Streets named after Martin Luther King Jr. can be found in many cities of the United States and in nearly every major metropolis. There are also a number of other countries that have honoured Martin Luther King Jr., including Italy and Israel. The first street in the United States named in his honor was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Chicago in 1968. The number of streets named after King is increasing every year, and about 70% of these streets are in states which were members of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas. King's home state of Georgia had the most, with 75 streets as of 2001; this had increased to 105 as of 2006.
As of 2003, there were over 600 American cities that had named a street after King. By 2004, this number had grown to 650, according to NPR. In 2006, Derek Alderman, a cultural geographer at East Carolina University, reported the number had increased to 730, with only 10 states in the country without a street named after King (Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont). In 2014 he estimated that there were over 900 streets named after King in 41 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. In 2019, National Geographic published an interactive mapping of more than 1,000 streets around the world named after King.
Business owners in the affected parts of cities have often filed objections (and in the case of Kansas City, voted in a referendum to reverse a designation) against streets named for King, arguing that naming a street after Martin Luther King would cause a severe decline in their businesses, associating violent crimes and homicides with a re-naming and claiming it makes the neighborhoods a King-named road passes through dangerous by proxy, though in many cases there is no correlation with that occurring.
The following is a list of streets named after King in the United States.
Alabama Andalusia: A concurrency with US-29 and US-84 is designated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway. Atmore: A thoroughfare on the east side of town is named Martin Luther King Avenue. Auburn: A section of Alabama State Route 14 is called Martin Luther King Drive, also known interchangeably as Loachapoka Road. Bay Minette: A portion of County Road 138 is labeled Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Dothan: The portion of US 431 between Ross Clark Circle and its conjunction with US 231 is referred to as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Huntsville: Dr. Martin Luther King expressway, located in North Huntsville and part of the Northern bypass. Also known as Alabama State Route 255 from Alabama State Route 53 to Pulaski Pike. Mobile: On Mobile's northside area, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue runs from Congress Street in downtown Mobile up to the intersections of Craft Highway and Saint Stephens Road. The section was formerly known as Davis Avenue from Congress Street to Bizell Avenue, and Stone Street from Bizell Ave. to Saint Stephens Road. Montgomery: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway is I-85 from Eastern Boulevard to the I-65 interchange. Opp: Dr. Martin Luther King Drive runs from College Street to Maloy Street. Prichard: A portion of Craft Highway between the intersections of New Bay Bridge Road and Wilson Avenue is designated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Scottsboro: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street in Scottsboro runs north–south on the northwest side of town. Selma: In 1976, Sylvan Street was renamed Martin Luther King Street. King spent many days along Sylvan Street working for civil rights in the 1960s, especially by speaking at First Baptist Church and Brown Chapel. Brown Chapel is the background in a famous Time magazine photograph of King in the 1960s. Today, there is a monument honoring King in front of Brown Chapel. Brown Chapel was also the beginning of the route of the infamous Bloody Sunday march. Ironically, the street crosses Jefferson Davis Avenue, named after the president of the Confederacy.
Alaska
Anchorage: A thoroughfare running from Elmore Road to East Tudor Road was built and given the name of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in 2010. This idea surfaced in the late 20th century. Initially, some advocates aimed for renaming portions of 9th Avenue, however this proposal resulted in rejection in the hands of a city-wide vote. Some attempted to name the performing arts center after King but failed as well. Despite both of these failures, some proponents were persistent and still desired a street in Anchorage named after King and were successful in 2006 when the Anchorage Assembly approved the proposal of dedicating a street after him. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue is seen as a reminder of King's legacy and position as a civil rights leader. Ten years after the opening of the street, in 2020, plans were announced to expand the avenue to Piper Street.
Arizona Eloy: A three-block-long portion of West Second Street was renamed by the city council to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street. Glendale: Maryland Avenue from 91st to 95th Avenue was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard by the city of Glendale in 2016. Maricopa: M. L. K. Jr. Boulevard runs by the Copper Sky Recreation Center. Mesa: Martin Luther King Jr. Way runs along the Mesa Amphitheater between Center St & Centennial Way. Phoenix: Phoenix was one of the last major cities not to have a major street named after Martin Luther King, Jr. In 2015, a stretch of Broadway Road in the predominately Black and Hispanic South Phoenix neighborhood was unofficially renamed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard between 67th Avenue and 48th Street. Broadway retains its original name, as the MLK Boulevard street signs are mainly posted at intersections with a traffic light. Sierra Vista: Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway runs east to west between Moorman and Arizona State Route 90, passing Veteran's Memorial Park. Tucson: M L King Jr. Way at the UA Tech Park at The Bridges (Tech Parks Arizona), south of 36th Street near Kino Parkway.
Arkansas Bentonville: S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy. runs approx. 0.7 mi. from S.E. 5th St. at its southern end, crossing E. Central Ave. (AR-72) and becoming N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy., ending at N.E. John Deshields Blvd. at its northern end. Fayetteville: Fayetteville City Council voted in January 2008 to officially rename Sixth Street, which passes through the city's historically black neighborhood as well as the southern boundary of the University of Arkansas campus, to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Part of the road is designated as Arkansas Highway 180. Forrest City: The former Honeysuckle Lane in Forrest City was renamed Martin Luther King Drive. Hot Springs: Sections of US 270 and US 70 are named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway. Jonesboro: Commerce Drive (Arkansas Highway 18 Spur/U.S. Route 78) between East Highland Drive (Arkansas Highway 18) and Interstate 555 (Joe N. Martin Expressway) was officially renamed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in December 2019. Future extensions of Commerce Drive will be renamed in MLK's honor. An overpass on Red Wolf Blvd/Stadium Blvd (US Highway 49/Arkansas Highway 1) interchange over Interstate 555 was also named for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in August 2011. Kensett: East and West MLK Drive runs northwest–southeast through most of Kensett. Little Rock: In 1992, High Street was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The street, which begins next to the Arkansas State Capitol building, is home to parades and community events. Martin Luther King Jr. Interdistrict Magnet Elementary School is located on the street. Malvern: US 270 Business Loop is named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. It becomes Oliver Lancaster Boulevard when crossing into the neighboring city of Rockport. As the cities' boundaries meet multiple times, a driver can be on MLK Jr. Blvd., then Lancaster Blvd., then back on MLK Jr. Blvd. without ever turning off the highway. Texarkana: See Texarkana, Texas. West Memphis: Martin Luther King Drive runs from US 70 to Mound City Road. It junctions with I-55 and I-40 and is also where all the truck stops in West Memphis are.
California Bakersfield: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard travels from California Avenue south to Brundage Lane. Chico: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway travels north–south from a dead end north of East 20th Street to East Park Avenue. Fresno: South Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in South Fresno begins at California Street (now Cesar Chavez Boulevard) where the street itself continues from Pottle Avenue and runs south to North Avenue. At this point upon leaving Fresno city limits into unincorporated Fresno County, it becomes South Fig Avenue, which was the previous street name in Fresno proper before it was renamed to MLK, Jr. Boulevard. Hayward: Martin Luther King Drive in Hayward travels north–south from Cannery Park to Winton Avenue. Long Beach: Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue (shortened as Martin L. King Avenue) runs north–south in the Eastside of Long Beach between East 7th Street and East 21st Street. This portion was originally named California Avenue, although the former name is still in use; Martin L. King Avenue continues as California Avenue once it enters the enclave of Signal Hill before re-entering Long Beach, retaining the original name. Los Angeles: In 1983, Santa Barbara Avenue in the South Region of Los Angeles was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, three years before U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed a law to declare Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday. That event was celebrated by the first ever Kingdom Day Parade; years later the event was made an annual tradition. It is typically held on the street between Crenshaw Boulevard and Western Avenue. Due to the length of Dr. King's name, the roadway name is often abbreviated as King Blvd. on its traffic signs and sometimes called MLK Blvd. Running east–west, MLK Boulevard begins as a major thoroughfare at Obama Boulevard (formerly Rodeo Road), running until Central Avenue. From Central Avenue, it continues as a residential street in two discontinuous segments due to the presence of Jefferson High School: between Central and Hooper avenues, and then from Compton Avenue to Alameda Street. Lynwood: A portion of Century Boulevard was renamed Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard within the Lynwood city limits. Merced: Formerly J Street, Martin Luther King, Jr. Way is the north–south State Route 59. Modesto: runs east–west from a dead end as Elm Avenue, then curves to run north–south as Martin Luther King Drive and sometimes abbreviated to S M.L.K. Dr. to change name to Sutter Avenue after crossing Paradise Road to a dead end on the west side. Oakland and Berkeley: Grove Street, which stretched for several miles north from Downtown Oakland into North Berkeley, was renamed Martin Luther King, Jr. Way in 1983–1984. Berkeley made the change by resolution of the city council on November 8, 1983. The street had once represented the dividing line between neighborhoods where minorities could and could not live or buy property. The street begins shortly before Embarcadero West in Oakland near the city's port, and continues through Berkeley until crossing over Codornices Creek, where it becomes The Alameda. Riverside: In November 1993, the Riverside City Council voted to rename a portion of Pennsylvania Avenue and Box Springs Boulevard to Martin Luther King Boulevard. It runs from Kansas Avenue to Interstate 215. Sacramento: Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard travels from Broadway south to Franklin Boulevard. It is crossed by SR 99. It was originally named Sacramento Boulevard. San Diego: Market Street was briefly renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Way by San Diego City Council in 1986, before being reverted to its previous name by ballot measure a year later.