Maryland Route 185
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 185 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Maryland
. Known as Connecticut Avenue, the state highway runs 8.3 mi (13.4 km) from Chevy Chase Circle
at the Washington, D.C.
border north to MD 97
in Aspen Hill
. MD 185 serves as a major north-south commuter route in southern Montgomery County
, connecting the District of Columbia with the residential suburbs of Chevy Chase
, Kensington
, and Wheaton
.
MD 185's history can be divided into two segments. The portion south of Kensington was included in the state highway system by 1927 as an extension of Connecticut Avenue out of the District of Columbia and was the westernmost stretch of MD 193. The Chevy Chase to Kensington stretch was expanded to a divided highway in the 1950s. The segment of MD 185 between Kensington and Aspen Hill was built as a divided highway
on a new alignment in the 1960s and designated MD 185. The MD 185 designation was extended south of Kensington, replacing MD 193, in the 1970s. Construction projects in the 1980s and early 1990s completed MD 185 as a six-lane highway.
MD 185 begins at Chevy Chase Circle on the border of Washington, D.C. Connecticut Avenue continues south into the Chevy Chase
neighborhood of the District of Columbia on the south side of the circle, while Western Avenue intersects the east and west sides of the circle. MD 185 heads north as a six-lane divided highway with a speed limit of 30 mph (48.3 km/h) through an affluent residential area in Chevy Chase Village
. After passing Chevy Chase Country Club to the west, the state highway intersects MD 191
(Bradley Lane) and leaves Chevy Chase Village. MD 185 continues due north, passing the headquarters of 4-H
and intersecting MD 410
(East–West Highway). After crossing MD 410, the speed limit increases to 35 mph (56.3 km/h) and the state highway passes Columbia Country Club
. MD 185 enters a commercial area where it crosses the Capital Crescent Trail
at-grade and intersects Manor Road. Manor Road fills the missing movements at the following five-way intersection with Jones Bridge Road and Kensington Parkway, where left turns are prohibited from both directions of MD 185 and westbound Jones Bridge Road.
After crossing Jones Bridge Road, MD 185 continues north through residential areas and intersects the Capital Beltway
at a partial cloverleaf interchange. Immediately after the interchange, the state highway crosses Rock Creek
and intersects Beach Drive within Rock Creek Park
. MD 185 leaves the valley of Rock Creek and enters the town of Chevy Chase View
. Upon entering Kensington and the Kensington Historic District
, the state highway veers to the northwest and back to the north ahead of the intersection with MD 547
(Knowles Avenue), where the highway enters a commercial area. After crossing CSX
's Metropolitan Subdivision and MARC
's Brunswick Line
, MD 185 crosses MD 192
(Plyers Mill Road). As the road turns northeast, the state highway meets MD 193 (University Boulevard). While MD 193 continues northeast toward Wheaton, MD 185 veers left to continue due north. The next intersection, Perry Avenue, is used to complete the movements between MD 185 north and MD 193 east.
After leaving the town limits of Kensington, MD 185 becomes a six-lane controlled access divided highway with a speed limit of 40 mph (64.4 km/h) passing between residential subdivisions. After crossing a tributary of Rock Creek, the state highway intersects MD 586
at an acute intersection. MD 185 then becomes lined with service roads
ahead of and after the intersection with Randolph Road
. The speed limit increases to 45 mph (72.4 km/h) after Randolph Road. Beyond Weller Road, the state highway crosses Turkey Branch and then a bridge over Matthew Henson State Park
. MD 185 then enters Aspen Hill and intersects Aspen Hill Road within a commercial area. The state highway meets its northern terminus at MD 97 (Georgia Avenue
). Connecticut Avenue continues as a county-maintained highway north through Bel Pre Road into Rossmoor
, home of the Leisure World retirement community.
by 1946, a designation it retained until the 1960s. The segment from the D.C. line to north of MD 410 in Chevy Chase was expanded to a multi-lane divided highway in 1950. The remainder of the route to Kensington was expanded to a divided highway between 1957 and 1960.
The section of highway between Kensington and Aspen Hill was built on a new alignment as a four-lane divided highway in stages in the 1960s and given the designation of MD 185. The highway was completed from Kensington to MD 586 in 1963. The remaining section north to Aspen Hill was completed in 1969. Immediately north of the crossing of Turkey Branch is a bridge that was to be MD 185's overpass of the Washington Outer Beltway
. Ramp stubs exist next to the bridge for the partial cloverleaf interchange with this cancelled freeway. By 1980, the MD 185 designation was extended south from Kensington south to the D.C. line. The state highway was expanded to six lanes to Beach Drive in 1986 and through Kensington in 1991.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. Known as Connecticut Avenue, the state highway runs 8.3 mi (13.4 km) from Chevy Chase Circle
Chevy Chase Circle
Chevy Chase Circle is a traffic circle straddling the border of Chevy Chase, Washington, D.C. and Chevy Chase, Maryland. The circle sits upon the convergence of Western Avenue, Grafton Street, Magnolia Parkway, Chevy Chase Parkway, and Connecticut Avenue. In the center of the circle is a fountain...
at the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
border north to MD 97
Maryland Route 97
Maryland Route 97 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from U.S. Route 29 in Silver Spring, Montgomery County north to the Pennsylvania border in Carroll County, where the road continues into that state as Pennsylvania Route 97...
in Aspen Hill
Aspen Hill, Maryland
Aspen Hill is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. It got its name from aspen trees that once were found near the first post office in the area...
. MD 185 serves as a major north-south commuter route in southern Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
, connecting the District of Columbia with the residential suburbs of Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Chevy Chase is the name of both a town and an unincorporated census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland. In addition, a number of villages in the same area of Montgomery County include "Chevy Chase" in their names...
, Kensington
Kensington, Maryland
Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,873 at the 2000 census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 zip code and its population is an order of magnitude larger than that of the town at its center....
, and Wheaton
Wheaton, Maryland
Wheaton is an unincorporated, urbanized area in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, north of Washington, D.C., northwest of Silver Spring. Wheaton takes its name from Frank Wheaton , a career officer in the United States Army and volunteer from Rhode Island in the Union Army who rose to the rank of...
.
MD 185's history can be divided into two segments. The portion south of Kensington was included in the state highway system by 1927 as an extension of Connecticut Avenue out of the District of Columbia and was the westernmost stretch of MD 193. The Chevy Chase to Kensington stretch was expanded to a divided highway in the 1950s. The segment of MD 185 between Kensington and Aspen Hill was built as a divided highway
Divided Highway
Divided Highway is a compilation album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 2003. . All tracks are taken from the albums Cycles and Brotherhood .-Track listing:...
on a new alignment in the 1960s and designated MD 185. The MD 185 designation was extended south of Kensington, replacing MD 193, in the 1970s. Construction projects in the 1980s and early 1990s completed MD 185 as a six-lane highway.
Route description
Chevy Chase, Washington, D.C.
Chevy Chase is a neighborhood in northwest Washington, D.C. It borders Chevy Chase, Maryland, a collection of similarly affluent neighborhoods.-Geography:...
neighborhood of the District of Columbia on the south side of the circle, while Western Avenue intersects the east and west sides of the circle. MD 185 heads north as a six-lane divided highway with a speed limit of 30 mph (48.3 km/h) through an affluent residential area in Chevy Chase Village
Chevy Chase Village, Maryland
Chevy Chase Village is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,043 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Chevy Chase Village is located at ....
. After passing Chevy Chase Country Club to the west, the state highway intersects MD 191
Maryland Route 191
Maryland Route 191 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Maryland Route 190 in Potomac to Maryland Route 185 in Chevy Chase.-Route description:...
(Bradley Lane) and leaves Chevy Chase Village. MD 185 continues due north, passing the headquarters of 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
and intersecting MD 410
Maryland Route 410
Maryland Route 410 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as East–West Highway, the highway runs from MD 355 in Bethesda east to Pennsy Drive in Landover Hills...
(East–West Highway). After crossing MD 410, the speed limit increases to 35 mph (56.3 km/h) and the state highway passes Columbia Country Club
Columbia Country Club
The Columbia Country Club, located in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is the successor of the Columbia Golf Club, which was organized on September 29, 1898 by nine men. Originally there were twenty members. The first location of the Club was on the east side of Brightwood Avenue, afterwards known as Georgia...
. MD 185 enters a commercial area where it crosses the Capital Crescent Trail
Capital Crescent Trail
The Capital Crescent Trail is an long, shared-use rail trail that runs from Georgetown in Washington, D.C., to Silver Spring, Maryland. The portion from Bethesda to Silver Spring is also called the Georgetown Branch Trail but is recognized as the Future Capital Crescent Trail.The Capital Crescent...
at-grade and intersects Manor Road. Manor Road fills the missing movements at the following five-way intersection with Jones Bridge Road and Kensington Parkway, where left turns are prohibited from both directions of MD 185 and westbound Jones Bridge Road.
After crossing Jones Bridge Road, MD 185 continues north through residential areas and intersects the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
at a partial cloverleaf interchange. Immediately after the interchange, the state highway crosses Rock Creek
Rock Creek
-Streams:* Rock Creek * Rock Creek , disambiguation* Rock Creek * Rock Creek , in Illinois* Rock Creek , in Maryland and the District of Columbia* Rock Creek , in Missoula County...
and intersects Beach Drive within Rock Creek Park
Rock Creek Park
Rock Creek Park is a large urban natural area with public park facilities that bisects Washington, D.C. The park is administered by the National Park Service.-Rock Creek Park:The main section of the park contains , or , along the Rock Creek Valley...
. MD 185 leaves the valley of Rock Creek and enters the town of Chevy Chase View
Chevy Chase View, Maryland
Chevy Chase View is a town located in Montgomery County, Maryland. Established as a Special Tax District in 1924, the town was formally incorporated in 1993...
. Upon entering Kensington and the Kensington Historic District
Kensington Historic District
The Kensington Historic District is a national historic district located at Kensington, Montgomery County, Maryland. The district includes the core of the original town that was incorporated in 1894, It is dominated by large late-19th and early-20th century houses, many with wraparound porches,...
, the state highway veers to the northwest and back to the north ahead of the intersection with MD 547
Maryland Route 547
Maryland Route 547 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 355 in North Bethesda east to MD 185 in Kensington.-Route description:...
(Knowles Avenue), where the highway enters a commercial area. After crossing CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
's Metropolitan Subdivision and MARC
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
's Brunswick Line
Brunswick Line
The Brunswick Line is a MARC commuter rail line consisting of a main line running from Washington D.C. to Martinsburg, West Virginia and a branch line from just south of Point-of-Rocks station to Frederick, Maryland. The service is operated under contract by CSX Transportation, but is administered...
, MD 185 crosses MD 192
Maryland Route 192
Maryland Route 192 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Summit Avenue in Kensington to Maryland Route 97 in Forest Glen. MD 192 provides access to the Forest Glen station of the Washington Metro and the Washington D.C...
(Plyers Mill Road). As the road turns northeast, the state highway meets MD 193 (University Boulevard). While MD 193 continues northeast toward Wheaton, MD 185 veers left to continue due north. The next intersection, Perry Avenue, is used to complete the movements between MD 185 north and MD 193 east.
After leaving the town limits of Kensington, MD 185 becomes a six-lane controlled access divided highway with a speed limit of 40 mph (64.4 km/h) passing between residential subdivisions. After crossing a tributary of Rock Creek, the state highway intersects MD 586
Maryland Route 586
Maryland Route 586 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Veirs Mill Road, the state highway runs from MD 28 in Rockville east to MD 97 in Wheaton.-Route description:...
at an acute intersection. MD 185 then becomes lined with service roads
Frontage road
A frontage road is a non-limited access road running parallel to a higher-speed road, usually a freeway, and feeding it at appropriate points of access...
ahead of and after the intersection with Randolph Road
Randolph Road
Randolph Road is a major cross-county road in Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of a longer road that runs across Montgomery and Prince George's counties. The full road, which is also known as Montrose Road on the western end and Cherry Hill Road at the southeast, runs between the Potomac...
. The speed limit increases to 45 mph (72.4 km/h) after Randolph Road. Beyond Weller Road, the state highway crosses Turkey Branch and then a bridge over Matthew Henson State Park
Matthew Henson State Park
Matthew Henson State Park is a greenway along the Turkey Branch of Rock Creek in Aspen Hill, Maryland. The park takes its name from arctic explorer Matthew Henson. A hiking/biking trail through the park was completed in 2009. The state park is managed by Montgomery County under an agreement with...
. MD 185 then enters Aspen Hill and intersects Aspen Hill Road within a commercial area. The state highway meets its northern terminus at MD 97 (Georgia Avenue
Georgia Avenue
Georgia Avenue is a major north-south artery in Northwest Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland. Within the District of Columbia and a short distance in Silver Spring, Maryland, Georgia Avenue is also U.S. Route 29...
). Connecticut Avenue continues as a county-maintained highway north through Bel Pre Road into Rossmoor
Rossmoor, Maryland
Rossmoor is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is an area primarily inhabited by retirees, and comprises almost entirely the large retirement community of .-Geography:...
, home of the Leisure World retirement community.
History
MD 185 was constructed and designated on two different segments of the current state highway at different times. The first section to be built was between Chevy Chase and Kensington as an extension of Connecticut Avenue into Montgomery County, which was designated MD 193. The section between Bradley Lane and Kensington was paved by 1927. The segment south of Bradley Lane was paved as a county road by 1930. By 1936, the segment of Connecticut Avenue south of Bradley Lane had come under state control. The grade crossing of the railroad tracks in Kensington was eliminated by the construction of a bypass and bridge in 1936 as well. The section of MD 193 south of MD 410 was marked as an alternate route of US 240U.S. Route 240
U.S. Route 240 is a defunct designation for a short, but once very important, segment of highway between Frederick, Maryland and Washington, D.C.-Route description:...
by 1946, a designation it retained until the 1960s. The segment from the D.C. line to north of MD 410 in Chevy Chase was expanded to a multi-lane divided highway in 1950. The remainder of the route to Kensington was expanded to a divided highway between 1957 and 1960.
The section of highway between Kensington and Aspen Hill was built on a new alignment as a four-lane divided highway in stages in the 1960s and given the designation of MD 185. The highway was completed from Kensington to MD 586 in 1963. The remaining section north to Aspen Hill was completed in 1969. Immediately north of the crossing of Turkey Branch is a bridge that was to be MD 185's overpass of the Washington Outer Beltway
Washington Outer Beltway
The Washington Outer Beltway was a proposed freeway that would have extended further out than the Capital Beltway and encircled Washington, D.C. through the states of Maryland and Virginia...
. Ramp stubs exist next to the bridge for the partial cloverleaf interchange with this cancelled freeway. By 1980, the MD 185 designation was extended south from Kensington south to the D.C. line. The state highway was expanded to six lanes to Beach Drive in 1986 and through Kensington in 1991.
Junction list
The entire route is in Montgomery County.| Location | Mile |
Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevy Chase Village Chevy Chase Village, Maryland Chevy Chase Village is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,043 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Chevy Chase Village is located at .... |
0.00 | Connecticut Avenue south / Western Avenue – Washington Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
Southern terminus Chevy Chase Circle Chevy Chase Circle Chevy Chase Circle is a traffic circle straddling the border of Chevy Chase, Washington, D.C. and Chevy Chase, Maryland. The circle sits upon the convergence of Western Avenue, Grafton Street, Magnolia Parkway, Chevy Chase Parkway, and Connecticut Avenue. In the center of the circle is a fountain... |
| 0.60 | |||
| Chevy Chase Chevy Chase, Maryland Chevy Chase is the name of both a town and an unincorporated census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland. In addition, a number of villages in the same area of Montgomery County include "Chevy Chase" in their names... |
1.38 | ||
| 2.22 | Jones Bridge Road / Kensington Parkway – Bethesda Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda... , North Chevy Chase North Chevy Chase, Maryland North Chevy Chase is a village in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It was established as a Special Tax District in 1924 and incorporated as a village in 1996... |
No left turns from MD 185; use Manor Road | |
| 2.62 | , Northern Virginia Northern Virginia Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C... |
I-495 Interchange 33 | |
| 2.83 | Beach Drive – North Bethesda | ||
| Kensington Kensington, Maryland Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,873 at the 2000 census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 zip code and its population is an order of magnitude larger than that of the town at its center.... |
4.24 | ||
| 4.40 | |||
| 4.54 | |||
| Wheaton Wheaton, Maryland Wheaton is an unincorporated, urbanized area in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, north of Washington, D.C., northwest of Silver Spring. Wheaton takes its name from Frank Wheaton , a career officer in the United States Army and volunteer from Rhode Island in the Union Army who rose to the rank of... |
5.92 | ||
| 6.32 | Randolph Road Randolph Road Randolph Road is a major cross-county road in Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of a longer road that runs across Montgomery and Prince George's counties. The full road, which is also known as Montrose Road on the western end and Cherry Hill Road at the southeast, runs between the Potomac... – Rockville Rockville, Maryland Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S... , Glenmont Glenmont, Maryland Glenmont is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA. The U.S. Census Bureau combines Glenmont with nearby Wheaton to create the Census Designated Place of Wheaton-Glenmont.- Location :... |
||
| Aspen Hill Aspen Hill, Maryland Aspen Hill is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. It got its name from aspen trees that once were found near the first post office in the area... |
8.30 | Northern terminus | |