Virginia State Route 31 (SR 31) is a primary state highway

State highway

State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...

 in the U.S. state of Virginia

Virginia

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

. The state highway runs 24.56 miles (39.5 km) from U.S. Route 460

U.S. Route 460 in Virginia

U.S. Route 460 in Virginia runs east–west through the southern part of the state. It has two separate pieces in Virginia, joined by a relatively short section in West Virginia...

 (US 460) in Wakefield

Wakefield, Virginia

Wakefield is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census.Wakefield is famous for being the "Peanut Capital of the World" and the location of the famous , as well as the site of Airfield Conference and 4-H Educational Center...

 north to SR 5

Virginia State Route 5

State Route 5 runs between the independent cities of Richmond and Williamsburg in the U.S. state of Virginia. Between Charles City County and James City County, it crosses the Chickahominy River via the Judith Stewart Dresser Bridge, a fixed-span bridge which replaced historic Barrett's Ferry and...

 and SR 199

Virginia State Route 199

Virginia State Route 199 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as Humelsine Parkway, the state highway runs from Interstate 64 and SR 646 in Lightfoot to SR 641 near Williamsburg. SR 199 forms a western loop of Williamsburg in York and James...

 in 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...

. SR 31 is the primary north–south highway of Surry County

Surry County, Virginia

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,058 people, 2,619 households, and 1,917 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile . There were 3,294 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...

, where the highway serves the towns of Surry

Surry, Virginia

Surry is an incorporated town in Surry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 262 at the 2000 census...

 and Dendron

Dendron, Virginia

Dendron is a town in Surry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 297 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dendron is located at ....

. The state highway also connects Williamsburg with 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...

. The sections of SR 31 on either side of the 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...

 are connected by the Jamestown Ferry

Jamestown Ferry

The Jamestown Ferry is a free automobile and bus ferry service across a navigable portion of the James River in Virginia...

.

Route description

SR 31 begins at an intersection with US 460 in the town of Wakefield in Sussex County

Sussex County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,504 people, 4,126 households, and 2,809 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 4,653 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...

. The state highway heads east on Main Street, which continues west of US 460 as SR 628. At the eastern town limit, SR 31 veers north onto Birch Island Road. The state highway becomes Rolfe Highway when it enters Surry County right before the highway crosses the Blackwater River

Blackwater River

Blackwater River may refer to:In Britain:* River Blackwater, Essex, a river in England* River Blackwater , a tributary of the River Loddon in England...

. SR 31 heads northeast through town of Dendron and the hamlet of Elberon. The state highway runs concurrently

Concurrency (road)

A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...

 with SR 10

Virginia State Route 10

Virginia State Route 10 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 360 in Richmond east to SR 337 in Suffolk. SR 10 is a major suburban highway through Chesterfield County between the Southside of Richmond and Hopewell...

 (Colonial Trail) while passing through the town of Surry. North of Surry, SR 31 passes Smith's Fort Plantation

Smith's Fort Plantation

Smith's Fort Plantation is a house and parcel of land located in Surry County, Virginia, United States. The current main house on the property, also known as the Faulcon House, dates from 1751...

 before reaching the Scotland

Scotland, Virginia

Scotland is a census-designated place in Surry County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 203. It is located on State Route 31...

 terminal of the Jamestown Ferry across the James River. The Jamestown Ferry is the only crossing of the James River between the James River Bridge

James River Bridge

The James River Bridge is a four-lane divided highway lift bridge across the James River in the U.S. state of Virginia. Owned and operated by the Virginia Department of Transportation, it carries U.S. Route 17, U.S. Route 258, and State Route 32 across the river near its mouth at Hampton Roads...

 in 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...

 and the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge

Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge

The Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge that spans the James River between Jordan's Point in Prince George County and Charles City County near Hopewell, Virginia. The bridge carries vehicle traffic of State Route 156, and is owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation...

 near Hopewell

Hopewell, Virginia

Hopewell is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 22,591 at the 2010 Census . It is in Tri-Cities area of the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...

.

SR 31 resumes at the Jamestown terminal of the ferry at Glass House Point

Glass House Point

Glass House Point in James City County, Virginia is the northern terminus of the Jamestown Ferry, which was relocated there as part of the development of Jamestown for the celebration the 350th anniversary in 1957...

 in 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...

. The state highway, which heads northeast as Jamestown Road, passes Jamestown Festival Park and has an intersection with SR 359, a short connector between SR 31 and Colonial Parkway

Colonial Parkway

Colonial Parkway is a scenic 23-mile parkway linking the three popular attractions of Virginia's Historic Triangle of colonial-era communities, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown...

. SR 31 leaves Jamestown and crosses over Powhatan Creek and Lake Powell. The state highway passes through the suburban area surrounding Williamsburg before reaching its northern terminus at SR 199 (Humelsine Parkway) just inside the city limits. Jamestown Road continues northeast as SR 5 beyond SR 199; westbound SR 5 joins SR 199 in a short concurrency west toward 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...

.

History

The first piece of the present SR 31 to exist as a state highway ran from Williamsburg southwest to Jamestown. It was a spur of State Route 9 (roughly current U.S. Route 60), and was present in the initial 1918 system. SR 9 was renumbered as State Route 39 in the 1923 renumbering, and the Yorktown spur became State Route 392.

The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry began operations February 26, 1925 from the Jamestown end of SR 392 to Scotland across 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...

.

The road on the Scotland side was added to the state highway system from 1926 to 1931, at first as an extension of State Route 351, but soon as part of SR 392. In the 1928 renumbering the route was renumbered State Route 510.

Capitol Landing Road from Williamsburg to Magruder was added to the state highway system in 1932 as State Route 542. Later that year, both SR 510 and SR 524 became State Route 31, connected by Francis Street in Williamsburg (U.S. Route 60, formerly State Route 39).

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile	Destinations	Notes
Sussex Sussex County, Virginia As of the census of 2000, there were 12,504 people, 4,126 households, and 2,809 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 4,653 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...	Wakefield Wakefield, Virginia Wakefield is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census.Wakefield is famous for being the "Peanut Capital of the World" and the location of the famous , as well as the site of Airfield Conference and 4-H Educational Center...	0.00		Southern terminus
Surry Surry County, Virginia As of the census of 2010, there were 7,058 people, 2,619 households, and 1,917 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile . There were 3,294 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...	Surry Surry, Virginia Surry is an incorporated town in Surry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 262 at the 2000 census...	14.65		South end of concurrency with SR 10
		15.69		North end of concurrency with SR 10
		20.10	Jamestown Ferry Jamestown Ferry The Jamestown Ferry is a free automobile and bus ferry service across a navigable portion of the James River in Virginia...  from Scotland Scotland, Virginia Scotland is a census-designated place in Surry County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 203. It is located on State Route 31...  to 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...  – 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...
James City 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...	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...
			to 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...
City of 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...		24.56

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