Pennsylvania Route 91 (1920s)
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U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a
U.S. highway 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 h ...
running from
Fayetteville, North Carolina Fayetteville () is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city. Fayetteville has received the All-America C ...
, north to Morrisville, Pennsylvania. The route runs for through the
Philadelphia metropolitan area 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. Since 1 ...
in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
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 enters the state from
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
in Marcus Hook, Delaware County. It continues northeast through Delaware County, passing through the city of
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 ...
before heading through suburban areas along Chester Pike to Darby. US 13 enters 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 ...
on
Baltimore Avenue 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 road ...
and runs through
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 ...
to University City, where it turns north along several city streets before heading east across the
Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It fl ...
along
Girard Avenue Girard Avenue is a major commercial and residential street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For most of its length it runs east–west, but at Frankford Avenue it makes a 135-degree turn north. Parts of the road are signed as U.S. Route 13 and U.S. ...
. The route turns north and heads to
North Philadelphia North Philadelphia, nicknamed North Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is immediately north of Center City. Though the full extent of the region is somewhat vague, "North Philadelphia" is regarded as everything north of either ...
, where it runs northeast along Hunting Park Avenue. US 13 becomes
concurrent 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
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 ...
on Roosevelt Boulevard, continuing into
Northeast Philadelphia Northeast Philadelphia, nicknamed Northeast Philly, the Northeast and the Great Northeast, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the 2000 census, Northeast Philadelphia has a population of between 300,000 and 450,000, depending ...
. US 13 splits southeast on 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 ...
of streets before heading northeast out of the city on Frankford Avenue. The route continues into
Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...
as Bristol Pike, heading northeast to
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 ...
, where it turns into a
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 ...
. US 13 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 ...
in
Tullytown Tullytown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally a village in Falls Township, Tullytown was partitioned as a borough in 1891. The population was 1,872 at the 2010 census. Part of Levittown is located in Tullytown. ...
and continues north to its terminus at US 1 in Falls Township, near Morrisville. US 13 roughly parallels
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...
(I-95) through its course in Pennsylvania. The routing dates back to colonial times as part of the
King's Highway King's Highway or Kings Highway may refer to: Roads Australia * Kings Highway (Australia), connecting Queanbeyan to Batemans Bay Canada * King's Highways, an alternative designation for the primary provincial highway system in Ontario * King's ...
. In the 19th century, the road was part of several turnpikes, including the Darby and Ridley Turnpike (or Chester Pike) between Chester and Darby and the Frankford and Bristol Turnpike between Philadelphia and Morrisville. In the early 20th century, these private turnpikes became public roads. US 13 was designated through Pennsylvania in 1926, running between the Delaware border in Marcus Hook and US 1 in Morrisville. The route was designated concurrent with Pennsylvania Route 91 (PA 91) between the Delaware border and Philadelphia and PA 32 between Philadelphia and Morrisville; these concurrent state route designations were removed in 1928. US 13 originally ran through Darby on Main Street and Philadelphia on Woodland Avenue, Market Street, Broad Street, Diamond Street, Front Street, Kensington Avenue, and Frankford Avenue. In the 1930s, the route was shifted to use Macdade Boulevard, Whitby Avenue, 44th Street, Powelton Avenue, 31st and 32nd streets, Spring Garden Street, Broad Street, Roosevelt Boulevard, Levick Street, and Frankford Avenue through the city; it ran concurrent with US 1 through most of the city. Between the 1930s and 1960s, three bypass routes existed for portions of US 13 between Marcus Hook and Philadelphia. The divided highway alignment between Bristol and Tullytown was completed by 1950. The US 13 freeway between Tullytown and US 1 was completed in 1955, shifting the northern terminus to its current location. This freeway was once considered to become a part of I-95 that would pass through
Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Yeadon and West Philadelphia in the 1960s. The route was shifted to its current alignment through Philadelphia the 1970s. US 13 was realigned through Chester in 2022, with US 13 Bus. designated onto the former alignment.


Route description


Delaware County

US 13 enters Pennsylvania from
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
in the borough of Marcus Hook in Delaware County, heading northeast on four-lane undivided Post Road. From the state line, the route has a grade crossing with a railroad spur and passes through
Sunoco Sunoco LP is an American master limited partnership organized under Delaware state laws and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that is a wholesale distributor of motor fuels. It distributes fuel to more than 5,500 Sunoco-branded gas stations, ...
's Marcus Hook Industrial Complex. The road narrows to two lanes and crosses a railroad spur at-grade serving the industrial complex before it heads into the commercial center of Marcus Hook as 10th Street, intersecting the southern terminus of PA 452. US 13 crosses
Conrail Shared Assets Operations Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) is the commonly used name for modern-day Conrail (reporting mark CRCX), an American railroad company. It operates three networks, the North Jersey, South Jersey/Philadelphia, and Detroit Shared Assets Area ...
' (CSAO) Linwood Track line at-grade and runs between residential areas to the north and industrial areas to the south before it heads across the Marcus Hook Creek into the borough of Trainer. The route becomes Post Road again and passes between homes and some businesses to the north and
Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...
'
Trainer Refinery Trainer Refinery is an oil refining facility located in Trainer, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The facility is about downstream from the Port of Chester and fifteen miles southwest of Philadelphia along the Delaware River. Stoney Creek is alon ...
to the south before it crosses Stoney Creek and reaches a junction with the western terminus of PA 291 and the southern terminus of US 13 Bus., where US 13 Bus. continues northeast along Post Road and US 13 turns southeast for 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 ...
with PA 291 on two-lane undivided Price Street. The road passes between homes to the northeast and industrial areas to the southwest. The two routes make a sharp curve to the northeast and become West 2nd Street, crossing into the city of
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 running through urban residential and industrial areas. US 13/PA 291 continues northeast and becomes 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 ...
as it passes more urban development and empty lots. The two routes come to ramps that provide access from the eastbound direction of
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 ...
and to the westbound direction of US 322 just northwest of where that route crosses the
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
on the
Commodore Barry Bridge The Commodore Barry Bridge (also known as the Commodore John Barry Bridge or John Barry Bridge) is a cantilever bridge that spans the Delaware River from Chester, Pennsylvania to Bridgeport, in Logan Township, New Jersey. It is named after the ...
. The road passes under the western approach of the Commodore Barry Bridge carrying US 322. Following this, US 13/PA 291 passes more urban homes and businesses as it heads northwest of the Chester Waterfront along the
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
. The two routes split from West 2nd Street and continue northeast as an unnamed road, crossing
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. ' ...
near Chester's City Hall and the
William Penn Landing Site The monument at the William Penn Landing Site in Chester, Pennsylvania marks the spot of the first landing of William Penn on the territory of Pennsylvania, on October 28 or 29, 1682 ( O.S.). Penn, the founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, ...
. US 13/PA 291 intersects the southern terminus of PA 320 (Madison Street northbound and Upland Street southbound), at which point the road becomes East 4th Street. The road continues through commercial areas and US 13 splits from PA 291 by turning north onto two-lane undivided Morton Avenue. The road passes under
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's
Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
railroad line and runs through urban areas, intersecting the northern terminus of US 13 Bus. at East 9th Street. US 13 continues through urban development, curving to the northeast. US 13 crosses 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 ...
and forms the border between Ridley Township to the north and the borough of Eddystone to the south, widening to four lanes and becoming Chester Pike. The road passes a mix of homes and businesses before it comes to a bridge over
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 ...
, at which point it fully enters Ridley Township. The route passes under
I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...
and continues past commercial development in the community of Crum Lynne, gaining a center left-turn lane. US 13 enters the borough of
Ridley Park Ridley Park is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The population was 7,002 at the 2010 census. Ridley Park is the home of The Boeing Company's CH-47 Chinook helicopter division. History Native American The Lenape inhabited the Delaw ...
and passes under the Northeast Corridor near the
Crum Lynne station Crum Lynne station is a station on the SEPTA Wilmington/Newark Line. Though the station sits along the Northeast Corridor, it is not served by any Amtrak intercity services. The station, located at Chester Pike (US 13) & West Ridley Avenue in Ridle ...
serving
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
Wilmington/Newark Line The Wilmington/Newark Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail system in the Philadelphia area. The line serves southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware, with stations in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, Wilmington, Delaware, and ...
before it heads into residential areas and intersects Stewart Avenue, which heads southeast to provide access to I-95. The route continues past suburban homes and businesses as a four-lane undivided road, passing to the southeast of
Taylor Hospital Crozer Health is a four-hospital health system based in Delaware County, Pennsylvania and serving Delaware County; northern Delaware and parts of western New Jersey. History In 1893, the 48-bed Chester Hospital opened to serve the growing popu ...
. The road forms the border between Ridley Park to the north and Ridley Township to the south before it enters the borough of Prospect Park and comes to an intersection with PA 420. US 13 continues northeast through suburban areas and runs along the border between Prospect Park to the north and the borough of Norwood to the south before fully entering Norwood. The route crosses
Muckinipattis Creek Muckinipattis Creek or Muckinipates Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 creek which runs through Delaware County, Pennsylvania and enters Darby Cre ...
into the borough of
Glenolden Glenolden is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,153 at the 2010 census, down from 7,476 at the 2000 census. Geography Glenolden is located in eastern Delaware County at (39.898812, −75.292456). I ...
and passes under the Northeast Corridor again. The road runs past more homes and businesses and passes through a small section of the borough of Folcroft, where it crosses
Hermesprota Creek Hermesprota Creek is a tributary of Darby Creek in Collingdale, Sharon Hill, Darby Township, and Folcroft in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Its watershed has an area of . Course Hermesprota Creek begins in the Har Zion Cemetery near the comm ...
, before crossing into the borough of Sharon Hill. There, US 13 passes south of the Sharon Hill station which serves as the terminus of SEPTA's Route 102 trolley line before continuing past more development. The road curves north at the point it crosses over a short tunnel carrying
CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
's
Philadelphia Subdivision The Philadelphia Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. The line runs from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, southwest to Baltimore, Maryland, along a forme ...
railroad line and enters the borough of Collingdale, continuing to an intersection with MacDade Boulevard. At this point, Chester Pike splits to the east and US 13 continues north along four-lane undivided MacDade Boulevard, crossing Darby Creek into the borough of Darby. The route passes to the west of the bus terminal at SEPTA's
Darby Transportation Center Darby Transportation Center is an intermodal transit station in Darby, Pennsylvania, run by SEPTA. It serves SEPTA Subway-Surface Trolley Lines 11 and 13 as well as SEPTA Suburban Division buses. Near the terminal, a mural can be found of a wa ...
and curves northeast at the Main Street intersection into urban neighborhoods, narrowing to two lanes. The road passes to the south of Holy Cross Cemetery, where it enters the borough of Yeadon, before it passes through more residential areas. US 13 turns north-northwest onto Church Lane and runs through more residential neighborhoods. The route comes to a bridge over 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 ...
west of the
Fernwood–Yeadon station Fernwood–Yeadon station (originally Fernwood station) is a SEPTA Regional Rail station in Yeadon, Pennsylvania. It serves the Media/Wawa Line and is located at Church Lane (US 13) and Penn Boulevard. The station saw 113 boardings and 132 alightin ...
and crosses into
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 it comes to an intersection with
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 road ...
. Here, US 13 turns east onto Baltimore Pike and runs between Fernwood Cemetery to the north and urban residential and commercial development to the south. Farther east, the road passes through a corner of Yeadon.


Philadelphia County

US 13 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 ...
, where the name changes to Baltimore Avenue. 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 and crossing a set of SEPTA trolley tracks at 42nd Street. The Route 34 trolley line splits from Baltimore Avenue at 40th Street, where it heads into a subway tunnel 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 and US 13 turns north onto four-lane
divided Division is one of the four basic operations of arithmetic, the ways that numbers are combined to make new numbers. The other operations are addition, subtraction, and multiplication. At an elementary level the division of two natural numb ...
University Avenue. The route continues north through the university campus and becomes 38th Street as it reaches an intersection with
Spruce Street Spruce Street is a three-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City. It starts at Park Row, near the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, and runs east to Gold Street, intersecting with Nassau Street. History Spru ...
, where a SEPTA trolley track begins to follow the northbound lanes of the road. The roadway intersects Walnut Street, which is one-way westbound and carries the westbound direction of PA 3. At this point, westbound PA 3 becomes concurrent with southbound US 13, and 38th Street continues north through commercial areas. The road crosses one-way Chestnut Street, which carries eastbound PA 3, before coming to the junction with two-way
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 ...
, where westbound PA 3 turns onto southbound US 13 from Market Street. US 13 continues to follow four-lane divided 38th Street north, with the SEPTA trolley track splitting west at Filbert Street. The road passes to the east of
Penn Presbyterian Medical Center Penn Presbyterian Medical Center ("Presby") is a hospital located in the University City section of West Philadelphia. It was founded bReverend Ephraim D. Saundersin 1871 and formally joined the University of Pennsylvania Health System in 1995. ...
before it comes to an intersection with Powelton Avenue. At this point, US 13 turns east onto two-lane undivided Powelton Avenue, which is city-maintained. The route crosses
Lancaster Avenue Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...
, which carries SEPTA's Route 10 trolley line, and continues into residential areas. US 13 turns north and splits into a one-way pair, running along 33rd Street northbound and 34th Street southbound. The northbound direction carries one lane of traffic while the southbound direction carries two lanes of traffic. The route follows 33rd and 34th streets north through the
Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...
neighborhood, passing homes and a few businesses. At Mantua Avenue, northbound US 13 turns northwest to rejoin the southbound direction on 34th Street. Upon rejoining, US 13 continues north on four-lane undivided 34th Street and comes to a bridge over several railroad tracks carrying Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and CSX's
Harrisburg Subdivision The Harrisburg Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The line is located in the city of Philadelphia, connecting Greenwich Yard and the Philadelphia Subdivision with the Trenton Subdivisi ...
railroad lines before running between the
Philadelphia Zoo The Philadelphia Zoo, located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, is the first true zoo in the United States. It was chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, but its openin ...
to the west and the
Schuylkill Expressway The Schuylkill Expressway , locally known as "the Schuylkill", is a Controlled-access highway, freeway through southern Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County and the city of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Philade ...
(
I-76 Interstate 76 may refer to: Interstate Highways in the United States * Interstate 76 (Colorado–Nebraska) * Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey), running through Pennsylvania Video gaming * ''Interstate '76 ''Interstate '76'' is a vehicular c ...
/
US 30 U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...
) to the east. US 13 continues north to
Girard Avenue Girard Avenue is a major commercial and residential street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For most of its length it runs east–west, but at Frankford Avenue it makes a 135-degree turn north. Parts of the road are signed as U.S. Route 13 and U.S. ...
, where it comes to interchange ramps with the Schuylkill Expressway. At this point, US 30 splits from the Schuylkill Expressway and heads west on Girard Avenue while US 13 turns east from 34th Street onto Girard Avenue, becoming state-maintained again. US 13 heads east along Girard Avenue, which carries four lanes of traffic and SEPTA's Route 15 trolley line. The
Girard Avenue Bridge The Girard Avenue Bridge is an automobile and trolley bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that carries Girard Avenue (U.S. Route 13) over the Schuylkill River. It connects the east and west sections of Fairmount Park, and the Brewerytown neig ...
carries the route over the Schuylkill Expressway, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, the
Schuylkill River Trail The Schuylkill River Trail ( , ) is a multi-use trail along the banks of the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania. Partially complete as of 2018, the trail is ultimately planned to run about from the river's headwaters in Schuylkill Co ...
, the
Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It fl ...
, and
Kelly Drive A kelly drive is a type of well drilling device on an oil or gas drilling rig that employs a section of pipe with a polygonal (three-, four-, six-, or eight-sided) or splined outer surface, which passes through the matching polygonal or spline ...
on the other side of the river. Past the bridge, the road enters
Fairmount Park Fairmount Park is the largest municipal park in Philadelphia and the historic name for a group of parks located throughout the city. Fairmount Park consists of two park sections named East Park and West Park, divided by the Schuylkill River, with ...
and ramps provide access to Kelly Drive. US 13 splits from Girard Avenue and turns north onto two-lane undivided 33rd Street. The route comes to bridges over CSX's Trenton Subdivision and the Northeast Corridor railroad lines before it runs between wooded Fairmount Park to the west and the urban Strawberry Mansion neighborhood to the east, intersecting
Cecil B. Moore Avenue Cecil B. Moore is a neighborhood in the North Philadelphia section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States named after the late Philadelphia-based civil rights attorney and politician Cecil B. Moore. The district is loosely arran ...
east of SEPTA's 33rd and Cecil B. Moore Bus Loop. The road passes to the east of East Park Reservoir before it heads west of SEPTA's 33rd and Dauphin Bus Loop and comes to Ridge Avenue. At this point, US 13 turns northwest onto four-lane undivided Ridge Avenue and continues between the park to the west and urban homes to the east before it runs between the
Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is ...
to the west and Mount Vernon Cemetery to the east. The route reaches an interchange with Hunting Park Avenue that provides access to Kelly Drive to the west, at which point the route splits from Ridge Avenue and heads northeast onto four-lane undivided Hunting Park Avenue. The road continues into
North Philadelphia North Philadelphia, nicknamed North Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is immediately north of Center City. Though the full extent of the region is somewhat vague, "North Philadelphia" is regarded as everything north of either ...
and heads into urban areas of homes, businesses, and industry, crossing Allegheny Avenue and passing northwest of Mercy Career & Technical High School before reaching bridges under SEPTA's
Manayunk/Norristown Line The Manayunk/Norristown Line is a commuter rail service in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and one of the 13 lines in SEPTA's Regional Rail network. It has the fourth highest ridership and the highest operating ratio (58%) on the SEPTA Regional Rail ...
and
Chestnut Hill West Line The Chestnut Hill West Line is a commuter rail line in the SEPTA Regional Rail network. It connects Northwest Philadelphia, including the eponymous neighborhood of Chestnut Hill, as well as West Mount Airy and Germantown, to Center City. Rou ...
. US 13 continues into the
Nicetown–Tioga Nicetown–Tioga is a neighborhood in the North Philadelphia section of the city of Philadelphia, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It comprises two smaller, older neighborhoods, Nicetown and Tioga, although the distinction between the two is ra ...
neighborhood and has a junction with Wissahickon Avenue before passing north of SEPTA's 23rd and Venango Bus Loop. Past here, the road intersects Erie Avenue before it crosses under SEPTA's
Main Line Mainline, ''Main line'', or ''Main Line'' may refer to: Transportation Railway * Main line (railway), the principal artery of a railway system * Main line railway preservation, the practice of operating preserved trains on an operational railw ...
. The route passes north of
Simon Gratz High School Simon Gratz High School Mastery Charter, formerly Simon Gratz High School is a secondary school in Philadelphia, named after Simon Gratz (1840-1925), a member of the Philadelphia Board of Education. Originally a public high school operated by the ...
before it intersects
Germantown Avenue Germantown Pike (also known as Germantown Avenue for a portion of its length) is a historic road in Pennsylvania that opened in 1687, running from Philadelphia northwest to Collegeville. The road is particularly notable for the "imposing mansi ...
and comes to a bridge over CSAO's Richmond Industrial Track. Hunting Park Avenue splits to the east, at which point the route becomes Roosevelt Boulevard. US 13 follows Roosevelt Boulevard through commercial areas and crosses PA 611 ( Broad Street), where left turns are prohibited; Hunting Park Avenue provides access from northbound US 13 to PA 611 while Bristol Street provides access from southbound US 13 to PA 611. After this, the route crosses
Old York Road Old York Road (originally York Road, with reference to New York) is a roadway that was built during the 18th century to connect Philadelphia with New York City. Through New Jersey it was built along the Raritan (Unami tribe) "Naraticong Trail", ...
before it comes to an interchange with
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 ...
(Roosevelt Expressway) and merges onto the northbound direction of that route to the north of the
Hunting Park Hunting Park is a neighborhood in the North Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2005, the 19140 ZIP code, which roughly consists of Hunting Park and Nicetown–Tioga, had a median home sale price of $ ...
neighborhood. At this point, US 1 becomes concurrent with US 13 on Roosevelt Boulevard, a wide
boulevard A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway. Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls. In American usage, boulevards may ...
with local-express lanes that has 12 lanes total in a 3-3-3-3 configuration. Along the Roosevelt Boulevard, access between the inner and outer carriageways is provided with narrow crossover ramps immediately between them; for most intersections, left turns are only permitted from the inner pair (or from separate left turn roadways) and right turns only from the outer, and crossing between them is not permitted at the intersections. There are
speed camera In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quantity. ...
s along the boulevard and many intersections also have
red light camera A red light camera (short for red light running camera ) is a type of traffic enforcement camera that photographs a vehicle that has entered an intersection after the traffic signal controlling the intersection has turned red. By automatically phot ...
s. The boulevard continues past urban residential neighborhoods, coming to the 5th Street junction, where the local lanes intersect the street at-grade and the express lanes pass over the street on a bridge. US 1/US 13 continues east and passes through the Feltonville neighborhood, where it intersects Rising Sun Avenue, before it crosses the
Tacony Creek Frankford Creek is a minor tributary of the Delaware River in southeast Pennsylvania. It derived its name from the nearby town of Frankford, Philadelphia County. The stream originates as Tookany Creek at Hill Crest in Cheltenham Township and mean ...
. At this point, Roosevelt Boulevard continues into
Northeast Philadelphia Northeast Philadelphia, nicknamed Northeast Philly, the Northeast and the Great Northeast, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the 2000 census, Northeast Philadelphia has a population of between 300,000 and 450,000, depending ...
and curves to the southeast at an intersection with Adams Avenue and Whitaker Avenue, passing between a shopping center to the northeast and
Friends Hospital Friends Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1813 by Quakers as The Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason, the institution was later renamed the Frankf ...
to the southwest. The boulevard curves to the northeast again at a junction with Adams Avenue and Summerdale Avenue, passing near rowhomes before reaching the
Oxford Circle Oxford Circle is a neighborhood in the lower Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Its namesake is the much used traffic circle at Roosevelt Boulevard and Oxford Avenue. The Oxford Circle neighborhood has traditionally ...
. At this point, the local lanes pass through the Oxford Circle, a
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 ...
at
Cheltenham Avenue Cheltenham Avenue is a major east-west road in Southeastern Pennsylvania. It is served by many SEPTA bus routes, trolleys, regional rail, and subway. Cheltenham Avenue is an unsigned quadrant route t routes in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It ...
, Castor Avenue, and the southern terminus of PA 232, which runs along Oxford Avenue. The express lanes pass under the Oxford Circle. Past the circle, Roosevelt Boulevard continues east-northeast through residential areas. The road crosses Bustleton Avenue and US 13 splits from US 1 and the Roosevelt Boulevard by heading southeast on the one-way pair of Robbins Street northbound and Levick Street southbound, with Robbins Street carrying two lanes of one-way traffic and Levick Street carrying three lanes of one-way traffic. The route follows Robbins and Levick streets through residential neighborhoods, crossing Harbison Avenue before reaching Frankford Avenue. At this point, both directions of US 13 continue northeast on Frankford Avenue, a four-lane undivided road, while Robbins and Levick streets continue southeast towards the
Tacony–Palmyra Bridge The Tacony–Palmyra Bridge is a combination steel tied-arch and double-leaf bascule bridge across the Delaware River that connects New Jersey Route 73 in Palmyra, New Jersey with Pennsylvania Route 73 in the Tacony section of Philadelphia. The ...
over the Delaware River. The road passes through business areas and heads into the
Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...
neighborhood, where it intersects PA 73 (Cottman Avenue). The route continues into the
Holmesburg Holmesburg began as a Village within Lower Dublin Township, Pennsylvania. It is now a neighborhood in the Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Holmesburg was named in Honor of Surveyor General of Pennsylvania Thomas Holme, who was a ca ...
neighborhood and runs through more commercial areas, crossing Rhawn Street. US 13 passes under CSAO's Bustleton Industrial Track and crosses the
Pennypack Creek Pennypack Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 creek in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It runs southeast through lower Bucks County ...
in a wooded area within
Pennypack Park Pennypack Park is a municipal park, part of the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation system located in Northeast Philadelphia in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Established in 1905 by ordinance of the City of Philadelphia, it includes about of woodlan ...
on the
Frankford Avenue Bridge The Frankford Avenue Bridge, also known as the Pennypack Creek Bridge, the Pennypack Bridge, the Holmesburg Bridge, and the King's Highway Bridge, erected in 1697 in the Holmesburg section of Northeast Philadelphia, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvan ...
, intersecting the Pennypack Trail after the bridge. After this, the route becomes a three-lane road with a center left-turn lane that passes a mix of homes and businesses in the
Torresdale Torresdale, also formerly known as Torrisdale, is a neighborhood in the Northeast Philadelphia, Far Northeast section of Philadelphia. Torresdale is located along the Delaware River between Holmesburg and Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania, Bensalem ...
neighborhood, intersecting Academy Road. The road continues through developed areas and passes northwest of SEPTA's Gregg Street Bus Loop before it crosses Grant Avenue. From here, the route passes northwest of
Holy Family University Holy Family University is a private Roman Catholic university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was chartered in 1954 by the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. In addition to the main Torresdale campus in the northeaste ...
before heading past residential and commercial development and reaching an intersection with Knights Road, where SEPTA's Frankford and Knights Bus Loop is located south of the road.


Bucks County

US 13 crosses the
Poquessing Creek Poquessing Creek is a creek,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 a right tributary of the Delaware River, that forms part of the boundary between Bucks County and ...
into
Bensalem Township Bensalem Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The township borders the northeastern section of Philadelphia and includes the communities of Andalusia, Bensalem, Bridgewater, Cornwells Heights, Eddington, Flushing, Oakford, Sil ...
in
Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...
, where the name becomes Bristol Pike. The road runs northeast past suburban homes and businesses in the community of
Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...
before it widens into a divided highway in a commercial area and reaches a
partial cloverleaf interchange A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange. The design has been well received, and has since become one of the most popular freeway-to-arterial interchange designs in North America. It has also bee ...
with the PA 63 freeway (Woodhaven Road) a short distance northwest of I-95. Past this, the route gains a center left-turn lane and comes to an intersection with the southern terminus of PA 513. US 13 continues past a mix of residences and commercial establishments in the community of Cornwells Heights, passing northwest of
Holy Ghost Preparatory School , motto_translation = One heart and one mind , address = 2429 Bristol Pike , location = , region = , town = Bensalem , county = Bucks County , state ...
. Farther northeast, the road comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange with PA 132 immediately northwest of that route's eastern terminus at I-95. Following PA 132, US 13 continues past businesses immediately to the northwest of I-95. The route intersects Bensalem Boulevard and curves east to pass under I-95 before coming to a bridge over
Neshaminy Creek Neshaminy Creek is a United States Geological Survey. National Hydrography DatasetThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 stream that runs entirely through Bucks County, Pennsylvania, rising south of the borough of Chalfont, where its north a ...
. Upon crossing the creek, the road enters Bristol Township and heads into the community of
Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...
, where it passes businesses and runs to the north of the
Croydon station Croydon Station, often spelt as Croyden Station, is a pastoral lease and sheep station. Description It is located approximately south west of Port Hedland in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The property occupies an area of approxima ...
along SEPTA's
Trenton Line The Trenton Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail (commuter rail) system. The route serves the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with service in Bucks County along the Delaware River to Trenton, New Jersey. Route Trenton L ...
that follows Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. US 13 continues east between residential neighborhoods to the north and the Northeast Corridor railroad tracks immediately to the south. Farther east, the road passes to the south of a cemetery before reaching a junction with PA 413. Following this intersection, the route enters the borough of
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 ...
and widens into a four-lane divided highway with multiple intersections 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, heading northeast through business areas further from the railroad tracks and crossing Mill Creek. The road briefly passes through Bristol Township as it heads south of Silver Lake and curves northeast. US 13 continues through the northern part of the borough of Bristol, running through commercial areas and passing to the west of residential neighborhoods. The route reenters Bristol Township upon crossing
Adams Hollow Creek Adams Hollow Creek is a short tributary of the Delaware River meeting with it just upstream from Mill Creek in Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. History Former communities on the east side of the creek, Harriman and Pine Grove are now part o ...
and passes through commercial areas with some woods before coming to an intersection with a ramp that provides access to the
Pennsylvania Turnpike The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's we ...
(I-95) at an interchange. Past this ramp, the road passes through commercial areas 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 passing under the
Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge The Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge is a four-lane, steel through arch bridge crossing the Delaware River between Burlington Township, Burlington County, New Jersey and Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. As a part of Interstat ...
which carries I-95 over the Delaware River. US 13 crosses the
Delaware Canal The Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal, more commonly called the Delaware Canal, runs for parallel to the right bank of the Delaware River from the entry locks near the mouth of the Lehigh River and terminal end of the Lehigh Canal at E ...
and runs past more businesses. The route crosses into the borough of
Tullytown Tullytown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally a village in Falls Township, Tullytown was partitioned as a borough in 1891. The population was 1,872 at the 2010 census. Part of Levittown is located in Tullytown. ...
and passes between the Levittown Town Center shopping center to the west and the
Levittown station Levittown station (formerly Levittown–Tullytown) is a SEPTA Regional Rail station in Tullytown, Pennsylvania served by the Trenton Line. It opened in 1953 and was rebuilt in 2015–2019. The station has two side platforms serving the outer track ...
serving SEPTA's Trenton Line on the adjacent Northeast Corridor to the east. Bristol Pike splits off to the northeast and US 13 heads north as 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 ...
, forming the border between Tullytown to the west and Falls Township to the east. The freeway fully enters Falls Township and has an interchange with Mill Creek Road, with a northbound exit and entrance and a southbound exit at Mill Creek Road and the southbound entrance provided by Fallsington-Tullytown Road further south. Following this, the route passes between the planned residential suburb of
Levittown Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and their ...
to the west and Falls Township Community Park to the east. US 13 intersects Penn Valley Road at a
diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
before it heads northeast through woods, crossing Martins Creek, and comes to 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 ...
with Tyburn Road. The freeway curves north and has a partial cloverleaf interchange with Lower Morrisville Road before it passes over CSAO's
Morrisville Line The Trenton Cutoff (sometimes spelled Trenton Cut Off) is a rail corridor in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that runs from Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Morrisville to Glenloch, Pennsylvania, Glenloch. Today used by Norfolk Southern, i ...
at the
Morrisville Yard Morrisville Yard is a rail yard used by New Jersey Transit rail operations for trains on its Northeast Corridor Line. It is located about two miles west of the New Jersey state capital, Trenton, in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and is accessible via ...
. After this, US 13 reaches its northern terminus at a partial cloverleaf interchange with the US 1 freeway to the west of the borough of Morrisville. Past this interchange, the freeway ends and the road continues north as Pine Grove 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 2071, towards Yardley.


History

220px, US 13 crosses the Pennypack Creek on the Frankford Avenue Bridge, the oldest bridge in the United States, built in 1697 The roadway between Marcus Hook and Morrisville via Philadelphia was originally part of the
King's Highway King's Highway or Kings Highway may refer to: Roads Australia * Kings Highway (Australia), connecting Queanbeyan to Batemans Bay Canada * King's Highways, an alternative designation for the primary provincial highway system in Ontario * King's ...
, a colonial road named in honor of
King Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of King of England, England, Scotland and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II ...
. The King's Highway bridge over the Pennypack Creek in what is now Northeast Philadelphia was built in 1697 and is the oldest bridge in continuous use in the United States. During the reign of Queen Anne, it was called the Queen's Highway. Published in 1940, the Pennsylvania Guide noted that, between Glenolden and Darby, "US-13 now occasionally coincides with the Queen's Highway, an important Colonial road. Impassibility was the rule rather than the exception on this link between the North and South, as it was on all early roads. As late as 1834, the mail coach had to be dragged through the mud by oxen." After the British surrendered in the
Siege of Yorktown The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown, the surrender at Yorktown, or the German battle (from the presence of Germans in all three armies), beginning on September 28, 1781, and ending on October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virgi ...
in 1781, the road between Marcus Hook and Darby became known as the Great Southern Post Road as it served as a
post road A post road is a road designated for the transportation of postal mail. In past centuries, only major towns had a post house and the roads used by post riders or mail coaches to carry mail among them were particularly important ones or, due ...
. This section of road has also been known as the Darby-Chester Road and Plank Road. In 1851, the roadway between Chester and Darby was chartered by the state as the Darby and Ridley Turnpike or the Chester Pike, a privately owned
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 ...
. The turnpike was a
plank road A plank road is a road composed of wooden planks or puncheon logs. Plank roads were commonly found in the Canadian province of Ontario as well as the Northeast and Midwest of the United States in the first half of the 19th century. They were oft ...
with tolls collected at multiple toll houses along the route. In 1921, the state and Delaware County took over the turnpike with each paying $50,000. Improvements to the road between Chester and Darby were completed on August 12, 1926. What is now Baltimore Pike and Baltimore Avenue was originally chartered as the Philadelphia, Brandywine, and New London Turnpike on March 24, 1808, later becoming known as the Delaware County Turnpike. On May 13, 1803, the Philadelphia, Frankford, and Bristol Turnpike was chartered. This turnpike ran between Front Street and Germantown Road in
Northern Liberties Northern Liberties is a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to its incorporation into Philadelphia in 1854, it was among the top 10 largest cities in the U.S. in every census from 1790 to 1850. Boundaries Northern Liberties is loc ...
and a ferry across the Delaware River in Morrisville via Frankford and Bristol. The Frankford and Bristol Turnpike was completed in July 1812. The Frankford and Bristol Turnpike was sold to the city of Philadelphia on July 1, 1892, with trolley service introduced in 1895. The trolley line along Frankford Avenue was replaced with
trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
es in 1955, which is today SEPTA's
Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
service. When the Sproul Road Bill was passed in 1911, the road between Chester and Philadelphia was legislated as part of Legislative Route 180 and as Legislative Route 150 between Philadelphia and Morrisville. With the creation of the U.S. Highway System in 1926, US 13 was designated through Pennsylvania from the Delaware border in Marcus Hook northeast to US 1/ PA 1 at Bridge Street in Morrisville. The route followed Post Road between Marcus Hook and Chester, Chester Pike between Chester and Darby, and Main Street through Darby before it reached Philadelphia. This route effectively replaced part of the Capitol Trail, an auto trail connecting Philadelphia and
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
via
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, ...
US 13 passed through Philadelphia along Woodland Avenue, Market Street, Broad Street, Diamond Street, Front Street, Kensington Avenue, and Frankford Avenue. The route continued into Bucks County and followed Bristol Pike to Morrisville, where it headed north on Philadelphia Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue to US 1. In Philadelphia, US 13 ran concurrent with US 1 on Woodland Avenue north of Baltimore Avenue, US 1 and US 30 on Market Street and Broad Street north to Vine and Race streets, and US 1 on Broad Street between Vine Street and Diamond Street. US 13 was originally designated concurrent with PA 91 between the Delaware border and Philadelphia and with PA 32 between Philadelphia and Morrisville, where that route continued north along the Delaware River. In 1928, the concurrent PA 91 and PA 32 designations were removed. In the 1930s, US 13 was rerouted to a new alignment through Philadelphia. The route followed MacDade Boulevard between Darby and Yeadon, where it entered Philadelphia on Whitby Avenue and continued northeast to an intersection with US 1 (Baltimore Avenue). At this point, US 13 became concurrent with US 1 and the two routes followed Baltimore Avenue, 44th Street, Powelton Avenue, the one-way pair of 31st Street northbound and 32nd Street southbound, and Spring Garden Street to a junction with US 30 at the
Eakins Oval Eakins Oval is a traffic circle in Philadelphia. It forms the northwest end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway just in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with a central array of fountains and monuments, and a network of pedestrian walkways. ...
. The two routes ran east with US 30 on Spring Garden Street before turning north onto Broad Street towards North Philadelphia. US 1 and US 13 followed the Roosevelt Boulevard northeast as a bypass route, running concurrent with
US 422 U.S. Route 422 (US 422) is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western segment of US 422 runs from downtown Cleveland, Ohio, east to Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. ...
between Tabor Street and Levick Street. At Levick Street, US 13 and US 422 split from US 1 by heading southeast on Levick Street. US 13 split from US 422 by turning northeast onto Frankford Avenue, running concurrent with PA 73 between Levick Street and Cottman Avenue. In addition, a bypass route known as US 13 Byp. was created, bypassing the central part of Philadelphia to the north and west. By 1950, two bypass routes were designated for US 13 in Delaware County. The first US 13 Byp. bypassed the portion between Marcus Hook and Chester while the second US 13 Byp. served as a bypass of the portion of the route that followed Chester Pike between Chester and Darby. US 13 was realigned to a new divided highway alignment of Bristol Pike between PA 413 in Bristol and Tullytown by 1950, having previously followed what is now Old Route 13, Pond Street, Farragut Avenue, Radcliffe Street, Main Street, and Fallsington Avenue between the two boroughs. In 1954, the US 13 freeway was built between Tyburn Road and US 1. A year later, the freeway was completed between Tullytown and Tyburn Road, at which point US 13 was rerouted to follow the freeway to US 1. The US 13 freeway was planned to be incorporated into I-95, which would head northeast from its current routing at PA 413 and continue along the US 13 alignment to US 1, where it would follow that route across the Delaware River on the
Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge The Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge is one of three road bridges connecting Trenton, New Jersey with Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Opened on December 1, 1952, it carries U.S. Route 1 (US 1) and is owned and operated by the Delaware ...
and through
Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Scudder Falls Bridge The Scudder Falls Bridge is a toll bridge that carries Interstate 295 (I-295) over the Delaware River, connecting Lower Makefield Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with the Scudders Falls section of Ewing Township in Mercer County, ...
. Plans resurfaced for an extension of the US 13 freeway in 1969 that would run from I-95 at the PA 413 interchange northeast to the south end of the current freeway in Tullytown, interchanging with the Pennsylvania Turnpike. This freeway was projected to cost $12.5 million. This freeway, which would have provided a missing connection between I-95 and the turnpike, was never built because it would have impacted Silver Lake Park. In the 1950s, US 13 was shifted in Philadelphia to run along the one-way pair of 43rd Street northbound and 44th Street southbound from Baltimore Avenue, Powelton Avenue, 34th Street, Girard Avenue (where it ran concurrent with US 30), 33rd Street, Ridge Avenue, and Hunting Park Avenue (where it ran concurrent with US 1) to Roosevelt Boulevard. The US 1 concurrency south of Hunting Park Avenue was removed, with US 1 shifted to an alignment further to the west concurrent with US 13 Byp. US 13 was also split into a one-way pair along Robbins and Levick streets. The concurrency with US 1 along Hunting Park Avenue was removed in the 1960s after that route was shifted to the Roosevelt Expressway; the PA 73 concurrency along Frankford Avenue was also removed. US 13 was also rerouted to use Church Lane and Baltimore Avenue between Yeadon and West Philadelphia instead of following MacDade Boulevard and Whitby Avenue. In the 1970s, US 13 was shifted to use 38th Street to travel between Baltimore and Powelton avenues. In November 2020, the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test quality control, protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction through ...
approved a realignment of US 13 in Chester. US 13 was shifted at Trainer to follow the alignment of PA 291 along the Chester waterfront before following Morton Avenue. The former alignment of US 13 along Post Road, 4th Street, Highland Avenue, and 9th Street received the US 13 Bus. designation. The realignment was proposed to reduce traffic congestion in Chester and raise vertical clearances along US 13 through the city. Sign changes were completed on February 11, 2022.


Major intersections


See also

* * * * U.S. Route 13 Alternate Truck in Bensalem Township


References


External links


Pennsylvania Highways: US 13US 13 at AARoads.comPennsylvania Roads - US 13The Roads Of Metro Philadelphia: US 13 Expressway-Pennsylvania
{{state detail page browse, type=US, route=13, state=Pennsylvania, statebefore=Delaware 13 Pennsylvania Transportation in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Transportation in Philadelphia Transportation in Bucks County, Pennsylvania