Missouri 740 and Missouri 763 in Columbia

Missouri 763 and 740

Until 2000, almost all Missouri state highway markers were on square sign blanks, regardless of the route number. For three-digit route numbers, a narrower font was used to fit all the numbers in. The 763 and 740 route markers at the intersection of Stadium Boulevard and College Avenue in Columbia display the typical Missouri layout until 2000.

Missouri 763 wide sign

Elsewhere in Columbia, there have been a few wider, rectangular sign blanks in use for Missouri 763, even before the change to wider markers for three-digit highways beginning in 2000. These markers are at the highway's interchange with Interstate 70, and only date back about ten years. This particular marker was replaced sometime between 1998, when this photo was taken, and July 2002. Oddly enough, it was replaced by a standard square marker.

If you look carefully at the northwest corner of the state's outline on the wide Missouri 763 marker, you'll notice that it shows the state's border as a straight line, instead of showing the indentation near St. Joseph as do most other state markers. The Bootheel is also different from the usual state highway marker. I call this a pointy marker. Another example was on Missouri 19 at its northern endpoint near New London.

On "Big Green Signs", such as Interstate highway signs, the wider version of the state outline always has been in use for three-digit route numbers. This outline, though, isn't always pointy in the manner of the Missouri 763 marker.

Pointy markers on square signs could also be seen (at one time) in Mexico at the US 54-Missouri 15-Missouri 22 interchange. A side-by-side comparison can be seen on Missouri 79 at Interstate 70 in O'Fallon.