State Route 2 (SR 2), formerly known as Inter-county Highway 2 until 1921 and State Highway 2 in 1922, is an east–west
highway
A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...
crossing most of northern
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. Its western terminus is at the
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
state line near
Hicksville where the route becomes
Indiana State Road 37
State Road 37 (SR 37) is a major route in the U.S. state of Indiana, running as a four-lane divided highway for 110 miles of its course.
At one time, the route ran from the southwest corner of the state to the northeast corner. In the pre ...
which continues to
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
. The eastern terminus of the route is in
Painesville Township in
Lake County at
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...
(US 20).
Route description
It passes through
Bryan,
Wauseon
Wauseon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Fulton County, Ohio, approximately 31 mi (51 km) west of Toledo. The population was 7,332 at the time of the 2010 census.
History
Wauseon was platted 1853 when the Michigan Southern Air ...
(where it briefly becomes a
couplet), and enters greater
Toledo west of its interchange with the
Ohio Turnpike
The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor between Chicago and Pittsburgh. The road runs east–west in the northern section o ...
. It continues east from greater Toledo and soon parallels
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 h ...
, becoming a
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
near
Port Clinton. From Oregon to Sandusky SR 2 is part of of the highway designated the "Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail". and on September 22, 2005, was designated a
National Scenic Byway. From Toledo to Sandusky the highway is also part of and designated the
Lake Erie Circle Tour
The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. It consists of routes for circumnavigating the lakes, either individually or collectively. It was designated by the Grea ...
that is also part of the "Great Lakes Circle Tour". It then passes
Sandusky, where it meets
U.S. Route 250
U.S. Route 250 (US 250) is a route of the United States Numbered Highway System, and is a spur of U.S. Route 50. It currently runs for from Richmond, Virginia to Sandusky, Ohio. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. ...
(US 250) and
US 6, and separates from the lakeshore as a freeway, and traverses rural
Erie County before entering
Lorain County
Lorain County is a County (United States), county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 312,964. Its county seat is Elyria, Ohio, Elyria. The county was physicall ...
. Near
Elyria Elyria may refer to:
*Elyria, Ohio
Elyria ( ) is a city in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan statistical area and the county seat of Lorain County, Ohio, Lorain County, Ohio, United States, located at the forks of the Black River (Ohio), Black ...
, it joins
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
(I-90), whose route it shares to
Rocky River, where it follows
SR 254 along Detroit Road into
Lakewood. Here it again joins US 6, as well as
US 20 on Clifton Boulevard. It then becomes part of the
Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
The Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, often shortened to "the Shoreway", is a limited-access freeway in Cleveland and Bratenahl, Ohio. It closely follows the shore of Lake Erie and connects the east and west sides of Cleveland via the Main Avenue Bri ...
in
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, joining I-90 again near
Burke Lakefront Airport
Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport is a public airport on the shore of Lake Erie, in the northeast part of downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It's classified as a general aviation airport and is an FAA designated reliever to Cleveland Ho ...
. These two highways split near
Euclid
Euclid (; grc-gre, Εὐκλείδης; BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician active as a geometer and logician. Considered the "father of geometry", he is chiefly known for the '' Elements'' treatise, which established the foundations of ...
, and SR 2 continues along the
Lakeland Freeway
The Lakeland Freeway (often called "Route 2" in the section that carries solely Ohio State Route 2) is a limited-access freeway in the northeastern suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. It runs with and parallel to Interstate 90, and follows the shore o ...
to Painesville, feeding into US 20 eastbound. SR 2 serves as an access route to lakeshore attractions on Lake Erie from Toledo and Cleveland and as an alternative to the Ohio Turnpike.
The stretch of SR 2 from Toledo to Sandusky passes several attractions. The
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States, which is located in the state of Ohio. This refuge was established in 1961, under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, the purpose of the refuge being created was ...
is just east of SR 19 in Carroll Township. It sits on along with the
Davis–Besse Nuclear Power Station
Davis–Besse Nuclear Power Station is a 894 megawatt ( MW), nuclear power plant, located northeast of Oak Harbor, Ohio in Ottawa County, Ohio. It has a single pressurized water reactor. Davis–Besse is operated by Energy Harbor.
Throughout ...
.
SR 2 is the lowest numbered state route in Ohio.
SR 1 was decommissioned in 1965.
Naming
The section of SR 2 that runs through
Erie County is called the "Jackie Mayer Miss America Highway" and is named for
Jackie Mayer, a former
Miss America
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
who was born and raised in
Sandusky.
The section of SR 2 that runs through
Willoughby is named "Brian Montgomery Memorial Highway" in honor of a
Marine Lance Corporal
Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO), usually equi ...
who was killed in the
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
in August 2005.
History
*1912: Intercounty Highway 2 runs from
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
to the
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, ...
state line.
*1923: Route is extended to follow current
US 6
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to ...
alignment from the
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
state line to
Bryan, and current
SR 51 and
US 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...
from
Toledo to the
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, ...
state line.
*1926–1927: Rerouted from Toledo to
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
along previous SR 23 alignment from Toledo to
Port Clinton, previously unnumbered route from Port Clinton to west of
Sandusky, and previous
SR 12 from west of Sandusky to Cleveland. Cleveland-to-Pennsylvania alignment certified as US 20.
[
*1931: Extended east to Willoughby along previously unnumbered route (St. Clair).
*1931–1932: Western terminus shortened to Bryan, Bryan to Indiana state line certified as US 6
*1936: Extended to Indiana state line via the former SR 108 alignment from Hicksville to Bryan, and the former SR 18 alignment from the Indiana state line to Hicksville, with which it was dually certified along this route until 1940.]
*1939: SR 18 alignment removed from SR 2 alignment west of Hicksville.
*1939: Route extended east to Lost Nation Road in Willoughby.
*1941: SR 2 from West 6th to East 9th moved from Lakeside Avenue to the Lakefront Highway, later called the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
The Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, often shortened to "the Shoreway", is a limited-access freeway in Cleveland and Bratenahl, Ohio. It closely follows the shore of Lake Erie and connects the east and west sides of Cleveland via the Main Avenue Bri ...
. Lakeside certified as SR 2 temporary.
*1962: Extended east to SR 283 in Painesville
Painesville is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Ohio, United States, located along the Grand River northeast of Cleveland. Its population was 19,563 at the 2010 census.
Painesville is the home of Lake Erie College, Morley Libra ...
; Euclid
Euclid (; grc-gre, Εὐκλείδης; BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician active as a geometer and logician. Considered the "father of geometry", he is chiefly known for the '' Elements'' treatise, which established the foundations of ...
-to-Painesville alignment upgraded to freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
.
*1967: west of Sandusky to west of Sandusky upgraded to freeway, and rerouted on the bypass around Sandusky on former US 6 alignment.
*1967: Route extended to its current eastern terminus at US 20 in Painesville Township
*1968: From SR 163 to west of Sandusky upgraded to freeway.
*1970: From west of Amherst to SR 83 (SR 76 at that time) upgraded to freeway; from east of Amherst to SR 83 dually certified with I-90.
*1973–1975: OH 2 Alt is deleted as discontinuous sections of Route 2 are moved from US 6 to I-90.
*1976: From Ceylon to west of Amherst upgraded to freeway.
*1977: From SR 83 to Rocky River upgraded to freeway and dually certified with I-90.
*August 30, 1990: From Huron
Huron may refer to:
People
* Wyandot people (or Wendat), indigenous to North America
* Wyandot language, spoken by them
* Huron-Wendat Nation, a Huron-Wendat First Nation with a community in Wendake, Quebec
* Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi ...
to Ceylon upgraded to freeway.
Major intersections
Auxiliary routes
SR 2 Temporary
*State Route 2 temporary was a designation that ran from West 6th to East 9th along Lakeside ave. in downtown Cleveland. The designation was added when the final alignments of SR 2 were moved to the then new Lakeside Highway, later referred to as the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
The Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, often shortened to "the Shoreway", is a limited-access freeway in Cleveland and Bratenahl, Ohio. It closely follows the shore of Lake Erie and connects the east and west sides of Cleveland via the Main Avenue Bri ...
. The route's eastern terminus was moved to Public Square
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
via Ontario St. in 1957.
SR 2C
*State Route 2C is an unsigned connecting road that runs from State Route 163 to State Route 2 and State Route 53 near Port Clinton in Ottawa County, Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. State Route 2C was constructed as an access road for the SR 2–SR 163 interchange.
SR 2D
*State Route 2D is part of a couplet in Wauseon
Wauseon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Fulton County, Ohio, approximately 31 mi (51 km) west of Toledo. The population was 7,332 at the time of the 2010 census.
History
Wauseon was platted 1853 when the Michigan Southern Air ...
, Ohio that is signed as State Route 2. SR 2D is signed as SR 2 westbound, while SR 2 is signed as SR 2 eastbound, (except west of East Elm Street, where SR 2D meets SR 2 at its western terminus). The route ends at the corner of East Linfoot Street and North Shoop Avenue.
Cultural references
In the 2014 film '' Captain America: The Winter Soldier,'' the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
The Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, often shortened to "the Shoreway", is a limited-access freeway in Cleveland and Bratenahl, Ohio. It closely follows the shore of Lake Erie and connects the east and west sides of Cleveland via the Main Avenue Bri ...
is used to depict a freeway in Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Gallery
File:Ohio State Route 2 in Mentor.jpg, Lakeland Freeway
The Lakeland Freeway (often called "Route 2" in the section that carries solely Ohio State Route 2) is a limited-access freeway in the northeastern suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. It runs with and parallel to Interstate 90, and follows the shore o ...
in Mentor
Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...
File:Ohio State Route 2 at US 6 in Bryan, Williams County.jpg, Wide variant of State Route 2 signage at US 6 in Bryan
File:Bryan Ohio eastside.JPG, SR 2 in Bryan
File:Farmer, Ohio as viewed from Farmer Mark Road.JPG, SR 2 in Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mig ...
File:Main east of Wilson, Delta.jpg, US 20A / SR 2 in Delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta")
* Delta Air Lines, US
* Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19
Delta may also ...
File:North Star BlueScope Steel from US20A.jpg, US 20A / SR 2 along the North Star BlueScope Steel mill located southwest of Delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta")
* Delta Air Lines, US
* Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19
Delta may also ...
File:PB020117 Williams Cty Courthhouse (Bryan).JPG, US 127 / SR 2 / SR 15 in Bryan
File:View of Davis–Besse Nuclear Power Station from Ohio State Route 2.jpg, Davis–Besse Nuclear Power Station
Davis–Besse Nuclear Power Station is a 894 megawatt ( MW), nuclear power plant, located northeast of Oak Harbor, Ohio in Ottawa County, Ohio. It has a single pressurized water reactor. Davis–Besse is operated by Energy Harbor.
Throughout ...
viewed from Ohio State Route 2
File:Shoreway and stadium.jpg, Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
The Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, often shortened to "the Shoreway", is a limited-access freeway in Cleveland and Bratenahl, Ohio. It closely follows the shore of Lake Erie and connects the east and west sides of Cleveland via the Main Avenue Bri ...
in 2013
File:MOVING CARS AND PARKED CARS AT POPULAR LAKESIDE BEACH - NARA - 550104.jpg, Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
The Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, often shortened to "the Shoreway", is a limited-access freeway in Cleveland and Bratenahl, Ohio. It closely follows the shore of Lake Erie and connects the east and west sides of Cleveland via the Main Avenue Bri ...
in 1973 (Former parking lot exit pictured)
File:Oh2 - Gordon Park.jpg, Abandoned stretch of SR 2 in Gordon Park Gordon Park may refer to:
Places
* Gordon Park, Cleveland, a city park located on the lakefront
*Gordon Park, Milwaukee, a county park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
*Gordon Park, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Australia
* Gordon Park, Zimbabwe
P ...
References
External links
*{{Commons category-inline
002 002, 0O2, O02, OO2, or 002 may refer to:
Fiction
*002, fictional British 00 Agent
*''002 Operazione Luna'',
*1965 Italian film
*Zero Two, a ''Darling in the Franxx'' character
Airports
*0O2, Baker Airport
*O02, Nervino Airport
Astronomy
*1996 ...
Transportation in Defiance County, Ohio
Transportation in Williams County, Ohio
Transportation in Fulton County, Ohio
Transportation in Lucas County, Ohio
Transportation in Ottawa County, Ohio
Transportation in Erie County, Ohio
Transportation in Lorain County, Ohio
Transportation in Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Transportation in Lake County, Ohio
Transportation in Toledo, Ohio
Transportation in Cleveland
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 20