This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "U.S. Route 63 in Missouri" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(August 2021) |
US 63 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byMoDOT | ||||
| Length | 337.748 mi[1] (543.553 km) | |||
| Existed | 1926–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end | ||||
| Major intersections |
| |||
| North end | ||||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Missouri | |||
| Counties | Oregon,Howell,Texas,Phelps,Maries,Osage,Cole,Callaway,Boone,Randolph,Macon,Adair,Schuyler | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
U.S. Route 63 (US 63) is the portion of a north-south highway that runs through the U.S. state ofMissouri from theArkansas state line nearThayer to theIowa state line nearLancaster.

The highway passes south-to-north through Missouri, from Arkansas to Iowa, serving cities such asRolla,Jefferson City,Columbia,Moberly,Macon, andKirksville. Notable routes that are intersected includeU.S. Route 160 andU.S. Route 60 inHowell County,Interstate 44 at Rolla,U.S. Route 50 (which it shares a concurrency with into Jefferson City south of theMissouri River until it reaches the junction withU.S. 54),US Route 54 (which it overlaps in Jefferson City from the junction with U.S. Route 50 and crosses the Missouri River with on theSenator Roy Blunt Bridge),U.S. Route 24 at Moberly,U.S. Route 36 atMacon, andU.S. Route 136 atLancaster.

The road enters the state (passing theOregon County line) atThayer. Immediately after leaving Thayer, U.S. 63 intersectsRoute 19, then continues intoHowell County on a two-lane highway with alternating passing lanes, then the highway entersWest Plains. The highway then widens to a four-lane divided highway, bypassing West Plains to the south and west, intersectingU.S. Route 160 then continues on a divided highway toWillow Springs. The route then joinsUS Route 60, and the two highways run concurrently northwest toCabool.

North of Cabool, the highway returns to two-lane status (with alternating passing lanes), passing throughHouston and intersectingRoute 32 in Licking. The highway then entersPhelps County and passes throughRolla, the home ofMissouri University of Science and Technology, and becomes locally known asBishop Avenue. In Rolla, Route 63 intersectsRoute 72, and later,Business Loop 44. The Business Loop runs concurrently with Route 63 past the University's campus toInterstate 44, where the Business Loop ends. As it leaves Rolla, the highway quickly narrows to two lanes. US 63 between Rolla and US 50 is being studied for improvements.[2] It crosses intoMaries County towardVienna, intersectingHighway 42. After enteringOsage County, Route 63 passes throughFreeburg andWestphalia. A few miles north of Westphalia, Highway 63 widens to a four-lane divided highway, and almost immediately intersectsUS Route 50, and the two highways' head west towardJefferson City, the state capital. After passing through downtown on theWhitton Expressway, the route leaves Route 50, joining the eastbound direction ofUS Route 54 to cross theMissouri River intoCallaway County.
After crossing the river, Route 63 exits Route 54, and heads north on a four-lane divided highway. About five miles north of US 54, the highway entersBoone County, then after five miles more, leaves theOzark Plateau and enters theColumbia metropolitan area. Highway 63 passes through the eastern edge ofAshland then passes along the eastern edge ofColumbia, but gains freeway status for about 10 miles (16 km) through town. In the north part of town, US 63 intersectsInterstate 70. There is no direct connection between US 63 and I-70; access to and from the Interstate is via an at-grade connector road, which intersects I-70 at a simpleDiamond interchange. The route then leaves Columbia, returning to expressway status, and intersectsRoute 22 nearClark, right on the Boone-Randolph county line. After passing by Clark proper, U.S. 63 gains a Business Route, which passes through the otherwise-bypassed town ofRenick, then passes through the city ofMoberly. Mainline Route 63, meanwhile, upgrades to a freeway for about four miles as it passes through Moberly, intersectingUS Route 24 at an interchange on the northern end of town.
Heading north, U.S. 63 leaves the Columbia metropolitan area and entersMacon County just north ofJacksonville, and heads toward the city ofMacon. Through town, the highway narrows to a two-lane city street, with a center left-turn lane. Near the northern edge of town, US 63 intersectsUS Route 36, which is part of theChicago-Kansas City Expressway. Leaving Macon, the highway re-gains expressway status, and passes byLa Plata before crossing intoAdair County. South ofKirksville, the route interchanges with a Business Route, which passes through the city proper, while mainline Route 63 narrows to two lanes and enters a newly-constructed bypass to the east of town. While on the bypass, the highway intersectsRoute 6 andMissouri Route 11, and the two east-west state routes form a three-mile longWrong-way concurrency with each other following US 63. Leaving the Kirksville bypass, US 63 returns to a two-lane surface highway, and entersSchuyler County. NearLancaster, the highway intersectsUS Route 136, which briefly overlaps with Route 63 into Lancaster itself. There, Route 136 turns east, while Route 63 continues north intoIowa, exiting Missouri about five miles north of Lancaster.
This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(July 2025) |
U.S. 63 in Missouri wasRoute 7 from 1922 to 1926.
All exits are unnumbered.
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | | 0.000 | 0.000 | Continuation into Arkansas | |
| Thayer | 1.202 | 1.934 | Southern terminus of Route 142 concurrency. Access toGrand Gulf State Park. | ||
| 1.823 | 2.934 | Northern terminus of Route 142 concurrency | |||
| 3.229 | 5.197 | Access toGrand Gulf State Park and Business District. | |||
| | 4.514 | 7.265 | |||
| Koshkonong | 10.301 | 16.578 | Access to Cover Prairie Conservation Area | ||
| | 11.064 | 17.806 | Access to Warm Fork Conservation Area | ||
| | 11.586 | 18.646 | |||
| Howell | | 22.173 | 35.684 | Access to Cover Prairie Conservation Area | |
| West Plains | 24.432 | 39.319 | |||
| 24.910 | 40.089 | ||||
| 25.994 | 41.833 | Southern terminus of Route 17 concurrency | |||
| 27.219 | 43.805 | Southern terminus of US 160 concurrency. Access toBull Shoals Lake andNorfork Lake. | |||
| 27.880 | 44.869 | ||||
| 29.048 | 46.748 | Northern terminus of US 160 / Route 17 concurrency. Access to Ozarks Medical Center. | |||
| 29.850 | 48.039 | Interchange | |||
| 33.154 | 53.356 | ||||
| Pomona | 38.360 | 61.734 | Access toWest Plains Regional Airport | ||
| | 42.380 | 68.204 | |||
| Willow Springs | 45.514 | 73.248 | Interchange; southern end of freeway; southern terminus of US 60 concurrency | ||
| 46.433 | 74.727 | ||||
| 48.508 | 78.066 | ||||
| 50.739 | 81.657 | Interchange; northern end of freeway. Access toMissouri State Highway Patrol Troop G Headquarters. | |||
| Texas | Cabool | 59.410 | 95.611 | Northern terminus of US 60 concurrency; southern terminus of US 60 Bus. concurrency | |
| 60.953 | 98.094 | Northern terminus of US 60 Bus. concurrency. Access to Business District. | |||
| | 62.107 | 99.952 | |||
| | 66.078 | 106.342 | |||
| Simmons | 69.933 | 112.546 | |||
| | 71.152 | 114.508 | |||
| Houston | 76.940 | 123.823 | Southern terminus of Route 17 concurrency; access to Texas County Memorial Hospital andOzark National Scenic Riverways. | ||
| 77.141 | 124.146 | Northern terminus of Route 17 concurrency | |||
| 77.888 | 125.349 | ||||
| | 80.557 | 129.644 | |||
| | 88.093 | 141.772 | |||
| Licking | 91.392 | 147.081 | Access toSouth Central Correctional Center | ||
| Sherrill | 97.289 | 156.571 | Access to White River Trace Conservation Area | ||
| Phelps | | 100.465 | 161.683 | ||
| Edgar Springs | 105.142 | 169.210 | |||
| 105.969 | 170.541 | ||||
| | 117.948 | 189.819 | |||
| Rolla | 124.465 | 200.307 | |||
| 124.860 | 200.943 | Southern terminus of BL I-44 concurrency | |||
| 125.093 | 201.318 | ||||
| 125.345 | 201.723 | Access toMissouri University of Science and Technology | |||
| 126.161 | 203.036 | I-44 exit 186; Eastern terminus of BL I-44 | |||
| Maries | | 134.218 | 216.003 | ||
| Vichy | 137.315 | 220.987 | |||
| 138.081 | 222.220 | ||||
| 138.587 | 223.034 | Southern terminus of Route 28 concurrency. Access toRolla National Airport | |||
| | 142.879 | 229.941 | |||
| | 147.596 | 237.533 | Northern terminus of Route 28 concurrency | ||
| | 147.975 | 238.143 | |||
| Vienna | 150.246 | 241.797 | |||
| 151.122 | 243.207 | ||||
| Osage | Freeburg | 160.516 | 258.325 | ||
| | 166.109 | 267.327 | |||
| | 168.790 | 271.641 | |||
| Westphalia | 172.454 | 277.538 | |||
| | 175.420– 175.625 | 282.311– 282.641 | Southern terminus of US 50 concurrency | ||
| Cole | Schubert | 178.755 | 287.678 | Access toClark's Hill/Norton State Historic Site | |
| Jefferson City | 180.576 | 290.609 | Militia Drive | Access to theMissouri National Guard Armory and the Missouri Military Museum | |
| 183.088 | 294.652 | McCarty Street | |||
| 184.721 | 297.280 | Eastland Drive | |||
| 185.875 | 299.137 | Clark Avenue | Access toMissouri State Highway Patrol General Headquarters | ||
| 186.367 | 299.929 | Lafayette Street | Access toLincoln University | ||
| 187.388 | 301.572 | At-grade intersection; eastern end of freeway; eastern terminus of US 50 Bus. | |||
| 187.476– 187.749 | 301.713– 302.153 | Northern terminus of US 50 concurrency; southern terminus of US 54 concurrency | |||
| Missouri River | 187.952– 188.081 | 302.479– 302.687 | Senator Roy Blunt Bridge | ||
| Callaway | Jefferson City | 188.713 | 303.704 | Access toJefferson City Memorial Airport | |
| 189.176– 189.493 | 304.449– 304.959 | Northern terminus of US 54 concurrency | |||
| Boone | | 200.701 | 322.997 | ||
| Ashland | 203.706 | 327.833 | Interchange | ||
| Elkhurst | 207.716 | 334.286 | Interchange; access toColumbia Regional Airport andRock Bridge Memorial State Park | ||
| Columbia | 212.874 | 342.587 | Discovery Parkway | Interchange; southern end of freeway; access toMissouri Department of Conservation Central Regional Office and Resource Science Center | |
| 214.168 | 344.670 | ||||
| 215.486 | 346.791 | Access to theUniversity of Missouri,University Hospital, andHarry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital | |||
| 216.486 | 348.400 | Access toDowntown Columbia,Boone Hospital Center,University of Missouri Women's and Children's Hospital, and Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area | |||
| 217.022– 218.352 | 349.263– 351.403 | ||||
| 218.836 | 352.182 | Vandiver Drive / Bass Pro Drive | |||
| 219.745 | 353.645 | ||||
| 220.214 | 354.400 | Brown School Road / Oakland Gravel Road | |||
| 221.958 | 357.207 | Prathersville Road | |||
| Prathersville | 223.245 | 359.278 | Interchange; northern end of freeway; southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
| | 229.814 | 369.850 | Southern terminus of Route 124 concurrency | ||
| | 230.645 | 371.187 | Northern terminus of Route 124 concurrency | ||
| | 235.038 | 378.257 | |||
| | 237.090 | 381.559 | |||
| Boone–Randolph county line | Sturgeon | 238.559 | 383.923 | Interchange | |
| Randolph | Clark | 241.224 | 388.212 | ||
| | 246.386 | 396.520 | |||
| Moberly | 250.225 | 402.698 | Interchange | ||
| 251.825 | 405.273 | Interchange; access to Moberly Regional Medical Center, Downtown Moberly, andMoberly Area Community College | |||
| 253.861 | 408.550 | Interchange; access to Moberly Regional Medical Center | |||
| 254.863 | 410.162 | Interchange; access toOmar N. Bradley Airport - MBY | |||
| Cairo | 258.674 | 416.295 | |||
| Jacksonville | 264.109 | 425.042 | |||
| Macon | Excello | 267.828 | 431.027 | ||
| Macon | 273.817 | 440.666 | Access toMacon-Fowler International Airport | ||
| 275.902 | 444.021 | Access toSamaritan Hospital | |||
| 276.045– 276.057 | 444.251– 444.271 | Interchange | |||
| | 279.643 | 450.042 | |||
| Atlanta | 285.319 | 459.176 | |||
| | 287.842 | 463.237 | |||
| | 292.375 | 470.532 | |||
| La Plata | 295.028 | 474.802 | |||
| Adair | | 298.319 | 480.098 | ||
| Millard | 302.056 | 486.112 | Access toKirksville Regional Airport | ||
| Kirksville | 304.438– 304.933 | 489.945– 490.742 | Interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 307.140 | 494.294 | Southern terminus of Route 6 / Route 11 concurrency | |||
| 309.136 | 497.506 | Northern terminus of Route 6 / Route 11 concurrency | |||
| 312.432 | 502.811 | Interchange | |||
| | 314.788 | 506.602 | |||
| | 318.981 | 513.350 | |||
| Schuyler | Greentop | 320.179 | 515.278 | ||
| Queen City | 324.035 | 521.484 | |||
| 325.112 | 523.217 | ||||
| | 327.583 | 527.194 | |||
| | 330.468 | 531.837 | Southern terminus of US 136 concurrency | ||
| Lancaster | 332.587 | 535.247 | Northern terminus of US 136 concurrency | ||
| | 337.748 | 543.553 | Continuation into Iowa | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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