U.S. Route 171
Encyclopedia
U.S. Highway 171 is a north–south United States highway. This short-route 179-mile highway, entirely within western Louisiana
, has remained largely unchanged from its original 1926 route.
The highway's northern terminus is in Shreveport, Louisiana
, at an intersection with U.S. Highway 79 and U.S. Route 80
, in Caddo Parish. Its southern terminus is in Lake Charles, Louisiana
, at an intersection with U.S. Route 90
.
and the community of Gillis
before entering Beauregard Parish. Next the community of Ragley, at the junction of U.S. Route 190
and Louisiana Highway 12
. U.S. 171 continues north running concurrent with U.S. 190. The highway travels through the community of Longville before entering DeRidder. In DeRidder U.S. 171 crosses the Kansas City Southern Railroad tracks and passes through the DeRidder Commercial Historic District
before splitting with U.S. 190. The old Sawmill community of Luddington is within the northern city limits. The northern city limits is also the Vernon Parish line. The old sawmill town of Midway is less than a mile north of DeRidder. About two miles north is the community of Rosepine
. Two miles north of Rosepine is the site of the old Neame sawmill community. At a point in history this was a booming town with only two abandoned graves and a mill pond as memories. One graveyard, in a field south of a chip mill, is blocked by trees surrounding it or it would otherwise be in plain sight of the highway. U.S. 171 travels through the community of Pickering and the junction of LA 10, the main entrance to Fort Polk, Louisiana, New Llano
, then into the city of Leesville
. In Leesville U.S. 171 intersects with west Louisiana Highway 8
(to Texas
) and runs concurrent with east LA 8 to the junction of LA 8/LA 28 east to Alexandria
at the north Leesville city limits. A newly opened roundabout (traffic circle
) completes the junction with LA 28, to hopefully correct several fatal car crashes at the intersection.
North of Leesville U.S. 171 goes through the communities of Hawthorn, Anacoco
, and Hornbeck
. Just north of Hornbeck is the Sabine Parish line and then Hodges Garden
. U.S. 171 travels through the village of Florien
the historic village of Fisher
, where the annual sawmill days festival is held, the city of Many
, the villages of Zwolle
, Noble
, then Converse
. Just north of Converse U.S. 171 enters De Soto Parish then the village of Benson.
Four miles south of South Mansfield
is the Mansfield State Historic Site
that commemorates the 1864 Battle of Mansfield
, and then Mansfield
. North of Mansfield U.S. 171 runs through the village of Grand Cane
, then the community of Kickapoo. Here U.S. 171 junctions with LA 5. To the west is the town of Keachi
that has at least 10 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places
. To the east is the unincorporated community of Gloster
that has three buildings on the National register. About a mile north of the community of Stonewall U.S. 171 enters into Caddo Parish and travels through Keithville
. On the south side of Shreveport, U.S. 171 junctions with the Inner Loop Expressway (Highway 3132). Through Shreveport to just north of East 70th Street (LA 511), it is called Mansfield Road, where Mansfield Road continues northeast and U.S. 171 continues north as Hearne Avenue. It junctions with U.S. 79 and U.S. 80 just north of I-20
.
, north of Lake Charles, was replaced and the highway was altered for the new bridge and portion of highway going into Moss Bluff, Louisiana
. U.S highway 171 was designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway
on Nov.11, 1964, and a Highway marker was placed in the historic district at the junction of US 171 and Washington street. The TIMED Program widening of U.S. 171 completed in July 2010 and it is now a four lane divided highway for its entire rural existence.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, has remained largely unchanged from its original 1926 route.
The highway's northern terminus is in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, at an intersection with U.S. Highway 79 and U.S. Route 80
U.S. Route 80
U.S. Route 80 is an east–west United States highway, much of which was once part of the early auto trail known as the Dixie Overland Highway. As the "0" in the route number indicates, it was originally a cross-country route, from the Atlantic to the Pacific...
, in Caddo Parish. Its southern terminus is in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
, at an intersection with U.S. Route 90
U.S. Route 90
U.S. Route 90 is an east–west United States highway. Despite the "0" in its route number, U.S. 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route; it has always ended at Van Horn, Texas. A short-lived northward extension to U.S...
.
Route description
U.S. 171 is a major transportation highway and is largely undivided except through some towns. Beginning south to north from U.S. 90 the highway crosses I-10 then through Moss BluffMoss Bluff, Louisiana
Moss Bluff is a census-designated place in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 10,535 at the 2000 census. Located just north of the city of Lake Charles, it is considered a suburb of that city. Moss Bluff is a burgeoning community, and is one of the communities in...
and the community of Gillis
Gillis, Louisiana
Gillis is an unincorporated community in northern Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. Gillis, adjacent to two other unincorporated areas , is the northernmost settlement in the Greater Lake Charles area and the last stop where one can buy beer before entering into completely dry...
before entering Beauregard Parish. Next the community of Ragley, at the junction of U.S. Route 190
U.S. Route 190
U.S. Route 190, also known as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway, is an east–west United States highway in Louisiana and Texas. It evolved from the shortest of intrastate routes in 1926 to a length comparable to a main Interstate Highway route, leading from the swamps and pine forests of...
and Louisiana Highway 12
Louisiana Highway 12
Louisiana Highway 12 is a state highway that serves Calcasieu Parish and Beauregard Parish in southwestern Louisiana. It spans from its western terminus at the Texas state line to its eastern terminus at an interchange with U.S. Route 171 and U.S...
. U.S. 171 continues north running concurrent with U.S. 190. The highway travels through the community of Longville before entering DeRidder. In DeRidder U.S. 171 crosses the Kansas City Southern Railroad tracks and passes through the DeRidder Commercial Historic District
DeRidder Commercial Historic District
The DeRidder Commercial Historic District covers an area from the Railroad tracks at Washington street and includes Second, Stewart, and Port street. In 1983 the buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places.-History:...
before splitting with U.S. 190. The old Sawmill community of Luddington is within the northern city limits. The northern city limits is also the Vernon Parish line. The old sawmill town of Midway is less than a mile north of DeRidder. About two miles north is the community of Rosepine
Rosepine, Louisiana
Rosepine is a town in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,390 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Rosepine is located at ....
. Two miles north of Rosepine is the site of the old Neame sawmill community. At a point in history this was a booming town with only two abandoned graves and a mill pond as memories. One graveyard, in a field south of a chip mill, is blocked by trees surrounding it or it would otherwise be in plain sight of the highway. U.S. 171 travels through the community of Pickering and the junction of LA 10, the main entrance to Fort Polk, Louisiana, New Llano
New Llano, Louisiana
New Llano is a town in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,415 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, then into the city of Leesville
Leesville, Louisiana
Leesville is a city in and the parish seat of Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,753 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city is home to the Fort Polk U.S. Army installation...
. In Leesville U.S. 171 intersects with west Louisiana Highway 8
Louisiana Highway 8
Louisiana Highway 8 is a state highway in Louisiana. It spans beginning at the Louisiana/Texas state line and ending at an intersection with LA 15.-Route description:...
(to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
) and runs concurrent with east LA 8 to the junction of LA 8/LA 28 east to Alexandria
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
at the north Leesville city limits. A newly opened roundabout (traffic circle
Traffic circle
A traffic circle or rotary is a type of circular intersection in which traffic must travel in one direction around a central island. In some countries, traffic entering the circle has the right-of-way and drivers in the circle must yield. In many other countries, traffic entering the circle must...
) completes the junction with LA 28, to hopefully correct several fatal car crashes at the intersection.
North of Leesville U.S. 171 goes through the communities of Hawthorn, Anacoco
Anacoco, Louisiana
Anacoco is a village in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 866 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Anacoco is located at ....
, and Hornbeck
Hornbeck, Louisiana
Hornbeck is a town in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 435 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. Just north of Hornbeck is the Sabine Parish line and then Hodges Garden
Hodges Gardens State Park
Hodges Gardens State Park, previously known as Hodges Gardens, Park and Wilderness Area, is located on between Florien and Hornbeck, near the Toledo Bend Reservoir of the Sabine River in Sabine Parish, in west central Louisiana. The park is located on U.S. Highway 171 some fifteen miles south of...
. U.S. 171 travels through the village of Florien
Florien, Louisiana
Florien is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 692 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Florien is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land....
the historic village of Fisher
Fisher, Louisiana
Fisher is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 268 at the 2000 census.-History:Fisher was named for Oliver Williams Fisher and built between 1899 and 1901 by the Louisiana Long Leaf Lumber Company...
, where the annual sawmill days festival is held, the city of Many
Many, Louisiana
Many is a town in and the parish seat of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,889 at the 2000 census. The town was named for John B. Many, the commander of nearby Fort Jesup.-History:...
, the villages of Zwolle
Zwolle, Louisiana
Zwolle is a town in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,783 at the 2000 census.-History:The first inhabitants of the bowl shaped area of land upon which the town of Zwolle is situated were the Mound Builders. Lured here for protection from storms, the "bowl" offered them...
, Noble
Noble, Louisiana
Noble is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 259 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Noble is located at ....
, then Converse
Converse, Louisiana
Converse is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 400 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Converse is located at ....
. Just north of Converse U.S. 171 enters De Soto Parish then the village of Benson.
Four miles south of South Mansfield
South Mansfield, Louisiana
South Mansfield is a village in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 352 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
is the Mansfield State Historic Site
Mansfield State Historic Site
Mansfield State Historic Site is a Louisiana state historic site which preserves the site of the 1864 Battle of Mansfield in the American Civil War. It is located four miles south of Mansfield, the seat of DeSoto Parish in northwestern Louisiana...
that commemorates the 1864 Battle of Mansfield
Battle of Mansfield
The Battle of Mansfield, also known as the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, occurred on April 8, 1864, in De Soto Parish, Louisiana. Confederate forces commanded by Richard Taylor attacked a Union army commanded by Nathaniel Banks a few miles outside the town of Mansfield, near Sabine Crossroads...
, and then Mansfield
Mansfield, Louisiana
Mansfield is a city in and the parish seat of DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,001 at the 2010 census. Mansfield is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. North of Mansfield U.S. 171 runs through the village of Grand Cane
Grand Cane, Louisiana
Grand Cane is a village in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 191 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, then the community of Kickapoo. Here U.S. 171 junctions with LA 5. To the west is the town of Keachi
Keachi, Louisiana
Keachi is a town in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 323 at the 2000 census...
that has at least 10 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. To the east is the unincorporated community of Gloster
Gloster, Louisiana
Gloster is an unincorporated community in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, United States.It is the nearest community to three places listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places:*Myrtle Hill Plantation House*Roseneath*Thomas Scott House...
that has three buildings on the National register. About a mile north of the community of Stonewall U.S. 171 enters into Caddo Parish and travels through Keithville
Keithville, Louisiana
Keithville is an unincorporated community in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies to the south of Shreveport along U.S. Route 171. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 71047. Along with a large elementary and middle school, Keithville has several...
. On the south side of Shreveport, U.S. 171 junctions with the Inner Loop Expressway (Highway 3132). Through Shreveport to just north of East 70th Street (LA 511), it is called Mansfield Road, where Mansfield Road continues northeast and U.S. 171 continues north as Hearne Avenue. It junctions with U.S. 79 and U.S. 80 just north of I-20
Interstate 20
Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...
.
History
U.S. 171 began as a major two lane highway. In 1962, I-210 (Louisiana) was completed, and funds were appropriated for the highway to become four-laned. In the mid-60's, the old iron bridge over the Calcasieu RiverCalcasieu River
The Calcasieu River is a river on the Gulf Coast of southwestern Louisiana, U.S.A.. Approximately long, it drains a largely rural area of forests and bayou country, meandering southward to the Gulf of Mexico. The name "Calcasieu" comes from the Native American Atakapa language katkosh, for...
, north of Lake Charles, was replaced and the highway was altered for the new bridge and portion of highway going into Moss Bluff, Louisiana
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
Moss Bluff is a census-designated place in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 10,535 at the 2000 census. Located just north of the city of Lake Charles, it is considered a suburb of that city. Moss Bluff is a burgeoning community, and is one of the communities in...
. U.S highway 171 was designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway
Blue Star Memorial Highway
Blue Star Memorial Highways are highways in the United States that are marked to pay tribute to the U.S. armed forces. The National Council of State Garden Clubs, now known as National Garden Clubs, Inc., started the program in 1945 after World War II. The blue star was used on service flags to...
on Nov.11, 1964, and a Highway marker was placed in the historic district at the junction of US 171 and Washington street. The TIMED Program widening of U.S. 171 completed in July 2010 and it is now a four lane divided highway for its entire rural existence.
Junction list
| Parish | Location | Mile | Junction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calcasieu Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana Calcasieu Parish[p] is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lake Charles. As of 2010, the parish population was 192,768... |
Lake Charles Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in... |
southern terminus | ||
| Beauregard Beauregard Parish, Louisiana Beauregard Parish [p] is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Beauregard Parish was formed on 1 January 1913. The parish seat is DeRidder. As of 2000, the population was 32,986. Beauregard Parish is part of the DeRidder Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Fort Polk... |
Ragley | Interchange | ||
| Vernon Vernon Parish, Louisiana Vernon Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Leesville and as of 2000, the population was 52,531.... |
Leesville Leesville, Louisiana Leesville is a city in and the parish seat of Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,753 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city is home to the Fort Polk U.S. Army installation... |
Interchange | ||
| De Soto De Soto Parish, Louisiana -Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 26,656 people, 9,691 households, and 6,967 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 11,204 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile... |
Mansfield Mansfield, Louisiana Mansfield is a city in and the parish seat of DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,001 at the 2010 census. Mansfield is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:... |
Interchange | ||
| Caddo Caddo Parish, Louisiana Caddo Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Shreveport; as of 2000, the population was 252,161... |
Shreveport Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States.... |
northern terminus |