U.S. Route 49 (US 49) 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 ...

. The highway's northern terminus is in

Piggott, Arkansas Piggott is a city in Clay County, Arkansas, United States. It is one of the two county seats of Clay County, along with Corning. It is the northern terminus of the Arkansas segment of the Crowley's Ridge Parkway, a National Scenic Byway. As of t ...

, at an intersection with U.S. Route 62 (US 62). Its southern terminus is in

Gulfport, Mississippi Gulfport ( ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States, and its co-county seat. It had a population of 72,926 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Mississippi, second-most populous ...

, at an intersection with

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 ...

. US 49 is approximately 516 miles (830 km) in length. It was at the junction of US 49 and U.S. Route 61 that

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

singer

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His singing, guitar playing and songwriting on his landmark 1936 and 1937 recordings have influenced later generations of musicians. Although his r ...

is said to have sold his soul to the

Devil A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...

. The highway is also the subject of songs by Big Joe Williams and

Howlin' Wolf Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player. He was at the forefront of transforming acoustic Delta blues into electric Chica ...

(Chester Arthur Burnett).

Route description

, - , MS , , - , AR , , - , Total ,

Mississippi

US 49 has historically been one of the most important highways in Mississippi. It was the state's first highway to see a significant rural segment four-laned. Today, it is the only four-laned route directly connecting

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

, the state's capital and largest city, to the

Mississippi Gulf Coast The Mississippi Gulf Coast, also known as Mississippi Coast, Mississippi Gulf Coast region, Coastal Mississippi, and The Coast, is the area of Mississippi along the Mississippi Sound at the northern extreme of the Gulf of Mexico. Geography At t ...

. Some urban segments along this portion of the route maintain three or more traffic lanes in each direction. US 49 serves as a primary hurricane evacuation route for Gulf Coast residents. Southern terminus of US 49 at US 90

US 49 begins near the Port of

at a junction with US 90. It provides a major connection between the port, casinos, beaches and downtown 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 ...

(exits 34A-B), where it has its first major junction being a full service

cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange (road), interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passe ...

on the city's north end. The crossing of these two roads is officially recognized by the state of Mississippi as the Castilgia Interchange. North of I-10, US 49 passes through suburban areas and enters

De Soto National Forest De Soto National Forest, named for 16th-century Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto, is of pine forests in southern Mississippi. It is one of the most important protected areas for the biological diversity of the Gulf Coast ecoregion of Nor ...

. Various state highway interchanges and junctions are encountered before the route passes near

Camp Shelby Camp Shelby is a U.S. Army post whose south gate is located at the southern boundary of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, along U.S. Highway 49. It was originally established during World War I, and has served almost continuously since then as a trai ...

, then through an interchange with US 98 just south of

Hattiesburg Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and most populous city) and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 48,730 in 2020, making it the 5th m ...

. At this point, travelers have an option of continuing on US 49 through Hattiesburg or using the I-59/US 98 bypass which reconnects with US 49 in the northern part of the city. Continuing on US 49 brings one to a cloverleaf interchange at US 11, one of very few in the South to lack merging lanes between loop ramps, thus exacerbating the

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

patterns which plague many cloverleaf interchanges. US 49 passes Hattiesburg's primary medical facility, Forrest General Hospital, and the campus of the

University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bac ...

before arriving at another, more standard cloverleaf interchange with I-59. Those who used the aforementioned bypass, wishing to reconnect with US 49 North to the state capital, must use exit 67B. It is also at I-59, where Mississippi Highway 42 (MS 42) runs with US 49 for a short distance as suburban development is soon encountered as the road returns to rural environs. Eventually, MS 42 departs from the four-laned highway and branches off to the west toward smaller towns, starting with Sumrall. Interchanges between Hattiesburg and Jackson provide access to various state highways, and one at Collins provides access to US 84. At Jackson, US 49 upgrades to

Interstate Highway standards Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the publication ''A Policy on Design Standards: Interstate System''. For a certain highway t ...

before joining

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 ...

using a two-lane flyover. About a mile later, I-20/US 49 merges with

I-55 Interstate 55 (I-55) 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, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The ...

at a

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 e ...

. I-20/I-55/US 49 crosses the Pearl River into Hinds County and bypasses Downtown Jackson, where I-55 departs to the south. US 49/I-20 continue west until US 49 ends its run with I-20 and joins I-220 before turning northwest to Yazoo City. A split in the highway, rare in the

U.S. Highway System 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 ...

, begins here; both routes head into the Mississippi Delta, US 49W serving the towns of Belzoni and Indianola, where it junctions with US 82 and its four-lane segment ends, while two-laned US 49E serves Tchula before encountering US 82 at Greenwood. Both routes continue north from US 82 and are linked again at Tutwiler. Continuing northwest, the highway passes through an interchange with US 61 as it enters Clarksdale. It is at Clarksdale that US 49 encounters "The Crossroads", the legendary junction with State Street (an old alignment of US 61) where the great blues musician

is reputed to have sold his soul to the devil. From Clarksdale, US 49 continues north and crosses 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 ...

using the Helena Bridge where it enters Arkansas near the town of Helena. ClarksdaleMS Crossroads

In May 2005 portions of extant US 49E were renamed the "Emmett Till Memorial Highway". The Mississippi section of US 49 and the routes of US 49E and US 49W are defined at Mississippi Code Annotated § 65-3-3.

Arkansas

US 49 enters Arkansas near Helena-West Helena in Phillips County. US 49 Business runs around the north part of the city, with the main route meeting AR 242 in the southern portion. US 49 continues west to Walnut Corner where the route meets AR 1 (and briefly AR 316). The US 49/AR 1 concurrency ends in Marvell and US 49 enters Monroe County. Upon entering Monroe County, US 49 turns north to begin a concurrency with AR 39. US 49 also crosses

US 79 U.S. Route 79 (US 79) is a United States highway in the Southern United States. The route is officially considered and signed as a north–south highway, but its path is actually more of a diagonal northeast–southwest highway. The highway's n ...

before meeting US 70 near Brinkley. The route crosses

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States, southeastern and Southwestern United States, southwestern portions of the United States. At a leng ...

north of Brinkley prior to entering Woodruff County. US 49 runs northeast through rural Woodruff County, not crossing of concurring with any important routes before crossing into Cross County. The route meets

US 64 U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,281 miles (3,672 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route ...

in Fair Oaks and meets AR 42 in southern Hickory Ridge. It then enters Poinsett County, concurring with AR 214 from Fisher until Waldenburg. The route crosses AR 14 in Waldenburg. US 49 runs along south Jonesboro, with US 49 Business formerly running into town. US 49 concurs with

US 63 U.S. Route 63 (US 63) is a , north–south United States Highway primarily in the Midwestern and Southern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at Interstate 20 (I-20) in Ruston, Louisiana; the northern terminus is at US&nbs ...

until again joining AR 1. The two routes angle north through downtown Jonesboro, crossing US 63 Business and passing by ASU Stadium before leaving town. US 49/AR 1 pass around Brookland, with US 49 Business serving the community. Entering Greene County, US 49/AR 1 intersects

US 412 U.S. Route 412 is an east–west United States highway, first commissioned in 1982. U.S. 412 overlaps expressway-grade Cimarron Turnpike from Tulsa west to Interstate 35 and the Cherokee Turnpike from east of Chouteau, Oklahoma, to west of th ...

and briefly meets AR 358 before entering Paragould. The routes cross

US 412B US or Us most often refers to: * ''Us'' (pronoun), the objective case of the English first-person plural pronoun ''we'' * US, an abbreviation for the United States US, U.S., Us, us, or u.s. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Albums * ...

near Kirk Field in Paragould, also meeting AR 135 north of town. US 49B also rejoins US 49/AR 1 north of Paragould. Continuing northeast through rural Greene County, US 49/AR 1 meet AR 34 in

Marmaduke ''Marmaduke'' is a newspaper comic strip revolving around the Winslow family and their Great Dane, Marmaduke, drawn by Brad Anderson (cartoonist), Brad Anderson from November 15, 1954 to 2015. Publication history The strip was created by wri ...

and AR 90 in Rector. The route turns north to

Piggott Pigot, Pigott, Piggott, Pigotts or Piggotts may refer to: People * Pigot (surname), including a list of people with this name * Pigott (surname), including a list of people with the surname Pigott or Piggott Places * Piggott, Arkansas, Unit ...

at Hargrave Corner, terminating at

US 62 U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) is an east–west United States Highway in the southern and northeastern United States. It runs from the Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canadian bo ...

/ AR 139. The Arkansas portion of US 49 is mainly two-lane undivided.

History

One of the original US highways, US 49 was extended north from

Clarksdale, Mississippi Clarksdale is a city in and the county seat of Coahoma County, Mississippi, Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. It is located along the Sunflower River. Clarksdale is named after John Clark, a settler who founded the city in the mid-19t ...

to US 70 in

Brinkley, Arkansas Brinkley is the most populous city in Monroe County, Arkansas, Monroe County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 2,700, down from 3,188 in 2010 United States census, 2010. Located with ...

via U.S. Route 61 and Highway 6 in 1963. US 49 was again extended north in 1978, replacing Highway 39 between Brinkley and Jonesboro. Highway 1 between Jonesboro and

was redesignated as US 49 in 1979. It is notable that for several years during the 1930s, a second split route existed on US 49 in South Mississippi, similar to but shorter than the split that still exists in the Delta region. Between Brooklyn and Hattiesburg, travelers had the option of a direct route via US 49W, or a somewhat shorter but broken route on US 49E, serving the

Forrest County Agricultural High School Forrest County Agricultural High School (FCAHS) is a public high school located in Brooklyn, in unincorporated Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The school provides education to grades 9 12. Forrest County AHS is the only independent ...

and the small community of

McLaurin, Mississippi McLaurin is a small unincorporated community in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. History The town of McLaurin is named for General McLaurin, who was also the first president of the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad. At one time, McLaur ...

Gallery

Major intersections

Related routes

U.S. Route 49E

U.S. Route 49E (US 49E) is an U.S. Highway in the Delta region of

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

. It travels through Yazoo,

Holmes Holmes may refer to: People and fictional characters * Holmes (surname), a list of people and fictional characters ** Sherlock Holmes, a fictional detective * Holmes (given name), a list of people * Gordon Holmes, a penname used by Louis Trac ...

, Leflore, and Tallahatchie counties.

U.S. Route 49W

U.S. Route 49W (US 49W) is an U.S. Highway in the Delta Region of

, passing through Yazoo, Humphreys,

Sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae. The common sunflower is harvested for its edible oily seeds, which are often eaten as a snack food. They are also used in the pr ...

, and Tallahatchie counties.

Mississippi Highway 149

Mississippi Highway 149 (MS 149) is a

state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...

. The route designation is given to six former segments of U.S. Route 49 (US 49), and two former sections of US 49W, within the state that have been bypassed. The sections run through Wiggins, Mount Olive, between Magee and

Sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...

, between Mendenhall and Braxton, in Richland, Mississippi, between Yazoo City and Silver City,

Inverness Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highland ...

, and Clarksdale. The total length of the eight sections of MS 149 is .

Arkansas Highway 349

Arkansas Highway 349 is a designation for two

s in Northeast Arkansas. One route of begins at Highway 226 and runs north to Highway 18/ Highway 91. A second route of begins at Highway 230 and runs north to Highway 228. Both routes are maintained by the

Arkansas Department of Transportation The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT), formerly the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, is a government department in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Its mission is to provide a safe, efficient, aesthetically pleasing and env ...

(ArDOT).

Special routes

References

External links