U.S. Highway 425: Pine Bluff to Star City – Arkansas

Join us for a relaxing 27-mile drive southbound along U.S. Highway 425, as we travel from the historic river city of Pine Bluff to the small but vibrant community of Star City in southeastern Arkansas. This stretch of US-425 acts as a vital north-south connector through the rural Delta, threading together agriculture-rich lands, quiet communities, and state routes that feed into larger regional corridors. It’s not a heavily trafficked tourist route, but it’s an important piece of infrastructure for locals—and a great way to experience a more grounded view of Arkansas.

We begin our journey just east of Pine Bluff, turning south onto US-425 from U.S. Highway 65. This part of Pine Bluff is still within the city limits, but it’s less dense than the downtown area, with light commercial development and service roads gradually giving way to fields and forests. Almost immediately, we veer southeast around the intersection with Arkansas Highway 980, which serves as the eastern entrance to Pine Bluff Regional Airport. It’s a brief directional change, but a noticeable one, as the landscape begins to open up and traffic thins out.

As we pass AR-199, the highway gently swings back to the south, placing us right in the heart of southeast Arkansas farmland. We move through two quiet communities—Yorktown and Nebo—each representing the rural character of the region. Yorktown, while small, is historically significant, with ties to the area’s early cotton farming days. Nebo, just a few miles farther, is even more understated but shares the same agricultural DNA. The scenery here is a mix of timberland, cotton fields, and piney woods, with the occasional grain elevator or farm equipment visible near the roadside.

The final leg of our journey makes a subtle curve to the southwest before straightening out again for the approach into Star City. This town of about 2,000 serves as the county seat of Lincoln County and offers a few more amenities compared to the smaller communities we’ve passed. As we roll into town, the pace of traffic picks up slightly, and we encounter local businesses, gas stations, and residential areas as US-425 transitions into a more typical town thoroughfare. The drive ends at the intersection with Arkansas Highway 11, right in the heart of Star City.

While this route isn’t flashy, it’s a great example of how U.S. highways still serve as lifelines for smaller communities—connecting farms to markets, schools to homes, and towns to each other. It’s a peaceful, direct ride with wide shoulders, light traffic, and a calming rural backdrop. For travelers heading deeper into southeast Arkansas or continuing south toward Louisiana, this segment of US-425 is a solid piece of the journey.