The Baltimore Pike was an
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 ...
connecting
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, with
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
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, ...
.
Today, parts of the road are signed as
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...
(US 1),
US 13
U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 (I-95) just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to US 1 in the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. ...
, and a small portion of
Pennsylvania Route 41
Pennsylvania Route 41 (PA 41) is a state highway located in southeastern Pennsylvania, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the Delaware state line in Kennett Township, where the road continues as Delaware Route 41 (DE 41). Th ...
(PA 41). A section of the road within the city limits of Philadelphia and surrounding
boroughs
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
is known as Baltimore Avenue, although locals are known to call the Delaware County portion "Baltimore Pike". In suburbs farther west, some sections retain the formal name "Baltimore Pike." Today, Baltimore Avenue's eastern terminus is at 38th Street in Philadelphia, where it intersects with Woodland Avenue (from
Southwest Philadelphia
Southwest Philadelphia (formerly Kingsessing Township) is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The section can be described as extending from the western side of the Schuylkill River to the city line, with the SEPTA. The nort ...
and
the borough of Darby) and funnels into University Avenue. The road used to continue to
Market Street Market Street may refer to:
*Market Street, Cambridge, England
*Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
* Market Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia
*Market Street, Manchester, England
*Market Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
...
until the
University City area was redeveloped.
Route description
Maryland
The routing of the Baltimore Pike in Maryland follows US 1 from
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
northeast to the Pennsylvania border near
Rising Sun in
Cecil County
Cecil County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland at the northeastern corner of the state, bordering both Pennsylvania and Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,725. The county seat is Elkton. The county was ...
. The road passes through
Bel Air and crosses the
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
on the
Conowingo Dam
The Conowingo Dam (also Conowingo Hydroelectric Plant, Conowingo Hydroelectric Station) is a large hydroelectric dam in the lower Susquehanna River near the town of Conowingo, Maryland. The medium-height, masonry gravity dam is one of the larges ...
.
The name Baltimore Pike is given to a section of
US 1 Bus. in
Harford County
Harford County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 260,924. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County is included in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is al ...
between
Benson Benson may refer to:
Animals
*Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain
Places Geography
Canada
*Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality
*Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet
United Kingdom
* Benson, Oxfordshire ...
and Main Street in Bel Air. South of Benson, US 1 is named Belair Road. From Main Street US 1 Bus. follows several streets of various other names before joining with US 1 as Conowingo Road.
Pennsylvania
Chester County
The Baltimore Pike enters
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, ...
from Maryland in
West Nottingham Township,
Chester County Chester County may refer to:
* Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
* Chester County, South Carolina, United States
* Chester County, Tennessee, United States
* Cheshire or the County Palatine of Chester, a ceremonial county in the North Wes ...
, with the southernmost part of the road in the state a part of
US 1
U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...
, which is a four-lane
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 ...
at this point. North of the Ridge Road intersection, US 1 becomes 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 ...
called the Kennett Oxford Bypass and Baltimore Pike continues northeast as a two-lane undivided road that dead ends near the US 1 freeway. The road heads through wooded areas with some homes, with an older alignment of the road known as Old Baltimore Pike looping to the west of the road. Baltimore Pike comes to the
Herr's Snacks
Herr's is an American brand of potato chips and other snack foods produced and marketed by eponymous private American company Herr Foods Inc. based in Nottingham, Pennsylvania. While their products are sold primarily throughout the Eastern United ...
plant in the community of
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
, at which point the alignments of both Baltimore Pike and Old Baltimore Pike are severed, with traffic having to head west and north along Herr Drive to access
PA 272. A short distance to the east along PA 272, the alignment of Baltimore Pike resumes as State Route 3026 (SR 3026), an unsigned
quadrant route
In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, state highways are generally maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Each is assigned a four-digit State Route (SR) number in the present Location Referencing System. Traffic Routes ...
. The Baltimore Pike is a two-lane undivided road and runs north-northeast past a few businesses, crossing into
East Nottingham Township. The road curves northeast and passes through a mix of farmland and woodland with some residential and commercial development, running a short distance to the northwest of an
East Penn Railroad
East Penn Railroad is a short-line railroad that operates a number of mostly-unconnected lines in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and Delaware. Except for two industrial park switching operations, all are former Pennsylvania Railroad or Read ...
line.
[
]
Baltimore Pike turns to the north-northeast at the Barnsley Road intersection and passes through commercial areas with some residences before crossing into the borough of Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
. At this point, the road becomes South 3rd Street and heads north past more homes and businesses. In the commercial center of Oxford, the road comes to an intersection with PA 472 and the southern terminus of PA 10, where Baltimore Pike turns east to briefly follow PA 472 on Market Street before heading northeast on Lincoln Street. The road heads through more residential and commercial areas, crossing an East Penn Railroad spur to a plant at-grade before becoming the border between Lower Oxford Township to the northwest and Oxford to the southeast. The roadway fully enters Lower Oxford Township and the name returns to Baltimore Pike.
Baltimore Pike continues through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes and businesses, crossing the West Branch Big Elk Creek and passing to the north of the Lincoln University campus. The road continues into Upper Oxford Township and runs through more agricultural areas with some housing developments, coming to an intersection with PA 896. Baltimore Pike heads through more rural areas of with some residential development and curves to the east, crossing the East Branch Big Elk Creek into Penn Township. At this point, the road name becomes West Baltimore Pike and it passes between residential development to the north and farmland to the south before passing north of the former Jennersville Hospital. The road heads past a few commercial establishments, reaching an intersection with PA 796 in the community of Jennersville. Following this intersection, West Baltimore Pike heads through farmland before heading into wooded areas with residential developments and crossing into London Grove Township. The road heads near more residences, crossing the Middle Branch White Clay Creek, and enters the borough of West Grove, becoming West Evergreen Street. Here, the road is lined with more homes and comes to an intersection with PA 841, at which point that route joins the road with the name changing to East Evergreen Street. This road curves to the northeast and PA 841 splits north onto Chatham Road. The road heads back into London Grove Township and becomes East Baltimore Pike, continuing through a mix of farms, woods, and development. East Baltimore Pike heads to the east and comes to an intersection with PA 41, at which point SR 3026 ends and Baltimore Pike merges onto PA 41, heading southeast as Gap Newport Pike.[
]
The road runs through areas of residential and commercial development before crossing into the borough of Avondale, where the name changes to Pennsylvania Avenue. Through this area, the road passes several homes and crosses the East Branch White Clay Creek. Baltimore Pike splits east from PA 41 as SR 3046, heading northeast into industrial areas to the south of a quarry as a three-lane road with two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane. The road heads into New Garden Township and narrows to two lanes, passing through commercial areas to the south of New Garden Airport
New Garden Airport , also known as New Garden Flying Field, is a public airport located in Toughkenamon, Chester County, Pennsylvania (about southwest of Philadelphia).
The airport serves a large general aviation community, and offers maintena ...
. Baltimore Pike continues past more homes and businesses in the community of Toughkenamon. The road heads through more rural areas with some residential and commercial development before splitting into a one-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or couplet refers to that portion of a bi-directional traffic facilitysuch as a road, bus, streetcar, or light rail linewhere its opposing flows exist as two independent and roughly parallel facilities.
Descriptio ...
that carries two-lane West Cypress Street eastbound and two-lane West Baltimore Pike westbound. The one-way pair continues through business areas with some farm fields and residential developments, crossing the West Branch Red Clay Creek and entering Kennett Township. Upon crossing into the borough of Kennett Square
Kennett Square is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World because mushroom farming in the region produces over 500 million pounds of mushrooms a year, totaling half of the United ...
, the one-way pair becomes borough-maintained and the name of the westbound direction becomes West State Street. The roads continue through residential areas before heading into the commercial downtown. Here, Baltimore Pike intersects PA 82 and the name of the one-way pair becomes East Cypress Street eastbound and East State Street westbound, leaving the downtown area and heading into wooded residential areas with some businesses. The one-way pair becomes SR 3046 at the bridges across the East Branch Red Clay Creek, becoming borough-maintained again after crossing the creek. The roads curve to the northeast and cross back into Kennett Township, becoming SR 3046 again, with the westbound direction becoming Millers Hill. The two one-way roads join again and become four-lane divided East Baltimore Pike, heading into commercial areas and merging into the northbound direction of US 1 at the end of the Kennett Oxford Bypass, where SR 3046 ends.[
At this point, US 1 continues northeast along East Baltimore Pike into East Marlborough Township and passes more businesses, widening to six lanes. Along this divided highway stretch of Baltimore Pike, a few intersections are controlled by ]jughandle
A jughandle is a type of ramp or slip road that changes the way traffic turns left at an at-grade intersection (in a country where traffic drives on the right). Instead of a standard left turn being made from the left lane, left-turning traffic ...
s. The road narrows to four lanes and passes near homes and businesses before coming to an interchange that provides access to Longwood Gardens
Longwood Gardens is a botanical garden that consists of over 1,077 acres (436 hectares; 4.36 km2) of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, United States in the Brandywine Creek Valley. It is one of the premier h ...
and the Brandywine Valley Tourism Information visitor center to the north of the road, at which point it crosses back into Kennett Township. A short distance later, US 1 comes to an intersection with PA 52, at which point that route heads onto East Baltimore Pike along with US 1. The road heads into wooded areas with some homes and businesses, at which point PA 52 splits in the community of Hamorton to continue southeast toward the city of Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
. East Baltimore Pike turns to the northeast and crosses into Pennsbury Township, where the official name becomes Baltimore Pike. The road curves to the east again and passes through more woodland with some residential and commercial development, crossing an East Penn Railroad line at-grade before heading across the Brandywine Creek.[
]
Delaware County
Upon crossing the Brandywine Creek, the Baltimore Pike continues into Chadds Ford Township in Delaware County and passes to the north of the Brandywine Museum of Art
The Brandywine Museum of Art is a museum of regional and American art located on U.S. Route 1 in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania on the banks of the Brandywine Creek (Christina River tributary), Brandywine Creek. The museum showcases the work of Andrew ...
. US 1 heads into the community of Chadds Ford
Chadds Ford is a census-designated place (CDP) in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chester counties, Pennsylvania, United States, comprising the unincorporated area, unincorporated communities of Chadds F ...
and intersects Creek Road in a commercial area. The road continues through wooded areas with some development, passing to the south of the Brandywine Battlefield
Brandywine Battlefield Historic Site is a National Historical Landmark. The historic park is owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, on , near Chadds Ford, Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It i ...
.[ Baltimore Pike curves northeast and heads into areas of businesses, intersecting ]US 202
U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware to Maine, also traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Mass ...
/US 322
U.S. Route 322 (US 322) is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926. A portion of it at one time was concurrent with ...
in Painters Crossroads. Here, US 322 turns east to join US 1 in a 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 ...
along Baltimore Pike, running past more commercial establishments in Concord Township. In Concordville, US 322 splits to the southeast and US 1 continues along Baltimore Pike, intersecting Concord Road before heading into more wooded areas with occasional businesses and crossing the West Branch Chester Creek.[
Baltimore Pike curves to the east and enters the borough of ]Chester Heights
Chester Heights is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,531 at the 2010 census. Most of the borough lies south of U.S. 1, about a mile southwest of Wawa.
History
The history of Chester Heights predates ...
, running past businesses before heading into forested areas, where it passes north of the corporate headquarters of Wawa. The road turns northeast and crosses the Chester Creek
Chester Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Delaware River in Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ' ...
into Middletown Township. The route passes under SEPTA
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...
's West Chester Branch
The West Chester Branch is a railway line in southeastern Pennsylvania. At its fullest extent, it connected with the Philadelphia–Washington Main Line (Northeast Corridor) at Arsenal Junction near the University of Pennsylvania and the Philade ...
northwest of Wawa station
Wawa station is a commuter rail station on the SEPTA Regional Rail Media/Wawa Line, located adjacent to U.S. Route 1 in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The original station was built by the West Chester and Philadelphia Railr ...
, which serves as the terminus of SEPTA's Media/Wawa Line
The Media/Wawa Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail service that runs from Center City Philadelphia west to Wawa in Delaware County. It uses the West Chester Branch, which connects with the SEPTA Main Line at 30th Street Station. Under the Pennsylva ...
. US 1 continues into commercial areas, coming to an intersection with PA 452 in the community 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 ...
. Following this, Baltimore Pike continues east and passes between the Promenade at Granite Run
The Promenade at Granite Run, formerly known as Granite Run Mall, is a mixed-use development in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a western suburb of Philadelphia. The mixed use development consists of residential, retail, and e ...
residential and retail center to the north and Riddle Memorial Hospital to the south, coming to an interchange with PA 352. A short distance later, US 1 splits from Baltimore Pike by heading northeast onto the limited-access Media Bypass.
Past this interchange, Baltimore Pike continues east as SR 2016, passing through woodland and crossing the Ridley Creek
Ridley Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in Chester and Delaware counties, Pennsylvania in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Keystone Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2004.
The entire drainage basin is in the suburban Philadelphia area, but ...
into Upper Providence Township. Here, the road turns northeast and enters the borough of Media
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...
, narrowing into a two-lane undivided road and becoming West Baltimore Avenue. West Baltimore Avenue curves east and heads into residential areas with some businesses. Upon reaching the commercial downtown of Media, the road intersects Jackson Street and becomes East Baltimore Avenue, passing more businesses and intersecting PA 252
Pennsylvania Route 252 (PA 252) is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that connects PA 320 in Nether Providence Township at its southern terminus to PA 23 in Valley Forge at its northern terminus. The route runs ...
. A short distance past this intersection, the road heads into Nether Providence Township
Nether Providence Township is a first class township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Many residents refer to the township by the name of its largest community, Wallingford, because the Wallingford postal code is used for most o ...
and becomes Baltimore Pike again, heading into wooded residential areas with some businesses. Baltimore Pike widens into a four-lane divided highway and comes to an interchange with I-476
Interstate 476 (I-476) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway of I-76 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The highway runs from I-95 near Chester north to I-81 near Scranton, serving as the primary north–south Interstate corridor through e ...
. Immediately after the interchange, the road crosses the Crum Creek
Crum Creek (from the Dutch, meaning "crooked creek") is a creek in Delaware County and Chester County, Pennsylvania, flowing approximately , generally in a southward direction and draining into the Delaware River in Eddystone, Pennsylvania. It ...
into Springfield Township and passes between the Springfield Mall to the north and wooded areas of homes to the south, at which point it becomes the border between Springfield Township to the north and the borough of Swarthmore to the south. Baltimore Pike comes to an intersection with PA 320 and continues past more businesses, fully entering Springfield Township again and becoming a five-lane road with a center left-turn lane
A reversible lane (British English: tidal flow) is a lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on certain conditions. Typically, it is meant to improve traffic flow during rush hours, by having overhead traffic lights and li ...
. The road curves to the east-northeast and crosses PA 420, becoming the border between Springfield Township to the north and the borough of Morton Morton may refer to:
People
* Morton (surname)
* Morton (given name)
Fictional
* Morton Koopa, Jr., a character and boss in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''
* A character in the ''Charlie and Lola'' franchise
* A character in the 2008 film '' Horton ...
to the south past this intersection. Baltimore Pike fully enters Springfield Township and is lined with more businesses.[
]
At the intersection with South Bishop Avenue, the road becomes a four-lane divided highway and enters Upper Darby Township
Upper Darby Township, often shortened to Upper Darby, is a home rule township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The township borders Philadelphia, the nation's sixth most populous city as of 2020 with 1.6 million residents.
As of the 2020 cen ...
, where the name changes to Baltimore Avenue. The median turns into a center left-turn lane as the road passes more commercial establishments, becoming the border between the borough of Clifton Heights to the north and Upper Darby Township to the south. Baltimore Avenue fully enters Clifton Heights and passes through residential and commercial areas as a two-lane undivided road. After passing through the commercial downtown, the road crosses SEPTA's Route 102 trolley line at the Baltimore Pike station and runs past more businesses. Baltimore Avenue crosses the Darby Creek into the borough of Lansdowne Lansdowne or Lansdown may refer to:
People
* Lansdown Guilding (1797–1831), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines naturalist and engraver
*Fenwick Lansdowne (1937–2008), Canadian wildlife artist
* George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne (1666–1735) ...
and heads into wooded areas of homes, curving to the east. The road passes through the commercial downtown of Lansdowne, where it intersects Lansdowne Avenue
Lansdowne Avenue is an arterial road in Toronto, Ontario. It runs north–south and starts at Queen Street West and proceeds north to St. Clair Avenue West. Lansdowne Avenue is primarily a four-lane arterial road, with two lanes regularly used fo ...
, before heading past more businesses, crossing back into Upper Darby Township. Baltimore Avenue crosses the abandoned Newtown Square Branch railroad right-of-way and becomes the border between the borough of East Lansdowne to the north and Upper Darby Township to the south, lined with more businesses. The road comes to an intersection with US 13
U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 (I-95) just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to US 1 in the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. ...
at Church Lane, at which point SR 2016 ends and US 13 turns east to join the road, which changes names to Baltimore Pike. Baltimore Pike fully enters Upper Darby Township again, passing between Fernwood Cemetery to the north and urban residential and commercial development to the south, becoming the border between Upper Darby Township to the north and the borough of Yeadon to the south.[
]
Philadelphia
Baltimore Avenue crosses Cobbs Creek
Cobbs Creek is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of Darby Creek in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It forms an approximat ...
into the West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Alhough there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the nort ...
section of the city of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
in Philadelphia County
Philadelphia County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the most populous county in Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, Philadelphia County had a population of 1,603,797. The county is the second smallest county in Pennsyl ...
. Immediately after crossing the creek, the road comes to the Angora Loop at 61st Street, which serves as the terminus of SEPTA's Route 34
The following highways are numbered 34: for a list of roads numbered N34 : see list of N34 roads.
International
* AH34, Asian Highway 34
* European route E34
Australia
* Cox Peninsula Road (Northern Territory)
* (Sydney)
* Maroondah Highway (Vi ...
trolley line. At this point, the trolley tracks follow Baltimore Avenue as it continues through urban neighborhoods consisting of rowhomes
In architecture and city planning, a terrace or terraced house ( UK) or townhouse ( US) is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings share side walls. In the United State ...
along with a few businesses. The road curves to the east, passing through more urban development with the Route 34 trolley line splitting from Baltimore Avenue at 40th Street, where it heads underground at the 40th Street Portal
The 40th Street Portal, also known as simply 40th Street station, is a SEPTA Subway-Surface Lines tram, trolley station in Philadelphia. At this station's portal, four of the five Subway-Surface Lines enter the Woodland Avenue subway tunnel afte ...
. The road heads into the University City neighborhood and becomes four lanes at the 39th Street/Woodland Avenue intersection, at which point it runs between the University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
campus to the north and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center to the south. A block later, Baltimore Avenue ends at an intersection with University Avenue, with US 13 turning north onto University Avenue.[
]
Streetcar service
The West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Alhough there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the nort ...
section of Baltimore Avenue has carried streetcars since 1890, when tracks were laid for horsecar
A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is an animal-powered (usually horse) tram or streetcar.
Summary
The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, wh ...
service. Electric-powered trolleys began operating on the avenue on January 13, 1895. Today, the avenue is served by SEPTA Route 34
SEPTA's subway–surface trolley route 34, also called the Baltimore Avenue subway line, is a trolley line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) that connects the 13th Street station in downtown Philadelphia ...
, which runs on Baltimore from the subway mouth at 40th Street to the Angora terminal loop at 61st Street.
History
Despite its name, the road was not itself a former 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 ...
, but portions were, including Baltimore and Jerusalem Turnpike between Baltimore and Bel Air, Maryland
The town of Bel Air is the county seat of Harford County, Maryland. According to the 2020 United States census, the population of the town was 10,661.
History
Bel Air's identity has gone through several incarnations since 1780. Aquilla Scott, w ...
. The road's easternmost part was another such section: the Chaddsford Turnpike, depicted on an 1843 map running from Mill Creek (present-day 43rd Street in West Philadelphia) to the western limits of Philadelphia County, in the direction of Chadds Ford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County, colloquially referred to as Delco, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. With a population of 576,830 as of the 2020 census, it is the List of counties in Pennsylvan ...
.
Its northern section was designated Pennsylvania Route 12 in 1924. Much of the route was designated as part of US 1
U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...
in 1926.
Until 1928, the route crossed the Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
on the Conowingo Bridge
Several incarnations of the Conowingo Bridge crossed the Susquehanna River at the original location of Conowingo, Maryland, United States, about two miles upstream of the Conowingo Dam, which replaced it.
History
The original Conowingo Bridg ...
, which was destroyed and replaced by the Conowingo Dam
The Conowingo Dam (also Conowingo Hydroelectric Plant, Conowingo Hydroelectric Station) is a large hydroelectric dam in the lower Susquehanna River near the town of Conowingo, Maryland. The medium-height, masonry gravity dam is one of the larges ...
.
Baltimore Avenue formerly continued northward to Market Street Market Street may refer to:
*Market Street, Cambridge, England
*Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
* Market Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia
*Market Street, Manchester, England
*Market Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
...
as part of Woodland Avenue; this segment was stricken from the City street plan in the late 1950s due to redevelopment by the University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
and what is now Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...
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Major intersections
Maryland
See U.S. Route 1 in Maryland#Junction list
Pennsylvania
See also
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References
Further reading
* Deals with the origins and landmarks of the Baltimore Pike.
External links
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Transportation in Pennsylvania
Roads in Maryland
Auto trails in the United States
Transportation in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Philadelphia
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 13
Streets in Philadelphia