Travel with us for about 40 scenic miles down one of Arkansas’s enduring old routes — U.S. Highway 67 — as it stretches southwest from Benton all the way to Caddo Valley, a gateway community just outside Arkadelphia. This corridor is a classic slice of southern Arkansas, weaving together small towns, hidden local haunts, and miles of piney woods and farmland. We begin this drive at the busy interchange with Interstate 30 in Benton, a city that serves as a bedroom community to Little Rock but still holds tight to its own local charm.
As we head southwest, Highway 67 quickly trades Benton’s suburban edge for the quieter pace of Haskell. Here, travelers might spot the Arkansas Health Center — an institution tucked away amid stands of oaks and pines. Just a couple of miles later, the route hugs close to I-30, a reminder that this old highway once carried far more regional traffic before the interstate took center stage. We soon slip off towards Glen Rose, a small community known to locals for its rural high school and tight-knit feel. Before reaching Perla, Highway 67 overlaps with U.S. 270 Business — a route that steers drivers through the heart of Malvern.
Malvern, the self-proclaimed “Brick Capital of the World,” is worth a pause if you’re into local history or crave a bite at a roadside diner. Take a minute to admire the brick-laden streets downtown or drop by the Malvern Brickfest if you’re passing through in summer. From here, Highway 67 resumes its steady roll southwest, sharing the road with memories of the old auto trails that helped stitch together this part of Arkansas long before the freeways came. It passes open farmland and forest breaks, offering glimpses of grazing cattle and quiet homesteads.
Crossing the Ouachita River near Donaldson, the route leans into the rolling countryside once more, steering us through Friendship — a true dot on the map but brimming with rural charm. Beyond Friendship, the trees close in again as we approach our endpoint at Caddo Valley, just a stone’s throw north of Arkadelphia proper. This last stretch is lined with pine forests and a few scattered motels and gas stations catering to travelers pulling off I-30. The drive wraps up at the junction with Arkansas Highway 7, which itself heads north into the Ouachitas or south into Arkadelphia’s historic downtown and the campus of Henderson State University.
For anyone exploring Arkansas beyond the major interstates, this slice of U.S. Highway 67 is a gentle reminder of how travel used to feel: slow, scenic, and full of hidden stops if you’re willing to take a detour.
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