U.S. Route 69 (US 69) is a major 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 ...

in the

central United States The Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern United States, Eastern and Western United States, Western as part of a three-region model, roughly coincident with the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau's d ...

. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

cross-country route. The highway's southern terminus (as well as those of US-287 and US-96) is in

Port Arthur, Texas Port Arthur is a city in the state of Texas, United States of America, located east of metro Houston. Part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, the city lies primarily in Jefferson County, with a small extension in Orange County. ...

at an intersection with State Highway 87. Its northern terminus is in Albert Lea,

Minnesota State Highway 13 Minnesota State Highway 13 (MN 13) is a highway in Minnesota that runs from its Intersection (road), intersection with U.S. Route 65, U.S. Highway 65 in Albert Lea, Minnesota, Albert Lea to its northern terminus at its intersection with Minneso ...

Route description

Texas

US-69 begins at its southern terminus with SH-87 in Port Arthur. This intersection is also the southern terminus for US-96 and US-287, which are concurrent with US-69. US-69, US-96, and US-287 continue in a northwest, then west, route until its intersection with

I-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 originall ...

in southern Beaumont. At this intersection, US-69, US-96, and US-287 merge with I-10. I-10/US-69/US-96/US-287 continue in a northerly direction through Beaumont for several miles. Just after the intersection with US-90, I-10 splits from the multiplex and resumes its easterly course, leaving US-69, US-96, and US-287 heading northwest through Beaumont. US-69 north of I-10 is also known officially known as Eastex Freeway, and is an official evacuation route, just as

I-69 Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of eight unconnected segments. The longest segment runs from Evansville, Indiana, northeast to the Canada–United States border, Canadian border in Po ...

/ US-59 heading north from Houston is known as Eastex Freeway as well. In Lumberton, US-96 splits from US-69 and US-287 and heads northeast towards

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 ...

, while US-69 and US-287 continue on a northwest path towards Woodville. In Woodville, US-69 splits from US-287 a few blocks north of US-190. US-287 continues northwest towards Corrigan while US-69 proceed north towards

Lufkin Lufkin is the largest city in Angelina County, Texas, United States and is the county seat. The city is situated in Deep East Texas and is west of the Texas- Louisiana state line. Its population is 34,143 as of 2020. Lufkin was founded in 188 ...

. In this area, between US-190 in Woodville and FM-256 in Colmesneil, US-69 is a part of the Texas Forest Trail. Before reaching Lufkin, US-69 forms another segment of the Texas Forest Trail between SH-63 in Zavalla and FM-1818 northwest of Zavalla. In Lufkin, US-69 is concurrent with US-59 and State Loop 287 while the route through the city is named Business US-69. US-69, State Loop 287, and US-59 continue around the east side of Lufkin until US-59 separates at the intersection with US-59 Business northeast of Lufkin. US-69 and State Loop 287 continue until the intersection of SH-103 and Business US-69 on the northwest section of Lufkin. At that point, US-69 is concurrent for a short distance with SH-103 and State Loop 287. At the intersection of US-69, State Loop 287 and SH-103, US-69 departs Lufkin and heads northwest while SH-103 and State Loop 287 head south. US-69 continues on a north to northwest path through the towns of

Alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: '' altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in ch ...

Rusk A rusk is a hard, dry Biscuit#Biscuits in British usage, biscuit or a twice-baked bread. It is sometimes used as a teether for babies. In some cultures, rusk is made of cake rather than bread: this is sometimes referred to as cake rusk. In the ...

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

and Bullard. Just south of Bullard, US-69 has a short concurrency with FM-2493. US-69 continues northward into Tyler. In Tyler, US-69 continues northward through the city and makes up most of "S. Broadway Avenue" from the intersection with Toll 49 until the intersection of SH-110 and SH-155, where US-69 heads west and merges with SH-110 and SH-155 through Tyler. Around seven blocks from the intersection of US-69, SH-110, and SH-155, SH-155 separates from the concurrency and travels in a southwesterly direction, leaving US-69 and SH-110 traveling in a northwesterly direction. This continues until SH-110 separates from US-69 on the northwest side of Tyler. At this intersection, SH-110 heads west while US-69 continues north. Shortly after that, US-69 crosses Loop 323. From here to Mineola, it is signed as "Mineola Highway" except when it is signed as "Main Street" in Lindale. Mineola US80 JCT US69

US-69 crosses

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 ...

at Lindale where it is signed as "Main Street". At FM-16 in Lindale, US-69 begins its third and last segment as part of the Texas Forest Trail. Just before leaving Lindale, US-69 has a junction with Toll 49 at the terminus of Toll 49. US-69 from there continues north to northwest to Mineola, crossing US-80 there. Before leaving town, at its intersection with SH-37, the Texas Forest Trail turns off of US-69 to share a segment with SH-37. US-69 takes a more northwest turn on its way through several small towns, including Emory, on its way to Greenville. There, as it begins to enter the city, a Business route of US-69 turns off to the right to serve the downtown Greenville area, and then on to a junction with I-30. At the intersection with I-30, US-69 becomes concurrent with US-380 at its terminus. The concurrency continues around the southern and western sides of Greenville until an intersection with Spur 302. At that intersection, US-380 heads west while US-69 continues north, until it reaches the northern end of its Business route, which has passed through the downtown Greenville area, then US-69 turns northwest, from Greenville to

Leonard Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English language, English masculine given name and a surname. The given name and surname originate from the Old High German ''Leonhard'' containing the prefix ''levon'' ("lion") from the Greek wikt:Λέων#Greek, Λ ...

, where it encounters a brief concurrency with SH-78. In Whitewright, SH-11 intersects and becomes concurrent with US-69 southeast of town. This continues until the intersection with SH-160, at which time SH-11 continues on a northwestward route and US-69 continues north through Whitewright. US-69 continues north, then northwest until Denison, where it turns right to go north, at an intersection with Spur 503. US-69 goes north through downtown Denison, then at the north side of town, US-69 intersects and merges with US-75, at which time US-69 becomes concurrent with US-75. Both head northeast across the Oklahoma/Texas state line at the Red River.

Oklahoma

US-69 and US-75 pass the Oklahoma border near the tiny town of Staley. They remain concurrent all the way to Atoka, where US-69 heads northeast and US-75 heads northwest. US-69 and US-75 briefly merge with SH-3 in Atoka but SH-3 remains concurrent with US-75 instead of US-69 when they split. In Stringtown, US-69 merges with SH-43. SH-43 splits from US-69 near the Atoka Reservoir and crosses it. US-69 passes right by the McAlester Ammunitions Depot. US-69 passes over

Eufaula Lake Lake Eufaula, sometimes referred to as Eufaula Lake, is a reservoir in Oklahoma. It is located on the Canadian River, upstream from its confluence with the Arkansas River and near the town of Eufaula, Oklahoma, Eufaula. The lake covers parts of ...

6 times. Near Muskogee, US-69 merges with US-64 and SH-2. At an intersection with US-62, US-64 heads west concurrent with US-62 while US-69 and SH-2 continue to head north. South of Pryor Creek, US-69 is the westerly boundary of the MidAmerica Industrial Park, one of the largest industrial park in the nation. Near Vinita, US-69 and SH-2 interchange with

Historic Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...

and US-60. The two highways turn east and merge with HR-66 and US-60. In Downtown Vinita, SH-2 heads north while US-69, US-60 and HR-66 head east, passing

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 ...

a short while later. At SH-85, the three highways make an unexpected northward turn. The three highways merge with US-59 just south of I-44. Still south of I-44, US-60 heads northeast, paralleling I-44, while HR-66, US-69, and US-59 continue heading north, passing I-44. At SH-10, US-59 heads west concurrent with SH-10, while HR-66 and US-69 head north concurrent with SH-10. In Downtown

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, SH-10 continues heading east, while HR-66 and US-69 turn northward. South of Picher and west of

Quapaw The Quapaw ( , Quapaw language, Quapaw: ) or Arkansas, officially the Quapaw Nation, is a List of federally recognized tribes in the United States, U.S. federally recognized tribe comprising about 6,000 citizens. Also known as the Ogáxpa or � ...

, US-69 meets US-69 Alternate. US-69 splits from HR-66 and heads north through the town of Picher.

Kansas

At the Oklahoma/Kansas state line, US-69 is joined by K-7. In Columbus, K-7 continues heading north, while US-69 turns east and merges with US-160. US-69 and US-160 meet US-69 Alternate and US-400 near Crestline, and merges with US-400. East of

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

, US-400 splits from the concurrency and heads west toward Cherokee. US-69 and US-160 continue heading north. North of Frontenac, US-160 splits from US-69 and heads east towards Lamar and

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...

. US-69 continues heading north. South of Fort Scott, US-69 merges with K-7 again. In Fort Scott, US-54 merges with US-69 and K-7. The three highways continue heading north. North of town, US-54 and K-7 split from US-69 and head west; US-69 continues to head north. South of Pleasanton, US-69 merges with K-52. Northeast of Trading Point K-52 splits from US-69 and heads east. In the

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

suburbs, US-69 merges with

I-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 Mexico–Uni ...

and

US-56 U.S. Route 56 (US 56) is an east–west United States highway that runs for approximately in the Midwestern United States. US 56's western terminus is at Interstate 25 Business (I-25 Bus.), US 412 and New Mexico State Road 21 (NM 21) in Spri ...

/ US-169. US-56, US-69, and US-169 split off from I-35 and heads east on Shawnee Mission Parkway. US-69 then heads north on Metcalf Avenue, rejoining I-35 and heading north. A short while later US-69 breaks off from I-35 and heads north on the 18th Street Expressway into

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City (commonly known as KCK) is the third-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As ...

. The highway then splits off and merges with

I-70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to I-695 and Maryland Route 570 (MD 570) in Woodlawn, just outside Baltimore, Maryland. I-70 appr ...

, US-24, and

US-40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America (a nickname shared with U.S. Route 66), is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid- ...

and heads east. At the intersection with US-169 at the 7th Street Trafficway, US-69 splits off and heads north. Just before reaching I-635, US-69 crosses into Missouri.

Missouri

US-69 enters Riverside, merges with I-635, then almost immediately exits and merges with MO-9, heading east. A half-mile later, US-69 exits from MO-9 and heads north. US-69 passes through Riverside, Northmoor,

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...

, Claycomo, Pleasant Valley and parts of Kansas City proper before merging with

for a second time, near

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

. US-69 stays merged with I-35 for before it exits. After exiting the highway, US-69 immediately merges with MO-33 and heads northeast. At State Route B, in rural Liberty, MO-33 heads north-northeast and US-69 continues northeast. US-69 stays somewhat parallel to I-35 as it heads through Missouri, sometimes passing under it. West of Altamont, US-69 merges with MO-6. The highways turn north and a short while later MO-6 splits from US-69 and heads west, while US-69 continues heading north. Southwest of

Bethany Bethany (,Murphy-O'Connor, 2008, p152/ref> Syriac language, Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܢܝܐ ''Bēṯ ʿAnyā''), locally called in Palestinian Arabic, Arabic Al-Eizariya or al-Aizariya (, "Arabic nouns and adjectives#Nisba,

lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is split into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

of Lazarus (name), L ...

, US-69 merges with US-136 and heads east into Bethany. In downtown Bethany, US-136 heads east, while US-69 heads north. Still paralleling I-35, US-69 passes into

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 ...

from Missouri later.

Iowa

In Lamoni, US-69 makes a sharp turn toward the east. West of

Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

, US-69 merges with

Iowa Highway 2 Iowa Highway 2 (Iowa 2) is a Iowa Primary Highway System, state highway which runs across the southernmost tier of counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. At no point along its route is Iowa 2 more than from the Missouri state line, except ...

. In downtown Leon, US-69 heads north, while Iowa Highway 2 heads east. East of Lake Ahquabi State Park, US-69 merges with US-65. The two highways continue to head north. At the intersection with Iowa Highway 5, US 65 heads east concurrent Iowa Highway 5 and US 69 continues to head north through Des Moines and Ankeny. In

Ames AMES, short Air Ministry Experimental Station, was the name given to the British Air Ministry's radar development team at Bawdsey Manor (afterwards RAF Bawdsey) in the immediate pre-World War II era. The team was forced to move on three occasion ...

, US 69 makes a left turn, then a right turn, and continues heading north. East of

Clarion Clarion may refer to: Music * Clarion (instrument), a type of trumpet used in the Middle Ages * The Register (music), register of a clarinet that ranges from B4 to C6 * A Trumpet (organ stop), trumpet organ stop that usually plays an octave abov ...

, US 69 briefly merges with Iowa Highway 3. The two highways soon split with Iowa Highway 3 heading east and US-69 heading north through

Belmond, Iowa Belmond is a city in Wright County, Iowa, United States. It is located along U.S. Route 69 in Iowa, U.S. Route 69, by road from Clarion, Iowa, Clarion, the county seat. The population was 2,463 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a de ...

. Near Garner, US-69 briefly heads west concurrent with US-18, but soon splits off from it and heads north. North of Forest City, US 69 merges with Iowa Highway 9 and continues heading north. Iowa Highway 9 soon branches off to the west. Just south of Emmons, US-69 crosses into Minnesota.

Minnesota

US-69 enters the state at Emmons and travels north-northeast through southern Minnesota, passing through Twin Lakes. The roadway runs along the eastern shore of Pickerel Lake before entering Albert Lea, where the highway terminates at State Highway 13, formerly US-16. The Minnesota portion of the highway is in length.

History

When it was first commissioned in 1926, US-69 extended only from

Leon, Iowa Leon is a city in and the county seat of Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,822 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is located near the Little River Lake Recreation Area. Leon is home to a major rodeo that has been R ...

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

. The part in Missouri had been Route 11 since 1922. The route was extended north into Minnesota in 1934, mostly along what had previously been marked State Highway 13, ending at U.S. 16 in Albert Lea. At this time, it entered the state at Emmons and turned eastward along Lake Street and State Line Road, briefly re-entering Iowa to curve around the south shore of State Line Lake. In 1940, it was realigned to run north-northeast directly to Twin Lakes. The full extent of the roadway in Minnesota was paved in 1941. In Kansas, US-69 is gaining express lanes from 103rd street to 151st street (6 miles). This project is adding 1 express (toll) lane in each direction without the removal of any existing lanes. This project is scheduled to be complete in late 2025.

Major intersections

;Texas : in Port Arthur. US 69/US 96 travels concurrently to south of Lumberton. US 69/US 287 travels concurrently to Woodville. : in Beaumont. The highways travel concurrently through Beaumont. : in Beaumont : in Woodville : in

. The highways travel concurrently through Lufkin. : in

: in

: in Jacksonville : in Lindale : in Mineola : in Greenville. US 69/US 380 travels concurrently through Greenville. : in Bells : in Denison. The highways travel concurrently to

Atoka, Oklahoma Atoka is a city in and the county seat of Atoka County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,195 as of the 2020 Census, a 2.4% increase over the 3,107 reported at the 2010 census, which was itself an increase of 4.0 percent from th ...

. ;Oklahoma : in Durant : on the McAlester– Krebs city line : southwest of Checotah : in Checotah : in Muskogee. The highways travel concurrently through Muskogee. : in Muskogee. The highways travel concurrently through Muskogee. : in Chouteau : in Big Cabin : west-southwest of Vinita. The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Afton. : in Vinita : northeast of Afton. The highways travel concurrently to north of Dotyville. : northeast of Afton ;Kansas : in Baxter Springs : northeast of Columbus. The highways travel concurrently to Frontenac. : north of Crestline. The highways travel concurrently to south of Pittsburg. : in Fort Scott. The highways travel concurrently to north of Fort Scott. : in

Overland Park Overland Park ( ) is the largest city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and the second-most populous city in the state of Kansas. It is one of four principal cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the pop ...

: in Lenexa. I-35/US 69 travels concurrently to

Merriam Merriam can refer to: People * Alan P. Merriam (1923–1980), American ethnomusicologist * Charles Edward Merriam (1874–1953), American political scientist *Charles W. Merriam (1877–1961), American insurance businessman and politician * Clinton ...

. US 56/US 69/US 169 travels concurrently to the Overland Park–

Mission Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada *Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...

city line. : in Mission. I-35/US 69 travels concurrently to

. : in Kansas City. : in Kansas City : in Kansas City ;Missouri : in Riverside. The highways travel concurrently through Riverside. : southeast of Northmoor : in

: in

: in Claycomo : in Pleasant Valley. The highways travel concurrently to

. : south of Cameron : in Cameron : southwest of Winston : north-northwest of Altamont : southwest of

of Lazarus (name), L ...

. The highways travel concurrently to Bethany. ;Iowa : on the

state line south of Lamoni : east of Lamoni : in

Osceola Osceola (1804 – January 30, 1838, Vsse Yvholv in Muscogee language, Creek, also spelled Asi-yahola), named Billy Powell at birth, was an influential leader of the Seminole people in Florida. His mother was Muscogee, and his great-grandfa ...

: south of Indianola. The highways travel concurrently to

Des Moines Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

. : in Des Moines : in Des Moines : in

: south of Blairsburg : in Garner. The highways travel concurrently to west-northwest of Garner. ;Minnesota : in Albert Lea

Special routes

Alternate route

U.S. Route 69 Alternate is a special route of U.S. Highway 69, traveling between junctions east of Commerce, Oklahoma and north of

Crestline, Kansas Crestline is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 116. Crestline is located on U.S. Route 400, east of Columbus. History Crestline was a station on the St. ...

. US 69 Alt., cosigned with

, splits from mainline US-69 south of Picher and west of

. US 69 Alt. and HR-66 head ENE through the towns of Quapaw and

Baxter Springs, Kansas Baxter Springs is a city in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States, and located along Spring River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,888. History Indigenous settlement For thousands of years, indigenous peoples ...

. North of Baxter Springs, US-400 joins the concurrency. West of Riverton, Historic US-66 heads east along K-66, while US-69 Alt. and US-400 head north. North of Crestline, US-69 Alt. and US-400 meet US-69 and US-160 from the west. US-69 Alt. terminates as US-69 and US-160 merge with US-400. The concurrency of US-69, US-400, and US-160 continues north. ;Major intersections

Business loops and spurs

* Bethany, Missouri *Overland Park, Kansas * Fort Scott, Kansas * Arma, Kansas * Frontenac, Kansas * Pittsburg, Kansas * Baxter Springs, Kansas * Columbus, Kansas * Miami, Oklahoma * Durant, Oklahoma * Vinita, Oklahoma * Mc Alester, Oklahoma * Checotah, Oklahoma * Eufaula, Oklahoma * Greenville, Texas * Lufkin, Texas There was also a Business U.S. 69 in Fort Scott, Kansas (about 25 minutes north of the Frontenac, Kansas area), from about 1965 to 1990. Signs from the former Business Route still exist today; however, it no longer officially exists.

References

External links

Endpoints of U.S. Highway 69
{{DEFAULTSORT:69 United States Numbered Highway System U.S. Highways in Missouri U.S. Highways in Minnesota U.S. Highways in Iowa