The Jefferson Highway

The Jefferson Highway was established in 1915 as part of the Good Roads Movement

The Jefferson Highway was one of the earliest transcontinental highways in the United States, conceived in the early 20th century during the dawn of automobile travel. Nicknamed the “Pine to Palm” highway, it stretched from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to New Orleans, Louisiana, traversing through the central United States and connecting a diverse array of landscapes and communities.

Origins and Purpose

The Jefferson Highway was established in 1915 as part of the Good Roads Movement, which aimed to improve the nation's road infrastructure to support the growing number of automobiles. Named in honor of President Thomas Jefferson, a champion of expansion and exploration, the route symbolized progress and national unity.

Unlike today’s numbered interstate systems, early highways like the Jefferson were promoted and maintained by private associations. The Jefferson Highway Association, founded in 1915, took on the task of promoting the route, encouraging states and counties to develop and maintain their sections of the road, and boosting tourism and commerce.

Route

The highway passed through several states, including:

• Minnesota

• Iowa

• Missouri

• Kansas

• Oklahoma

• Texas

• Louisiana

It roughly followed a north-south path, linking cities such as St. Joseph, Missouri, Des Moines, Iowa, Shreveport, Louisiana, and New Orleans. This made it an important corridor for travel and trade in the central U.S., and it offered one of the earliest ways to drive from the northern border with Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

Legacy

With the creation of the U.S. Highway System in 1926, many parts of the Jefferson Highway were absorbed into numbered routes like U.S. Route 71 and U.S. Route 65. Over time, as interstate highways took precedence, the Jefferson Highway faded from everyday use, but its cultural and historical legacy remains.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in historic highways. Groups like the Jefferson Highway Association (revived) promote its preservation, mark historic routes, and encourage tourism along its original path.

The Jefferson Highway stands as a symbol of America’s early embrace of the automobile and its vision of a connected nation.