Roads Across America: 
U.S. Route 1

Table of Contents: Start/Finish | States Crossed: Florida - Georgia - South Carolina - North Carolina - Virginia - District of Columbia - Maryland - Pennsylvania - New Jersey - New York - Connecticut: Route - Rhode Island: Route - Massachusetts - New Hampshire: Route - Maine | Cultural references | References

U.S. Route 1 (also called U.S. Highway 1, and abbreviated US 1) is a United States highway, which parallels the east coast of the United States. It runs 2,390 miles from Key West, Florida in the south, to Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border in the north. 

US 1 generally parallels Interstate 95, though it is significantly further inland (west) between Jacksonville, Florida and Petersburg, Virginia. It connects the major cities of the east coast, including: Miami, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; Columbia, South Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Washington, DC; Baltimore, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; New York, New York; New Haven, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine.

Theoretically, the highway is numbered US 1 because it is the furthest east U.S. Route, and north-south highways are numbered east to west; however, several two-digit U.S. Routes run east of US 1, such as U.S. Route 13, the southern portion of U.S. Route 9, and most of U.S. 

Route 17, partly because the routes ending in 1 were intended as major routes. The location of the road was influenced by the location of the fall line at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains.

US 1 replaced the pre-existing "NE 1" of the New England Interstate Highway System instituted in 1922. US 1 largely follows the route of the Atlantic Highway and originally shared the same termini of Fort Kent, Maine and Miami, Florida. The only major difference was between Augusta, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida, where a more inland route was selected (the Atlantic Highway ran via Savannah). Early auto trails often overlapped; as a result, in Virginia, it was also known as Jefferson Davis Highway. The section from Miami, Florida to Jacksonville, Florida duplicates the Dixie Highway; that from New York City to Providence, Rhode Island duplicates the Boston Post Road. The names of the old auto trails are still used locally in many places.

Start/Finish

As of 2005, the highway's northern Start/Finish is in Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border, where it crosses the Saint John River and intersects Provincial Highway 205. Its southern Start/Finish was originally Miami, Florida and was later extended to Key West, Florida, the southwestern most island in the Florida Keys, where it is known as the Overseas Highway.

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States Crossed

Florida

In Florida, where signs for U.S. Highways formerly had different colors for each highway, the "shield" for US 1 was red. Florida began using the colored shields in 1956, but during the 1980s the MUTCD was revised to specify only a black and white color scheme for U.S. Highway shields. As such, Federal funds were no longer available to maintain the colored signs. On August 27, 1993, the decision was made to no longer produce colored signs. Since then, the remaining colored signs have gradually been replaced by black-and-white signs; at present, there are a few rare colored ones still in place.

US 1 is a designated Blue Star Memorial Highway along its entire route through the state. Markers are placed at various locations, including one in Rockledge, Florida and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As is the case with all Florida roads with Federal designations, the entirety of US 1 has a hidden Florida Department of Transportation designation: State Road 5 south of Callahan (except for 11 miles as SR 805 in Palm Beach County); State Road 15 north of Callahan.

US 1 begins in Key West as a local road (at the intersection of Fleming Street and Whitehead Street, turning onto Truman Avenue which itself becomes Roosevelt Boulevard) then becoming the Overseas Highway, the main highway serving the Florida Keys. The highway goes up to Florida City, becoming the Dixie Highway on the mainland. The Dixie Highway continues to Miami, with junctions to the termini of several Florida freeways along the way (Florida's Turnpike, Palmetto Expressway, Snapper Creek Expressway, and Interstate 95).

In Miami, US 1 becomes Brickell Avenue and then Biscayne Boulevard as it continues near the shoreline of Biscayne Bay.

In Fort Lauderdale, there is a complex interchange with Interstate 595 at the Ft. Lauderdale International Airport. US 1 continues north as Federal Highway (also signed as SE 6th Avenue or NE 6th Avenue until merging with Sunrise Boulevard) or Dixie Highway serving the beach communities along the eastern coast. It has a junction with the Beach Line Expressway in Brevard County. US 1 eventually reaches the city of Jacksonville as the Philips Highway. US 1 then travels through downtown Jacksonville along Main Street, crossing St. Johns River on the Main Street Bridge until it reaches the 20th Street Expressway. US 1 then goes along the route of State Road 15, traveling much further inland than Interstate 95 as it heads into the state of Georgia. US 1 will not meet up with Interstate 95 again until it reaches the state of Virginia.

A freeway alternate route in Jacksonville that bypasses the downtown area goes along the Hart Bridge Expressway, then along the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, which becomes the 20th Street Expressway.

State Road A1A runs next to the Atlantic Ocean, roughly parallel to US 1 for much of its path through Florida.

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Georgia

In Georgia, US 1 is generally a very rural highway, running through historical plantation areas. It also passes by the Fort Gordon Army installation and the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. US 1 is also signed as State Route 4 for its entire length in the state. There is an interchange with Interstate 520 in Augusta and with Interstate 16 in Emanuel County. US 1 enters the state from Florida at Folkston and exits the state into South Carolina at Augusta.

South Carolina

US 1 enters South Carolina in North Augusta. From North Augusta to Aiken, US 1 is a divided four lane highway. It goes through the historic district of Aiken, heading north through Batesburg-Leesville, Lexington, into Columbia up to Camden. US 1 parallels Interstate 20, crossing it several times until it branches northeast at Camden. It also has junctions with Interstate 26 and Interstate 77 in Columbia. From Camden, it continues northeast as a two-lane road to the town of Cheraw and Cheraw State Park before entering the state of North Carolina. In Richland County, US 1 is known as Two Notch since the road used to be marked by posts into which two notches were carved. In downtown Columbia, US 1 is known as Gervais Street and passes directly in front of the State Capitol building. South Carolina state route 421 in Aiken County was formerly US 1 until the expressway was built in the early 1950s. There are several Jefferson Davis Memorial highway stone markers along US 1 in South Carolina.

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North Carolina

From the South Carolina state line, US 1 passes through the towns/cities of Rockingham, Southern Pines and Sanford. In stretches in Southern Pines and Sanford, the highway shares it route with US Hwy 15-501. This stretch of US 1 is known as the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway. From Sanford to Raleigh, US 1 becomes a freeway, traveling on the Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway. It overlaps a portion of Interstate 440 in Raleigh, then heads north out of the city on Capital Boulevard. US 1 travels north to Henderson, where the highway then parallels Interstate 85 into the state of Virginia. US 1 is known as the "Fall Line Highway", since it generally follows the fall line between the Piedmont and the Atlantic Coastal Plain on its course through central North Carolina. US 1 runs for 208 miles in the state.

Virginia

From the North Carolina state line to Petersburg, US 1 parallels Interstate 85 and is known as VA One[citation needed] and Boydton Plank Road. From Petersburg northward, US 1 parallels Interstate 95 and is known in most places as the Jefferson Davis Highway. There is a portion of Route 1 that changes names to Richmond Highway along portions north of Dale City and ending just south of Crystal City, changing back to Jefferson Highyway. In the city of Fredericksburg, between Richmond and the District of Columbia, it borders the western edge of the University of Mary Washington campus. Just before entering the District of Columbia, it runs along the Southwest Freeway.

District of Columbia

From Arlington, Virginia, US 1 enters Washington, DC, running parallel to I-395. It follows 14th Street to Constitution Avenue, where it runs concurrently with US 50. This concurrency continues up 6th and 9th Streets before ending at New York Avenue, where US 50 turns east towards Annapolis, Maryland. US 1 continues its solo route up 6th Street, and finally crosses from the District into the Maryland suburbs via Rhode Island Avenue.

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Maryland

From Washington, D.C., U.S. Route 1 (a.k.a. Rhode Island Avenue) enters Maryland in the community of Mount Rainier. From there, it passes through Hyattsville (where it merges with Baltimore Avenue), College Park (including the University of Maryland campus), Beltsville, Muirkirk, Laurel, Savage, Jessup, Dorsey, and Elkridge, before entering Baltimore, where it follows Southwestern Boulevard, Wilkens Avenue, Monroe Street, Fulton Street, and North Avenue (the old northern boundary of Baltimore). It exits Baltimore to the northeast along Bel Air Road, which it follows until Fallston, where Route 1 becomes the Bel Air Bypass. Finally, it becomes Conowingo Road after crossing MD Route 543. From that point north, the highway travels through rural areas to the Pennsylvania border, on a stretch which includes crossing the Susquehanna River atop the Conowingo Dam, which in 1928 was the first dam to have a highway routed on its top.

The part of US 1 between Washington and Baltimore was designated State Road 1 in 1908.

Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, U.S. Route 1 runs for about 78 miles from the Maryland state line near Oxford to New Jersey state line near Trenton.

New Jersey

In New Jersey, US 1 starts in Trenton after crossing the Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge from Pennsylvania. It then parallels Interstate 95 and the New Jersey Turnpike while heading northeast before going over the George Washington Bridge into New York City. The route is concurrent with U.S. Route 9 north of Woodbridge, and the two routes together serve a major local artery along the I-95 corridor in northern New Jersey.

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New York

US 1 is 21.7 miles in New York. US 1 enters Manhattan on the George Washington Bridge together with US 9 and Interstate 95. US 9 separates 0.8 miles from the New Jersey state line heading north on Broadway, while US 1 and Interstate 95 continue for another 1.8 miles to the Bronx. US 1 then leaves Interstate 95 (at Exit 2B) traveling for another 6.3 miles in the Bronx before entering Westchester County. US 1 travels for 12.7 miles in Westchester County, going through the villages/cities of Pelham Manor, New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye and Port Chester before entering the state of Connecticut. From the Bronx to the Connecticut state line, the road is known as Boston Post Road or Boston Road, in reference to a major roadway used to deliver mail between New York and Boston dating back to the 17th Century.

• Manhattan

• NY 9A

• US 9 (northbound)

• Harlem River Drive

• Bronx

• Interstate 87

• Interstate 95 (northbound)

• Bronx River Parkway

• Westchester County

• Hutchinson River Parkway

• Interstate 95 (New Rochelle)

• Interstate 95 and Interstate 287 (Rye)

Connecticut

US 1 runs 117.37 miles in Connecticut. US 1 in Connecticut stays close to Interstate 95 throughout the state and has many junctions with it. It goes through the following towns as the roads listed below. From Greenwich to Branford, US 1 is mostly a 4-lane or 6-lane principal arterial road (with some 2-lane sections in dense areas). From Branford to Stonington, US 1 becomes a 2-lane or 4-lane minor arterial road (it is classified as a principal arterial road within Waterford town). One note of interest is that Route 1 in Connecticut has almost a direct east-west route. Because of this, in some places, signs may say Route 1 East or West, and only a short distance away, another sign may say Route 1 North or South. This can make it confusing if you don't know the area well. Most of US 1 through Connecticut encompasses its predecessor, the Boston Post Road, and much of it is still locally named Boston Post Road.

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Route

• Greenwich: 5.67 miles; New York State line to Stamford city line

• West Putnam Avenue and East Putnam Avenue

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 5

• Stamford: 3.30 miles; Greenwich town line to Darien town line

• West Main Street, Tresser Boulevard and East Main Street

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 9

• Darien: 3.91 miles; Stamford city line to Norwalk city line

• Boston Post Road

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 11 and 13

• Norwalk: 5.11 miles; Darien town line to Westport town line

• Connecticut Avenue, Van Buren Avenue, Belden Avenue, Cross Street, North Avenue and Westport Avenue

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 14

• Junction with U.S. Highway 7

• Westport: 4.78 miles; Norwalk city line to Fairfield town line

• Post Road West and Post Road East

• Fairfield: 5.43 miles; Westport town line to Bridgeport city line

• Post Road, Kings Highway Cutoff and Kings Highway East

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 19, 23, and 24

• Bridgeport: 4.73 miles; Fairfield town line to Stratford town line

• North Avenue and Boston Avenue

• Stratford: 2.41 miles; Bridgeport city line to Milford city line

• Boston Avenue and Barnum Avenue

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 33

• Milford: 6.26 miles; Stratford town line to Orange town line

• Bridgeport Avenue and Boston Post Road

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 34 and 39

• Orange: 2.86 miles; Milford city line to West Haven city line

• Boston Post Road

• West Haven: 2.07 miles; Orange town line to New Haven city line

• Boston Post Road

• New Haven: 4.08 miles; West Haven city line to East Haven town line

• Orange Avenue, Columbus Avenue, Church Street South, Columbus Plaza, Water Street and Forbes Avenue

• Connection to U.S. Highway 5

• East Haven: 1.55 miles; New Haven city line to Branford town line

• Saltonstall Parkway

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 51

• Branford: 6.96 miles; East Haven town line to North Branford town line

• West Main Street, North Main Street and East Main Street

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 53, 54, and 55

• North Branford: 0.06 miles; Branford town line to Guilford town line

• Boston Post Road

• Guilford: 5.83 miles; North Branford town line to Madison town line

• Boston Post Road

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 57 and 59

• Madison: 5.65 miles; Guilford town line to Clinton town line

• Boston Post Road

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 62

• Clinton: 3.30 miles; Madison town line to Westbrook town line

• West Main Street and East Main Street

• Westbrook: 3.91 miles; Clinton town line to Old Saybrook town line

• Boston Post Road

• Old Saybrook: 4.99 miles; Westbrook town line to Old Lyme town line

• Boston Post Road and Interstate 95

• Old Lyme: 5.78 miles; Old Saybrook town line to East Lyme town line

• Interstate 95, Neck Road, Halls Road and Boston Post Road

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 70

• East Lyme: 4.83 miles; Old Lyme town line to Waterford town line

• Boston Post Road

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 75

• Waterford: 4.78 miles; East Lyme town line to New London city line

• Boston Post Road

• New London: 3.62 miles; Waterford town line to Groton town line

• Bank Street, [Bank Street, Jefferson Avenue] (Colman Street), Colman Street, [South Frontage Road] (North Frontage Road) and Interstate 95

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 83

• Groton: 7.23 miles; New London city line to Stonington town line

• Interstate 95, [I-95 ramp] (Long Hill Road, Gold Star Highway), Long Hill Road, Poquonnock Road, Fort Hill Road, New London Road and West Main Street

• Junction with Interstate 95 at Exit 85 and 86

• Stonington: 8.27 miles; Groton town line to Rhode Island State line

• East Main Street, Broadway, Roosevelt Street, Williams Avenue, Stonington-Westerly Road, South Broad Street and West Broad Street

• US 1A (1.93 miles) loop route (North Water Street, Trumbull Avenue, Alpha Avenue and Elm Street)

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Rhode Island

US 1 runs 56.8 miles in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It has a business/bypass split in Warwick where US 1 Business runs along Post Road and US 1 Bypass runs along Post Road Bypass. The business route is officially recognized by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation as US 1.

US 1 takes the following route through the State (South to North):

• Westerly: 6.4 miles; Connecticut State line to Charlestown town line

• Broad Street, [Main Street, Union Street] (Broad Street), Broad Street, Granite Street, Franklin Street, Post Road and Shore Road

• Charlestown: 7.1 miles; Westerly city line to South Kingstown town line

• Post Road

• South Kingstown: 7.7 miles; Charlestown town line to Narragansett town line

• Commander Perry Memorial Highway

• Narragansett: 0.8 miles; South Kingstown town line to South Kingstown town line

• Commander Perry Memorial Highway

• South Kingstown: 4.6 miles; Narragansett town line to North Kingstown town line

• Commander Perry Memorial Highway and Tower Hill Road

• North Kingstown: 9.8 miles; South Kingstown line to East Greenwich town line

• Tower Hill Road and Post Road

• East Greenwich: 2.4 miles; North Kingstown town line to Warwick city line

• Post Road and Main Street

• Warwick: 7.5 miles; East Greenwich town line to Cranston city line

• Post Road, [Post Road, West Shore Road] (Greenwich Avenue, Veterans Memorial Drive), Post Road and Elmwood Avenue

• Cranston: 1.1 miles; Warwick city line to Providence city line

• Elmwood Avenue

• Providence: 6.3 miles; Cranston city line to Pawtucket city line

• Elmwood Avenue, Broad Street, [Broad Street, Franklin Street, Service Road #8] (Service Road #7, Broadway), Broadway, [Fountain Street] (Sabin Street), Francis Street, Gaspee Street, Smith Street and North Main Street

• Pawtucket: 3.1 miles; Providence city line to Massachusetts State line

• Pawtucket Avenue, George Street, [East Avenue] (Park Place West, Dexter Street, Goff Avenue, Summer Street, High Street), Main Street, [Main Street, Walcott Street, North-South Expressway] (Walcott Street, Broadway) and Broadway

Massachusetts

US 1 enters the state from Rhode Island at Attleboro. It closely parallels Interstate 95 as it goes through the towns of North Attleboro, Plainville, Wrentham, Foxboro, Walpole, Sharon, Norwood (where a segment is known as the Norwood Auto mile due to the many car dealerships that line the road), and Westwood. US 1 then has a Wrong-way concurrency with Interstate 95 up to the junction with Interstate 93 then travels along Interstate 93 from Canton through downtown Boston separating from the Interstate just after passing through the Central Artery tunnel. The route crosses the Tobin Bridge traveling over Chelsea and Revere as a freeway known as Boston's Northeast Expressway, then as a traditional six lane expressway (surface road without at-grade intersections or traffic lights) through Malden, Melrose, Saugus and Lynnfield. From Lynnfield, US 1 again closely parallels Interstate 95 going through the towns of Peabody, Danvers, Topsfield, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Newburyport, and Salisbury, before it enters the state of New Hampshire.

• Gillette Stadium is also located on Route 1, in Foxboro.

• Route 1A runs alongside Route 1 in four parts of the state.

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New Hampshire

Route

• US 1 takes the following route through the State (South to North):

• Seabrook: 2.5 miles; Massachusetts State line (Salisbury) to Hampton Falls town line

• Lafayette Road, [Lafayette Road] (Smith Lane, Main Street), and Lafayette Road

• Hampton Falls: 1.5 miles; Seabrook town line to Hampton town line

• Lafayette Road

• Hampton: 3.0 miles; Hampton Falls town line to North Hampton town line

• Lafayette Road

• North Hampton: 3.4 miles; Hampton town line to Rye town line

• Lafayette Road

• Rye: 1.2 miles; North Hampton town line to Portsmouth city line

• Portsmouth: X.X miles; Rye town line to Maine state line (Kittery) at Memorial Bridge

• Lafayette Road, Middle Street, [State Street] (Middle Street, Congress Street, Market Square, Daniel Street), and State Street

Maine

In Maine US Route 1 skirts the Maine coast line, then heads north, hugging the border with New Brunswick. A total of 529 miles lies in Maine, with spurs in York, Portland, Rockland, Bangor, Millbridge, Machias, and Aroostook County.

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Cultural references

In 1938, modernist poet Muriel Rukeyser published a collection titled U.S. 1, containing "The Book of the Dead," a documentary poem sequence about the Hawk's Nest incident, an industrial disaster in which hundreds of miners working out of Gauley Bridge, West Virginia died of silicosis due to company negligence. he poem and book took inspiration from the Federal Writers' Project American Guide series, and the U.S. One: Maine to Florida volume (also published in 1938) in particular.

In 1953, Andy Griffith recorded a comedy monologue, "Number One Street" about the misadventures of a rural family traveling to Florida on the highway. A sample: "The sign said 'Free Picnic Tables' so we took us one."

References

• US Highways From US 1 to US 830 Robert V. Droz.

• E. W. James on designating the Federal-aid system and developing the U.S. numbered highway plan

• http://www.mdroads.com/routes/us001.html

• New Jersey Department of Transportation, 2005 Straight Line Diagrams

• Connecticut State Numbered Routes and Roads as of December 31, 2004 (PDF)

• Rand McNally 2007 Road Atlas

• Archives of Maryland, Volume 377, Page 767, from 1908, ch. 304, sec. 1]

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_1