Route 39 is a two-lane highway in southwestern Missouri. Its northern terminus is at

U.S. Route 54 U.S. Route 54 (US 54) is an east–west United States Highway that runs northeast–southwest for from El Paso, Texas, to Griggsville, Illinois. The Union Pacific Railroad's Tucumcari Line (former Southern Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific an ...

between Collins and El Dorado Springs at the community of Cedar Springs; its southern terminus is at the

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

state line (north of

Berryville, Arkansas Berryville ( ) is a city in Carroll County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 5,682 at the 2020 census. making it the largest city in Carroll County. Along with Eureka Springs, it is one of the two county seats of Carroll County. ...

) where it continues as Highway 221. Route 39 is one of the original 1922 state highways. At that time, its southern terminus was at the Dade/ Lawrence County line south of Pennsboro. There is a short Business Route 39 in Mount Vernon.

Route description

Route 39 begins at US 54 in

Cedar County Cedar County may refer to: * Cedar County, Iowa * Cedar County, Missouri * Cedar County, Nebraska * Cedar County, Choctaw Nation * Cedar County, Washington, a proposed county made up of part of King County * Cedar County, Utah Territory, a fo ...

, heading south-southeast towards Stockton. About one mile (1.6 km) before reaching Stockton, the road begins a brief

concurrency Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

with

Route 32 The following highways are numbered 32: International * AH32, Asian Highway 32 * European route E32 Australia * Great Western Highway * Barrier Highway * East Derwent Highway * Mitchell Highway Canada * Alberta Highway 32 * Manitoba Highway 32 ...

before turning south again. Two miles south of Stockton is the western terminus of Route 215. Route 39 enters Dade County north of Arcola and south of that village, Route 39 crosses a branch of

Stockton Lake Stockton Lake is a reservoir located in southeastern Cedar County, northeastern Dade County, and southwestern Polk County, Missouri. The lake is V-shaped, and covers , with of shoreline. It has three marinas, and 10 public-use areas. It has a ...

. At Greenfield is the beginning of a concurrency with

U.S. Route 160 U.S. Route 160 (US 160) is a east–west United States Numbered Highway in the Midwestern and Western United States. The western terminus of the route is at US 89 west of Tuba City, Arizona. The eastern terminus is at US 67 and Missour ...

which last for two miles (3 km), with US 160 turning west and Route 39 continuing south to South Greenfield. The route enters Lawrence County south of Pennsboro. At

Albatross Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Paci ...

is an intersection with Route 96. At the north edge of

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

is the western terminus of Route 174, and two miles (3 km) further south, Route 39 turns east, joining Business Loop

I-44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, T ...

for about two miles (3 km). At Interstate 44, the business loop ends, and Route 265 begins and the two will be united to

Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...

, where Route 39 intersects

U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as General Booth Bouleva ...

. South of Aurora, Route 39 enters Barry County and heads straight south for about sixteen miles and intersects Route 248. The highway then enters the

Mark Twain National Forest Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) is a U.S. National Forest located in the southern half of Missouri, composed of nine disconnected parcels. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain, a Missouri native. The ...

. Eight miles south of Route 248, Route 39 forms a brief concurrency with Route 76, then turns south again. At Shell Knob, Route 39 crosses

Table Rock Lake Table Rock Lake is an artificial lake or reservoir in the Ozarks of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas in the United States. Designed, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the lake is impounded by Table Rock Dam, ...

. At

Viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

Route 39 enters Stone County and further south at Carr Lane is an intersection with Route 86, and one mile (1.6 km) further south the highway crosses the Arkansas state line.

Major intersections

References

{{reflist 039 Transportation in Stone County, Missouri Transportation in Barry County, Missouri Transportation in Lawrence County, Missouri Transportation in Dade County, Missouri Transportation in Cedar County, Missouri