U.S. Route 72

U.S. Route 72
Corridor V / Lee Highway
US 72 highlighted in red
Route information
Length	317.811 mi (511.467 km)
Existed	1926–present
Major junctions
West end	US 51 / US 61 / US 64 / US 70 / US 79 in Memphis, TN
Major intersections	I-240 at Memphis, TN I-269 at Collierville, TN US 45 at Corinth, MS US 43 / US 72 Alt. / SR 17 / SR 20 in Muscle Shoals, AL I-65 in Athens, AL US 231 / US 431 in Huntsville, AL I-565 in Huntsville, AL I-24 / US 64 in Kimball, TN US 41 / SR 28 in Jasper, TN I-24 in Chattanooga, TN
East end	US 41 / US 76 in Chattanooga, TN
Location
Country	United States
States	Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama
Counties	West TN: Shelby, Fayette MS: Marshall, Benton, Tippah, Alcorn, Tishomingo AL: Colbert, Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison, Jackson East TN: Marion, Hamilton
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided
← US 71 → US 73

U.S. Route 72 (US 72) is an east–west United States highway that travels for 317.811 miles (511.467 km) from southwestern Tennessee, throughout North Mississippi, North Alabama, and southeastern Tennessee. The highway's western terminus is in Memphis, Tennessee and its eastern terminus is in Chattanooga. It is the only U.S. Highway to begin and end in the same state, yet pass through other states in between. Prior to the U.S. Highway system signage being posted in 1926, the entire route was part of the Lee Highway.

Route description

The highway passes through Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. Most of the original eastern and western portions of the route through roughly follows the path of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, a railroad that predated the American Civil War and now operated by Norfolk Southern Railway as their Memphis-Chattanooga, Tennessee mainline. US 72 Alt. follows the Memphis and Charleston route through North Alabama.

West Tennessee

US 72 begins at Bellevue Boulevard (US 51) in Memphis. From Memphis, the route follows Union Avenue and Poplar Avenue into Collierville. Just south of Collierville, US 72 junctions State Route 385 (the Bill Morris Parkway), a freeway which links Collierville with I-240. The route enters Mississippi 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of SR 385. This segment of the highway is concurrently designated State Route 86 (SR 86) south of its concurrency with SR 57 between Union Avenue in Memphis and Collierville.

Mississippi

US 72 enters Mississippi in western Marshall County. The route follows rolling hills across the extreme northern part of the state, passing through Walnut and Corinth as it heads east. Near Burnsville, US 72 crosses the Divide Cut of the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway. Farther east, the route enters the Tennessee Valley and heads through Iuka before crossing into Alabama.

All of US 72 in Mississippi has been upgraded to four-lane highway, with the last section between MS 302 and the Tennessee state line being completed in 2019. Legally, the Mississippi section of US 72 is defined in the Mississippi Code §65-3-3.

US 72/Corridor V reassurance shield

Alabama

US 72 enters Alabama just west of Cherokee. The route parallels the Tennessee River east to Muscle Shoals, where US 72 Alternate splits from US 72. The mainline turns north, passing through Muscle Shoals and crossing the Tennessee River, entering Florence on the opposite bank. From Florence to Huntsville, the route heads through areas dominated by farmland. Between the two locales, however, US 72 enters Athens.

After passing through Athens and an overpass with Interstate 65 (I-65), US 72 approaches Huntsville from the west. Part of this section has the local name University Drive. At an interchange with Memorial Parkway, the route turns northward briefly, joining the routes of US 231 and US 431, until it breaks off from the Parkway and heads eastward again. (This part is known to locals as "72 East" because it is east of the Parkway; it has no other name.) Northeast of downtown Huntsville, US 72 interchanges with I-565. I-565/US 72 Alt., part of Corridor V of the Appalachian Development Highway System, terminates at the interchange while US 72 takes over the freeway alignment, joining Corridor V.

I-565 is mentioned as the eastbound route and SR 20 is mentioned as the westbound route. Signs for I-565 east at this interchange recently were changed to remove any mention of SR 20 east. Most of the US 72 portion of Corridor V is a four-lane divided expressway with at-grade intersections. Past Huntsville, US 72 follows several mountain valleys to Scottsboro. From Scottsboro, the route follows a northeasterly routing similar to that of the Tennessee River as it enters Tennessee for the second time.

All of US 72 within Alabama is four lanes in width. Additionally, much of US 72 has been upgraded through northeast Alabama, with interchanges at the major state highways. Just west of Moores Mill Road in Huntsville, US 72 becomes limited access over Chapman Mountain. Throughout Alabama, US 72 is paired with unsigned State Route 2 (SR 2).

The stretch of US 72 paralleling I-59 to the far northeast in between Scottsboro and South Pittsburg contains multiple freeway-style Interchanges.

East Tennessee

US 72 enters Tennessee for the second time just south of South Pittsburg. At South Pittsburg, Corridor V ends at an interchange with Interstate 24. US 64, concurrent with I-24 west of the exit, departs the expressway and forms an overlap with US 72 through Kimball to Jasper, where US 41 joins the concurrency. Just east of Jasper, the highways cross the Tennessee River on Nickajack Lake. The route then follows a cut in the Cumberland Plateau made by the Tennessee River to the western outskirts of Chattanooga, where it interchanges with I-24 once more. Just east of the interchange, US 11 joins the overlap.

Together, US 11, US 41, US 64, and US 72 follow the bluffs on Lookout Mountain above the Tennessee River to Chattanooga, where the routes follow Broad Street north into downtown. At the corner of Main Street and Broad Street, US 72 comes to an end; US 76 begins at the intersection, making one highway in essence a continuation of the other.

History

West Tennessee

Originally, US 72 followed US 45 to Selmer and followed a route west to Memphis. In 1931, US 64 replaced US 72 between Memphis and Selmer. In 1935, US 72 was routed to Memphis through Mississippi from Corinth removing the extension on US 45 to Selmer.

As late as the early 1970s, US 72 followed State Route 57 (Poplar Avenue) from Collierville to its western terminus at East Parkway N. (which carried US 64, US 70, and US 79, as well as State Route 1). During the mid-1980s until the early 2000s, U.S. 72's westbound route in midtown Memphis was changed to switch from Poplar Avenue to a westbound off-ramp connection with Union Avenue (just as its name changed from Walnut Grove Road), instead of following Poplar west to East Parkway North. (In the same trend, eastbound US 72 ignored East Parkway South and continued eastward on Union—joining SR 57—until an exit ramp deposited the two highways onto eastbound Poplar.) Some signs still remain from this route change.

Mississippi

In Tishomingo County, US 72 originally followed the current Road 172 / Quitman Street through Iuka before being bypassed in the mid-1980s. Also, An Old US 72 exists south of US 72 between Burnsville and Glen. US 72 also followed Alcorn County Road 218 and entered Corinth on Proper Street. Until 1935, US 72 followed US 45, now Polk Street / Mississippi Highway 145 north into Tennessee. Also, included in the original 1935 routing west of Corinth followed Mississippi State Route 2 / Kossuth Road to Kossuth before turning west. Continuing westward, yet another segment of Old US 72 exists south of US 72 in Benton County from just west of the Tippah County line to just east of the Wolf River near Canaan. The bridge across the Wolf River collapsed due to flooding and is now closed; much of this segment is now on private property and little evidence of pavement remains due to washout and ecological succession. The continuation of this segment west of Wolf River to Mississippi Highway 5 is signed Wyatt Road. Finally, there is one more route that may have been a former US 72 road alignment. Boswell Road begins as a curve off of US 72 between Slayden and Mount Pleasant as a gravel road, and heads generally parallel to US 72 as a gravel road, before stopping in Mount Pleasant at Mississippi Highway 311. The possible former alignment then continues from the staggered junction heading west as a partially paved road. This road is now broken by Mississippi Highway 302, but continues to head west as a gravel road for a mile, for a total of approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km).

Alabama

1926 Alabama highway sign

Most of the original US 72 route in Alabama paralleled the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, a critical route for the South during the American Civil War. Some sections of the original road were named the Memphis Pike reflecting the idea of connecting Chattanooga to Memphis, Tennessee. The original route also belonged to the original route of the Lee Highway. Both of these designations can be found in western Colbert County where sections of the original highway, including parts of Colbert County Route 20 still bear those names.

The original route once passed through Tuscumbia on what is named today the Old Lee Highway and Main Street. This route was bypassed in the 1960s.

In Florence US 72 originally followed Huntsville Road to Royal Avenue, then north to Tennessee Street, and finally west to Court Street. Its route was later moved two blocks south through downtown Florence, from Tennessee Street to Dr. Hicks Boulevard.

East of Florence the original route is now County Highway 66 through downtown Rogersville and Killen.

Athens' Clinton and Washington Streets hosted a Business 72 route in earlier years. This route was decommissioned in the 1980s.

US 72 has seen several route changes in Huntsville that included a temporary route down Sparkman Drive in the 1960s. Other original routes include Andrew Jackson Way to Holmes Avenue and down Holmes Avenue to reconnect to the original route.

Prior to 1931, US 72 passed through Big Cove between Huntsville and Paint Rock via Little Cove Rd/Old "US 431". That route was abandoned for the one used today over Chapman Mountain.

Other original routes include State Route 35 from Woodville to the west side of Scottsboro, State Route 279 east of Scottsboro, and State Route 277 from Stevenson to Bridgeport. State Route 277 carries the distinction of being the last two-lane section of US 72 in Alabama. Today, the entire route through Alabama has a minimum of four lanes.

Major intersections

State	County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Tennessee	Shelby	Memphis	0.0	0.0	US 51 south (S. Bellevue Boulevard) US 51 north / US 64 west / US 70 west / US 79 south (Union Avenue)	Western terminus; western end of US 64/US 70/US 79/SR 23 overlaps; western terminus of SR 23
			2.1	3.4	SR 277 (East Parkway) / US 64 east / US 70 east / US 79 north	Eastern end of US 64/US 70/US 79 overlaps
			3.1	5.0	Walnut Grove Road (SR 23 east) / Poplar Avenue (SR 57 west)	Eastern end of SR 23 overlap; western end of SR 57 overlap; no direct access from US 72 east to SR 57 west or from US 72 west to SR 23 east
			8.7– 9.1	14.0– 14.6	I-240 – Jackson, Nashville	I-240 exits 15A-B
					Ridgeway Center Parkway, Sweetbriar Road	Westbound exit and entrance via Ridgeway Loop Road only; eastbound access via intersection
		Germantown	12.4	20.0	SR 177 south (West Street) / West Farmington Boulevard	Western end of SR 177 overlap; route signed westbound only
			12.6	20.3	SR 177 north (Germantown Road) / Germantown Road	Eastern end of SR 177 overlap
		Collierville	20.3	32.7	SR 175 west (South Byhalia Road) / New Byhalia Road	Eastern terminus of SR 175
			20.6	33.2	SR 57 east – Moscow, Pickwick	Eastern end of SR 57 overlap; western end of SR 86 overlap; Pickwick signed eastbound only
			22.7	36.5	SR 385 (Bill Morris Parkway) to I-240 / I-269 – Memphis, Arlington	Interchange on SR 385; To I-269 signed eastbound only
	Shelby–Fayette county line	Collierville–Piperton line	23.7– 24.0	38.1– 38.6	I-269 – Arlington	I-269 exit 1
	Fayette	Piperton	25.5	41.0	SR 196 north	Southern terminus of SR 196
			25.7 0.0	41.4 0.0	Tennessee–Mississippi state line
Mississippi	Marshall	​	1.1– 1.3	1.8– 2.1	Industrial Road / Wingo Road	Interchange
		​	4.4– 5.3	7.1– 8.5	MS 302 west – Southaven, Olive Branch	Interchange; eastern terminus of MS 302
		Mount Pleasant	6.4	10.3	MS 311 south / Rossville Road – Holly Springs, Strawberry Plains Audubon Center	Northern terminus of MS 311
		Slayden	10.6	17.1	South Slayden Road (MS 313 south) / North Slayden Road	Northern terminus of SR 313
	Benton	​	18.8	30.3	MS 7 – Holly Springs, Michigan City
		​	21.7	34.9	Harris Chapel Road (MS 5 north) / Meridian Road	Western end of MS 5 overlap
		​	23.7	38.1	MS 5 south – Ashland	Eastern end of MS 5 overlap
	Tippah	Walnut	41.3	66.5	MS 15 – Ripley, Bolivar
	Alcorn	Corinth	60.6	97.5	MS 2 west (Kossuth Road) – Kossuth, Ripley	Western end of MS 2 overlap
		Corinth	61.8– 62.0	99.5– 99.8	US 45 / MS 2 east – Tupelo, Jackson TN	Eastern end of MS 2 overlap; interchange on US 45
			63.0	101.4	South Tate Street (MS 145) – Corinth	Destination signed eastbound only
			63.9	102.8	MS 785 north (South Cass Street) / South Cass Street – Downtown Corinth	Southern terminus of MS 785; destination signed westbound only
		Glen	70.8	113.9	MS 779 north	Route is unsigned
	Tishomingo	Burnsville	76.4	123.0	MS 365 – Cairo, Savannah TN	Interchange
		​	78.3	126.0	MS 172 east / County Road 961	Western terminus of MS 172
		Iuka	83.6– 84.1	134.5– 135.3	MS 25 – Iuka, Fulton	Interchange
		​	89.6	144.2	MS 172 west (Lee Highway)	Eastern terminus of MS 172
			89.8 0.0	144.5 0.0	Mississippi–Alabama state line
Alabama	Colbert	​	5.7	9.2	To Natchez Trace Parkway
		​	12.7	20.4	Barton Riverfront Industrial Park	Interchange
		​	17.686	28.463	SR 247 south – Red Bay	Northern terminus of SR 247
		Tuscumbia–Muscle Shoals line	26.178	42.129	US 43 south / SR 17 south (SR 13 south) / US 72 Alt. east / SR 20 east – Russellville, Decatur, Joe Wheeler State Park	Western end of US 43/SR 13/17/20 overlap; western terminus of US 72 Alt.; Russellville/Wheeler SP signed eastbound only, Decatur signed westbound only
		Muscle Shoals–Sheffield line	29.506	47.485	SR 184 east (East Second Street) / East Second Street – Sheffield	Western terminus of SR 184
	Lauderdale	Florence	31.932	51.390	SR 20 west – Savannah TN	North end of SR 20 overlap; no direct access from SR 20 east to US 72 east; interchange
			33.770	54.348	SR 157 (Helton Drive) / SR 17 north – Muscle Shoals, Waynesboro TN	Eastern end of SR 17 overlap; interchange on SR 157
			36.093	58.086	SR 133 (Cox Creek Parkway)
		​	40.489	65.161	US 43 north / SR 13 north	Eastern end of US 43 / SR 13 overlap
		Elgin	50.176	80.750	SR 101 – Town Creek, Lexington, Wheeler Dam
		Rogersville	55.966	90.069	SR 207 north (Wheeler Street) / CR 91 (Lambs Ferry Road) – Pulaski, Anderson	Southern terminus of SR 207
	Limestone	Athens	75.766	121.934	US 31 (Bee Line Highway) – Decatur, Nashville	Decatur signed westbound only; interchange on US 31
			76.756	123.527	I-65 – Birmingham, Nashville	I-65 exit 351
	Madison	Huntsville	92.902	149.511	SR 255 (Research Park Boulevard) to I-565 / SR 53	Interchange on SR 255
			95.412	153.551	SR 53 (Jordan Lane)
			97.034	156.161	US 231 south / US 431 south (Memorial Parkway) to I-565 / University Drive	Western end of US 231 / US 431 overlap
			98.711	158.860	US 231 north / US 431 north (Memorial Parkway) / Sparkman Drive	Eastern end of US 231 / US 431 overlap
			100.203	161.261	I-565 west (US 72 Alt. west) – Decatur	Eastern terminus of I-565 / US 72 Alt.; Decatur signed westbound only; I-565 exit 21
	Jackson	​	116.046	186.758	SR 65 north	Southern terminus of SR 65
		Woodville	120.973	194.687	SR 35 south (Willow Street) – Woodville	Northern terminus of SR 35
		Scottsboro	132.879	213.848	SR 79
			136.725	220.038	SR 279 south (South Broad Street) / South Broad Street	Western end of SR 279 overlap; interchange
			138.554	222.981	SR 35 / SR 279 north (Veterans Drive)	Eastern end of SR 279 overlap; interchange
		​	142.004	228.533	SR 279 south (East Willow Street) – Scottsboro	Northern terminus of SR 279
		Stevenson	155.848	250.813	SR 117 – Stevenson	Interchange
			158.320	254.791	SR 277 – Stevenson	Interchange
		Bridgeport	165.983	267.124	Bridgeport (SR 277)	Interchange
			167.211 0.0	269.100 0.0	Alabama–Tennessee state line
Tennessee	Marion	South Pittsburg	2.2	3.5	SR 156 – South Pittsburg, New Hope	Interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
			2.9	4.7	To SR 156 / North Cedar Avenue – South Pittsburg	Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		Kimball	4.2– 4.5	6.8– 7.2	I-24 west / US 64 – Chattanooga, Nashville	Western end of US 64 overlap; I-24 exits 152A-B
			4.5	7.2	SR 2 north (Battle Creek Road)	Western end of SR 2 overlap
		Jasper	9.4– 9.5	15.1– 15.3	US 41 north / SR 28 to I-24 – Dunlap	Western end of US 41 overlap; interchange on SR 28
		​	12.6	20.3	SR 27 to I-24 – Nickajack, Dunlap
		Haletown	15.2	24.5	SR 134 east (J.E. Clouse Highway) to I-24 / SR 156 – Whiteside	Western terminus of SR 134
	Hamilton	Chattanooga	29.5– 29.6	47.5– 47.6	I-24 – Nashville, Birmingham, Chattanooga	I-24 exit 174
			29.7	47.8	US 11 south (Birmingham Highway / SR 38 south)	Western end of US 11 overlap
			31.3	50.4	SR 318 south (Old Wauhatchie Pike)	Northern terminus of SR 318
			32.3	52.0	Ruby Falls, Lookout Mountain (SR 148 south)	No direct access from US 72 east to SR 148 south and from SR 148 north to US 72 west; northern terminus of SR 148
			33.3	53.6	SR 17 south (Tennessee Avenue) to SR 58 – Incline, Rock City	Western end of SR 17 overlap
			34.6	55.7	US 27 north (I-124 north) – Red Bank	Direct access only from US 72 east to US 27 north and from I-24 east/US 27 south to US 72 east
			34.8	56.0	US 11 north / US 64 east / SR 58 (West 20th Street / SR 2 east)	Eastern end of US 11 / US 64 / SR 2 overlap
			35.1	56.5	US 41 south / US 76 east / SR 17 north (West Main Street) / Broad Street	Eastern terminus; eastern end of US 41 overlap; western terminus of US 76
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

Related routes

Muscle Shoals–Huntsville alternate route

U.S. Route 72 Alternate
Location	Muscle Shoals to Huntsville, Alabama

Main article: U.S. Route 72 Alternate

U.S. Route 72 Alternate (US 72 Alternate) exists in Alabama on the south side of the Tennessee River between Muscle Shoals and Decatur. US 72 alt. crosses the Tennessee River at Decatur along with US 31 and follows the entire route of Interstate 565. However, signs on I-65 at the I-565 exit make no mention of US 72 Alt. and only mention SR 20 westbound from the I-65/I-565 junction. SR 20 was co-signed with US 72 Alt. from Muscle Shoals to Huntsville. SR 20 has since been truncated to the junction of I-65 just east of Decatur. Originally, US 72 Alt. turned off of SR 20 on to SR 53 (Jordan Lane) in Huntsville and followed it north 1-mile (1.6 km) to rejoin with US 72. With the completion of I-565 in the early 1990s, US 72 Alt. was routed along with I-565 to the termination of I-565 at US 72.

US 72 Alternate between Decatur and Huntsville is part of Corridor V of the Appalachian Development Highway System.

See also

• Southern Rock Opera, a Drive-By Truckers album prominently featuring US 72
• List of United States Numbered Highways

References

The Drive By Truckers song “72 (This Highway’s Mean)” is written about highway 72.

Sources

• Rand McNally Road Atlases 1926 - 2006

External links

Media related to U.S. Route 72 at Wikimedia Commons

• Endpoints of U.S. Highway 72

Browse numbered routes
← SR 71	TN	→ SR 72
← SR 85		→ SR 87
← MS 69	MS	→ MS 76
← SR 71	AL	→ SR 73
← SR 1		→ SR 3