U.S. Route 64: Russellville to Clarksville – Arkansas

Take a drive through the heart of the Arkansas River Valley as we follow U.S. Route 64 west from Russellville to Clarksville. This 28-mile stretch brings together neighborhoods, farmland, river crossings, and foothill views — a corridor that has long linked communities along the river’s edge. Traveling it today offers a look at the valley’s mix of modern industry, historic towns, and the natural beauty of the Ozarks rising in the distance.

Our journey begins in Russellville at the junction with Scenic Highway 7, a road famous for its winding path north into the Ozark Mountains. Here, U.S. 64 serves as one of Russellville’s main east–west arteries, threading through commercial centers, neighborhoods, and local businesses. As we head west, the highway gradually sheds the bustle of the city. The landscape opens to wide skies and distant hills as the route nears the banks of the Arkansas River. Soon, we cross Lake Dardanelle, a reservoir formed by the Dardanelle Lock and Dam, part of the McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The span over the Illinois Bayou offers views of wooded shoreline and open water, a reminder of how the river has shaped both the geography and economy of this region.

Beyond the water, the highway enters London, a small town with an outsized landmark. Just south of the road lies Arkansas Nuclear One, the state’s only nuclear power plant. Its cooling towers rise high above the valley floor, visible for miles and marking a rare industrial feature in this otherwise rural corridor. From here, U.S. 64 resumes a quieter character, rolling past farmland and low hills. Communities like Scotia and Knoxville dot the roadside, places that still reflect the close connection between agriculture and the river valley. At Knoxville, travelers encounter a link to the modern interstate system with access to I-40, though U.S. 64 maintains its more traditional, small-town feel.

Continuing west, the highway angles toward Lamar, a community nestled along the northern edge of the valley. Here the route connects with Arkansas Highway 123, a road that quickly climbs into the Ozark foothills. This stretch brings a subtle shift in the scenery, as farmland gives way to more wooded terrain. Lamar itself reflects the slower pace of life in Johnson County, serving as a gateway to recreation in the surrounding hills.

The final leg carries us into Clarksville, one of the larger towns in the valley and home to the University of the Ozarks. U.S. 64 serves as a central thoroughfare, guiding travelers past schools, businesses, and neighborhoods before reaching the heart of downtown. Along the way, the highway intersects with AR-21 — a route that leads north to the Ozark National Forest — and continues past AR-103 before pressing westward once more. Our segment concludes on Clarksville’s west side at the junction with AR-352, leaving travelers poised to continue deeper into the Ozarks or back toward the river valley communities.

This drive along U.S. Route 64 captures the essence of the Arkansas River Valley: a mix of industry and farmland, quiet towns and growing cities, all bound together by the steady presence of the river and the looming Ozark hills. It’s a reminder that highways are not just connectors of place, but also windows into the lives and landscapes that define a region.

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