Highway 53
Route information
Maintained by ArDOT
Section 1
Length	27.09 mi[1] (43.60 km)
South end	Bradley Road at the Louisiana state line near State Line
North end	US 82 in Stamps
Section 2
Length	26.22 mi[1] (42.20 km)
South end	US 82 in Buckner
North end	US 371 near Lanesburg
Section 3
Length	32.55 mi[1] (52.38 km)
South end	AR 24 near Whelen Springs
Major intersections	US 67 in Gurdon I-30 near Gurdon
North end	AR 8 near Alpine
Location
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
Counties	Clark, Lafayette, Nevada
Highway system
Arkansas Highway System Interstate US State Business Spurs Suffixed Scenic Heritage
← AR 52 → AR 54

Highway 53 (AR 53, Ark. 53, and Hwy. 53) is a designation for two north–south state highways in Southwest Arkansas, United States. One route of 53.31 miles (85.79 km) begins at the Louisiana state line and runs north to US Highway 371 (US 371) south of Prescott. A second route of 32.55 miles (52.38 km) begins at Highway 24 and runs north through Gurdon to Highway 8. Both routes are maintained by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD).

Route description

Louisiana to US 371

Highway 24 to Highway 8

History

Highway 53 was created during the 1926 Arkansas state highway numbering as a route between State Road 24 in eastern Nevada County and Gurdon. The route was extended from Gurdon north to Holly Grove on July 10, 1957, adding 11 miles (18 km).^[2] Six years later, Highway 53 was extended from Holly Grove north to Hollywood, creating a new overlap with Highway 51, on April 24, 1963.^[3] The highway was extended north for the last time from Hollywood to Highway 8 on June 23, 1965.^[4]

Between September 1929 and March 1930, a second segment between and Bodcaw and State Road 19 (now US 371) was added to the state highway system.^[5][6] The route was extended south from Bodcaw to Falcon on July 10, 1957,^[7] and extended south to US 82 at Buckner on April 24, 1963.^[8] A third section of Highway 53 was created in Lafayette County between the Louisiana state line and McKamie on March 7, 1961.^[9][10] The gap between the two southern routes was closed two years later when Highway 53 was extended north from McKamie to US 82 Truck in Stamps on June 23, 1965.^[11]

Major intersections

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Lafayette	​	0.00	0.00	Bradley Road, Louisiana state line	Southern terminus; southern terminus of segment 5
	​	2.43– 7.28	3.91– 11.72	AR 160 – Bradley, Taylor
	​	13.92	22.40	AR 360 west – Canfield	Eastern terminus of AR 360
	Mars Hill	17.66	28.42	AR 313 north – Lewisville	Southern terminus of AR 313
	Stamps	27.09	43.60	US 82 west (Antigo Street) – Lewisville	Begin US 82 overlap; northern terminus of segment 5
	Gap in route
	Buckner	0.00	0.00	US 82 east (Myrtle Street) – Magnolia	End US 82 overlap; southern terminus of segment 4
Nevada	Falcon	7.96– 8.06	12.81– 12.97	AR 355 – Waldo, Patmos
	​	11.91– 14.09	19.17– 22.68	AR 32 – Willisville, Hope
	​	19.10	30.74	US 278 – Rosston, Hope
	​	22.41	36.07	AR 73 north – Hope	Southern terminus of AR 73
	​	24.84	39.98	AR 372 east to US 371 – Laneburg	Western terminus of AR 372
	​	25.96	41.78	AR 299 north – Emmet	Begin AR 299 overlap
	​	26.22	42.20	US 371 / AR 299 south – Magnolia, Prescott	Northern terminus of segment 3
	Gap in route
	​	0.00	0.00	AR 24 – Prescott, White Oak Lake State Park	Southern terminus of segment 2
Clark	Barringer	4.94	7.95	AR 51 north – Beirne	Southern terminus of AR 372
	Gurdon	11.14	17.93	US 67 south (Elm Street) – Prescott	Begin US 67 overlap; northern terminus of segment 1
	​	0.00	0.00	US 67 north – Arkadelphia	End US 67 overlap; southern terminus of segment 0
	​	5.05	8.13	I-30 – Little Rock, Texarkana	Exit 63 (I-30)
	Holly Grove	10.71– 11.53	17.24– 18.56	AR 51 – Okolona, Arkadelphia	Officially designated exception[a]
	Hollywood	14.52	23.37	AR 26 – Arkadelphia, Antoine
	​	21.41	34.46	AR 8 – Arkadelphia, Amity	Northern terminus of segment 0
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus