Interstate 40

## Location

### States

California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina

**Interstate 40** is a major east-west highway running from Wilmington, North Carolina to Barstow, California. It also serves major cities such as Raleigh, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Knoxville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, Little Rock, Arkansas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Amarillo, Texas, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Flagstaff, Arizona.

It is also the replacement for US Route 66 between Barstow, California to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

## Route Description

### North Carolina

I-40 begins at a fork with US 117 and NC 132 north of Wilmington. I-40 begins heading northbound, meets I-140 and NC 140 near Northchase, and passing many small towns along I-40. It then meets I-95 near Benson, and passes above US 301. I-40 then continues north, meeting US 70 (Future 42), and then I-40 takes a sharp westbound turn towards Durham at the junction with I-440. I-40 passes south of Raleigh, then passes I-440 and US 64 and heads north again. It then makes another westbound turn at Wade Avenue, then heads towards Durham, passing I-540, NC 540, I-885, NC 885, and US 501, passing around Durham. I-40 then begins a concurrency with I-85 near Hillsborough. I-40 and I-85 then continue west, passing some small towns and some suburbs, then passes around Graham and Burlington, and continues west, then meets I-840 and I-85 Business near McLeansville, Sedalia, and Greensboro. I-85 turns southwest, and I-40 follows I-85 Business to remain it's westbound trajectory. I-40 meets US 29, US 70, and US 220 south of Downtown Greensboro. I-40 then meets I-73, US 421, and I-840 outside of Greensboro, then meets NC 68 near Piedmont Triad International Airport. I-40 then continues west, splitting with US 421 near Kernersville, then forms a bypass around south Winston-Salem. It meets I-74, I-285, NC 67, US 158,US 52, and US 421 in Winston-Salem. I-40 then turns southwest, with US 421 turning west. I-40 meets US 601 in Mocksville, then passes north of Statesville, passing US 64, I-77, and parallels US 70. I-40 then continues west into the mountains passing US 321 in Hickory, US 64 in Morganton, US 221 in Marion, and then enters Asheville, and the Smoky Mountains. I-40 meets I-240, US 74, US 25 and I-26 in Asheville, then enters the Smoky Mountains towards Knoxville. I-40 then passes Clyde and Waynesville, then turns north.

### Tennessee

I-40 enters Tennessee near the Cherokee National Forest. I-40 continues north, passing the Cherokee National Forest and Newport (US 321/US 25), then turns southwest near White Pine when it meets I-81. I-40 meets TN 66 (main highway to Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg) in Kodak, then enters Knoxville, meeting I-640, US 11, I-275, US 41, US 129, and I-75. I-40 begins a concurrency with I-75 at this point. I-75/40 passes I-140, then splits with I-75 near Eaton. I-40 continues west thorough the rural mountains, passing US 127, TN 111, US 231, and I-840, then enters the Nashville area. I-40 passes Nashville Airport, and passes many highways, then forms a loop around Nashville, and holding concurrencies with I-24 and I-65. I-40 then continues west, passing through rural Tennessee, then meets US 412 and US 45 in Jackson. I-40 then continues southwest, then meets I-269 and enters Memphis. I-40 passes US 64, I-240, Sam Cooper Boulevard, TN 14, I-69, TN 14, TN 1, and US 51. I-40 forms a north loop around Memphis around Lenox, and forms a short concurrency with I-69, then passes north of Downtown Memphis. It then crosses the Mississippi River over the Hernando do Soto Bridge.

### Arkansas

I-40 begins a concurrency with I-55 to bypass West Memphis after entering Arkansas on the Hernando do Soto Bridge. It then splits off with I-55 near Downtown West Memphis, and I-40 continues west towards Little Rock. It passes through rural areas such as Forrest City, Brinkley, and Lonoke. It then meets I-440 and enters Little Rock. It meets US 167, I-30, and I-430, passing north of Little Rock across the Arkansas River. I-40 then turns north, passing Maumelle, Mayflower, and Preston, then meets US 64 and US 65 in Conway, then turns west. I-40 passes Morrilton, Russellville, Clarksville, and Ozark, then meets I-49 in Alma. It is currently only I-49 North, but will one day connect to AR 549 (Future 49). I-40 then meets I-540, and passes north of Fort Smith in Van Buren. I-40 then enters Oklahoma in Dora.

### Oklahoma

I-40 enters Oklahoma near Muldrow, at OK 64D. I-40 begins to parallel US 64. I-40 meets US 59 in Sallisaw, OK 351 in Webbers Falls, and I-40 splits off with US 64 near Warner. I-40 meets US 69 in Checotah, US 62, US 75, and OK 375 (Indian Nation Turnpike) in Henryetta, US 62 in Okemah, US 377 near Little, US 177 near Shawnee, and the Kickapoo Turnpike. It then enters Oklahoma City. I-40 forks off from I-240, I-240 heading towards I-35/I-44 south and OKC Airport, and I-40 heading into OKC. I-40 holds a short concurrency with I-35 south of Oklahoma City, then meets I-44 and the Kilpatrick Turnpike, then leaves Oklahoma City. I-40 then enters the deserts and flatlands of Oklahoma, passing US 81 in El Reno, US 281 in Hinton, US 183 in Hinton, OK 34 in Elk City, and US 283 near Sayre. I-40 then enters Texas.

### Texas

I-40 enters Texas, then I-40 enters the flatlands and deserts of the Texas Panhandle. I-40 passes US 83 in Shamrock, TX 273 in McLean, I-40 Business east of Amarillo, US 287 near Amarillo and TX 335 Loop near Amarillo. I-40 then meets I-27, US 87, US 287, and US 60 in Amarillo, then forms into four one-way main streets. I-40 then continues into the desert, merging with I-40 Business. I-40 meets US 385 in Vega, then enters New Mexico.

### New Mexico

I-40 enters New Mexico in the desert, passing US 54 in Tucumcari, US 84 and 54 in Santa Rosa, US 285 in Clines Corners, and TX 556 in Carnuel, then enters Albuquerque, passing I-25 and NM 47/45, then continues back into the desert. It passes a few small towns, then meets US 491 in Gallup, then enters Arizona.

### Arizona

I-40 enters Arizona in the desert near the Navajo Nation, and passes a few major highways and small towns such as US 191 in Sanders and Chambers, AZ 77 and US 180 in Holbrook, and AZ 87 in Winslow, and passes through some national parks such as Petrified Forest National Park and Coconino National Forest. I-40 then passes Flagstaff, meeting I-17, I-40 Business, US 180, US 89, and AZ 89A. It then passes through some small towns, passing AZ 64, AZ 89, and AZ 66 (former US 66). It then begins a concurrency with US 93 (Future 11), and then splits with US 93 near Kingman. This is also one of the larger towns with AZ 66 and I-40 in the same town. I-40 then meets AZ 95, and enters California.

### California

I-40 enters California after crossing the Colorado River, and passes Needles, where it begins a concurrency with US 95 North. It then breaks off with US 95 North south of Ibis. I-40 then continues through the desert south of Mojave National Preserve, then meets I-15 Business/E Main Street (to I-15 North), then I-40 merges onto I-15 South. I-15 south continues off to San Bernadino and San Diego.

## Auxiliary Routes

### North Carolina

 I-240
 I-440
 I-540
 I-840

### Tennessee

 I-240
 I-440
 I-640
 I-840