Pennsylvania Route 796 (PA 796) is a state highway in
Chester County Chester County may refer to:
* Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
* Chester County, South Carolina, United States
* Chester County, Tennessee
Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, th ...
,
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 route runs from
PA 896 in
New London Township north to
PA 41 in
Londonderry Township. PA 796 heads through rural areas with some development along its route. In
Jennersville, the route crosses
Baltimore Pike
The Baltimore Pike was an auto trail connecting Baltimore, Maryland, with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Today, parts of the road are signed as U.S. Route 1 (US 1), US 13, and a small portion of Pennsylvania Route 41 (PA 41). A section of the ro ...
and has an interchange with the
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 ...
(US 1) freeway. PA 796 crosses
PA 926 a short distance south of its northern terminus. PA 796 was originally designated by 1930 between 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 near
Kemblesville and north of Jennersville. In 1937, the southern terminus was moved to its current location, with PA 896 replacing the route south to the Maryland border, while the northern end was extended to PA 926 by 1940. PA 796 was extended north to PA 41 in the 1940s.
Route description
![PA 796 NB past Baltimore Pike](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/PA_796_NB_past_Baltimore_Pike.jpeg)
PA 796 begins at an intersection with
PA 896 in
New London Township,
Chester County Chester County may refer to:
* Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
* Chester County, South Carolina, United States
* Chester County, Tennessee
Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, th ...
, heading north on two-lane undivided Jennersville Road. The route soon crosses into
Penn Township and curves northeast through a mix of fields and woods with some development. In the residential community of
Kelton, PA 796 comes to a bridge over an
East Penn Railroad line. The road continues north and passes residential neighborhoods and commercial establishments along with some farms. PA 796 reaches the community of
Jennersville, where it gains 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 ...
and crosses
Baltimore Pike
The Baltimore Pike was an auto trail connecting Baltimore, Maryland, with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Today, parts of the road are signed as U.S. Route 1 (US 1), US 13, and a small portion of Pennsylvania Route 41 (PA 41). A section of the ro ...
. The route comes to 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 ...
freeway a short distance later. Following this, the road narrows back to two lanes and heads north through agricultural areas with some woods and homes. PA 796 enters
Londonderry Township and curves northwest. The route curves north again and crosses
PA 926. PA 796 heads to its northern terminus at
PA 41. Past this intersection, the road continues as Derry Meeting Road, which is 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 ...
designated State Route 3041.
History
When Pennsylvania first legislated routes in 1911, present-day PA 796 was not legislated as part of any route.
By 1928, the current route of PA 796 was paved between the southern terminus and north of Jennersville; at this time it did not carry a route number.
By 1930, PA 796 was designated to run from 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 southeast of
Kemblesville north to a point north of Jennersville, heading through Kemblesville and
New London
New London may refer to:
Places United States
*New London, Alabama
*New London, Connecticut
*New London, Indiana
*New London, Iowa
*New London, Maryland
*New London, Minnesota
*New London, Missouri
*New London, New Hampshire, a New England town
** ...
before picking up its current alignment.
In 1937, the southern terminus was cut back to its current location, with an extended PA 896 replacing the route south of that point.
By 1940, the northern terminus was extended to PA 926 along a newly-paved road.
The route was extended north to PA 41 along a paved road during the 1940s.
By 1970, the interchange with the US 1 freeway was built, with the route having previously intersected US 1 at the Baltimore Pike intersection.
Major intersections
See also
*
*
References
External links
{{commons category
Pennsylvania Highways: PA 796PA 796 at AARoads.com
796
__NOTOC__
Year 796 ( DCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 796 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era b ...
Transportation in Chester County, Pennsylvania