Ohio State Highway 309
Encyclopedia
State Route 309 is an east–west highway in central Ohio
. Its western terminus is at its interchange with U.S. 30 near Delphos, Ohio
, and its eastern terminus is at its interchange with U.S. 30 in Mansfield, Ohio
. Its current route takes it through the cities of Lima
, Kenton
, Marion
, Galion
, and Ontario
; as well as the villages of Elida
and Caledonia
.
as a remnant of US 30. Despite the fact that Ohio 430 ended on US 30S, it was decided that US 30S would be recertified with a new number that looked similar to 30S, so it would not confuse travelers of the route. The route was thus certified as SR 309.
The only significant change of the route since this certification is its western terminus, which originally was with U.S. 30 in Delphos. When U.S. 30's bypass around Delphos was completed in 1981, Ohio 309's western terminus was made the easternmost interchange of the bypass.
Before being used as its current route, the route number 309 was used as the route number of what is now State Route 541. It was replaced with the now defunct State Route 271 in 1936.
The Lincoln Highway
left the present State Route 309, a better-quality road at the time, in favor of the direct Delphos-Mansfield route now generally followed by US 30. Only two weeks after the official route was announced in September 1913, it had already been redefined to a straighter path between Lima and Galion; the rest of the straightening came later. The towns along the route got together and formed the Harding Highway, named after President Warren G. Harding
, who had grown up in the area.
This Harding Highway continued east via the Lincoln Highway to Canton, turning southeast from there to Steubenville via State Route 43. To the west, it was marked along the Lincoln Highway to Van Wert, heading west along the present U.S. Route 224
, roughly State Road 114, State Road 10, State Road 8, and State Road 2 through Indiana
to the Illinois
state line.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Its western terminus is at its interchange with U.S. 30 near Delphos, Ohio
Delphos, Ohio
Delphos is a city in Allen and Van Wert Counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. It had a population of 6,944 at the 2000 census.The Allen County portion of Delphos is part of the Lima Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Van Wert County portion is part of the Van Wert Micropolitan Statistical...
, and its eastern terminus is at its interchange with U.S. 30 in Mansfield, Ohio
Mansfield, Ohio
Mansfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Richland County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, approximately southwest of Cleveland and northeast of Columbus....
. Its current route takes it through the cities of Lima
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
, Kenton
Kenton, Ohio
Kenton is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Ohio, United States, along the Scioto River. The population was 8,262 at the 2010 census. It is named for Kentucky/Ohio frontiersman, Simon Kenton...
, Marion
Marion, Ohio
Marion is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Marion County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus....
, Galion
Galion, Ohio
Settlers arrived in the area as early as 1817. The location was at the crossroads of a north-south road from Columbus to Portland , and the east-west route that later became the Lincoln Highway and subsequently the Harding Highway....
, and Ontario
Ontario, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,303 people, 2,186 households, and 1,554 families residing in the city. The population density was 485.7 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 92.36% White, 4.11% African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.58% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander,...
; as well as the villages of Elida
Elida, Ohio
Elida is a village in Allen County, Ohio, United States with a population of 1,917 as of the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Lima, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Elida is located at ....
and Caledonia
Caledonia, Ohio
Caledonia is a village in Marion County, Ohio, United States. The population was 578 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Caledonia is located at ....
.
History
Ohio 309's current route was the route of U.S. Route 30S until that split was decertified in 1975. Under Ohio numbering custom, the 400 series of numbers was traditionally used to renumber decertified and remnant highways. However, State Route 430 had already been certified from Mansfield to MifflinMifflin, Ohio
Mifflin is a village in Ashland County, Ohio, United States. The population was 144 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mifflin is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
as a remnant of US 30. Despite the fact that Ohio 430 ended on US 30S, it was decided that US 30S would be recertified with a new number that looked similar to 30S, so it would not confuse travelers of the route. The route was thus certified as SR 309.
The only significant change of the route since this certification is its western terminus, which originally was with U.S. 30 in Delphos. When U.S. 30's bypass around Delphos was completed in 1981, Ohio 309's western terminus was made the easternmost interchange of the bypass.
Before being used as its current route, the route number 309 was used as the route number of what is now State Route 541. It was replaced with the now defunct State Route 271 in 1936.
Harding Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
left the present State Route 309, a better-quality road at the time, in favor of the direct Delphos-Mansfield route now generally followed by US 30. Only two weeks after the official route was announced in September 1913, it had already been redefined to a straighter path between Lima and Galion; the rest of the straightening came later. The towns along the route got together and formed the Harding Highway, named after President Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
, who had grown up in the area.
This Harding Highway continued east via the Lincoln Highway to Canton, turning southeast from there to Steubenville via State Route 43. To the west, it was marked along the Lincoln Highway to Van Wert, heading west along the present U.S. Route 224
U.S. Route 224
U.S. Route 224 is a spur of U.S. Route 24. It currently runs for 289 miles from New Castle, Pennsylvania at Pennsylvania Route 18 to Huntington, Indiana at U.S. Route 24. It passes through the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana...
, roughly State Road 114, State Road 10, State Road 8, and State Road 2 through Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
to the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
state line.