Interstate 40 in Arkansas

This article is about the section of highway in Arkansas. For the entire length of highway, see Interstate 40.

Interstate 40 (I-40) is an east–west Interstate Highway that has a 284.69-mile (458.16 km) section in the U.S. state of Arkansas, connecting Oklahoma to Tennessee. The route enters Arkansas from the west just north of the Arkansas River near Dora. It travels eastward across the northern portion of the state, connecting the cities of Fort Smith, Clarksville, Russellville, Morrilton, Conway, North Little Rock, Forrest City, and West Memphis. I-40 continues into Tennessee, heading through Memphis. The highway has major junctions with I-540 at Van Buren (the main highway connecting to Fort Smith), I-49 at Alma (the main highway connecting to Fayetteville and Bentonville), I-30 in North Little Rock (the Interstate linking south to Texarkana and Dallas, Texas), and I-55 to Blytheville.

Interstate 40
I-40 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ArDOT
Length	284.69 mi^[1] (458.16 km)
NHS	Entire route
Major junctions
West end	I-40 at Oklahoma state line
Major intersections	I-540 / US 71 in Van Buren I-49 / US 71 in Alma I-430 in North Little Rock I-30 / US 65 / US 67 / US 167 in North Little Rock Future I-57 / US 67 / US 167 in North Little Rock I-440 / AR 440 in North Little Rock I-55 / US 61 / US 64 in West Memphis
East end	I-40 at Tennessee state line
Location
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
Counties	Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Pope, Conway, Faulkner, Pulaski, Lonoke, Prairie, Monroe, St. Francis, Crittenden
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Arkansas Highway System Interstate US State Business Spurs Suffixed Scenic Heritage
← AR 39 → AR 41

For the majority of its routing through Arkansas, I-40 follows the historic alignment of two separate U.S. Highways. From Oklahoma to Little Rock, I-40 generally follows U.S. Highway 64 through the Ozark Mountains. East of Little Rock, the route generally follows the routing of US 70 until the Tennessee state line.

Route description

Oklahoma to Little Rock

 

I-540/US 71 run south from I-40 at exit 7 in Van Buren, providing access to the larger city of Fort Smith.^[2]

 

I-30 begins at I-40/US 65/AR 107 and runs south at I-30/US 65/US 67/US 167.

I-40 enters Arkansas from Oklahoma at Dora in Crawford County.^[2] It heads east into Van Buren, giving access to Fort Smith as well across the Arkansas River to the south. Access is primarily via I-540/US 71, which was built as a southern spur to Fort Smith in the 1970s. I-40 overlaps with US 71, forming a concurrency until the alignment of I-49 breaks north to Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville, and its northern Arkansas terminus in Bella Vista, with US 71 breaking away shortly afterward at another interchange.^[3][4] The route continues to parallel US 64 into the Ozark Mountains by entering Franklin County and providing access to the Pig Trail Scenic Byway in Ozark.^[5] I-40 runs through Clarksville (where it has a junction with US 64), passes over part of Lake Dardanelle, and meets Highway 7 (AR 7) in Russellville.^[6][7] I-40 continues to the east through Morrilton before turning south to Conway and Faulkner County.^[8][9] In Conway, I-40 forms a concurrency with US 65 at exit 125, which will continue until exit 153A in Little Rock. The highway also has another junction with US 64 and U.S. Highway 65 Business (US 65B) in Conway before passing Lake Conway and entering the Little Rock metropolitan area.^[9]

Little Rock to Tennessee

 

In West Memphis, Arkansas, I-40 is designated as a Blue Star Memorial Highway.

Now in Pulaski County, I-40 heads toward the south-southeast as it heads to the town of Maumelle. It continues toward this direction until it reaches I-430, which provides access along the westside of Little Rock.^[10] Further southeast near the Arkansas River, the route has a high volume interchange as the northern terminus of I-30 as well as concurrent routes with US 67/US 167; US 65 turns south at this intersection, breaking the concurrency formed in Conway.^[10] I-40 (now concurrent with US 67 and US 167) continues east for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) before the US 67/US 167 concurrency turns north as a separate northeasterly expressway.^[10] From this point onward, I-40 begins to parallel US 70 rather than US 64, which was a more or less a parallel route until Conway. The Interstate continues to the east to intersect the concurrency of I-440/AR 440 before entering Lonoke County.^[10] Passing through Lonoke, the route runs through rural Arkansas with straight alignments and relatively few junctions, forming an overlap with US 63 in Hazen until meeting US 49/AR 17 in Brinkley.^[11][12][13] Upon entering St. Francis County, I-40 runs northeast to Forrest City, where it intersects with AR 1.^[14] Continuing northeast, I-40 enters Crittenden County, where it intersects with US 79 at Shearerville and enters West Memphis.^[15]

The highway continues to the northeast to an interchange with I-55, and the two routes form a concurrency east for 3.1 miles (5.0 km). I-40 continues east onto the Hernando de Soto Bridge over the Mississippi River. The Tennessee border is at the midpoint of the river, and Memphis, Tennessee, begins at the eastside of the bridge.^[15]

History

Exit list

County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Crawford	Fort Smith	0.00	0.00		I-40 west – Oklahoma City	Continuation into Oklahoma
		0.03– 0.70	0.048– 1.13	1	Dora, Fort Smith	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	Van Buren	3.12	5.02	3	Lee Creek Road
		5.26	8.47	5	AR 59 – Van Buren, Siloam Springs
		7.35	11.83	7	I-540 south / US 71 south – Van Buren, Fort Smith	Western end of US 71 concurrency; I-540 south to US 271; I-540 exits 1A-B, northern terminus; tri-stack interchange.
	Alma	12.26	19.73	12	I-49 – Fayetteville, Texarkana	I-49 to I-40 east exit 20; temporary southern end of I-49 segment; to use AR 549 freeway in Fort Smith; I-49 south to Texarkana not yet built besides AR 549. Former northern branch of I-540; Proposed southern extension of Arkansas 549 Future I-49 as a super two-lane expressway starts late 2024 and should be completed by 2030
		13.25	21.32	13	US 71 north – Alma	Eastern end of US 71 concurrency
	Mulberry	20.00	32.19	20	Dyer, Mulberry
		23.95	38.54	24	AR 215 – Mulberry
Franklin	Ozark	34.52	55.55	35	AR 23 – Ozark, Huntsville
		37.26	59.96	37	AR 219 – Ozark
	Wiederkehr Village	40.83	65.71	41	AR 186 – Altus
Johnson	​	46.40	74.67	47	AR 164 – Hartman, Coal Hill
	Clarksville	54.70	88.03	55	US 64 to AR 109 – Hartman, Scranton, Clarksville
		57.01	91.75	57	Crawford Street
		58.05	93.42	58	AR 103 to AR 21 – Clarksville
	Lamar	63.68	102.48	64	US 64 – Lamar
	Knoxville	66.47	106.97	67	AR 315 – Knoxville
Pope	London	73.84	118.83	74	AR 333 – London
		77.61	124.90	78	US 64 – Russellville
	Russellville	80.90	130.20	81	AR 7 (Arkansas Avenue) – Russellville	Arkansas Scenic 7 Byway
		82.99	133.56	83	AR 124 (Weir Road)	Former AR 326
		83.97	135.14	84	AR 331 to US 64 – Russellville
	Pottsville	87.99	141.61	88	AR 363 – Pottsville
	Atkins	93.71	150.81	94	AR 105 – Atkins
Conway	​	100.53	161.79	101	Blackwell
	Morrilton	106.33	171.12	107	AR 95 – Morrilton
		107.83	173.54	108	AR 9 – Morrilton
	Plumerville	112.33	180.78	112	AR 92 north – Plumerville
	Menifee	117.37	188.89	117	Menifee
Faulkner	Conway	123.40	198.59	124	AR 25 north – Conway, Wooster	As of May 1, 2008 this exit now includes on-ramps and off-ramps in both directions.
		124.94	201.07	125	US 65 north / US 65B south – Greenbrier, Harrison, Conway	Western end of US 65 concurrency
		126.59	203.73	127	US 64 – Vilonia, Conway, Beebe
		128.53	206.85	129	US 65B north / AR 286 (Dave Ward Drive) to AR 60	Signed as exits 129A (east) and 129B (north/west) westbound
	Gold Creek	132.14	212.66	132	AR 365 – Gold Creek
	Mayflower	135.27	217.70	135	AR 89 to AR 365 – Mayflower
Pulaski	​	142.17	228.80	142	AR 365 – Morgan, Maumelle
	North Little Rock	147.18– 147.42	236.86– 237.25	147	I-430 south – Texarkana	I-430 exits 13A-B
		148.01	238.20	148	AR 100 (Crystal Hill Road)
		150.16	241.66	150	Burns Park
		151.85	244.38	152	AR 365 – Levy	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		151.91	244.48	152A	AR 176 – Levy	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		152.70	245.75	153A	AR 107 north (JFK Boulevard)	No eastbound entrance from northbound JFK Boulevard; southern terminus of AR 107
		153.02	246.26	153B	I-30 west / US 65 south / US 67 south / US 167 south – Little Rock	Eastern terminus of I-30; eastern end of US 65 concurrency; western end of US 67/US 167 concurrency; I-30 exits 143A-B; left exit westbound.
		154.11	248.02	154	Lakewood	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		154.61	248.82	155	Future I-57 north / US 67 north / US 167 north – Little Rock AFB, Jacksonville	Eastern end of US 67/US 167 concurrency; future southern terminus of I-57
		155.55	250.33	156	Springhill Drive — Baptist Health Medical Center-NLR
		156.32	251.57	157	Protho Junction	Former AR 161
		158.73	255.45	159	I-440 west / AR 440 east – Jacksonville, Texarkana	I-440 exits 11A-B.
		160.60	258.46	161	AR 391 – Galloway
Lonoke	​	164.58	264.87	165	Kerr Road
	​	168.35	270.93	169	AR 15 (Remington Road)
	Lonoke	172.87	278.21	173	AR 89 – Lonoke
		174.35	280.59	175	AR 31 – Lonoke, Beebe
	Carlisle	182.25	293.30	183	AR 13 – Carlisle
Prairie	Hazen	192.93	310.49	193	US 63 south / AR 11 – Hazen, Des Arc	Western end of US 63 concurrency
	​	201.91	324.94	202	AR 33 – Biscoe, De Valls Bluff
Monroe	Brinkley	215.42	346.68	216	US 49 / US 63 north to AR 17 – Brinkley, Cotton Plant	Eastern end of US 63 concurrency
St. Francis	Wheatley	220.70	355.18	221	AR 78 – Wheatley, Marianna
	Palestine	232.88	374.78	233	AR 261 – Palestine
	​	238.72	384.18	239	AR 1 – Wynne, Marianna
	Forrest City	240.40	386.89	241	AR 1B – Forrest City, Wynne	Signed as exits 241A (south) and 241B (north)
		241.42	388.53	242	AR 284 (Crowley's Ridge Road)
	​	246.70	397.03	247	AR 38 east – Hughes, Widener
	​	255.86	411.77	256	AR 75 – Parkin
	​	259.51	417.64	260	AR 149 – Earle
Crittenden	Jennette	264.67	425.95	265	AR 218 to US 79 – Jennette, Hughes
	West Memphis	270.78	435.78	271	AR 147 – LeHi, Horseshoe Lake
		274.81	442.26	275	AR 118 (College Boulevard)
		276.14	444.40	276	To AR 77 (Missouri Street) / Rich Road	Eastbound exit only
		276.70	445.31	277	I-55 / US 61 / US 64 west – Blytheville, Jonesboro, St. Louis	Western end of I-55/US 61/US 64 concurrency, south exit 8
		277.22	446.14	278	AR 77 (Missouri Street) / AR 191 (7th Street)
		279.11	449.18	5	Ingram Boulevard	Exit number follows I-55; provides access for motorists merging onto I-40 from I-55
		279.37	449.60	279B	I-55 / US 61 south / US 64 east – Memphis, Jackson MS	Eastern end of I-55/US 61/US 64 concurrency, north exit 5; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		278.97	448.96	279A	Ingram Boulevard
		280.18	450.91	280	Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Drive
		280.68	451.71	281	AR 131 (Mound City Road)	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Mississippi River		284.03	457.10	Hernando de Soto Bridge Arkansas–Tennessee line
					I-40 east – Memphis, Nashville	Continuation into Tennessee
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

References

1. Planning and Research Division (2010). . Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Archived from the original (Database) on June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
2. (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
3. General Highway Map, Washington County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
4. (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 7, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
5. General Highway Map, Franklin County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
6. General Highway Map, Johnson County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
7. General Highway Map, Pope County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2006. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
8. General Highway Map, Conway County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
9. General Highway Map, Faulkner County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
10. (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 7, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
11. General Highway Map, Lonoke County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
12. (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
13. (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 26, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
14. (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 13, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
15. (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2011.

External links

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Interstate 40
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