The Mother Road Successor (I-40) Road Conditions & Traffic

01 Route overview

Interstate 40 runs 2,555 miles from Barstow, California to Wilmington, North Carolina, replacing much of the original Route 66 across the West and tying together the Mid-South cities of Albuquerque, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and the Research Triangle. It is the third-longest US interstate and a major cross-country freight route. Its busiest truck chokepoints sit in Tennessee, where the Nashville interchanges (I-40 at I-440 and at I-65) rank in the top 25 of ATRI's 2024 Top 100 Truck Bottlenecks and two Knoxville interchanges also make the list.

Geographically I-40 climbs across the Mojave from Barstow, threads the Continental Divide near Thoreau, NM (7,275 ft), drops across the Texas Panhandle, crosses the Mississippi River at Memphis, climbs the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, passes through the Smoky Mountains foothills near Knoxville, descends the Pigeon River Gorge into North Carolina (one of the most landslide-prone interstate segments in the country), and rolls flat to the Atlantic at Wilmington.

The corridor is one of the most weather-diverse interstates: high-desert summer heat in the Mojave, ice storms in Oklahoma and Arkansas, severe weather in the Mid-South, and Appalachian winter conditions in eastern Tennessee. The Pigeon River Gorge in North Carolina has been closed for months at a time after major landslides, most recently after Hurricane Helene in 2024.

Third-longest interstate in the United States
Replaced much of historic US Route 66 across the West
Crosses eight states: CA, AZ, NM, TX, OK, AR, TN, NC
Continental Divide crossing at Campbell Pass near Thoreau, NM, between Gallup and Grants (7,275 ft), is among the highest interstate points (Wikipedia)
Pigeon River Gorge (NC) is one of the most landslide-prone interstate segments
Concurrent with I-44 across Oklahoma City and I-440/I-240 around Nashville
Memphis is FedEx's global superhub and North America's busiest cargo airport (Memphis International Airport)
Nashville is the corridor's worst truck bottleneck: I-24/I-40 at I-440 ranks #10 and I-40 at I-65 #23 nationally (ATRI 2024)

02 Key cities & junctions

State	Mile	City / Junction
CA	MM 0	Barstow (I-15 jct)
CA	MM 142	Needles
AZ	MM 53	Kingman
AZ	MM 159	Williams
AZ	MM 195	Flagstaff (I-17 jct)
AZ	MM 358	Holbrook
NM	MM 20	Gallup
NM	MM 140	Albuquerque (I-25 jct)
NM	MM 333	Tucumcari
TX	MM 75	Amarillo
OK	MM 11	Texola
OK	MM 109	Elk City
OK	MM 152	Oklahoma City (I-35/I-44 jct)
OK	MM 286	Henryetta
AR	MM 12	Fort Smith
AR	MM 154	Little Rock (I-30/I-430 jct)
AR	MM 285	West Memphis (I-55 jct)
TN	MM 1	Memphis
TN	MM 209	Nashville (I-65/I-24 jct)
TN	MM 388	Knoxville (I-75/I-81 jct)
NC	MM 5	Pigeon River Gorge
NC	MM 95	Asheville (I-26 jct)
NC	MM 218	Statesville (I-77 jct)
NC	MM 277	Greensboro (I-85 jct)
NC	MM 318	Raleigh / Research Triangle
NC	MM 420	Wilmington

03 Mountain passes & summits

OPEN N/A

I-40 Parks

Unknown

NB · No restrictions
SB · No restrictions

All US mountain pass conditions →

04 Notable hazards & trouble spots

Hazard

Major landslide and rockfall corridor

Pigeon River Gorge, NC (MM 0-15)

I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge between the Tennessee line and Asheville has a long, documented history of rockslides: at least 20 closures between 1969 and 1997, with closures of weeks or months after major events such as Hurricane Helene in 2024. Detour via I-26 / I-81 adds 100-plus miles. Check NCDOT restoration timelines before you run it.

Hazard

High-elevation crossing with frequent winter closures

Continental Divide, NM (MM 47-50)

I-40 crosses the Continental Divide at 7,275 ft near Thoreau, NM. NMDOT closes the segment regularly in winter for snow, ice, and zero-visibility conditions. The route is exposed and crosswinds across the Navajo Nation are severe.

Hazard

Major winter ice storm corridor

Oklahoma / Arkansas ice corridor (MM 200 OK - 200 AR)

I-40 from western Oklahoma through Little Rock is a recurring winter ice corridor. Multi-day closures happen when freezing rain hits, and these states are not well equipped to plow ice. Wait it out at a major truck stop rather than push through. Check ODOT and ARDOT 511 before you run it.

Hazard

Fragile Mississippi River crossing

Memphis I-40 bridge (MM 1)

The I-40 Hernando de Soto Bridge over the Mississippi at Memphis was closed unexpectedly in 2021 after a structural crack was discovered. Truck routing across the river is a chokepoint. The only practical alternates are I-55 (Memphis-Arkansas Bridge, two miles south) and US-49 at Helena (60 miles south).

Hazard

Heavy urban congestion

Nashville I-440 / I-65 stack (MM 209)

Where I-40 meets I-65, I-24, and I-440 in central Nashville is among the busiest truck interchanges in the Southeast. TDOT publishes real-time conditions; plan deliveries outside 6-10 AM and 3-8 PM.

4a National parks along this route

AZ National Park

Grand Canyon National Park

Exit 165 (Williams, AZ)

60 mi north on AZ-64 to the South Rim Entrance

Plan a stop →

TN · NC National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Exit 407 (Sevierville / Pigeon Forge)

33 mi south through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg on US-441 to the Sugarlands Visitor Center

Plan a stop →

CO National Park

Mesa Verde National Park

Exit 20 (Gallup, NM)

140 mi north on US-491 and US-160 to the park entrance near Cortez

Plan a stop →

AZ National Park

Petrified Forest National Park

Exit 311 (Painted Desert / Park Road)

Direct, North Entrance is at the I-40 exit; South Entrance is 28 mi south on the park road, exiting onto US-180 near Holbrook

Plan a stop →

05 Active incidents (76)

CONSTRUCTION AR

I-40: Lane Closure

I-40

CONSTRUCTION AR

I-40: Lane Closure

I-40

CLOSURE NC

The eastbound off-ramp is closed at Exit 7, Cold Springs Creek Road due to long-term repairs resulting from Hu…

I-40 Eastbound

CLOSURE NC

I-40 Westbound/US 29 Southbound Off-Ramp (Exit 221) and On-Ramp, to and from Non-system (S. Elm-Eugene Street)…

I-40 Westbound

CLOSURE AZ

Paving operations on ramp from I-40 Eastbound to US-93 . All lanes closed. 6/18/2026 8:00 PM to 6/19/20…

I-40 Eastbound

ACCIDENT AZ

Crash on the right shoulder on I-40 Westbound near CR-20 (MP 51)

I-40

ACCIDENT AZ

Crash on the right shoulder on I-40 Eastbound near Crookton Rd (MP 137)

I-40

ACCIDENT AZ

Crash in the median on I-40 Eastbound near CR-5 (MP 126)

I-40

CONSTRUCTION AR

I-40: Lane Closure

I-40

CONSTRUCTION AR

I-40: Lane Closure

I-40

CONSTRUCTION AR

I-40: Lane Closure

I-40

CONSTRUCTION AR

I-40: Lane Closure

I-40

CONSTRUCTION AR

I-40: Lane Closure

I-40

CONSTRUCTION AR

I-40: Lane Closure

I-40

CONSTRUCTION AR

I-40: Lane Closure

I-40

CONSTRUCTION AR

I-40: Lane Closure

I-40

INCIDENT NC

A lane is closed from the TN State Line to Exit 7 (Cold Springs Creek Road) in both directions for constructio…

I-40

CONSTRUCTION AZ

Shoulder closed on ramp from I-40-BL to I-40 Westbound . Lane Affected. 6/29/2026 5:00 AM to 6/30/2026…

I-40-BL

Showing 18 of 76. View all on map →

06 Active weather alerts (2)

RED FLAG WARNING

Red Flag Warning issued June 12 at 2:32PM MDT until June 13 at 7:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

Upper Arkansas River Valley Including Lake County and Chaffee County

HEAT ADVISORY

Heat Advisory issued June 13 at 2:02AM CDT until June 13 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Little Rock AR

Independence; Jackson; White; Woodruff; Lonoke; Prairie; Monroe; Jefferson; Arkansas; Lincoln; Desha; Drew

07 FAQ

How long does it take to drive I-40 end to end?

A passenger car can cover the 2,555 miles in 38-42 hours of driving time. Commercial drivers respecting hours-of-service rules typically need 5 to 6 days, with weather-related delays in winter common in eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and the Pigeon River Gorge.

Is I-40 closed in the Pigeon River Gorge?

Status changes. Check NCDOT and TDOT 511 before committing. After major events like Hurricane Helene (2024), the gorge has been closed for months at a time. The standard truck detour is I-26 north to I-81 east into Tennessee, adding 100+ miles.

Is I-40 a toll road?

No. I-40 is toll-free for its entire 2,555-mile length. Some adjacent express lanes (I-540 around Raleigh, the H. E. Bailey Turnpike spur in Oklahoma) carry tolls but are separate routes.

Does I-40 follow Route 66?

Closely. I-40 replaced much of historic US Route 66 across California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. The Route 66 alignment generally parallels I-40 within a few miles, and many of the original Route 66 towns (Kingman, Williams, Holbrook, Gallup, Tucumcari, Amarillo) are I-40 exits today.

What major cities does I-40 connect?

I-40 directly serves Barstow, Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Asheville, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Wilmington.

I-40: The Mother Road Successor

I-40 Parks

Major landslide and rockfall corridor

High-elevation crossing with frequent winter closures

Major winter ice storm corridor

Fragile Mississippi River crossing

Heavy urban congestion

Grand Canyon National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Mesa Verde National Park

Petrified Forest National Park

Red Flag Warning issued June 12 at 2:32PM MDT until June 13 at 7:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

Heat Advisory issued June 13 at 2:02AM CDT until June 13 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Little Rock AR

Interstate 40 Live Map