Both highways are located in the Western Lowlands Pleistocene Valley Trains ecoregion within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, broad, nearly level, agriculturally-dominated alluvial plain with flat, clayey, poorly-drained soils commonly called the Arkansas Delta in the state.

The highway turns north, continuing through sparsely populated agricultural areas, including the unincorporated community Gill, before crossing into St. Francis County.

[4] Highway 261 continues north as a section line road through Humphrey to Palestine, a small city in the Arkansas Delta.

ARDOT estimates the traffic level for a segment of roadway for any average day of the year in these surveys.

The highway runs due east, crossing the L'Anguille River lowlands and adjacent swamps.

It turns right toward the small town of Caldwell, crossing the Union Pacific Railway tracks shortly after entering the municipal limits.