Travel with us for about 27 miles of western Tennessee highway charm as we head west along U.S. Highway 70 from Jackson to Brownsville. This route is a straightforward connector between these two historic West Tennessee towns, but it offers a few glimpses of local life and the shifting scenery of the region’s rolling farmlands and forest edges.
We kick off this drive in the southwest corner of Jackson, merging onto U.S. Highway 70 from the U.S. 45 Bypass. Jackson, known for its musical heritage and as a hub between Memphis and Nashville, quickly gives way to more open road as we cruise out of town. About four and a half miles out, we reach the intersection with Tennessee Highway 23, a local connector that heads back northeast toward the heart of Jackson’s neighborhoods and the local medical district.
Continuing west, Highway 70 eases us into the small community of Huntersville. Blink and you might miss it, but if you’re looking for a pit stop or a scenic pull-off, this stretch has a few rural churches and local farms worth a quick glance. Just past Huntersville, the highway bends southwest, keeping things interesting as we approach the intersection with TN-138 — a handy route for those heading northwest toward the small towns closer to the Forked Deer River.
One of the route’s most notable junctures comes up next: crossing over Interstate 40. This interchange is key for regional traffic — I-40 slices clear across Tennessee from Memphis all the way to North Carolina, so you’ll often spot plenty of freight trucks and travelers here fueling up or grabbing snacks at nearby truck stops and gas stations.
Once across I-40, we keep our tires rolling westbound until we arrive on the outskirts of Brownsville. This town is steeped in history and Southern charm — you’ll find several Civil War sites, antique stores, and the well-known West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center if you’re up for a detour. Entering Brownsville, U.S. Highway 70 meets U.S. Highway 79 on the east side of town. These two highways pair up to form a convenient bypass skirting the south and east edges of Brownsville’s city center. This short bypass keeps through-traffic moving smoothly while giving travelers a peek at local businesses, small residential pockets, and roadside eateries without diving straight into downtown.
Along the bypass, watch for signs pointing to TN-19, which can whisk you west toward Ripley, or TN-76, which connects deeper into the cotton fields and farm towns of Haywood County. We wrap up this route as the bypass rejoins the mainline of Highway 70 on Brownsville’s southwest side — a smooth finale to a classic West Tennessee run.
0 Comments