Highway 22 (AR 22, Ark. 22, and Hwy. 22) is an east–west state highway in the Arkansas River Valley. It is maintained by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD). The highway runs from US 64/US 71B east to Highway 7 in Dardanelle. Following the historic stagecoach line of the cross-country Butterfield Trail, the highway is one of the original 1926 state highways. It is designated by the AHTD as the True Grit Trail. Route description The route begins in Fort Smith at US 64/US 71B. It runs east, crossing I-540/US 71 and the incomplete interchange at the northern end of future I-49. From its western terminus in Fort Smith it carries the Seminole route of the Trail of Tears to AR 255 where the historic route follows AR 255 heading north. From the junction with AR 255, AR 22 concurs with AR 255 through Fort Chaffee and intersects AR 96 east of the installation. The route next enters Charleston where it meets AR 217 and the historic Butterfield Trail. The historic route continues along AR 22 to its eastern terminus in Dardanelle. Continuing east into Branch the highway crosses AR 41. County Line High School is located on the highway between Branch and Ratcliff. In the town of Caulksville AR 22 has a junction with AR 23. Continuing east into the city of Paris the highway has junctions with AR 109, AR 288, and AR 309. AR 22/AR 109/AR 288 run together until Subiaco, when the route loses AR 288 but crosses AR 197. AR 109 leaves AR 22 in Midway, heading north towards Clarksville. AR 22 continues alone to Dardanelle, passing through the communities of New Blaine and Delaware along the way. In Dardanelle, the route terminates at AR 7 after a very brief concurrency with AR 155. The road itself is fairly straight and in reasonably good repair. Passing can be safely accomplished in several stretches of Highway 22 despite a lack of constructed passing areas. History The precursor to today's AR 22 was the Butterfield Trail, a stagecoach trail officially known as the Overland Mail Company that traveled roughly along the present-day highway's route from Dardanelle to Fort Smith. The stagecoach carried mail and passengers from Memphis to Fort Smith. In Fort Smith the trail split into two routes, with one traveling west to San Francisco and the other traveling north to St. Louis. The