U.S. Route 165 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 h ...
spur of
U.S. Highway 65
U.S. Route 65 (US 65) is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 425 in Clayton, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at Interstate 35 just south of I ...
. It currently runs for 412 miles (663 km) from
U.S. Route 90
U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. It generally travels near Int ...
in
Iowa, Louisiana
Iowa () is a town in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,436 in 2020. It is part of the Lake Charles, Louisiana, Lake Charles Lake Charles metropolitan area, metropolitan statistical area. ...
north to
U.S. Highway 70 in
North Little Rock, Arkansas
North Little Rock (often abbreviated "NLR") is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States. Located on the north side of the Arkansas River, it is the Twin cities, twin city of Little Rock, Arkansas, Little Rock. In the late nineteenth ce ...
. The route passes through the states of
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 ...
and
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
. It passes through the cities of
Monroe
Monroe or Monroes may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Monroe (surname)
* Monroe (given name)
* James Monroe, 5th President of the United States
* Marilyn Monroe, actress and model
Places United States
* Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...
and
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
in Louisiana. A segment of US 165 serves as a routing of the
Great River Road
The Great River Road is a collection of state and local roads that follow the course of the Mississippi River through ten states of the United States. They are Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Miss ...
within Arkansas.
Route description
, -
, U.S. Route 165 in Louisiana, LA
, 229
, 369
, -
, U.S. Route 165 in Arkansas, AR
, 183
, 295
, -
, Total
, 412
, 663
Louisiana

From its southern terminus in
Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
at
US 90
U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. It generally travels near Int ...
(near
Lake Charles), US 165 follows a diagonal north south route, passing through the
casino
A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...
town of
Kinder, where it intersects
US 190
U.S. Route 190 (US 190) is an east–west United States Highway in Louisiana and Texas. Segments of US 190 will be upgraded to Interstate 14 (I-14); the first segment was opened on January 26, 2017.
Route description
, -
, TX
,
, -
, ...
.
Just south of
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
it merges with
US 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 Intersta ...
and they join through the west side of the city, across the
Red River and into
Pineville. A new four-lane (two lanes in each direction) bridge was built beside the aging OK Allen Bridge (named the Curtis-Coleman Bridge) and was opened in 2016. At that time, the OK Allen bridge was demolished. Past the bridge, the two highways meet
US 167
U.S. Route 167 is a north-south United States Highway within the U.S. states of Louisiana and Arkansas. It runs for from Ash Flat, Arkansas at U.S. Route 62/ U.S. Route 412 to Abbeville, Louisiana at Louisiana Highway 14. It goes through th ...
and 71 parts with 165. Going on through the
Kisatchie National Forest
Kisatchie National Forest, the only National forest in Louisiana, United States, is located in the forested piney hills and hardwood bottoms of seven central and northern parishes. It is part of the Cenozoic uplands (some of Louisiana's oldest ...
the rest of the highway to
Monroe
Monroe or Monroes may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Monroe (surname)
* Monroe (given name)
* James Monroe, 5th President of the United States
* Marilyn Monroe, actress and model
Places United States
* Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...
is forest land, farmland, and small towns. Crossing
I-20 I20, I 20 or I-20 may refer to:
* Interstate 20, a highway in the southeastern United States
* I-20 (form), a United States government document that provides supporting information for the issuance of a student visa or change of status
* I-20 (rap ...
in Monroe, the highway's largest city, it proceeds to
Bastrop and crosses 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 ...
line a few miles north of the town. Due to the Louisiana DOT TIMED Project, US 165 is now a four lane divided highway from Iowa to Bastrop.
US 165 passes near three
federal prisons
A federal prison is operated under the jurisdiction of a federal government as opposed to a state or provincial body. Federal prisons are used for people who violated federal law (U.S., Mexico), people considered dangerous (Brazil), or those sente ...
:
USP Oakdale and two near
Pollock
Pollock or pollack (pronounced ) is the common name used for either of the two species of North Atlantic ocean, marine fish in the genus ''Pollachius''. ''Pollachius pollachius'' is referred to as "pollock" in North America, Ireland and the Unit ...
. Also, near
Oakdale is the ruins of
Camp Claiborne
Camp Claiborne was a U.S. Army military camp in the 1930s continuing through World War II located in Rapides Parish in central Louisiana. The camp was under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Eighth Service Command, and included 23,000 acres (93&nbs ...
, an abandoned WWII military post.
Arkansas

The route enters Arkansas south of
Wilmot in
Ashley County.
US 165 passes through bayous and marshlands before it intersects
Highway 52 and
Highway 173 in the town. Further north, in
Parkdale, the route intersects
Highway 8 and
Highway 209. In
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
*Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon
*Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine
*Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel
Portland may also r ...
, US 165 intersects
Highway 160 before entering
Montrose. In the southern part of Montrose US 165 passes under
U.S. Route 82
U.S. Route 82 (US 82) is an east–west United States highway in the Southern United States. Created on July 1, 1931 across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas, US 82 eventually became a route extending from the White Sands of New ...
, intersecting
US 82 Business (US 82B) downtown. US 165 continues north near Cut-off Creek Wildlife Management Area to enter
Drew County
Drew County is a county located in the southeast region of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,350. The county seat and largest city is Monticello. Drew County was formed on November 26, 1846, and named for ...
. Only serving the extreme southeastern corner of the county, US 165 runs through
Jerome
Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome.
He is best known ...
near the
Jerome Elementary School No. 22.
The highway enters
Chicot County near
Dermott where it intersects
Highway 208 and
Highway 35.
Northeast of town, the route intersects its parent route (US 65), which form a
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 ...
to
Dumas.
The route breaks from US 65 at Pickens Street, with
Highway 277 shooting from the route east of Cypress Creek.
The route forms a concurrency north with
Highway 1 for beginning at
Back Gate. US 165/AR 1 intersect
Highway 212 before crossing the
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...
on the Pendleton Bridge.
Upon entering
Arkansas County, the route passes the
A.M. Bohnert Rice Plantation Pump#2 Engine and through
sectioned farmland before meeting US 165B in
Gillett.
US 165/AR 1 continue north to
De Witt, with AR 1 breaking east and US 165 turning due west. The route has a junction with
Highway 11 at Eldridge Corner after which US 165 turns due north.
This segment of US 165 was formerly AR 11 and is preserved in part by the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
as
Old AR 11 – Kauffman Road. The route enters
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
after an intersection with
22nd Street. US 165 skirts the eastern edge of the city as Park Avenue before it turns west to intersect
US 63 and enter
Prairie County. The route only has one junction in its within the county,
Highway 343.
The route next enters
Lonoke County. Now within the
Little Rock metro area, the route serves the southern part of the county with many rural junctions. Along its path, the route runs west through
Humnoke,
Allport,
Coy (all with populations under 300 as of 2010) while intersecting
Highway 13 and
Highway 31 prior to
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. US 165 turns northeast in England after a junction with
Highway 256.
US 165 passes through the
Keo Commercial Historic District in
Keo and later the
Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park
Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park ( 3 LN 42), formerly known as "Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park", also known as Knapp Mounds, Toltec Mounds or Toltec Mounds site, is an archaeological site from the Late Woodland period in Arka ...
before entering
Pulaski County.
Entering
North Little Rock
North Little Rock (often abbreviated "NLR") is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States. Located on the north side of the Arkansas River, it is the twin city of Little Rock. In the late nineteenth century, it was annexed by Little Ro ...
, the route has a junction with
I-440 before terminating at Broadway Street (
US 70
U.S. Route 70 or U.S. Highway 70 (US 70) is an east–west United States highway that runs for from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. It is a major east–west highway of the Southeastern, Southern and Southwestern United States. ...
).
Great River Road

The
Great River Road
The Great River Road is a collection of state and local roads that follow the course of the Mississippi River through ten states of the United States. They are Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Miss ...
is designated as a
National Scenic Byway
A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...
in the state of Arkansas. Established in 1938, the route is actually a series of roads which connect
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
and the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
along the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
. The portion of US 165 from the beginning of its concurrency with US 65 near
Dermott north to
De Witt is part of the
Great River Road
The Great River Road is a collection of state and local roads that follow the course of the Mississippi River through ten states of the United States. They are Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Miss ...
in Arkansas. The designation follows AR 1 north from De Witt and US 65 south of Dermott.
History
US 165 was established in 1926 on a route extending from
Iowa, Louisiana
Iowa () is a town in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,436 in 2020. It is part of the Lake Charles, Louisiana, Lake Charles Lake Charles metropolitan area, metropolitan statistical area. ...
to
McGehee, Arkansas
McGehee is a city in Desha County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,219 at the 2010 census.
History
The history of the city of McGehee and the history of the railroad through McGehee are intricately interwoven. The history of ...
.
A proposed extension north to
Corning, Arkansas
Corning is a city in Clay County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,377 at the 2010 census. It is one of the two county seats of Clay County, along with Piggott.
History
The original settlement was approximately one mile east and ...
in 1946 was deferred. The route was extended to its current North Little Rock terminus in 1982.
The Louisiana portion was generally aligned with the existing State Route 24 south of Alexandria and State Route 14 north of Alexandria. Both had been designated in 1921 and remained co-signed with US 165 until the
1955 Louisiana Highway renumbering
In 1955, Louisiana passed a law that undertook a comprehensive revision to the state highway classification and numbering system. The new system designated roads by importance to travel patterns and rectified the previous numbering system unde ...
.
US 165 replaced
Arkansas Highway 11
Arkansas Highway 11 (AR 11) is a designation for four List of state highways in Arkansas, state highways in Arkansas. One segment of runs from U.S. Route 63 in Arkansas, U.S. Route 63 (US 63) at Pansy, Arkansas, Pansy north to U.S. Route 42 ...
in much of
Arkansas County, Arkansas
Arkansas County, officially the County of Arkansas, is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 17,149. Located in the Arkansas Delta, the count ...
. Highway 11 was the main route through the area since its designation in the
original 1926 state highway system. Some of this original pavement has been preserved by the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
as
Old AR 11 – Kauffman Road.
Major intersections
Special routes
Alexandria business route
U.S. Highway 165 Business (officially U.S. Highway 165-Z) is a
business route
A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route that branches off a parent numbered highway at its beginning, continues through the central business district of a nearby city or to ...
of
U.S. Highway 165 in and near
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is the ninth-largest city in the state of Louisiana and is the parish seat and largest city of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River of the South, Red River ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. It once ran along Masonic Drive in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
, but has since been truncated by other routes. It currently begins at an intersection with
US 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 Intersta ...
/US 165, running concurrently with
LA 1. LA 1/US 165 BUS meet, and run concurrently with,
LA 28 BUS before LA 1/LA 28 split from US 165 BUS.
US 165 Business then travels along Jackson Street, which is the same as its former alignment. It then crosses the Red River along the
Gillis Long Bridge before meeting
LA 3100. US 165 Business travels north while meeting
LA 180, a former segment of the
Jefferson Highway
The Jefferson Highway was an automobile highway stretching through the central United States from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada. The Jefferson Highway was replaced with the new numbered US Highway system in the late 1920 ...
auto trail, and crossing the
Pineville Expressway
The Pineville Expressway is a four-lane controlled-access freeway that extends from I-49 in Alexandria through Pineville. It carries US 167 for all of its length, but also carries US 71 and LA 28 for some distance also. It follows the origin ...
before ending at an intersection with its parent route.
Alexandria bypass route
US 165 Bypass was the original designation for the current route of US 165 through Alexandria and Pineville. Until 1961, when it was moved to the bypass, US 165 was routed along the current business route.
Monroe business route
Business US 165 starts a few miles south of
Monroe
Monroe or Monroes may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Monroe (surname)
* Monroe (given name)
* James Monroe, 5th President of the United States
* Marilyn Monroe, actress and model
Places United States
* Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...
and also becomes Jackson and Ouachita streets, going through downtown Monroe and passing by Saint Francis Medical Center and the Monroe Civic Center. It follows
US 80
U.S. Route 80 or U.S. Highway 80 (US 80) is a major east–west United States Numbered Highway in the Southern United States, much of which was once part of the early auto trail known as the Dixie Overland Highway. As the "0" in the ...
at Louisville Avenue, and is signed along Louisville Avenue to its terminus at US 165 (Sterlington Hwy).
;Major intersections
Gillett business route
U.S. Route 165 Business is a
business route
A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route that branches off a parent numbered highway at its beginning, continues through the central business district of a nearby city or to ...
in
Gillett.
It is in length.
The route serves mostly as Front Street and passes near the
Old Gillett Jail on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.
;Major intersections
See also
*
List of U.S. Routes
United States Numbered Highways are the components of a national system of highways administered by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), a nonprofit, nonpartisan association, and the various state depa ...
*
List of U.S. Routes in Arkansas
The U.S. Highways in Arkansas are the United States Numbered Highways, U.S. Routes maintained by the U.S. state of Arkansas. There are 20 such highways.
Mainline highways
Suffixed and special routes
U.S. Highways in A ...
*
U.S. Route 65
U.S. Route 65 (US 65) is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 425 in Clayton, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at Interstate 35 just south of I ...
References
External links
Endpoints of U.S. Highway 165Pendleton Bridge – carries US 165/AR 1 over Arkansas River
{{s-end
65-1
65-1
65-1
165
Year 165 ( CLXV) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Orfitus and Pudens (or, less frequently, year 918 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 165 for this year ...
1
Transportation in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in Allen Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in Grant Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in LaSalle Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in Ashley County, Arkansas
Transportation in Drew County, Arkansas
Transportation in Chicot County, Arkansas
Transportation in Desha County, Arkansas
Transportation in Arkansas County, Arkansas
Transportation in Prairie County, Arkansas
Transportation in Lonoke County, Arkansas
Transportation in Pulaski County, Arkansas