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 U.S. Route 61 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US 61 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Length | 1,406.99 mi[citation needed] (2,264.33 km) | |||
| Existed | 1926[citation needed]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  US 90 inNew Orleans, LA | |||
| Major intersections |
| |||
| North end |  I-35 inWyoming, MN | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| States | Louisiana,Mississippi,Tennessee,Arkansas,Missouri,Iowa,Wisconsin,Minnesota | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
U.S. Route 61 orU.S. Highway 61 (U.S. 61) is a majorUnited States highway that extends 1,400 miles (2,300 km) betweenNew Orleans,Louisiana and the city ofWyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of theMississippi River and is designated theGreat River Road for much of its route. As of 2004, the highway's northern terminus in Wyoming, Minnesota, is at an intersection withInterstate 35 (I-35). Until 1991, the highway extended north on what is nowMinnesota State Highway 61 (MN 61) throughDuluth to theCanada–U.S. border nearGrand Portage, then continued to Thunder Bay, Canada, as Ontario Highway 61. Its southern terminus in New Orleans is at an intersection withU.S. Route 90 (US 90). The route was an important south–north connection in the days before theinterstate highway system.
The highway is often called theBlues Highway because of its long history inblues music; part of the route lies on theMississippi Blues Trail and is denoted by markers inVicksburg andTunica.[1][2] It is also the subject of numerous musical works, with the route inspiring the albumHighway 61 Revisited byBob Dylan.
US 61 inLouisiana is four-laned from its southern terminus inNew Orleans to theMississippi state line, where the highway continues toNatchez as a four-lane highway.
The section of US 61 from New Orleans toBaton Rouge is known as theAirline Highway. Although the road fronts theformer terminal ofLouis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and passes nearBaton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, the name originally referred to the highway's straight route in contrast to that of the windingJefferson Highway, which often paralleled theMississippi River. Legend has it that former Louisiana GovernorHuey Long advocated the construction of the "airline" highway to provide him with a quick means of access from the capitol building in Baton Rouge to the bars and other pleasure establishments in New Orleans.[3] On Airline Highway inJefferson Parish in 1987, Baton Rouge televangelistJimmy Swaggart was confronted by rival preacher Marvin Gorman as Swaggart exited the Travel Inn after seeing aprostitute.[4] This incident increased the area's reputation as a locale of "seedy motels". Partly because of that reputation, the section in Jefferson Parish was later renamed Airline Drive.
US 61 is divided from theTennessee state line toU.S. 82 inLeland. The highway south ofVicksburg toNatchez is mostly divided and four-lane; only short sections throughPort Gibson are two lane. From Natchez to theLouisiana state line, US 61 is now divided and four lanes. TheMississippi Department of Transportation is now[when?] widening the highway between Vicksburg and Leland to four lanes, beginning with replacement of theYazoo River bridge atRedwood inWarren County.
The road is also known as the Blues Highway because it runs through theMississippi Delta country, which was an important source ofblues music. Highway 61 has been referenced in music by various artists with roots in the region.
The former junction of US 61 andU.S. 49 inClarksdale (North State Street and Desoto Avenue) is designated as the famous crossroads where, according to legend,Robert Johnson supposedlysold his soul to the Devil in exchange for mastery ofthe blues. US 49 and US 61 are currently routed around the city on a freeway bypass. It was on this stretch of highway that blues singerBessie Smith died as a result of a car crash on September 26, 1937.
LikeRoute 66 in the Western U.S., the iconic US 61 sign is so strongly identified with the Clarksdale area that it is used to market different products and services. US 61 is defined in Mississippi Code Annotated § 65-3-3.
US 61 entersMemphis fromWalls as South 3rd Street in South Memphis, continues north to E.H. Crump Boulevard, then turns west, joiningUS 64,US 70, andUS 79, then joinsI-55 as they cross theMississippi River toWest Memphis, a distance of approximately 12 miles (19 km).
US 61 runs through the state for 76 miles (122 km) from West Memphis to just north ofBlytheville, near theMissouri border.
The route entersArkansas in a concurrency withI-55 andUS 64,US 70, andUS 79 nearWest Memphis. The route skirts the northwest edge of the city, briefly meetingInterstate 40 before continuing north with I-55 and US 64. US 61 overlaps I-55 until an area nearTurrell, when US 61 branches east but continues to run parallel to I-55. Southbound US 61 appears disconnected after the reconstruction of theI-555/US 63 interchange in the early 2000s. The old alignment of US 61 between West Memphis and Turrell is currently signed asArkansas Highway 77. The route runs through many small towns inMississippi County, and becomes a city street inOsceola. Continuing north, the route crosses over I-55, south of Blytheville. In the city, US 61 becomes South Division Street until crossingMain Street (AR 18). The route runs north through the rest of Blytheville and beyond until a junction withAR 150 nearYarbro. After this junction, the route continues due north to Missouri.
US 61 enters Missouri south ofSteele, passing undera concrete arch that was constructed by theMississippi County,Arkansas highway department in 1924. The alignment of the highway is closely followed byI-55 between there and theSt. Louis area, with portions of the two highways overlapping. BetweenHowardville andSikeston, US 61 overlaps withUS 62. At Sikeston, US 61 also meetsUS 60. CrossingRoute 32 at "one of the oldestFrench Colonial settlements west of the Mississippi River (1735)",Ste. Genevieve, the road continues through Ste. Genevieve County. The highway then turns northwest and meetsUS 67 atFestus. The two highways overlap until separating in the St. Louis area inLadue, where US 61 meetsI-64 andUS 40. While in the St. Louis area, US 61 is onLindbergh Boulevard, which goes by the name of Kirkwood Road while in that municipality.
After meeting I-64 and US 40, US 61 turns west with them and its overlap with theAvenue of the Saints begins. AtWentzville, the overlap with I-64 and US 40 ends when it meetsI-70, with the former ending at I-70. It continues in a general northwesterly route, meetingUS 54 atBowling Green andUS 36 andI-72 atHannibal, an intersection which is I-72's western terminus. Northwest of Hannibal, US 61 meetsUS 24 and the two overlap until they separate atTaylor. US 61 continues north until nearWayland, where the highway turns east atRoute 27 and the overlap with the Avenue of the Saints ends. Shortly before leaving Missouri, US 61 meetsUS 136 and the two overlap until enteringIowa. US 61 in Missouri was formerly known asRoute 9.
US 61 runs along the western side of the Mississippi River betweenMemphis, Tennessee, andDubuque, Iowa, and therefore never enters the state ofIllinois.
US 61 enters Iowa overlapped with US 136 nearKeokuk. They separate in Keokuk and US 61 turns north there and meetsUS 218 in northwestern Keokuk. They overlap for 6 miles (9.7 km), then US 218 turns northwest. US 61 goes north until crossingIowa 2 and becomes a four-lanefreeway bypass aroundFort Madison. US 61 then turns northeast and meetsUS 34 inBurlington. The highway goes north and overlapsIowa 92 fromGrandview toMuscatine. At Muscatine, the highway turns east to go towards theQuad Cities. AtDavenport, US 61 followsI-280 andI-80 around Davenport and meets Business 61.
After I-80, the highway turns back north as a freeway untilDe Witt, which is where it meetsUS 30. It continues north from there to Dubuque as anexpressway except for a freeway section in theMaquoketa area. The highway joins withUS 151 about six miles (9.7 km) south ofDubuque. US 61 and US 151 are joined at theSouthwest Arterial in Dubuque byUS 52, which separates inKey West. Also in Dubuque, a short connecting highway links US 61 and US 151 withUS 20. Together, US 61 and US 151 continue through Dubuque, where they cross theMississippi River and enter Wisconsin via theDubuque-Wisconsin Bridge.
A four-lane freeway bypass ofFort Madison was completed and opened to traffic in November 2011. A project to widen a five-mile (8.0 km) segment between the Louisa–Muscatine county line nearLetts and the south junction of Iowa 92 nearGrandview to a four-lane expressway was completed in December 2017. Construction on widening US-61 to a divided highway is under way[when?] betweenBurlington andMediapolis. The remaining segments between Iowa 92 and Mediapolis, and between the northern end of theKeokuk bypass and the Missouri state line have not been programmed yet[when?] by the Iowa DOT.
On the opposite bank of the Mississippi, US 61 and US 151 enterGrant County, with US 61 going north through Wisconsin about 120 miles (190 km) toLa Crosse. US 151 separates from US 61 atDickeyville, with US 61 proceeding throughLancaster,Fennimore, andBoscobel. AtReadstown US 61 and US 14 join and proceed together to La Crosse.
In 2004, a new two-laneMississippi River Bridge opened in La Crosse, creating a four-lane highway from downtown La Crosse to theMinnesota state line. The new bridge brings traffic into La Crosse, and is located just south of the old Cass Street Bridge which continues to be used by traffic heading towardsMinnesota.
The four-lane highway continues north toLa Crescent.US 61 follows the Mississippi River through southeast Minnesota through the cities ofWinona,Lake City, andRed Wing. It crosses the river atHastings using theHastings Bridge and joinsUS 10 before entering St. Paul. Within the city, the route followsI-94 for a short distance, and then follows Mounds Boulevard, East 7th Street, and Arcade Street through the east side of St. Paul.
The 120 miles (190 km) section of US 61 fromLa Crescent toCottage Grove is officially designated theDisabled American Veterans Highway.
The portion of US 61 north ofDuluth is now part of the Minnesota State Highway system, bearing the designationMN 61 since 1991. Between the city ofWyoming and Duluth, the highway has been turned back to local jurisdiction or supplanted byI-35.
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US 61 once ran 1,714 miles (2,758 km) fromNew Orleans throughDuluth,Minnesota all the way to theCanada–US border. The road has been shortened to 1,400 miles (2,300 km) ending now in the city ofWyoming, Minnesota at an intersection withI-35.
The northern section of US 61 in Minnesota was separated when I-35 was constructed, and decommissioned in 1991.
The section of US 61 in northwesternMississippi, between the state line andClarksdale, has received numerous changes since 1990, whencasinos were legalized by the state, in concert with expanding suburban development from Memphis into Mississippi. The resulting boom in casino development inTunica County, coupled with dramatic population and development growth inDeSoto County south of Memphis has led to relocating most of the highway and expanding to a divided four-lane highway.
The present-day course of US 61 south ofSt. Louis largely follows the original course of the Spanish colonial roadEl Camino Real. In 1776, when the Spanish lieutenant governor recognized that the two principal communities of St. Louis andSte. Genevieve needed an overland connection, he wrote his superior requesting permission. Construction then began, with parts of the Spanish road following old Indian trails. The road had been reportedly constructed by 1779, and then extended further south to the provincial posts atCape Girardeau andNew Madrid, and extended northwest to the post ofSt. Charles.[5] The sole rationale for theCamino Real was a military road to connect the several district posts for defense and administrative purposes. Much of the road was a simple trace for horses and foot travelers, and by 1796 transport large enough to require the use of wagons was largely being moved up the Mississippi River.[6]
The original Spanish nameel camino real was conferred by Colonel George Morgan in honor ofCharles IV of Spain, the reigning King of Spain (1788-1808). The government road was known asle Chemin du Roi orRue Royale by the local French-speaking population and known asKing's Highway or the oldKing's Trace by early American settlers. Because the road led to the French colonial "Illinois Country", which also included parts of present-day Missouri, early American settlers sometimes referred to it as theIllinois Road.[7] It is also known as theRoyal Road of the King's Domain in St.Charles County, Missouri.[8]King's Highway orKingshighway continues as street names in present-day St.Charles, St.Louis,Perryville, Cape Girardeau,Sikeston and New Madrid.[9][10]
When it was designated in 1926, US 61 replaced most ofRoute 9, which had been established in 1922 between Arkansas and Iowa. The only part that did not become part of US 61 was north ofWayland, where US 61 turned east onRoute 4, and Route 9 becameRoute 4B (nowRoute 81) to the state line. Since then, US 61 has been moved to a shorter route betweenJackson andFestus, replacing much ofRoute 25; the old alignment is nowRoute 72 andUS 67.
Prior to 1958, US 61 followed the route now known asIowa 22 betweenDavenport andMuscatine. US 61 was then rerouted onto the old Iowa 22 which passed throughBlue Grass.
Starting in the early 1980s, US 61 between Davenport andDubuque was rebuilt as a four-lane highway. The first link, a 19-mile (31 km) stretch between Davenport andDe Witt, was finished in 1982; a bypass around De Witt, which overlapped US 30, was in use starting in November 1975. Subsequent links were completed toMaquoketa (in 1996) and finally to Dubuque in 1999. When the final link was completed, Dubuque finally had a direct four-lane connection toInterstate 80.
In 1983, two multi-lane one-way routes were designated through Davenport starting at the northern city limits. Southbound traffic used the newly constructed Welcome Way until it merges with Harrison Street just north of 35th Street; northbound traffic use Brady Street (which had been a two-way, four-lane street). Other two-way stretches of the highway through Davenport have four (or more) lanes. In 2010, in large part due to a railroad bridge with a low clearance in downtown Davenport, US 61 through Davenport was moved to Interstates 80 and 280, with signing taking place in the fall of 2011; the highway through Davenport was redesignated as "US 61 Business."
A 7.5-mile (12.1 km) bypass aroundMuscatine was opened in 1984, but other changes on the stretch south of Davenport would not happen for another decade. The changes came as follows:
The final stretch completed a continuous multi-laned link betweenDickeyville,Wisconsin south to Grandview.
Prior to the construction of theDubuque-Wisconsin Bridge, US 61 passed through a short distance throughJo Daviess County between Dubuque and Wisconsin, concurrent withUS 151. Now both highways cross the Mississippi on the Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge, which directly connects Wisconsin and Iowa, with neither US 61 nor US 151 passing throughIllinois.
US 61 follows the west bank of theMississippi River from the Wisconsin border throughHastings where it crosses the river and proceeds toSt. Paul. North from the city of Wyoming, Old US 61 continues as "Forest Boulevard" inChisago County, and then as "County 61" throughPine andCarlton counties before ending atMN 210. The original US 61 had continued east along MN 210 toCarlton and north on present-dayMN 45 toScanlon before turning northeast on what is now "County 61 / Old US 61" throughEsko.
I-35 has replaced the original US 61 descending Thompson Hill intoWest Duluth, from which most of the city ofDuluth can be seen entering town, including theAerial Lift Bridge and the waterfront. The original US 61 in the city of Duluth had previously followed Cody Street, Grand Avenue, Superior Street, Second Street, Third Street, and London Road.
The original US 61 betweenDuluth and Canada was designated asMN 61 in 1991. MN 61, part of theLake Superior Circle Tour route, follows theNorth Shore ofLake Superior, where it becomes OntarioHighway 61 upon entering Canada. Highway 61 continues to the city ofThunder Bay, where it ends at an intersection with theTrans-Canada Highway.
Starting in 2012Chisago,Carlton andPine Counties began placing "OLD US 61" markers along the former routing of US 61 through their respective counties.
US 90 inNew Orleans
I-10 in New Orleans
I-310 inSt. Rose
US 51 inLaPlaceI-10 southeast ofSorrento
I-12 inBaton Rouge
US 190 in Baton Rouge. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
I-110 in Baton RougeI-110 in Baton Rouge
US 84 /US 425 inNatchez. US 61/US 84 travels concurrently to west-southwest ofWashington.
US 84 /US 98 west-southwest of Washington
I-20 /US 80 inVicksburg. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 82 /US 278 east ofLeland. US 61/US 278 travels concurrently toClarksdale.
Future I-69 /US 278 nearMerigold. I-69/US 61 will travel concurrently to nearTunica.
US 49 in Clarksdale. The highways travel concurrently to west-northwest ofRich.
I-55 inMemphis
US 64 /US 70 /US 79 in Memphis. US 61/US 64 travels concurrently toMarion, Arkansas. US 61/US 70/US 79 travels concurrently toWest Memphis, Arkansas.I-55 in Memphis. The highways travel concurrently toTurrell.
I-40 in West Memphis. The highways travel concurrently through the city.I-40 /US 79 in West Memphis.
I-55 /I-555 inTurrellI-55 inBlytheville
US 78 in BlythevilleI-55 east ofSteele. The highways travel concurrently toPortageville.
I-155 /US 412 inHayti
US 62 southwest ofHowardville. The highways travel concurrently toSikeston.I-55 inNew MadridI-55 north of New Madrid
Future I-57 /US 60 in SikestonI-55 inScott City. The highways travel concurrently toCape Girardeau.I-55 in Cape GirardeauI-55 north-northeast ofJacksonI-55 south-southeast ofFestus
US 67 inCrystal City. The highways travel concurrently to theFrontenac–Ladue city line.
I-255 inMehlville
US 50 in Mehlville. The highways travel concurrently to theSunset Hills–Kirkwood city line.I-55 on theConcord–Mehlville–Green Park line
I-44 /US 50 on the Sunset Hills–Kirkwood city line
I-64 /US 40 on the Frontenac–Ladue city line. The highways travel concurrently toWentzville.
I-270 inTown and Country
I-64 /I-70 /US 40 in Wentzville
US 54 north ofBowling Green
I-72 /US 36 inHannibal
US 24 south ofPalmyra. The highways travel concurrently toTaylor.
US 136 west-northwest ofAlexandria. The highways travel concurrently toKeokuk, Iowa.
US 218 in Keokuk. The highways travel concurrently to southwest ofMontrose.
US 34 inBurlington
I-280 inDavenport. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 6 in Davenport. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
I-80 /I-280 /US 6 in Davenport. I-80/US 61 travels concurrently through the city.
US 30 southwest ofDeWitt. The highways travel concurrently to DeWitt.
US 151 south ofDubuque. The highways travel concurrently to south ofDickeyville, Wisconsin.
US 52 inDubuque County. The highways travel concurrently for a short distance south of Dubuque .
US 18 inFennimore. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 14 inReadstown. The highways travel concurrently toWinona, Minnesota.
US 53 inLa Crosse, Wisconsin
I-90 north ofLa Crescent. The highways travel concurrently toDakota.
US 63 inLake City. The highways travel concurrently toRed Wing.
US 10 north ofHastings. The highways travel concurrently toSaint Paul.
I-494 inNewport
I-94 /US 12 in Saint Paul. The highways travel concurrently through the city.I-94 /US 10 /US 12 in Saint Paul
I-694 inVadnais Heights
US 8 inForest LakeI-35 inWyoming{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| Browse numbered routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
← AR 60 | AR | → US 62 | ||
← I-59 | MS | → MS 63 | ||
← SR 60 | TN | → SR 61 | ||
| ←US 60 | MO | →US 62 | ||
← Iowa 60 | IA | → Iowa 62 | ||
← WIS 60 | WI | → WIS 62 | ||
← MN 60 | MN | → MN 61 | ||
Routes initalics are no longer a part of the system. Highlighted routes are considered main routes of the system. |
