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U.S. Route 62 in Arkansas facts for kids

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U.S. Highway 62 marker

U.S. Highway 62
Route information
Maintained by AHTD
Length 329.9 mi (530.9 km)
Existed 1930–present
Major junctions
West end US-62 at Oklahoma border near Summers
  I-49 / US 71 in Fayetteville
US 412 in Springdale
I-49 / US 71 in Bentonville
US 412 in Alpena
US 65 in Harrison
US 167 in Ash Flat
US 63 in Hardy
US 63 / US 412 in Imboden
Future I-57 / US 67 from Pocahontas to Corning
US 49 in Piggott
East end US 62 at Missouri border in St. Francis
Location
Counties: Washington, Benton, Carroll, Boone, Marion, Baxter, Fulton, Sharp, Lawrence, Randolph, Clay
Highway system
United States Numbered Highways
List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced

Arkansas Highway System
Interstates • US • State
Business • Spurs • Scenic

US 61 US 63


U.S. Route 62 (US 62) is a U.S. highway running from El Paso, Texas northeast to Niagara Falls, New York. In the U.S. state of Arkansas, the route runs 329.9 miles from the Oklahoma border near Summers east to the Missouri border in St. Francis, serving the northern portion of the state. The route passes through several cities and towns, including Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, Harrison, Mountain Home, Pocahontas, and also Piggott. US 62 runs concurrent with several highways in Arkansas including Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 71 between Fayetteville and Bentonville, U.S. Route 412 through much of the state, U.S. Route 65 in the Harrison area, and with U.S. Route 63 and U.S. Route 67 (Future Interstate 57) in northeast Arkansas.

Route description

Northwest Arkansas

US 62 west of Highway 59 junction, Washington County, AR
US 62 near the Oklahoma border

U.S. Route 62 enters Arkansas from Oklahoma and runs by the Bean Cemetery near Lincoln and the Borden House and Prairie Grove Battlefield Park in Prairie Grove. The route then enters the Northwest Arkansas metro area, including the cities of Fayetteville, Rogers, and Bentonville. The route concurs with I-49/US 71 through these communities. In Benton County, the route passes Garfield Elementary School near the junction with Arkansas Highway 127 in Garfield before exiting Rogers. The route continues east near the Pea Ridge National Military Park and the Missouri state line before entering Carroll County.

US 62 near Busch, Arkansas
US 62 in Carroll County west of Eureka Springs.

The Ozark Mountains

US 62 winds through the Ozarks, passing through sparsely populated scenic country and small towns. US 62 passes the Thorncrown Chapel, the Tall Pines Motor Inn, and the historic U.S. 62 White River Bridge near Eureka Springs. The route begins a concurrency with U.S. Route 412 in Alpena that continues west to Imboden. Also, US 62/US 412 meet U.S. Route 65 in Harrison. In Marion County, the route meets US 62S in Pyatt and the US 62 Bridge over Crooked Creek outside of town. During this stretch, US 62 crosses two of the nine Arkansas Scenic Byways, the Pig Trail and Scenic Highway 7. Continuing east, the route passes a former alignment of US 62 before entering Yellville. East of Yellville, the route enters Mountain Home in Baxter County and crosses over Norfolk Lake to enter rural Fulton County.

US 62 over Leatherwood Creek near Eureka Springs
Bridge over Leatherwood Creek west of Eureka Springs.

After passing through Fulton County, US 62/US 412 enters Sharp County. In Ash Flat, US 62/US 412 serves as the northern terminus of U.S. Route 167. After passing around Cherokee Village, Arkansas, the route enters Hardy. In Hardy, US 62/US 412/US 63 Business passes four properties on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas: the Carrie Tucker House, the Sherman Bates House, the Fred Graham House, and Web Long House and Motel. US 62/US 412 also meets U.S. Route 63, which is mostly a patchwork of concurrencies throughout the state. The routes continue together to Imboden, when US 63/US 412 break and continue south, where US 62/AR 115 continues over the St. Louis-San Francisco Overpass headed north into Randolph County and Crowley's Ridge.

Crowley's Ridge

In Randolph County, US 62 passes by cotton fields until Pocahontas, when the route meets US 67 (Future I-57). The route concurs with US 67 east until Corning in Clay County. The route runs east through Crowley's Ridge to Piggott, and enters Missouri near St. Francis.

History

Eurekaandsuch 220
Spring Street in Eureka Springs was originally US 62 - City Route.
Old U.S. 62, Busch Segment
Old Highway 62 near Busch

The route was originally a trail known as the Ozark Trail, which was the main series of routes in the area prior to the construction of U.S. Route 66. The Ozark Trails Association was responsible for maintaining and marking the routes, with William Hope Harvey in charge. Harvey wanted an auto trail from Oklahoma to his resort town Monte Ne, which he established after retiring from the railroad business. He had grand visions of trails connecting Monte Ne with St. Louis, Kansas City, Wichita, Kansas, and Oklahoma City, and points west. U.S. Route 62 from Gateway to Eureka Springs was also designated part of The Jefferson Highway, although the highway was not really marked and frequently shifted. The highway was listed as a "Proposed Primary Federal Aid Road" on a state map in the first issue of "Arkansas Highways Magazine" (1924), but not numbered.

The road brought much traffic through the hills of Arkansas, previously resistant to development. Eureka Springs was a popular stop on the route, with many motor inns and a vibrant downtown. Nearby Arkansas Highway 23 (The Pig Trail) further added tourists to the community. Further east, cities of Mountain Home, Cotter, and Flippin grew significantly with US 62's traffic. Rough terrain interspersed with large waterways caused the need for large bridges, including the Cotter Bridge (which replaced a ferry system) and the St. Louis-San Francisco Overpass. A 1981 study indicated a need of 31 climbing lanes from Harrison to Hardy (approx. 110 miles (180 km)) necessary for safety purposes, indicative of the rough terrain.

Some historic alignments of the old road still exist with original pavement. One section, built between 1932 and bypassed in 1952, is located between Busch and Eureka Springs on either side of the White River. On the north side of the river Carroll County Route 109 follows the alignment to the former river crossing, where only concrete bridge piers remain to be seen. On the south side County Route 107 continues southward, eventually rejoining the modern alignment. This section was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

Major intersections

County Location Mile Roads intersected Notes
Washington 0.0 0.0 US-62 west – Muskogee Oklahoma state line
Summers AR 59 north – Siloam Springs west end of AR 59 overlap
AR 59 south – Van Buren east end of AR 59 overlap
Lincoln 10 16 AR 45 south – Canehill
US 62B east – Prairie Grove
Prairie Grove US 62B west – Prairie Grove
17 27 AR 170 east
Farmington 21 34 AR 170 west (South Hunter Street)
Fayetteville 23.9 38.5 I-49 south (US 71) / US 71B – Fort Smith, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville National Cemetery west end of I-49 / US 71 / AR 16 overlap; US 62 west follows exit 62
see I-49
Benton Bentonville 44.6 71.8 I-49 north (US 71) / AR 102 west (Southeast 14th Street) – Bella Vista, Bentonville, Centerton north end of I-49 / US 71 overlap; US 62 east follows exit 86
Rogers 51.0 82.1 AR 94 east – Rogers Business District west end of AR 94 overlap
51.4 82.7 AR 12 east / AR 94 west (North Second Street) – Little Flock, Pea Ridge, Historic District, Hobbs State Park Conservation Area, Prairie Creek Park, Rogers Historical Museum east end of AR 12 / AR 94 overlap
57.8 93.0 AR 72 west – Pea Ridge
Garfield 62.8 101.1 AR 127 – Beaver Lake, Lost Bridge Park
Gateway 66.7 107.3 AR 37 north – Seligman, MO
Carroll AR 187 north – Beaver, Holiday Island
AR 187 south – Beaver Dam, Beaver Lake
79.5 127.9 AR 187 north
Eureka Springs Historic Loop - Eureka Springs Business District former US 62B east
AR 23 north – Holiday Island, Beaver west end of AR 23 overlap
AR 23 south – Huntsville east end of AR 23 overlap
92.2 148.4 AR 143 north / AR 980 – Grandview, Airport
Berryville 95.0 152.9 US 62S
96.1 154.7 AR 221 south (West Carl Avenue) west end of AR 221 overlap
AR 21 north / AR 221 north east end of AR 221 overlap; west end of AR 21 overlap
AR 21 south – Kingston, Boxley east end of AR 21 overlap
AR 103 south – Rule
Green Forest AR 103 north – Oak Grove
AR 311 north (Carroll Avenue)
Tyson Avenue (AR 311 south)
Boone Alpena 114 183 US 412 west – Huntsville, Springdale West end of US 412 overlap
116 187 AR 392 east – Batavia
119 192 US 65 north – Branson, MO, Springfield, MO interchange; west end of US 65 overlap
Harrison 122 196 AR 980 – Boone County Regional Airport
124 200 AR 43 north
124 200 North Main Street - Business District former US 65B south
AR 7 north – Bergman, Lead Hill, Diamond City west end of AR 7 overlap
US 65B south / AR 7 south – Jasper, Russellville, Business District east end of AR 7 overlap
US 65B north (South Main Street) – Harrison Business District, Northark College South Campus
Bellefonte 131 211 AR 206 west
132 212 US 65 south – Little Rock East end of US 65 overlap
Marion 143.9 231.6 AR 125 south – Eros, Bruno west end of AR 125 overlap
Pyatt 144.4 232.4 US 62S – Pyatt Business District
150.1 241.6 AR 125 north – Dodd City east end of AR 125 overlap
153.0 246.2 AR 202 east – Summit
Yellville 154.5 248.6 US 62B east
154.7 249.0 AR 14 west – Summit, Lead Hill west end of AR 14 overlap
154.7 249.0 AR 14 east – Ozark Folk Center State Park, Blanchard Springs Caverns, Buffalo National River Buffalo Point east end of AR 14 overlap
159.9 257.3 AR 178 east – Flippin, Bull Shoals, Bull Shoals White River State Park
162.5 261.5 AR 101 south – Rea Valley
163.1 262.5 US 62B east – Cotter
Baxter Cotter 165.9 267.0 US 62B west / CR 1 (Denton Ferry Road) – Cotter Business District
Gassville 167.3 269.2 AR 345 south (Cotter Road)
168.0 270.4 AR 345 north (Lakeview Drive)
168.3 270.9 AR 126 north – Ozark Regional Airport
171.3 275.7 AR 126 south – Buffalo City
Mountain Home 173.6 279.4 US 62B east – Mountain Home
174.2 280.3 AR 201 – Arkansas State University Mountain Home Campus
176.5 284.0 AR 5 interchange
178.2 286.8 AR 178 (Buzzard Roost Road)
Mountain Home 179.3 288.6 US 62B west – Mountain Home
183.6 295.5 AR 101 north – Gamaliel
Fulton 193.7 311.7 AR 87 – Vidette, Elizabeth
Viola 201.6 324.4 AR 223 – Moody, MO, Bexar
Salem 210.4 338.6 US 62B east
211.0 339.6 AR 395 south
211.4 340.2 AR 9 to AR 395 north – Business District, Mammoth Spring, Melbourne
Glencoe 219.0 352.4 AR 289 south – Horseshoe Bend
226.2 364.0 AR 289 north – Saddle, Mammoth Spring
Sharp Ash Flat 228.6 367.9 US 167 south (Ash Flat Drive) – Batesville
Fulton
No major junctions
Sharp Cherokee Village 232.3 373.9 AR 175S north – Cherokee Village
237.4 382.1 AR 175 south (Stone Creek Road) to AR 289 – Cherokee Village west end of AR 175 overlap
238.2 383.3 AR 342 east (West Riverview Drive) – Harold E. Alexander WMA
Hardy 238.9 384.5 US 63B south – Hardy, Historic District west end of US 63B overlap
240.2 386.6 US 63 north – Mammoth Spring east end of US 63B overlap; west end of US 63 overlap
US 63B north – Hardy
245.3 394.8 AR 175 north – Wirth east end of AR 175 overlap
250.4 403.0 AR 58 west – Williford
252.4 406.2 AR 58E west – Williford
Lawrence Ravenden 256.8 413.3 AR 90 east – Ravenden Springs
Randolph
No major junctions
Lawrence Imboden 260.9 419.9 AR 115 south – Smithville, Cave City
261.5 420.8 US 63 south / US 412 east – Imboden Business District, Black Rock, Hoxie east end of US 63 / US 412 overlap
Spring River 261.7 421.2 St. Louis-San Francisco Overpass
Randolph Pocahontas 272.1 437.9 AR 166 south – Old Davidsonville State Park
274.1 441.1 US 67 south – Walnut Ridge west end of US 67 overlap
274.1 441.1 AR 90 north (Broadway Street) to AR 115 – Ravenden Springs, Pocahontas Business District, Historic Courthouse
276.6 445.1 AR 166 north – Engelberg
285.2 459.0 US 67B north – Biggers
Reyno 289.2 465.4 AR 328 west – Reyno
Clay Datto 291.6 469.3 US 67B north – Datto
293.7 472.7 AR 211 north – Success
296.7 477.5 AR 980 – Airport
Corning 300.3 483.3 US 67 north – St. Louis, MO east end of US 67 overlap
304.3 489.7 AR 135 south – Paragould
McDougal 309.0 497.3 AR 141 south – Boydsville
Pollard 316.2 508.9 AR 139 north – Qulin, MO
Piggott 322.3 518.7 US 49 south / AR 1 south – Paragould west end of AR 1 overlap
324.0 521.4 AR 139 south – Holly Island
324.3 521.9 AR 1 north – Holcomb, MO east end of AR 1 overlap
329.9 530.9 US 62 east – Malden Missouri state line (St. Francis River)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
U.S. Route 62
Previous state:
Oklahoma
Arkansas Next state:
Missouri


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