Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major north–south Interstate Highway that serves the middle of the United States. It runs 963.5 miles (1,550.6 km) from I-10 in Laplace, Louisiana—about 25 miles (40 km) west of New Orleans—to U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) in Chicago, Illinois. In Mississippi, it runs for about 290.41 miles (467.37 km), entering the state at the Louisiana state line near Osyka and leaving at the Tennessee state line near Southaven, just south of Memphis.
The highway parallels US 51 during its trek roughly through the center of the Magnolia State. North of Jackson, the Interstate runs east of the bluffs of the Mississippi Delta.
Near Summit and McComb, the Interstate is concurrent with US 98 for five miles (8.0 km) as it passes through the western side of the cities. I-55 then intersects US 84 near Brookhaven and becomes concurrent with US 51 near Crystal Springs. In Jackson, the highway is concurrent with I-20 for three exits, and US 51 leaves the concurrency after I-55's concurrency with I-20 begins. I-55 continues north on the eastern side of Jackson and meets the northern terminus of I-220 near Ridgeland. The highway then parallels US 51 until the U.S. Highway crosses over to the western side of the Interstate in Grenada. I-55 intersects US 278 at Batesville, and it becomes concurrent with I-69 north of Hernando. The highway crosses the state line north of Southaven into Tennessee.
