U.S. Route 460
Encyclopedia
U.S. Route 460 is a spur of U.S. Route 60
. It currently runs for 655 miles (1,054 km) from Norfolk, Virginia
at U.S. Route 60
at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky
at U.S. Route 60
. It passes through the states of Virginia
, West Virginia
, and Kentucky
. It goes through the cities of Norfolk
, Portsmouth
, Suffolk
, Petersburg
, Lynchburg
, Roanoke
, Blacksburg
, Tazewell
, and Grundy
, in Virginia; Princeton
and Bluefield
in West Virginia; and Pikeville, Kentucky
, Frankfort, Kentucky
.
The section from Interstate 81
at Christiansburg, Virginia
to U.S. Highway 23 in Pikeville, Kentucky
is Corridor Q in the Appalachian Development Highway System
. Currently the portion improved under this system is unfinished between Grundy, Virginia
and Pikeville.
US 460 is a major east–west highway in Virginia. It is a major thoroughfare through southern Hampton Roads
and connects the area to Petersburg. US 460 connects Lynchburg to Roanoke. US 460 is paired with US 221 between Bedford and Roanoke and with US 11 between Salem and Christiansburg. It is also the primary east–west roadway in the northern part of Southwest Virginia
between Christiansburg and the Kentucky border; although several miles near Bluefield pass through West Virginia.
US 460 now begins when it splits from US 60 a few miles east of downtown Frankfort
. It is a winding two-lane highway with no shoulders and intersects US 62 and I-75 at Georgetown
. It proceeds to Paris
, where it serves as the town's "Main Street
" and intersects US 27 and US 68. The next major intersection is with I-64 in Mount Sterling
. It proceeds through Frenchburg
and West Liberty
. In Salyersville
, the Mountain Parkway ends by merging onto it. It is a 3-lane highway for 14 miles and then it merges with US 23 in Paintsville
. US 460 East follows US-23 South through Prestonsburg
and Pikeville
. The route then enters the southwestern part of Virginia
.
. Most of US 460 is a four-lane divided highway
.
US 460 from Interstate 81 at Christiansburg
west to Pikeville, Kentucky
, including the piece in West Virginia, is Corridor Q of the Appalachian Development Highway System
. From West Virginia east to I-81, US 460 is also part of the proposed Interstate 73.
from Lexington to Paintsville and Kentucky Route 4 from Millard to the Virginia state line near Grundy.
US 460 once ended in St. Louis, Missouri
after crossing the MacArthur Bridge
. Between St. Louis and Frankfort, it was a major highway in the pre-Interstate era, passing through Evansville, Indiana
and Louisville, Kentucky
. Interstate 64
has supplanted most of old US 460 as a more direct route, and old US 460 has become parts of Illinois Route 15
, Illinois Route 142
, Illinois Route 14
, State Road 66, State Road 62, and US 60 where Interstate 64
has not supplanted it even as a state highway in the greater Louisville area.
Many years after its elimination in Indiana
in 1977, some older residents and even businesses along what is now Indiana State Road 62
still refer to the road as "Highway 460," to the point that older billboards retain that designation in the St. Meinrad area. Some present-day telephone books also contain listings for those living on "Hwy 460."
When Fishtrap Lake
was created in Johnson County, Kentucky, US 460 was realigned to its current route from Salyersville to Paintsville. The former US 460 leading to the lake is now Kentucky Route 1789 and Kentucky Route 1499. The part between Paintsville and Millard remained U.S. Highway 23 and Kentucky Route 80.
U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...
. It currently runs for 655 miles (1,054 km) from Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
at U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...
at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
at U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...
. It passes through the states 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...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. It goes through the cities of Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
, 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:...
, Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
, Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
, Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
, 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...
, 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....
, and Grundy
Grundy, Virginia
Grundy is a town in Buchanan County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,105 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Buchanan County. The town is noted for its educational institutions and their role in the town's economic rebirth. In the past, the town served as a stopover for Union...
, in Virginia; Princeton
Princeton, West Virginia
Princeton is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 7,652 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 111,586. It is the county seat of Mercer County...
and Bluefield
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
in West Virginia; and Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork...
, Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
.
The section from Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
at Christiansburg, Virginia
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...
to U.S. Highway 23 in Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork...
is Corridor Q in the Appalachian Development Highway System
Appalachian Development Highway System
The Appalachian Development Highway System is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission in the United States. See: .-History:...
. Currently the portion improved under this system is unfinished between Grundy, Virginia
Grundy, Virginia
Grundy is a town in Buchanan County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,105 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Buchanan County. The town is noted for its educational institutions and their role in the town's economic rebirth. In the past, the town served as a stopover for Union...
and Pikeville.
US 460 is a major east–west highway in Virginia. It is a major thoroughfare through southern 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...
and connects the area to Petersburg. US 460 connects Lynchburg to Roanoke. US 460 is paired with US 221 between Bedford and Roanoke and with US 11 between Salem and Christiansburg. It is also the primary east–west roadway in the northern part of Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or...
between Christiansburg and the Kentucky border; although several miles near Bluefield pass through West Virginia.
Kentucky
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
. It is a winding two-lane highway with no shoulders and intersects US 62 and I-75 at Georgetown
Georgetown, Kentucky
Georgetown is a city in Scott County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 29,098 at the 2010 census. The original settlement of Lebanon, founded by Rev. Elijah Craig, was renamed in 1790 in honor of President George Washington. It is the home of Georgetown College, a private liberal arts...
. It proceeds to Paris
Paris, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,183 people, 3,857 households, and 2,487 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,222 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.23% White, 12.71% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.16%...
, where it serves as the town's "Main Street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
" and intersects US 27 and US 68. The next major intersection is with I-64 in Mount Sterling
Mount Sterling, Kentucky
The Mt. Sterling-Montgomery County Library was established in 1871. The Mt. Sterling – Montgomery County Library moved to the current location, accessible from both Main and Locust Streets, in July 1984. The building was officially dedicated on September 30, 1984...
. It proceeds through Frenchburg
Frenchburg, Kentucky
Frenchburg is a city in Menifee County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 551 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Menifee County, and the only incorporated city in the rural county. It is located at the junction of US 460 and Kentucky Route 36...
and West Liberty
West Liberty, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,277 people, 696 households, and 446 families residing in the city. The population density was 739.3 people per square mile . There were 758 housing units at an average density of 171.0 per square mile...
. In Salyersville
Salyersville, Kentucky
Salyersville is a city in and the county seat of Magoffin County, Kentucky, United States. It is located on the Licking River. The population was 1,604 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, the Mountain Parkway ends by merging onto it. It is a 3-lane highway for 14 miles and then it merges with US 23 in Paintsville
Paintsville, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,132 people, 1,681 households, and 1,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 786.1 people per square mile . There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 361.7 per square mile...
. US 460 East follows US-23 South through Prestonsburg
Prestonsburg, Kentucky
Prestonsburg is a city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Kentucky, United States. It lies in the eastern part of the state, along the banks of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River. It was founded in 1797 by Col. John Preston—for whom it was named—along with Solomon Stratton, Matthias...
and Pikeville
Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork...
. The route then enters the southwestern part 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...
.
Virginia and West Virginia
U.S. Route 460 runs east–west through the southern part of the Virginia. It has two separate pieces in Virginia, joined by a relatively short section in West VirginiaWest Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. Most of US 460 is a four-lane divided highway
Divided Highway
Divided Highway is a compilation album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 2003. . All tracks are taken from the albums Cycles and Brotherhood .-Track listing:...
.
US 460 from Interstate 81 at 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...
west to Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork...
, including the piece in West Virginia, is Corridor Q of the Appalachian Development Highway System
Appalachian Development Highway System
The Appalachian Development Highway System is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission in the United States. See: .-History:...
. From West Virginia east to I-81, US 460 is also part of the proposed Interstate 73.
History
Before it was commissioned as a federally designated route in the late 1940s, US 460 was Kentucky Route 40Kentucky Route 40
Kentucky Route 40 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The road begins at a junction with U.S. Route 460 in Salyersville in Magoffin County, then continues eastward through Paintsville in Johnson County. KY 40 ends in Martin County at an intersection with KY Route 292 and an access...
from Lexington to Paintsville and Kentucky Route 4 from Millard to the Virginia state line near Grundy.
US 460 once ended in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
after crossing the MacArthur Bridge
MacArthur Bridge (St. Louis)
The MacArthur Bridge over the Mississippi River between St. Louis, Missouri and East St. Louis, Illinois is a 647 foot long truss bridge. Construction on the bridge was begun in 1909 by the city of St. Louis to break the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis's monopoly on the area's railroad...
. Between St. Louis and Frankfort, it was a major highway in the pre-Interstate era, passing through Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
and Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
has supplanted most of old US 460 as a more direct route, and old US 460 has become parts of Illinois Route 15
Illinois Route 15
Illinois Route 15 is an east–west highway with its western terminus at Illinois Route 3, U.S. Route 40, I-55, I-64, and I-70 and its eastern terminus at Wabash River at the Illinois/Indiana Border where it meets Indiana 64. This is a distance of ....
, Illinois Route 142
Illinois Route 142
Illinois Route 142 is a major arterial road in southeastern Illinois. It runs from near the town center of Equality at Calhoun Street, a local road, north to Illinois Route 37 and the northern terminus of Illinois Route 148 in Mount Vernon. This is a distance of .- Route description :Illinois 142...
, Illinois Route 14
Illinois Route 14
Illinois Route 14 is a major east–west highway in southern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 51 south of Du Quoin to the New Harmony Toll Bridge over the Wabash River to State Road 66 at the Indiana state line...
, State Road 66, State Road 62, and US 60 where Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
has not supplanted it even as a state highway in the greater Louisville area.
Many years after its elimination in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
in 1977, some older residents and even businesses along what is now Indiana State Road 62
Indiana State Road 62
State Road 62 in the U.S. State of Indiana is an east–west route that runs from the Illinois state line in the southwest corner of Indiana to the Louisville, Kentucky area, then northeast toward the Cincinnati, Ohio area.-Route description:...
still refer to the road as "Highway 460," to the point that older billboards retain that designation in the St. Meinrad area. Some present-day telephone books also contain listings for those living on "Hwy 460."
When Fishtrap Lake
Fishtrap Lake
Fishtrap Lake is a reservoir in Pike County, Kentucky. Dedicated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968, The lake was formed by the impounding of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River at Fishtrap Dam by the United States Army Corps of Engineers....
was created in Johnson County, Kentucky, US 460 was realigned to its current route from Salyersville to Paintsville. The former US 460 leading to the lake is now Kentucky Route 1789 and Kentucky Route 1499. The part between Paintsville and Millard remained U.S. Highway 23 and Kentucky Route 80.