1927-1935
1935-1951
1951-1980
1980-2005
2005-present
  • North: Albert Lea, MN
  • South: Clayton, LA
Originally the US 65 designation went only to Vidalia LA, because there was no bridge across the Mississippi to Natchez:
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c. 1927, Rand McNally
There was a car ferry that could be used to connect with Natchez and US 61 (this is how US 84 traffic crossed the river when that highway was extended through the area in 1934), but it appears that US 65 was not signed in Mississippi at the time.  Here is a photo of the old ferry landing in Vidalia:
Picture
Nelson, Feb. 2006
In about 1935, the US 65 designation began using that ferry, because it was extended across to Natchez, where it joined US 61, and the two routes were twinned through Mississippi and back into Louisiana, all the way down to New Orleans.  One could get the impression that Mississippi did not particularly welcome this pointless overlap with US 61, because US 65 was not shown on their official state highway map until the 1946 issue.  And before too long, it would appear that Louisiana came around to their way of thinking: in 1951 the US 65 designation was truncated to its junction with US 61 (more info on the Natchez page).  In 2005, the south end of US 65 was truncated another 19 miles, to Clayton LA.  Here is the story in the words of an e-mail reply from a LADoTD official:

"...the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has submitted an application to AASHTO requesting that US 425 be extended from its intersection with US 165 in Bastrop along US 165 to Mer Rouge, then along LA 133, LA 137, LA 15 and US 84 to US 61 in Natchez.  We have also requested that US 65 end at Clayton instead of at US 61 in Natchez.  This would hold the number of route designations to two in Mississippi.  The purpose is to facilitate travel between the capitals of the States of Louisiana and Arkansas.  Currently travel from Baton Rouge to Little Rock involves seven different route designations.  Under this request, travel from Baton Rouge to Little Rock could be accomplished via three US routes, namely US 61 and US 425 in Louisiana and US 425 and I-530 in Arkansas."

There was nothing wrong with the desire to unify that corridor with a single US route number, but there was an even better option available (see the US 425 page for more details).  However, AASHTO rubber-stamped the proposal, so US 65 now ends disgracefully at a 3-digit branch route with an illegitimate number.
Some of the photos below were taken back when US 65 still went further south from Clayton, into Natchez.  This first one was looking south on US 65:
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Cozart/Nitzman, June 2004
​The US 425 designation now runs through this area along with LA hwy. 15.  Historically US 65 continued to the left (south), but that junction is now where US 65 ends.  (Incidentally, it seems odd that the blue evacuation route sign pointed south, towards the Gulf.  Seems like people would want to evacuate away from hurricanes, but maybe that sign was for people who wanted to evacuate Arkansas.)
Anyway, this junction has been reconfigured, as a result of recent upgrades in this corridor.  US 425 is now a four-lane divided highway in this area, and the opposing lanes bifurcate through Clayton.  The original two-lane segment now carries northbound traffic only.  Southbound is on new pavement, built on an historic railroad right-of-way.  This photo shows what the old junction looks like now:
Picture
Backlin, Dec. 2008
Northbound LA 15 is still to the right (as well as northbound US 425).  But for southbound, one must continue ahead, and then turn left, so that is where US 65 ends now. Here we are looking north on what was once US 65, but what is now northbound US 425, and the south beginning of US 65 is to the right:
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Cozart/Nitzman, June 2004
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Backlin, Dec. 2008
These photos show the view approaching the junction from the north via LA hwy. 15.  Southbound US 65 used to continue ahead, but now this is southbound US 425, and US 65 begins to the left:
Picture
Nelson, Feb. 2006
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Backlin, Dec. 2008
Drivers making that left turn soon come to a stop sign at the intersection with the northbound lanes of US 425:
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Backlin, Dec. 2008
​Straight ahead is the first northbound US 65 sign, shown close-up here:
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Cozart/Nitzman, June 2004
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Backlin, Dec. 2008
On its north end, US 65 originally went to St. Paul, but after about eight years it was changed such that it terminated in Minneapolis.  A 1934 Minnesota state highway map shows US 65 extending northward to US 210 at McGregor (now MN 210).  Apparently there are other maps from the same year that indicate US 2 at Swan River was the northern terminus.  However, it seems unlikely that the route was ever actually signed north of the Twin Cities, and even if it was, it lasted for only about a year.  The north end of US 65 remained in Minneapolis from the mid-1930s until 1980, when it was truncated to its current terminus in Albert Lea.  Today the last northbound reassurance marker is heading eastward between MN hwy. 13 and CSAH 46:
Picture
Morrison, May 2006
​This next one shows the north end of US 65, where it merges with I-35 at interchange 12:
Picture
Castleman, summer 2001
​The car at left is on northbound I-35; the green signage in the distance is for the cloverleaf at I-90.  Here is the signage from southbound I-35 for the north beginning of US 65:
Picture
Castleman, summer 2003
Research and/or photo credits: David Backlin; Monte Castleman; Justin Cozart; Steve Lockwood; Jeff Morrison; Steven Nelson; Alex Nitzman; Dale Sanderson
Page originally created 2003;
last updated May 3, 2016.