AR 265 begins in a rural part of southern Washington County within the Northwest Arkansas and Ozark Mountain regions. Starting at an intersection with AR 170, the highway runs near SEFOR, a deactivated experimental fast breeder reactor before passing through the unincorporated community of Strickler. Continuing north as a winding, two-lane highway, the highway passes near the headwaters of the Illinois River and serves as the western terminus of AR 156 at Hogeye. Upon entering Greenland, AR 265 intersects Wilson Street, which gives access to Interstate 49 (I-49). AR 265 continues north into Fayetteville, passing the Kessler Mountain Regional Park and beginning to parallel the Razorback Greenway. The route meets I-49 southbound and an unsigned AR 16. The route terminates at the I-49 on/off ramps, with the roadway continuing as AR 16.[4]
The route begins again at AR 16 in southeast Fayetteville. The highway serves as the entrance to many communities, and is four-lane with center turn lane throughout Fayetteville. AR 265 intersects AR 45, Township Road, Joyce Blvd, Don Tyson Parkway, and US 412 before reaching the Springdale Municipal Airport. The route continues north, entering Benton County and intersecting AR 264 in Bethel Heights. Continuing north, Highway 265 passes through undeveloped areas of Bethel Heights and Lowell without any state highway junctions as a two-lane road with a two-way left turn lane to Rogers, where it terminates at AR 94 (New Hope Road).
Although not one of Arkansas' original state highways, the path that AR 265 follows is one of the state's oldest. Originally a Native American trace named the Great Osage Trail, the route was first used as a Military Road from St. Louis to Fort Smith, and later as the Trail of Tears. The Butterfield Overland Mail Route was active from 1857 to 1861 on the route. The route carried U.S. mail, and also carried telegraph lines west. Portions of the route are named Old Wire Road (also Old Missouri Road in Fayetteville) paying homage to the route's past. Although not all parts of AR 265 are the exact path followed by the stage coaches, nor are all parts of Old Wire Road separate of AR 265. This comes from the fact that there were many different alignments of the historic routes. Although there is no doubt about the southern segment's accuracy, AR 265 is known as Old Missouri Road (or Crossover Rd.) paralleled by Old Wire Road in Fayetteville, but it is not clear to the traveler which route is more historically accurate.
The Strickler to Fayetteville segment was designated in 1958.[6] Another AR 265 was later designated as a connector between AR 16 and AR 45, with this route being extended to its current alignment in 1973.[7] The northernmost segment was designated in 1973, and was most recently paved in 1990.[2]
Highway 265 Spur was a spur route in Springdale. It was 2.4 miles (3.9 km) in length and was removed from the system in the 1990s, now named Butterfield Coach Road and Emma Avenue.[9]
Highway 383 was a 2-mile-long (3.2 km) north–south highway along Old Missouri Road in Springdale, Arkansas. Its southern terminus was Highway 68 (now known as U.S. Highway 412) with its northern terminus at Highway 68N (also known as Emma Avenue). It was used primarily as a local access road to nearby Parson's Arena.
In the 1980s, Highway 383 was redesignated as an extension of Highway 265.
^ abcdeArkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (2015). "Arkansas Road Log Database". Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Archived from the original(MDB) on August 29, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
^Highway Map of Arkansas (Map) (January 1959 ed.). Arkansas State Highway Department. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
^Arkansas Centerline File(GIS Map) (Map) (Updated ed.). Arkansas Department of Transformation and Shared Services. May 13, 2022 [September 29, 2014]. Retrieved April 28, 2022 – via GIS Office.
^Planning and Research Division (November 1, 1995). General Highway Map of Washington County, Arkansas(PDF) (Map). Little Rock, Arkansas: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
AR 170
I-49 / AR 16 in Fayetteville
AR 94 in Rogers
Route KK, Missouri state line
