Join us as we roll down a short but lively stretch of Arkansas Highway 247, covering roughly seven miles from the quiet town of Pottsville to the heart of Russellville. This connector serves as a handy shortcut for locals and visitors alike, linking U.S. Highway 64 with the major routes threading through Russellville. Our drive begins at the busy junction with U.S. 64 right in Pottsville, a town that has grown steadily over the years yet still retains its small-town charm. Almost immediately after turning south onto AR-247, we glide over a railroad crossing by way of a modern overpass—keeping traffic flowing smoothly without the need to wait for a passing train.
Just past the overpass, the scenery gives us a slice of local life. On our left, the Pottsville Schools complex stands as a hub for the community’s young families. This stretch can be bustling during school drop-off and pick-up times, so it’s always wise to watch for buses and students. A few more moments down the road, AR-247 bends westward and carries us across Galla Creek—a tranquil waterway that winds through the countryside before feeding into Lake Dardanelle downstream. The crossing here is quick, but the creek’s wooded banks hint at the rolling terrain and patchwork farmland that define this part of Pope County.
Beyond Galla Creek, our route settles into a more relaxed pace, weaving gently through pockets of light residential neighborhoods interspersed with a smattering of small businesses. This area, known as New Hope, is more of a community cluster than a formal town, but it marks the subtle transition from Pottsville’s rural edges to the outskirts of Russellville proper. As we continue west, homes give way to the first signs of larger city life—gas stations, local eateries, and side streets that feed into subdivisions. The road remains mostly flat and easy to drive, making it a favored local shortcut for folks avoiding busier highways.
Rolling into Russellville, AR-247 stays on a westward course, working its way deeper into the city’s north side. While this highway segment isn’t exactly a scenic byway, it does provide convenient access to daily amenities and quick routes to nearby attractions. Not far from here sits Lake Dardanelle State Park, a big draw for fishing, boating, and camping right on the shores of the Arkansas River. Locals often hop on AR-247 to skirt around town traffic when heading towards the water or connecting to bigger routes like Arkansas Highway 7.
Our drive concludes where AR-247 meets the well-traveled Arkansas Highway 7—an important north-south artery that slices through Russellville’s bustling commercial districts. Here, AR-7 is joined by the unsigned AR-27, continuing southward towards Dardanelle. We wrap up our journey by merging onto AR-7 southbound, ready to explore the rest of what this central Arkansas city has to offer.
🗺️ Route Map
0 Comments