Virginia State Route 68 is a primary state highway

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 of Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

. Known for most of its length as Exeter Road, the state highway runs 6.13 miles (9.9 km) from the Lee

Lee County, Virginia

According to the census 2009 estimates, there were 25001 people, 11,587 households, and 6,852 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 11,587 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...

–Wise

Wise County, Virginia

Wise County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. In 1856, the county was formed from land taken from Lee, Scott, and Russell Counties. It was named after Henry A. Wise, who was the Governor of Virginia at the time. As of 2010, the population was 41,452, making it the largest...

 county line near Keokee

Keokee, Virginia

Keokee is a census-designated place in Lee County, Virginia, United States. The population was 316 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Keokee is located at ....

, where the highway continues west as SR 606, east to U.S. Route 23 Business (US 23 Business) in Appalachia

Appalachia, Virginia

Appalachia is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,839 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Appalachia is located at ....

.

Route description

SR 68 begins at the Lee County line, which is formed by the drainage divide between Craborchard Creek to the west and Pigeon Creek to the east. The roadway continues west into Lee County as SR 606 through Keokee toward Pennington Gap

Pennington Gap, Virginia

Pennington Gap is the most populous town in Lee County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,781 at the 2000 census.The Lee Regional Medical Center is in Pennington Gap, and the United States Penitentiary, Lee is nearby.-Geography:...

. SR 68, which is named Exeter Road, descends into the valley of Pigeon Creek and passes through the communities of Exeter, Lower Exeter, and Imboden. East of Lower Exeter, the state highway parallels a rail line that serves the coal mines in the valley. At Pigeon Creek's confluence with Looney Creek, where the streams enter the Powell River, SR 68 curves north across the rail line, crosses the rail line that parallels Looney Creek, and meets the eastern end of SR 160

Virginia State Route 160

Virginia State Route 160 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as the Trail of the Lonesome Pine, the state highway runs from the Kentucky state line on top of Black Mountain, where the highway continues north as Kentucky Route 160 , east to SR 68 in Appalachia.-Route...

 (Inman Road). The state highway continues into the town of Appalachia as Inman Street, which crosses over Norfolk Southern Railway

Norfolk Southern Railway

The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...

's Appalachia Division before reaching its eastern terminus at US 23 Business (Main Street).

History

The whole length of SR 68, west from State Route 11 (now US 23 Business) near Appalachia to the county line, was added to the state highway system in 1928 as State Route 119. It was renumbered as SR 68 in 1933.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Wise County

Wise County, Virginia

Wise County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. In 1856, the county was formed from land taken from Lee, Scott, and Russell Counties. It was named after Henry A. Wise, who was the Governor of Virginia at the time. As of 2010, the population was 41,452, making it the largest...

.

{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile

!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Keokee

Keokee, Virginia

Keokee is a census-designated place in Lee County, Virginia, United States. The population was 316 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Keokee is located at ....

|0.00
|
|Western terminus; Lee

Lee County, Virginia

According to the census 2009 estimates, there were 25001 people, 11,587 households, and 6,852 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 11,587 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...

–Wise

Wise County, Virginia

Wise County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. In 1856, the county was formed from land taken from Lee, Scott, and Russell Counties. It was named after Henry A. Wise, who was the Governor of Virginia at the time. As of 2010, the population was 41,452, making it the largest...

 county line
|-
|rowspan=2|Appalachia

Appalachia, Virginia

Appalachia is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,839 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Appalachia is located at ....

|
|
|
|-
|6.13
|
|Eastern terminus

External links

• Virginia Highways Project: VA 68