Interstate 55

Interstate 55

Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...

 is a major north–south Interstate Highway that serves the middle of the United States. It runs 963.5 miles (1,550.6 km) from Interstate 10

Interstate 10

Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...

 in Laplace, Louisiana

Laplace, Louisiana

LaPlace is a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the east bank of the Mississippi River in the New Orleans metropolitan area. The population is 32,134 at the 2010 census....

 - about 25 miles (40.2 km) west of New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

 to U.S. 41

U.S. Route 41

U.S. Route 41 is a north–south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, was U.S...

 in Chicago, Illinois.

Route description

In Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, I-55 begins at I-10 near Laplace and is immediately joined by US 51. Paralleled by Old US 51, it snakes its way between Lake Pontchartrain

Lake Pontchartrain

Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...

 and Lake Maurepas

Lake Maurepas

Lake Maurepas is located in southeastern Louisiana approximately halfway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge directly west of Lake Pontchartrain.-Namesake:...

 on its way to Ponchatoula. Much of this part of the journey is through the Manchac Wildlife Management Area aboard the Manchac Swamp bridge

Manchac Swamp bridge

The Manchac Swamp Bridge is a twin concrete trestle bridge in the US state of Louisiana. With a total length of it is one of the longest bridges in the world over water. The bridge carries Interstate 55 over the Manchac Swamp in Louisiana, and represents one-third of the highway's approximately...

. Just south of Ponchatoula US-51 Business splits to head into town, while the interstate and federal route continue their bypass to the west. US 51 itself splits off just before the interchange with I-12. Here, I-55 forms a western bypass of Hammond, while I-12 splits between Hammond and Ponchatoula. North of Hammond, I-55 parallels US 51 all the way to the Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

 line, bypassing all the rural towns that the federal route passes through.

Exit list

Parish	Location	Mile	Exit	Destinations	Notes
St. John the Baptist St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana St. John the Baptist Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana.The parish seat is Edgard, an unincorporated area and the unofficial parish captial is LaPlace, an unincorporated area. St. John the Baptist is one of the original 19 parishes in Louisiana. In 2010, its population was...	Laplace	0.0			Southbound exit and northbound entrance; Southern terminus of I-55
		0.8	1		Southbound exit and northbound entrance; southern end of US 51 concurrency
		7.9	7	Ruddock Ruddock, Louisiana Ruddock is an ghost town in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, United States. Ruddock was located on an isthmus between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain, north-northeast of LaPlace. Although the town was destroyed by a hurricane in 1915, it is still signed as an exit on Interstate 55 and...
Tangipahoa		I-55 crosses Pass Manchac between Lake Maurepas Lake Maurepas Lake Maurepas is located in southeastern Louisiana approximately halfway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge directly west of Lake Pontchartrain.-Namesake:...  and Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
		15.5	15	Manchac Manchac, Louisiana Manchac is a small unincorporated community in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Hammond Micropolitan Statistical Area....
		22.7	22	Frontage Road	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Ponchatoula	23.8	23
		26.1	26
	Hammond	28.7	28		Northern end of US 51 concurrency
		29.4	29		Signed as exits 29A (east) and 29B (west)
		31.4	31
		32.4	32
	Tickfaw	36.5	36
	Independence	41.1	40
	Amite City	47.0	46
	Roseland	50.8	50
		53.8	53
	Tangipahoa	57.1	57
	Kentwood	61.6	61