U.S. Route 11 in New York
Encyclopedia
U.S. Route 11 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from New Orleans, Louisiana
, to the Canadian border at Rouses Point, New York
. In the state of New York
, US 11 extends for 318.66 miles (512.83 km) from the Pennsylvania state line south of the Southern Tier
city of Binghamton to the Canadian border at the North Country
village of Rouses Point
, where it becomes Route 223
upon entering Quebec
. The portion of US 11 south of Watertown
follows a mostly north–south alignment and is paralleled by Interstate 81
(I-81) while the part of the route north of Watertown follows a more east–west routing.
The portion of US 11 in New York passes through the central district of four cities: Binghamton, Cortland
, Syracuse
, and Watertown. East of Watertown, the route traverses mostly rural terrain and serves only small villages, such as Potsdam
, Malone
, and Champlain
. While the portion of US 11 between the Pennsylvania state line and Watertown is merely an alternate route to I-81, the section east of Watertown is the primary long-distance route across the North Country of New York.
US 11 was designated as part of the 1926 establishment of the U.S. Highway System. It was first signed in New York in 1927, replacing New York State Route 2 (NY 2), a route assigned three years earlier as part of the creation of the modern New York state route system. The termini of US 11 have more or less remained the same since; however, multiple realignments have occurred along the points in between. One of US 11's three suffixed routes, NY 11C
, follows a former routing of US 11.
from the Pennsylvania border to Binghamton. US 11 and I-81 continue to parallel each other as they head north from Binghamton toward Syracuse
, passing through Cortland
in the process.
The route traverses the Onondaga Indian Reservation just south of the city—where it intersects US 20 in LaFayette—before entering the suburb
s of Syracuse. US 11 continues northward, passing through downtown and crossing I-81, I-690
and the New York State Thruway
(I-90
) before meeting I-81 at exit 26 north of downtown and west of the Syracuse Hancock International Airport
.
and, from Pulaski
. In Watertown, US 11 and I-81 separate just south of the city, with US 11 taking a more north-easterly routing than I-81, which continues to parallel Lake Ontario northward to the Canadian border.
, Malone
, and Potsdam
—built up along its northern edge. Although the road never crosses the Blue Line
delimiting Adirondack Park, it passes through mostly rural, undeveloped areas nonetheless.
Just outside of Watertown, the route runs along the northern edge of the Fort Drum Military Reservation and connects to the base's main gate. The junction between US 11 and Memorial Drive, the road leading to the gate, will be replaced with an interchange as part of the construction of I-781
. Past Fort Drum, the route follows a northeasterly routing across northern Jefferson County
and southwestern St. Lawrence County
, serving the villages of Philadelphia
and Gouverneur
and overlapping with NY 26
and NY 812
for significant stretches. US 11 eventually reaches the village of Canton, where it takes on a slightly more easterly alignment as it intersects NY 68
.
At the next village, Potsdam, NY 11B
breaks from US 11, serving as a southerly alternate route to the U.S. Highway. NY 11B heads due east from Potsdam; however, US 11 exits to the northeast, passing through parts of the towns of Potsdam
and Stockholm
. About 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Potsdam, US 11 intersects the west end of NY 11C
, the northernmost of its three alternate routes in New York. While NY 11C heads to the northeast to serve the hamlets of Brasher Falls and Winthrop, US 11 turns to the east, bypassing both locations to the south. NY 11C rejoins US 11 8 miles (13 km) later in the town of Lawrence
, while NY 11B reconnects to its parent in Malone, located in north-central Franklin County
.
East of Malone, US 11 takes on a more northerly heading for roughly 15 miles (24 km), passing through Chateaugay
and intersecting NY 374
in the community's center. Eventually, it curves back to the southeast, serving Ellenburg
and NY 190
before resuming a northeasterly alignment that takes the route through Mooers
and into the village of Champlain
. In the latter, US 11 connects to I-87
at exit 42 and meets US 9 at a junction a half-mile to the east of I-87. The route continues on, following a mostly linear east–west alignment across the town of Champlain
for 4 miles (6 km) to the shores of Lake Champlain
and the village of Rouses Point
. Along the way, US 11 connects to the west end of NY 276
.
In Rouses Point, US 11 becomes known as Champlain Street as it heads toward the lake shore. At the shoreline, Champlain Street ends as US 11 intersects NY 9B
(Lake Street). US 11 turns north onto Lake Street at the junction, following the routing established by NY 9B to the south into the heart of Rouses Point. Here, US 11 reconnects to NY 276, which enters from the west on Pratt Street. North of the village center, US 11 intersects the western terminus of the eastern segment of US 2. After another three-quarters of a mile, US 11 terminates at the Canada – United States border, where it connects to Quebec Route 223.
and Rouses Point
was assigned an unsigned legislative route
designation when the New York State Legislature created a statewide legislative route system in 1908. From Cortland north to Syracuse
, what is now US 11 was part of Route 10, which continued southeast from Cortland to Afton
. Between Syracuse and Colosse, it was designated as Route 33. At Colosse, Route 28 joined current US 11 and followed it to Maple View, where it ended at Route 30 (now NY 104
). Route 30 joined modern US 11 here and generally followed it through Watertown to Rouses Point. The most significant deviation from what is now US 11 was between Potsdam
and Lawrenceville, where Route 30 used modern NY 11B
and County Routes 54 and 55 (former NY 195
) instead.
Other, shorter sections of US 11 were included as part of legislative routes that mostly followed another corridor across the state. From Binghamton east to Kirkwood Center, modern US 11 was part of Route 4, an east–west route that extended across the Southern Tier
and the Catskill Mountains
from Lake Erie
to the Hudson River
. The segment of current US 11 from Binghamton north to Hinmans Corners was the southernmost portion of Route 8, which went northeast to the Utica
area on modern NY 12
and NY 12B
. In 1911, much of current US 11 between Cortland and Whitney Point
was designated as part of Route 4-a, a new route that extended southeast to Chenango Forks
and south from there to Binghamton. On March 1, 1921, the portion of Route 4-a northwest of Chenango Forks became part of Route 10, which now split into east and west branches east of Cortland as a result.
created the modern New York state route system by assigning designations to several long-distance highways. One route assigned at this time was NY 2, which extended from the Pennsylvania state line south of Binghamton to the Canadian border at Rouses Point
by way of Syracuse
and Watertown
. When the Joint Board on Interstate Highways laid out the initial plans for the U.S. Highway System in October 1925, NY 2 was included as part of US 11, a route beginning in New Orleans, Louisiana
, and ending at Rouses Point. The alignment of US 11 within New York was virtually unchanged in the final system alignment approved on November 11, 1926. The US 11 designation was first signed in 1927, supplanting NY 2.
Since 1927, the termini of US 11 have more or less remained the same. However, multiple realignments have occurred over the years along the points in between. In De Kalb
, US 11 originally followed Old Northerner Road, modern NY 812
, and County Route 17. It was moved onto its current alignment in the area ca. 1936. In the vicinity of Champlain
, US 11 initially entered the village on Perry Mills Road and followed Main and Elm Streets through the village. Ca. 1962, US 11 was realigned to follow a direct east–west highway between the hamlet of Twin Bridges (the modern junction of US 11 and Perry Mills Road) and the village of Champlain. Within Champlain, US 11 was routed on South, Main, and Elm Streets. The highway was realigned again in the early 1970s to follow a new highway to the south of Champlain, bypassing the village completely.
In northeastern St. Lawrence County
, US 11 originally served the neighboring hamlets of Brasher Falls and Winthrop
. The route left its modern alignment in Stockholm
(at Stockholm Center) and rejoined it in Lawrence
(at Coteys Corner). On September 1, 1982, ownership and maintenance of County Route 110, a county road extending from Stockholm Center to Coteys Corner on a direct east–west routing, was transferred from St. Lawrence County to the state of New York as part of a highway maintenance swap between the two levels of government and the village of Canton
. The new state highway was initially designated as NY 11C
. On June 13, 1992, the alignments of US 11 and NY 11C between Stockholm Center and Coteys Corner were swapped, placing both routes on their modern alignments.
, first surfaced in the 1950s. If built, the highway would likely follow the US 11 corridor across the northern part of North Country
, connecting I-81 to I-87
. The project is expected to create more than 27,000 jobs throughout the North Country and is expected to take as many as 15 years to complete.
A study called the North Country Transportation Study Action Plan and Final Technical Report suggests that the road would likely be built to Interstate Highway standards
in order to improve constrained transit systems due to a lack of infrastructure
throughout the area. Backers of the project have called for the highway to be designated as I-98; however, this designation has not been recognized by any government agencies, such as NYSDOT or the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
.
The Northern Corridor Transportation Group (NCTG) was formed in December 2008 as a means of refocusing the fifty-year discussion on the project. Since that time, more than 100 municipal and civic resolutions from the five northern counties of New York have been passed in support of the construction of the project. On July 16, 2009, the NCTG submitted a request to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
to direct $800 million toward the project as part of the reauthorization of a federal highway transportation bill. In a historic move, the six northern legislators representing the North Country in the New York State Legislature (Senators Aubertine
, Griffo
and Little and Assembly Members Scozzafava, Russell
and Duprey
) signed an official letter of request to the same end.
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, to the Canadian border at Rouses Point, New York
Rouses Point, New York
Rouses Point is a village in Clinton County, New York, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jacques Rouse, an early settler....
. In the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, US 11 extends for 318.66 miles (512.83 km) from the Pennsylvania state line south of the Southern Tier
Southern Tier
The Southern Tier is a geographical term that refers to the counties of New York State west of the Catskill Mountains along the northern border of Pennsylvania. It is a loosely defined term that generally includes the counties that border Pennsylvania west of Delaware County inclusive...
city of Binghamton to the Canadian border at the North Country
North Country, New York
The North Country is a region of the U.S. state of New York that encompasses the state's extreme northern frontier, bordering Lake Ontario on the west, the Saint Lawrence River and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec on the north and northwest, and Lake Champlain and Vermont on the east...
village of Rouses Point
Rouses Point, New York
Rouses Point is a village in Clinton County, New York, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jacques Rouse, an early settler....
, where it becomes Route 223
Quebec route 223
Route 223 is a north/south highway on the south shore of the Richelieu River. Its northern terminus is in Sorel-Tracy at the junction of Route 132 and its southern terminus is close to Lacolle, where it crosses the U.S. border and continues into New York state as U.S...
upon entering Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. The portion of US 11 south of Watertown
Watertown (city), New York
Watertown is a city in the state of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated approximately south of the Thousand Islands. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 27,023, an increase of 1.2% since 2000. The U.S...
follows a mostly north–south alignment and is paralleled by Interstate 81
Interstate 81 in New York
Interstate 81 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Dandridge, Tennessee, to the Canada – United States border at Wellesley Island in New York. In the U.S. state of New York, I-81 extends from the Pennsylvania state line southeast of Binghamton to the Canadian border...
(I-81) while the part of the route north of Watertown follows a more east–west routing.
The portion of US 11 in New York passes through the central district of four cities: Binghamton, Cortland
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
, Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, and Watertown. East of Watertown, the route traverses mostly rural terrain and serves only small villages, such as Potsdam
Potsdam (village), New York
Potsdam is a village located in the Town of Potsdam in St. Lawrence County, New York, USA. The population was 9,425 at the 2000 census.The Village of Potsdam is in the eastern part of the town and is northeast of Canton, the county seat....
, Malone
Malone (village), New York
-Notable natives:Notable natives include:*William Almon Wheeler served as Vice President of the United States under Rutherford Hayes. Is buried at Morningside Cemetery in Malone....
, and Champlain
Champlain (village), New York
Champlain is a village in Clinton County, New York, USA. The population was 1,101 at the 2010 census. The village is named after nearby Lake Champlain.The Village of Champlain in located in the Town of Champlain and is north of Plattsburgh.-History:...
. While the portion of US 11 between the Pennsylvania state line and Watertown is merely an alternate route to I-81, the section east of Watertown is the primary long-distance route across the North Country of New York.
US 11 was designated as part of the 1926 establishment of the U.S. Highway System. It was first signed in New York in 1927, replacing New York State Route 2 (NY 2), a route assigned three years earlier as part of the creation of the modern New York state route system. The termini of US 11 have more or less remained the same since; however, multiple realignments have occurred along the points in between. One of US 11's three suffixed routes, NY 11C
New York State Route 11C
New York State Route 11C is a short state highway located in St. Lawrence County in the northern part of New York, United States. NY 11C is a northern alternate route of U.S. Route 11 between the towns of Stockholm and Lawrence that serves the hamlets of Winthrop and Brasher Falls....
, follows a former routing of US 11.
Central New York
US 11 proceeds northwestward through New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
from the Pennsylvania border to Binghamton. US 11 and I-81 continue to parallel each other as they head north from Binghamton toward Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, passing through Cortland
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
in the process.
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...
s of Syracuse. US 11 continues northward, passing through downtown and crossing I-81, I-690
Interstate 690
Interstate 690 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that extends for through the vicinity of Syracuse, New York, in the United States. It is a spur of I-90 that travels southeast from Thruway exit 39 in Van Buren to I-481 in DeWitt...
and the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
(I-90
Interstate 90 in New York
Interstate 90 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Seattle, Washington, to Boston, Massachusetts. In the U.S. state of New York, I-90 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley to the Massachusetts state line at Canaan...
) before meeting I-81 at exit 26 north of downtown and west of the Syracuse Hancock International Airport
Syracuse Hancock International Airport
Syracuse Hancock International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located northeast of Syracuse, in Onondaga County, New York, off of Interstate 81 near Mattydale, New York. The main terminal complex is located at the eastern end of Colonel Eileen Collins Boulevard.-History:In 1927...
.
Syracuse to Watertown
North of Syracuse, US 11 and I-81 continue to parallel each other northward through Central New YorkCentral New York
Central New York is a term used to broadly describe the central region of New York State, roughly including the following counties and cities:...
and, from Pulaski
Pulaski, New York
Pulaski is a village in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 2,365 at the 2010 census.The Village of Pulaski is within the Town of Richland, and lies between the eastern shore of Lake Ontario and the Tug Hill region. The village is located on US Route 11 and is adjacent to...
. In Watertown, US 11 and I-81 separate just south of the city, with US 11 taking a more north-easterly routing than I-81, which continues to parallel Lake Ontario northward to the Canadian border.
North Country
US 11 heads northeast from Watertown, passing north of Adirondack Park and serving several communities—such as the villages of CantonCanton (village), New York
Canton is a village in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The village is centrally located in both the town of Canton and the county of St. Lawrence. The population was 5,882 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of St. Lawrence County...
, Malone
Malone (village), New York
-Notable natives:Notable natives include:*William Almon Wheeler served as Vice President of the United States under Rutherford Hayes. Is buried at Morningside Cemetery in Malone....
, and Potsdam
Potsdam (village), New York
Potsdam is a village located in the Town of Potsdam in St. Lawrence County, New York, USA. The population was 9,425 at the 2000 census.The Village of Potsdam is in the eastern part of the town and is northeast of Canton, the county seat....
—built up along its northern edge. Although the road never crosses the Blue Line
Blue Line (New York State)
The Blue Line is the term used in New York state for the boundaries of the Adirondack and Catskill parks, within which can be found the state's Forest Preserve...
delimiting Adirondack Park, it passes through mostly rural, undeveloped areas nonetheless.
Just outside of Watertown, the route runs along the northern edge of the Fort Drum Military Reservation and connects to the base's main gate. The junction between US 11 and Memorial Drive, the road leading to the gate, will be replaced with an interchange as part of the construction of I-781
Interstate 781
Interstate 781 is a future auxiliary Interstate Highway that is under construction north of Watertown in Jefferson County, New York, in the United States. When complete, the route will extend for from I-81 in Pamelia to the main entrance of Fort Drum in Le Ray. It will also have one...
. Past Fort Drum, the route follows a northeasterly routing across northern Jefferson County
Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 116,229. It is named after Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America, and president at the time the county was created in 1805...
and southwestern St. Lawrence County
St. Lawrence County, New York
St. Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 111,944. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Catholic saint on whose Feast day the river was discovered by...
, serving the villages of Philadelphia
Philadelphia (village), New York
Philadelphia is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 1,519 at the 2000 census.The Village of Philadelphia is in the Town of Philadelphia and is northeast of Watertown...
and Gouverneur
Gouverneur (village), New York
Gouverneur is a village in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 4,263 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Gouverneur Morris, one of the authors of the Constitution of the United States, as well as a prominent landowner and part-time resident of the area.The...
and overlapping with NY 26
New York State Route 26
New York State Route 26 is a north–south state highway that runs for through Central New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is located at the Pennsylvania state line south of the town of Vestal in Broome County, where it becomes Pennsylvania Route 267...
and NY 812
New York State Route 812
New York State Route 812 is a state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 12 and NY 26 in the Lewis County village of Lowville...
for significant stretches. US 11 eventually reaches the village of Canton, where it takes on a slightly more easterly alignment as it intersects NY 68
New York State Route 68
New York State Route 68 is an east–west state highway located entirely within St. Lawrence County in the North Country of New York in the United States. The western terminus is at an intersection with NY 37 in Oswegatchie, just west of the Ogdensburg city limits...
.
At the next village, Potsdam, NY 11B
New York State Route 11B
New York State Route 11B is a state highway in northern New York, United States. It provides a parallel, more southerly east–west route to U.S. Route 11 between US 11 in Potsdam and US 11, NY 30, and NY 37 in Malone...
breaks from US 11, serving as a southerly alternate route to the U.S. Highway. NY 11B heads due east from Potsdam; however, US 11 exits to the northeast, passing through parts of the towns of Potsdam
Potsdam (town), New York
Potsdam is a town located in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 15,957 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 13676. The town is named after the city of Potsdam in Germany...
and Stockholm
Stockholm, New York
Stockholm is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 3,592 at the 2000 census. The name was assigned by surveyors from Stockholm in Sweden....
. About 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Potsdam, US 11 intersects the west end of NY 11C
New York State Route 11C
New York State Route 11C is a short state highway located in St. Lawrence County in the northern part of New York, United States. NY 11C is a northern alternate route of U.S. Route 11 between the towns of Stockholm and Lawrence that serves the hamlets of Winthrop and Brasher Falls....
, the northernmost of its three alternate routes in New York. While NY 11C heads to the northeast to serve the hamlets of Brasher Falls and Winthrop, US 11 turns to the east, bypassing both locations to the south. NY 11C rejoins US 11 8 miles (13 km) later in the town of Lawrence
Lawrence, St. Lawrence County, New York
Lawrence is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York in the United States. The population was 1,545 at the 2000 census. The town is named after William Lawrence, an early land owner....
, while NY 11B reconnects to its parent in Malone, located in north-central Franklin County
Franklin County, New York
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,599. It is named in honor of American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin...
.
East of Malone, US 11 takes on a more northerly heading for roughly 15 miles (24 km), passing through Chateaugay
Chateaugay (village), New York
Chateaugay is a village located in the in Franklin County New York, USA. The population was 798 at the 2000 census. The village and town are named after a village near Lyon in France, which became the name of a land grant in Canada....
and intersecting NY 374
New York State Route 374
New York State Route 374 is a state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States. The route follows a generally northwest to southeast progression; however, the portion of the route within Franklin County runs north–south and is signed in the same manner...
in the community's center. Eventually, it curves back to the southeast, serving Ellenburg
Ellenburg, New York
Ellenburg is a town in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 1,743 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Ellen, the daughter of the principal proprietor....
and NY 190
New York State Route 190
New York State Route 190 is an east–west state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 374 in the community of Brainardsville within the town of Bellmont. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with...
before resuming a northeasterly alignment that takes the route through Mooers
Mooers (CDP), New York
Mooers is a hamlet in Clinton County, New York, USA. The population was 442 at the 2010 census.The community of Mooers is in the Town of Mooers near the northern border of New York State and the Canadian province of Quebec....
and into the village of Champlain
Champlain (village), New York
Champlain is a village in Clinton County, New York, USA. The population was 1,101 at the 2010 census. The village is named after nearby Lake Champlain.The Village of Champlain in located in the Town of Champlain and is north of Plattsburgh.-History:...
. In the latter, US 11 connects to I-87
Interstate 87
Interstate 87 is a Interstate Highway located entirely within New York State in the United States of America. I-87 is the longest intrastate Interstate highway in the Interstate Highway System. Its southern end is at the Bronx approaches of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City...
at exit 42 and meets US 9 at a junction a half-mile to the east of I-87. The route continues on, following a mostly linear east–west alignment across the town of Champlain
Champlain (town), New York
Champlain is a town in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 5,754 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Lake Champlain....
for 4 miles (6 km) to the shores of Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
and the village of Rouses Point
Rouses Point, New York
Rouses Point is a village in Clinton County, New York, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jacques Rouse, an early settler....
. Along the way, US 11 connects to the west end of NY 276
New York State Route 276
New York State Route 276 is a state highway located entirely within Clinton County, New York, in the United States. It connects the town of Champlain to the village of Rouses Point, with both termini situated at intersections with U.S. Route 11 about apart...
.
In Rouses Point, US 11 becomes known as Champlain Street as it heads toward the lake shore. At the shoreline, Champlain Street ends as US 11 intersects NY 9B
New York State Route 9B
New York State Route 9B is a state highway located within Clinton County, New York, in the United States. The route serves as a connector between its parent route, U.S. Route 9 , in the town of Champlain and US 11 in the village of Rouses Point...
(Lake Street). US 11 turns north onto Lake Street at the junction, following the routing established by NY 9B to the south into the heart of Rouses Point. Here, US 11 reconnects to NY 276, which enters from the west on Pratt Street. North of the village center, US 11 intersects the western terminus of the eastern segment of US 2. After another three-quarters of a mile, US 11 terminates at the Canada – United States border, where it connects to Quebec Route 223.
Origins
Most of the modern US 11 corridor between CortlandCortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
and Rouses Point
Rouses Point, New York
Rouses Point is a village in Clinton County, New York, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jacques Rouse, an early settler....
was assigned an unsigned legislative route
Legislative route
In United States, a legislative route or legislative highway is a highway defined by laws passed in a state legislature. The numbering of such highways may or may not correspond to the numbers familiar to the public as part of the state, U.S. highway, and Interstate highway systems...
designation when the New York State Legislature created a statewide legislative route system in 1908. From Cortland north to Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, what is now US 11 was part of Route 10, which continued southeast from Cortland to Afton
Afton (village), New York
Afton is a village in Chenango County, New York, USA. The population was 836 at the 2000 census. The village is named after a location in Scotland.The Village of Afton is located in the Town of Afton and is northeast of Binghamton, New York....
. Between Syracuse and Colosse, it was designated as Route 33. At Colosse, Route 28 joined current US 11 and followed it to Maple View, where it ended at Route 30 (now NY 104
New York State Route 104
New York State Route 104 is a long east–west state highway in Upstate New York, United States. It spans six counties and enters the vicinity of four cities—Niagara Falls, Lockport, Rochester, and Oswego—as it follows a routing largely parallel to that of the southern shoreline of Lake...
). Route 30 joined modern US 11 here and generally followed it through Watertown to Rouses Point. The most significant deviation from what is now US 11 was between Potsdam
Potsdam (village), New York
Potsdam is a village located in the Town of Potsdam in St. Lawrence County, New York, USA. The population was 9,425 at the 2000 census.The Village of Potsdam is in the eastern part of the town and is northeast of Canton, the county seat....
and Lawrenceville, where Route 30 used modern NY 11B
New York State Route 11B
New York State Route 11B is a state highway in northern New York, United States. It provides a parallel, more southerly east–west route to U.S. Route 11 between US 11 in Potsdam and US 11, NY 30, and NY 37 in Malone...
and County Routes 54 and 55 (former NY 195
New York State Route 195
New York State Route 195 was a north–south state highway located within the town of Lawrence in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route was at NY 11B in the hamlet of Nicholville. Its northern terminus was at U.S. Route 11 in the community of...
) instead.
Other, shorter sections of US 11 were included as part of legislative routes that mostly followed another corridor across the state. From Binghamton east to Kirkwood Center, modern US 11 was part of Route 4, an east–west route that extended across the Southern Tier
Southern Tier
The Southern Tier is a geographical term that refers to the counties of New York State west of the Catskill Mountains along the northern border of Pennsylvania. It is a loosely defined term that generally includes the counties that border Pennsylvania west of Delaware County inclusive...
and the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
from Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
to the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. The segment of current US 11 from Binghamton north to Hinmans Corners was the southernmost portion of Route 8, which went northeast to the Utica
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
area on modern NY 12
New York State Route 12
New York State Route 12 is a state highway extending for through central and northern New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 11 in the town of Chenango in the Southern Tier. The northern terminus is at NY 37 near the village of...
and NY 12B
New York State Route 12B
New York State Route 12B is a state highway in the central part of New York, United States. NY 12B is a north–south highway connecting Oneida County in the north to Chenango County in the south, passing through Madison County in between. The southern terminus of NY 12B is at...
. In 1911, much of current US 11 between Cortland and Whitney Point
Whitney Point, New York
Whitney Point is a village in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 965 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
was designated as part of Route 4-a, a new route that extended southeast to Chenango Forks
Chenango Forks, New York
Chenango Forks is a hamlet located in Broome County, New York in the United States. The community is partly in the Town of Chenango and partly in the Town of Barker....
and south from there to Binghamton. On March 1, 1921, the portion of Route 4-a northwest of Chenango Forks became part of Route 10, which now split into east and west branches east of Cortland as a result.
Designation and realignments
In 1924, the state of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
created the modern New York state route system by assigning designations to several long-distance highways. One route assigned at this time was NY 2, which extended from the Pennsylvania state line south of Binghamton to the Canadian border at Rouses Point
Rouses Point, New York
Rouses Point is a village in Clinton County, New York, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jacques Rouse, an early settler....
by way of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
and Watertown
Watertown (city), New York
Watertown is a city in the state of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated approximately south of the Thousand Islands. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 27,023, an increase of 1.2% since 2000. The U.S...
. When the Joint Board on Interstate Highways laid out the initial plans for the U.S. Highway System in October 1925, NY 2 was included as part of US 11, a route beginning in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, and ending at Rouses Point. The alignment of US 11 within New York was virtually unchanged in the final system alignment approved on November 11, 1926. The US 11 designation was first signed in 1927, supplanting NY 2.
Since 1927, the termini of US 11 have more or less remained the same. However, multiple realignments have occurred over the years along the points in between. In De Kalb
De Kalb, New York
De Kalb is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, USA. The population was 2,213 at the 2000 census. The town is named after American general Baron de Kalb, a German officer serving under George Washington....
, US 11 originally followed Old Northerner Road, modern NY 812
New York State Route 812
New York State Route 812 is a state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 12 and NY 26 in the Lewis County village of Lowville...
, and County Route 17. It was moved onto its current alignment in the area ca. 1936. In the vicinity of Champlain
Champlain (village), New York
Champlain is a village in Clinton County, New York, USA. The population was 1,101 at the 2010 census. The village is named after nearby Lake Champlain.The Village of Champlain in located in the Town of Champlain and is north of Plattsburgh.-History:...
, US 11 initially entered the village on Perry Mills Road and followed Main and Elm Streets through the village. Ca. 1962, US 11 was realigned to follow a direct east–west highway between the hamlet of Twin Bridges (the modern junction of US 11 and Perry Mills Road) and the village of Champlain. Within Champlain, US 11 was routed on South, Main, and Elm Streets. The highway was realigned again in the early 1970s to follow a new highway to the south of Champlain, bypassing the village completely.
In northeastern St. Lawrence County
St. Lawrence County, New York
St. Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 111,944. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Catholic saint on whose Feast day the river was discovered by...
, US 11 originally served the neighboring hamlets of Brasher Falls and Winthrop
Brasher Falls-Winthrop, New York
Brasher Falls-Winthrop is a census-designated place and region in St. Lawrence County, New York. The population was 1,140 at the 2000 census.This area is composed of Brasher Falls in the Town of Brasher, New York and Winthrop in the Town of Stockholm....
. The route left its modern alignment in Stockholm
Stockholm, New York
Stockholm is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 3,592 at the 2000 census. The name was assigned by surveyors from Stockholm in Sweden....
(at Stockholm Center) and rejoined it in Lawrence
Lawrence, St. Lawrence County, New York
Lawrence is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York in the United States. The population was 1,545 at the 2000 census. The town is named after William Lawrence, an early land owner....
(at Coteys Corner). On September 1, 1982, ownership and maintenance of County Route 110, a county road extending from Stockholm Center to Coteys Corner on a direct east–west routing, was transferred from St. Lawrence County to the state of New York as part of a highway maintenance swap between the two levels of government and the village of Canton
Canton (village), New York
Canton is a village in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The village is centrally located in both the town of Canton and the county of St. Lawrence. The population was 5,882 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of St. Lawrence County...
. The new state highway was initially designated as NY 11C
New York State Route 11C
New York State Route 11C is a short state highway located in St. Lawrence County in the northern part of New York, United States. NY 11C is a northern alternate route of U.S. Route 11 between the towns of Stockholm and Lawrence that serves the hamlets of Winthrop and Brasher Falls....
. On June 13, 1992, the alignments of US 11 and NY 11C between Stockholm Center and Coteys Corner were swapped, placing both routes on their modern alignments.
Future
Plans for the Rooftop Highway, a proposed limited-access highway that would extend for 175 miles (282 km) from Watertown to ChamplainChamplain (village), New York
Champlain is a village in Clinton County, New York, USA. The population was 1,101 at the 2010 census. The village is named after nearby Lake Champlain.The Village of Champlain in located in the Town of Champlain and is north of Plattsburgh.-History:...
, first surfaced in the 1950s. If built, the highway would likely follow the US 11 corridor across the northern part of North Country
North Country, New York
The North Country is a region of the U.S. state of New York that encompasses the state's extreme northern frontier, bordering Lake Ontario on the west, the Saint Lawrence River and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec on the north and northwest, and Lake Champlain and Vermont on the east...
, connecting I-81 to I-87
Interstate 87
Interstate 87 is a Interstate Highway located entirely within New York State in the United States of America. I-87 is the longest intrastate Interstate highway in the Interstate Highway System. Its southern end is at the Bronx approaches of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City...
. The project is expected to create more than 27,000 jobs throughout the North Country and is expected to take as many as 15 years to complete.
A study called the North Country Transportation Study Action Plan and Final Technical Report suggests that the road would likely be built to Interstate Highway standards
Interstate Highway standards
Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in the publication A Policy on Design Standards - Interstate System...
in order to improve constrained transit systems due to a lack of infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
throughout the area. Backers of the project have called for the highway to be designated as I-98; however, this designation has not been recognized by any government agencies, such as NYSDOT or 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...
.
The Northern Corridor Transportation Group (NCTG) was formed in December 2008 as a means of refocusing the fifty-year discussion on the project. Since that time, more than 100 municipal and civic resolutions from the five northern counties of New York have been passed in support of the construction of the project. On July 16, 2009, the NCTG submitted a request to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand is an attorney and the junior United States Senator from the state of New York and a member of the Democratic Party...
to direct $800 million toward the project as part of the reauthorization of a federal highway transportation bill. In a historic move, the six northern legislators representing the North Country in the New York State Legislature (Senators Aubertine
Darrel Aubertine
Darrel J. Aubertine was a member of the New York State Senate for the 48th district, which covers Central New York and the North Country region counties of Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence in New York State. He is a registered Democrat and represented the district in the state Senate from...
, Griffo
Joseph Griffo
Joseph A. “Joe” Griffo of Rome, New York is currently a New York State Senator representing the 47th district. The 47th district encompasses all of Lewis County, most of Oneida County, and St. Lawrence County.-Early life:...
and Little and Assembly Members Scozzafava, Russell
Addie Jenne Russell
Addie Jenne Russell is the New York State Democratic Assemblywoman for the 118th district, known as "The River District". One of five siblings, her family has lived in New York State's North Country for seven generations; her father was a mechanic. She was a member of the Jefferson County Board of...
and Duprey
Janet Duprey
Janet L. Duprey is a Republican member of the New York State Assembly, representing Assembly District 114, which includes all of Clinton and Franklin Counties, as well as the town of St. Armand in Essex County. She is originally from Plattsburgh.Duprey was first elected to the Assembly on November...
) signed an official letter of request to the same end.
Suffixed routes
US 11 has three suffixed routes, all of which serve as alternate routes to US 11. NY 11A and NY 11B were assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, while NY 11C was assigned in 1982.- NY 11ANew York State Route 11ANew York State Route 11A is a state highway in Onondaga County, New York, in the United States. As its numbering implies, NY 11A is a spur of U.S. Route 11. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 80 in Tully. Its northern terminus is at a junction...
(13.11 miles or 21.1 km) runs to the west of US 11 between TullyTully (town), New YorkTully is a town in Onondaga County, New York, USA. The population of the town was 2,709 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from the Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero. The town is on the county's south border, south of Syracuse....
and OnondagaOnondaga, New YorkOnondaga is a town located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the town had a population of 21,063. The town is named after the native Onondaga tribe, part of the Iroquois Confederacy....
. It serves as the primary north–south highway through the Onondaga Indian Reservation. - NY 11BNew York State Route 11BNew York State Route 11B is a state highway in northern New York, United States. It provides a parallel, more southerly east–west route to U.S. Route 11 between US 11 in Potsdam and US 11, NY 30, and NY 37 in Malone...
(36.98 miles or 59.51 km) extends from PotsdamPotsdam (village), New YorkPotsdam is a village located in the Town of Potsdam in St. Lawrence County, New York, USA. The population was 9,425 at the 2000 census.The Village of Potsdam is in the eastern part of the town and is northeast of Canton, the county seat....
to MaloneMalone (village), New York-Notable natives:Notable natives include:*William Almon Wheeler served as Vice President of the United States under Rutherford Hayes. Is buried at Morningside Cemetery in Malone....
along a routing situated south of US 11. - NY 11CNew York State Route 11CNew York State Route 11C is a short state highway located in St. Lawrence County in the northern part of New York, United States. NY 11C is a northern alternate route of U.S. Route 11 between the towns of Stockholm and Lawrence that serves the hamlets of Winthrop and Brasher Falls....
(11.44 miles or 18.41 km) is a northerly alternate to US 11 between StockholmStockholm, New YorkStockholm is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 3,592 at the 2000 census. The name was assigned by surveyors from Stockholm in Sweden....
and LawrenceLawrence, St. Lawrence County, New YorkLawrence is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York in the United States. The population was 1,545 at the 2000 census. The town is named after William Lawrence, an early land owner....
. While US 11 follows a direct routing through the two towns, NY 11C veers north to serve Brasher Falls and WinthropBrasher Falls-Winthrop, New YorkBrasher Falls-Winthrop is a census-designated place and region in St. Lawrence County, New York. The population was 1,140 at the 2000 census.This area is composed of Brasher Falls in the Town of Brasher, New York and Winthrop in the Town of Stockholm....
, two small hamlets on the banks of the St. Regis RiverSt. Regis RiverThe St. Regis River is an river in northern New York in the USA. It flows into the Saint Lawrence River at the hamlet of St Regis in the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. The Saint Regis River basin includes Upper and Lower St. Regis Lakes, and Saint Regis Pond in the Saint Regis Canoe Area.-External...
.
Major intersections
See also
- New York State Bicycle Route 11, a pair of state bicycle routes that follow the southernmost and northernmost sections of US 11 in New York