US 54 (MO)
Route description
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/US_54_in_western_Missouri.jpg/250px-US_54_in_western_Missouri.jpg)
In Missouri, US 54 runs from the southwest portion of the state to the northeast. It is a major conduit through the Ozarks and is the primary access road to Pomme de Terre Lake and Lake of the Ozarks.
After entering the state from neighboring Kansas, the route moves eastward through many rural towns and communities. It passes through Nevada, where it serves as the main access road to the town's business market. In Nevada, the route intersects with I-49 and US 71 as exits 102A and 102B on I-49/US 71. Here, it also passes by the Nevada Municipal Airport. Moving eastward, the route continues through El Dorado Springs, Collins, Weaubleau, and Wheatland, the latter is home of the Lucas Oil Speedway. It passes through Hermitage and Preston, where it intersects with US 65 at a four-way stop. US 54 intersects northern end of Route 73 then passes through Macks Creek.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Lake_of_the_Ozarks_-_Missouri_%2840533516433%29.jpg/250px-Lake_of_the_Ozarks_-_Missouri_%2840533516433%29.jpg)
The route continues eastward and begins to enter the areas surrounding the Lake of the Ozarks, a popular tourist destination and lake. It first crosses over the lake's Niangua Branch near Ha Ha Tonka State Park. It then passes through Camdenton. In Camdenton, the road intersects with MO 5 and MO 7 at an interchange. These routes provide access to Lebanon and I-44. After leaving Camdenton, the route becomes a four-lane divided highway and remains that way to Mexico. US 54 then passes through Linn Creek and enters Osage Beach. The route continues on a new expressway path initially built in 2010 and 2011. It crosses Lake of the Ozarks a second time on the Grand Glaize Bridge. The route then briefly enters Lake Ozark and Lakeland, although access to these towns is only provided by exits from the highway. A sign seen westbound imitating the Hollywood Sign reads ''Lake of the Ozarks." The route then leaves the Lake of the Ozarks after crossing the Osage River before bypassing Eldon.
US 54 then goes through Jefferson City, where it crosses US 50 and crosses the Missouri River via the Senator Roy Blunt Bridge and briefly overlaps US 63. Just north of the bridge, it splits then leaves the Ozark Plateau before passing through Fulton, crossing I-70 and US 40 at Kingdom City, passes through Auxvasse, then bypassing Mexico where it turns into a two-lane highway. US 54 then turns right and continues on. Future plans call for passing lanes on US 54 from Mexico to the Missouri town of Louisiana. At a roundabout, US 54 picks up a concurrency with Route 19 and then passes through Laddonia. North of Laddonia, US 54 splits from Route 19 before passing just north of Vandalia, bypasses Bowling Green crossing US 61, and ultimately crossing the Mississippi River via the Champ Clark Bridge into Illinois at Louisiana.
US 54 is a part of the National Highway System, a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility.
History
US 54 was originally formed in Missouri after changing from US 26, however the routing went from Cedar County to Polk County, then Dallas County, then into Camden County. In 1932, the highway was rerouted into Saint Clair County and then Hickory County, and paved over.
In Macks Creeks, a well known speed trap existed on US 54 upon entering the town until 1995 when a law named Macks Creek Law was passed.
In the Lake of the Ozarks area, US 54 was rerouted onto a new 4 lane highway in 2010 and another part of US 54 was rerouted in 2011 in the Lake of the Ozarks area. The old US 54 was renamed "Osage Beach Parkway."
The original Champ Clark Bridge opened in 1928. In 2019, a replacement bridge opened and the old one was torn down.
Junction list
All exits are unnumbered.
County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vernon | Coal Township | 0.000 | 0.000 | ![]() ![]() | Continuation into Kansas | |||
1.807 | 2.908 | ![]() | ||||||
Deerfield | 5.807 | 9.345 | ![]() | |||||
Deerfield Township | 9.805 | 15.780 | ![]() | |||||
Nevada | 14.071 | 22.645 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
14.562 | 23.435 | ![]() ![]() | Western end of Loop 49 overlap | |||||
15.056 | 24.230 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of Loop 49 overlap | |||||
15.864– 15.883 | 25.531– 25.561 | ![]() ![]() | I-49 exit 102A | |||||
Walker Township | 21.782 | 35.055 | ![]() | |||||
Clear Creek Township | 27.439 | 44.159 | ![]() | |||||
27.650 | 44.498 | ![]() | ||||||
Cedar | Box Township | 31.173 | 50.168 | ![]() | ||||
El Dorado Springs | 33.673 | 54.191 | ![]() | |||||
34.215 | 55.064 | ![]() | ||||||
Cedar Township | 40.832 | 65.713 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
St. Clair | Roscoe Township | 45.899 | 73.867 | ![]() | ||||
Washington Township | 50.082 | 80.599 | ![]() | |||||
51.687 | 83.182 | ![]() | ||||||
| 53.832 | 86.634 | ![]() | |||||
Collins | 56.578 | 91.053 | ![]() | |||||
56.756 | 91.340 | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
| 59.466 | 95.701 | ![]() | |||||
Hickory | Weaubleau | 61.246 | 98.566 | ![]() | ||||
Weaubleau Township | 62.857 | 101.159 | ![]() | |||||
Montgomery Township | 65.101 | 104.770 | ![]() | |||||
67.333 | 108.362 | ![]() | Western end of Route 83 concurrency | |||||
Wheatland | 71.367 | 114.854 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of Route 83 concurrency | ||||
Hermitage | 76.298 | 122.790 | ![]() | |||||
Center Township | 77.488 | 124.705 | ![]() | |||||
Preston | 82.203 | 132.293 | ![]() | |||||
82.697 | 133.088 | ![]() | ||||||
Stark Township | 85.157 | 137.047 | ![]() | |||||
Camden | Branch | 93.976 | 151.240 | ![]() | ||||
Macks Creek | 97.224 | 156.467 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
97.326 | 156.631 | ![]() | ||||||
Russell Township | 101.301 | 163.028 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
| 104.956 | 168.910 | ![]() | |||||
Niangua Township | 107.780 | 173.455 | ![]() | Access to Ha Ha Tonka State Park | ||||
Camdenton | 110.243 | 177.419 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
110.934– 110.954 | 178.531– 178.563 | ![]() ![]() | Interchange | |||||
Linn Creek | 112.745 | 181.445 | ![]() | |||||
Osage Township | 114.074 | 183.584 | ![]() | J-turn intersection | ||||
116.148 | 186.922 | ![]() | Interchange | |||||
Osage Beach | 118.900 | 191.351 | ![]() ![]() | West end of freeway; access to Grand Glaize-Osage Beach Airport | ||||
119.607 | 192.489 | ![]() | Access to Lake Regional Hospital | |||||
120.807 | 194.420 | Case Road | Access to Lake of the Ozarks State Park | |||||
121.571 | 195.650 | Business 54 (Jefferies Road to Osage Beach Parkway) | No westbound entrance | |||||
121.819 | 196.049 | Grand Glaize Bridge over the Lake of the Ozarks | ||||||
122.675 | 197.426 | Business 54 (Passover Road to Osage Beach Parkway) | Southern terminus of US 54 Business | |||||
124.283 | 200.014 | ![]() | Western terminus of Route 42; access to Lake of the Ozarks State Park | |||||
124.487 | 200.342 | Creek Cove Lane | Right-in/right-out interchange; westbound exit and entrance only | |||||
Miller | Lake Ozark | 126.211 | 203.117 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | East end of freeway | |||
129.045 | 207.678 | ![]() | interchange replacing an signalized at-grade intersection opened April 21, 2021 | |||||
Franklin Township | 130.059 | 209.310 | ![]() | |||||
136.583 | 219.809 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Interchange | |||||
Eldon | 139.738 | 224.887 | ![]() ![]() | Interchange; Access to Saline Valley Conservation Area | ||||
140.901 | 226.758 | ![]() ![]() | Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||||
| 142.277 | 228.973 | ![]() | |||||
| 145.180 | 233.645 | ![]() | |||||
Saline Township | 148.289 | 238.648 | ![]() | |||||
Cole | Clark Township | 149.156 | 240.043 | ![]() | Interchange | |||
Brazito | 155.930 | 250.945 | ![]() | |||||
| 157.906 | 254.125 | ![]() | |||||
| 163.155 | 262.573 | ![]() | |||||
Jefferson City | 165.064 | 265.645 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | West end of freeway; access to SSM St. Mary’s Health Center | ||||
166.231 | 267.523 | ![]() | ||||||
167.231 | 269.132 | ![]() | Access to Lincoln University and Capital Region Medical Center | |||||
167.271 | 269.197 | ![]() | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; access to Business District and Capital Region Medical Center | |||||
168.188 | 270.672 | ![]() ![]() | Access to the Missouri State Capitol | |||||
168.444 | 271.084 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of US 63 concurrency; interchange dubbed as "tri-level" | |||||
168.534 | 271.229 | McCarty Street | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||||
168.726 | 271.538 | Main Street | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; access to the Missouri State Capitol | |||||
Cole–Callaway county line | 168.821– 168.950 | 271.691– 271.899 | Jefferson City Bridge over the Missouri River | |||||
Callaway | 169.582 | 272.916 | ![]() ![]() | Access to Jefferson City Memorial Airport | ||||
170.036 | 273.646 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of US 63 concurrency | |||||
Summit Township | 170.965 | 275.141 | Summit Drive | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||||
Holts Summit | 173.995 | 280.018 | Center Street | |||||
175.215 | 281.981 | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Cedar Township | 178.492 | 287.255 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
New Bloomfield | 180.184 | 289.978 | ![]() ![]() | East end of freeway | ||||
East Fulton Township | 184.830 | 297.455 | ![]() | |||||
Fulton | 189.020 | 304.198 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Interchange | ||||
190.944 | 307.295 | ![]() ![]() | Interchange; access to Historic Downtown Fulton, Westminster College, Fulton Medical Center, the National Churchill Museum, the Missouri School for the Deaf, and Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area | |||||
193.017 | 310.631 | ![]() | Interchange; access to William Woods University | |||||
194.510 | 313.034 | ![]() ![]() | Interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |||||
Kingdom City | 198.277– 198.290 | 319.096– 319.117 | ![]() ![]() | I-70 exit 148; future Dumbbell interchange; was going to be Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) | ||||
198.616 | 319.641 | ![]() | ||||||
203.729 | 327.870 | ![]() | ||||||
Auxvasse | 204.819 | 329.624 | ![]() ![]() | Interchange | ||||
Audrain | Salt River Township | 208.453 | 335.473 | ![]() | ||||
Mexico | 211.877 | 340.983 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Interchange | ||||
Vandiver | 216.380 | 348.230 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Access to the Missouri Military Academy | ||||
216.992 | 349.215 | ![]() | ||||||
Linn Township | 220.6299 | 355.0694 | ![]() | |||||
222.683 | 358.374 | ![]() | ||||||
226.672– 226.756 | 364.793– 364.928 | ![]() ![]() | Western end of Route 19 concurrency; roundabout | |||||
Laddonia | 231.805 | 373.054 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
Prairie Township | 234.853 | 377.959 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of Route 19 concurrency; roundabout | ||||
Farber | 238.477 | 383.792 | ![]() | |||||
238.648 | 384.067 | ![]() | ||||||
Vandalia | 243.167 | 391.339 | ![]() | |||||
243.805 | 392.366 | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Ralls |
No major junctions | |||||||
Pike | Spencer Township | 248.664 | 400.186 | ![]() | ||||
Curryville | 252.279 | 406.004 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
| 254.816 | 410.087 | ![]() | |||||
Bowling Green | 258.291 | 415.679 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
259.630 | 417.834 | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
260.144– 260.161 | 418.661– 418.689 | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Tarrants | 261,171 | 420,314 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
Buffalo Township | 267.574 | 430.619 | ![]() | |||||
268.122 | 431.501 | ![]() | ||||||
Louisiana | 271.194 | 436.444 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of Route 79/Great River Road concurrency | ||||
271.444 | 436.847 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of Route 79/Great River Road concurrency | |||||
Mississippi River | 271.508 | 436.950 | Champ Clark Bridge; Missouri–Illinois line | |||||
![]() ![]() | Continuation into Illinois | |||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
|
References
- ^ Missouri Department of Transportation (April 29, 2020). MoDOT HPMAPS (Map). Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- ^ "Hwy 54 History | Discover More on Route 54". Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ^ "U.S. Route 54 Environmental Impact Study in Ralls, Pike, and Audrain | Missouri Department of Transportation". www.modot.org. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ "National Highway System Maps | Missouri Department of Transportation". www.modot.org. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ "St. Louis Post-Dispatch 09 Oct 2014, page Page A006". Newspapers.com. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ Transportation, Missouri Department of. "New routes to open tonight on Highway 54 Expressway". LakeExpo.com. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ Dabbs/LakeExpo.com, Janet. "New 54 and 242: So what happens next?". LakeExpo.com. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ "New Route 54 interchange in Lake Ozark opens Wednesday, April 21". OzarkFirst.com. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ^ "2020 Miller County Route 54/Osage Hills Road Interchange". Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ "I-70/Route 54 Kingdom City Interchange | Missouri Department of Transportation". www.modot.org. Retrieved June 19, 2023.