Highway impacts on Ozarks incomes and employment during the 1950 's are empirically analyzed by means of rank correlation and stepwise regression. Results indicate that highways were not among the most critical factors in the Ozarks Region's development. If new highways are built, two-lane, paved, State-numbered roads connecting existing Federal routes and also local paved county roads connecting rural areas with urban centers would be more beneficial for economic development than other highway types. Highways with dissimilar qualities are classified into five distinct types, with the number of lanes, type of surface, and network integration used as criteria. Relevant regional economic growth theories are also reviewed.