Route 63 is a secondary state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut, from New Haven

New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...

 up to Canaan

Canaan, Connecticut

Canaan is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,081 at the 2000 census. The town of Canaan is often referred to locally by the name of its principal constituent village, Falls Village.-Geography:...

, running for 52.57 miles (84.6 km). It connects the Greater New Haven

Greater New Haven

Greater New Haven is the metropolitan area whose extent includes those towns in the U.S. state of Connecticut that share an economic, social, political, and historical focus on the city of New Haven...

 area to Northwestern Connecticut via the western suburbs of Waterbury

Waterbury, Connecticut

Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...

.

Route description

Route 63 is mostly a 2-lane surface road with occasional 4-lane sections. There is also a partially controlled access (non-freeway) section in Middlebury

Middlebury, Connecticut

Middlebury is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,451 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....

. Route 63 is a principal arterial road between New Haven and Watertown. From Watertown to Litchfield, Route 63 is a minor arterial road, and from Litchfield to Canaan, it is a small, rural collector road

Collector road

A collector road or distributor road is a low to moderate-capacity road which serve to move traffic from local streets to arterial roads. Unlike arterials, collectors are also designed to provide access to residential properties...

. One of the most congested points in the Waterbury area is the intersection with Route 64

Route 64 (Connecticut)

Route 64 is a Connecticut state highway connecting the towns of Woodbury and Waterbury via Middlebury.- Route description:Route 64 begins as Sherman Hill Road at an intersection with US 6 in the Pomeraug section of Woodbury and heads east towards Middlebury. After crossing the town line, the road...

 in Middlebury

Middlebury, Connecticut

Middlebury is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,451 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....

.

Special designations

A 3.4 miles (5.5 km) section of the road in Litchfield

Litchfield, Connecticut

Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...

 is a designated state scenic road.

History

Route 63 was designated in 1932 and originally connected Morris

Morris, Connecticut

Morris is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,301 at the 2000 census. The town consists of rolling hill country surrounding Bantam Lake, the largest natural lake in the State, covering about .-History:...

 to Woodbridge

Woodbridge, Connecticut

Woodbridge is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,983 at the 2000 census. It is one of the wealthiest towns in Connecticut, ranking 16th in the state in terms of per capita income, and is home to many of the faculty of Yale University...

 using the alignment of the Straits Turnpike, an early 19th-century toll road connecting New Haven to Litchfield. Route 63 is still locally called the Straits Tunrpike in Middlebury

Middlebury, Connecticut

Middlebury is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,451 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....

 and Watertown

Watertown, Connecticut

Watertown is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 21,661 at the 2000 census. The zip code for Watertown is 06795. It is a suburb of Waterbury. It borders the towns of Woodbury, Middlebury, Litchfield, Plymouth, Bethlehem, and Thomaston.-Founding History:More...

. In the mid-1940s, Route 61 between Morris and Cornwall

Cornwall, Connecticut

Cornwall is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,434 at the 2000 census.In 1939 poet Mark Van Doren wrote "The Hills of Little Cornwall", a short poem in which the beauties of the countryside were portrayed as seductive:The town was also home to the Foreign...

 was reassigned to an extended Route 63. Another extension happened in the 1952 when Route 63 took over part of Route 43 from Cornwall to Canaan

Canaan, Connecticut

Canaan is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,081 at the 2000 census. The town of Canaan is often referred to locally by the name of its principal constituent village, Falls Village.-Geography:...

where it ends today. Between 1954 and 1976, Route 63 extended south to US 1 via an overlap with Route 10.

Junction list