Louisiana U.S. 371 is an afterthought in the federal highway system. Within Louisiana it was merely the 1990s renumbering and re-signing of the post-1955 Louisiana Highway 7 north of US 71, which after the 1990s change ceased to exist as a number for a state highway in Louisiana. The section south of US 71 was the post-1955 Louisiana Highway 179, which after the 1990s change ceased to exist as a number for a state highway in Louisiana. It also replaced a section of Louisiana Highway 177. Although signage is on I-49, US 371 begins just north of
Coushatta, Louisiana at an intersection with
US 71. Intersecting
I-20 and
US 80 at
Minden, it then crosses the Arkansas Line at
Springhill, Louisiana. Louisiana Highway 371, on the other hand, was renumbered to
Louisiana Highway 3277 because of the creation of US 371.
Arkansas US 371 contains about in
South Arkansas. US 371 enters Arkansas in
Columbia County. The route runs north to intersect
AR 160 in
Taylor and winds east to
Magnolia. A
concurrency with
US 82 begins in Magnolia, and continues north to the city limits. US 371 continues west to meet
AR 98 in
Waldo, before heading north to enter
Nevada County. The route next meets
AR 32 and
AR 76 before entering
Rosston, where a short concurrency with
US 278 forms. US 371 meets
AR 372 before entering
Prescott, where the route meets
AR 24 and is intersected by
Interstate 30 before entering
Hempstead County. US 371 winds through Hempstead County west and north, concurring briefly with
AR 195 and eventually entering
Howard County. The route passes through
Nashville, again meeting US 278, and runs west through rural land and into
Sevier County. In Sevier County, US 371 meets
US 59/
US 71, which form a northern concurrency, eventually adding
US 70 as well. These four routes run together west to
De Queen, at which US 371 terminates. ==History==