U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is a north–south
U.S highway that is a parallel route of
US 31. It runs for from
St. John,
Indiana
Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, at
US 41 to south of
US 98 in downtown
Panama City
Panama City, also known as Panama, is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has a total population of 1,086,990, with over 2,100,000 in its metropolitan area. The city is located at the Pacific Ocean, Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, i ...
,
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
.
One of its most notable landmarks is the
William H. Natcher Bridge, a long
cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge has one or more ''towers'' (or ''pylons''), from which wire rope, cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or wikt:stay#Etymology 3, stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, norm ...
that connects
Rockport, Indiana
Rockport is a city in Ohio Township and the county seat of Spencer County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,984 at the 2020 census. Once the largest community in Spencer County, the city has recently been surpassed by the ...
, to
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is a Home rule in the United States, home rule-class city in Daviess County, Kentucky, United States, of which it is also the county seat. It is the List of cities in Kentucky, fourth-most populous city in the state. Owensboro is loca ...
, spanning the
Ohio River
The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
.
Route description
Florida
In
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, US 231 is paired with unsigned State Road 75. The southern terminus is at Business US 98 (unsigned
State Road 30) in downtown
Panama City
Panama City, also known as Panama, is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has a total population of 1,086,990, with over 2,100,000 in its metropolitan area. The city is located at the Pacific Ocean, Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, i ...
. The highway is carried by Harrison Avenue until its intersection with US 98. Continuing north, US 231 passes through
Youngstown
Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...
,
Fountain
A fountain, from the Latin "fons" ( genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect.
Fountains were o ...
,
Alford,
Cottondale, and
Campbellton before entering Alabama. Major intersections include
Business US 98,
US 98
U.S. Route 98 (US 98) is an east–west United States Highway in the Southeastern United States that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida, Pensacola and Apalachicola, ...
,
SR 77,
SR 20,
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
,
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 ...
,
SR 73,
SR 273, and
SR 2.
Alabama
In Alabama, US 231 is an alternate north-to-south route to Interstate 65, the main north-to-south thoroughfare in the state. U.S. Route 231 serves the east-central part of the state, with I-65 further west and US 431 further east. While both US 231 and
US 431
U.S. Route 431 (US 431) is a spur of U.S. Route 31. It currently travels for approximately from US 231/ Alabama State Route 210 and US 231 Business (US 231 Bus.) and US 431 Bus. in Dothan, Alabama, to Owensboro ...
connect the major cities of Dothan and Huntsville, US 231 has a shorter route through fewer cities and terrain changes, avoiding the mountainous cities of
Albertville
Albertville (; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Arbèrtvile'') is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Southeastern France.
It is best k ...
,
Gadsden,
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, and
Heflin. However, there are some mountainous cities along the route, such as
Arab
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
and
Oneonta.
U.S. Route 231 is divided along two-lane roads, three-laned roads, and four-laned undivided and divided highways. The entire stretch south of Montgomery is four-laned, mostly divided with some undivided stretches; as it is a critical connector in the
National Highway System, which is a very important web of highways critical to U.S. infrastructure. The stretch between Arab and the state line is an almost entirely four-lane divided highway.
Through
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is the List of municipalities in Alabama, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous ...
, the route functions as
Memorial Parkway - the main north-to-south freeway through downtown. The road is a freeway with
frontage roads
A frontage road (also known as an access road, outer road, service road, feeder road, or parallel road) is a local road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. Where parallel high-speed roads are provided as part of a majo ...
and
Texas U-Turns, with some stretches with six lanes plus a frontage road exit lane in each direction. In the medical district of Huntsville, the freeway gains US 431 and loses the
SR 53 designation. The road widens to ten lanes on the south side of
Interstate 565
Interstate 565 (I-565) is a Interstate spur that connects I-65 in Decatur with U.S. Route 72 (US 72) in Huntsville in the US state of Alabama.
I-565 serves the cities of Decatur, Madison, and downtown Huntsville. It also p ...
, with the gained lanes used as access lanes for
US 72 or I-565. On the north side of I-565, the road once again goes to six lanes and an exit lane, which is carried along its concurrency with US 72. About a mile north of the second junction with US 72, the route loses its frontage roads and reverts to a four-lane divided highway.
In general, the route is an important connector between Dothan, Montgomery, and Huntsville, three of the most populous cities in the state.
Tennessee
US 231 enters Tennessee from Alabama in a concurrency with US 431 until it reaches
Fayetteville. North of there it runs through
Shelbyville and later passes through the eastern part of the Nashville metro area, passing through the cities of
Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro is a city in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 165,430 according to the 2023 census estimate, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010 United States census, 2010. Murfreesboro i ...
and
Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
. By the time it reaches
Bethpage, it joins
U.S. Route 31E in another concurrency to the northeast before finally crossing the Kentucky State Line north of
Westmoreland. The route is approximately from Tennessee's northern border to its southern border.
Kentucky
US 231 parallels
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, interstate highway in the central United States. As with most primary interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between th ...
before reaching
Bowling Green
A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls.
Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...
. From Bowling Green, US 231 closely parallels
I-165 (formerly the
William H. Natcher Parkway) until it reaches
Owensboro. At Owensboro, US 231 joins
US 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 ...
(also known as the
Wendell H. Ford Expressway) around the city's east side, which it then follows to just north of
Maceo. US 60 then leaves toward the east while US 231 turns to the north, leaving the state via the
William H. Natcher Bridge across the
Ohio River
The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
.
A portion of the Owensboro-area route is relatively new; in 2014, a new section from
Kentucky 54 to
Kentucky 2830 opened, bypassing the former bypass route. Part of that former route has been renumbered as
Kentucky 603. The remainder, south of 603, is partly a dead-end city street and an abandoned lane that will eventually become part of the
David Adkisson Greenbelt
David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament.
The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Damas ...
trail.
Indiana
In
Indiana
Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, US 231 has the distinction of being the state's longest continuous highway. It covers approximately in the
Hoosier
Hoosier is the official demonym for the people of the U.S. state of Indiana. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate; however, "Hoosier" was in general use by the 1840s, having been popularized by Richmond resident John Finley's 1833 ...
State. US 231 passes through the towns of Dale, Huntingburg, Jasper, and
Loogootee before reaching Bloomfield. In
Bloomfield, US 231 passes
Shawnee Field, a local airport. US 231 slices through central Indiana before reaching
West Lafayette
West Lafayette ( ) is a city in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Wabash and Tippecanoe Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Tippecanoe Townships, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, approximately northwest of the state capit ...
, where it runs just south and west of
Purdue University
Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
. Next it mostly zigzags north and west, staying close to Interstate 65, before heading straight west from Crown Point, terminating at
US 41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part i ...
.
Indiana's Major Moves program, which derives its funding from the lease of the
Indiana Toll Road
The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a controlled-access toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line. It has been advertised as the "Main ...
to private interests, has made it possible for the state to build many new miles of roadway throughout the state. As part of this program, US 231 is currently being updated to a new-terrain four-lane highway from the Indiana-Kentucky border through
Spencer County to
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at Interstate 70, I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and U.S. Route 61, US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern ter ...
. This segment of US 231 has been named the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Parkway.
As of April 2011, the Lincoln Parkway is complete from the Kentucky line to the interchange at I-64 and the bypass of
Dale at the northernmost end of the project. It is a fully operational partial cloverleaf and the previous two-lane 231 overpass has been demolished. It has been replaced by a new four-lane overpass.
The section from SR 162 to
Indiana State Highway 70 near
Chrisney was the last to be opened, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 15, 2011, much sooner than the original July 2011 projected date.
In addition to the Spencer County project, a four-lane bypass of the
Dubois County cities of
Huntingburg and
Jasper
Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. The common red color is due to ...
is also in the planning stages, but funding has not been secured. A firm timetable for construction has yet to materialize.
History
U.S. Route 152 was commissioned in 1934, connecting
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
with
Hammond. It followed
US 52
U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States Numbered Highway System, U.S. Highway in the central United States, Central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even ...
from Indianapolis to northwest of
Lafayette, where it turned north to end at
US 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Highway, United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major ...
in
Hammond. In 1938, the route was decommissioned, and became a southern extension of
State Road 53 from northwest of Lafayette to
Crown Point, a new
State Road 152 from
Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...
to Hammond, and was simply dropped in favor of the
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
* Ove ...
ping US 52,
State Road 8, and
US 41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part i ...
elsewhere. These parts of SR 53 and SR 8 became US 231 in 1952, when US 231 was extended north from
Montgomery to US 41 south of
St. John.
Major intersections
;Florida
: 6th Street and Harrison Avenue in
Panama City
Panama City, also known as Panama, is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has a total population of 1,086,990, with over 2,100,000 in its metropolitan area. The city is located at the Pacific Ocean, Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, i ...
: in Panama City
: south of
Cottondale
: in Cottondale
;Alabama
: in
Dothan
: in Dothan. The highways travel concurrently through Dothan.
: in
Troy
Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...
: south-southeast of
Pike Road. The highways travel concurrently to
Montgomery.
: in Montgomery. The highways travel concurrently through Montgomery.
: in Montgomery
: in
Sylacauga. The highways travel concurrently to
Harpersville.
: in
Pell City
Pell City is a city in and one of the county seats of St. Clair County, Alabama, United States, the other seat being Ashville, Alabama, Ashville. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 12,939. At the 2010 census, the c ...
: in Pell City
: in
Ashville. The highways travel concurrently through Ashville.
: in Ashville
: in Ashville
: south-southwest of
Summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...
: in
Huntsville
Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S. The Huntsville metropolitan area had an estimated 525,465 ...
. The highways travel concurrently to
Fayetteville, Tennessee
Fayetteville is the county seat and the largest city in Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States. The city's population was 7,095 at the 2020 census.
History
Fayetteville is the largest city in Lincoln County. The city was established in 1809 ...
.
: in Huntsville.
: in Huntsville. The highways travel concurrently through Huntsville.
;Tennessee
: in Fayetteville. US 64/US 231 travels concurrently through Fayetteville.
: in
Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro is a city in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 165,430 according to the 2023 census estimate, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010 United States census, 2010. Murfreesboro i ...
: in Murfreesboro. The highways travel concurrently through Murfreesboro.
: in
Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
: in Lebanon
: west-southwest of
Bransford
Bransford is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills (district), Malvern Hills district of the county of Worcestershire, England. It is situated close to the River Teme and the village of Leigh, Worcestershire, Leigh. It is on the prima ...
. The highways travel concurrently to
Scottsville, Kentucky
Scottsville is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Allen County, Kentucky, Allen County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the county seat, seat of its county. The population was 4,299 during the 2020 United States census.
His ...
.
;Kentucky
: in
Bowling Green
A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls.
Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...
: in Bowling Green
: in Bowling Green. The highways travel concurrently through Bowling Green.
: in
Beaver Dam
A beaver dam or beaver impoundment is a dam built by beavers; it creates a pond which protects against predators such as coyotes, alligators, cougars, foxes, eagles, wolves and bears, and holds their food during winter. These structures modify th ...
. The highways travel concurrently through Beaver Dam.
: in
Owensboro. The highways travel concurrently to
Maceo.
;Indiana
: in
Dale
: in
Loogootee. The highways travel concurrently through Loogootee.
: west-northwest of
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
: in
Cloverdale
: north-northwest of Cloverdale
: east of
Morton
: in
Crawfordsville
: in Crawfordsville
: northwest of
West Lafayette
West Lafayette ( ) is a city in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Wabash and Tippecanoe Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Tippecanoe Townships, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, approximately northwest of the state capit ...
. The highways travel concurrently to
Montmorenci.
: south of
Wolcott
: in Wolcott. The highways travel concurrently to
Remington.
: east of Remington
: north of Remington
: in
Crown Point
: in
St. John
See also
*
Special routes of U.S. Route 231
References
External links
Endpoints of US 231Indiana Highway Ends: US 231
{{DEFAULTSORT:31-2
United States Numbered Highway System