U.S. Route 62 in Arkansas

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This article is about the section of U.S. Route 62 in Arkansas. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 62.

U.S. Highway 62

US 62 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by AHTD
Length329.9 mi (530.9 km)
Existed1930–present
Major junctions
West end US 62 at Oklahoma border near Summers
Major intersections I-49 / US 71 in Fayetteville
US 412 in Springdale
I-49 / US 71 in Bentonville
US 412 in Alpena
US 65 in Harrison
US 167 in Ash Flat
US 63 in Hardy
US 63 / US 412 in Imboden
Future I-57 / US 67 from Pocahontas to Corning
US 49 in Piggott
East end US 62 at Missouri border in St. Francis
Location
CountryUnited States
StateArkansas
CountiesWashington, Benton, Carroll, Boone, Marion, Baxter, Fulton, Sharp, Lawrence, Randolph, Clay
Highway system
← US 61→ US 63

U.S. Route 62 (US 62) is a U.S. highway running from El Paso, Texas northeast to Niagara Falls, New York. In the U.S. state of Arkansas, the route runs 329.9 miles from the Oklahoma border near Summers east to the Missouri border in St. Francis, serving the northern portion of the state. The route passes through several cities and towns, including Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, Harrison, Mountain Home, Pocahontas, and also Piggott. US 62 runs concurrent with several highways in Arkansas including Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 71 between Fayetteville and Bentonville, U.S. Route 412 through much of the state, U.S. Route 65 in the Harrison area, and with U.S. Route 63 and U.S. Route 67 (Future Interstate 57) in northeast Arkansas.

Route description

Northwest Arkansas

US 62 near the Oklahoma border

U.S. Route 62 enters Arkansas from Oklahoma and runs by the Bean Cemetery near Lincoln and the Borden House and Prairie Grove Battlefield Park in Prairie Grove.[1][2] The route then enters the Northwest Arkansas metro area, including the cities of Fayetteville, Rogers, and Bentonville. The route concurs with I-49/US 71 through these communities. In Benton County, the route passes Garfield Elementary School near the junction with Arkansas Highway 127 in Garfield before exiting Rogers.[3] The route continues east near the Pea Ridge National Military Park and the Missouri state line before entering Carroll County.[4]

US 62 in Carroll County west of Eureka Springs.

The Ozark Mountains

US 62 winds through the Ozarks, passing through sparsely populated scenic country and small towns. US 62 passes the Thorncrown Chapel, the Tall Pines Motor Inn, and the historic U.S. 62 White River Bridge near Eureka Springs. The route begins a concurrency with U.S. Route 412 in Alpena that continues west to Imboden. Also, US 62/US 412 meet U.S. Route 65 in Harrison. In Marion County, the route meets US 62S in Pyatt and the US 62 Bridge over Crooked Creek outside of town. During this stretch, US 62 crosses two of the nine Arkansas Scenic Byways, the Pig Trail and Scenic Highway 7. Continuing east, the route passes a former alignment of US 62 before entering Yellville. East of Yellville, the route enters Mountain Home in Baxter County and crosses over Norfolk Lake to enter rural Fulton County.

Bridge over Leatherwood Creek west of Eureka Springs.

After passing through Fulton County, US 62/US 412 enters Sharp County. In Ash Flat, US 62/US 412 serves as the northern terminus of U.S. Route 167. After passing around Cherokee Village, Arkansas, the route enters Hardy. In Hardy, US 62/US 412/US 63 Business passes four properties on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas: the Carrie Tucker House, the Sherman Bates House, the Fred Graham House, and Web Long House and Motel.[5] US 62/US 412 also meets U.S. Route 63, which is mostly a patchwork of concurrencies throughout the state. The routes continue together to Imboden, when US 63/US 412 break and continue south, where US 62/AR 115 continues over the St. Louis-San Francisco Overpass headed north into Randolph County and Crowley's Ridge.

Crowley's Ridge

In Randolph County, US 62 passes by cotton fields until Pocahontas, when the route meets US 67 (Future I-57).[6] The route concurs with US 67 east until Corning in Clay County.[7] The route runs east through Crowley's Ridge to Piggott, and enters Missouri near St. Francis.[7]

History

Spring Street in Eureka Springs was originally US 62 - City Route.
Old Highway 62 near Busch

The route was originally a trail known as the Ozark Trail, which was the main series of routes in the area prior to the construction of U.S. Route 66. The Ozark Trails Association was responsible for maintaining and marking the routes, with William Hope Harvey in charge. Harvey wanted an auto trail from Oklahoma to his resort town Monte Ne, which he established after retiring from the railroad business.[8] He had grand visions of trails connecting Monte Ne with St. Louis, Kansas City, Wichita, Kansas, and Oklahoma City, and points west.[9] U.S. Route 62 from Gateway to Eureka Springs was also designated part of The Jefferson Highway, although the highway was not really marked and frequently shifted.[10] The highway was listed as a "Proposed Primary Federal Aid Road" on a state map in the first issue of "Arkansas Highways Magazine" (1924), but not numbered.[11]

The road brought much traffic through the hills of Arkansas, previously resistant to development. Eureka Springs was a popular stop on the route, with many motor inns and a vibrant downtown. Nearby Arkansas Highway 23 (The Pig Trail) further added tourists to the community.[12] Following completion of Lake Norfork, parts of US 62 were inundated, including the rainbow arch bridge over the White River at Henderson, which was replaced by ferries. As the lake increased traffic, the wait for a ferry became over an hour during weekend afternoons in tourist season. A toll bridge was studied but deemed unfeasible in 1969.[13]

Further east, cities of Mountain Home, Cotter, and Flippin grew significantly with US 62's traffic.[14] Rough terrain interspersed with large waterways caused the need for large bridges, including the Cotter Bridge (which replaced a ferry system) and the St. Louis-San Francisco Overpass.[15] A 1981 study indicated a need of 31 climbing lanes from Harrison to Hardy (approx. 110 miles (180 km)) necessary for safety purposes, indicative of the rough terrain.[15]

Some historic alignments of the old road still exist with original pavement. One section, built between 1932 and bypassed in 1952, is located between Busch and Eureka Springs on either side of the White River. On the north side of the river Carroll County Route 109 follows the alignment to the former river crossing, where only concrete bridge piers remain to be seen. On the south side County Route 107 continues southward, eventually rejoining the modern alignment. This section was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.[16]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
Washington​0.00.0
 US 62 west – Muskogee		Oklahoma state line
Summers2.54.0
 AR 59 north – Siloam Springs
​4.16.6
 AR 59 south – Van Buren
Lincoln10.316.6
 AR 45 south – Canehill
​
 US 62B east – Prairie Grove
Prairie Grove16.927.2
 US 62B west – Prairie Grove
​18.830.3
 AR 170 east
Farmington22.936.9
 AR 170 west (Hunter Street)
Fayetteville25.741.462

 I-49 south (US 71) / AR 180 east (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard / AR 16 east) – Fort Smith, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville National Cemetery		Western end of I-49 / US 71 / AR 16 overlap; US 62 west follows exit 62
27.544.364

 AR 16 west / AR 112S east (Wedington Drive)		Northern end of AR 16 concurrency; future exit 250
28.445.765Stephen Carr Memorial BoulevardPorter Road rededicated in July 2022;[17] future exit 251
29.747.867A AR 112 (Garland Avenue)Access to the University of Arkansas; future exit 253A
30.248.667B
 US 71B north / North Fulbright Expressway		Interchange opened around November 2017; access to Washington Regional Medical Center and Fayetteville Historic District; future exit 253B
Johnson315069Johnson Mill BoulevardFuture exit 255
Springdale70Don Tyson ParkwayOpened July 7, 2014;[18] future exit 256
365872 US 412 (Sunset Avenue)Future exit 258
37.460.273Elm Springs RoadFuture exit 259
Benton​76.15122.5576Wagon Wheel RoadFuture exit 262
Lowell77.55124.8077 AR 612 (Springdale Northern Bypass) – Elm Springs, Cave SpringsFirst section opened on April 30, 2018; future exit 263
78.90126.9878 AR 264 (West Monroe Avenue)Access to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport; future exit 264
Rogers81.01130.3781Pleasant Grove RoadFuture exit 267
82.79133.2482Promenade Boulevard / West Pauline Whittaker ParkwayFuture exit 268
83.90135.0283Pinnacle Hills Parkway / West New Hope RoadFuture exit 269
Rogers–Bentonville line85.30137.2885

 US 71B north / AR 12 west (SE Walton Boulevard)

 US 71B south (W. Walnut Street)		Southern end of AR 12 concurrency; future exit 271
Bentonville44.671.886

 I-49 north (US 71) / AR 102 west (Southeast 14th Street) – Bella Vista, Bentonville, Centerton		Northern end of I-49 / US 71 overlap; US 62 east follows exit 86
Rogers51.082.1
 AR 94 east – Rogers Business District		Western end of AR 94 overlap
51.482.7

 AR 12 east / AR 94 west (North Second Street) – Little Flock, Pea Ridge, Historic District, Hobbs State Park Conservation Area, Prairie Creek Park, Rogers Historical Museum		Eastern end of AR 12 / AR 94 overlap, former US 62B northern terminus
​57.893.0
 AR 72 west – Pea Ridge
Garfield62.8101.1 AR 127 – Beaver Lake, Lost Bridge Park
Gateway66.7107.3
 AR 37 north – Seligman, MO
Carroll​
 AR 187 north – Beaver, Holiday Island
​
 AR 187 south – Beaver Dam, Beaver Lake
​79.5127.9
 AR 187 north
Eureka SpringsHistoric Loop - Eureka Springs Business DistrictFormer US 62B east

 AR 23 north – Holiday Island, Beaver		Western end of AR 23 overlap

 AR 23 south – Huntsville		Eastern end of AR 23 overlap
​92.2148.4
 AR 143 north / AR 980 – Grandview, Airport
Berryville95.0152.9 US 62S
96.1154.7
 AR 221 south (West Carl Avenue)		Western end of AR 221 overlap


 AR 21 north / AR 221 north		Eastern end of AR 221 overlap; western end of AR 21 overlap

 AR 21 south – Kingston, Boxley		Eastern end of AR 21 overlap
​
 AR 103 south – Rule
Green Forest
 AR 103 north – Oak Grove

 AR 311 north (Carroll Avenue)
Tyson Avenue (AR 311 south)
BooneAlpena114183
 US 412 west – Huntsville, Springdale		Western end of US 412 overlap
​116187
 AR 392 east – Batavia
​119192
 US 65 north – Branson, MO, Springfield, MO		Interchange; western end of US 65 overlap
Harrison122196 AR 980 – Boone County Regional Airport
124200
 AR 43 north
124200North Main Street - Business DistrictFormer US 65B south

 AR 7 north – Bergman, Lead Hill, Diamond City		Western end of AR 7 overlap


 US 65B south / AR 7 south – Jasper, Russellville, Business District		Eastern end of AR 7 overlap

 US 65B north (South Main Street) – Harrison Business District, Northark College South Campus
Bellefonte131211
 AR 206 west
​132212
 US 65 south – Little Rock		Eastern end of US 65 overlap
Marion​143.9231.6
 AR 125 south – Eros, Bruno		Western end of AR 125 overlap
Pyatt144.4232.4 US 62S – Pyatt Business District
​150.1241.6
 AR 125 north – Dodd City		Eastern end of AR 125 overlap
​153.0246.2
 AR 202 east – Summit
Yellville154.5248.6
 US 62B east (Old Main Street)
154.8249.1
 AR 14 west (Panther Avenue) – Summit, Lead Hill		Western end of AR 14 overlap
155.0249.4
 US 62B west (Berry Street)
155.1249.6
 AR 14 east – Ozark Folk Center State Park, Blanchard Springs Caverns, Buffalo National River Buffalo Point		Eastern end of AR 14 overlap
​159.9257.3
 AR 178 east – Flippin, Bull Shoals, Bull Shoals White River State Park
​162.5261.5
 AR 101 south – Rea Valley
​163.1262.5
 US 62B east – Cotter
BaxterCotter165.9267.0
 US 62B west / CR 1 (Denton Ferry Road) – Cotter Business District
Gassville167.3269.2
 AR 345 south (Cotter Road)
168.0270.4Lakeview DriveFormer AR 345
168.3270.9
 AR 126 north – Ozark Regional Airport
​171.3275.7
 AR 126 south – Buffalo City
Mountain Home173.6279.4
 US 62B east – Mountain Home
174.2280.3 AR 201 – Arkansas State University Mountain Home Campus
​176.5284.0 AR 5Interchange
​178.2286.8 AR 178 (Buzzard Roost Road)
Mountain Home179.3288.6
 US 62B west – Mountain Home
​183.6295.5
 AR 101 north – Gamaliel
Fulton​193.7311.7 AR 87 – Vidette, Elizabeth
Viola201.6324.4 AR 223 – Moody, MO, Bexar
Salem210.4338.6
 US 62B east
211.0339.6
 AR 395 south
211.4340.2

 AR 9 to AR 395 north – Business District, Mammoth Spring, Melbourne
Glencoe219.0352.4
 AR 289 south – Horseshoe Bend
​226.2364.0
 AR 289 north – Saddle, Mammoth Spring
SharpAsh Flat228.6367.9
 US 167 south (Ash Flat Drive) – Batesville
FultonNo major intersections
SharpCherokee Village232.3373.9
 AR 175S north – Cherokee Village
237.4382.1

 AR 175 south (Stone Creek Road) to AR 289 – Cherokee Village		Western end of AR 175 overlap
238.2383.3
 AR 342 east (West Riverview Drive) – Harold E. Alexander WMA
Hardy238.9384.5
 US 63B south – Hardy, Historic District		Western end of US 63B overlap
240.2386.6
 US 63 north – Mammoth Spring		Eastern end of US 63B overlap; western end of US 63 overlap

 US 63B north – Hardy
245.3394.8
 AR 175 north – Wirth		Eastern end of AR 175 overlap
​250.4403.0
 AR 58 west – Williford
​252.4406.2
 AR 58E west – Williford
LawrenceRavenden256.8413.3
 AR 90 east – Ravenden Springs
RandolphNo major intersections
LawrenceImboden260.9419.9
 AR 115 south – Smithville, Cave City
261.5420.8

 US 63 south / US 412 east – Imboden Business District, Black Rock, Hoxie		Eastern end of US 63 / US 412 overlap
Spring River261.7421.2St. Louis-San Francisco Overpass
RandolphPocahontas272.1437.9
 AR 166 south – Old Davidsonville State Park
274.1441.1
 US 67 south – Walnut Ridge		Western end of US 67 overlap
274.1441.1

 AR 90 north (Broadway Street) to AR 115 – Ravenden Springs, Pocahontas Business District, Historic Courthouse
276.6445.1
 AR 166 north – Engelberg
​285.2459.0
 US 67B north – Biggers
Reyno289.2465.4
 AR 328 west – Reyno
ClayDatto291.6469.3
 US 67B north – Datto
​293.7472.7
 AR 211 north – Success
​296.7477.5 AR 980 – Airport
Corning300.3483.3
 US 67 north – St. Louis, MO		Eastern end of US 67 overlap
​304.3489.7
 AR 135 south – Paragould
McDougal309.0497.3
 AR 141 south – Boydsville
Pollard316.2508.9
 AR 139 north – Qulin, MO
Piggott322.3518.7

 US 49 south / AR 1 south – Paragould		Western end of AR 1 overlap
​324.0521.4
 AR 139 south – Holly Island
​324.3521.9
 AR 1 north – Holcomb, MO		Eastern end of AR 1 overlap
​329.9530.9
 US 62 east – Malden		Missouri state line (St. Francis River)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ "Area Attractions - City of Lincoln, AR." Website. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  2. ^ "Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park." Area Profile. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  3. ^ "Schools of Arkansas - Northwest Region." Schools profile. Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  4. ^ "Pea Ridge National Military Park." National Park Service. Park Profile. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  5. ^ "Sharp County, Arkansas." National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. Listings. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  6. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. AHTD Randolph County map Retrieved on June 17, 2010.
  7. ^ a b Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. AHTD Clay County map Retrieved on June 17, 2010.
  8. ^ "Lynn McWhorter Mabry Collection: William Hope "Coin" Harvey." University of Arkansas Libraries - Special Collections. ABOUT WILLIAM HOPE COIN Article. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  9. ^ "Highway A-7, Tyronza Segment, Tyronza, Poinsett County." Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. Article. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  10. ^ "Culture and history of Eureka Springs, Arkansas." Eureka Springs Historic Profile. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  11. ^ Paul Gabriel, ed. (January 1924). "Before you, Citizens of the "Wonder State", are your "Arkansas Highways"" (PDF). Arkansas Highways. Little Rock, AR: Arkansas Highway Department. 1 (1): 11. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
  12. ^ "Culture and history of Eureka Springs, Arkansas." In Eureka. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  13. ^ Sheid, Vada (2008). Sisco, Marideth (ed.). Nothing Personal, Just Politics. Mountain Home, Arkansas: Sheids Corporation. pp. 57–62. ISBN 9780966807561. OCLC 318536483.
  14. ^ Arkansas. (1981). "The Effects of ferry replacement and bypass construction on U.S. 62 in Baxter County. Little Rock, Ark." Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department.
  15. ^ a b Arkansas. (1981). A Corridor study U.S. 62 Harrison to Hardy. Little Rock, Ark: The ASHTD.
  16. ^ "NRHP nomination for Old US 62, Busch Segment" (PDF). Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  17. ^ Staff (July 21, 2022). "Stephen Carr Memorial Boulevard signs installed on Interstate 49". 5newsonline.com. KFSM-TV. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  18. ^ Caraway, Steve (July 3, 2014). "Springdale's Tyson Interchange to Open Month Early: Work Will Create Easy Access to Ballpark Development Area". Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved July 3, 2014.


U.S. Route 62
Previous state:
Oklahoma 		Arkansas Next state:
Missouri
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