U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south

United States highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...

(though it was signed east–west in parts of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

). A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA Corridor Highway System. It parallels

U.S. Route 75 U.S. Route 75 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that extends in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is in Noyes, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it once continued as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side ...

for nearly its entire route, never much more than away, until it veers southwest in Houston, Texas. Its number is out of place since US 59 is either concurrent with or entirely west of

U.S. Route 71 U.S. Route 71 or U.S. Highway 71 (US 71) is a major north–south United States highway that extends for over 1500 miles (2500 km) in the central United States. This original 1926 route has remained largely unchanged by encroaching Interstat ...

. The highway's northern terminus is north of

Lancaster, Minnesota Lancaster is a city in Kittson County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 364. History Lancaster was incorporated in 1904 along a Soo Line Railroad line running from Glenwood to the Canada–US border. ...

, at the

Lancaster–Tolstoi Border Crossing The Lancaster–Tolstoi Border Crossing connects the city of Lancaster, Minnesota and community of Tolstoi, Manitoba on the Canada–United States border. It is the westernmost international border crossing in Minnesota following the closure of ...

on the Canada–US border, where it continues as

Manitoba Highway 59 Provincial Trunk Highway 59 (PTH 59) is a major provincial highway in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It runs from the Lancaster-Tolstoi Border Crossing (where it meets with U.S. Highway 59), through the city of Winnipeg, north to 8th Avenue ...

. Its southern terminus is at the Mexico–US border in

Laredo, Texas Laredo ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Laredo has the distinction of flying seven flags (the flag of th ...

, where it continues as

Mexican Federal Highway 85D Carretera Federal 85D is the designation for toll highways ('' autopistas'') paralleling Federal Highway 85. Two roads are designated Highway 85D, one from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, to Monterrey, Nuevo León, known as Autopista Monterrey– ...

Route description

Texas

U.S. Highway 59 (US 59) in the U.S. state of

is named the Lloyd Bentsen Highway, after Lloyd Bentsen, former U.S. Senator from Texas. In northern

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

, US 59, co-signed with Interstate 69 (I-69), is the Eastex Freeway (from

downtown Houston Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10, Interstate 45, and Interstate 69. The ...

to the Liberty County/ Montgomery County line). To the south, which is also co-signed with I-69, it is the Southwest Freeway (from Rosenberg to downtown Houston), which is one of the busiest sections of freeway in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

with a vehicle count, as of 2006, over 330,000 vehicles per day just outside the Loop. US 59 (

overlap Overlap may refer to: * In set theory, an overlap of elements shared between sets is called an intersection, as in a Venn diagram. * In music theory, overlap is a synonym for reinterpretation of a chord at the boundary of two musical phrases * O ...

ped by US 71) actually straddles the border between Texas and Arkansas north of

I-30 i30, I30, i-30 or I-30 may refer to: *Interstate 30, an Interstate Highway in the southern United States *, an Imperial Japanese Navy submarine during World War II * (1940-1968), a Royal Australian Navy ''Tribal''-class destroyer *I30, a 9000 serv ...

near Texarkana, with the east side of the highway on the Arkansas side and the west side of the highway on the Texas side. In the past, both highways remained on the border past I-30 as

State Line Avenue State Line Avenue is a north–south arterial road in Texarkana, United States. It follows approximately of the Texas-Arkansas state line, and divides the cities. The street's centerline does not follow the state boundary precisely, but the ...

to downtown Texarkana; today, only US 71 does so. Nearly 90% of this route is designated to become part of I-69 in the future. Currently, speed limits are allowed on US 59 in Duval County and portions of northern

Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk: * Polk County, Arkansas * Polk County, Florida * Polk County, Georgia * Polk County, Iowa * Polk Count ...

. From the southwestern suburbs of Houston to downtown Houston, U.S. 59 is commonly referred to as the "Southwest Freeway", sometimes derisively as the "Southwest's Best Freeway." Supporting 371,000 vehicles per day, it is one of the busiest

freeways A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...

in the United States. U.S. 59 is known as the "Eastex Freeway" in the north/northeast part of the Houston region. At the Mexico–US border, it ends at the

World Trade International Bridge The World Trade International Bridge is one of four international bridges located in the cities of Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, that connect the United States and Mexico over the Rio Grande (Río Bravo). It is owned and opera ...

in Laredo, Texas. In Laredo, U.S. 59 is co-signed with both Interstate 69W (I-69W) and Loop 20, and has an intersection with

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) 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. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

which ends at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge. After crossing the bridge into

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, Interstate 35 continues as

Mexican Federal Highway 85 Federal Highway 85 (''Carretera Federal 85'') connects Mexico City with the Mexico–United States border at Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. Highway 85 runs through Monterrey, Nuevo León; Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas; Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potos� ...

Nuevo Laredo Nuevo Laredo () is a city in the Municipality of Nuevo Laredo in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The city lies on the banks of the Rio Grande, across from Laredo, United States. The 2010 census population of the city was 373,725. Nuevo Lar ...

, which then runs through Mexico and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

and ends in

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

at the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a condui ...

Arkansas

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

, US 59 is concurrent with

from

Interstate 30 Interstate 30 (I-30) is a Interstate Highway in the southern states of Texas and Arkansas in the United States. I-30 travels from I-20 west of Fort Worth, Texas, northeast via Dallas, and Texarkana, Texas, to I-40 in North Little Rock, A ...

at Texarkana to Acorn, and with U.S. Route 270 from Acorn to the Oklahoma state line. The Third Loop was to be extended on

Interstate 49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway that exists in multiple segments: the original portion entirely within the state of Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from I-220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas st ...

from its original northern end to US-71 at the Texas state line opened on May 15, 2013, and was extended to State Line Road, where it intersects US-59 and US-71 in Texas.

Oklahoma

US 59 and U.S. Route 412 are co-signed for in Delaware County, Oklahoma. US 59 is co-signed with U.S. Route 270 from the Arkansas state line to Heavener and U.S. Route 271 from Poteau to west of Spiro. It is also co-signed with

U.S. Route 64 U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles (3,743 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 1 ...

in Sallisaw.

Kansas

U.S. 59 enters the state just south of Chetopa and runs nearly directly north across the state. It runs concurrently with U.S. 169 starting about south of Garnett and diverges north again immediately south of Garnett. The intersection immediately south of Garnett used to be a "braided" intersection with stop and yield signs. It was identified as a high-crash location in 2001, and was rebuilt as a roundabout that opened in April 2006. The Kansas Department of Transportation is rebuilding or planning to rebuild several other rural intersections as roundabouts for increased safety. Until 2012, US 59 passed through Ottawa, Kansas, and had to be shut down or detoured every time the Marias Des Cygnes

floodwall A flood wall (or floodwall) is a primarily vertical artificial barrier designed to temporarily contain the waters of a river or other waterway which may rise to unusual levels during seasonal or extreme weather events. Flood walls are mainly u ...

gates were closed across the highway. The highway now bypasses around Ottawa, running concurrently with Interstate 35 for 5 mi and using that highway's bridges over the Marias Des Cygnes. US 59 passes through

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

. The street name of US 59 in Lawrence is Iowa Street, then 6th Street as it joins U.S. 40 and jogs east to cross the

Kansas River The Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwesternmost part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwesternmost portion of the extensive Mississippi River dr ...

near downtown. North of the U.S. 40 and 59 Bridges, it splits with U.S. 40 as it joins U.S. 24 briefly and jogs back west before resuming a northerly course. It continues north to Nortonville, then northeast to

Atchison Atchison may refer to: Places In the United States: *Atchison, California, a former settlement *Atchison, Kansas, a city *Atchison County, Kansas *Atchison County, Missouri People with the surname * Bob Atchison (born 1941), Canadian drag race ...

, where it crosses the Missouri River over the Amelia Earhart Bridge. U.S. 59 has been rebuilt and rerouted just to the east between Lawrence and Ottawa as a divided highway, as the former road was one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the state. The project began in mid-2007, and was completed and opened to the public on October 17, 2012.

Missouri

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, US 59 roughly follows the Missouri River in the northwest corner of the state, from its entrance at Winthrop. In Saint Joseph, the highway is paired with

Interstate 229 Interstate 229 (I-229) is the designation for two Interstate Highways in the United States, both related to Interstate 29: * Interstate 229 (South Dakota) Interstate 229 (I-229) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway located entirely within Sio ...

through downtown. US 59 departs from I-229 as Saint Joseph Avenue, joining with

Interstate 29 Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...

. The two highways then separate in Savannah. US 59 then follows Interstate 29 very closely until turning northward at Craig. It exits the state north of Tarkio. This section of US 59 is immortalized in the Brewer and Shipley song "Tarkio Road".

Iowa

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

, US 59 is a main north–south artery in the western part of the state. It enters Iowa south of Shenandoah and joins Interstate 80 at Avoca. It passes through the county seats of Harlan, Denison,

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

, and Primghar. Except for small stretches of expressway near Avoca, Denison, and

Holstein Holstein (; nds, label=Northern Low Saxon, Holsteen; da, Holsten; Latin and historical en, Holsatia, italic=yes) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of German ...

, the entire length of US 59 in Iowa is an undivided two-lane road. US 59 exits the state near Hawkeye Point, the highest point in the state of Iowa.

Minnesota

US 59 enters

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

south of Worthington, just east of Bigelow. It passes through rural western Minnesota for its entire length in the state. Some cities along the way include Slayton,

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia * Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Islands * Marshall Islands, an i ...

, Clarkfield, Montevideo, and

Morris Morris may refer to: Places Australia *St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia Canada * Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry * Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba ** Morris, Manitob ...

. US 59 overlaps Interstate 94/ U.S. Highway 52 in the Fergus Falls area. North of Fergus Falls, US 59 passes through Pelican Rapids, Detroit Lakes, and Thief River Falls before ending at the Lancaster–Tolstoi border crossing on the Canada–US border. US-59 runs for about through Minnesota. The Minnesota section of US 59 is legally defined as all or part of Routes 265, 16, 17, 88, 66, 144, 3, 30, and 174 in Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.115(19), (75), and (196) and 161.114(2).

History

In 1934, a coalition of government officials from Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota agreed to sign the current US 59 as Highway 73 in an attempt to extend US 73 north from

Atchison, Kansas Atchison is a city and county seat of Atchison County, Kansas, United States, along the Missouri River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,885. The city is named in honor of US Senator David Rice Atchison from Missouri ...

. However,

AASHO The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test quality control, protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction through ...

approved the route as US 59, instead. The part in Missouri was defined in 1922 as Route 52 from Kansas to St. Joseph, Route 1 from St. Joseph to Tarkio, and Route 61 from Tarkio to Iowa. Route 61 became Route 9 in 1926, and Route 52 became part of Route 4 in 1927, and this portion became Route 18 in 1932, before being removed in favor of US 59 in the 1930s.

Historic termini

Before the 1950s, US 59 headed northwest to US 75 at Noyes, crossed the

Red River of the North The Red River (french: rivière Rouge or ) is a river in the north-central United States and central Canada. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota, it fl ...

at St. Vincent, and terminated at US 81 in

Pembina, North Dakota Pembina () is a city in Pembina County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 512 at the 2020 census. Pembina is located south of the Canada–US border. Interstate 29 passes on the west side of Pembina, leading north to the Canada� ...

. A new highway and border crossing were built north of Lancaster on the present alignment in 1950. The former segment of US 59 between Lancaster and US 75 became CR 6, and the extremely short segment between US 75 and US 81 became MN 171 and ND 59. ND 59 still exists in Pembina from the state line to I-29. From 1934 to 1935, the US 59 designation referred to a -long route across southeastern Minnesota, from

Lake City, Minnesota Lake City is a city in Goodhue and Wabasha counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It lies along Lake Pepin, a wide portion of the Mississippi River. The population was 5,063 at the 2010 census. Most of Lake City is located within Wabasha ...

, to the

state line just short of Chester, Iowa. That entire route is now part of US 63, and nowhere close to the present US 59, established in 1935. In 1933, much of the present US 59 and the entirety of US 96 in Texas were originally proposed to be part of US 71. Under this plan, discussed at a meeting of the United States Good Roads Association in

Beaumont Beaumont may refer to: Places Canada * Beaumont, Alberta * Beaumont, Quebec England * Beaumont, Cumbria * Beaumont, Essex ** Beaumont Cut, a canal closed in the 1930s * Beaumont Street, Oxford France (communes) * Beaumont, Ardèche * ...

, US 71 was to be diverted out of Louisiana altogether and instead rerouted from the Texarkana area southward through East Texas.

Future

A large portion of US 59 is proposed to become part of the future extension of I-69, I-69W and I-369 through Texas, allowing the current alignment and right-of-way to be upgraded without the need for government environmental studies or extensive

eminent domain Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...

proceedings.I69Info.com: "New" and "Old" Terrain
/ref>

Major intersections

;Texas :

at the Mexico–US border : in Laredo. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Laredo : in George West : east of George West : in Beeville : in

Goliad Goliad ( ) is a city in Goliad County, Texas, United States. It is known for the 1836 Goliad massacre during the Texas Revolution. It had a population of 1,620 at the 2020 census. Founded on the San Antonio River, it is the county seat of Gol ...

: southwest of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. I-69/US 59 will travel concurrently to

. US 59/US 77 travels concurrently to south-southwest of Victoria. : in Victoria : in Houston : in Houston : in Houston : in Houston. I-69/US 59 will travel concurrently to Tenaha. : in Livingston : in Corrigan : in

Lufkin Lufkin is the largest city in Angelina County, Texas and the county seat. The city is situated in Deep East Texas and about 60 miles west of the Texas-Louisiana border. Its estimated population is 35,021 as of July 1, 2019. Lufkin was founded ...

. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Redfield : in Timpson. The highways travel concurrently to Tenaha. : in Tenaha. I-369/US 59 will travel concurrently to Texarkana. : in

Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the cla ...

. The highways travel concurrently to north of Carthage. : in

: in Marshall : in Texarkana. I-369/US 59 travels concurrently to I-30. : in Texarkana : in Texarkana : in Texarkana. I-30/US 59 travels concurrently to the

state line. ;Arkansas : in Texarkana. US 59/US 71 travels concurrently to Acorn. ;Texas : north of Texarkana ;Arkansas : in Lockesburg. The highways travel concurrently to De Queen. : in Saline Township. The highways travel concurrently to De Queen. : in

Wickes Wickes is a home improvement retailer and garden centre, based in the United Kingdom with more than 230 stores throughout the country. Its main business is the sale of supplies and materials, for homeowners and the building trade. It is listed ...

: in Acorn. US 59/US 270 travels concurrently to

Heavener, Oklahoma Heavener is a city in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,414 at the 2010 census, an increase of 6.7 percent from 3,201 at the 2000 census.

. ;Oklahoma : west-northwest of

Page Page most commonly refers to: * Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to: Roles * Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation * Page (servant), traditionally a young m ...

: in Poteau. The highways travel concurrently to west of Spiro. : in Sallisaw : in Sallisaw. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Westville : in West Siloam Springs. The highways travel concurrently to

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

. : east-northeast of Afton. US 59/US 60 travels concurrently for approximately . US 59/US 69 travels concurrently to north of Dotyville. : east-northeast of Afton ;Kansas : in Chetopa. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Oswego. The highways travel concurrently to the Mount Pleasant–Fairview township line. : in

Parsons Parsons may refer to: Places In the United States: * Parsons, Kansas, a city * Parsons, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Parsons, Tennessee, a city * Parsons, West Virginia, a town * Camp Parsons, a Boy Scout camp in the state of Washingt ...

: in Moran : in Welda Township. The highways travel concurrently to Washington Township. : in Ottawa. The highways travel concurrently to Ottawa Township. : in Willow Springs Township : in

. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Lawrence : in Lawrence. US 24/US 59 travels concurrently to Williamstown. : in Shannon Township. The highways travel concurrently to

. ;Missouri : in St. Joseph. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in St. Joseph : in Jefferson Township : in Nodaway Township : in Jackson Township. The highways travel concurrently to Nodaway Township. : in Hickory Township : in Hickory Township : in Union Township : in Tarkio Township. The highways travel concurrently to Tarkio. ;Iowa : in Indian Creek Township : in Belknap Township. The highways travel concurrently to Oakland. : in Avoca : in Denison. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : on the Logan–Griggs township line. The highways travel concurrently to

. : on the

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

–Lincoln township line. The highways travel concurrently to Sanborn. ;Minnesota : in Worthington : in Custer Township : in Camp Release Township. The highways travel concurrently to Montevideo. : in Moyer Township : on the

Buse Buse is a feminine given first name in Turkey, meaning "kiss" in Persian (بوسه) and Turkish, and a surname in other languages, and may refer to: Given name * Buse Arıkazan (born 1994), Turkish pole vaulters * Buse Güngör (born 1994), Turk ...

– Dane Prairie township line. The highways travel concurrently to Fergus Falls Township. : in Detroit Lakes : in Knute Township : at the Canada–US border on the Richardville– St. Joseph township line

References

External links

Endpoints of US 59
{{DEFAULTSORT:59 059 United States Numbered Highway System U.S. Highways in Arkansas U.S. Highways in Minnesota U.S. Highways in Missouri U.S. Highways in North Dakota