U.S. Route 79 in Tennessee

U.S. Route 79 (US 79) in Tennessee enters the state from Arkansas via the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge in Memphis, and runs northeast through western and the northwestern portions of middle Tennessee, and leaving the state into Kentucky northeast of Clarksville. Along the route, US 79 is accompanied with several concurrencies, including hidden designations, throughout its alignment in Tennessee.

U.S. Route 79 marker
U.S. Route 79
Map
US 79 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by TDOT
Length209.83 mi (337.69 km)
Existed1944–present
Major junctions
West end I-55 / US 61 / US 64 / US 70 / US 78 / US 79 at the Arkansas state line/Mississippi River in Memphis
Major intersections
North end US 79 at the Kentucky state line northeast of Clarksville
Location
CountryUnited States
StateTennessee
CountiesShelby, Fayette, Tipton, Haywood, Crockett, Gibson, Carroll, Henry, Stewart, Montgomery
Highway system
SR 78 SR 79

Route description

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Map showing the route of US 79 in downtown Memphis.

Memphis to Brownsville

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From I-55, US 79 continues to follow US 61/64/70 (SR 1) on E.H. Crump Boulevard. US 64/70/79 then turns north onto Danny Thomas Boulevard northward, then it makes a right turn onto Union Avenue, where US 51 (SR 3) gets involved in the concurrency until Bellevue Boulevard. US 64/70/79 then joins SR 277 northward until the U.S. routes turn onto Summer Avenue eastward. US 64 splits from US 70/79 at their intersection with SR 15 in Bartlett, in northeastern Shelby County.

US 79 continues to run concurrently with US 70 (SR 1) from here until Brownsville, in Haywood County. In Brownsville, US 70/79 joins the Ah Gray/C.A. Rawls Bypass with SR 19. The intersection with Anderson Avenue marks the beginning of US 79's long concurrency with SR 76, while the overlaps with SR 19 and US 70/SR 1 both end at the intersections with Jefferson Street and East Main Street, respectively. US 79/SR 76 begins a concurrency with US 70A at that point.[1]

Brownsville to Paris Landing

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US 79/70A (SR 76) continues northeastward to have major junctions with US 412, US 45W and US 45E in the towns of Bells, Humboldt, and Milan, respectively. US 70A becomes a standalone route in Atwood. US 79 continues northeast to McKenzie and Paris. US 79 is the main thoroughfare accessing Paris Landing State Park before crossing the Tennessee River.[2][3]

Tennessee River to Kentucky state line

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After entering Stewart County, US 79 becomes known as Donelson Parkway, and forms a portion of the southern boundary of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area before entering Dover, where it crosses the Cumberland River, and then continues eastward to Clarksville. It then becomes known as Dover Road between the Stewart-Montgomery County line and the city of Clarksville.[4]

US 79 then runs concurrently with US 41A on the northwestern side of Clarksville, and it then turns left to bypass the downtown area, while beginning its concurrency with SR 13 for the remainder of its path to the Kentucky state line. Wilma Rudolph Boulevard is the name given to the portion of U.S. Route 79 between the Red River (Lynnwood-Tarpley) bridge near the Kraft Street intersection and I-24’s exit 4 interchange.

The highway then enters Todd County, Kentucky after exiting the city of Clarksville. The state line coincides with the northern terminus of SR 13.

Concurrency list

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U.S. 79 runs concurrently with the following interstate and U.S. routes:

Additionally, all areas of US 79 run concurrently with Tennessee state routes throughout its course through the state as “hidden,” or secret designations as the state routes are not signed. They include:

  •   SR 1 from Memphis to Brownsville (in association with US 70)
  •   SR 3 in downtown Memphis (in association with US 51)
  •   SR 59 from Braden to Mason
  •   SR 76 from Brownsville to Clarksville
  •   SR 77 from Milan to Atwood
  •   SR 12 in Clarksville (in association with US 41A)
  •   SR 48 through Clarksville
  •   SR 13 from downtown Clarksville to the Kentucky state line

History

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US 79 did not have any presence in Tennessee or southern Kentucky until it was routed into the state in 1944. Until then, the route ended in West Memphis, Arkansas, and US 79's current route in Tennessee was signed solely as SR 76 from Brownsville to Clarksville, and SR 13 from Clarksville to the Kentucky line.[5]

The section of US 79 in Clarksville between the Lynnwood-Tarpley Bridge and the I-24 interchange was originally naned the Guthrie Highway, for nearby Guthrie, Kentucky, until 1994, when it was renamed Wilma Rudolph Boulevard. This was done to honor Wilma Rudolph, an Olympic runner from Clarksville, who won three gold medals in the 1960 Rome Summer Olympic Games in Italy.[6]

Major intersections

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The mileposts listed in the following table is only an estimated calculation. Actual mile markers may vary and subject to change due to any future reroutings that may occur.

CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
Mississippi River0.000.00 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I-55 north / US 61 north / US 64 west / US 70 west / US 79 south – West Memphis, St. Louis, MO
Continuation into Arkansas
Memphis & Arkansas Bridge; Arkansas state line; begin concurrency with unsigned SR 1
see U.S. Route 70
HaywoodBrownsville65.4105.3 
 
US 70 east (East Main Street/SR 1 east) – Jackson
Eastern end of US 70/SR 1 concurrency; western end of   US 70A concurrency; western terminus of US 70A; concurrency with unsigned SR 76 began during US 79’s concurrency with US 70 and SR 1.
66.6107.2 
 
SR 369 south (North Washington Avenue) – Downtown Brownsville
Northern terminus of SR 369
CrockettBells77.7125.0 
 
SR 88 west (Main Street) – Alamo
Southern end of SR 88 concurrency
77.9125.4 
 
SR 88 east (Central Avenue)
Northern end of SR 88 concurrency
79.3–
79.5
127.6–
127.9
  US 412 (SR 20) – Dyersburg, JacksonInterchange
Gadsden84.8136.5 
 
SR 221 west (Quincy Street) – Alamo
Eastern terminus of SR 221
GibsonHumboldt88.9143.1 
 
 
 
 
 
US 79 Byp. north / US 70A Byp. east (SR 366 east)
Western terminus of US 79 Bypass/US 70A Bypass/SR 366
90.1145.0 
 
 
US 45W Bus. north (Central Avenue/SR 5 north)
Southern end of US 45W Business concurrency
90.6145.8 
 
 
US 45W Bus. south (Main Street/SR 5 south)
Northern end of US 45W Business/SR 5 concurrency
90.9146.3  SR 152 (Mitchell Street) – Medina
92.0148.1  
 
 
 
US 45W / US 79 Byp. / US 70A Byp. (SR 366) – Union City, Jackson
Eastern terminus of US 79 Byp./US 70A Bypass
93.8151.0 
 
SR 187 east
Western terminus of SR 187
Gibson96.0154.5  SR 186 (Main Street) – Trenton, Three Way
Milan101.9164.0  US 45E (South 1st Street/SR 43/SR 77 west/SR 104) – Martin, JacksonSouthern end of SR 77 concurrency
103.8167.0 
 
SR 425 west (Middle Road)
Eastern terminus of SR 425
CarrollAtwood107.7173.3 
 
SR 220 south (Church Street)
Northern terminus of SR 220
108.3174.3 
 
US 70A east (SR 77 east) – Huntingdon
Northern end of US 70A/SR 77 concurrency
Trezevant121.8196.0  SR 105 (Main Street) – Bradford, McLemoresville
McKenzie131.5211.6 
 
SR 436 south (Cherrywood Avenue) – McLemoresville
Northern terminus of SR 436
132.0212.4 
 
SR 124 west (Cedar Street/Old McKenzie Road) – Downtown, Greenfield
132.4213.1 
 
SR 423 east (Shiloh Road)
Western terminus of SR 423
133.4–
133.6
214.7–
215.0
  SR 22 – Dresden, HuntingdonInterchange
HenryParis146.4235.6  SR 218 (Highway 218 Bypass)Beltway around Paris
148.2238.5  US 641 (Veterans Drive/Mineral Wells Avenue/SR 69) – Paris Business District, Camden
149.0239.8 
 
SR 356 west (East Wood Street)
Old US 79/SR 76; eastern terminus of SR 356
152.3245.1 
 
SR 218 west (Highway 218 Bypass)
Southern end of SR 218 concurrency; beltway around Paris
155.3249.9 
 
SR 218 east (Buchanan Road) – Buchanan
Northern end of SR 218 concurrency
162.4261.4 
 
SR 140 west – Buchanan
Eastern terminus of SR 140
Paris Landing State Park165.0265.5 
 
SR 119 north – Murray (KY)
Southern terminus of SR 119
Tennessee River
(Kentucky Lake)
166.1–
166.8
267.3–
268.4
Governor Ned R. McWherter Bridge
StewartLand Between the Lakes National Recreation Area170.8274.9 
 
SR 232 south – McKinnon
Northern terminus of SR 232
Dover177.6285.8 
 
SR 461 north (The Trace) – Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area
Southern terminus of SR 461
179.6289.0 
 
SR 49 east (Spring Street) – Tennessee Ridge, Erin
Western terminus of SR 49
166.1–
166.8
267.3–
268.4
US 79 Bridge over Cumberland River
Big Rock188.5303.4 
 
SR 120 north – Bumpus Mills, Cadiz (KY)
Southern terminus of SR 120
192.0309.0  SR 46 (Red Top Road) – Cumberland CityWestern terminus of SR 46
MontgomeryWoodlawn199.8321.5 
 
SR 233 south (Lylewood Road) – Cumberland City
Northern terminus of SR 233
203.9328.1 
 
SR 374 east (Paul B. Huff Memorial Parkway)
Western terminus of SR 374; interchange; partial beltway around Clarksville
Clarksville207.6334.1 
 
US 41A north (Fort Campbell Boulevard/SR 12 north) – Oak Grove, Fort Campbell, Hopkinsville
Southern end of US 41A/SR 12 concurrency
209.4337.0 
 
 
 
US 41A south (N 2nd Street/SR 76 north) / US 41A Byp. (N Riverside Drive/SR 12 south/SR 13 south) – Downtown Clarksville
Northern terminus of US 41A Bypass; Southern end of SR 13 concurrency; northern end of US 41A/SR 12 concurrency
211.1339.7 
 
SR 48 south (College Street)
Southern end of SR 48 concurrency
212.4341.8Dunbar Cave Road – Dunbar Cave State Park
213.3343.3 
 
SR 48 north (Trenton Road) – Trenton, KY
Northern end of SR 48 concurrency
214.1344.6  SR 374 (101st Airborne Division Parkway)Single-point urban interchange; partial beltway around Clarksville
216.2–
216.4
347.9–
348.3
  I-24 – Nashville, PaducahI-24 Exit 4
221.7356.8 
 
US 79 north (Russellville Road) – Guthrie, Russellville
Continuation into Kentucky; northern end of SR 13 concurrency
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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References

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KML is not from Wikidata
  1. ^ Tennessee Department of Transportation (2017). Tennessee's Official Transportation Map [front] (PDF) (Map) (2017 ed.). Nashville: Tennessee Department of Transportation. § D2 and D3. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  2. ^ Rand McNally (2016). "Tennessee" (Map). The Road Atlas (2016 Walmart ed.). 1 in≈19 mi. Chicago: Rand McNally. p. 94. §§ C6-C7, D5-D6, E4-D5. ISBN 0-528-01329-7.
  3. ^ Tennessee Department of Transportation (2017). Tennessee's Official Transportation Map [front] (PDF) (Map) (2017 ed.). Nashville: Tennessee Department of Transportation. § A5, B4-B5, C3-C4, and D4. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  4. ^ /Tennessee Department of Transportation (2017). Tennessee's Official Transportation Map [front] (PDF) (Map) (2017 ed.). Nashville: Tennessee Department of Transportation. § A5 and A6. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  5. ^ Rand McNally Road Atlas 1959, page 34.
  6. ^ “Leaders of Afro-American Nashville”. Archived from the original on July 14, 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2017.


  U.S. Route 79
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