U.S. Route 421 in Indiana

Summary

U.S. Route 421 (US 421) enters Indiana from Kentucky, proceeding northwest to Indianapolis, joining Interstate 465, and then continuing northwest to Michigan City.

U.S. Route 421 marker

U.S. Route 421

Map
US 421 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by INDOT
Length255.065 mi[1] (410.487 km)
Existed1951–present
Major junctions
South end US 421 near Madison
Major intersections US 50 in Versailles
I-74 Greensburg
I-74 / I-465 in Indianapolis
I-70 in Indianapolis
I-69 in Indianapolis
US 24 in Monticello
US 30 in Wanatah
US 6 in Westville
I-80 / I-90 / Indiana Toll Road near Otis
I-94 near Michigan City
North end US 20 in Michigan City
Location
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountiesJefferson, Ripley, Decatur, Rush, Shelby, Marion, Hamilton, Boone, Clinton, Carroll, White, Pulaski, Starke, LaPorte
Highway system
  • Indiana State Highway System
SR 364 SR 427

US 421 winds through the southern part of Indiana as it runs from Madison, in the southeastern part of the state, to Indianapolis (the capital). North of Greensburg, US 421 intersects and merges with I-74 west, through the Shelbyville area en route to Indianapolis. Originally, US 421 followed Michigan Road into Indianapolis, which turns into Southeastern Avenue and heads to downtown. US 421 then merged with US 40 (Washington St.) and headed to West Street, then turned north, following West Street, Northwestern Avenue (later Martin Luther King Jr. Street), and Michigan Road up to the northwest side of the city. US 421 passed an Indianapolis landmark, the Pyramids. North of Indianapolis, US 421 continues to the north-northwest, providing a direct highway link between Indianapolis and Michigan City. US 421 ends at its junction with US 20 on the south side of Michigan City. Originally, the highway's end was a few miles north at the junction with US 12 near the shores of Lake Michigan.

Route description edit

Kentucky state line to Indianapolis edit

US 421 enters Indiana from Kentucky over the Ohio River. After crossing the Ohio River US 421 has a short concurrency with State Road 56 (SR 56). After the concurrency with SR 56 ends US 421 becomes a four-lane highway. US 421 has an intersection with State Road 62 (SR 62). North of Madison US 421 becomes a two-lane highway, heading north then northeast. US 421 heads towards Versailles, passing through an intersection with State Road 250 (SR 250). In Versailles US 421 has a concurrency with State Road 129 that ends at U.S. Route 50 (US 50). US 421 heads west out of Versailles concurrent with US 50. West of Versailles US 421 heads northwest, towards Greensburg. US 421 passes through Osgood and Napoleon, passing through intersections with State Road 350 (SR 350) and SR 229. US 421 enters Greensburg on the southeast side of town and heads to the northwest side of town. In Greensburg US 421 is concurrent with State Road 46 (SR 46) and intersects State Road 3 (SR 3). On the northwest side of Greensburg US 421 joins Interstate 74 (I-74). I-74/US 421 heads northwest towards Indianapolis, passing near Shelbyville. Near Shelbyville I-74/US 421 has interchanges with State Road 44 (SR 44) and State Road 9 (SR 9). I-74/US 421 enters Indianapolis on the southeast side of the city. US 421 heads north and west around Indianapolis, concurrent with Interstate 465.

Indianapolis to Monticello edit

US 421 is concurrent with I-465, until the northwest side of the city. US 421 leaves I-465 heading northwest. US 421 becomes a two-lane highway, heading through intersections with State Road 32 (SR 32), State Road 47 (SR 47), State Road 38 (SR 38), and State Road 29 (SR 29), and has a concurrency with State Road 28 (SR 28). US 421 and SR 28 enter Frankfort heading west; the concurrency ends when US 421 heads north concurrent with State Road 38 (SR 38) and State Road 39 (SR 39). US 421/SR 38/SR 39 heads northwest out of Frankfort, and 5 miles (8.0 km) later SR 38 heads due west. US 421/SR 39 heads northwest towards Delphi passing through an intersection with State Road 26 (SR 26). In Delphi US 421/SR 39 are concurrent with State Road 25 (SR 25). US 421/SR 39 heads northwest out of Delphi passing through Pittsburg. West of Pittsburg US 421/SR 39 heads due north towards Monticello. In Monticello the concurrency with SR 39 ends with SR 39 heading east on U.S. Route 24 and US 421 heading west on US 24. US 24/US 421 heads north towards Reynolds, where US 24 heads west and US 421 heads due north.

Monticello to Michigan City edit

After the concurrency with US 24, US 421 runs into mostly rural areas as it leaves White County and enters Pulaski County, turning from a northwest trajectory to a due north one. It enters the tiny town of Francesville where it shares a couple of junctions and concurrencies. Just before leaving Pulaski County, US 421 crosses into the unincorporated community of Radioville. After that, it exits Pulaski County and enters Starke County, which also marks the border of Eastern Time and Central Time Zones.

US 421 heads north towards Michigan City, passing through Monon, Wanatah, and Westville. US 421 has intersections with State Road 16 (SR 16), State Road 114 (SR 114), State Road 143 (SR 143), State Road 8 (SR 8), and U.S. Route 30 (US 30). US 421 has concurrencies with State Road 14 (SR 14), State Road 10 (SR 10), U.S. Route 6 (US 6), and State Road 2 (SR 2). US 421 has interchanges with Interstate 80/Interstate 90 and Interstate 94. US 421's northern terminus is at U.S. Route 20 (US 20) in Michigan City.

History edit

Before US 421 was commissioned in Indiana, the route from Madison to Boyleston was SR 29. This is why SR 129 and State Road 229 (SR 229) have concurrency or terminus at US 421. US 421 from Reynolds to Michigan City was originally State Road 43 (SR 43). This is the reason for SR 143 having its eastern terminus at US 421.

Madison edit

US 421 passed through downtown Madison and headed northwest out of Madison. A new route was built east of the old route. The old route was designated State Road 107 until it was decommissioned.

Indianapolis edit

US 421 entered Indianapolis on the southeast side of the city and went through downtown. US 421 was routed on Southeastern Avenue, Washington Street, Northwestern Avenue (now Martin Luther King Jr. Street), and Michigan Road.

Michigan City edit

US 421 went through Michigan City to U.S. Route 12 (US 12) near Lake Michigan. Then INDOT moved the northern terminus of US 421 south to US 20, on the south side of Michigan City.

Major intersections edit

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExit[1]DestinationsNotes
Ohio River0.0000.000Milton-Madison Bridge
 
 
US 421 south continues into Kentucky
JeffersonMadison0.5320.856 
 
SR 56 east – Aurora
Eastern end of SR 56 concurrency
4.5857.379   SR 56 / SR 62 – Hanover, DillsboroRoundabout; Western end of SR 56 concurrency
Belleview8.14413.106  SR 250 – PatriotWestern terminus of eastern section of SR 250
RipleyVersailles25.87341.639 
 
SR 129 south – Vevay
Southern end of SR 129 concurrency
26.34542.398 
 
 
 
US 50 east / SR 129 north – Lawrenceburg
Eastern end of US 50 concurrency; northern end of SR 129 concurrency
28.47545.826 
 
US 50 west – North Vernon
Western end of US 50 concurrency
Osgood31.63450.910 
 
SR 350 east – Delaware
Western terminus of SR 350
Napoleon37.09859.703  SR 229 – Batesville, Lawrenceburg
DecaturGreensburg49.72580.025 
 
SR 46 east – Batesville
Eastern end of SR 46 concurrency
50.12780.672 
 
SR 46 west – Columbus
Western end of SR 46 concurrency
51.12182.271  SR 3 – North Vernon, Rushville
52.41484.352132 
 
I-74 east – Cincinnati
Eastern end of I-74 concurrency
ShelbyDecatur
Rush county tripoint
LibertyAdams
Orange township tripoint
62.250100.182123St. Paul, Middletown
ShelbyLiberty Township66.695107.335119  SR 244
Shelbyville69.721112.205116  SR 44 – Franklin, Rushville
72.432116.568113  SR 9 – Shelbyville, Anderson
Fairland74.862120.479109Fairland Road
Sugar Creek82.304132.455103London Road
Moral Township84.237135.566101Pleasant View Road
MarionActon86.227138.76999Acton Road
Wanamaker89.345143.78796Post Road
Indianapolis90.739146.03094
49
  
 
I-74 / I-465 west / US 31 west / US 36 west / US 40 west / SR 37 south / SR 67 south
Southeastern Avenue
Western end of I-74 concurrency; southern end of I-465/US 31/US 36/US 40/SR 37/SR 67 concurrency
91.753147.66248Shadeland AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
93.218150.02047 
 
US 52 east / Brookville Road
Southern end of US 52 concurrency
94.761152.50346 
 
US 40 east / Washington Street
Northern end of US 40 concurrency
96.367155.08844  I-70 – Indianapolis, Dayton
Lawrence98.980159.29342 
 
 
 
US 36 east / SR 67 north / Pendleton Pike – Pendleton
Northern end of US 36/SR 67 concurrency
101.195162.85840Shadeland Avenue
56th Street
Indianapolis103.177166.04737 
 
 
 
I-69 north / SR 37 north – Fort Wayne
Binford Boulevard – Indianapolis
Southern terminus of I-69; northern end of SR 37 concurrency
105.089169.12435Allisonville RoadFormerly SR 37A
107.184172.49633Keystone Parkway
HamiltonCarmel109.706176.55531 
 
US 31 north – Westfield, Kokomo
Meridian Street south
Northern end of US 31 concurrency
MarionIndianapolis113.573182.77827 
 
I-465 west / US 52 west
Michigan Road
Northern end of I-465/US 52 concurrency
Hamilton
No major junctions
BooneRosston122.512197.164  SR 32 – Lebanon, Noblesville
Marion Township128.932207.496  SR 47
ClintonKirklin133.744215.240  SR 38
Michigan Township139.491224.489 
 
SR 28 east – Tipton
Eastern end of SR 28 concurrency
139.996225.302 
 
SR 29 north – Logansport
Southern terminus of SR 29
Frankfort146.173235.243 
 
 
 
 
 
SR 28 west / SR 38 south / SR 39 south
Western end of SR 28 concurrency; southern end of SR 38/SR 39 concurrency
147.035236.630 
 
SR 75 north
Southern terminus of SR 75
WashingtonRoss
township line
151.992244.607 
 
SR 38 west
Northern end of SR 38 concurrency
Rossville157.248253.066  SR 26 – Lafayette, Kokomo
CarrollDeer Creek Township166.090267.296 
 
SR 18 east
Eastern end of SR 18 concurrency
Delphi168.671271.450  SR 25 – Logansport, Lafayette
Tippecanoe Township173.664279.485 
 
SR 18 west
Western end of SR 18 concurrency
WhiteMonticello184.697297.241 
 
 
 
US 24 east / SR 39 north – Logansport
Eastern end of US 24 concurrency; northern end of SR 39 concurrency
Reynolds190.611306.759 
 
 
 
US 24 west / SR 43 south – Wolcott, Remington
Western end of US 24 concurrency; northern terminus of SR 43
Monon198.825319.978  SR 16
PulaskiSalem Township203.631327.712 
 
SR 114 west
Eastern terminus of SR 114
White Post Township209.680337.447 
 
SR 14 west
Southern end of SR 14 concurrency
212.050341.261 
 
SR 14 east – Winamac
Northern end of SR 14 concurrency
Cass Township217.553350.118 
 
SR 143 west
Eastern terminus of SR 143, US 421 crosses into Central Time after junction
StarkeSan Pierre221.013355.686 
 
SR 10 west – DeMotte
Southern end of SR 10 concurrency.
223.032358.935 
 
SR 10 east – Culver, Argos
Northern end of SR 10 concurrency
LaPorteLaCrosse230.077370.273  SR 8 – Hebron, Knox
Wanatah238.124383.223   US 30 / Lincoln Highway – Merrillville, Valparaiso, Plymouth, Fort Wayne
Westville243.954392.606 
 
US 6 east – Walkerton
Southern end of US 6 concurrency
245.086394.428 
 
US 6 west – Hobart
Northern end of US 6 concurrency
245.814395.599 
 
SR 2 south – Valparaiso
Southern end of SR 2 concurrency
246.943397.416 
 
SR 2 north – Laporte
Northern end of SR 2 terminus
New Durham Township248.847400.480    I-80 / I-90 / Indiana Toll Road – South Bend, Gary, ChicagoExit 39 on I-80/I-90
Coolspring Township253.235407.542  I-94 – Michigan City, Gary, Chicago, DetroitExits 34A-B on I-94, A for southbound traffic towards Westville, B for northbound traffic towards Michigan City
Michigan City255.065410.487  US 20 – Michigan City, South Bend, GaryNorthern terminus of US 421
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also edit

  •   U.S. Roads portal

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "INDOT Roadway Referencing System" (PDF). Indiana Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2011.

External links edit

Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 421 in Indiana
KML is from Wikidata
  •   Media related to U.S. Route 421 in Indiana at Wikimedia Commons


  U.S. Route 421
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