Interstate 65 | |
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Route information | |
Length: | 887.30 mi (1,427.97 km) |
Existed: | 1959 – present |
Major junctions | |
South end: | I‑10 in Mobile, AL |
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North end: | US 12 / US 20 in Gary, IN |
Location | |
States: | Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana |
Highway system | |
Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north-south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. Its southern terminus is located at an interchange with I-10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with I-90, U.S. Route 12 (US 12), and US 20 (the Dunes Highway) in Gary, Indiana, just southeast of Chicago.
I-65 connects several major metropolitan areas in the Midwest and Southern United States. It connects the four largest cities in Alabama (from south to north: Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Huntsville). It also serves as one of the main north-south routes through Nashville, Tennessee, Louisville, Kentucky, and Indianapolis, Indiana, each a major metropolitan area in each respective state.
In the state of Alabama, I-65 passes through or near four of the state's major metropolitan areas: Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Huntsville. I-65 begins its path northward in Mobile at its junction with I-10. From I-10, I-65 runs west of downtown Mobile and through the northern suburbs of the city before turning northeasterly towards Montgomery. In Montgomery, I-65 connects with the southern terminus of I-85. In Birmingham, I-65 has an interchange with I-20/I-59. North of downtown, I-22 branches off I-65 towards Memphis. From Birmingham, I-65 continues north, crossing the Tennessee River near Decatur. A few miles north of the river, it interchanges with I-565, a short spur route which provides access to Huntsville. It then continues northwards out of the Tennessee Valley to the state of Tennessee, towards Nashville.