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New York State Route 5 (NY 5) is a
state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
that extends for across the state of
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of
Ripley Ripley may refer to: People and characters * Ripley (name) * ''Ripley'', the test mannequin aboard the first International Space Station space station Dragon 2 space test flight Crew Dragon Demo-1 * Ellen Ripley, a fictional character from the Ali ...
and passes through Buffalo,
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
, Utica,
Schenectady Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
, and several other smaller cities and communities on its way to downtown Albany in Albany County, where it terminates at U.S. Route 9 (US 9), here routed along the service roads for Interstate 787 (I-787). Prior to the construction of the
New York State Thruway {{Infobox road , state = NY , type = NYST , alternate_name = Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway , maint = NYSTA , map = {{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, type=line, stroke-width=2, type2=line, from2=New Yor ...
, it was one of two main east–west highways traversing upstate
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, the other being US 20. West of New York, the road continues as Pennsylvania Route 5 (PA 5) to Erie. NY 5 overlaps with US 20 twice along its routing. The second, a overlap through western and central New York, is the second-longest concurrency in the state, stretching from Avon in Livingston County east to the city of
Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...
in Cayuga County. The concurrency is known locally as "Routes 5 and 20". As the route proceeds across the state, it also directly or indirectly meets every major north–south highway in
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...
, including all three north–south
Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
s ( I-390 in Avon, I-81 in Syracuse via US 11, and I-87 in Albany). NY 5 was assigned in 1924 as a true cross-state highway, extending from the Pennsylvania state line in the west to the
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
state line in the east, mostly by way of modern US 20. At the time, modern NY 5 between Buffalo and Albany was designated as New York State Route 5A. By 1926, NY 5 was moved onto the routing of NY 5A while the old routing of NY 5 became NY 7. It was truncated in 1927 to Athol Springs in the west and Albany in the east following the assignment of US 20, and again in 1930 to downtown Buffalo. NY 5 was reextended to the Pennsylvania state line by way of its old routing to Athol Springs, an old alignment of US 20, and a lakeside spur route of US 20 that had been assigned in 1930. Only local realignments have occurred since.


Route description

Although it is no longer commonly used for long-distance travel, NY 5 is still regionally important. NY 5 is named Main Street in Buffalo, Erie Boulevard and West Genesee Street in
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
, State Street in
Schenectady Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
, and Central Avenue in Albany, the state capital. It is a major local road in many other locations along its path. NY 5 runs concurrent to US 20 twice between its endpoints: for three miles (5  km) between Silver Creek and
Irving Irving may refer to: People *Irving (name), including a list of people with the name Fictional characters * Irving, the main character's love interest in Cathy (comic strip) * Lloyd Irving, the main protagonist in the ''Tales of Symphonia'' vide ...
and for across western and central New York. At 67.6 miles (108 km) in length, the eastern overlap between US 20 and NY 5 is the second-longest surface-road concurrency in New York state, behind only the concurrency of I-86 and NY 17 in the
Southern Tier The Southern Tier is a geographic subregion of the broader Upstate New York region of New York State, consisting of counties west of the Catskill Mountains in Delaware County and geographically situated along or very near the northern border ...
. Maintenance of the majority of NY 5's is performed by the
New York State Department of Transportation The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is the department of the New York state government responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in ...
. However, locally owned and maintained sections exist in six cities. The city-maintained sections of NY 5 are in Buffalo from NY 16 north to the city line (except of the Goodell Street portion, which is state-maintained); in
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
between the western city line and just west of NY 635; in Utica from Leland Avenue east to the city line; in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
between Division and West Main streets; in
Schenectady Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
from Washington Avenue to the eastern city line; and the entirety of NY 5 within Albany.


Pennsylvania to Buffalo

At the New York–Pennsylvania border in Ripley, PA 5 becomes NY 5 upon entering New York. It very closely follows the shore of
Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...
through all of Chautauqua County. Once reaching the village of Silver Creek it briefly overlaps US 20 until entering Erie County at the
Cattaraugus Reservation Cattaraugus Reservation is an Indian reservation of the federally recognized Seneca Nation of Indians, formerly part of the Iroquois Confederacy located in New York. As of the 2000 census, the Indian reservation had a total population of 2,412. Its ...
and NY 438 where the roads once again split. Once in Erie County, it pulls slightly inward from the lake shore from Brant to the hamlet of Wanakah. Once past Wanakah, the road once again closely borders the lake shore and goes through steadily more heavily developed areas, particularly the Ford Stamping Plant and the
Bethlehem Steel The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For most of the 20th century, it was one of the world's largest steel producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its succe ...
plant in the city of Lackawanna. There the road becomes the Hamburg Turnpike and eight wind-powered turbines, which provide power to the national grid, are visible. Near the northern edge of the city, NY 5 begins to ascend onto an elevated roadway as it connects to Ridge Road and the
Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens are botanical gardens located within South Park in Buffalo, New York, United States. These gardens are the product of landscaping architect Frederick Law Olmsted, glass-house architects Lord & Burnham ...
by way of an interchange. Here, the route becomes the a limited-access highway with exits for Ohio and Tifft streets and Fuhrmann Boulevard. After a quarter-mile, NY 5 passes seamlessly into the city of Buffalo. A short distance past the city line, NY 5 passes over the Union Ship Canal on a span of the elevated road known as the Father Baker Bridge. North of the waterway, the elevated section of NY 5 gains a
frontage road A frontage road (also known as an access road, outer road, service road, feeder road, or parallel road) is a local road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. A frontage road is often used to provide access to private drivew ...
named Fuhrmann Boulevard. Both the service road and NY 5 run parallel to
Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...
until the northern end of the Buffalo Outer Harbor. Here, the frontage roads end while NY 5 turns to the northeast, crossing the Buffalo River on the bridge called The Skyway, and entering downtown. On the north bank, the Skyway returns to a northerly routing as it passes
KeyBank Center KeyBank Center is a multipurpose indoor arena located in Buffalo, New York. Originally known as Marine Midland Arena, the venue has since been named HSBC Arena and First Niagara Center. Home to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey Leagu ...
, located directly to the east, and
Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, formerly known as The Buffalo Naval and Servicemen's Park, is a museum on the bank of the Buffalo River in Buffalo, New York. It is home to several decommissioned US Naval vessels, including th ...
, situated to the west, and meets
I-190 Interstate 190 may refer to the following Interstate Highways in the United States related to Interstate 90: * Interstate 190 (Illinois), a spur into Chicago's O'Hare International Airport *Interstate 190 (Massachusetts), a spur from Worcester to L ...
at exit 7. Past the interchange, the Skyway ends and the route descends in elevation, becoming an
at-grade At-grade may refer to: * At-grade intersection, a crossing between roads on the same level * Road junction *Level crossing, where a road or path crosses a railway on the same level * Diamond crossing, where two railway tracks cross * At-grade railwa ...
roadway once more at Church Street in the shadow of Buffalo City Hall. NY 384 begins here, following Delaware Avenue north into the heart of downtown, while NY 5 turns east onto Church. At Main Street, Church Street splits into a pair of one-way streets and becomes North and South Division Street. The route follows South Division eastward for two blocks to an intersection with Ellicott Street located one block north of
Sahlen Field Sahlen Field is a baseball park in Buffalo, New York, United States. Originally known as Pilot Field, the venue has since been named Downtown Ballpark, North AmeriCare Park, Dunn Tire Park, and Coca-Cola Field. Home to the Buffalo Bisons of the ...
. At the junction, which includes the northern terminus of NY 16, NY 5 turns northward, rejoining NY 5 westbound one block later at North Division. The route continues on Ellicott for nine blocks to the unidirectional East Tupper Street, where NY 5 westbound separates from the route once more. NY 5 eastbound, however, continues north on Ellicott for an additional block to the one-way Goodell Street. NY 5 heads west on Goodell for two blocks before turning north onto Main Street, rejoining NY 5 westbound at the intersection. The route continues along Main Street throughout the remainder of its length in Buffalo, cutting through the city diagonally from southwest to northeast until it enters the town of
Amherst Amherst may refer to: People * Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name * Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst'' * Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...
at the intersection of Bailey Avenue ( US 62) at the south campus of the University at Buffalo.


Buffalo to Avon

Once leaving the city of Buffalo, NY 5 heads east through the densely populated suburban town of
Amherst Amherst may refer to: People * Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name * Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst'' * Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...
, including the hamlets of Snyder and Eggertsville and the village of Williamsville and is heavily developed through the entire length of the town, particularly at the intersection with Transit Road ( NY 78). In the town of
Clarence Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a loca ...
, the road dips into a significant depression known as Clarence Hollow. Once leaving Clarence, NY 5 goes through predominantly rural areas until reaching the city of
Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
in Genesee County, closely paralleling the
New York State Thruway {{Infobox road , state = NY , type = NYST , alternate_name = Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway , maint = NYSTA , map = {{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, type=line, stroke-width=2, type2=line, from2=New Yor ...
through much of the county. The road travels eastward until reaching Livingston County and the village of
Caledonia Caledonia (; ) was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the part of Great Britain () that lies north of the River Forth, which includes most of the land area of Scotland. Today, it is used as a romantic or poetic name for all ...
. NY 5 heads southeast from the village of Caledonia, paralleling the former
right-of-way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
of an
Erie–Lackawanna Railroad The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. The official motto of the line was "The Friendly Service Route" ...
branch line that connected the villages of Caledonia and Avon as it heads through spacious fields containing little more than farmland. At a rural intersection controlled by single-head flashing
traffic signals Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traffic. Traffic lights ...
west of Avon, NY 5 meets US 20 for the second time. The routes embark on a second
concurrency Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
, merging onto the right-of-way of NY 5 as they cross the Genesee River and enter both the
town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
and
village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
of Avon.


Avon to Ontario County

US 20 and NY 5 become West Main Street upon entering the village, underscoring the road's status as the primary east–west highway through the town. The route continues southeast from the Genesee, passing through the forested but sparsely populated western area of the village. As the route approaches the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad (LAL)
grade crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an overpass or tunnel. The term also ...
, the number of homes increases rapidly, only to be replaced by businesses in the area surrounding the LAL mainline. Located on the western edge of this transition is NY 39, which terminates at this junction. Past the tracks, West Main intersects Rochester Street, a locally important north–south two-lane arterial that continues north of the village to the Rochester suburb of
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
as East River Road. Shortly after this intersection, the homes return, following US 20 and NY 5 as West Main enters the heart of the village. In the centre of Avon, West Main feeds into Park Place, a large
traffic circle A roundabout is a type of circular intersection (road), intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The N ...
providing access to two local streets from US 20 and NY 5. The routes follow the circle
counterclockwise Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite ...
, departing the roundabout on East Main Street. The street proceeds east, passing through four blocks of densely populated neighbourhoods before exiting the village and abruptly entering vast, barren fields to the east. US 20 and NY 5, now named Avon–Lima Road, intersects NY 15 two miles (3 km) to the east in East Avon, a community based around the intersection and the streets comprising it, and connects to I-390 at exit 10 a half-mile from NY 15. Continuing, the road intersects several county routes over the next four miles (6  km) before becoming West Main Street once more, this time for the village of
Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
. At an intersection with NY 15A in the village centre, US 20 and NY 5 become East Main Street, retaining the name to the Ontario County line at Honeoye Creek.


Western Ontario County

In the town of West Bloomfield, US 20 and NY 5 go unnamed as they proceed eastward. Roughly one mile from the county line in the hamlet of West Bloomfield, US 20 and NY 5 meet the southern terminus of NY 65. Exiting the hamlet, US 20 and NY 5 head through another area dominated by open land, intersecting Elton Road before passing seamlessly into
East Bloomfield East Bloomfield is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Ontario County, New York, Ontario County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 3,661 at the 2020 census. The Town of East Bloomfield is in the western ...
. A mile and a half from the town line, US 20 and NY 5 intersect NY 64, a road running northwest–southeast from the
Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: * Monroe County, Alabama *Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida * Monroe County, Georgia *Monroe County, Illinois *Monroe County, Indian ...
line south to US 20 and NY 5. NY 64, whose right-of-way ends at US 20 and NY 5 at the foot of a small hill, joins the two routes eastward on a triple overlap, entering the village of Bloomfield and intersecting the southern terminus of NY 444 south of the portion of Bloomfield once known as Holcomb. Near the junction with NY 444, US 20, NY 5 and NY 64 take-ups on a due east alignment, absorbing the routing used by Gauss Road west of this point. A mile to the east at Whalen Road, NY 64 separates from US 20 and NY 5, following the road, and US 20A, which has its eastern terminus at this intersection, south toward
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
. US 20 and NY 5 continue through rural Ontario County before splitting from its easterly alignment at an intersection four miles (6  km) east of US 20A and NY 64 in the town of Canandaigua. West Avenue, the former routing of US 20 and NY 5 into downtown Canandaigua, continues east from the junction while US 20 and NY 5 turn south onto a bypass around Canandaigua.


Canandaigua area

Half a mile from the start of the bypass and a short distance before the arterial makes a turn eastward to traverse Canandaigua Lake to the southeast, US 20 and NY 5 meets
NY 21 New York State Route 21 (NY 21) is a state highway extending for about through the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 417 in the village of Andover, a ...
at a four-way intersection. Like US 20 and NY 5, NY 21 once continued directly into downtown, in this instance via Bristol Street to the east of the junction, but now follows US 20 and NY 5 along the east–west leg of the bypass. Past Bristol Street, the bypass widens from two to four lanes and, after meeting two local streets, enters the city of Canandaigua as the
limited-access A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...
Western Boulevard, albeit with no exits. The route loses this distinction before intersecting South Main Street, where US 20, NY 5 and NY 21 meet the southern terminus of
NY 332 New York State Route 332 (NY 332) is a north–south state highway that extends for through Ontario County in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with U ...
. NY 21 departs the bypass, following NY 332 into downtown, while US 20 and NY 5 continue onto the four-lane, median separated Eastern Boulevard, the original section of the US 20 and NY 5 bypasses of Canandaigua. The roadway acts a centre of commerce for the city, sporting
restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
s,
hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
s, and
supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earli ...
s along its length within the city limits. Upon exiting the city, the establishments become a pair of
shopping plaza A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to ref ...
s centred around the intersection with the northern terminus of NY 364. Across the town line in Hopewell a quarter-mile to the east, a third plaza, anchored by Runnings, formerly a
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
, dominates the northeast corner of CR 10 and Eastern Boulevard. On the adjacent parcel is another plaza containing the current Walmart. At the entrance to the second plaza, US 20 and NY 5 intersect Lakeshore Drive, the former routing of US 20 and NY 5 to the south of the bypass. Past the junction, the divided highway comes to an end and, after another half-mile, narrows to two lanes.


Canandaigua to Auburn

Deeper into Hopewell, the area surrounding US 20 and NY 5 become rural once more. Roughly from the end of the bypass, US 20 and NY 5 meet NY 247. After of eastward progression through open land, the routes meet the northern terminus of both NY 14A and NY 245, concurrent at this location, in the town of Geneva. A half-mile past NY 14A and NY 245, US 20 and NY 5 enter the city of Geneva and widens into a four-lane road. In the city, US 20 and NY 5 intersect NY 14 by way of a pseudo-interchange on the bank of Seneca Lake. US 20 and NY 5 turns into a divided highway again at this point. At the interchange, NY 14 Truck joins US 20 and NY 5, bypassing a sharp turn on NY 14 downtown. US 20 and NY 5 continues as a divided highway around the northern tip of Seneca Lake, crossing the
Preemption Line The Preemption Line (also spelled Pre-Emption) divided the aboriginal lands of western New York State awarded to New York from those awarded to Commonwealth of Massachusetts by the Treaty of Hartford of 1786. It was defined as the meridian (north ...
and entering Seneca County at its midpoint. A mile to the east in East Geneva, just east of a railroad underpass, US 20 and NY 5 meet the northern terminus of
NY 96A New York State Route 96A (NY 96A) is a state highway in Seneca County, New York, in the United States. It is a north–south road between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake, two of the Finger Lakes. NY 96A is two lanes wide for most of its ...
at a former
trumpet interchange In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, using ...
that has been converted to an intersection with a traffic signal. From NY 96A east to the village of Waterloo, a distance of roughly four miles, US 20 and NY 5 become a two-lane road and run parallel to the
Cayuga–Seneca Canal The Cayuga–Seneca Canal is a canal in New York, United States. It is now part of the New York State Canal System. The Cayuga–Seneca Canal connects the Erie Canal to Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake. It is approximately long. History The ...
. In Waterloo, the concurrency meets
NY 96 New York State Route 96 (NY 96) is a northwest–southeast state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with NY 17 (Future I-86) in the Souther ...
in the village centre. East of the village, the distance between the canal and the roadway decreases, making US 20 and NY 5 the closest road to the water for the next one and a half miles to
NY 414 New York State Route 414 (NY 414) is a north–south state highway in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 352 in the Steuben County city of Co ...
in the town of Seneca Falls. NY 414 joins US 20 and NY 5, overlapping the road for into the hamlet of Seneca Falls. At Cayuga Street, NY 414 turns south, crossing the water body that is the canal and the Seneca River and becoming Ovid Street while US 20 and NY 5 turn north onto Cayuga, following the street around the small
Van Cleef Lake A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across th ...
, through the
Finger Lakes Railway The Finger Lakes Railway is a Class III railroad in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The company began operations on July 23, 1995, and operates in Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Ontario, Schuyler and Yates counties. The FGLK operates 18 diesel loc ...
grade crossing, and exiting the hamlet. Three miles from NY 414, just west of Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, US 20 and NY 5 meet NY 318 and NY 89 at intersections just apart. The intersection with NY 89 has a traffic signal. About three miles (5 km) later, after entering Cayuga County over the Seneca River/
Cayuga and Seneca Canal Cayuga often refers to: * Cayuga people, a native tribe to North America, part of the Iroquois Confederacy * Cayuga language, the language of the Cayuga Cayuga may also refer to: Places Canada * Cayuga, Ontario United States * Cayuga, Illinois ...
, just north of Cayuga Lake, the two routes meet NY 90 in the town of Aurelius, at a traffic signal. A few miles east of that intersection, the highway meets the Finger Lakes Railway again but crosses it via an
overpass An overpass (called an overbridge or flyover in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries) is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An ''overpass'' and ''underpass'' together form ...
. The routes continue eastward through
Aurelius The gens Aurelia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome, which flourished from the third century BC to the latest period of the Empire. The first of the Aurelian gens to obtain the consulship was Gaius Aurelius Cotta in 252 BC. From then to ...
to the city of Auburn where it turns into a divided four-lane highway again. On the western edge of the city, just after passing Finger Lakes Mall, US 20 and NY 5 meet the eastern terminus of NY 326, which is also a four-lane divided highway for a short stretch. In downtown Auburn, US 20 and NY 5's east and west lanes split apart from each other for a short distance as an arterial over the alignments of Clark Street, Franklin Street, and Grant Avenue. The arterial runs concurrent with NY 38 for . NY 38 then splits from the concurrency and joins NY 34. A quarter-mile to the east, US 20 separates from NY 5 at the northern terminus of NY 38A. NY 5 continues after the split as the four-lane Grant Avenue passing by a high number of shopping areas.


Auburn to Syracuse

From NY 174 in Camillus to Fairmount, NY 5 is a limited-access highway traversing the western suburbs of
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
. At one time, the highway was to be extended to West Street in Syracuse, via the current Grand Avenue. The freeway has partial access to NY 173 from westbound NY 5. East of NY 173, the freeway connects to NY 695 at a
directional T interchange In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, using ...
and passes over NY 297 without access. East of Fairmount, NY 5 alters to the south before turning east onto West Genesee Street and converting to grade-level intersections. In Syracuse, NY 5 is parallel to I-690 for much of its routing but never encounters the highway, thus making the north–south streets that intersect NY 5 entry points to and from I-690. In downtown Syracuse, West Genesee Street becomes James Street. At the southern tip of the interchange between I-690 and I-81, NY 5 transfers onto Erie Boulevard and intersects State Street ( US 11), but passes under I-81 without access. From the downtown area to DeWitt, NY 5 is divided. At the Syracuse–DeWitt boundary, NY 5 intersects NY 635 and eastward, it curves to a southeast course. Near the former Shoppingtown Mall, NY 5 turns east onto Genesee Street to begin an overlap with NY 92. Less than a mile east of the mall, NY 5 and NY 92 intersect I-481 at a
cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the ...
.


Syracuse to Utica

NY 5 and NY 92 remain concurrent up to Highbridge Road, where NY 92 splits from NY 5 and heads southeast to
Manlius The gens Manlia () was one of the oldest and noblest patrician houses at Rome, from the earliest days of the Republic until imperial times. The first of the gens to obtain the consulship was Gnaeus Manlius Cincinnatus, consul in 480 BC, and for ...
. The segment of the overlap with NY 92 between I-481 and the eastern split is the busiest area of NY 5 in the Syracuse area and in all of Onondaga County. Past the split, NY 5 continues east through Onondaga and
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
counties, passing Fayetteville,
Chittenango Chittenango is a village located in Madison County, New York, United States. The village is in the southern part of the Town of Sullivan. The population was 5,081 at the 2010 census. Chittenango is the birthplace of L. Frank Baum, author of '' ...
, and
Canastota Canastota is a village located inside the Town of Lenox in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 4,804 at the 2010 census. The village of Canastota is in the southern part of the Town of Lenox. Canastota High School is loca ...
before entering the vicinity of
Oneida Oneida may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy * Oneida language * Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York * Oneida Na ...
. West of the city, NY 5 intersects NY 365A, a spur route of NY 365 leading directly into downtown. To the east, NY 5 (which forms the southern boundary of the city) meets NY 46 before crossing over Oneida Creek and into Oneida County. Just past the county line in
Oneida Castle Oneida Castle ( one, tkanaˀalóhaleˀ) is a Village (New York), village in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 625 at the 2010 census. The Village of Oneida Castle is in the northwestern corner of the Vernon (town), New Yo ...
, NY 5 intersects NY 365, a route leading northward to the
New York State Thruway {{Infobox road , state = NY , type = NYST , alternate_name = Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway , maint = NYSTA , map = {{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, type=line, stroke-width=2, type2=line, from2=New Yor ...
in
Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...
. NY 5 presses on, passing through the city of Sherrill and the village of Vernon (briefly overlapping
NY 31 New York State Route 31 (NY 31) is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its ea ...
) and the town of Westmoreland to the town of Kirkland, where NY 5 intersects NY 233, crosses over
Oriskany Creek Oriskany Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed October 3, 2011 river in New York, United States. It rises in Madison County and flows northeastward, primarily thr ...
, and meets the western terminus of NY 5B. The spur of NY 5 later rejoins its parent yards from where NY 5A departs NY 5 to serve western Utica. NY 5 itself continues eastward through New Hartford, meeting NY 12B before merging with
NY 12 New York State Route 12 (NY 12) is a state highway extending for through central and northern New York (state), New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 11 in New York, U.S. Route 11 (US ...
at Genesee Street. Both routes continue eastward across the
Sauquoit Creek Sauquoit Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 31, 2015 river in New York, United States. It lies within the southern part of Oneida County. The creek flow ...
into Utica.


Utica to Albany

NY 5 enters the city of Utica on a concurrency with NY 12 heading in a northeast direction. It shortly picks up NY 8, and all three cross the city together. NY 5 also intersects with the terminus of NY 840 at this point. Just south of the
New York State Thruway {{Infobox road , state = NY , type = NYST , alternate_name = Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway , maint = NYSTA , map = {{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, type=line, stroke-width=2, type2=line, from2=New Yor ...
,
I-790 Interstate 790 (I-790) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the city of Utica, New York, in the United States. It runs for from an interchange with New York State Route 5A (NY 5A) and NY 5S in downtown Utica to a pair of ...
begins as a short expressway, also including NY 5, NY 8, and NY 12. After crossing out of the city, they meet the Thruway, with NY 8 and 12 continuing northeast, while I-790 and NY 5 turns to the east-south-east, picking up the tail-end of NY 49. These three, still as an expressway, straddle each side of the Thruway for a short way, with I-790 technically ending at the ramps for I-90. NY 5 continues to the end of the expressway, only a few hundred feet later, dropping to Leland Avenue. A few hundred feet to the north of the Thruway, NY 5 turns eastward again to continue down Herkimer Road. It closely parallels the Thruway to Herkimer, where NY 5 moves slightly northward through the centre of the village, becoming State Street, while I-90 crosses the
Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...
and goes south for a short distance. There is a short concurrency with
NY 28 New York State Route 28 (NY 28) is a state highway extending for in the shape of a "C" between the Hudson Valley city of Kingston and southern Warren County in the U.S. state of New York. Along the way, it intersects several major ro ...
in the village. After exiting Herkimer, NY 5 continues east, closely paralleling this time the canal, through the city of Little Falls as Main Street, where two more concurrencies occur, with NY 167 and NY 169. NY 5 continues to parallel the canal, and in some instances again, the Thruway, through
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
, becoming Amsterdam Road all the way to Scotia, where it crosses the canal into
Schenectady Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
as Mohawk Avenue, turning into State Street upon entering the city limits. It continues fairly straight on a southeast course into Albany as Central Avenue until it reaches Townsend Park. At this point, NY 5 turns into Washington Avenue and all signage referring to NY 5 ceases. The
New York State Department of Transportation The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is the department of the New York state government responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in ...
recognizes the route, however, as it continues down Washington Ave past the New York State Capitol building, turning south for a short distance as Eagle Street. NY 5 then continues east on State Street to Broadway, where it again turns south-east shortly before returning east on a small spur of Broadway, travelling underneath US 9 and I-787. NY 5 ends at the
Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
.


History


Early roads

Soon after the end of the
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
in 1783, a surge of westward migration into
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and
Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY in ...
began. At the time, most travel west of the Albany area was by water. While rudimentary roads were laid out following the
Mohawk River The Mohawk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk f ...
, there were no major land routes west of Fort Schuyler (present-day Utica), except for an old east–west
Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
trail that was a simple footpath. By the late 1780s, many companies began to set up their operations in the new settlements in the Central and Western New York. As a result, there was a clamour for the building of the main road running west from Utica. On March 22, 1794, the
New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an official ...
passed a law calling for the laying out and improvement of a public road from old Fort Schuyler on the Mohawk River to the settlement of
Canawaugus Canawaugus (or Conawagus, or Ca-noh-wa-gas, or Conewaugus) () was a Seneca Indian village. The village was located on the west side of the Genesee River, "about a mile above the ford", on the eastern edge of the Town of Caledonia. It was nearly op ...
on the Genesee River, in as straight a line as the topography of the land would allow. This road was officially known as the "Great Genesee Road" and is one of the earliest state roads in New York, intended to provide access to the
New Military Tract The Military Tract of Central New York, also called the New Military Tract, consisted of nearly of bounty (reward), bounty land set aside in Central New York to compensate New York's soldiers after their participation in the American Revolutiona ...
. As planned, it generally followed the old Iroquois trail through
Oneida Oneida may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy * Oneida language * Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York * Oneida Na ...
,
Manlius The gens Manlia () was one of the oldest and noblest patrician houses at Rome, from the earliest days of the Republic until imperial times. The first of the gens to obtain the consulship was Gnaeus Manlius Cincinnatus, consul in 480 BC, and for ...
, Onondaga Valley (south of modern
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
), Skaneateles,
Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...
, Seneca Falls,
Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
, and Canandaigua before ending at the Genesee River. Four years later, another legislative act authorized the extension of the Genesee Road to Buffalo. By the end of the 18th century, while the Genesee Road had been greatly improved and saw heavy traffic, many portions were still substandard and some sections had still not been completed. Partly because of this, and also because of the success of the
Lancaster Turnpike The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, first used in 1795, is the first long-distance paved road built in the United States, according to engineered plans and specifications. It links Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia at 34th Street, s ...
in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, the state outsourced the task of improving and maintaining the Genesee Road to a private company. On April 1, 1800, the
Seneca Road Company The Seneca Road Company was formed to improve the main road running west from Utica, New York, the Genesee Road, from Utica to Canandaigua and operate it as a toll road or turnpike. The road was originally laid out in 1794 from Baggs Square in down ...
was chartered for this purpose and the portion of the Genesee Road from Utica to Canandaigua was improved and operated as a toll road known as the Seneca Turnpike, which was long and, at the time, the longest
turnpike Turnpike often refers to: * A type of gate, another word for a turnstile * In the United States, a toll road Turnpike may also refer to: Roads United Kingdom * A turnpike road, a principal road maintained by a turnpike trust, a body with powers ...
in the state. Three days later, the old road following the Mohawk River between Utica and
Schenectady Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
also became a turnpike, known as the Mohawk Turnpike. With the road leading from Albany northwest to Schenectady having been already established as a turnpike (the Albany and Schenectady Turnpike) in 1797, an all-turnpike route over good quality roads was now available from Albany to Canandaigua. The western extension of the Genesee Road to Buffalo soon followed suit and also became an improved
Macadam Macadam is a type of road construction, pioneered by Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam around 1820, in which crushed stone is placed in shallow, convex layers and compacted thoroughly. A binding layer of stone dust (crushed stone from the o ...
toll road, the Ontario and Genesee Turnpike, in 1805. The Seneca Road Company was authorized to create a more northerly alternate route of the Seneca Turnpike in 1806. This branch left the original turnpike east of Seneca Falls and crossed more level terrain through
Elbridge Elbridge may refer to several places: Places ;In the United States * Elbridge Township, Edgar County, Illinois * Elbridge Township, Michigan * Elbridge, New York, town * Elbridge (village), New York Elbridge is a village. Located in the western pa ...
, Geddes, and Fayetteville before rejoining the old path at
Chittenango Chittenango is a village located in Madison County, New York, United States. The village is in the southern part of the Town of Sullivan. The population was 5,081 at the 2010 census. Chittenango is the birthplace of L. Frank Baum, author of '' ...
. As the city of
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
developed, traffic patterns changed and the northern branch route became more heavily used than the original road. The construction and opening of the
Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...
in 1825 along the same alignment as the Albany to Buffalo route began to eat away at the revenues of these turnpike companies. In time, the turnpike business had become unprofitable and the companies were dissolved by 1852, causing the roads to revert to public control. The Seneca Road Company dissolved in 1852. The old, southern path of the Seneca Turnpike is now Franklin Street and Old Seneca Turnpike from Auburn to Marcellus, NY 175 between Marcellus and Onondaga Hill, and NY 173 from there east to Chittenango.


Designation

The improvement of the road from Buffalo southwest to Pennsylvania in the mid-19th century soon allowed for continuous travel across the entire state of New York. With the advent of the
automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...
, the state began to take over and pave major thoroughfares at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1908, the state legislature created a statewide system of unsigned
legislative route In the United States, a legislative route (LR) 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, ...
s. One of the routes assigned at this time was Route 6, an Albany–Buffalo highway that followed the path of the Genesee Road and the Seneca Turnpike from Buffalo to Utica, the Mohawk Turnpike between Utica and Schenectady, and the Albany and Schenectady Turnpike from Schenectady to Albany. From Auburn to Chittenango, Route 6 utilized most of the newer, northern branch of the Seneca Turnpike. The automobile allowed people to quickly travel long distances and a way to mark routes became needed. One early means of marking routes was the establishment of various
auto trail The system of auto trails was an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. Marked with colored bands on utility poles, the trails were intended to help travellers in ...
associations in the 1910s. These associations selected good quality roads and marked them with symbols or colors on telephone poles. Most of legislative Route 6 eventually became part of the Yellowstone Trail, a cross-country auto trail established in 1912 that ran from
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
to
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
. In New York, the trail used modern US 20 from Pennsylvania to Silver Creek, most of modern NY 5 from Silver Creek to Albany, and modern US 20 again from Albany to Massachusetts. In 1924, following what other states did, New York began to assign route numbers to its main thoroughfares. The Albany to Buffalo portion of the Yellowstone Trail, which ran through the cities of Syracuse and Utica, was assigned the number NY 5A. The portion of the Yellowstone Trail southwest of Buffalo and east of Albany became part of NY 5, which bypassed Syracuse and Utica to the south. The Buffalo to Albany portion of NY 5's original alignment used a new road, Broadway Road, from Buffalo to Avon and the old
Cherry Valley Turnpike A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The na ...
alignment from Skaneateles to Albany. In between Avon and Skaneateles, NY 5 and NY 5A overlapped. By 1926, however, the Buffalo to Albany section of NY 5 was relocated onto the Genesee Road alignment, replacing NY 5A. NY 5's former, more southerly alignment was redesignated as NY 7. In 1927, the establishment of the
U.S. Highway System The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...
created more numbering changes. US 20, which mainly followed the Yellowstone Trail elsewhere in the country, was designated in New York along NY 5 southwest of Hamburg and east of Albany and along old NY 7 from Skaneateles to Albany. Between the towns of Hamburg and Avon, the new US 20 used an even more southerly alignment, running via East Aurora and Warsaw. This truncated both ends of NY 5 to Athol Springs (south of Buffalo in the town of Hamburg) in the west, and to Albany in the east. In the 1930 state highway renumbering, NY 5 was truncated even further to begin in downtown Buffalo. The portion between Buffalo and Athol Springs was assigned as part of NY 62.''Automobile Legal Association (ALA) Automobile Green Book'', 1930–31 and 1931–32 editions, (Scarborough Motor Guide Co., Boston, 1930 and 1931). The 1930–31 edition shows New York state routes prior to the
1930 renumbering In January 1930, the U.S. state of New York implemented a major renumbering of its state highways. Many previously existing numbered routes were renumbered or realigned. At the same time, many state highways that were previously unnumbered recei ...
Southwest of Buffalo, Southwestern Boulevard, an alternate route of US 20 between
Irving Irving may refer to: People *Irving (name), including a list of people with the name Fictional characters * Irving, the main character's love interest in Cathy (comic strip) * Lloyd Irving, the main protagonist in the ''Tales of Symphonia'' vide ...
and Big Tree (east of Athol Springs) became NY 20B. Further southwest, another alternate route of US 20 between the Pennsylvania line and Silver Creek, running along the shore of Lake Erie, was designated as NY 20A. The NY 20A and NY 20B designations proved to be short-lived. US 62 was extended into New York , causing NY 62 to be renumbered. Around the same time, US 20 was realigned to follow NY 20B from Irving to Big Tree. NY 5 was extended along part of old NY 62 to Athol Springs, from where it continued to the Pennsylvania state line by way of US 20's old routing to Irving and all of NY 20A.


Expressway relocations

Originally, NY 5 entered Buffalo from the south on Fuhrmann Boulevard and Michigan Avenue and followed South Park Avenue and Main Street through the city before rejoining its modern alignment at Goodell Street. In the mid-1950s, a new limited-access highway was constructed along Fuhrmann Boulevard from Lackawanna to the Buffalo River. At the river, the new roadway broke from Fuhrmann and continued directly into downtown, returning to grade level two blocks south of Niagara Square. The expressway, known as the Buffalo Skyway, became part of a rerouted NY 5 by 1956. Visually, the Skyway cuts off the city from the Buffalo inner harbor. In 2008 there was momentum to tear it down, but the momentum passed. In 2019 a plan to remove part of the Skyway and close the rest to motorized traffic was proposed as part of a competition. This plan has drawn strong opinions both for and against the removal. Farther east in Utica, construction began in the early 1950s on a new arterial highway—known as the North–South Arterial—through the city center. The new roadway bypassed NY 5, which was initially routed on Genesee Street and Herkimer Road through Utica. The first portion of the highway to open was the segment north of River Road, which was completed by 1956. It was extended southward to Oriskany Street ( NY 5A) by 1961 and completed entirely by 1964, at which time it became part of a rerouted NY 5 and
NY 12 New York State Route 12 (NY 12) is a state highway extending for through central and northern New York (state), New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 11 in New York, U.S. Route 11 (US ...
. Two portions of Genesee Street, from NY 12 in New Hartford to the Utica city line and from NY 5S to Herkimer Road in Utica, remain state maintained to this day as unsigned NY 921E and NY 921C, respectively. In the
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
suburbs of Camillus and Geddes, NY 5 was initially routed on West Genesee Street between the villages of Camillus and
Solvay Solvay may refer to: Companies and organizations * Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Brussels, Belgium * Solvay Conference, founded by Ernest Solvay, deals with open questions in physics and chemistry * Solvay Indupa, an Argentin ...
. Construction on a bypass of this segment of NY 5 began in the early 1970s and was completed between NY 695 and Genesee Street by 1977. By the following year, the freeway was open to traffic up to Hinsdale Road; however, NY 5 remained on Genesee Street between Hinsdale and the Solvay village limits. The remainder of the Camillus Bypass was completed , at which time NY 5 was realigned to follow the freeway. Genesee Street is now largely maintained by Onondaga County as CR 98; however, two portions of the street remain state maintained. Near the western end of the expressway, the former routing of NY 5 became part of an extended NY 174. Between the Camillus town line and the eastern end of the bypass, Genesee Street is unsigned NY 930W. This particular expressway was meant to link
Downtown Syracuse Downtown Syracuse is the economic center of Syracuse, New York, and Central New York, employing over 30,000 people, and housing over 4,300. It is also one of the 26 officially recognized neighborhoods of Syracuse. History Downtown Syracus ...
to
Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...
, but was never completed past Camillus or Fairmount. Several incomplete ramps mark both ends of this expressway section. Smaller realignments also took place in other cities along the route. In Canandaigua, NY 5 originally entered the city on West Avenue and followed South Main Street and Lakeshore Drive through the city limits before rejoining its current routing in Hopewell. In the mid-1950s, a new bypass was built north of Lakeshore Drive from South Main Street to Hopewell. It became part of a realigned NY 5 by 1956. The remainder of the bypass around the southwestern extents of the city was built in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The former routing of NY 5 on South Main Street remains state maintained as NY 942T; until 1996, the portion of West Avenue between the west end of the bypass and the Canandaigua city line was maintained by the
New York State Department of Transportation The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is the department of the New York state government responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in ...
(NYSDOT) as NY 942W. Even though maintenance of the road had been transferred to the town of Canandaigua in 1996, the designation remained in NYSDOT documents until 2007. In
Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
, NY 5 was initially routed on East North Street and Border City Road, overlapping NY 14 through the city and rejoining its modern routing in East Geneva. The overlap was eliminated when NY 5 was moved onto a new roadway located along the edge of Seneca Lake. NY 5 was realigned again in the 1960s to use a new
divided highway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
built midway between the lake shore road and Border City Road. Border City Road is now maintained by Seneca County as CR 110. In April 2014 work began on a $68.3 million project to replace the viaduct over Columbia Street, Lafayette Streets, and Oriskany Boulevard (NY 5A and NY 5S) in Utica. The nearly one mile stretch had signalized at-grade intersections that had been causing safety concerns and some fatalities. In addition to the replacement of the viaduct, the alignment of the arterial was straightened, a new
single point urban interchange A single-point urban interchange (SPUI, or ), also called a single-point interchange (SPI) or single-point diamond interchange (SPDI), is a type of highway interchange. The design was created in order to help move large volumes of traffic thro ...
was built at Court Street, and a pedestrian bridge was built across the roadway. The pedestrian bridge was opened by December 2014, and the remainder of the project was completed by October 2017.


Major intersections


Suffixed routes

NY 5 has three suffixed routes, all located in Oneida County, with NY 5S extending eastward into three other counties. The NY 5A designation was also used in the past for two other routes.


NY 5A

*The NY 5A designation has been used for three distinct highways: **The first NY 5A was a short-lived designation for the portion of modern NY 5 east of Buffalo. When it existed from 1924 to the mid-1920s, NY 5 was routed on what is now US 20. **The second NY 5A was a northerly alternate route of NY 5 between
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and Sennett in Cayuga County. It was assigned and renumbered to NY 135 . That route was removed . Its former routing is now maintained by Cayuga County as CR 10A, CR 10B, and CR 10C. ** The current NY 5A is a short alternate route of NY 5 between New Hartford and downtown Utica in Oneida County. It was assigned in the mid-1930s. At its eastern end, NY 5A becomes NY 5S at an interchange with Interstate 790 (I-790), NY 5, NY 8, and NY 12. The route is four lanes wide and passes through mostly commercial areas and connects NY 5 to NY 840 and NY 69.


NY 5B

NY 5B is a alternate route southwest of Utica in Oneida County, connecting NY 5 to NY 12B. The route was assigned in April 1935.


NY 5S

* NY 5S () is an alternate route of NY 5 on the south side of the
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between Utica, Oneida County, and
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,
Schenectady County Schenectady County () is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 158,061. The county seat is Schenectady, New York, Schenectady. The ...
. The route parallels NY 5 (which follows the north side of the river) and is partially a limited-access highway. It was assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York.


See also

*
New York State Bicycle Route 5 Development of New York State Bicycle Route System In the early 1990's the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) created the state's first full-time bicycle and pedestrian program. Utilizing funding provided by the federal Inter ...
* List of county routes in Onondaga County, New York


References


External links


WNY Heritage Press Skyway Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:New York State Route 005
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Limited-access roads in New York (state) Transportation in Chautauqua County, New York Transportation in Erie County, New York Transportation in Buffalo, New York Transportation in Genesee County, New York Transportation in Livingston County, New York Transportation in Ontario County, New York Transportation in Seneca County, New York Transportation in Cayuga County, New York Transportation in Onondaga County, New York Transportation in Madison County, New York Transportation in Oneida County, New York Transportation in Herkimer County, New York Transportation in Montgomery County, New York Transportation in Schenectady County, New York Transportation in Albany County, New York Transportation in Albany, New York Transportation in Syracuse, New York U.S. Route 20