Pennsylvania Route 472 (PA 472) is a north–south
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 ...
in
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
and
Lancaster counties 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, ...
. Its southern terminus is at
PA 841 in
Lewisville north of the
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 ...
border. Its northern terminus is at
PA 372 in
Quarryville
Quarryville is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,852 at the 2020 census, up from 2,576 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Quarryville is located in southern Lancaster County at (39.895402, -76.162175). ...
. PA 472 is a two-lane undivided road that passes through mostly rural areas along a northwest-southeast alignment. The route passes through 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 ...
, where it intersects the southern terminus of
PA 10 and has an interchange with
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). PA 472 was originally designated in 1928 between US 1/
PA 12/
PA 42 in Oxford and PA 372 in Quarryville. The route was extended south to
Hickory Hill by 1930, at which time the entire length of the route was paved. The southern terminus of PA 472 was extended to PA 841 in Lewisville in 1937.
Route description
PA 472 begins at an intersection with
PA 841 in the community of
Lewisville in
Elk 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 ...
a short distance north of the
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 ...
border. From this intersection, the route heads west-northwest on two-lane undivided Lewisville Road. The road runs through farms and residential areas, curving to the north. PA 472 runs through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes, turning west and passing through the community of
Peacedale. The route curves northwest and comes to the community of
Hickory Hill, where it turns north onto Hickory Hill Road. PA 472 continues northwest into
East Nottingham Township and passes through rural land with mixed residential subdivisions. The road curves west and enters 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 ...
, where it becomes Market Street and is lined with homes. The route heads into the commercial downtown and crosses 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 at-grade before intersecting
Lincoln Street and the southern terminus of
PA 10 at
Third Street. At this point, PA 472 turns north for a one block
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 ...
with PA 10 on Third Street before splitting by turning northwest onto Lancaster Avenue. The road turns west and heads through residential areas with some farm fields, becoming Lancaster Pike and reaching an interchange with the
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 ...
freeway. A
park and ride
A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuting, commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, Rail t ...
lot is situated within the northeast quadrant of this interchange. Past this interchange, the route leaves Oxford for
Lower Oxford Township and heads northwest through farmland with some wooded areas and homes, passing through the community of
Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...
.
![PA 472 SB approaching Oxford Road](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/PA_472_SB_approaching_Oxford_Road.jpeg)
PA 472 crosses the Octoraro Lake along the East Branch
Octoraro Creek
Octoraro Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, joining it above the Susquehanna's mouth at Chesapeake Bay. The Octoraro rises as an East and West Branch in Pennsylvania. The East Branch and Octoraro Creek form the southern half of th ...
into
Colerain Township in
Lancaster County and becomes Kirkwood Pike.
[ At this point, the route enters the ]Pennsylvania Dutch Country
The Pennsylvania Dutch Country (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Deitscherei'' Dutchery', also called Pennsylvania Dutchland (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Pennsylvania Deitschland'', german: Pennsylvania Deutschland), or simply the Dutch Country or Dutchland (Pen ...
of eastern Lancaster County, which is home to many Amish
The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churches ...
farms. The road runs through agricultural areas with some woods and homes, passing through the community of Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
before reaching the community of Kirkwood. Here, the route turns west-northwest through more rural land with some development, crossing the West Branch Octoraro Creek. PA 472 passes through the community of Collins
Collins may refer to:
People Surname
Given name
* Collins O. Bright (1917–?), Sierra Leonean diplomat
* Collins Chabane (1960–2015), South African Minister of Public Service and Administration
* Collins Cheboi (born 1987), Kenyan middle- ...
before crossing into Eden Township. The road continues into the borough of Quarryville
Quarryville is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,852 at the 2020 census, up from 2,576 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Quarryville is located in southern Lancaster County at (39.895402, -76.162175). ...
and becomes South Lime Street, passing homes and some businesses. PA 472 reaches its northern terminus at an intersection with PA 372.
History
When Pennsylvania first legislated routes in 1911, present-day PA 472 was not given a route number. PA 472 was designated in 1928 to run from US 1/ PA 12/ PA 42 (now PA 10) in Oxford northwest to PA 372 in Quarryville, following its current alignment. At this time, the roadway was paved near Oxford and between Kirkwood and a point northwest of Collins. By 1930, PA 472 was extended south from Oxford to Hickory Hill along a roadway under construction. By this time, the entire length between Oxford and Quarryville was paved. In 1937, the southern terminus of PA 472 was extended from Hickory Hill to its current location at PA 841 in Lewisville along a paved road. PA 472 has remained along the same alignment since.[
]
Major intersections
See also
*
*
References
External links
{{commonscat
Pennsylvania Highways: PA 472
PA 472 at AARoads.com
472
Transportation in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania