State highways in Virginia
Encyclopedia
The state highway
system of the U.S. state
of Virginia
is a network of roads maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation
(VDOT). As of 2006, VDOT maintains 57,867 miles (93,128 km) of state highways, making it the third-largest system in the United States
.
Interstate Highways, totaling 1118 miles (1799 km) in Virginia, are freeways designated by the Federal Highway Administration
and numbered by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
. They are in a special class with respect to federal funding. These Interstate Highways are as follows:
Primary highways, totaling 8111 miles (13,053 km), consist of U.S. Routes, designated and numbered by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
, and primary State Routes, designated and numbered by VDOT. Alternate
, business
, and bypass bannered routes, as well as wye connections (with a "Y" suffix appended to the number), are all considered primary routes.
Primary routes are generally given numbers under 600. The two exceptions - State Route 785 and State Route 895
- are numbered as future Interstate Highway spurs.
Roadways at many of Virginia's state institutions, such as state universities and colleges, correctional facilities, and state police headquarters, also receive primary highway designations. For example, all of the roadways within Virginia Tech's campus carry the single designation State Route 314. These roadways may or may not be signed.
Other than limited access roads, most primary routes inside Virginia's independent cities are not maintained by the state, but by the city with financial assistance from the state. Some towns also choose to maintain their own streets (see below).
prompted the state to take over most county roads through the Byrd Road Act
.
Virginia's independent cities
were not included, but all the counties in Virginia were given the option of turning this responsibility over to the state. Only four counties initially opted not to do so. Of these, Nottoway County
opted in the following year, and in the 1950s, Warwick County
became an independent city and was consolidated with another, Newport News
. By the end of the 20th century, only Arlington
and Henrico
Counties continue to maintain their own roads.
Generally, when an area became part of an independent city, through annexation, merger, consolidation, or conversions, the secondary roads passed from the state system to local responsibility. An exception was made by the General Assembly in the former Nansemond County
, which like Warwick County, became an independent city and consolidated with another, Suffolk
in the 1970s. The state still maintained secondary routes in Suffolk until July 1, 2006. This arrangement eventually led to new conflicts over ownership and responsibility for the circa 1928 Kings Highway Bridge
across the Nansemond River
on State Route 125, which was closed in 2005 by VDOT for safety reasons.
In the years after 1932, the state worked diligently on secondary roads. In 1932, there were only 2000 miles (3,218.7 km) of hard-surfaced secondary roads, out of almost 36000 miles (57,936.2 km). By 1972, there were only 400 miles (643.7 km) of unpaved secondary roads in Virginia's system.
The state's secondary roads system had also grown by 30% from its original size, despite the large geographical areas (and miles of roadway) lost over the years to expanding and additional independent cities and incorporated towns. In the years from 1952 to 1976, virtually all of the counties in the extreme southeastern portion of state in the Hampton Roads
region became consolidated into independent cities; Princess Anne County
, Norfolk County
, Nansemond County, Elizabeth City County
, and Warwick County all became extinct, although as previously noted, Warwick County was never in the state secondary road system, and Nansemond County received a special exception to stay in the system for an additional 30 years, a relationship that ended in 2006. In most other areas of the state, additional towns became incorporated and/or converted to independent city status, and both groups grew in territory, primarily through annexations, such as large portions of Chesterfield County
, which were annexed by the City of Richmond
in 1944 and 1970.
However, despite VDOT (and its predecessor agencies) accomplishments, the relationship between the counties and the state highway officials since 1932 has always been somewhat strained. The 1932 Act took not only financial responsibility from the counties and transferred it to the state, but power and authority as well. Under the Code of Virginia, as amended, "The Boards of Supervisors or other governing bodies...shall have no control, supervision, management, and jurisdiction over...the secondary system of state highways" (§33.1-69).
In the early 21st century, the Virginia General Assembly
was considering legislation to allow some counties to choose to resume control and care for the secondary highways within their boundaries. James City County
, with a population that grew by 56% between 1980 and 1990 according to the 1998 VDOT study, was reported by the local news media to be under consideration for a pilot project of this type. The lack of progress in such reform, however, has prompted many residents and businesses of Fairfax County
--the state's most populous and congested county—to push for cityhood, to retain a greater share of fuel tax revenues.
s do so on an optional basis. In most of Virginia's towns, all streets are maintained by VDOT as primary or secondary routes.
Those that maintain their own streets, including most primary routes, are as follows: Abingdon
, Ashland
, Big Stone Gap
, Blacksburg
, Blackstone
, Bluefield
, Bridgewater
, Christiansburg
, Clifton Forge
, Culpeper
, Farmville
, Front Royal
, Herndon
, Lebanon
, Leesburg
, Luray
, Marion
, Orange
, Pulaski
, Richlands
, Rocky Mount
, South Boston
, South Hill
, Tazewell
, Vienna
, Vinton
, Warrenton
, Wise
, Wytheville
In the following towns, all primary routes are maintained by the state, but other streets are town-maintained: Altavista
, Chase City
, Chincoteague
, Dumfries
, Elkton
, Grottoes
, Narrows
, Pearisburg
, Saltville
, Smithfield
, Strasburg
, Woodstock
(State Route 7100) to suburb
an cul-de-sac
streets and unpaved country roads.
Roadways on public (K-12
) school campuses are also secondary routes and are numbered in the 9000 - 9999 range. Unlike other secondary routes, these do not duplicate within the state and are often unsigned.
For internal record keeping, such as the tabulation of traffic count
s, VDOT disambiguates between counties by prefixing the county unit of VDOT that maintains it; for example, State Route 611 in Fairfax County is labeled SR 29-611. Also, secondary route numbers are assigned to some roads not maintained by the state, such as city and town roads and roads in Arlington and Henrico counties.
s total 333 miles (536 km) and are numbered on a statewide system. The numbers bear an F prefix (e.g., State Route F-1000 off State Route 7 in Loudoun County
).
Cities and towns maintain 10,561 (16,996 km) miles of urban streets with the help of state funds. Most towns contract street maintenance to the VDOT, in which case the streets have T-prefixed numbers.
As noted above, two counties in the state maintain their own roads: Arlington County (359 miles - 578 km) and Henrico County (1279 miles - 2058 km).
Virginia includes 51.12 miles (82.27 km) of toll road
s maintained by other entities, typically through public-private partnership
s. These are the Boulevard Bridge
, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
, Chesapeake Expressway, Dulles Greenway, and Jordan Bridge
.
In addition, the U.S. Government maintains 382.99 miles (616.36 km) of numbered routes and other major roads in Virginia; the ones without normal numbers are assigned special unsigned numbers. The National Park Service
maintains several parkways - the Blue Ridge Parkway
(SR 48), Colonial Parkway
(SR 90003), George Washington Memorial Parkway
(SR 90005), and Skyline Drive
(SR 48). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains State Route 4 over the John H. Kerr Dam
and State Route 143 in Fort Monroe
, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
owns the Dulles Access Road (SR 90004).
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...
system of the U.S. state
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 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...
is a network of roads maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation
Virginia Department of Transportation
The Virginia Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. Headquartered in Downtown Richmond, VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads, bridges and tunnels in the...
(VDOT). As of 2006, VDOT maintains 57,867 miles (93,128 km) of state highways, making it the third-largest system in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Interstate and primary highways
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...
and numbered by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols and guidelines which are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States...
. They are in a special class with respect to federal funding. These Interstate Highways are as follows:
- I-64Interstate 64 in VirginiaIn the U.S. state of Virginia, Interstate 64 runs east–west through the middle of the state from West Virginia to the Hampton Roads region, a total of . It is notable for crossing the mouth of the harbor of Hampton Roads on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, the first bridge-tunnel to...
: I-264Interstate 264 (Virginia)Interstate 264 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from a junction with Interstate 64 and Interstate 664 near Bowers Hill in Chesapeake east into Portsmouth and through the Downtown Tunnel under the South Branch of the Elizabeth River into Norfolk...
, I-464Interstate 464Interstate 464 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The highway runs from U.S. Route 17 and Virginia State Route 168 in Chesapeake north to I-264 in Norfolk. I-464 connects two major highway junctions in the South Hampton Roads region...
, I-564Interstate 564Interstate 564 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Admiral Taussig Boulevard, the Interstate runs from Virginia State Route 337 east to I-64 within the city of Norfolk. I-564 is the primary access highway to Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest naval base...
, I-664Interstate 664Interstate 664 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The Interstate runs from I-64 and I-264 in Chesapeake north to I-64 in Hampton. I-664 forms the west side of the Hampton Roads Beltway, a circumferential highway serving the Hampton Roads metropolitan area... - I-66Interstate 66Interstate 66 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. As indicated by its even route number, it runs in an east–west direction. Its western terminus is at Middletown, Virginia, at an intersection with Interstate 81; its eastern terminus is in Washington, D.C., at an...
- I-73 and I-74 (both proposed)
- I-77
- I-81: I-381, I-581
- I-85: I-785 (proposed)
- I-95Interstate 95 in VirginiaIn the Commonwealth of Virginia, Interstate 95 runs through the state. It runs concurrently for with Interstate 64 in Richmond, and meets the northern terminus of Interstate 85 in Petersburg. Though Interstate 95 was originally planned to go straight through Washington, D.C., it was instead...
: I-195, I-295, I-395, I-495
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols and guidelines which are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States...
, and primary State Routes, designated and numbered by VDOT. Alternate
Alternate route
An official alternate route is a special route in the United States that provides an alternate alignment for a highway. They are loop roads and found in many road systems in the United States including the U.S. Route system and various state route systems...
, business
Business route
A business route in the United States and Canada is a short special route connected to a parent numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or town, and finally reconnecting with the same parent numbered highway again at its...
, and bypass bannered routes, as well as wye connections (with a "Y" suffix appended to the number), are all considered primary routes.
Primary routes are generally given numbers under 600. The two exceptions - State Route 785 and State Route 895
Virginia State Route 895
State Route 895, also known as the Pocahontas Parkway and Pocahontas 895, is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It connects the junction of Interstate 95 and State Route 150 in Chesterfield County with Interstate 295 near Richmond International Airport in Henrico County, forming...
- are numbered as future Interstate Highway spurs.
Roadways at many of Virginia's state institutions, such as state universities and colleges, correctional facilities, and state police headquarters, also receive primary highway designations. For example, all of the roadways within Virginia Tech's campus carry the single designation State Route 314. These roadways may or may not be signed.
Other than limited access roads, most primary routes inside Virginia's independent cities are not maintained by the state, but by the city with financial assistance from the state. Some towns also choose to maintain their own streets (see below).
Secondary highways
Virginia has 48,305 miles (77,739 km) of secondary routes. These roads, numbered 600 and up, receive less funding than primary routes. Numbers are only unique within each county, and routes that cross county lines generally, but not always, keep their numbers.Byrd Road Act (1932), Secondary Roads System
The Secondary Roads system in Virginia was formed in 1932, when the financial pressures of the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
prompted the state to take over most county roads through the Byrd Road Act
Byrd Road Act
Byrd Road Act was an Act of Assembly passed in February, 1932 by the Virginia General Assembly. Named for former Governor Harry F. Byrd, the legislation was originally presented as measure to relieve the financial pressures of the Great Depression upon the counties, as the state offered to take...
.
Virginia's independent cities
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,...
were not included, but all the counties in Virginia were given the option of turning this responsibility over to the state. Only four counties initially opted not to do so. Of these, Nottoway County
Nottoway County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,725 people, 5,664 households, and 3,885 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 6,373 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
opted in the following year, and in the 1950s, Warwick County
Warwick County, Virginia
Warwick County was a county in Southeast Virginia that was created from Warwick River Shire, one of eight created in the Virginia Colony in 1634. It became the City of Warwick on July 16, 1952...
became an independent city and was consolidated with another, Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
. By the end of the 20th century, only Arlington
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
and Henrico
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
Counties continue to maintain their own roads.
Generally, when an area became part of an independent city, through annexation, merger, consolidation, or conversions, the secondary roads passed from the state system to local responsibility. An exception was made by the General Assembly in the former Nansemond County
Nansemond County, Virginia
Nansemond County is an extinct county which was located in Virginia Colony and the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States, from 1646 until 1972...
, which like Warwick County, became an independent city and consolidated with another, Suffolk
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
in the 1970s. The state still maintained secondary routes in Suffolk until July 1, 2006. This arrangement eventually led to new conflicts over ownership and responsibility for the circa 1928 Kings Highway Bridge
Kings Highway Bridge
Kings Highway Bridge was located on the Nansemond River in the independent city of Suffolk, Virginia, United States. Built in 1928, it carried traffic on the Kings Highway, also known as State Route 125, for over 75 years....
across the Nansemond River
Nansemond River
The Nansemond River is a tributary of the James River in the U.S. state of Virginia. The Nansemond River Bridge crosses the river near its mouth. Both it and the former State Route 125 bridge, demolished in 2008, were once toll bridges. The river begins at the outlet of Lake Meade north of...
on State Route 125, which was closed in 2005 by VDOT for safety reasons.
In the years after 1932, the state worked diligently on secondary roads. In 1932, there were only 2000 miles (3,218.7 km) of hard-surfaced secondary roads, out of almost 36000 miles (57,936.2 km). By 1972, there were only 400 miles (643.7 km) of unpaved secondary roads in Virginia's system.
The state's secondary roads system had also grown by 30% from its original size, despite the large geographical areas (and miles of roadway) lost over the years to expanding and additional independent cities and incorporated towns. In the years from 1952 to 1976, virtually all of the counties in the extreme southeastern portion of state in the Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
region became consolidated into independent cities; Princess Anne County
Princess Anne County, Virginia
Princess Anne County is a former county which was created in the British Colony of Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States in 1691. The county was merged into the city of Virginia Beach...
, Norfolk County
Norfolk County, Virginia
Norfolk County was a county of the South Hampton Roads in eastern Virginia in the United States that was created in 1691. After the American Civil War, for a period of about 100 years, portions of Norfolk County were lost and the territory of the county reduced as they became parts of the separate...
, Nansemond County, Elizabeth City County
Elizabeth City County, Virginia
Elizabeth City County was a county in southeastern Virginia from 1634 to 1952. Originally created in 1634 as Elizabeth River Shire, it was one of eight shires created in the Virginia Colony by order of the King of England. In 1636, it was subdivided, and the portion north of the harbor of Hampton...
, and Warwick County all became extinct, although as previously noted, Warwick County was never in the state secondary road system, and Nansemond County received a special exception to stay in the system for an additional 30 years, a relationship that ended in 2006. In most other areas of the state, additional towns became incorporated and/or converted to independent city status, and both groups grew in territory, primarily through annexations, such as large portions of Chesterfield County
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. In 2010, its population was estimated to be 316,236. Chesterfield County is now the fourth-largest municipality in Virginia . Its county seat is Chesterfield...
, which were annexed by the City of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
in 1944 and 1970.
However, despite VDOT (and its predecessor agencies) accomplishments, the relationship between the counties and the state highway officials since 1932 has always been somewhat strained. The 1932 Act took not only financial responsibility from the counties and transferred it to the state, but power and authority as well. Under the Code of Virginia, as amended, "The Boards of Supervisors or other governing bodies...shall have no control, supervision, management, and jurisdiction over...the secondary system of state highways" (§33.1-69).
Considering changes in structure, local control
Late in the 20th century, the problems inherent in this arrangement became especially apparent with regards to the secondary roads system in many fast-growing suburban counties outside incorporated towns and cities. A state-sponsored study in 1998 focused on 14 of the fastest-growing counties identified such issues as drainage, speed limits, and planning and coordination of roads with development as those local leaders felt should be within their ability to control, while the authority to do so was in fact, held by a state agency instead. Citizens seeking accountability, accused both the various county and VDOT officials of finger-pointing. According to the report, "Such an arrangement is unusual among the 50 states."In the early 21st century, the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
was considering legislation to allow some counties to choose to resume control and care for the secondary highways within their boundaries. James City County
James City County, Virginia
James City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 67,009 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the...
, with a population that grew by 56% between 1980 and 1990 according to the 1998 VDOT study, was reported by the local news media to be under consideration for a pilot project of this type. The lack of progress in such reform, however, has prompted many residents and businesses of Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
--the state's most populous and congested county—to push for cityhood, to retain a greater share of fuel tax revenues.
Towns
While independent cities generally maintain all secondary roads (streets), and some maintain primary routes within their jurisdiction as well, incorporated townIncorporated town
-Canada:Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.-United States:...
s do so on an optional basis. In most of Virginia's towns, all streets are maintained by VDOT as primary or secondary routes.
Those that maintain their own streets, including most primary routes, are as follows: Abingdon
Abingdon, Virginia
Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, USA, 133 miles southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,191 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Washington County and is a designated Virginia Historic Landmark...
, Ashland
Ashland, Virginia
Originally known as Slash Cottage, Ashland is located on the Old Washington Highway U.S. Route One and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, a busy north-south route now owned by CSX Transportation...
, Big Stone Gap
Big Stone Gap, Virginia
Big Stone Gap is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,643 at the 2010 census.-History:The community was formerly known as "Meneral City" and "Three Forks." The "Big Stone Gap" refers to the valley which has been created on the Appalachia Straight, located between...
, Blacksburg
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
, Blackstone
Blackstone, Virginia
Blackstone is a town in Nottoway County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,675 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Blackstone is located at ....
, Bluefield
Bluefield, Virginia
Bluefield is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, along the Bluestone River. The population was 5,078 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578...
, Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Virginia
Bridgewater is an incorporated town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,644 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bridgewater is home to the Reds of the Rockingham County Baseball League...
, Christiansburg
Christiansburg, Virginia
Christiansburg is a town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States. The population was 21,041 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
, Clifton Forge
Clifton Forge, Virginia
Clifton Forge is a town in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States which is part of the Roanoke Region. The population was 3,884 at the 2010 census. The Jackson River flows through the town, which as a result was once known as Jackson's River Station....
, Culpeper
Culpeper, Virginia
Culpeper is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper County. Culpeper is part of the Culpeper Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Culpeper County. Both the Town of Culpeper and...
, Farmville
Farmville, Virginia
Farmville is a town in Prince Edward and Cumberland counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 6,845 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Prince Edward County....
, Front Royal
Front Royal, Virginia
Front Royal is a town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,589 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Warren County.-Geography:Front Royal is roughly west of Washington, D.C....
, Herndon
Herndon, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census, which makes it the largest of three towns in the county.-History:...
, Lebanon
Lebanon, Virginia
Lebanon is a town in Russell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,273 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Russell County.-Geography:Lebanon is located at ....
, Leesburg
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
, Luray
Luray, Virginia
Luray is a town in Page County, Virginia, United States, in the Shenandoah Valley of the northern part of the state. It is also the county seat...
, Marion
Marion, Virginia
Marion is a town in Smyth County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,968 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Smyth County. The town is named for American Revolutionary War officer Francis Marion.-Tourism:...
, Orange
Orange, Virginia
Orange is a town in Orange County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,721 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Orange County...
, Pulaski
Pulaski, Virginia
Pulaski is a town in Pulaski County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,086 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pulaski County.Pulaski is part of the Blacksburg–Christiansburg–Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Richlands
Richlands, Virginia
Richlands is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,144 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578.-Geography:Richlands is located at ....
, Rocky Mount
Rocky Mount, Virginia
Rocky Mount is the county seat of Franklin County, Virginia, United States. The town is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area, and had a population of 4,066 at the 2000 census. It is located in the Roanoke Region of Virginia-History:...
, South Boston
South Boston, Virginia
South Boston is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,142 at the 2010 census.- History :On December 8, 1796, the General Assembly authorized eight commissioners to establish at Boyd's Ferry on the south side of the Dan River the town of South Boston, named for...
, South Hill
South Hill, Virginia
South Hill is a town in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2006 census, the town population was 4,608. Located on major Interstate and U.S. highways, it has a full service hospital , a tobacco market, and several hotels. South Hill has a close relationship with the neighboring...
, Tazewell
Tazewell, Virginia
Tazewell is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, USA. The population was 4,206 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area, which has a population of 107,578. It is the county seat of Tazewell County....
, Vienna
Vienna, Virginia
Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,687. Significantly more people live in zip codes with the Vienna postal addresses bordered approximately by Interstate 66 on the south, Interstate 495 on the east, Route 7 to...
, Vinton
Vinton, Virginia
Vinton is a town in Roanoke County, Virginia, United States. The population was 7,782 at the 2000 census. It hosted teams by three names in the ECHL in a custom built facility known as the LancerLot; after the roof collapsed during the Blizzard of 1993, the franchise moved to the Roanoke Civic...
, Warrenton
Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census, and 14,634 at the 2010 estimate. It is the county seat of Fauquier County. Public schools in the town include Fauquier High School, Warrenton Middle School, Taylor Middle School and two...
, Wise
Wise, Virginia
Wise is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,286 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wise County. It was originally incorporated as the town of Gladeville in 1874. The town's name was changed to Wise in 1924. Wise is named after Virginia governor Henry A...
, Wytheville
Wytheville, Virginia
Wytheville is a town in Wythe County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,211 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wythe County. The town is home to a Chautauqua Festival, held the third weekend in June every year since 1985...
In the following towns, all primary routes are maintained by the state, but other streets are town-maintained: Altavista
Altavista, Virginia
Altavista is an incorporated town in Campbell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,450 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.-A new town on a new railroad:...
, Chase City
Chase City, Virginia
Chase City is a town in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,457 at the 2000 census. Tobacco and other crops are grown nearby...
, Chincoteague
Chincoteague, Virginia
Chincoteague is a town on Chincoteague Island in Accomack County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,317 at the 2000 census. The town is perhaps best known for the Chincoteague Ponies, although these are not actually on the island of Chincoteague but on nearby Assateague Island...
, Dumfries
Dumfries, Virginia
Dumfries is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,937 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dumfries is located at ....
, Elkton
Elkton, Virginia
Elkton is an incorporated town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,042 at the 2000 census. Elkton was named for the Elk Run stream.It is located along the south fork of the Shenandoah River...
, Grottoes
Grottoes, Virginia
Grottoes is an incorporated town in Augusta and Rockingham counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 2,114 at the 2000 census....
, Narrows
Narrows, Virginia
Narrows, named for the narrowing of the New River that flows past it, is a town in Giles County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,111 at the 2000 census...
, Pearisburg
Pearisburg, Virginia
Pearisburg is a town in Giles County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,729 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Giles County.Pearisburg is part of the Blacksburg–Christiansburg–Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Saltville
Saltville, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,204 people, 909 households, and 660 families residing in the town. The population density was 273.7 people per square mile . There were 1,003 housing units at an average density of 124.5 per square mile...
, Smithfield
Smithfield, Virginia
Smithfield is a town in Isle of Wight County, in the South Hampton Roads subregion of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia in the United States. The population was 8,089 at the 2010 census....
, Strasburg
Strasburg, Virginia
Strasburg is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States, which was founded in 1761 by Peter Stover. It is the largest town, population-wise, in the county and is known for its pottery, antiques, and Civil War history...
, Woodstock
Woodstock, Virginia
Woodstock is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. It has a population of 5,097 according to the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Shenandoah County....
Numbering
Secondary routes range from major routes like the Fairfax County ParkwayFairfax County Parkway
The Fairfax County Parkway, signed as State Route 7100, is a secondary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It provides a north–south arterial route in Fairfax County with a mix of interchanges and signalized and unsignalized intersections. Its alignment roughly corresponds to part of...
(State Route 7100) to suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
streets and unpaved country roads.
Roadways on public (K-12
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
) school campuses are also secondary routes and are numbered in the 9000 - 9999 range. Unlike other secondary routes, these do not duplicate within the state and are often unsigned.
For internal record keeping, such as the tabulation of traffic count
Traffic count
A traffic count is a count of traffic along a particular road, either done electronically or by people counting by the side of the road. Traffic counts can be used by local councils to identify which routes are used most, and to either improve that road or provide an alternative if there is an...
s, VDOT disambiguates between counties by prefixing the county unit of VDOT that maintains it; for example, State Route 611 in Fairfax County is labeled SR 29-611. Also, secondary route numbers are assigned to some roads not maintained by the state, such as city and town roads and roads in Arlington and Henrico counties.
Frontage roads
Frontage roadFrontage road
A frontage road is a non-limited access road running parallel to a higher-speed road, usually a freeway, and feeding it at appropriate points of access...
s total 333 miles (536 km) and are numbered on a statewide system. The numbers bear an F prefix (e.g., State Route F-1000 off State Route 7 in Loudoun County
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
).
Other roads
Roads in Virginia other than state highways include the following.Cities and towns maintain 10,561 (16,996 km) miles of urban streets with the help of state funds. Most towns contract street maintenance to the VDOT, in which case the streets have T-prefixed numbers.
As noted above, two counties in the state maintain their own roads: Arlington County (359 miles - 578 km) and Henrico County (1279 miles - 2058 km).
Virginia includes 51.12 miles (82.27 km) of toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
s maintained by other entities, typically through public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
s. These are the Boulevard Bridge
Boulevard Bridge
-External links:*...
, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is a long fixed link crossing the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and connecting the Delmarva Peninsula's Eastern Shore of Virginia with Virginia Beach and the metropolitan area of Hampton Roads, Virginia...
, Chesapeake Expressway, Dulles Greenway, and Jordan Bridge
Jordan Bridge
Jordan Bridge was a tolled highway lift bridge which carried State Route 337 over the southern branch of the Elizabeth River from the City of Portsmouth into the City of Chesapeake in South Hampton Roads, Virginia....
.
In addition, the U.S. Government maintains 382.99 miles (616.36 km) of numbered routes and other major roads in Virginia; the ones without normal numbers are assigned special unsigned numbers. The National Park Service
National Park Service
The 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...
maintains several parkways - the Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains...
(SR 48), Colonial Parkway
Colonial Parkway
Colonial Parkway is a scenic 23-mile parkway linking the three popular attractions of Virginia's Historic Triangle of colonial-era communities, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown...
(SR 90003), George Washington Memorial Parkway
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, known to local motorists simply as the "G.W. Parkway", is a parkway maintained by the U.S. National Park Service. It is located mostly in Northern Virginia, although a short section northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge passes over Columbia Island,...
(SR 90005), and Skyline Drive
Skyline Drive
Skyline Drive is a 105-mile road that runs the entire length of the National Park Service's Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, generally along the ridge of the mountains. The scenic drive is particularly popular in the fall when the leaves are changing colors...
(SR 48). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains State Route 4 over the John H. Kerr Dam
John H. Kerr Dam
John H. Kerr Dam is concrete gravity-dam located on the Roanoke River in Virginia, creating Kerr Lake. The dam was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1947 and 1953 for the purposes of flood control, and hydropower. The dam also serves wildlife resources, forest conservation, and...
and State Route 143 in Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula...
, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is an independent airport authority, created by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia with the consent of the United States Congress to oversee management, operations, and capital development of Washington, D.C.'s two major airports:...
owns the Dulles Access Road (SR 90004).