Maryland highway system
Encyclopedia
The Maryland highway system is a network of highways owned and maintained by the U.S. state
of Maryland
. In addition to the nationally-numbered Interstate Highways and U.S. Highways, the highway system consists of a network of Maryland state-numbered highways. All three types of highways together provide access to all incorporated and unincorporated areas in all 23 counties of Maryland as well as the independent city
of Baltimore.
, while the shortest Interstate is I-295. Maryland also contains an unsigned
Interstate, I-595
; a former Interstate, I-170
; and an intracounty Interstate, I-97
, which is also the shortest primary highway in the Interstate Highway System.
, while the shortest U.S. highway is US 522
. Maryland also contains six former U.S. highways.
, while several state highways are less than 0.5 mi (0.80467 km) in length. Most of the shortest highways are unsigned. Several state highways have multiple disjoint segments that are denoted internally by suffixes, encompassing either old alignments of a major highway or a collection of service roads related to a particular highway.
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...
. In addition to the nationally-numbered Interstate Highways and U.S. Highways, the highway system consists of a network of Maryland state-numbered highways. All three types of highways together provide access to all incorporated and unincorporated areas in all 23 counties of Maryland as well as the independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
of Baltimore.
Interstate highways
Maryland has 16 Interstate highways, including six primary Interstates and ten auxiliary Interstates. The longest Interstate in Maryland is Interstate 95Interstate 95 in Maryland
Interstate 95 in Maryland is a major highway that runs diagonally from northeast to southwest, from Maryland's border with Delaware, to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, briefly entering the District of Columbia before reaching Virginia...
, while the shortest Interstate is I-295. Maryland also contains an unsigned
Unsigned highway
An unsigned highway is a highway that has been assigned a route number, but does not bear conventional road markings that would normally be used to identify the route with that number...
Interstate, I-595
Interstate 595 (Maryland)
Interstate 595 is an unsigned number for a section of the John Hanson Highway from Interstate 495 east of Washington, D.C. to Maryland Route 70 at Annapolis, Maryland....
; a former Interstate, I-170
Interstate 170 (Maryland)
Interstate 170 is the former designation for a freeway in Baltimore, Maryland that is now designated as part of US 40...
; and an intracounty Interstate, I-97
Interstate 97
Interstate 97 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. It runs from Annapolis at the overlapped section of US 50, US 301, and the unsigned I-595 to Baltimore at the city's beltway...
, which is also the shortest primary highway in the Interstate Highway System.
U.S. highways
Maryland has 14 U.S. Highways, including seven primary U.S. Highways and seven auxiliary U.S. highways. The longest U.S. highway in Maryland is U.S. Route 40U.S. Route 40 in Maryland
U.S. Route 40 in the U.S. state of Maryland runs from western Maryland to Cecil County in the state's northeastern corner. With a total length of over , it is the longest numbered highway in Maryland. Almost half of the road overlaps with Interstate 68 or Interstate 70, while the old alignment...
, while the shortest U.S. highway is US 522
U.S. Route 522
U.S. Route 522 is a spur route of U.S. Route 22 in the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 60 in Powhatan, Virginia. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 11 and U.S. Route 15 in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. US 522 passes through the states of Virginia, West...
. Maryland also contains six former U.S. highways.
Maryland state highways
Maryland has a unitary system of numbered state highways with numbers between 2 and 999. The longest Maryland state highway is Maryland Route 2Maryland 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...
, while several state highways are less than 0.5 mi (0.80467 km) in length. Most of the shortest highways are unsigned. Several state highways have multiple disjoint segments that are denoted internally by suffixes, encompassing either old alignments of a major highway or a collection of service roads related to a particular highway.
Other systems
There are other systems of highways in Maryland that are not marked but are numbered internally.- County highways: All 23 counties have internal numerical designations for all highways under their jurisdiction.
- Municipal highways: Every city, town, and village maintains an internal system of numerically-designated municipal streets.
- Federal government or agency highways: Highways maintained by the federal government or agencies such as the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning CommissionMaryland-National Capital Park and Planning CommissionThe Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is a bi-county agency that administers parks and planning in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland.-History:...
are designated inventory numbers. Examples of highways within this category include parkwaysParkwayThe term parkway has several distinct principal meanings and numerous synonyms around the world, for either a type of landscaped area or a type of road.Type of landscaped area:...
, such as the Clara Barton Parkway or Sligo Creek ParkwaySligo Creek ParkwaySligo Creek Parkway is two-lane at-grade automobile parkway in Montgomery County in the U.S. state of Maryland. The two-lane parkway runs from Maryland Route 650 in Takoma Park through Silver Spring north to MD 193 in Maryland...
; streets on federal research campuses, such as those of the National Institutes of HealthNational Institutes of HealthThe National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
or Goddard Space Flight CenterGoddard Space Flight CenterThe Goddard Space Flight Center is a major NASA space research laboratory established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center. GSFC employs approximately 10,000 civil servants and contractors, and is located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. GSFC,...
; roads on military bases, such as those on Fort Meade; and roads within reservations of the National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, such as Bayberry Drive within Assateague Island National SeashoreAssateague Island National SeashoreAssateague Island National Seashore is a unit of the National Park Service occupying much of Assateague Island along the Atlantic coast of Maryland and Virginia. It is a barrier island shaped by stormy seas and gentle winds. It lies adjacent to Assateague State Park and Chincoteague National...
. - State reservation highways: Highways maintained by non-highways agencies of the state of Maryland. Examples of highways within this categories include streets on state university campuses, access roads to state parks and state forests, and highways within state-owned airports.