Interstate 55 in Missouri - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

In the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

of Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

, 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...

runs from the Arkansas

Arkansas

Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

state line to the Poplar Street Bridge

Poplar Street Bridge

The Poplar Street Bridge, officially the Bernard F. Dickmann Bridge, completed in 1967, is a long deck girder bridge across the Mississippi River between St. Louis, Missouri and East St. Louis, Illinois...

over the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

in St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

Route description

Interstate 55 enters Missouri at the Arkansas border near Cooter

Cooter, Missouri

Cooter is a city in Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States. The population was 440 at the 2000 census.-History:According to Houck's History of Missouri the town of Cooter was named in 1854 for the Coutre family, early settlers to the area. The Coutres are believed to have emigrated from France in...

. It runs northward through mostly flat land in the Bootheel

Bootheel

The Missouri Bootheel is the southeasternmost part of the state of Missouri, extending south of 36°30’ north latitude, so called because its shape in relation to the rest of the state resembles the heel of a boot. Strictly speaking, it is composed of the counties of Dunklin, New Madrid, and Pemiscot...

, where it has an interchange with U.S. Route 412

U.S. Route 412

U.S. Route 412 is an east–west United States highway, first commissioned in 1982. Its route number is a "violation" of the usual AASHTO numbering scheme, as it comes nowhere near its implied "parent", US 12. U.S...

and Interstate 155. The highway continues over flat land through or near the towns of Hayti

Hayti, Missouri

Hayti is a city in Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,207 at the 2000 census.In 1955, a small earthquake broke windows in the village.- Geography :Hayti is located at ....

, Portageville

Portageville, Missouri

Portageville is a city in New Madrid and Pemiscot counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 3,295 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Portageville is located at , primarily in New Madrid County....

, and New Madrid

New Madrid, Missouri

New Madrid is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at...

before reaching an interchange with U.S. Route 60

U.S. Route 60

U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...

and Interstate 57

Interstate 57

Interstate 57 is an Interstate Highway in Missouri and Illinois that parallels the old Illinois Central rail line for much of its route. It goes from Miner, Missouri, at Interstate 55 to Chicago, Illinois, at Interstate 94. I-57 essentially serves as a shortcut route for travelers headed between...

just south of Sikeston

Sikeston, Missouri

Sikeston is a city located both in southern Scott County and northern New Madrid County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is geographically situated just north of the "Missouri Bootheel", although many locals consider Sikeston a part of it. By way of Interstate 55, Sikeston is close to the...

. The next interchange, U.S. Route 62

U.S. Route 62

U.S. Route 62 runs from the US-Mexico border at El Paso, Texas to Niagara Falls, New York, near the United States-Canada border. It is the only east-west US Route that connects Mexico and Canada.Parts of U.S...

, provides access into the city of Sikeston and one of its most popular attractions, Lambert's Cafe

Lambert's Cafe

Lambert's Cafe, also known as Home of the Throwed Rolls is a restaurant known for its homestyle cooking, "pass arounds", and its "throwed" [sic] dinner rolls. It is distinguished from other restaurants by its policy of providing large 32 oz...

, the "Home of the Throwed Rolls".

North of Sikeston, I-55 begins to traverse rolling terrain on its way to Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...

. Exit 95, Route 74 east, provides direct access to the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge

Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge

The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge connecting Missouri's Route 34 and Route 74 with Illinois Route 146 across the Mississippi River between Cape Girardeau, Missouri and East Cape Girardeau, Illinois....

into southern Illinois. The heart of the city of Cape Girardeau as well as Southeast Missouri State University

Southeast Missouri State University

Southeast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...

can be reached by taking either Exit 96 or Exit 99.

I-55 then goes through rural areas again as it makes a north-northwesterly run through the towns of Perryville

Perryville, Missouri

Perryville is a city in Perry County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,667 at the 2000 census. The 2008 estimated population is 8,172. It is the county seat of Perry County.-Governance:...

and Ste. Genevieve

Ste. Genevieve, Missouri

Ste. Genevieve is a city in and the county seat of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,654 at the 2000 census...

before entering the southern reaches of the St. Louis metro area at the interchange with U.S. Route 67

U.S. Route 67

U.S. Route 67 is a 1,560 mile long north–south U.S. highway in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas, where it continues south as Mexican Federal Highway 16 upon crossing the Rio Grande. The northern...

and the Twin Cities of Festus

Festus, Missouri

Festus is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,367 at the 2009 estimated census. Festus and its neighbor Crystal City are often collectively known as the "Twin Cities"; however, they are incorporated separately....

and Crystal City

Crystal City, Missouri

Crystal City is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,523 at the estimated 2009 census. It was 4,247 at the 2000 census....

. U.S. Route 61

U.S. Route 61

U.S. Route 61 is the official designation for a United States highway that runs from New Orleans, Louisiana, to the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River, and is designated the Great River Road for much of its route. As of 2004, the highway's...

and 67 run concurrently immediately east of I-55 nearly due north through the Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Missouri

Jefferson County is a county located in East Central Missouri in the United States. The county was included as the mean center of U.S. population in 1980. It is the sixth most-populous county in Missouri. Census 2010 put the population at 218,733 Its county seat is Hillsboro. The county was...

towns of Herculaneum

Herculaneum, Missouri

Herculaneum is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population estimate in 2008 was 3,582. It was 2,805 at the 2000 census. The City of Herculaneum was the first county seat of Jefferson County from January 1, 1819 to 1839. The city celebrated its Bicentennial throughout the...

, Pevely

Pevely, Missouri

Pevely is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The 2009 estimated population is 5,883. The population was 3,768 at the 2000 census. Charles S...

(where the interstate expands from 4 lanes to 6), Barnhart

Barnhart, Missouri

Barnhart is a census-designated place in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,631 in the estimated 2007 census. It was 6,108 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Barnhart is located at ....

(and then to 8), Imperial

Imperial, Missouri

Imperial is a census-designated place in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The estimated population in 2007 was 4,747. It was 4,373 at the 2000 census. It was originally known as West Kimmswick, and is roughly 25 driving minutes south of St. Louis. St...

, and finally Arnold

Arnold, Missouri

Arnold is the largest city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was estimated to be 20,603 in 2008, slightly more than the 19,965 number reported in the 2000 census.-Geography:Arnold is located at...

before crossing the Meramec River into St. Louis County

St. Louis County, Missouri

St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area wherein the independent City of St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois all...

.

From Richardson Road in Arnold to I-270

Interstate 270 (Illinois-Missouri)

Interstate 270 makes up a large portion of the outer belt freeway in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area. The counterclockwise terminus of I-270 is at the junction with Interstate 55 in Mehlville, Missouri; the clockwise terminus of the freeway is at the junction with I-55 and I-70 north of...

, I-55 is 10 lanes wide. The interstate narrows back down to 8 lanes past I-270, through southern St. Louis County, and into the city of St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

. In the last few miles of I-55 in the state of Missouri, there is an interchange with Interstate 44

Interstate 44

Interstate 44 is a major highway in the central United States. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at a concurrency with US 277, US 281 and US 287; its eastern terminus is at the Illinois state line on the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River in St...

before reaching the Poplar Street Bridge

Poplar Street Bridge

crossing into Illinois.

Current construction

Missouri Department of Transportation is currently working to widen Interstate 55 to six lanes between Route Z and Route M in Jefferson County. Also being improved is the I-55 & M interchange, with the old southbound entrance loop ramp being replaced with a new slip ramp accessible via a new roundabout

Roundabout

A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...

from Metropolitan Blvd. The current southbound exit ramp will be straightened to remove the S-curve as well.

The Delor Ave. bridge over I-55 is scheduled to be demolished in March 2011 by MoDOT, with the replacement scheduled to be open by Fall 2011.

Sponsorship controversy

The white supremacy group Ku Klux Klan

Ku Klux Klan

Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...

began fighting several court battles with the state of Missouri after the state disputed its right to sponsor a stretch of freeway in Saint Louis County and Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Missouri

, near St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

. In March 2001, after a U.S. District Court judge found that blocking the Klan's sponsorship was unconstitutional, the Court of Appeals ruled that the state must erect signs announcing the group's sponsorship. However, the Missouri Legislature later voted to rename the stretch of I-55 the "Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....

Freeway" in honor of the Montgomery civil rights hero who began the Montgomery bus boycott

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign that started in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, intended to oppose the city's policy of racial segregation on its public transit system. Many important figures in the civil rights movement were involved in the boycott,...

. When asked how she felt about this honor, she is reported to have commented, "It is always nice to be thought of." The Klan were eventually dropped from the scheme on April 4, 2001, on the grounds that for the duration of their sponsorship, they had not once cleaned the freeway.

Exit list

{| class=wikitable
|-
!County
!Location
!Mile
!#

Exit number

An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....

!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=7|Pemiscot

Pemiscot County, Missouri

Pemiscot County is a county located in the Bootheel in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 20,047. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 18,515. The largest city and county seat is Caruthersville...

|
|
|1
|
|
|-
|
|
|4
|
|
|-
|
| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|8
| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|South end of US 61 overlap
|-
|
|
|14
|
|
|-
|
|
|17
|, Dyersburg

Dyersburg, Tennessee

Dyersburg is a city in and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States, north-northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 17,145 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Dyersburg is located at...

, Hayti

Hayti, Missouri

Hayti is a city in Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,207 at the 2000 census.In 1955, a small earthquake broke windows in the village.- Geography :Hayti is located at ....

, Kennett

Kennett, Missouri

Kennett is a city in Dunklin County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2000 census, but a 2008 estimate indicates a 4.9% decrease in population to 10,707. Kennett is the county seat of Dunklin County...

|Signed as exits 17A (east) and 17B (west)
|-
|Hayti

Hayti, Missouri

Hayti is a city in Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,207 at the 2000 census.In 1955, a small earthquake broke windows in the village.- Geography :Hayti is located at ....

|
|19
|
|
|-
|
|
|27
|
|
|-
|rowspan=6|New Madrid

New Madrid County, Missouri

New Madrid County is a county located in the Bootheel of southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 Census, the county's population was 19,760. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 17,589. The largest city and county seat is New Madrid...

|Portageville

Portageville, Missouri

Marston, Missouri

Marston is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 610 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Marston is located at ....

|
|40
|
|
|-
|New Madrid

New Madrid, Missouri

|
|44
|
|
|-
|
|
|49
|
|
|-
|
|
|52
|
|
|-
|
|
|58
|
|
|-
|rowspan=6|Scott

Scott County, Missouri

Scott County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 40,422; a 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 40,673. Its county seat is Benton...

|rowspan=3|Sikeston

Sikeston, Missouri

|
|66
|, Chicago
|Signed as exits 66A (north/east) and 66B (west)
|-
|
|67
|
|
|-
|
|69
|
|
|-
|
|
|80
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Scott City

Scott City, Missouri

Scott City is a city in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 4,591 at the 2000 census.The Scott County portion of Scott City is part of the Sikeston Micropolitan Statistical Area, while the Cape Girardeau County portion is part of the Cape...

Cape Girardeau County, Missouri

Cape Girardeau County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 75,764. While the largest city in the county is Cape Girardeau, the county seat is actually Jackson, which was the first city named in honor of President...

|rowspan=4|Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|93
| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|North end of US 61 overlap; south end of Route 74 overlap; signed as exits 93A (west) and 93B (north) northbound
|-
| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|95
| style="background:#dfd;"|
| style="background:#dfd;"|North end of Route 74 overlap
|-
|
|96
|
|
|-
|
|99
|
|
|-
|
|
|105
|
|
|-
|
|
|111
|
|
|-
|
|
|117
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Perry
|
|
|123
|
|
|-
|Perryville

Perryville, Missouri

|
|129
|
|
|-
|
|
|135
|
|
|-
|rowspan=6|Ste. Genevieve
|
|
|141
|
|
|-
|
|
|143
|
|
|-
|
|
|150
|
|
|-
|
|
|154
|
|
|-
|
|
|157
|
|
|-
|
|
|162
|
|
|-
|rowspan=9|Jefferson

Jefferson County, Missouri

|
|
|170
|
|
|-
|Crystal City

Crystal City, Missouri

Crystal City is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,523 at the estimated 2009 census. It was 4,247 at the 2000 census....

|
|174
|
|Signed as exits 174A (north) and 174B (south)
|-
|Festus

Festus, Missouri

|
|175
|
|
|-
|Herculaneum

Herculaneum, Missouri

|
|178
|
|
|-
|Pevely

Pevely, Missouri

Pevely is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The 2009 estimated population is 5,883. The population was 3,768 at the 2000 census. Charles S...

|
|180
|
|
|-
|Barnhart

Barnhart, Missouri

|
|185
||
|-
|Imperial

Imperial, Missouri

Arnold, Missouri

|
|190
|Richardson Road
|Signed as Richardson Road/Vogel Road southbound
|-
|
|191
|
|
|-
|rowspan=8|St. Louis County

St. Louis County, Missouri

|
|
|193
|Meramec Bottom Road
|
|-
|
|
|195
|Butler Hill Road
|
|-
|
|
|196
| – Chicago, Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

| style="background:#fdd;"|
| style="background:#fdd;"|202A
| style="background:#fdd;"|Carondelet Boulevard
| style="background:#fdd;"|Northbound exit and southbound entrance
|- style="background:#fdd;"
| style="background:#fdd;"|
||202B
||Germania Avenue
||Southbound exit and northbound entrance
|-
|
|202C
|Loughborough Avenue
|
|-
|
|203
|Virginia Avenue, Bates Street
|
|-
|
|204
|4500 South Broadway
|
|- style="background:#fdd;"
| style="background:#fdd;"|
||205
||Gasconade Street
||Southbound exit and northbound entrance
|- style="background:#fdd;"
| style="background:#fdd;"|
||206A
||Potomac Street
||Northbound exit and southbound entrance
|- style="background:#fdd;"
| style="background:#fdd;"|
||206B
||3200 South Broadway
||Northbound exit and southbound entrance
|-
|
|206C
|Arsenal Street
|
|- style="background:#fdd;"
| style="background:#fdd;"|
||207A
||Gravois Avenue
||Northbound exit and southbound entrance
|-
|
|207B
| – Tulsa

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...

|Signed as exit 207 southbound
|-
|
|290C
|12th Street, Gravois Avenue
|Southbound exit and northbound entrance
|-
|
|207C
|Truman Parkway
|Northbound exit and southbound entrance
|-
|
|208
|Park Avenue, 7th Street
|
|-
|
|251C
|Memorial Drive – Downtown St. Louis

Downtown St. Louis

Downtown St. Louis is the central business district of St. Louis, Missouri, the hub of tourism and entertainment, and the anchor of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The downtown is bounded by Cole Street to the north, the river front to the east, Chouteau Avenue to the south, and Jefferson Avenue...

, Gateway Arch

Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch, or Gateway to the West, is an arch that is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States...

, Busch Stadium

Busch Stadium

Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...

Poplar Street Bridge

over the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

(state line)

External links

The Name Game, at Snopes.com.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.