and then a few miles west, US 231 leaves the concurrency, while US 52 continues northwest and US 231 heads due north.[5][6]
North of US 52, the highway becomes a two-lane rural highway passing through farmland. US 231 has an interchange withI–65; this is the first of four interchanges with I–65. The route begins a concurrency withUS 24 inWolcott. The two highways head north through Wolcott and then turn due west. After Wolcott, the concurrency crosses intoJasper County and into theCentral Time Zone. The two routes have an interchange at I–65 east ofRemington. In Remington, the concurrency ends, with US 24 continuing due west and US 231 heading due north again. The road then entersRensselaer, heads north and turns northeast, with a traffic light atSR 114. North of the traffic light, the road makes a sharp turn and heads northwest. North of Rensselaer, the route turns north once again, heading towardsSR 10. At SR 10, US 231 turns due west, concurrent with the state road. After 2.5 miles (4.0 km), the concurrency ends, with SR 10 traveling south and US 231 continuing north. The highway then entersPorter County on a bridge over theKankakee River.[5][6]
North of the Kankakee River, the route begins a concurrency withSR 2 at afour-way stop south ofHebron. The concurrency enters Hebron from the south, passing mainly residential areas. The concurrency has an intersection with the western terminus ofSR 8 at the main intersection in downtown. North of downtown, the concurrency with SR 2 ends with SR 2 heading due north and US 231 heading northwest. The road leaves Hebron, passing more residential properties and heading towardsCrown Point. On the southeast side of Crown Point, the route has its last interchange with I–65. After I–65, the road has an intersection withSR 55. Passing through the southeast side of Crown Point, the road is lined with housing additions on both sides. The road then begins a concurrency withSR 55 and the two highways head for downtown Crown Point. In downtown Crown Point, the routes go around the county courthouse on one-way streets. The concurrency ends when the state road heads due north. US 231 then leaves Crown Point, heading towards its northern terminus on the south side ofSt. John. The route turns west for the last few miles to meet US 41. US 231 meets US 41 at an intersection controlled by a traffic light.[5][6]
 U.S. Route 152 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lafayette–St. John |
| Existed | February 1935[9]–1938[10] |
Between 1918 and 1926, US 231 was signed SR 18 from Rockport to Old SR 4 and then followed Old SR 4 to Jasper. From Jasper to Bloomfield, the route consisted of unimproved county roads. From Bloomfield toSwitz City, the future US 231 followed Old SR 30. North of Switz City, the road was SR 12, which eventually became SR 67. From Jasper to Lafayette, the road was numbered as SR 32. Where the future US 231 followed SR 29, the route became what is now US 52. From Wolcott to Remington, the route followed SR 7. North of Remington, the road was numbered SR 8 until reaching Hebron. From Hebron to the current terminus was an unimproved county road. This system was changed in 1926 when theU.S. Highways were created.[11][12][13][14]
The current number system in Indiana was put into place in 1926. The route that would become US 231 was signed as SR 45 from Rockport to SR 58 inScotland. From Scotland to Bloomfield, it was an unimproved county road. From Bloomfield to Spencer, the future US 231 was given the same number that the route is concurrent with today. North of Spencer to Lafayette it was numbered SR 43. The route that US 231 follows today along US 52 was the same. The section of US 231 north of US 52 to US 41 was signed as US 152. The US 152 designation was used between February 1935[9] and 1938; in 1938 US 152 was decommissioned.[15][16][17][18] The road then went back to state road numbers; this lasted until 1952 when US 231 was commissioned and signs installed.[2][19][20]
US 231 was first signed in Indiana in 1954; the whole length of US 231 was two-lanes. In Southern Indiana, the road has been widened from a two-lane surface road to a four-lane divided expressway. The expressway construction began in 2002 with a new bridge over the Ohio River; the state designated the old bridge nearOwensboro, KY as SR 161. When the bridge was completed, traffic had to exit the expressway at the first exit on to SR 66. The expressway was built north towards Dale on all new terrain, with some of the old highway being signed asSR 161, SR 62, and the rest becoming county roads. US 231 was moved onto the expressway on March 15, 2011.[5][21] In Northern Indiana, a new routing of US 231 around the south and west sides of theLafayette/West Lafayette area opened September 13, 2013.[8] Previously, US 231 entered downtown Lafayette from the south on 4th Street, passed over the Wabash River on the Harrison Bridge, then continued north and northwest in West Lafayette on Northwestern Avenue passingPurdue University, until merging with US 52.
A project is planned that will possibly put US 231 on a four-lane divided highway aroundHuntingburg andJasper in the southern part of the state.[22] However, the final routing has not been determined as of June 2022.[23][24]
Another project for US 231 is planned inTippecanoe County, just northwest ofWest Lafayette.[25][26] This road will be a four-lane divided highway, connecting the section of highway built in 2013 toI-65 andSR 43.There is no exact time for when this will be built.[27]
Indiana has invested in a strip of "electrified highway that could charge even the largest vehicles as they drive over it" on US 231.[28] Research on the project is being conducted byPurdue University's Steve Pekarek, who says the technology could make a transition to electric vehicles more attractive.[28] This segment of highway is inWest Lafayette.
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daviess | | 0.000 | 0.000 |  US 231 south –Owensboro | Kentucky state line |
| Ohio River | William H. Natcher Bridge | ||||
| Spencer | Ohio Township | 0.251 | 0.404 |  SR 66 –Tell City,Rockport,Evansville | Interchange |
| Grass Township | 7.122 | 11.462 |   SR 70 east | Western terminus of SR 70 | |
| Carter–Clay township line | 15.885– 15.893 | 25.564– 25.577 |  SR 162 –Gentryville,Santa Claus | Interchange | |
| Dale | 18.745 | 30.167 |   SR 62 west –Gentryville | South end of SR 62 concurrency; intersection is aJ-turn | |
| 19.822 | 31.900 |  SR 62 east /SR 68 west –Dale | North end of SR 62 concurrency; intersection is aJ-turn | ||
| 21.350– 22.131 | 34.359– 35.616 |  I-64–St. Louis,Louisville | Interchange | ||
| Dubois | Huntingburg | 29.279 | 47.120 |  SR 64 –Oakland City,Marengo | |
| Jasper | 33.938 | 54.618 | SR 162 south –Ferdinand | Northern terminus of SR 162 | |
| 35.906 | 57.785 |  SR 56 west –Petersburg | Southern end of SR 56 concurrency | ||
| 36.286 | 58.397 |  SR 164 east –Ferdinand | Western terminus of SR 164 | ||
| Haysville | 43.122 | 69.398 | SR 56 east –French Lick | Northern end of SR 56 concurrency | |
| Martin | Loogootee | 56.410 | 90.783 |   US 50 west /US 150 west –Washington | Southern end of US 50/US 150 concurrency |
| 56.894 | 91.562 | US 50 east /US 150 east –Shoals | Northern end of US 50/US 150 concurrency | ||
| Daviess | Madison Township | 67.092 | 107.974 |  SR 645 east –Burns City | Western terminus of SR 645 |
| 69.129 | 111.252 |  SR 58 west –Odon | Southern end of SR 58 concurrency | ||
| 72.448 | 116.594 |  SR 558 east –NSA Crane | Western terminus of SR 558 | ||
| Greene | Taylor Township | 73.713 | 118.630 |   SR 45 north /SR 58 east –Bloomington,Bedford | Southern terminus of SR 45; northern end of SR 58 concurrency |
| 73.859– 73.911 | 118.865– 118.948 |  I-69 –Evansville,Indianapolis | I-69 exit 87 | ||
| Bloomfield | 81.610 | 131.339 |   SR 54 east /SR 157 north –Bloomington | Eastern end of SR 54 concurrency; southern terminus of SR 157 | |
| Fairplay Township | 85.635 | 137.816 |  SR 54 east /SR 57 south –Newberry,Switz City | Western end of SR 54 concurrency | |
| 88.926 | 143.113 |  SR 57 south /SR 67 south –Vincennes | Southern end of SR 67 concurrency; north end of SR 57 | ||
| Worthington | 92.204 | 148.388 | SR 157 south | Southern end of SR 157 concurrency | |
| 92.250 | 148.462 | SR 157 north | Northern end of SR 157 concurrency | ||
| Owen | Spencer | 109.597 | 176.379 |  SR 46 west –Terre Haute | Western end of SR 46 concurrency |
| 110.461 | 177.770 | SR 46 east –Bloomington | Eastern end of SR 46 concurrency | ||
| Montgomery Township | 115.842 | 186.430 | SR 67 north –Indianapolis | Northern end of SR 67 concurrency | |
| Putnam | Cloverdale | 126.540 | 203.646 |  SR 42 –Mooresville,Lieber State Recreation Area | |
| 128.881– 129.031 | 207.414– 207.655 |  I-70 –Indianapolis,St. Louis | |||
| Warren Township | 132.633 | 213.452 |  US 40 –Terre Haute,Indianapolis | ||
| Greencastle | 136.640 | 219.901 |  SR 240 east | Western terminus of SR 240 | |
| Monroe Township | 146.261 | 235.384 |  US 36 –Danville,Rockville,Raccoon State Recreation Area | ||
| Franklin–Russell township line | 151.924 | 244.498 |  SR 236 west –Russellville,Marshall | Southern end of SR 236 concurrency | |
| 152.430 | 245.312 | SR 236 east –Roachdale | Northern end of SR 236 concurrency | ||
| Montgomery | Scott Township | 157.609 | 253.647 |  SR 234 –Shades State Park,Ladoga | |
| Crawfordsville | 164.601 | 264.900 |   SR 32 west /SR 47 south | Southern end of SR 32/SR 47 concurrency | |
| 165.839 | 266.892 |  US 136 /SR 32 east /SR 47 north | Northern end of SR 32/SR 47 concurrency | ||
| 168.425– 168.650 | 271.054– 271.416 |  I-74 –Indianapolis | Exit 34 on I-74 | ||
| Tippecanoe | Randolph Township | 181.023 | 291.328 |  SR 28 –Frankfort,Attica | |
| Lafayette | 190.110 | 305.952 |   US 52 east /SR 25 south | South end of US 52 concurrency; north end of southern segment of SR 25 | |
| 193.416 | 311.273 |  SR 26 west | East end of western segment of SR 26 | ||
| 196.652 | 316.481 | Sagamore Parkway | |||
| Shelby Township | 200.655 | 322.923 | US 52 west | Western end of US 52 concurrency | |
| White | Round Grove Township | 209.742 | 337.547 |  SR 18 –Fowler,Brookston | |
| West Point Township | 214.025– 214.224 | 344.440– 344.760 |  I-65 –Indianapolis,Chicago | ||
| Wolcott | 219.948 | 353.972 |  US 24 east –Monticello | Eastern end of US 24 concurrency | |
| Jasper | Carpenter Township | 224.805– 224.978 | 361.789– 362.067 | I-65 –Indianapolis,Chicago | |
| Remington | 226.673 | 364.795 | US 24 west –Kentland | Western end of US 24 concurrency | |
| Carpenter Township | 229.592– 229.786 | 369.493– 369.805 | I-65 –Indianapolis,Chicago | ||
| Jordan Township | 233.627 | 375.986 |  SR 16 –Monon,Brook | ||
| Rensselaer | 238.618 | 384.018 |   SR 114 toI-65 | ||
| Union Township | 244.959 | 394.223 |  SR 14 –Parr,Enos,Winamac | ||
| Walker Township | 253.041 | 407.230 |  SR 110 west –Roselawn | Eastern terminus of the western section of SR 110 | |
| 256.035 | 412.048 |  SR 10 east –Wheatland | Eastern end of SR 10 concurrency | ||
| Demotte | 258.400– 258.590 | 415.854– 416.160 | SR 10 west –Roselawn | Western end of SR 10 concurrency | |
| Porter | Boone Township | 265.462 | 427.220 |  SR 2 west –Lowell | Southern end of SR 2 concurrency |
| Hebron | 267.488 | 430.480 |  SR 8 east | Western terminus of SR 8 | |
| 267.642 | 430.728 | SR 2 east –Valparaiso | Northern end of SR 2 concurrency | ||
| Lake | Crown Point | 275.738– 275.986 | 443.757– 444.156 | I-65 –Indianapolis,Gary | |
| 276.674 | 445.264 |  SR 53 north –Merrillville | Southern terminus of SR 53 | ||
| 278.116 | 447.584 |  SR 55 south | Eastern end of SR 55 concurrency | ||
| 278.714 | 448.547 | SR 55 north –Gary | Western end of SR 55 concurrency | ||
| St. John | 284.277 | 457.499 | US 41 –Terre Haute,Hammond | Northern terminus of US 231 | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
| U.S. Route 231 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous state: Kentucky | Indiana | Next state: Terminus |
