Join us for a 21-mile drive along Arkansas Highway 35 as we travel northwest from Dermott to Monticello in southeastern Arkansas. This route offers a peaceful slice of rural Delta scenery, moving through small communities and farm country before easing into the edges of a college town. Though not a heavily traveled corridor, Highway 35 plays a key role in connecting local traffic to larger regional routes, and it will likely grow in importance once the future Interstate 69 corridor becomes fully operational nearby.
We begin our journey in Dermott, turning onto AR-35 from a local side street near the center of town. Dermott, like many Delta communities, has seen better days—but it still has the feel of a once-thriving hub, with a few historic storefronts and residential streets branching out from the highway. After passing through the quiet edge of town, AR-35 heads northwest, quickly giving way to a mix of fields, scattered homes, and small pockets of forest typical of Chicot County.
As we leave Dermott behind, the road becomes straighter and more open. We soon pass through the small communities of Cominto and Baxter, which are unincorporated but still show signs of long-standing settlement—think modest churches, occasional silos, and older rural homes tucked behind trees. Along this stretch, you’ll also notice some new grading and cleared land, a clue to the planned alignment of Interstate 69, which will eventually intersect this highway. Although construction is not yet complete, the infrastructure is slowly taking shape and will likely transform the area’s connectivity when finished.
Continuing on, we cross into Drew County and make our approach to Monticello, a city that serves as a regional anchor thanks in part to the presence of the University of Arkansas at Monticello. On the outskirts of town, the landscape shifts to more commercial development and a bit more traffic. AR-35 carries us into Monticello’s southeast side, where it transitions into a more urban environment with access to local services, schools, and businesses. We wrap up our drive at the junction with U.S. Highway 278, which serves as one of the town’s main east-west arteries.
Whether you’re tracing family roots through the Delta or just looking for a quiet backroad alternative, this segment of AR-35 offers a direct and relatively scenic route between two small Arkansas towns. It’s not flashy, but it’s part of the framework that keeps southeast Arkansas connected.
🗺️ Route Map
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