Take a scenic drive across the Arkansas River Valley as we follow U.S. Highway 64 west from Russellville to Alma, tracing 73 miles of rural charm, Ozark foothills, historic towns, and roadside Americana. Once the region’s main east-west artery, U.S. 64 now offers travelers a quieter, more immersive view of western Arkansas—always just a few miles from the interstate, but a world away in feel.
We begin in downtown Russellville, turning west onto U.S. 64 at the intersection with Arkansas Highway 7. Almost immediately, we cross the broad waters of Lake Dardanelle, where Arkansas Nuclear One rises from the treeline across the water. The cooling towers loom over the lakeshore like a reminder of the balance between industry and nature in this part of the state. West of the bridge, the road settles into a rhythm as we enter London, a modest town of homespun charm that still clings to the rhythm of the old highway.
Leaving London, the route angles gently north to pass beneath Interstate 40, trading lakeshore for farm country. We roll past pastureland and roadside churches as we approach Lamar, a compact community that embodies the rural backbone of Johnson County. A few more miles west, Clarksville emerges—a city with deep roots and proud local identity. U.S. 64 becomes Main Street here, lined with businesses that blend old storefronts and modern life. University of the Ozarks sits just a block south, its campus an anchor for the city. At the intersection with Arkansas Highway 21, we cross I-40 again and begin a slow climb into the hills.
It’s here that the road begins to show its age—in the best way. Roadside grapevines and hand-lettered signs hint that we’re nearing Altus, one of Arkansas’s most notable wine towns. The route skirts the edge of Wiederkehr Village, where old-world wine cellars lie tucked into the hillside. Just beyond, we pass Mount Bethel Winery, and descend into Ozark, nestled in a wide river bend and framed by the rising ridges of the Boston Mountains. Downtown Ozark still reflects its courthouse-square roots, and the junction with Arkansas Highway 23 — better known as the Pig Trail Scenic Byway — makes this a favorite launch point for drives into the Ozarks.
From Ozark, the highway shifts back toward the flatlands, hugging the forest edge before reentering open farmland near Mulberry. The pace is slow and steady through here—tractors, pickups, and the occasional roadside stand are more common than semis or billboards. U.S. 64 weaves through the outer edge of town before straightening out for the final run west. As we approach Alma, the landscape transitions again, blending small-town sprawl with subtle industrial edges. Alma, famously dubbed the “Spinach Capital of the World,” greets us with a city park, a tidy downtown, and a well-known Popeye statue. We end our journey at the junction with U.S. Highway 71 Business, just short of the interstate interchange and a stone’s throw from the beginning of new routes westward.
U.S. 64 may have ceded its role as the region’s primary corridor to I-40, but what it offers now is something much rarer: a drive with character. It’s a route through time as much as space—through vineyards, college towns, river valleys, and farming communities that still remember when this was the road everyone took.
🎵 Music:
Marathon Man by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/
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