Jefferson Highway
Palm to Pine Route 1915-1926
North America's First Transcontinental International Highway

The Jefferson Highway was the first transcontinental road to traverse the North American continent North and South and possibly the First Dedicated International Highway in the world. Conceived at a meeting in New Orleans in 1915 the highway was dedicated in 1919. Its Northern end was in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada then running through Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and ending in New Orleans, Louisiana on the southern coast of the United States.

The Jefferson Highway only existed as a named highway for a few years until it lost it's title to the new standardized numbering system in the 1920s but now historians are bringing it back. Several societies and historical groups have kept the Jefferson Highway's name alive with museums, monuments, local automobile tours and annual celebrations. As we locate websites with history of this highway or groups who hold annual celebrations we will add them to our links page and to our interactive map.

Two notable motorcades traversed this highway. One in 1919 traveling from New Orleans north to Winnipeg on the Palm to Pine Highway. In early 1926 a motorcade traveled the other way from Winnipeg to New Orleans on the Pine to Palm Highway in the dead of winter. This website is dedicated to the intrepid motorists who made those historic journeys.

jeffersonhighway.com is centred around Maps of the Jefferson Highway as it exists today. Links are being established on the map to the many fine museums, historical societies and individuals who are keeping important history alive. We will do what we can to promote The Jefferson Highway and it's history.

Any information, anecdotes, relatives, maps, notes, pictures about those very early motoring adventures of 1919 and 1926 are always welcome. If you have something that you would like to share we will be happy to feature you and your contributions on this website. Send us an e-mail.

We will keep you up to date here with the goal of furthering the revival of the Jefferson Highway as an International Monument. Jefferson Highway's time has come. This may be a more significant historical highway than the more well known one's such as Route 66 since the Jefferson Highway is older, longer and traverses two countries. Not to mention that a stretch of Route 66 rests on top of The Jefferson Highway near Carthage MO.

It is time to let people know about The Jefferson Highway because it is an International Highway of Historical Importance. Your support with information has been wonderful, please keep it coming.

Jefferson Highway near Noel, Missouri
(taken with a cell phone camera)

BIG NEWS...The Jefferson Highway was traveled from beginning (Winnipeg) to end (New Orleans) in November 2009. Mike Conlin and Gary Augustine journeyed to Winnipeg at the very beginning of November and using information gleaned from early Jefferson Highway Association maps traveled on the old Route in as many places as possible. It took two weeks and many adventures to complete the trip. Along the way we met many people who are very interested in the Jefferson Highway and putting it back on the Historic Highway maps. We were also featured in over 20 different newspapers along the way bringing huge publicity to the Jefferson Highway. The "Jeff" is now off and running.

To see many photos of that historic trip go to our facebook page . Our daily adventures are also chronicled there in the "Discussions" section. Check it out and become a fan of the Jeff.

Jefferson Highway Palm to Pine Route 1915-1926 North America's First Transcontinental International Highway

Jefferson Highway
Palm to Pine Route 1915-1926
North America's First Transcontinental International Highway