# Arkansas Highway 1

Arkansas Highway 1 (AR 1) is a designation for three state highways in east Arkansas. One segment of 30.8 miles (49.6 km) runs from U.S. Route 278 (US 278) in McGehee north to US 165 at Back Gate. A second segment of 34.3 miles (55.2 km) runs from US 165 in DeWitt north to US 49 in Marvell. A third segment of 95.8 miles (154.2 km) runs from US 49 at Walnut Corner north to the Missouri state line. One of the original 1926 state highways, Highway 1 has remained very close to its original routing.

## Route description
### McGehee to Back Gate

Highway 1 begins at US 278 in downtown McGehee and runs northwest (along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks) for three blocks before turning northeast at an intersection with Highway 159. The route continues across US 65/US 165 and exits town in a northeastern direction, passing McGehee High School. Highway 1 meets Highway 4, which runs south to Arkansas City before curving north to Rohwer, which was a Japanese American internment camp during World War II. Highway 1 passes the Kemp Cotton Gin Historic District, Rowher Relocation Center, and Rohwer Relocation Center Memorial Cemetery. Continuing north, Highway 1 ceases following the railroad at Watson and runs west to US 165 at Back Gate, where it terminates.

### DeWitt to Marvell

The route begins at US 165 and Highway 1B in DeWitt and runs east. Highway 1 bypasses southeast DeWitt, and after meeting the northern terminus of Highway 1B, continues northeast. The route runs east through St. Charles before entering Monroe County, where it meets Highway 1S. This spur enters St. Charles, and terminates near the site of the Battle of Saint Charles on the White River.
Highway 1 enters southern Monroe County briefly. At Cross Roads, the route is the southern terminus of Highway 17. Highway 1 has a junction with Highway 39 and Highway 316 east of Turner. The route continues northeast to US 49 in Marvell, where it terminates.

### Walnut Corner to Missouri

The route begins at US 49 and Highway 85 at Walnut Corner and runs north. At the corner, Highway 1 turns north past the Richardson-Turner House and enters Lee County. The route has a junction with Highway 121 at Cypress Corner and continues north to Marianna.
In Marianna, Highway 1 breaks west from Highway 1B, which runs downtown through Marianna. After Highway 1B rejoins the main route, there is a 0.2 miles (0.32 km) concurrency north with US 79. Further north, Highway 1 passes Lee County Senior High and becomes four lanes briefly until Forrest City. Upon entering St. Francis County, Highway 1 enters Forrest City. The business route runs downtown, while the main route skirts the southwest edge of town. There is a parclo interchange with US 70 and an interchange with Interstate 40 (I-40). The business route meets Highway 1 in north Forrest City, and Highway 1 enters Caldwell and Colt before entering Cross County. South of Caldwell, Highway 1 is near the historic Little Telico Creek Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Highway 1 enters Wynne in Cross County. The highway has a junction with US 64, Highway 284, Highway 980, and US 64 Business, and also passes near Wynne High School. The highway continues north to Vanndale and Cherry Valley before entering Poinsett County. The route passes through marshes in southern Poinsett County before entering Harrisburg. Throughout the county, Highway 1 is paralleled by Highway 163 approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to the east and US 49 approximately 10 miles (16 km) to the west, with the Union Pacific Railroad also near. Highway 1 passes the Bacon Hotel in south Poinsett County near Whitehall, and also passes the historic Modern News Building in downtown Harrisburg.
Entering Craighead County, Highway 1 enters Jonesboro from the south. After intersecting Highway 163, the route intersects I-555 (concurrent at that freeway portion with US 49). Highway 1 becomes concurrent north with US 49 (and later US 62) until Piggott
The route leaves US 62 (Crowley's Ridge Parkway) in Piggott and runs east to the Missouri state line, where it continues as Supplemental Route BB.

## History

The route now known as Highway 1 first appears as a state highway in 1924, when the Arkansas General Assembly first created a state highway system. Arkansas State Road B-1 ran from the Louisiana state line near Wilmot north into Missouri, and was mostly unpaved. Upon creation of the U.S. Route system in 1925, the north and south portions of the highway were replaced by US 67 and US 165, respectively, shaping a more familiar Highway 1 routing. Arkansas followed the trend to number in 1926, and B-1 became Arkansas Highway 1. The route remains very true to that original course today. The route was split apart in 1941 into Highway 1 East and Highway 1 West segments from Paragould north. Highway 1 East continued north through Marmaduke and Rector. Highway 1 West traveled into Corning. By 1955, Highway 1W became Highway 135, and Highway 1E became Highway 1. US 49 overlapped Highway 1 from Jonesboro to Piggott in 1978.

## Major intersections

Mile markers reset at some concurrencies.
| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| Desha | McGehee | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 278 to US 65 – Arkansas City, Monticello | Southern terminus |
| Desha | McGehee | 0.3 | 0.48 | AR 159 north | Southern terminus of AR 159 |
| Desha | McGehee | 0.8 | 1.3 | AR 1Y north to US 65 / US 165 | Southern terminus of AR 1Y |
| Desha | ​ | 10.0 | 16.1 | AR 4 west | Eastern terminus of AR 4 |
| Desha | Kelso | 14.7 | 23.7 | AR 138 west – Winchester | Eastern terminus of AR 138 |
| Desha | Pea Ridge | 27.5 | 44.3 | AR 277 south | Northern terminus of AR 277 |
| Desha | Back Gate | 30.8 | 49.6 | US 165 – Arkansas Post National Memorial | Northern terminus |
| Gap in route ||||||
| Arkansas | DeWitt | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 165 – Dumas, Stuttgart | Southern terminus |
| Arkansas | DeWitt | 0.2 | 0.32 | AR 1B north (South Monroe Street) – DeWitt Business District | Southern terminus of AR 1B |
| Arkansas | DeWitt | 2.0 | 3.2 | AR 1B south (East 2nd Street) – DeWitt | Northern terminus of AR 1B |
| Arkansas | ​ | 6.0 | 9.7 | AR 153 south to AR 17 | Northern terminus of AR 153 |
| Arkansas | ​ | 10.2 | 16.4 | AR 153 north – Crocketts Bluff | Southern terminus of AR 153 |
| Arkansas | St. Charles | 14.2 | 22.9 | AR 17 south – Ethel | Northern terminus of AR 17 |
| Arkansas | St. Charles | 15.6 | 25.1 | AR 1S north – St. Charles | Southern terminus of AR 1S |
| Monroe | Cross Roads | 21.5 | 34.6 | AR 17 north – Holly Grove | Southern terminus of AR 17 |
| Monroe | ​ | 26.2 | 42.2 | AR 39 north / AR 316 east – Turner, Watkins Corner | Southern terminus of AR 39; western terminus of AR 316 |
| Phillips | ​ | 31.6 | 50.9 | AR 318 south – Cypert | Northern terminus of AR 318 |
| Phillips | Marvell | 34.3 | 55.2 | US 49 – Brinkley, Walnut Corner, Helena–West Helena | Northern terminus |
| Gap in route ||||||
| Phillips | Walnut Corner | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 49 / AR 85 south to AR 44 – Marvell, Helena–West Helena, Delta Cultural Center | Southern terminus; northern terminus of AR 85 |
| Phillips | Lexa Junction | 3.1 | 5.0 | AR 242 east – Lexa | Western terminus of AR 242 |
| Lee | Cypress Corner | 7.1 | 11.4 | AR 121 south – Rondo, LaGrange | Northern terminus of AR 121 |
| Lee | ​ | 11.2 | 18.0 | AR 243 south – Rondo | Northern terminus of AR 243 |
| Lee | Marianna | 14.0 | 22.5 | AR 1B north – Marianna Business District, Mississippi River State Park | Southern terminus of AR 1B |
| Lee | Marianna | 15.5 | 24.9 | US 79 south / AR 1B south – Pine Bluff, Marianna Business District, Mississippi River State Park | Southern end of US 79 concurrency; southern terminus of AR 1B |
| Lee | Marianna | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 79 north – Hughes | Northern end of US 79 concurrency |
| Lee | ​ | 1.8 | 2.9 | AR 243 south | Northern terminus of AR 243 |
| Lee | Felton | 2.6 | 4.2 | AR 121 north – Holub | Southern terminus of AR 121 |
| Lee | Haynes | | | AR 131 north – Lee County WMA | Southern terminus of AR 131 |
| St. Francis | ​ | 12.7 | 20.4 | AR 1B north – Wynne, Forrest City | Southern terminus of AR 1B |
| St. Francis | Forrest City | 16.5 | 26.6 | US 70 – Forrest City, Palestine | Interchange |
| St. Francis | ​ | 18.6 | 29.9 | I-40 – Brinkley, Little Rock, Memphis | Exit 239 on I-40 |
| St. Francis | Forrest City | 21.2 | 34.1 | AR 1B south – Forrest City | Northern terminus of AR 1B |
| St. Francis | Caldwell | 22.5 | 36.2 | AR 261 south | Northern terminus of AR 261 |
| St. Francis | Colt | 26.5 | 42.6 | AR 306 (Old Military Road) | |
| Cross | Wilkins | 28.8 | 46.3 | AR 350 west to AR 284 | Eastern terminus of AR 350 |
| Cross | Wynne | 33.1 | 53.3 | AR 284 west (Union Avenue) – Business District, Cross County Museum | Southern end of AR 284 concurrency |
| Cross | Wynne | 33.3 | 53.6 | US 64B east / AR 284 east (Hamilton Avenue) – Village Creek State Park | Northern end of AR 284 concurrency; western terminus of US 64B |
| Cross | Wynne | 33.7 | 54.2 | AR 980 (Bridges Avenue) – Airport | |
| Cross | Wynne | 35.2 | 56.6 | US 64 east – Memphis, West Memphis | Southern end of US 64 concurrency |
| Cross | Wynne | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 64 west / US 64S south – Bald Knob | Northern end of US 64 concurrency; northern terminus of US 64S |
| Cross | Vanndale | 4.3 | 6.9 | AR 1B east / AR 364 – Tilton, Vanndale | Western terminus of AR 1B |
| Cross | Vanndale | 5.1 | 8.2 | AR 1B west – Vanndale | Eastern terminus of AR 1B |
| Cross | Cherry Valley | 11.0 | 17.7 | AR 1B north / AR 42 – Hickory Ridge, Cherry Valley, Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery | Southern terminus of AR 1B |
| Cross | Cherry Valley | 12.0 | 19.3 | AR 1B south – Cherry Valley Business District | Northern terminus of AR 1B |
| Poinsett | ​ | 16.4 | 26.4 | AR 214 west – Fisher | Eastern terminus of AR 214 |
| Poinsett | Harrisburg | 21.5 | 34.6 | AR 322 west | Eastern terminus of AR 322 |
| Poinsett | Harrisburg | 22.7 | 36.5 | AR 14 (Jackson Street) – Newport, Marked Tree, Trumann | |
| Poinsett | ​ | 28.7 | 46.2 | AR 158 east | Western terminus of AR 158 |
| Craighead | Jonesboro | 37.7 | 60.7 | AR 1B north / AR 163 south (Harrisburg Road) to AR 69 | Southern terminus of AR 1B; northern terminus of AR 163 |
| Craighead | Jonesboro | 38.0 | 61.2 | AR 163S south (Apt Drive) | Northern terminus of AR 163S |
| Craighead | Jonesboro | 40.1 | 64.5 | I-555 / US 49 south – Hoxie, Memphis | Southern end of US 49 concurrency; exit 42 on I-555 |
| See US 49 (mile 128.40–182.33) ||||||
| Clay | Piggott | | | US 62 west – Corning, Piggott Business District US 49 ends | Southern terminus of US 62 concurrency; northern terminus of US 49 |
| Clay | ​ | | | AR 139 south – Holly Island | Northern terminus of AR 139 |
| Clay | ​ | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 62 east – St. Francis, Sikeston, MO | Northern end of US 62 concurrency |
| Clay | ​ | 5.0 | 8.0 | Route BB east to Route B – Holcomb | Continuation into Missouri |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus ||||||

## Business routes

Highway 1 has six business routes and one spur route. As cities have grown, bypasses have become necessary, and the former downtown alignments of Highway 1 have become the business routes discussed here. The St. Charles spur route terminates at the site of the Civil War Battle of Saint Charles upon the White River. The Forrest City business route intersects major routes US 70 and I-40. DeWitt, Marianna, Vanndale, and Cherry Valley all have business routes of less than 3.0 miles (4.8 km). The Jonesboro business route is the longest, and has an interchange with I-555.
A former Paragould connector route, Highway 1Y, was created in 1968 and now carries a designation of US 49Y.