K-39 (Kansas highway)

K-39 is a 65.03-mile-long (104.66 km) east–west state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas. The highway runs from U.S. Route 400 (US-400) to K-7 southwest of Fort Scott.

K-39
K-39 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by KDOT
Length	65.032 mi[1] (104.659 km)
Major junctions
West end	US-400 north of Fredonia
	US-75 in Buffalo US-169 in Chanute US-59 by Stark
East end	K-7 southwest of Fort Scott
Location
Counties	Wilson, Neosho, Bourbon
Highway system
Kansas State Highway System Interstate U.S. State Spurs ← K-38 → US-40

Route description

K-39 begins seven miles (11 km) north of Fredonia at U.S. Highway 400 (US-400). It travels east to Benedict, where it turns north toward Buffalo. South of town, K-39 meets US-75 and begins a short, one-mile-long (1.6 km) concurrency with the U.S. Highway. Once leaving US-75, the highway again travels east toward Chanute, where it intersects US-169. The highway continues east 12 miles (19 km) before beginning a seven-mile-long (11 km) concurrency with US-59. After briefly turning north with US-59, K-39 resumes its easterly route north of Stark. The highway shares a very short overlap with K-3 (less than one mile, 1.6 kilometers) and passes through Hiattville before meeting its eastern terminus at K-7, which completes the connection to US-69.[2]

History

K-39 has been at its current alignment since 1999.[3] Prior to that the western terminus was located near Elk City. The portion of the route between Elk City and Fredonia are now county owned roads. Before 1956, when K-39 was modernized, a large portion of the route was unpaved and used 90 degree turns to travel northeast instead of the current diagonal alignment.[4]

Comparison of K-39 alignments between 1945 (left) and 2015 (right). The dashed line indicates lack of pavement.

Major Junctions

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Wilson	​	0.000	0.000	US-400	Western terminus; road continues south as 1650 Road
	Buffalo	14.821	23.852	US-75 north	Western end of US-75 concurrency
	​	15.749	25.346	US-75 south	Eastern end of US-75 concurrency
Neosho	Chanute	26.289	42.308	US-169 – Iola, Coffeyville	Diamond interchange
	​	39.089	62.908	US-59 south	Western end of US-59 concurrency
	Stark	46.274	74.471	US-59 north	Eastern end of US-59 concurrency
Bourbon	​	56.275	90.566	K-3 north	Western end of K-3 concurrency
	​	56.775	91.371	K-3 south	Eastern end of K-3 concurrency
	​	65.032	104.659	K-7 – Fort Scott, Girard	Eastern terminus; highway continues as K-7 north
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

See also

•  Kansas portal
•  U.S. Roads portal

References

1. Kansas Department of Transportation (2014). "2014 Condition Survey Report". Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
2. Kansas Department of Transportation (2015). There's No Place Like Kansas: Official State Transportation Map (PDF) (Map) (2015–16 ed.). Scale not given. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
3. Kansas Department of Transportation (1999). Kansas Official State Transportation Map (PDF) (Map) (1999–2000 ed.). Scale not given. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
4. State Highway Commission of Kansas (1945). Travel Kansas: Crossroads of a Continent (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved August 1, 2015.

External links

• Kansas Department of Transportation State Map
• KDOT: Historic State Maps