U.S. Route 60 in Virginia - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

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...

in 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...

runs 312 miles (502.1 km) west to east through the central part of the state, generally close to and paralleling the Interstate 64 corridor, except for the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Blue Ridge Mountains

The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...

, and in the South Hampton Roads

South Hampton Roads

South Hampton Roads is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia in the United States, and is part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA with a population about 1.7 million....

area.

Between Lexington in the Shenandoah Valley

Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...

and Richmond, I-64 uses a lower elevation crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains located about 30 miles (48.3 km) further north, where it runs parallel to U.S. Route 250 through Rockfish Gap

Rockfish Gap

Rockfish Gap is a wind gap located in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Charlottesville and Waynesboro, Virginia, United States, through Afton Mountain, which is frequently used to refer to the gap....

. In contrast, through this section, the older US 60 is mostly a rural two-lane road. With the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains at White's Gap at a higher altitude in more rugged terrain, US 60 in this area offers much more challenging and weather-sensitive driving conditions, as well as a history of many crashes in the years before I-64 was completed.

East of north–south U.S. Route 29

U.S. Route 29

U.S. Route 29 is a north–south United States highway that runs for from the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland, to Pensacola, Florida. This highway's northern terminus is at Maryland Route 99 in Ellicott City, Maryland...

(which runs parallel to the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge), the older US 60 and I-64 gradually converge as they pass through the rolling hills of the rocky Piedmont region

Piedmont (United States)

The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...

in an easterly direction to reach the fall line

Fall line

A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...

at 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...

, where they again become very close.

From Richmond east to the harbor area near the mouth of 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...

, US 60 again essentially parallels I-64 through Williamsburg

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...

and the Historic Triangle

Historic Triangle

The Historic Triangle is located on the Virginia Peninsula of the United States and includes the colonial communities of Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown, with many restored attractions linked by the Colonial Parkway in James City and York counties and the City of...

region, extending down the Virginia Peninsula

Virginia Peninsula

The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...

east to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel

Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel

The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel is the -long Hampton Roads crossing for Interstate 64 and U.S. Route 60. It is a four-lane facility comprising bridges, trestles, man-made islands, and tunnels under the main shipping channels for Hampton Roads harbor in the southeastern portion of Virginia in the...

. A few miles south of the bridge-tunnel

Bridge-tunnel

A fixed link, fixed crossing, or bridge-tunnel is a persistent, unbroken road or rail connection across water that uses some combination of bridges, tunnels, and causeways and does not involve intermittent connections such as drawbridges or ferries.The Confederation Bridge was commonly referred to...

, in 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....

, US 60 diverges to follow the south shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

through Ocean View and past the south entrance to the 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...

to reach Cape Henry

Cape Henry

Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia north of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Charles...

. There it curves south to run along the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

shoreline to end near the south end of the Virginia Beach resort strip.

Route description

In Virginia, as a through-route, U.S. 60 was largely replaced by 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...

. The latter is roughly parallel, although there is a separation of over 30 miles north and south between Lexington

Lexington, Virginia

Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...

and Richmond

Richmond, Virginia

.

In South Hampton Roads

South Hampton Roads

, the roads also separate. I-64 became part of the circumferential Hampton Roads Beltway

Hampton Roads Beltway

The Hampton Roads Beltway is a loop of Interstate 64 and Interstate 664, which links the communities of the Virginia Peninsula and South Hampton Roads which surround the body of water known as Hampton Roads and comprise much of the region of the same name in the southeastern portion of Virginia in...

and looping far south and west of Norfolk, rather than reaching the Atlantic Ocean. Although older, Route 60 continues its west to east travel, becoming the public roadway actually closest to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay

and the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

terminating near the traditional resort strip at Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...

West Virginia to Lexington

U.S. Route 60 enters the state near the top of the Eastern Continental Divide

Eastern Continental Divide

The Eastern Continental Divide, in conjunction with other continental divides of North America, demarcates two watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean: the Gulf of Mexico watershed and the Atlantic Seaboard watershed. Prior to 1760, the divide represented the boundary between British and French colonial...

in the Appalachian Mountains

Appalachian Mountains

The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...

and crosses the portions of the Great Valley, passing the city of Covington

Covington, Virginia

Covington is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia, located at the confluence of Jackson River and Dunlap Creek. It is in Alleghany County where it is also the county seat. The population was 5,961 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Covington with Alleghany...

, and town of 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....

and the city of Lexington.

Blue Ridge Mountains to Richmond

At Lexington, the newer Interstate route swings north, concurrent with I-81 to Staunton

Staunton, Virginia

Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....

where it again turns east. The variation between the routes was largely due to terrain for the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Blue Ridge Mountains

. U.S. 60 crosses at White's Gap; I-64 uses Rockfish Gap

Rockfish Gap

. East of the Blue Ridge, the two pathways gradually converge, meeting again at Richmond.

Although US 60 offers a bucolic interlude for many motorists in comparison with I-64, the western portion of the Lexington-Richmond section of US 60 can be very difficult to drive, especially for larger vehicles such as motor homes and commercial vehicles, or any vehicles during inclement weather. It was notorious for deadly crashes in the years before I-64 was completed.

I-64 via Rockfish Gap, Charlottesville

The newer I-64 uses Rockfish Gap

Rockfish Gap

, a lower elevation wind gap which was also selected for a vital railroad crossing by Virginia's legendary 19th century state engineer, Claudius Crozet

Claudius Crozet

Benoit Claudius Crozet was an educator and civil engineer.Crozet was born in France. After serving in the French military, in 1816, he immigrated to the United States. He taught at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and helped found the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington,...

. Even that crossing, at Afton Mountain, can be very treacherous, and has been particularly notorious for accidents during reduced periods of visibility, motivating the state to install an innovative pavement lighting system. East of the mountain, I-64 passes Charlottesville and has easy grades on its way to Richmond.

Older route via Buena Vista, Amherst, Cumberland

From Lexington, US 60 runs easterly across the Blue Ridge Mountains

Blue Ridge Mountains

. The switchbacks and grades along the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains still used by U.S. 60 combine to form a very hilly and treacherous section. The 30 miles (48.3 km) east of Lexington become virtually impassable by most vehicles during inclement weather, particularly snow and ice. A short distance east of Interstate 81

Interstate 81 in Virginia

Interstate 81 is an long highway. In the U.S. state of Virginia, I-81 runs for , making it longer in Virginia than in any other state. It stretches from the Tennessee state line near Bristol to the West Virginia state line near Winchester. U.S...

, as it passes through Buena Vista

Buena Vista, Virginia

Buena Vista is an independent city located within the confines of Rockbridge County, Virginia. The population was 6,650 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Buena Vista with Rockbridge county for statistical purposes.-Geography:Buena Vista is located at...

, even before leaving the city limits, the roadway immediately begins a steep climb. The roadway has many switchbacks and on both the eastern and western slopes, with White's Gap at the peak. After descending on the eastern side, travelers reach Amherst

Amherst, Virginia

Amherst is a town in Amherst County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,251 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Amherst County.Amherst is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, where Route 60 intersects north–south U.S. Route 29

U.S. Route 29

.

Continuing east, there is an additional shorter section of mountainous terrain before the road levels out somewhat into the rolling Piedmont region

Piedmont (United States)

through the middle belt of the state. At Sprouse's Corner, Sprouse's Corner

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...

in Buckingham County, north–south U.S. Route 15

U.S. Route 15

U.S. Route 15 is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Carolina to Interstate 86 and NY 17 in Painted Post, New York.US...

is crossed. This is the last major intersection until reaching the outskirts of Richmond.

The road is two lanes for most of its journey eastward from Lexington, but widens to four lanes in Powhatan Virginia

Powhatan County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,377 people, 7,258 households, and 5,900 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile . There were 7,509 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...

. Crossing into 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...

, it intersects State Route 288, a semi-circumferential expressway around the southwestern quadrant of Metropolitan Richmond

Richmond-Petersburg

The Greater Richmond Region is a region located in a central part of the state of Virginia in the United States. As of 2010, it had a population of 1,258,251, making it the 43rd largest MSA in the country...

and becoming Midlothian Turnpike.

Richmond

East of VA-288, Route 60 continues a few miles into the community of Midlothian

Midlothian, Virginia

Midlothian is an unincorporated community in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. Founded over 300 years ago as a coal mining village, it is now a suburban community located in the Southside of Richmond well beyond the city limits of Richmond in the Richmond–Petersburg region.It was named...

. From this point east, the road becomes almost a continuous business district and widens to six lanes through the urban parts of Chesterfield County and the westernmost portion in the city of Richmond

Richmond, Virginia

.

U.S. 60 in the Richmond area enters on Midlothian Turnpike. The road largely follows the path of the old Manchester Turnpike

Manchester Turnpike

The Manchester Turnpike was a turnpike road in Chesterfield County in the U.S. state of Virginia, and was the first lengthy paved roadway in that state. It stretched from Manchester west to Falling Creek near Midlothian, and is now known as Midlothian Turnpike, mostly forming part of U.S...

, built early in the 18th century. Nearby, remnants of the Chesterfield Railroad

Chesterfield Railroad

The Chesterfield Railroad was located in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It was a 13-mile long mule-and-gravity powered line that connected the Midlothian coal mines with wharves that were located at the head of navigation on the James River just below the fall line at Manchester...

, first in Virginia can be seen just south of the current highway. Midlothian

Midlothian, Virginia

was the site of coal

Coal

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...

mines after about 1700, with product transported overland to Manchester

Manchester, Virginia

Manchester, Virginia is a former independent city in Virginia in the United States. Prior to receiving independent status, it served as the county seat of Chesterfield County, between 1870 and 1876...

which was Richmond's city city south of the river (until they merged in 1910). At Manchester, ships could dock in the navigable waters of the James River

James River (Virginia)

The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...

just east of the fall line

Fall line

.

U.S. Route 60 crosses the James River on the Manchester Bridge into downtown Richmond. Nearby in Richmond, it crosses U.S. Route 360

U.S. Route 360

U.S. Route 360 is a spur of US 60 in the U.S. state of Virginia. The U.S. Highway runs from US 58 Business, Virginia State Route 293, and SR 360 in Danville east to SR 644 in Reedville. US 360 connects Danville, South Boston, and Keysville in Southside Virginia with the state capital of...

, technically a spur. From Richmond, U.S. 360 extends southwest to Danville, Virginia

Danville, Virginia

Danville is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. It was the last capital of the Confederate States of America. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Danville with Pittsylvania county for...

just north of the North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

border and northeast to Reedville, Virginia

Reedville, Virginia

Reedville is an unincorporated town in Northumberland County in the Northern Neck region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It is located at the eastern terminus of U.S...

on the Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay

.

Rt. 60 leaves the Church Hill

Church Hill

Church Hill, also known as the St. John's Church Historic District, is an Old and Historic District in Richmond, Virginia. This district encompasses the original land plat of the city of Richmond. Church Hill is the eastern terminus of Broad Street, a major east-west thoroughfare in the Richmond...

section of Richmond on Government Road and the Williamsburg Road, which follows the old Richmond-Williamsburg Stage Road for some distance in Henrico County

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...

. This area was the scene of several major American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

battles during the Peninsula Campaign

Peninsula Campaign

The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...

in 1862, and the roadway borders federal cemeteries at Government Road near the city limits and at Seven Pines

Seven Pines

Seven Pines are located in the unincorporated town of Sandston in Henrico County, Virginia. Cemetery records state the name is derived from for a group of seven pine trees planted within the national cemetery in 1869 near the intersection of the old Williamsburg-Richmond Stage Road and the Nine...

. There Nine Mile Road

Nine Mile Road

Nine Mile Road is a historic highway located in Henrico County and the independent city of Richmond, Virginia, USA. It was named for its length between a junction with the Williamsburg-Richmond Stage Road Nine Mile Road is a historic highway located in Henrico County and the independent city of...

brings State Route 33 to the intersection.

Richmond to Hampton Roads

East of downtown Richmond, US 60 again parallels I-64 east along the Virginia Peninsula

Virginia Peninsula

through the much flatter coastal plain

Coastal plain

A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...

s of the Tidewater region of Virginia

Tidewater region of Virginia

The Tidewater region of Virginia is the eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia formally known as Hampton Roads. The term tidewater may be correctly applied to all portions of any area, including Virginia, where the water level is affected by the tides...

to reach the harbor at 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...

. Most of the route immediately east of Richmond is two laned. In the years before I-64 was built, a hilly three-laned portion of US 60 in eastern Henrico County east of Seven Pines (and the junction of much newer I-295) was infamous for many years for its center "suicide lane". Most of this section is now two-laned, with the center lane area reserved for turning lanes.

East of Bottoms Bridge

Bottoms Bridge, Virginia

Bottoms Bridge is a small unincorporated community in New Kent County, Virginia, United States. Located on U.S. Route 60 and State Route 33 in modern times, it was named for a crossing of the Chickahominy River between New Kent and Henrico County....

, in New Kent County

New Kent County, Virginia

At the 2000 census, there were 13,462 people, 4,925 households and 3,895 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 per square mile . There were 5,203 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...

and western 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...

, US 60 is a lightly traveled four-lane divided highway that is sometimes used as an alternate route to Interstate 64 when the latter becomes congested. Near Anderson's Corner

Anderson's Corner, Virginia

Anderson's Corner, Virginia is located in James City County near the unincorporated community of Toano. Located at the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and State Route 30, Anderson's Corner was the western terminus of State Route 168 a new four-laned highway also known as the Merrimack Trail which was...

at the junction of Virginia State Route 30 (near I-64 at exit 227), US 60 swings somewhat south to pass through Toano

Toano, Virginia

Toano is an unincorporated town in James City County, Virginia, United States.-History:Toano was established in the late 19th century in western James City County at the former site of Burnt Ordinary, which was named in the 18th century for a roadside tavern that had burned down...

and Norge

Norge, Virginia

Norge is an unincorporated community in James City County, Virginia, United States.-Location:Norge was located on the old Richmond-Williamsburg Stage Road, which is U.S. Route 60 in modern times. Interstate 64 was built through the area in the 1970s, and passes nearby...

to reach Williamsburg

Williamsburg, Virginia

, which I-64 bypasses slightly to the north. (First designated through the area in the late 1920s, US 60 also has a shorter bypass of the Historic District which encompasses most Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...

attractions). At Williamsburg, 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...

's 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...

leads to both Jamestown

Jamestown, Virginia

Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...

and Yorktown

Yorktown, Virginia

Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....

.

At milepost 238 on I-64, Virginia State Route 143 begins. As Colonial Williamsburg opened, this four-laned route was built in the 1930s as Merrimack Trail

Merrimack Trail

Merrimack Trail is the local name for State Route 143 as it passes through portions of York County and James City County and the independent city of Williamsburg in the Virginia Peninsula subregion of Hampton Roads in Virginia.-History:...

to supplement US Route 60. It parallels both US 60 and I-64 all the way east through Williamsburg, James City, and York counties, and through Newport News to reach Fort Monroe

Fort Monroe

Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula...

(near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel) in Hampton

Hampton, Virginia

Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...

.

East of Williamsburg, US 60 passes the multiple Anheuser Busch developments in James City County

James City County, Virginia

, which include an office park, the Kingsmill Resort

Kingsmill

Kingsmill is a name which has been used in James City County, Virginia since the mid-18th century. Initially the name of a plantation, in modern times, the name is attached to a geographic area which includes a large planned residential community, a resort complex, a theme park, a brewery, and a...

, its Williamsburg brewery, and the Busch Gardens Europe

Busch Gardens Europe

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a 383 acre theme park located in James City County, Virginia about 3 miles southeast of Williamsburg, originally developed by Anheuser-Busch and currently owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group...

theme park. East of there, US 60 narrows again to two lanes, passing through the historic Grove Community

Grove, Virginia

Grove is an unincorporated community in the southeastern portion of James City County in the Peninsula subregion of Virginia in the United States. It is located in the center of the Historic Triangle of Colonial Virginia, communities linked by the Colonial Parkway; the area is one of the busiest...

and past Carter's Grove Plantation in southeastern James City County.

Newport News

After crossing Skiffe's Creek

Skiffe's Creek

Skiffe's Creek is located in James City County and the independent city of Newport News in the Virginia Peninsula area of the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in the United States...

, the roadway enters the Lee Hall

Lee Hall, Virginia

Lee Hall is a former unincorporated town long located in the former Warwick County. Since 1958, Lee Hall has been a suburban community in the extreme western portion of the independent city of Newport News in the Commonwealth of Virginia....

section of the city of 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...

, where it becomes Warwick Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in the independent city, and stretches over 20 miles (32.2 km) to downtown Newport News.

Warwick Boulevard, once a major through traffic route, and now mostly a local connector road, is largely paralleled by newer highways, Interstate 64

Interstate 64 in Virginia

In 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...

and State Route 143 (Jefferson Avenue). These, with more lanes and higher speed limits, in combination with Warwick Boulevard, form the major east–west highways through modern-day Newport News.

The road was named for the former Warwick County, Virginia

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...

, one of the original eight shires of Virginia

Shires of Virginia

The eight Shires of Virginia were formed in 1634 in the Virginia Colony. These shires were based on a form of local government used in England at the time, and were redesignated as counties a few years later...

which consolidated with the City of Newport News in 1958 and assumed the better-known name. Warwick County was named in 1634 for Robert Rich

Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick

Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick was an English colonial administrator, admiral, and puritan.Rich was the eldest son of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick and his wife Penelope Devereux, Lady Rich, and succeeded to his father's title in 1619...

(1587–1658), second Earl of Warwick

Earl of Warwick

Earl of Warwick is a title that has been created four times in British history and is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the British Isles.-1088 creation:...

and a prominent member of the Virginia Company of London, the proprietary venture which founded Jamestown

Jamestown, Virginia

in 1607. The western reaches of Warwick Boulevard transverse the Denbigh

Denbigh, Virginia

Denbigh was a small unincorporated community in Warwick County, Virginia, and was long the county seat. After a municipal consolidation in 1958, it became a neighborhood of the independent city of Newport News.-History:...

area, long the county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

of Warwick County.

Notable sites along Warwick Boulevard or close by, west to east, include:

Lee Hall
Lee Hall, Virginia
Lee Hall is a former unincorporated town long located in the former Warwick County. Since 1958, Lee Hall has been a suburban community in the extreme western portion of the independent city of Newport News in the Commonwealth of Virginia....

(several attractions)
Fort Eustis
Warwick Line
Warwick Line
The Warwick Line was a defensive works across the Virginia Peninsula maintained along the Warwick River by Confederate General John B. Magruder against much larger Union forces under General George B...
Old Warwick Courthouse (Denbigh)
Christopher Newport University
Christopher Newport University
Christopher Newport University, or CNU, is a public liberal arts university located in Newport News, Virginia, United States. CNU is the youngest comprehensive university in the Commonwealth of Virginia...
Ferguson Center for the Performing Arts
Ferguson Center for the Performing Arts
The Ferguson Center for the Arts is a theater and concert hall on the campus of Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, USA. The complex fully opened in September 2005 with two concert halls and many other facilities.-Performing arts venues:...
Riverside Regional Medical Center
Riverside Health System
Riverside Health System is a non-profit healthcare organization based in Newport News, Virginia.-History:Founded in 1916, Riverside Health System was originally established as a small hospital...
Mariners' Museum
Mariners' Museum
The Mariners' Museum is located in Newport News, Virginia. It is one of the largest maritime museums in the world as well as being the largest in North America.- History :The museum was founded in 1932 by Archer Milton Huntington, son of Collis P...
Hilton Village
Hilton Village
Hilton Village is a planned, English-village-style neighborhood in Newport News, Virginia. Recognized as a pioneering development in urban planning, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood was built between 1918 and 1921 in response to the need for housing...
Huntington Park
Huntington Park (Newport News, Virginia)
Huntington Park is a park located in Newport News, Virginia, USA. It offers a beach, two fishing piers, gardens, tennis, and museums. It is run by the Newport News Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.- Location :...
Newport News Shipbuilding
CSX coal pier
Coal pier
A coal pier is a transloading facility designed for the transfer of coal between rail and ship.The typical facility for loading ships consists of a holding area and a system of conveyors for transferring the coal to dockside and loading it into the ship's cargo holds...

s

Several miles east of Lee Hall, the road widens to four lanes near the entrance to Fort Eustis. From there, as Warwick Boulevard, US 60 stretches about 18 miles (29 km) to reach downtown Newport News. Turning north, the roadway crosses into Hampton and passes through the downtown area to reach I-64, with which it shares the crossing of 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...

to Norfolk via the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel

Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel

. (As a historical note, prior to 1957, when the bridge-tunnel

Bridge-tunnel

was completed, the crossing was via a car ferry service. The bridge-tunnel was expanded to 4 lanes and tolls removed in the mid-1970s). In the early 21st century, Newport News was in the midst of a widening project to expand portions of Warwick Boulevard to six lanes. Another project in Newport News to relocate and widen the portion of Route 60 west of Fort Eustis and construct a new crossing of Skiffe's Creek is in a planning stage.

South Hampton Roads: a shoreline route to Virginia Beach

After passing the tip of Willoughby Spit

Willoughby Spit

Willoughby Spit is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It is bordered by water on three sides: the Chesapeake Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and Willoughby Bay to the south.- History :...

and a bridge across the north shore of Willoughby Bay, back on land, US 60 exits I-64. The Interstate continues southerly into Norfolk as part of the Hampton Roads Beltway

Hampton Roads Beltway

, and in conjunction with Interstate 264

Interstate 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...

, generally offers the fastest way to reach the oceanfront area of Virginia Beach.

However, US 60 offers a more scenic, if perhaps slower, alternative, by sticking to the shoreline of the bay and ocean to reach the same destination. After leaving I-64, US 60 shifts onto Ocean View Avenue, a four lane boulevard following the southern shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay

, going through the Ocean View area of Norfolk

Norfolk

Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...

.

At East Ocean View, then roadway swings away from the bay front and becomes onto Shore Drive, passing the entrance to the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek

Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek

The Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek is the major operating base for the Amphibious Forces in the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet. The base comprises four locations in three states, including almost 12,000 acres of real estate. Its Little Creek location in Virginia Beach, Virginia totals...

at Little Creek, Virginia as it heads east into the city of Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...

. After passing the Navy Base, Shore Drive again runs close to the bay front and crosses US 13 near the southern terminus of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel

. US 60 continues as a 4-lane divided highway as it crosses over Lynnhaven Inlet and towards the First Landing State Park

First Landing State Park

First Landing State Park offers recreational opportunities at Cape Henry in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia....

and Fort Story

Fort Story

Formerly a sub-installation of Fort Eustis, Fort Story is a sub-installation of the United States Navy and Little Creek Amphibious Base...

at Cape Henry

Cape Henry

. At the end of the state park, the roadway briefly is called 83rd Street as it curves onto Atlantic Avenue, running parallel to the oceanfront from a few hundred feet to a block or so to the west passing through most of the most developed portion of the Oceanfront area of the resort city.

From Fort Story to the terminus, the routing of US 60 is geographically north–south although it is signed as an east–west route (except for one sign where Atlantic Avenue meets Pacific Avenue noting US 60 as a north–south route). When Atlantic Avenue meets Pacific Avenue, US 60 continues straight onto Pacific Avenue, through the entire resort strip, passing 22nd and 21st streets, which lead to and from the eastern terminus of both the former Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway (now I-264) respectively, continuing to meet the original Virginia Beach Boulevard

Virginia Beach Boulevard

Virginia Beach Boulevard is a major connector highway which carries U.S. Route 58 most of its length and extends from the downtown area of Norfolk to the Oceanfront area of Virginia Beach, passing through the newly-developed New Urbanist Town Center development of the latter as it links the two...

at 17th Street. Near the southern end of Pacific Avenue, the eastern end of US 60 is just past the Rudee Inlet Bridge.

Beyond the eastern terminus

One might think the roadway would end abruptly at the ocean, but it is actually a north–south roadway geographically where the US 60 designation ends. South of Rudee Inlet, although no longer designated as US 60, the roadway itself continues as General Booth Boulevard southwest towards Pungo

Pungo, Virginia

Pungo is a rural community located in the southern portion of the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA and was one of the seven original boroughs when the City of Virginia Beach was created in 1963. The area derives its name from a local Indian tribe, the Machipungo, a branch of the...

and the city's municipal center at Princess Anne.

Major intersections

{| class=wikitable
!County
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=4|Alleghany

Alleghany County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,926 people, 5,149 households, and 3,866 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 5,812 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...

|
|0.00
|
|Western terminus of US 60 in Virginia
|-
|
|1.83
|Jerry's Run Trail
|I-64 Exit 1; Jerry's Run Trail is route F-198
|-
|rowspan=2|Callaghan

Callaghan, Virginia

Callaghan is a census-designated place in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 348.-Reference:*...

|7.16
|
|I-64 Exit 7; eastbound exit, westbound entrance
|-
|10.01
|
|I-64 Exit 10; east end of concurrency with I-64
|-
|rowspan=3 colspan=2|City of Covington

Covington, Virginia

|14.79
|
|
|-
|15.76
|
|West end of concurrency with US 220
|-
|16.14
|
|
|-
|rowspan=6|Alleghany

Alleghany County, Virginia

|Mallow

Mallow, Virginia

Mallow is an unincorporated community in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States.-References:*...

|17.32
|
|I-64 Exit 16; west end of concurrency with I-64
|-
|Low Moor

Low Moor, Virginia

Low Moor is a census-designated place in Alleghany County, Virginia, in the United States. The population was 367 at the 2000 census.Low Moor was the birthplace of World War II Medal of Honor recipient Jimmie Monteith, for whom Camp Monteith, located in Kosovo, was named.-Geography:Low Moor is...

|22.13
|
|I-64 Exit 21
|-
|Selma

Selma, Virginia

Selma is a census-designated place in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States. The population was 485 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Selma is located at ....

|24.50
|
|I-64 Exit 24
|-
|Cliftondale Park

Cliftondale Park, Virginia

Cliftondale Park is an unincorporated community in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States.-References:*...

|28.13
|
|I-64 Exit 27; east end of concurrency with US 220
|-
|Nicelytown

Nicelytown, Virginia

Nicelytown is an unincorporated community in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States.-References:*...

|29.91
|
|I-64 Exit 29
|-
|Longdale Furnace

Longdale Furnace, Virginia

Longdale Furnace is an unincorporated community in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States.-References:*...

Rockbridge County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 20,808 people, 8,486 households, and 6,075 families residing in the county. The population density was 35 people per square mile . There were 9,550 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...

|
|43.55
|
|I-64 Exit 43
|-
|Kerrs Creek
|50.93
|
|I-64 Exit 50; east end of concurrency with I-64
|-
|rowspan=3 colspan=2|City of Lexington

Lexington, Virginia

|57.30
|
|
|-
|57.42
|
|
|-
|58.03
|
|Diamond interchange
|-
|Rockbridge

Rockbridge County, Virginia

Buena Vista, Virginia

|
|
|63.86
|-
|Rockbridge

Rockbridge County, Virginia

|
|68.29
|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...

|Interchange
|-
|rowspan=2|Amherst

Amherst County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 31,894 people, 11,941 households, and 8,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 67 people per square mile . There were 12,958 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile...

|rowspan=2|Amherst

Amherst, Virginia

|89.93
|
|Roundabout

Roundabout

A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...

|-
|90.38
|
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|Nelson

Nelson County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,445 people, 5,887 households, and 4,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 8,554 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...

|colspan=4 align=center|No major intersections
|-
|Appomattox

Appomattox County, Virginia

Appomattox County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 14,973. Its county seat is Appomattox. For a long time, Appomattox was a prohibition or dry county...

|Bent Creek

Bent Creek, Virginia

Bent Creek is an unincorporated community in Appomattox County, Virginia, United States.-References:*...

Mt. Rush, Virginia

Mt. Rush is an unincorporated community in Buckingham County, Virginia. It is located at the east endpoint of State Route 24 at Highway 60. Its elevation is 509 feet . The geographic center of Virginia is just a few miles south of the community....

|118.49
|
|
|-
|Buckingham

Buckingham, Virginia

Buckingham is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Buckingham County, Virginia, United States...

|120.51
|
|
|-
|Sprouses Corner

Sprouses Corner, Virginia

Sprouses Corner is an unincorporated community in Buckingham County, in the U.S. state of Virginia.-Reference:...

|126.29
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Cumberland

Cumberland County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,017 people, 3,528 households, and 2,487 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile . There were 4,085 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...

|rowspan=3|Cumberland

Cumberland, Virginia

Cumberland is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Virginia, United States. Cumberland lies along U.S. Route 60 and State Route 45. The population as of the 2010 Census was 393....

|138.73
|
|West end of concurrency with SR 45
|-
|142.23
|
|
|-
|143.58
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Powhatan

Powhatan County, Virginia

|rowspan=2|Powhatan

Powhatan, Virginia

Powhatan is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Powhatan County, Virginia, United States. Powhatan was initially known as Scottville for a brief time, and historically has also been known as Powhatan Court House and Powhatan Courthouse...

|159.23
|
|
|-
|161.08
|
|
|-
|Plain View

Plain View, Powhatan County, Virginia

Plain View, Powhatan County is an unincorporated community in Powhatan County, in the U.S. state of Virginia.-Reference:...

Chesterfield County, Virginia

|rowspan=4|Midlothian

Midlothian, Virginia

|173.88
|
|Cloverleaf interchange
|-
|178.23
|
|
|-
|181.14
|
|Cloverleaf interchange
|-
|183.39
|
|Cloverleaf interchange
|-
|rowspan=8 colspan=2|City of Richmond

Richmond, Virginia

|185.55
|
|
|-
|187.97
|
|
|-
|188.53
|9th Street south
|Interchange; no direct access from eastbound US 60 to southbound Commerce Road
|-
|colspan=3 align=center|Manchester Bridge – James River

James River

The James River may refer to:Rivers in the United States and their namesakes* James River * James River , North Dakota, South Dakota* James River * James River * James River...

|-
|189.27
|
|US 60 turns east onto Main Street
|-
|189.72
|
|US 60 turns north onto 14th Street; west end of concurrency with US 360
|-
|190.10
|
|East end of concurrency with US 360
|-
|190.83
|
|
|-
|rowspan=4|Henrico

Henrico County, Virginia

|rowspan=2|Sandston

Sandston, Virginia

Sandston is a census-designated place in Henrico County, Virginia, United States, near the state capital of Richmond. The population as of the 2010 Census was 7,571. Sandston is adjacent to the Richmond International Airport.-History:...

|196.25
|
|West end of concurrency with SR 156
|-
|197.75
|
|West end of concurrency with SR 33
|-
|
|199.13
|
|I-295 Exit 28
|-
|
|201.37
|
|East end of concurrency with SR 156
|-
|rowspan=3|New Kent

New Kent County, Virginia

|Bottoms Bridge

Bottoms Bridge, Virginia

|204.13
|
|East end of concurrency with SR 33
|-
|Mountcastle

Mountcastle, Virginia

Mountcastle is an unincorporated community in New Kent County, Virginia, United States.-References:*...

|208.16
|
|
|-
|Providence Forge

Providence Forge, Virginia

Providence Forge is an unincorporated community in New Kent County, Virginia, United States. It was one of the earliest settlements in the county and the site of a colonial iron forge that was destroyed by British General Banastre Tarleton during the American Revolutionary War.Nearby, the...

|213.66
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|James City

James City County, Virginia

|Toano

Toano, Virginia

|227.29
|
|
|-
|Lightfoot

Lightfoot, Virginia

Lightfoot is an unincorporated community which straddles the James City–York county border, west of Williamsburg, in the U.S. state of Virginia....

Williamsburg, Virginia

|237.32
|
|
|-
|York

York County, Virginia

York County is a county located on the north side of the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Situated on the York River and many tributaries, the county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown...

|
|238.44
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2 colspan=2|City of Williamsburg

Williamsburg, Virginia

|239.10
|
|West end of concurrency with SR 5
|-
|239.66
|
|East end of concurrency with SR 5
|-
|James City

James City County, Virginia

|
|241.60
|
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|York

York County, Virginia

Newport News, Virginia

|248.97
|
|
|-
|250.58
|
|Cloverleaf interchange
|-
|253.92
|
|
|-
|256.15
|
|
|-
|259.43
|
|
|-
|260.50
|
|
|-
|261.99
|
|
|-
|263.07
|
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|
|
|I-664 Exit 6
|-
|rowspan=4 colspan=2|City of Hampton

Hampton, Virginia

|271.78
|
|West end of concurrency with SR 143
|-
|272.17
|
|
|-
|273.30
|
|I-64 Exit 267; east end of concurrency with SR 143; west end of concurrency with I-64
|-
|273.63
|
|I-64 Exit 268
|-
|colspan=2|
|colspan=2 align=center|Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel

Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel

– 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...

|-
|rowspan=6 colspan=2|City of Norfolk

Norfolk, Virginia

|277.72
|West Ocean View Avenue – Willoughby Spit

Willoughby Spit

|I-64 Exit 272
|-
|279.46
|
|I-64 Exit 273; east end of concurrency with I-64
|-
|279.71
|
|Flyover ramp for eastbound US 60
|-
|280.66
|
|
|-
|281.13
|
|
|-
|285.09
|
|
|-
|rowspan=8 colspan=2|City of Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...

|286.28
|
|
|-
|288.09
|
|
|-
|289.14
|
|Diamond interchange
|-
|292.40
|
|
|-
|300.55
|
|
|-
|301.20
|22nd Street west to
|
|-
|301.54
|
|
|-
|302.69
|5th Street west / Atlantic Avenue south
|Eastern terminus of US 60

External links

Virginia Highways Project: US 60

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.