Jefferson Highway

For the Jefferson Highway from Richmond to Staunton, Virginia, see Jefferson Highway (Virginia). For the one in Oregon, see Jefferson Highway (Oregon).

Jefferson Highway
Major junctions
From:	New Orleans, Louisiana
To:	Winnipeg, Manitoba
Highway system
Auto trail

The Jefferson Highway was an automobile highway stretching through the central United States from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Jefferson Highway was replaced with the new numbered US Highway system in the late 1920s. Portions of the highway are still named Jefferson Highway, for example, the portions that run through Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Osseo, Minnesota, and Wadena, Minnesota.

It was built in the 1910s as part of the National Auto Trail system.

The Jefferson Highway was inspired by the east–west Lincoln Highway.

It was nicknamed the "Palm to Pine Highway", for the varying types of trees found at either end.

History

1917 Obelisk marking southern end of Jefferson Highway, on the corner of St. Charles & Common Streets in the New Orleans Central Business District

There is direct evidence that the Jefferson Highway travelled along the current highway of U.S. Highway 71. In Montgomery, Louisiana, the old segments of Hwy. 71 are called Old Jefferson Highway. In Pineville, Louisiana, there is a road that connects U.S. 71 with the business route of U.S. 165/71 named Jefferson Highway. In Alexandria, Louisiana, the main part of U.S. 71 south of the traffic circle at the intersection of Business 165, 165, and 71 is called Jefferson Highway. Also, the road south of I-49 labeled Old Baton Rouge Hwy (called that because it is the old alignment of Highway 71) is also called Old Jefferson Highway. In Lecompte, Louisiana, LA 456, which is a former alignment of US 71, is called "Jefferson Highway."

Cities along the route

• Alexandria, Louisiana
• Shreveport, Louisiana
• Marshall, Texas
• Muskogee, Oklahoma
• Pittsburg, Kansas
• Baxter Springs, Kansas
• Paola, Kansas
• Lee's Summit, Missouri
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Saint Joseph, Missouri
• Des Moines, Iowa
• Ames, Iowa
• Mason City, Iowa
• Albert Lea, Minnesota
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Bemidji, Minnesota

See also

• United States Highway system
• Jefferson Lines, an intercity bus company, operates service from Texas to Winnipeg, and takes its name from the old Jefferson Highway.

External links

• Jefferson Highway Map
• Jefferson Highway
• Jefferson Lines home page
• Palm to Pine
• Welcome to the Jefferson Highway (Section of Iowa Lincoln Highway Association newsletter Summer/Fall 2000)
• More on the Jefferson Highway (Powers Museum, Carthage, Missouri)
• Jefferson Highway legal description within Minnesota, filed with the Minnesota Department of Highways on August 9, 1917
• Jefferson Highway, newspaper article on the route, hosted by Iowa Department of Transportation