The Longest, Loneliest Road in Missouri Takes a Day to Cross

If you ever dare to drive the longest road in Missouri, you better be prepared to devote your whole day to it. It's also possibly one of the loneliest roads in America.

What is the longest road in Missouri? It's the only one that crosses the entire state top to bottom

That view out of your windshield is a common one you'll see if you decide to traverse Missouri Route 5, the longest road in the state. It begins in north-central Missouri at the Iowa state line and continues until you cross over into Arkansas.

This road spans a remarkable 352.8 miles north to south across Missouri. If you include the Iowa and Arkansas portions of Route 5, it's a total of around 650 miles. It was built in 1922 and has a notorious reputation for being one of the most dangerous roads in the state with the highest annual average of any roadway in Missouri. The fact that it's only 2 lanes is part of the problem.

I know that many who need to road trip across Missouri will choose to zig and zag to the interstates just to have access to 4 lanes instead of 2 and higher speed limits. That's definitely more convenient, but there's also a case to be made that Missouri Route 5 will take you through the old Missouri with some of the small towns that you rarely hear about. If you choose that nostalgic journey, make sure you're careful for oncoming traffic on this sometimes terrifying two-lane road.