Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west

Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...

in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Between Texas and South Carolina, I-20 runs through northern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. The major cities that I-20 connects to include

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...

; Shreveport, Louisiana;

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

;

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

;

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

; and

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the ci ...

. From its terminus at I-95, the highway continues about eastward into the city of Florence as Interstate Business 20.

Route description

, - , TX , , 636.08 , , 1023.67 , - , LA , , 189.87 , , 305.57 , - , MS , , 154.61 , , 248.82 , - , AL , , 214.7 , , 345.5 , - , GA , , 202.61 , , 326.07 , - , SC , , 141.51 , , 227.74 , - , Total , , 1539.4 , , 2477.4 I-20 runs from Texas to South Carolina serving major southern economic hubs such as Dallas–Fort Worth and

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

Texas

I-20 begins in Scroggins Draw at a fork with I-10. From there, the highway travels east-northeastward through

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrat ...

Midland Midland may refer to: Places Australia * Midland, Western Australia Canada * Midland, Albert County, New Brunswick * Midland, Kings County, New Brunswick * Midland, Newfoundland and Labrador * Midland, Ontario India * Midland Ward, Kohima, Nagal ...

, and Abilene before turning eastward toward Dallas–Fort Worth. The La Entrada al Pacifico corridor runs along I-20 between

U.S. Route 385 U.S. Route 385 (US 385) is a spur of U.S. Route 85 that runs for 1,206 miles (1,941 km) from Deadwood, South Dakota to Big Bend National Park in Texas. Route description , - , TX , 545 , 877 , - , OK , 36 , 58 , - , CO , 317 , 51 ...

(US 385) and

Farm to Market Road 1788 A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

(FM 1788). Between Monahans and I-10, I-20 has an speed limit. From the highway's opening in the 1960s through 1977, I-20 originally went through the heart of the Metroplex via the Dallas–Fort Worth Turnpike. This old route is now signed I-30 (Dallas–Fort Worth Turnpike and from US 80/I-30 intersection at Mesquite to downtown Dallas), US 80 (former stretch between I-635 and Terrell), and State Highway Spur 557 (Spur 557, bypass around Terrell). In 1977, I-20 was rerouted to go through the southern sections of Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie,

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, and Mesquite. It split off from the old route initially at I-820 in west Fort Worth the later on at its current junction near Aledo in Parker County. It rejoins the old route near Terrell. Part of I-20 in Dallas used to be signed as I-635 and shares the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway name with the remainder of I-635. Parts on the south side of Fort Worth were originally signed as I-820. I-20 continues eastward from Terrell, bypassing

Tyler Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...

, Longview, and Marshall before crossing the Louisiana border near Waskom.

Louisiana

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

, I-20 roughly parallels US 80 through the northern part of the state. Entering the state from near Waskom, Texas, the highway immediately enters the Shreveport– Bossier City metropolitan area, intersecting I-49 near downtown Shreveport and passing close to

Barksdale Air Force Base Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in northwest Louisiana, United States, in Bossier Parish. It is contiguous to Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwestern edge. Barksdale A ...

in Bossier City. I-20 traverses mainly rural, hilly terrain, bypassing

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of ...

, Grambling, and

Ruston Ruston may refer to: Place names ;United States * Ruston, Louisiana * Ruston, Washington ;United Kingdom * East Ruston, Norfolk, England * Ruston, North Yorkshire, England * Ruston Parva, East Riding of Yorkshire, England Companies * Ruston (engi ...

before reaching Monroe. From Monroe, I-20 enters flatter terrain as it approaches the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...

. Before crossing the Mississippi, the highway passes Tallulah. At the Mississippi River, I-20 leaves Louisiana and enters Vicksburg.

Mississippi

Upon entering Mississippi by crossing the

, I-20 immediately enters Vicksburg. Between Edwards and

Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...

, the highway mostly follows the original two-lane routing of US 80. In Jackson, I-20 sees a short concurrency with both I-55 and US 49. Also in Jackson is an unusually expansive

stack interchange A directional interchange, colloquially known as a stack interchange, is a type of grade-separated junction between two controlled-access highways that allows for free-flowing movement to and from all directions of traffic. These interchanges ...

, at the junction of I-20, I-55 North, and US 49 South. The interchange replaces a former directional interchange at I-55 North and a cloverleaf at US 49. From the Stack, I-20 continues eastward to

Meridian Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to Science * Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon * ...

, where it begins the nearly overlap with I-59. The route of the Mississippi section of I-20 is defined in Mississippi Code § 65-3-3.

Alabama

I-20 (along with I-59) crosses the Alabama state line near York, and it stays conjoined as it passes through western Alabama and Tuscaloosa. At

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

, the two highways pass through downtown together before splitting at exit 130 just east of the Birmingham airport. I-20 continues eastward through

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

Anniston, Alabama Anniston is the county seat of Calhoun County in Alabama and is one of two urban centers/principal cities of and included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 23,106. Acc ...

, and the Talladega National Forest, passing by the Talladega Superspeedway in the process, which is visible from the highway. Also in Birmingham, the intersection of I-20 / I-59 and I-65 was known as a Malfunction Junction because of the interchange's somewhat-confusing design, and the number of traffic accidents that occurred there. This section of the Interstate and its interchanges have since been reconfigured.

Georgia

I-20 enters Georgia near Tallapoosa and after passing through western Georgia, it enters the Atlanta metropolitan area. On clear days, eastbound motorists get their first view of

downtown Atlanta Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The larger of the city's two other commercial districts ( Midtown and Buckhead), it is the location of many corporate and regional headquarters; city, county, ...

as they come over the top of the Six Flags Hill. The Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park is easily visible off exit 46 eastbound. The highway then passes through the center of

, meeting with

I-75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...

and I-85, which share a common expressway (the " Downtown Connector"). It continues through Metropolitan Atlanta eastward and through the eastern half of Georgia until it exits the state, crossing the Savannah River at Augusta. Throughout the state, I-20 is conjoined with unsigned State Route 402 (SR 402). Also, I-20 from the Alabama state line to I-285 in Atlanta is named the "Tom Murphy Freeway", but it is called the "Ralph David Abernathy Freeway" within I-285. The Interstate Highway is also named the Purple Heart Highway from I-285 in DeKalb County to US 129/ US 441/ SR 24 in

Madison, Georgia Madison is a city in Morgan County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke-Sandy Springs Combined Statistical Area. The population was 3,979 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Morgan County and the si ...

, and it is called the Carl Sanders Highway from US 129/US 441/SR 24 to the South Carolina state line.

South Carolina

Upon leaving Augusta, I-20 crosses the Savannah River and enters the Palmetto State and heads northeastward, bypassing Aiken and Lexington before reaching the state capital of

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

, which can be reached most directly by taking

I-26 I26 may refer to: * Interstate 26 Interstate 26 (I-26) is a main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. Nominally east–west, as indicated by its even number, I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W ...

east at exit 64 ("Malfunction Junction"), then, almost immediately, I-126/ US 76. At Columbia, I-20 bypasses the city to the north and again turns northeastward, bypassing Fort Jackson and

Camden Camden may refer to: People * Camden (surname), a surname of English origin * Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer * Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor Places Australia * Camden, New South Wales * Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...

. After crossing the Wateree River, it turns due east, passes by tiny Bishopville, before reaching the

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

area. It is near Florence where I-20 sees its eastern terminus at I-95. However, for about , the highway continues into Florence as I-20 Bus. I-20 in the Palmetto State is known as either the J. Strom Thurmond Freeway or John C. West Freeway. The first section to be completed was the

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

over the Savannah River in 1965; the last, the section between US 401 and I-95 (including the business spur), opened in August 1975.

History

I-20 was built in 1957 connecting Texas to the east coast running through Shreveport La, Ruston La, and Monroe La making it their first Interstate. I-20's exit numbers in Georgia were changed in 2000.

Future

In 2003, the North Carolina Department of Transportation proposed extending I-20 eastward from Florence to Wilmington at the behest of North Carolina Governor Mike Easley and his 'Strategic Transportation Plan' for the southeast portion of the state. The proposed route would follow US 76 east from Florence to Whiteville, North Carolina, then parallel US 74/US 76 into Wilmington. Part of this route is already designated the future eastern extension of I-74. As part of the 2005 SAFETEA-LU transportation legislation, North Carolina received $5 million for a feasibility study for this extension. While this extension has considerable support among towns in southeastern North Carolina, the South Carolina DOT has stated that they have no interest in upgrading their portion of US 76 to an Interstate. Instead, South Carolina is concentrating their efforts on plans to build I-73 that will terminate near Myrtle Beach. This proposed extension is currently unfunded.

Junction list

;Texas : at Scroggins Draw : in

Pecos Pecos may refer to: Places * Pecos River, rises near Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States * Pecos, Texas, a city in Reeves County, Texas, United States * Pecos County, Texas, named for the Pecos River ** Pecos Spring, a spring * Pecos, New Mexico, a ...

: in

: in Big Spring : east of Roscoe. The highways travel concurrently to the

Tye Tye may refer to: People with the name Surname * Albert Tye (1883–1917), English footballer *Andrew Tye (born 1986), Australian cricketer * Christopher Tye (c. 1500–c. 1570), 16th-century composer and organist * Colonel Tye (1753–1780), Lo ...

– Abilene city line. : in Abilene : in

Baird Baird may refer to: Places United States * Baird, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Baird, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Baird, Texas, a city * Baird, Washington, a community * Baird Mountains, Alaska * Baird Inlet, Alaska ...

: in Cisco : south-southeast of Brazos : in Hudson Oaks : northeast of

Aledo Aledo may refer to: *Aledo, Illinois *Aledo, Texas *Aledo, Spain Aledo is a municipality in the Region of Murcia, southern Spain. It is home to a castle built during the early Middle Ages by the Moors, to command the Guadalentín valley. When the ...

: in Fort Worth : in Fort Worth : in

Benbrook Benbrook is a town located in the southwestern corner of Tarrant County, Texas, and a suburb of Fort Worth. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 21,234, reflecting an increase of 1,026 from the 20,208 counted in the 2000 Ce ...

: in Fort Worth : in Fort Worth. I-20/US 287 travels concurrently to Arlington. : in Grand Prairie : in

: on the Dallas– Lancaster city line : on the Dallas– Hutchins city line : on the Dallas–

Balch Springs Balch Springs ( , ) is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. It is an inner-ring suburb of Dallas and part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The population was 23,728 at the 2010 census, and 25,007 at 2019's census estimates. Histor ...

city line : in Balch Springs : in Lindale : south-southeast of

Winona Winona, Wynona or Wynonna may refer to: Places Canada * Winona, Ontario United States * Winona, Arizona * Winona, Indiana * Winona Lake, Indiana * Winona, Kansas * Winona, Michigan * Winona County, Minnesota ** Winona, Minnesota, the seat of Wi ...

: northeast of Kilgore. The highways travel concurrently to Longview. : in Marshall : west-southwest of Jonesville. The highways travel concurrently to west of Waskom. ;Louisiana : in

Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood. Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to: People * Greenwood (surname) Settlements Australia * Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region * Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth C ...

: in Shreveport : in Shreveport : in Shreveport : in Shreveport : in Shreveport : in Shreveport. The highways travel concurrently to Bossier City. : in Bossier City : near Haughton : in Dixie Inn. The highways travel concurrently to

. : southeast of Minden : in

: east-northeast of Calhoun : in Monroe : in Rayville : in Tallulah : in Delta. The highways travel concurrently to Clinton, Mississippi. ;Mississippi : in Vicksburg. The highways travel concurrently through Vicksburg. : in Jackson. I-20/US 49 travels concurrently to

Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium ca ...

. : in Jackson. I-20/I-55 travels concurrently to Richland : in Brandon : in Brandon : east-southeast of

Lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much lar ...

: west-southwest of

. The highways travel concurrently to Meridian. : in Meridian. The highways travel concurrently to

. : in Meridian. The highways travel concurrently through Meridian. : in Meridian : west-northwest of Kewanee ;Alabama : near

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

: south of

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state ...

: in Tuscaloosa : in Tuscaloosa : in Tuscaloosa : in Tuscaloosa : south of Lake View. The highways travel concurrently to Bessemer. : southwest of McCalla : in Birmingham : in Birmingham : in Birmingham : in Birmingham : in Irondale : in

Leeds Leeds () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the thi ...

: on the Leeds– Moody line : northwest of Cooks Springs. The highways travel concurrently to Pell City. : in Pell City : in Riverside : east of

;Georgia : in

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie H ...

: in

: in Atlanta : in Atlanta : on the

Panthersville Panthersville is a census-designated place (CDP) in DeKalb County, Georgia, DeKalb County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The population was 9,749 at the 2010 census. History The community most likely was named after a Cherokee Ind ...

– Candler-McAfee CDP line : southeast of Lithonia. The highways travel concurrently to

Covington Covington may refer to: People * Covington (surname) Places United Kingdom * Covington, Cambridgeshire * Covington, South Lanarkshire United States * Covington, Georgia * Covington, Indiana * Covington, Kentucky, the largest American cit ...

. : in

Social Circle In the social sciences, a social group can be defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity. Regardless, social groups come in a myriad of sizes and varietie ...

: in Madison : in Barnett : north of Thomson : south of Appling : in Augusta ;South Carolina : in

North Augusta North Augusta is a city in Aiken and Edgefield counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina, on the north bank of the Savannah River. The population was 21,348 at the 2010 census. The city is included in the Central Savannah River Area (CS ...

: in North Augusta : north-northeast of Aiken : southeast of Batesburg-Leesville : east of Lexington : north of Oak Grove : on the Seven Oaks–

St. Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fourt ...

CDP line : in St. Andrews : north of

: in Columbia : in Dentsville : on the Dentsville– Woodfield CDP line : in Lugoff : in

: southwest of Bishopville : northeast of Lamar : in

Auxiliary routes

Two I-420s were planned, but never completed or built.

One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

was to be a

bypass Bypass may refer to: * Bypass (road), a road that avoids a built-up area (not to be confused with passing lane) * Flood bypass of a river Science and technology Medicine * Bypass surgery, a class of surgeries including for example: ** Heart bypas ...

around Monroe, Louisiana, but was never built. The other I-420 was planned as a bypass to the south of

Downtown Atlanta Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The larger of the city's two other commercial districts ( Midtown and Buckhead), it is the location of many corporate and regional headquarters; city, county, ...

. Due to anti-freeway sentiments, this I-420 was never completed, and the already-built portion has been signed as SR 154/SR 166, named Langford Parkway (formerly the Lakewood Freeway). * Shreveport, Louisiana: I-220 *

: I-220 *

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Georg ...

: I-520 *

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the List of cities in Texas by population, fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population, 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, T ...

: I-820

References

External links

*
I-20 on Interstate-Guide.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:I20 20