Maryland Route 404
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 404 is a major highway on Maryland
's Eastern Shore in the United States
. It runs 24.61 miles (39.61 km) from Maryland Route 662
in Wye Mills
on the border of Queen Anne's
and Talbot
Counties, southeast to the Delaware
state line in Caroline County
, where the road continues as Delaware Route 404 to Nassau
(near Rehoboth Beach
). The Maryland and Delaware state highways together cross the width of the Delmarva Peninsula
and serve to connect the cities west of the Chesapeake Bay
by way of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
and U.S. Route 50
with the Delaware beaches. Along the way, MD 404 passes through mostly farmland and woodland as well as the towns of Queen Anne
, Hillsboro
, and Denton
. The road is a two-lane undivided highway for most of its length with the exception of the bypass around Denton, which is a four-lane divided highway
.
MD 404 was designated in 1940 to run from Matapeake
(where the Annapolis-Matapeake ferry
across the Chesapeake Bay connected the route to Annapolis
), east along present-day Maryland Route 8
, Maryland Route 18
, and Maryland Route 662 to Wye Mills (where it follows its current routing to the Delaware border). By 1948, the route’s western terminus was moved to Maryland Route 2
north of Annapolis, where it headed east across the Chesapeake Bay on the Sandy Point-Matapeake ferry. The MD 404 designation was planned for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge; however, US 50 was extended onto the Eastern Shore and MD 404’s western terminus was cut back to its current location in Wye Mills. A few realignments of the route have taken place since then, including a bypass of Queen Anne and Hillsboro, a segment east of Hillsboro by 1960, and the bypass of Denton built in the 1980s.
Since MD 404 is the main route for travelers between the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Delaware beaches, the road has a high accident rate. To improve on this situation, the Maryland State Highway Administration is planning to widen the two-lane portions of the route into a four-lane divided highway. A portion of the road east of the Tuckahoe Creek
in Caroline County is receiving $7.7 million for widening as a part of the stimulus bill
signed into law by President Barack Obama
in 2009.
Maryland Route 404 begins at an intersection with Maryland Route 662
(Old Wye Mills Road) in Wye Mills
on the border of Queen Anne's
and Talbot
Counties, heading to the east on Queen Anne's Highway, a two-lane undivided road with a 30 mph (48.3 km/h) speed limit. It heads east through farmland along the Queen Anne's/Talbot County border, with the speed limit increasing to 45 mph (72.4 km/h), before reaching an intersection with U.S. Route 50
(Ocean Gateway). Upon crossing US 50, MD 404 becomes a part of the main route between the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
and the Delaware beaches. MD 404 continues east through farmland with some residences and wooded areas as a 55 mph (88.5 km/h) two-lane road, approaching the town of Queen Anne
.
Further east, Old Queen Anne Road splits from MD 404, with MD 404 crossing entirely into Queen Anne's County. It resumes east through some farmland before coming to an intersection with Maryland Route 309
(Starr Road). Past MD 309, the route intersects the northern terminus of Maryland Route 303
(Main Street), which intersects the route as a northbound-only road that provides access to eastbound MD 404. From MD 303, the road heads into wooded areas adjacent to Tuckahoe State Park
, crossing the abandoned Chesapeake Railroad right-of-way before crossing the Tuckahoe Creek
.
Maryland Route 404 enters Caroline County
upon crossing the Tuckahoe Creek, where it becomes Shore Highway. It emerges from the woods into agricultural areas, intersecting Maryland Route 480
(Ridgely Road) near Hillsboro
. Past that intersection, the route heads through a mix of woods and residences before intersecting Maryland Route 404 Alternate (Hillsboro Road), where MD 404 heads into a mix of farms and woodland. Unsigned Maryland Route 485 (Saathoff Road) loops to the south of MD 404, returning to the route before the intersection with the southern terminus of Maryland Route 312
(Downes Station Road). The route continues to the southeast through farms, heading toward Denton
. As the road approaches Denton, it widens into a four-lane divided highway
that heads through rural areas with some residences and businesses. Maryland Route 404 Business (Meeting House Road) splits from MD 404 to head through the center of Denton while MD 404 continues east to bypass Denton to the north.
The route continues east through fields before intersecting Maryland Route 328
(New Bridge Road). Past this intersection, MD 404 crosses over the Choptank River
. It continues east as a limited-access road with a diamond interchange
with Maryland Route 313
(Greensboro Road) and unsigned Maryland Route 619
(Sixth Street), where some businesses are located. MD 313 forms a concurrency
with MD 404 and the two routes turn south, heading along the eastern side of Denton through woodland and then past residential neighborhoods. It turns to the southwest, heading into woods and intersecting Maryland Route 404 Business (Franklin Street/Gay Street) at an at-grade intersection. MD 313 and MD 404 continue as a surface road that turns south and heads through some commercial areas as a 40 mph (64.4 km/h) road.
The speed limit increases back to 55 mph (88.5 km/h) and the road heads south into farmland, passing by Martinak State Park
. It crosses over Watts Creek and comes to an intersection with Maryland Route 16
(Harmony Road), with that route joining MD 313 and MD 404 for a three-way concurrency. The three routes continue southeast, narrowing into a two-lane undivided road that heads through a mix of woods and farms with some homes. The road turns more to the east-southeast, with MD 313 splitting from MD 16 and MD 404 by heading south on Federalsburg Highway in Andersontown
. The road turns southeast and in a short distance, MD 16 splits from MD 404 by heading east on Greenwood Road. Past this intersection, MD 404 continues southeast through farmland and woodland to the Delaware border, where the road continues as Delaware Route 404, which runs east to an intersection with Delaware Route 1 in Nassau
(near Rehoboth Beach
).
, where the Annapolis-Matapeake ferry
across the Chesapeake Bay
connected the route to Annapolis
in Anne Arundel County
. From Matapeake, the route ran along present day Maryland Route 8
, Maryland Route 18
, and Maryland Route 662 to Wye Mills, where it continued east along its current route. By 1948, the route's western terminus was moved to Maryland Route 2
in Anne Arundel County, crossing the Chesapeake Bay on the Sandy Point-Matapeake ferry, roughly where the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
is now. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge was originally to be designated as part of MD 404. However, it was decided for US 50 to be extended onto the Eastern Shore, replacing MD 404 between Annapolis and Wye Mills. By 1960, a bypass was built for MD 404 around Queen Anne and Hillsboro with the former alignment becoming Maryland Route 404 Alternate and a portion of the route between Hillsboro and Denton was also bypassed. This former alignment of MD 404 is now known as Saathoff Road and has the unsigned Maryland Route 485 designation. In the early 1980s, a four-lane divided bypass of Denton was constructed for the route and the alignment of MD 404 through Denton became Maryland Route 404 Business. The divided portion highway of MD 404 in the Denton area was extended further in the 2000s from the south end of Denton to the Sennett Road intersection east of where MD 16 joins the route. This project received $3 million from the federal government in 2001.
signed into law by President
Barack Obama
on February 17, 2009, $7.7 million is going to widening a portion of MD 404 east of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County, creating 221 jobs.
!County
!Location
!Mile
!Roads intersected
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=3|Queen Anne's
–
Talbot
|rowspan=2|Wye Mills
|0.00
|
|Western terminus of MD 404
|-
|1.01
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Queen Anne
|5.74
|Old Queen Anne Road east
|Former MD 404
|-
|rowspan=2|Queen Anne's
|6.75
|
|
|-
|6.96
|
|MD 303 is northbound-only to eastbound MD 404
|-
|rowspan=13|Caroline
|Hillsboro
|7.97
|
|
|-
|
|9.14
|
|Former MD 404
|-
|
|9.43
|
|Former MD 404
|-
|
|9.97
|
|Former MD 404
|-
|
|10.25
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|West Denton
|12.84
| Town Center
|Former MD 404
|-
|13.68
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Denton
|14.67
|
|Interchange, west end of MD 313 overlap
|-
|16.07
|
|Former MD 404
|-
|
|18.26
|
|West end of MD 16 overlap
|-
|Andersontown
|20.54
|
|East end of MD 313 overlap
|-
|
|21.43
| – Greenwood, DE
|East end of MD 16 overlap
|-
|
|24.61
|
|Delaware
state line, eastern terminus of MD 404
and Caroline
counties. The route runs along the former alignment of Maryland Route 404 through the towns of Queen Anne
and Hillsboro
. The route begins at an intersection with MD 309 (Cordova Road) near Queen Anne, Talbot County, where it heads east on two-lane undivided Millsboro Denton Road. West of MD 309, Old Queen Anne Road continues west to MD 404. MD 404 Alternate passes through woodland, crossing under the abandoned Chesapeake Railroad before coming to MD 303 (Lewistown Road). At this point, the route turns north to form a concurrency with MD 303 along Talbot Avenue, and the two routes enter Queen Anne as it turns to the east. MD 303 splits from MD 404 Alternate by turning north on Main Street, while MD 404 Alternate continues east past homes, intersecting Maryland Route 518 (First Street). As the road runs a short distance to the south of the Tuckahoe Creek, there is an industrial building on the south side of the road. Upon crossing the Tuckahoe Creek, MD 404 Alternate enters Hillsboro in Caroline County and becomes Hillsboro Road. The route continues through residential areas of the town. Upon leaving Hillsboro, the road heads into agricultural areas with a few homes and a patch of woods. MD 404 Alternate ends at an intersection with MD 404 east of Hillsboro.
in Caroline County
. The route runs along the former alignment of Maryland Route 404 that was bypassed by the divided, four-lane Denton Bypass. MD 404 Business branches off from MD 404 west of Denton by heading southeast on a two-lane divided road called Meeting House Road that soon becomes undivided as it passes through farmland with some businesses. As it comes to MD 328 (New Bridge Road) in West Denton
, the route passes near residences. The road crosses the Choptank River
into Denton, where it becomes Franklin Street. Shortly after the river, MD 404 Business splits into a one-way pair
that follows Franklin Street eastbound and Gay Street westbound. The one-way pair, which has two lanes in each direction, carries the route through the residential and commercial downtown of Denton, where it intersects Maryland Route 619
(Sixth Street). In the eastern part of Denton, the two directions of MD 404 Business turn south and join again, becoming a four-lane divided highway with the Franklin Street name that runs through woodland. MD 404 Business ends at MD 313 and MD 404 a short distance later.
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...
's Eastern Shore in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It runs 24.61 miles (39.61 km) from Maryland Route 662
Maryland Route 662
Maryland Route 662 is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These highways are sections of old alignment of U.S. Route 50 between Easton and Wye Mills in Talbot County and Queen Anne's County. MD 662C runs from Easton to Longwoods. MD 662B runs from Longwoods to...
in Wye Mills
Wye Mills, Maryland
Wye Mills is an unincorporated community in Talbot County, Maryland, United States, located at an altitude of 13 feet . It is the home of the Wye Grist Mill which has been in nearly continuous operation since 1682, and Wye Oak and of Chesapeake College.-References:...
on the border of Queen Anne's
Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Queen Anne's County is a county located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 47,798. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville is the county's most populous place...
and Talbot
Talbot County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
Counties, southeast to the Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
state line in Caroline County
Caroline County, Maryland
Caroline County is a wholly rural county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by Queen Anne's County to the north, Talbot County to the west, Dorchester County to the south, Kent County, Delaware, to the east, and Sussex County, Delaware, to the southeast. As...
, where the road continues as Delaware Route 404 to Nassau
Nassau, Delaware
Nassau is an unincorporated community in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. It lies just off Delaware Route 1 northeast of the town of Georgetown, the county seat of Sussex County. Its elevation is 26 feet...
(near Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach is a city in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 1,327, a decrease of 11.2% from 2000...
). The Maryland and Delaware state highways together cross the width of the Delmarva Peninsula
Delmarva Peninsula
The Delmarva Peninsula is a large peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia...
and serve to connect the cities west of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
by way of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the more urban Western Shore. The original span opened in 1952 and, at the time, with a length of , it was the world's longest...
and U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 in Maryland
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. In the U.S. state of Maryland, US 50 exists in two sections. The longer of these serves as a major route connecting...
with the Delaware beaches. Along the way, MD 404 passes through mostly farmland and woodland as well as the towns of Queen Anne
Queen Anne, Maryland
Queen Anne is a town in Queen Anne's and Talbot counties in the U.S. state of Maryland. The population was 176 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Queen Anne is located at ....
, Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Maryland
Hillsboro is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 163 at the 2000 census. Daffin House and St. Paul's Episcopal Church were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.-Geography:...
, and Denton
Denton, Maryland
Denton is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caroline County. Denton is the birthplace of former Delaware governor Sherman W. Tribbitt and author Sophie Kerr, as well as the long time home of former Maryland...
. The road is a two-lane undivided highway for most of its length with the exception of the bypass around Denton, which is a four-lane 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:...
.
MD 404 was designated in 1940 to run from Matapeake
Matapeake, Maryland
Matapeake is an unincorporated community located south of Stevensville on Kent Island, Maryland.It is named for the historic Matapeake Indian tribe, who lived there at the time of English colonization in 1631. Their chief village was on the southeast side of the island...
(where the Annapolis-Matapeake ferry
Claiborne-Annapolis Ferry Company
The Claiborne-Annapolis Ferry Company ran both passenger and automobile ferry service across the Chesapeake Bay from 1919 to 1952. The initial service was between Annapolis, Maryland on the western shore and Claiborne, Maryland on the eastern shore. In July 1930, a second shorter route was added...
across the Chesapeake Bay connected the route to Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
), east along present-day Maryland Route 8
Maryland Route 8
Maryland Route 8 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Romancoke Road, the state highway runs from Romancoke Pier in Romancoke north to MD 18 in Stevensville. MD 8 is the main north–south highway of Kent Island in western Queen Anne's County. ...
, Maryland Route 18
Maryland Route 18
Maryland Route 18 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from the beginning of state maintenance at Love Point east to MD 213 in Centreville...
, and Maryland Route 662 to Wye Mills (where it follows its current routing to the Delaware border). By 1948, the route’s western terminus was moved to Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2 is the longest state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Solomons Island in Calvert County north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 40 Truck in Baltimore...
north of Annapolis, where it headed east across the Chesapeake Bay on the Sandy Point-Matapeake ferry. The MD 404 designation was planned for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge; however, US 50 was extended onto the Eastern Shore and MD 404’s western terminus was cut back to its current location in Wye Mills. A few realignments of the route have taken place since then, including a bypass of Queen Anne and Hillsboro, a segment east of Hillsboro by 1960, and the bypass of Denton built in the 1980s.
Since MD 404 is the main route for travelers between the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Delaware beaches, the road has a high accident rate. To improve on this situation, the Maryland State Highway Administration is planning to widen the two-lane portions of the route into a four-lane divided highway. A portion of the road east of the Tuckahoe Creek
Tuckahoe Creek
Tuckahoe Creek is a tributary of the Choptank River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It is sometimes referred to as the Tuckahoe River. Upstream of Hillsboro, it forms the boundary between Caroline County and Queen Anne's County, passing through Tuckahoe State Park and dividing the small towns of...
in Caroline County is receiving $7.7 million for widening as a part of the stimulus bill
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
signed into law by President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in 2009.
Queen Anne's and Talbot Counties
Maryland Route 662
Maryland Route 662 is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These highways are sections of old alignment of U.S. Route 50 between Easton and Wye Mills in Talbot County and Queen Anne's County. MD 662C runs from Easton to Longwoods. MD 662B runs from Longwoods to...
(Old Wye Mills Road) in Wye Mills
Wye Mills, Maryland
Wye Mills is an unincorporated community in Talbot County, Maryland, United States, located at an altitude of 13 feet . It is the home of the Wye Grist Mill which has been in nearly continuous operation since 1682, and Wye Oak and of Chesapeake College.-References:...
on the border of Queen Anne's
Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Queen Anne's County is a county located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 47,798. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville is the county's most populous place...
and Talbot
Talbot County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
Counties, heading to the east on Queen Anne's Highway, a two-lane undivided road with a 30 mph (48.3 km/h) speed limit. It heads east through farmland along the Queen Anne's/Talbot County border, with the speed limit increasing to 45 mph (72.4 km/h), before reaching an intersection with U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 in Maryland
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. In the U.S. state of Maryland, US 50 exists in two sections. The longer of these serves as a major route connecting...
(Ocean Gateway). Upon crossing US 50, MD 404 becomes a part of the main route between the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the more urban Western Shore. The original span opened in 1952 and, at the time, with a length of , it was the world's longest...
and the Delaware beaches. MD 404 continues east through farmland with some residences and wooded areas as a 55 mph (88.5 km/h) two-lane road, approaching the town of Queen Anne
Queen Anne, Maryland
Queen Anne is a town in Queen Anne's and Talbot counties in the U.S. state of Maryland. The population was 176 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Queen Anne is located at ....
.
Further east, Old Queen Anne Road splits from MD 404, with MD 404 crossing entirely into Queen Anne's County. It resumes east through some farmland before coming to an intersection with Maryland Route 309
Maryland Route 309
Maryland Route 309 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 50 in Easton north to MD 213 south of Centreville. MD 309 is a C-shaped highway that passes through northeastern Talbot County and southeastern Queen Anne's County, connecting Easton and...
(Starr Road). Past MD 309, the route intersects the northern terminus of Maryland Route 303
Maryland Route 303
Maryland Route 303 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 309 in Cordova north to MD 404 in Queen Anne. MD 303 is an L-shaped highway that passes through the northeast corner of Talbot County and the southeast corner of Queen Anne's County. The state...
(Main Street), which intersects the route as a northbound-only road that provides access to eastbound MD 404. From MD 303, the road heads into wooded areas adjacent to Tuckahoe State Park
Tuckahoe State Park
Tuckahoe State Park is a state park along Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The park features hiking, biking, and equestrian trails as well as picnicking, camping, cabins, flat-water canoeing, hunting, a disc golf course, and a recycled-tire playground for children.The...
, crossing the abandoned Chesapeake Railroad right-of-way before crossing the Tuckahoe Creek
Tuckahoe Creek
Tuckahoe Creek is a tributary of the Choptank River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It is sometimes referred to as the Tuckahoe River. Upstream of Hillsboro, it forms the boundary between Caroline County and Queen Anne's County, passing through Tuckahoe State Park and dividing the small towns of...
.
Caroline County
Caroline County, Maryland
Caroline County is a wholly rural county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by Queen Anne's County to the north, Talbot County to the west, Dorchester County to the south, Kent County, Delaware, to the east, and Sussex County, Delaware, to the southeast. As...
upon crossing the Tuckahoe Creek, where it becomes Shore Highway. It emerges from the woods into agricultural areas, intersecting Maryland Route 480
Maryland Route 480
Maryland Route 480 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Ridgely Road, the state highway runs from MD 404 in Hillsboro east to MD 313 in Greensboro. MD 480 passes through Ridgely, where it has a concurrency with MD 312. The state highway was...
(Ridgely Road) near Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Maryland
Hillsboro is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 163 at the 2000 census. Daffin House and St. Paul's Episcopal Church were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.-Geography:...
. Past that intersection, the route heads through a mix of woods and residences before intersecting Maryland Route 404 Alternate (Hillsboro Road), where MD 404 heads into a mix of farms and woodland. Unsigned Maryland Route 485 (Saathoff Road) loops to the south of MD 404, returning to the route before the intersection with the southern terminus of Maryland Route 312
Maryland Route 312
Maryland Route 312 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 404 near Ridgely north to MD 313 in Baltimore Corner. MD 312 traverses northwestern Caroline County, connecting Ridgely with Bridgetown. The highway's first section was paved around Ridgely in...
(Downes Station Road). The route continues to the southeast through farms, heading toward Denton
Denton, Maryland
Denton is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caroline County. Denton is the birthplace of former Delaware governor Sherman W. Tribbitt and author Sophie Kerr, as well as the long time home of former Maryland...
. As the road approaches Denton, it widens into a four-lane 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:...
that heads through rural areas with some residences and businesses. Maryland Route 404 Business (Meeting House Road) splits from MD 404 to head through the center of Denton while MD 404 continues east to bypass Denton to the north.
The route continues east through fields before intersecting Maryland Route 328
Maryland Route 328
Maryland Route 328 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 50 in Easton east to just north of MD 404 in West Denton. MD 328 connects Easton with Denton, passing through eastern Talbot County and a neck of land in Caroline County between the...
(New Bridge Road). Past this intersection, MD 404 crosses over the Choptank River
Choptank River
The Choptank River is a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula. Running for , it rises in Kent County, Delaware, runs through Caroline County, Maryland and forms much of the border between Talbot County, Maryland on the north, and Caroline County and Dorchester County on...
. It continues east as a limited-access road with a diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
with Maryland Route 313
Maryland Route 313
Maryland Route 313 is a state highway located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the United States. The route runs from U.S. Route 50 in Mardela Springs, Wicomico County north to Maryland Route 213 and Maryland Route 290 in Galena, Kent County...
(Greensboro Road) and unsigned Maryland Route 619
Maryland Route 619
-External links:*...
(Sixth Street), where some businesses are located. MD 313 forms a concurrency
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with MD 404 and the two routes turn south, heading along the eastern side of Denton through woodland and then past residential neighborhoods. It turns to the southwest, heading into woods and intersecting Maryland Route 404 Business (Franklin Street/Gay Street) at an at-grade intersection. MD 313 and MD 404 continue as a surface road that turns south and heads through some commercial areas as a 40 mph (64.4 km/h) road.
The speed limit increases back to 55 mph (88.5 km/h) and the road heads south into farmland, passing by Martinak State Park
Martinak State Park
Martinak State Park is a state park in the state of Maryland. The park is located on the Choptank River and Watts Creek in Caroline County, Maryland. It features fishing, campsites, boating access, hiking trails, playground, shelters and a nature center....
. It crosses over Watts Creek and comes to an intersection with Maryland Route 16
Maryland Route 16
Maryland Route 16 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from Taylors Island east to the Delaware state line in Hickman, where the highway continues as Delaware Route 16...
(Harmony Road), with that route joining MD 313 and MD 404 for a three-way concurrency. The three routes continue southeast, narrowing into a two-lane undivided road that heads through a mix of woods and farms with some homes. The road turns more to the east-southeast, with MD 313 splitting from MD 16 and MD 404 by heading south on Federalsburg Highway in Andersontown
Andersontown, Maryland
Andersontown, Maryland, is an unincorporated town on Maryland's Eastern Shore in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. It is near the Delaware line, centered around the intersection of Andersontown Road and Maryland Route 404.-References:...
. The road turns southeast and in a short distance, MD 16 splits from MD 404 by heading east on Greenwood Road. Past this intersection, MD 404 continues southeast through farmland and woodland to the Delaware border, where the road continues as Delaware Route 404, which runs east to an intersection with Delaware Route 1 in Nassau
Nassau, Delaware
Nassau is an unincorporated community in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. It lies just off Delaware Route 1 northeast of the town of Georgetown, the county seat of Sussex County. Its elevation is 26 feet...
(near Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach is a city in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 1,327, a decrease of 11.2% from 2000...
).
History
When Maryland started numbering state highways in 1927, the present-day routing of MD 404 was a state-maintained road between Queen Anne and Denton, even though the road had no assigned number then. By 1940, MD 404 was designated, with the route’s western terminus in MatapeakeMatapeake, Maryland
Matapeake is an unincorporated community located south of Stevensville on Kent Island, Maryland.It is named for the historic Matapeake Indian tribe, who lived there at the time of English colonization in 1631. Their chief village was on the southeast side of the island...
, where the Annapolis-Matapeake ferry
Claiborne-Annapolis Ferry Company
The Claiborne-Annapolis Ferry Company ran both passenger and automobile ferry service across the Chesapeake Bay from 1919 to 1952. The initial service was between Annapolis, Maryland on the western shore and Claiborne, Maryland on the eastern shore. In July 1930, a second shorter route was added...
across the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
connected the route to Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
in Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...
. From Matapeake, the route ran along present day Maryland Route 8
Maryland Route 8
Maryland Route 8 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Romancoke Road, the state highway runs from Romancoke Pier in Romancoke north to MD 18 in Stevensville. MD 8 is the main north–south highway of Kent Island in western Queen Anne's County. ...
, Maryland Route 18
Maryland Route 18
Maryland Route 18 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from the beginning of state maintenance at Love Point east to MD 213 in Centreville...
, and Maryland Route 662 to Wye Mills, where it continued east along its current route. By 1948, the route's western terminus was moved to Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2 is the longest state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Solomons Island in Calvert County north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 40 Truck in Baltimore...
in Anne Arundel County, crossing the Chesapeake Bay on the Sandy Point-Matapeake ferry, roughly where the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the more urban Western Shore. The original span opened in 1952 and, at the time, with a length of , it was the world's longest...
is now. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge was originally to be designated as part of MD 404. However, it was decided for US 50 to be extended onto the Eastern Shore, replacing MD 404 between Annapolis and Wye Mills. By 1960, a bypass was built for MD 404 around Queen Anne and Hillsboro with the former alignment becoming Maryland Route 404 Alternate and a portion of the route between Hillsboro and Denton was also bypassed. This former alignment of MD 404 is now known as Saathoff Road and has the unsigned Maryland Route 485 designation. In the early 1980s, a four-lane divided bypass of Denton was constructed for the route and the alignment of MD 404 through Denton became Maryland Route 404 Business. The divided portion highway of MD 404 in the Denton area was extended further in the 2000s from the south end of Denton to the Sennett Road intersection east of where MD 16 joins the route. This project received $3 million from the federal government in 2001.
Future
The Maryland State Highway Administration is working on improvements to Maryland Route 404 in order to provide relief to travelers driving to the ocean resorts, notably by widening the remainder of the route into a four-lane divided highway. The primary motive behind the widening is the high accident rate that plagues the two-lane road, brought on by beach traffic. As part of the stimulus billAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
signed into law by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
on February 17, 2009, $7.7 million is going to widening a portion of MD 404 east of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County, creating 221 jobs.
Junction list
{|class=wikitable!County
!Location
!Mile
!Roads intersected
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=3|Queen Anne's
Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Queen Anne's County is a county located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 47,798. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville is the county's most populous place...
–
Talbot
Talbot County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
|rowspan=2|Wye Mills
Wye Mills, Maryland
Wye Mills is an unincorporated community in Talbot County, Maryland, United States, located at an altitude of 13 feet . It is the home of the Wye Grist Mill which has been in nearly continuous operation since 1682, and Wye Oak and of Chesapeake College.-References:...
|0.00
|
|Western terminus of MD 404
|-
|1.01
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Queen Anne
Queen Anne, Maryland
Queen Anne is a town in Queen Anne's and Talbot counties in the U.S. state of Maryland. The population was 176 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Queen Anne is located at ....
|5.74
|Old Queen Anne Road east
|Former MD 404
|-
|rowspan=2|Queen Anne's
Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Queen Anne's County is a county located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 47,798. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville is the county's most populous place...
|6.75
|
|
|-
|6.96
|
|MD 303 is northbound-only to eastbound MD 404
|-
|rowspan=13|Caroline
Caroline County, Maryland
Caroline County is a wholly rural county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by Queen Anne's County to the north, Talbot County to the west, Dorchester County to the south, Kent County, Delaware, to the east, and Sussex County, Delaware, to the southeast. As...
|Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Maryland
Hillsboro is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 163 at the 2000 census. Daffin House and St. Paul's Episcopal Church were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.-Geography:...
|7.97
|
|
|-
|
|9.14
|
|Former MD 404
|-
|
|9.43
|
|Former MD 404
|-
|
|9.97
|
|Former MD 404
|-
|
|10.25
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|West Denton
West Denton, Maryland
West Denton is an unincorporated community in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. Located at West Denton are the Neck Meetinghouse and Yard and West Denton Warehouse-Wharf, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-References:...
|12.84
| Town Center
|Former MD 404
|-
|13.68
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Denton
Denton, Maryland
Denton is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caroline County. Denton is the birthplace of former Delaware governor Sherman W. Tribbitt and author Sophie Kerr, as well as the long time home of former Maryland...
|14.67
|
|Interchange, west end of MD 313 overlap
|-
|16.07
|
|Former MD 404
|-
|
|18.26
|
|West end of MD 16 overlap
|-
|Andersontown
Andersontown, Maryland
Andersontown, Maryland, is an unincorporated town on Maryland's Eastern Shore in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. It is near the Delaware line, centered around the intersection of Andersontown Road and Maryland Route 404.-References:...
|20.54
|
|East end of MD 313 overlap
|-
|
|21.43
| – Greenwood, DE
Greenwood, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 837 people, 335 households, and 211 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,267.2 people per square mile . There were 394 housing units at an average density of 596.5 per square mile...
|East end of MD 16 overlap
|-
|
|24.61
|
|Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
state line, eastern terminus of MD 404
Hillsboro alternate route
Maryland Route 404 Alternate is a 2.69 miles (4.33 km) long alternate route of Maryland Route 404 in TalbotTalbot County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
and Caroline
Caroline County, Maryland
Caroline County is a wholly rural county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by Queen Anne's County to the north, Talbot County to the west, Dorchester County to the south, Kent County, Delaware, to the east, and Sussex County, Delaware, to the southeast. As...
counties. The route runs along the former alignment of Maryland Route 404 through the towns of Queen Anne
Queen Anne, Maryland
Queen Anne is a town in Queen Anne's and Talbot counties in the U.S. state of Maryland. The population was 176 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Queen Anne is located at ....
and Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Maryland
Hillsboro is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 163 at the 2000 census. Daffin House and St. Paul's Episcopal Church were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.-Geography:...
. The route begins at an intersection with MD 309 (Cordova Road) near Queen Anne, Talbot County, where it heads east on two-lane undivided Millsboro Denton Road. West of MD 309, Old Queen Anne Road continues west to MD 404. MD 404 Alternate passes through woodland, crossing under the abandoned Chesapeake Railroad before coming to MD 303 (Lewistown Road). At this point, the route turns north to form a concurrency with MD 303 along Talbot Avenue, and the two routes enter Queen Anne as it turns to the east. MD 303 splits from MD 404 Alternate by turning north on Main Street, while MD 404 Alternate continues east past homes, intersecting Maryland Route 518 (First Street). As the road runs a short distance to the south of the Tuckahoe Creek, there is an industrial building on the south side of the road. Upon crossing the Tuckahoe Creek, MD 404 Alternate enters Hillsboro in Caroline County and becomes Hillsboro Road. The route continues through residential areas of the town. Upon leaving Hillsboro, the road heads into agricultural areas with a few homes and a patch of woods. MD 404 Alternate ends at an intersection with MD 404 east of Hillsboro.
Denton business loop
Maryland Route 404 Business is a 2.32 miles (3.73 km) long business route of Maryland Route 404 through the town of DentonDenton, Maryland
Denton is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caroline County. Denton is the birthplace of former Delaware governor Sherman W. Tribbitt and author Sophie Kerr, as well as the long time home of former Maryland...
in Caroline County
Caroline County, Maryland
Caroline County is a wholly rural county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by Queen Anne's County to the north, Talbot County to the west, Dorchester County to the south, Kent County, Delaware, to the east, and Sussex County, Delaware, to the southeast. As...
. The route runs along the former alignment of Maryland Route 404 that was bypassed by the divided, four-lane Denton Bypass. MD 404 Business branches off from MD 404 west of Denton by heading southeast on a two-lane divided road called Meeting House Road that soon becomes undivided as it passes through farmland with some businesses. As it comes to MD 328 (New Bridge Road) in West Denton
West Denton, Maryland
West Denton is an unincorporated community in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. Located at West Denton are the Neck Meetinghouse and Yard and West Denton Warehouse-Wharf, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-References:...
, the route passes near residences. The road crosses the Choptank River
Choptank River
The Choptank River is a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula. Running for , it rises in Kent County, Delaware, runs through Caroline County, Maryland and forms much of the border between Talbot County, Maryland on the north, and Caroline County and Dorchester County on...
into Denton, where it becomes Franklin Street. Shortly after the river, MD 404 Business splits into a one-way pair
One-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or just couplet is a pair of parallel, usually one-way streets that carry opposite directions of a signed route or major traffic flow, or sometimes opposite directions of a bus or streetcar route....
that follows Franklin Street eastbound and Gay Street westbound. The one-way pair, which has two lanes in each direction, carries the route through the residential and commercial downtown of Denton, where it intersects Maryland Route 619
Maryland Route 619
-External links:*...
(Sixth Street). In the eastern part of Denton, the two directions of MD 404 Business turn south and join again, becoming a four-lane divided highway with the Franklin Street name that runs through woodland. MD 404 Business ends at MD 313 and MD 404 a short distance later.