K-52 is an approximately east–west state highway in eastern Kansas. Its western terminus is at an intersection with K-31 southeast of Mound City. K-52 then overlaps U.S. Route 69 for through Pleasanton and Trading Post, then splits off to the east. later, it crosses into Missouri, becoming Route 52.
Before state highways were numbered in Kansas there were auto trails. K-192 follows a short section of the former Jefferson Highway in Mound City. The former routing through Pleasanton follows the former Ozark Trails and Kansas City-Fort Scott-Miami-Tulsa Short Line. K-52 was first established as a state highway on January 7, 1937, and went from K-38 in Blue Mound northeastward to K-7 in Mound City. It was extended west then south to US-54 in Moran by the end of 1937. It was realigned to the west of Pleasanton in 1987 and eight years later, the highway was truncated to its current western terminus.
Route description
K-52's western terminus is at K-31 east of Blue Mound. The highway begins travelling east then after about curves north at 500th Road. It passes by a cemetery and through a forested area before curving northeast at 600th Road. The highway passes through a forested area for a short distance then transitions to flat rural farmlands. It continues for about then enters Mound City and intersects K-7. K-52 turns north and begins to overlap K-7 as 9th Street. After roughly K-52 turns east onto Main Street, as K-7 continues north. The highway continues along Main Street for about then curves northeast onto North Main Street. After it exits the city then curves east. K-52 continues through flat farmlands for about then reaches an interchange with US-69. K-52 turns north and begins to overlap the four-lane freeway.
K-52 and US-69 cross over a BNSF Railway track then curve north. They then pass under East 1000th Road and then curve northwest. About later, the highway reaches an interchange with East 6th Street, which travels west to Pleasanton. The highway continues through flat rural farmlands, as it curves north and crosses Muddy Creek. The freeway continues for and then curves northeast before it reaches an interchange with East 1350 Road. It continues northeast and soon crosses Big Sugar Creek, then Marais des Cygnes River later. It continues another and reaches another interchange, where K-52 leaves the freeway. K-52 continues for about then curves east. The highway continues through flat rural farmlands for roughly then curves southeast and enters into Missouri becoming Missouri Route 52.
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) tracks the traffic levels on its highways, and in 2019, they determined that on average the traffic varied from 850 vehicles per day near the eastern terminus to between 6,060 and 6,310 vehicles per day along the overlap with US-69. The second highest was 2,570 vehicles per day slightly east of Mound City. The only section of K-52 that is included in the National Highway System is its concurrency with US-69.
History
Before state highways were numbered in Kansas there were auto trails which were an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. K-192 follows a short section of the former Jefferson Highway in Mound City. The former routing through Pleasanton follows the former Ozark Trails and Kansas City–Fort Scott–Miami–Tulsa Short Line.