Mississippi Highway 25
Mississippi Highway 25 runs from I-55 in Jackson, Mississippi to the Tennessee state line north of Iuka. The part from Jackson to Starkville connects the state capital with the main campus of Mississippi State University.
Route description
Jackson to Starkville
MS 25 starts at an interchange with I-55 in Jackson with the name Lakeland Drive. The highway shortly passes through eastern Jackson. The highway eventually crosses the Pearl River, entering Rankin County and the city of Flowood.In Flowood, the highway travels east and serves a major business corridor. MS 25 intersects MS 475 and travels a few miles north of the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport. The highway shortens from six to four lanes on the outskirts of the city and interchanges MS 471. MS 25 continues north through exurban areas, having an interchange with MS 43 in Sand Hill. The highway shortly passes through Scott County and then enters Leake County.
In Leake County, MS 25 travels through rural forests and small residential areas. Along the way, the route intersects MS 13 before crossing the Pearl River once more. Soon after, the highway interchanges MS 16 and bypasses the city of Carthage. A few miles ahead, MS 25 intersects MS 429 and has an interchange with MS 35 shortly after. The highway continues through rural Leake County before entering Attala County and almost immediately entering into Winston County.
The highway quickly interchanges MS 19 and travels through forests for many miles, eventually reaching Louisville. In the city, MS 25 meets MS 15 at a Trumpet interchange, beginning a concurrency. The two travel through the western side of town, encountering a few businesses and intersecting MS 14. The concurrency ends at an interchange where MS 25 exits to the north. The route takes a windy path through the Tombigbee National Forest
for several miles before entering Oktibbeha County.
Starkville to Tennessee
The highway travels north through rural forests before entering Starkville. MS 25 bypasses the city to the west and has an interchange with MS 12. Shortly after, the highway has an interchange with US 82 and joins the route, going eastbound. The two routes continue as a Controlled-access highway on the north side of Starkvillealong with an interchange with MS 389 and another one with MS 12, with the highway joining the concurrency with MS 25 and US 82. The three routes continue through Oktibbeha County before entering Lowndes County
The three routes have an interchange with U.S. [Route 45 Alternate|US 45 Alt.], with MS 25 joining the highway north. The two routes quickly enter Clay County and travel through forests, crossing Tibbee Creek along the way. The two highways eventually enter West Point and serves as the main business corridor. MS 25 and US 45 Alt. intersect MS 50 and continues north out of the city. Soon after, the two routes enter Monroe County and shortly thereafter have an interchange where MS 25 exits off of US 45 Alt. heading northeast as a two-lane highway. The highway travels through fields for several miles before intersecting US 45 and joining the route southbound, along with MS 8. The three routes run along the south side of Aberdeen and exits the city after crossing the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. After crossing the waterway, MS 25 and MS 8 split off from US 45 at a trumpet interchange. MS 8 leaves MS 25 at an intersection shortly after. MS 25 travels north for several miles, passing through Becker and soon afterwards, intersecting US 278 and joins the highway to head towards central Armory. MS 25 eventually turns on to S Main St. and passes through downtown. North of downtown, the highway intersects MS 6 and continues north as Highland Dr. The route curves northeast to head out of Amory. Outside of Amory, the highway parallels the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, traveling through residential areas. The highway passes through Smithville before entering Itawamba County.
MS 25 takes a windy path through rural forests and hilly terrain for many miles before entering Fulton. The road widens to four lanes and has interchange with I-22 and US 78, joining the two in a concurrency eastbound. A few miles ahead, MS 25 exits off at an interchange and heads north as a four-lane divided highway. The route has an intersection with MS 178 a few miles north and eventually comes to an intersection with the newly built MS 76, where MS 25 turns left and quickly dies down to a two lane road. The highway winds its way through thick forests for several miles before entering Tishomingo County
The route quickly enters the town of Belmont and passes through the town as 2nd St. The highway continues through residential areas and shortly after enters Dennis, where MS 25 and MS 4 intersection. The road travels north through forests and intersects the Natchez Trace Parkway. The highway eventually passes through Tishomingo and intersects MS 30 north of town. MS 25 goes through rural areas and communities before reaching Iuka. Here the highway widens to four lanes and interchanges US 72. MS 25 mostly bypasses the town to the west and shortens to two lanes once outside of the town. The road starts to head northwest through many forests while crossing a bridge over the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. MS 25 passes through small communities near the waterway and intersects MS 350. Soon after, the highway crosses over a small bay and enters Hardin County, Tennessee as TN State Route 57.
History
The 1933 Road Map of Mississippi shows MS 25 running northward from Macon roughly along the 2019 alignment of U.S. Route 45 to Brooksville, then roughly along the 2019 alignment of U.S. Route 45 Alternate through Artesia and West Point to Muldon, where the 2019 alignment continues in a northeasterly direction.As of June 28, 2006, of continuous four-lane divided highway is open between Starkville, Mississippi, and Jackson, Mississippi. The last leg to open was the, $27-million section from the intersection of Highway 19 north of Louisville, Mississippi, to Noxapater Creek in Winston County. This is one of the culminations of the 1987 Four-Lane Highway Program for improving Mississippi roadways.
On May 10, 2006, the next-to-last leg, a, $23-million section, opened from the Oktibbeha County line west into Winston County.
Legally, Mississippi 25 is defined in Mississippi Code Annotated § 65-3-3, as follows: "Begins at or near Jackson, Hinds County, thence in a northeasterly direction to or near Carthage, Louisville and Starkville, thence along U.S. 82 to its intersection with U.S. 45A, thence along U.S. 45A to Muldon, thence to or near Aberdeen, Amory, Smithville, to U.S. 78, thence continuing to Belmont, Dennis, Tishomingo, Iuka and to the Mississippi-Tennessee state line north of Cross Roads, Tishomingo County."