New Missouri highway map features Katy Trail, U.S. Bike Route 76/Transamerica Trail

The newly released Missouri highway map includes a couple of features of interest to Missouri bicyclists and trail users: 

2013 Missouri highway map
2013 Missouri highway map

  • A newly updated insert showing the Katy Trail
  • The newly signed US Bike Route 76 Transamerica Trail in Missouri.

Official recognition, marking, and signing of the Transamerica Trail in Missouri has been one of the long-term goals of MoBikeFed.  Huge thanks goes to MoDOT Nonmotorized Transportation Engineer Ron Effland--and his predecessors, Melissa Anderson and Caryn Giarratano--who have spent many hours making this project a reality.

The Transamerica Trail is the oldest of Missouri's six cross-country bicycle routes.  The route passes through the southern part of the state: Just north of Joplin and Springfield, then through Marshfield, Houston, Johnson Shut-Ins, and Farmington.  It is used by some thousands of cross-country bicyclists each year.

You can download a PDF version of the state highway map, or request a printed version, here.

State bicycle maps (PDF versions) are available here.

Useful bicycle maps and routes from around the state here.

MoDOT's press release about the map has more details:

The official 2013 Missouri State Highway Map is hot off the presses and available free of charge. The map features up-to-date route information and its cover celebrates the Missouri Department of Transportation's centennial of service.

"MoDOT has been around for a hundred years and we want to celebrate that fact with the citizens of Missouri," said Dave Nichols, director of MoDOT. "The cover features the new Christopher S. Bond Bridge in Kansas City and has inset pictures dating back to the times when Missouri still had mud roads." 


In addition to showing 33,891 miles of state-maintained routes (252 more than the last map), this edition displays several new features, including the Chicago to Kansas City Expressway (Missouri Route 110), the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge (opening in early 2014), an updated Katy Trail inset and the newly signed US Bike Route 76 Transamerica Trail in Missouri.

State parks, conservation areas, historic sites, hospitals, airports, Amtrak stations, colleges, universities and other destinations also are displayed on the map. Other helpful bits of information include easy-to-locate emergency telephone numbers, and contact information for the Missouri State Highway Patrol and MoDOT district offices.

The 2013 state highway map was printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. It was printed by a St. Louis, Mo. company, Universal Printing.

To request a free map, contact MoDOT at 1-888-Ask MoDOT or visit www.modot.org.

Sidebar:  State Map History

  • The first Missouri road map, so far as State Highway Commission files reveal, was put out in 1851 by the federal government. Primary consideration was given to steamboat travel.
  • The first road map put out by the State of Missouri was in 1918.  The map was printed in black and white with no photos.
  • 25,000 copies of the 1924 map were printed, and the supply was quickly used up. That's compared to the 2.7 million printed this year.
  • To cover printing costs, the department sold the early maps to any individual, firm or company at cost, then allowed them to resell the maps for 25 cents to "make a fair profit."
  • There are two versions of the 1939 map. The maps have the same cover, but carry different information on the back.
  • The 1942 and 1944 maps have the same cover.
  • There was no map printed in 1943 because of World War II.
  • The 1966 map caused a bit of a stir because the cover featured two women in shorts.
  • A special map was printed in 2004 to commemorate the Lewis and Clark bicentennial.
  • Check out images from Missouri's official state highway maps here www.modot.org/historicmaps/index.htm.
    USBR 76, the Transamerica Trail, map inset from MoDOT's 2013 State Highway Map.  Click for full-sized version.
    USBR 76, the Transamerica Trail, map inset from MoDOT's 2013 State Highway Map. Click for full-sized version.

The Katy Trail is featured on an inset on the back of the map and the trail is shown on the main map as well.  USBR 76, the Transamerica Trail, is shown on an inset on the back of the map.  Between that inset map and the recently installed USBR 76 signs, it wouldn't be hard to bicycle the route across Missouri.  The Adventure Cycling Association sells far more details maps, including information about lodging, food, and points of interest--invaluable to anyone planning to cycle the route.

Creating a world-class bicycle route system for Missouri is one of the four main objectives of MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri.  Marking and mapping those routes is an important part of that goal, and creating a Missouri statewide bicycle map is one of the specific goals within the Vision. Updating the state highway map to include these key cross-state bicycle routes is an important step towards that state bicycle map.

Your membership and support makes our Vision into reality--it's the support of thousands of members like you across Missouri that has allowed us to keep issues like these on the front burner until they finally turn from idea to actual routes, maps, and signs on the road.

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