![1970 Washington state highways (primary-secondary)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/1970_Washington_state_highways_%28primary-secondary%29.svg)
Primary State Highways were major
state highways
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 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 sove ...
of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
used in the early 20th century. They were created as the first organized road numbering system in the state in stages between 1905 and 1937 and used until the
1964 state highway renumbering. These highways had named branch routes as well as secondary state highways with lettered suffixes. The system of primary and secondary state highways were replaced by
sign routes (now state routes) to consolidate and create a more organized and systematic method of numbering the highways within the state.
History
The first state road, running across the
Cascade Range roughly where
State Route 20 now crosses it, was designated by the legislature in 1893 (However, this road wasn't actually opened until 1972). Two other roads—a Cascade crossing at present
State Route 410 and a branch of the first road to
Wenatchee
Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and largest city of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and was estimated to have increased to 34,360 as of 2019. Located in the north-central part ...
—were added in 1897. The
Washington Highway Department was established in 1905, and a set of twelve ''State Roads'', numbered from 1 to 12, were assigned. A thirteenth was added in 1907, and State Roads 14 to 18 in 1909.
[State Roads As Established by Legislature, 1893 to 1935 - ](_blank)
/ref>
However, it was not until 1913 that a connected system was laid out—earlier state roads had been disconnected segments of road needing improvements. The seven ''primary roads'' were only assigned names, while the older state roads kept their numbers as ''secondary roads''. In 1923, most state roads were assigned new numbers, though the primary and secondary split remained, and several roads remained named only. The United States Numbered Highways
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 ...
were assigned in late 1926, overlapping some of the State Roads.
The first major reworking of the system was passed in 1937, including a complete renumbering. A number of ''Primary State Highways'' were designated, while ''Secondary State Highways'' were suffixed spurs off those. For instance, Primary State Highway 1 was the Pacific Highway (present Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
), and Secondary State Highway 1B was a spur from Bellingham to the Canadian border
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
(now State Route 539). U.S. Routes kept dual designations with State Highways. By 1952, the present highway shield, in the shape of George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
's head, had been adopted.
The primary/secondary state highway systems were replaced by the current numbering system in the 1960s, at the behest of the state legislature following the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle. The signs for the new highway numbers, which would be organized based on their general direction and—for secondary routes—a leading digit, first were posted in late 1963 and took effect in January 1964. The new numbers also coincided with existing U.S. Routes and new Interstate Highways to reduce confusion and eliminate duplicate numbers. The PSH/SSH signs were removed by 1970.
Secondary State Highways
Secondary State Highways (SSH) were branches
A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term ''twig'' usually r ...
of Primary State Highways with lettered suffixes used from 1937 to 1964.
* Branches of PSH 1
* Branches of PSH 2
* Branches of PSH 3
* Branches of PSH 4
* Branches of PSH 5
* Branches of PSH 6
* Branches of PSH 7
* Branches of PSH 8
* Branches of PSH 9
* Branches of PSH 10
* Branches of PSH 11
* Branches of PSH 12
* Branches of PSH 13
* Branches of PSH 14
* Branches of PSH 15
* Branches of PSH 16
* Branches of PSH 17
* Branches of PSH 21
* Branches of PSH 22
Primary State Highway 1
PSH 1 followed the route of U.S. Route 99 (now Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
) from Vancouver to Blaine. It also served U.S. Route 99 Alternate (now SR 11) in Skagit and Whatcom counties.
Primary State Highway 2
This route followed the route of U.S. Route 10 (now Interstate 90) from Seattle to near Ellensburg, then U.S. Route 97 to Peshastin, then U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west United States Numbered Highways, U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern ...
to Spokane, then US 10/I-90 from Spokane to the Idaho state line. A southern branch of PSH 2 followed the route of Washington State Route 18 from Snoqualmie to Tacoma.
Primary State Highway 3
This route followed Interstate 82
Interstate 82 (I-82) is an Interstate Highway in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States that travels through parts of Washington and Oregon. It runs from its northwestern terminus at I-90 in Ellensburg, Washington, to its southeaste ...
from Ellensburg to the Oregon State line (concurrent with U.S. Route 97 from Ellensburg to Union Gap and U.S. Route 410/12 from Union Gap to the Tri-Cities), U.S. Route 410 (now U.S. Route 12
U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States Numbered Highways, United States highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) an ...
) from the Tri-Cities to Clarkston, U.S. Route 195 from Clarkston to Pullman, SR 27 from Pullman to Oaksedale, US 195 from Oakesdale to Spokane, U.S. Route 2 from Spokane to Mead and U.S. Route 395
U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road ...
from Mead to the U.S.-Canada border. Spurs extended along I-82/, SR 125 and SR 129 from Tri-Cities, Walla Walla and Clarkston to the Oregon State Line
This route was also known as the "Inland Empire Highway" and crossed the first, and for a time, the only highway bridge over the middle Columbia River. That bridge was located between the towns of Kennewick, WA and Pasco, WA.
Primary State Highway 4
This route followed State Route 30 (now part of State Route 20) from Tonasket
Tonasket is a city in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,032 at the 2010 census.
History
Tonasket was officially incorporated on December 16, 1927. It is named after Chief Tonasket of the Okanogan people, a local ...
to Republic and State Route 21 from Republic to Wilbur.
Primary State Highway 5
PSH 5 began at PSH 2 in Seattle and traveled south along the Green River Green River may refer to:
Rivers
Canada
* Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River
*Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte
*Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...
Valley and across the Cascade Range to a junction with PSH 3 in Yakima
Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The uni ...
. The section from Enumclaw to Yakima was co-signed with US 410. PSH 5 had several branch routes that connected to Renton, Tacoma, Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park is an American national park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. The park was established on March 2, 1899, as the fourth national park in the United States, preservi ...
, and Cayuse Pass. Two branches, the White Pass Highway and Naches Pass Highway, were fully not built at the time.
During the 1964 renumbering, the trunk route of PSH 5 was divided between SR 167 from Seattle to Enumclaw and US 410 (now SR 410) from Enumclaw to Yakima. SR 167 was later rerouted away at Auburn, leaving the former highway to Enumclaw signed as SR 164. Its branches became various highways, including SR 7 from Tacoma to 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 H ...
, the former SR 14 (now US 12) from Morton to Yakima, SR 165, SR 169, and SR 706.
;Branches
*PSH 5 AT (Auburn–Tacoma): Traveled southeast from Tacoma to Puyallup and north to Auburn. Now part of SR 167.
*PSH 5 CP (Cayuse Pass): Connected PSH 5 to the White Pass Highway via Cayuse Pass. It became SR 143 and was renumbered to SR 123.
*PSH 5 EF (Enumclaw–Fairfax): Connected the northwest entrance of Mount Rainier National Park to Enumclaw. Most of the highway became SR 165.
*PSH 5 EK (Elbe–Kosmos): Connected the now-defunct town of Kosmos to 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 H ...
and Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...
. It was renumbered as part of SR 7.
*PSH 5 ER (Enumclaw–Renton): Traveled north from Enumclaw to Renton, where it connected to a branch of PSH 1. It was renumbered to SR 169
*PSH 5 SB (Sumner–Buckley): An east–west route connecting Sumner to Buckley. It was renumbered to be part of US 410 and later SR 410.
*PSH 5 TR (Tacoma–Rainier): Traveled south from Tacoma to Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...
and east to the Nisqually Entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. The north–south section became SR 7, while the remainder to the national park is now SR 706.
*PSH 5 WP (White Pass): A connector between PSH 1 and PSH 5 in Naches. Now part of US 12.
*An additional branch, the Naches Pass Highway, was not given a separate designation. It became SR 168.
Primary State Highway 6
The route followed present-day U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west United States Numbered Highways, U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern ...
from Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...
to Newport, and State Route 31 (a portion of which is now State Route 20) from Newport to the Canada-United States border
Primary State Highway 7
This route followed U.S. Route 10/Interstate 90 from Ellensburg
Ellensburg is a city in and the county seat of Kittitas County, Washington, United States. It is located just east of the Cascade Range near the junction of Interstate 90 and Interstate 82. The population was 18,666 at the 2020 census. and was ...
to George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
, State Route 281 from George to Quincy, and State Route 28 from Quincy to Davenport
Primary State Highway 8
The route followed State Route 14 (designated as Washington State Route 12 from 1964-67) from Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, located in Clark County. Incorporated in 1857, Vancouver has a population of 190,915 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Was ...
to Maryhill
Maryhill ( gd, Cnoc Màiri) is an area of the City of Glasgow in Scotland. Maryhill is a former burgh. Maryhill stretches over along Maryhill Road.
The far north west of the area is served by Maryhill railway station.
History
Hew Hill, ...
, U.S. Route 97 from Maryhill to Toppenish
Toppenish () is a city in Yakima County, Washington. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 8,854. It is located within the Yakama Indian Reservation, established in 1855.
Toppenish calls itself the city of Murals, as it has more than 7 ...
and State Route 22 from Toppenish to Buena.
Primary State Highway 9
This route followed U.S. Route 101 from Olympia to Aberdeen.
Primary State Highway 10
This route ran on U.S. Route 97 from the U.S.-Canada border to Wenatchee, and State Route 28 from Wenatchee to Quincy. A spur extended along State Route 17 from Brewster to Coulee City
Coulee City is a town in Grant County, Washington. The population was 549 at the 2020 census.
History
The town was named after nearby Grand Coulee. Coulee City was officially incorporated on May 10, 1907.
Geography
Coulee City is located at ...
Primary State Highway 11
This route followed U.S. Route 395
U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road ...
from Pasco to Ritzville
Ritzville () is a city in Adams County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,673 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Adams County. The city is part of the Othello, WA Micropolitan Area, which comprises all of Adams County, ...
and U.S. Route 10/ Interstate 90 from Ritzville to Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...
Primary State Highway 12
This route followed State Route 6 from Chehalis to Raymond, and U.S. Route 101 from Raymond to Johnsons Landing, and State Route 4 from Johnsons Landing to Kelso.
Primary State Highway 13
This route followed U.S. Route 101 in Washington from Aberdeen to Raymond.
Primary State Highway 14
This route followed State Route 16 from Hoodsport to Tacoma
Primary State Highway 15
This route followed U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west United States Numbered Highways, U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern ...
from Everett to Peshastin
Primary State Highway 16
This route followed State Route 20 from Fredonia to Pateros, and State Route 153 from Pateros to Twisp
Primary State Highway 17
Primary State Highway 18
The route followed the route of U.S. Route 10 (now Interstate 90) from George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
to Ritzville
Ritzville () is a city in Adams County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,673 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Adams County. The city is part of the Othello, WA Micropolitan Area, which comprises all of Adams County, ...
Primary State Highway 19
The provisional designation of a proposed outer bypass of the Seattle metropolitan area between Auburn and Bothell
Bothell () is a city in King and Snohomish counties in the U.S. state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area, situated near the northeast end of Lake Washington. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 48,161 resident ...
, also known unofficially as Interstate 605
Interstate 605 (abbreviated I-605, officially known as the San Gabriel River Freeway) is a major north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway in the Greater Los Angeles urban area of Southern California. It runs from I-405 and State Route ...
.
Primary State Highway 21
The route followed present-day State Route 104 from the Kingston Ferry to the Hood Canal Bridge
The Hood Canal Bridge (officially William A. Bugge Bridge) is a floating bridge in the northwest United States, located in western Washington. It carries State Route 104 across Hood Canal of Puget Sound and connects the Olympic and Kitsap P ...
, then State Route 3 from the Hood Canal Bridge to Belfair, then State Route 106 from Belfair to Skokomish
Primary State Highway 22
The route followed present-day Washington State Route 25
State Route 25 (SR 25), named the Coulee Reservoir Highway, is a state highway serving communities in Lincoln and Stevens counties in the U.S. state of Washington. The highway begins at an intersection with (US 2) east of Dave ...
.
References
;General
*
;Notes
{{reflist
Primary State Highways