Great River Road receives 380-thousand dollar grant for new navigation app and website
The Great River Road receives $380,000 federal grant for new navigation app, website
App will provide turn-by-turn navigation for 10-state scenic byway that follows the Mississippi River
MADISON, Wis. (October 29, 2026)—The Mississippi River Parkway Commission (MRPC) has received a grant from the Federal Highway Administration to create a navigational app, a new website and other marketing materials for the Great River Road All-American Road, which follows the Mississippi River for 3,000 miles through 10 states, from northern Minnesota to southern Louisiana.
The grant, which was administered through the National Scenic Byways Program, was one of 11 grants totaling $9.5 million awarded this year. The MRPC’s grant includes $380,000 in federal funding and $95,000 in matching funds from the organization.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation served as the lead applicant for the grant on behalf of all 10 Mississippi River states.
With the grant, the MRPC will create:
A free mobile app for Apple and Android devices that will provide turn-by-turn navigation along the entirety of the route
A new website that will complement the app and feature interactive maps, itineraries, and more
Printed maps highlighting things to see and do in each of the 10 Great River Road states
“We’re looking forward to everything we’ll be able to do with this generous grant,” said MRPC Pilot John Anfinson, the head of the non-profit organization. “The new app will help address challenges some travelers face when navigating the route, and it’s great to have a chance to highlight our Great River Road communities and their businesses, historic sites, scenic overlooks, and other attractions.”
Anfinson said one of the goals of the new marketing initiatives is to increase visitation and support local economies in the 118 counties and parishes the Great River Road passes through. Across the 10-state region, the Great River Road sees more than $2 billion in visitor spending every year. The app and new website will make travel safer and navigation more reliable, leading to more visitors and longer trips along the route, potentially adding more than $525 million in new economic activity in the cities, towns, counties, and parishes along the byway.
Created in 1938 and stretching for 3,000 miles alongside the Mississippi River, the Great River Road All-American Road is one of the country’s longest and most historically significant byways. The Mississippi River Parkway Commission was established in 1938 to promote, enhance, and preserve the byway and the Mississippi River Region, which includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Learn more at www.experiencemississippiriver.com.
You can also find The Great River Road on Facebook and Instagram.
