Interstate 40

Interstate 40
source
Country	USA
Route	40
Length mi	2556.61
Length km	4114.46
Direction a	West
Terminus a	U.S. Route 101 in Barstow, California
Direction b	East
Terminus b	U.S. Route 117 / NC 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina
States	California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina
System	Interstate Highway System

Interstate 40 is a major east–west transcontinental highway in the United States, stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Spanning over 2,500 miles, it connects the deserts of the Southwestern United States to the forests of the Appalachian Mountains. The highway serves as a critical artery for commerce and travel, linking major cities like Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, Memphis, and Raleigh.

Route description

Beginning at its western terminus at U.S. Route 101 in Barstow, California, the route traverses the Mojave Desert before crossing the Colorado River into Arizona. It passes through Flagstaff near the San Francisco Peaks and the Grand Canyon, then continues east across the Painted Desert and into New Mexico, serving Albuquerque and paralleling historic U.S. Route 66. In the Texas Panhandle, it cuts through Amarillo and the Llano Estacado, entering Oklahoma and passing Oklahoma City and the University of Oklahoma in Norman. The highway crosses the Arkansas River into Arkansas, serving Little Rock and Fort Smith before crossing the Mississippi River at Memphis. It then traverses Tennessee, connecting Nashville and Knoxville through the Cumberland Plateau before entering North Carolina. Its final segment winds through the Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Smoky Mountains near Asheville, eventually terminating at U.S. Route 117 in Wilmington, North Carolina.

History

The highway's genesis lies in the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which authorized the construction of the Interstate Highway System. Much of its western alignment from Barstow to Oklahoma City was built over or alongside the historic path of U.S. Route 66, a legendary roadway celebrated in American culture. Key construction milestones included the opening of the Hernando de Soto Bridge over the Mississippi River at Memphis in 1973 and the completion of the final segment through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park corridor in the late 1960s. A significant modern event was the 2020 collapse of a bridge over the Pigeon River in Haywood County due to Hurricane Delta, which required extensive reconstruction.

Major junctions

From west to east, primary junctions include its western terminus at U.S. Route 101 in Barstow, California; interchanges with Interstate 15 in Barstow and Interstate 17 in Flagstaff; a confluence with Interstate 25 in Albuquerque; a junction with Interstate 35 in Oklahoma City; a meeting with Interstate 30 in North Little Rock; a major crossing at Interstate 55 in West Memphis; interchanges with Interstate 65 and Interstate 24 in Nashville; a junction with Interstate 75 in Knoxville; and its eastern terminus at U.S. Route 117 in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Auxiliary routes

Several three-digit auxiliary routes support the mainline. These include I-140 and I-240 around Asheville; I-440 in Little Rock; I-440 in Raleigh; I-440 in Nashville; I-540 in Fort Smith; and Interstate 640 in Knoxville. Other notable routes are I-240 in Oklahoma City, I-840 around Nashville, and the business loops associated with former U.S. Route 66 alignments in cities like Albuquerque and Amarillo.

See also

* U.S. Route 66 * Interstate Highway System * Pan-American Highway * List of Interstate Highways * American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

Category:Interstate Highways Category:Transportation in California Category:Transportation in North Carolina