U.S. 59 measures 210.39 miles in length through eastern reaches of Kansas. U.S. 59 enters the Sunflower State from Oklahoma, 2.19 miles south of the Chetopa city line in Labette County. The highway crosses the Missouri River across the Amelia Earhart Bridge from Atchison to Winthrop, Missouri.
Within Chetopa, U.S. 59 combines with U.S. 166 for 1.49 miles along Maple and N 11th Streets. U.S. 59 connects the city with the county seat of Oswego, where it turns west along side U.S. 160 for 9.86 miles toward Altamont. U.S. 160 continue west to Independence while U.S. 59 resumes a northward heading to U.S. 400 at Parsons.
Crossing into Neosho County, U.S. 59 parallels a Union Pacific Railroad corridor to Erie. Shifting east along a 7.19 mile long overlap with K-39, U.S. 59 continues into Allen County. U.S. 59 and U.S. 54 converge at Moran east of Iola.
Through Anderson County, U.S. 59 turns west to Lone Elm and then north onto a 4.22 mile overlap with U.S. 169. U.S. 59 separates from U.S. 169 at a roundabout just outside the county seat of Garnett. Maple Street leads the route north through the city.
Advancing north through Franklin County, U.S. 59 joins Richmond with Princeton, where a short realignment was approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on October 4, 1981. U.S. 59 was realigned northwest across a tributary of Middle Creek. The former route followed Montana Road north and Finney Road west.
Further north, U.S. 59 bypasses the city of Ottawa to the east. U.S. 59 combines with I-35/U.S. 50 for 5.82 miles and then shifts onto a separate freeway leading to Baldwin City and Pleasant Grove in Douglas County. Opened to traffic by October 17, 2012, AASHTO approved the realignment of U.S. 59 onto the limited access highway north from the county line to N 1100 Road on May 3, 2013.
The freeway along U.S. 59 concludes ahead of the Wakarusa River and city of Lawrence. Continuing north, U.S. 59 meets U.S. 40 and K-10 at the S Lawrence Trafficway. U.S. 40/59 overlap northward from there along Iowa Street to the University of Kansas and then 6th street east toward Downtown. U.S. 40/59 part ways just north of the Kansas Turnpike at U.S. 24.
U.S. 24/59 overlap 8.34 miles northwest from U.S. 40 to Williamstown. U.S. 59 branches north from there to Oskaloosa and Nortonville, where U.S. 159 begins. The remainder of the highway in Kansas travels northeast to Atchison, where U.S. 59 overlaps with U.S. 73 for 1.41 miles to K-7 at S 10th Street.
Historically U.S. 59 through Allen and Anderson Counties followed a westerly course. U.S. 59 overlapped with K-39 west to Chanute, where it combined with U.S. 169 north to Humboldt, Iola and Colony. Approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on June 28, 1960, U.S. 59 overlapped with K-39 east and then overtook K-6 north by Savonburg and Elsmore to U.S. 54 at Moran. North from there, U.S. 59 replaced K-52 to K-31 near Kincaid, and joined K-31 west and north to U.S. 169.
This proposed relocation would shorten the route by 7.66 miles. Roadway standards will also be higher as 35 miles will have a new roadbed and surface. The remaining mileage is planned for improvement in the near future. Most of the present route is carrying another US marking (US 169).
 East  North |
 | K-10 formerly overlapped with U.S. 40/59 north along Iowa Street 1.57 miles from the S Lawrence Trafficway to 23rd Street in Lawrence. 11/04/03 |
 | Realigned onto the newly completed S Lawrence Trafficway in November 2009, K-10 formerly took 23rd Street east from U.S. 40/59 (Iowa Street) to a freeway joining Lawrence with Eudora, De Soto, Olathe and Lenexa. 11/04/03 |
| West South |
 | Confirming markers posted south of 23rd Street, where K-10 formerly joined U.S. 40 west and U.S. 59 south along Iowa Street in Lawrence. 10/31/16 |
 | South of 23rd Street, Iowa Street constitutes a heavily developed commercial boulevard along U.S. 40/59 to K-10 (S Lawrence Trafficway). W 25 Street intersects Iowa Street east from Holcom Park. 10/31/16 |
 | W 33rd Street intersects U.S. 40/59 (Iowa Street) by Pine Ridge Plaza and several big box stores. 10/31/16 |
 | U.S. 40 parts ways with U.S. 59 (Iowa Street) south to combine with K-10 (S Lawrence Trafficway) northwest 6.55 miles back to W 6th Street. 10/31/16 |
 | The South Lawrence Trafficway east along K-10 from U.S. 40/59 (Iowa Street) to the exchange at E 23rd Street opened to traffic on November 9, 2016. 10/31/16 |
 | U.S. 59 continues south from the diamond interchange with K-10 across the Wakarusa River along a four lane expressway. 10/31/16 |
Photo Credits:
- 11/04/03 by Justin Cozart. 10/31/16 by AARoads and JP Nasiatka.
Connect with:
Interstate 35
Interstate 70
U.S. 24
U.S. 54
U.S. 169
U.S. 400
Highway 10
Page Updated 11-04-2021.