Pennsylvania Route 42 (PA 42) is a
state route
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 ...
located in central
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 southern terminus of the route is at
PA 61
Pennsylvania Route 61 (PA 61) is an state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route is signed on a north–south direction, running from U.S. Route 222 Business (US 222 Bus.) in Reading northwest to US 11/ US 1 ...
in
Centralia
Centralia may refer to:
Places Australia
*Central Australia, sometimes called "Centralia"
Canada
* Centralia, Ontario
** RCAF Station Centralia, a former Royal Canadian Air Force training base
** Centralia (Essery Field) Aerodrome
United State ...
. The northern terminus is at
U.S. Route 220
U.S. Route 220 (US 220) is a spur route of US 20. It runs in a north–south layout in the eastern United States, unlike its parent route as well as conventionally even-numbered highways which run east-west. US 220 extends for f ...
(US 220) in
Laporte. The route heads north through
Columbia County and passes through
Catawissa before it crosses the
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
to
Bloomsburg. In Bloomsburg, PA 42 forms a
concurrency with
US 11
{{Infobox road
, country=USA
, type=US
, route=11
, map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map
, map_custom=yes
, map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...
and has an interchange with
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
(I-80). Past Bloomsburg, the route continues north through
Millville and runs through the eastern part of
Lycoming County
Lycoming County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 114,188. Its county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. ...
. PA 42 heads into
Sullivan County and runs concurrent with US 220 between
Beech Glen and
Muncy Valley before it loops west through
Eagles Mere and reaches its terminus in Laporte.
PA 42 was originally designated in 1927 to run from
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 ...
in
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
north to the
New York border in
South Waverly. When first designated, the route ran concurrent with
US 120 (now PA 61) between
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
and Centralia and US 220 between Laporte and South Waverly. In 1928, the concurrencies with US 120 and US 220 were removed, splitting PA 42 into two sections. The southern section ran 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 south of
Chrome north to
US 222 (now
US 222 Bus.) in Reading while the northern section ran from US 120 (now PA 61) in Centralia north to US 220 in Laporte. In 1935, the portion of PA 42 between Oxford and Reading was replaced by
US 122 (now
PA 10), with the northern terminus of the southern section cut back to US 1 in
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
. The southern section of PA 42 was decommissioned in the 1940s, with
PA 272 replacing the portion between the Maryland border and Chrome.
Route description
Columbia County
PA 42 begins at an intersection with
PA 61
Pennsylvania Route 61 (PA 61) is an state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route is signed on a north–south direction, running from U.S. Route 222 Business (US 222 Bus.) in Reading northwest to US 11/ US 1 ...
in the borough of
Centralia
Centralia may refer to:
Places Australia
*Central Australia, sometimes called "Centralia"
Canada
* Centralia, Ontario
** RCAF Station Centralia, a former Royal Canadian Air Force training base
** Centralia (Essery Field) Aerodrome
United State ...
in
Columbia County, which has
largely been abandoned because of the
Centralia mine fire
The Centralia mine fire is a coal-seam fire that has been burning in the labyrinth of abandoned coal mines underneath the borough of Centralia, Pennsylvania, United States, since at least May 27, 1962. Its original cause and start date are st ...
. From PA 61, the route heads north on two-lane undivided Locust Avenue. The road passes through abandoned areas of the town which have been overgrown with trees. The route turns east and crosses into
Conyngham Township, becoming South Main Street and heading into forested areas. PA 42 widens to a four-lane road and heads to the northwest, passing through the residential community of
Aristes, where it narrows back to two lanes. The road curves to the northeast and becomes Numidia Drive, heading into the
Weiser State Forest
Weiser State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #18. The main offices are located in Cressona in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania in the United States.
The forest is located on several small tra ...
and turning to the northwest as it crosses Big Mountain. The route turns west and northwest through more dense forests, passing to the east of Shamokin Reservoir. Continuing to the west-northwest, PA 42 enters
Locust Township as it crosses Little Mountain, leaving the state forest and turning to the north. The road heads into open agricultural areas with some woods and residences. The route briefly turns northwest before heading north again and passing through the community of
Numidia
Numidia ( Berber: ''Inumiden''; 202–40 BC) was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians located in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up modern-day Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunis ...
. PA 42 curves to the northwest as it heads through more rural areas, crossing the
Roaring Creek and continuing into
Catawissa Township. The road runs through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes, gaining a second northbound lane. The route becomes a four-lane road in a wooded area before turning into a three-lane road with one northbound lane and two southbound lanes. PA 42 comes to an intersection with
PA 487, at which point that route joins PA 42 for a
concurrency, with the two routes heading north through more woodland as a two-lane road. The road crosses the
Catawissa Creek
Catawissa Creek (colloquially known as The Cat) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Susquehanna River in east-central Pennsylvania in t ...
into the borough of
Catawissa and becomes Mill Street, heading northwest into residential areas. PA 42 splits from PA 487 by heading west-northwest on Main Street, heading through the commercial downtown of Catawissa. The road crosses
Norfolk Southern
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the ...
's
Sunbury Line
The Sunbury Line (formerly known as Sunbury Subdivision) is a rail line owned and operated by Norfolk Southern Railway which in turn is owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. The line travels from Sunbury, Pennsylvania, to Binghamton, New Yo ...
before heading across the
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
, at which point the road becomes Rupert Drive and heads into
Montour Township. Here, the route turns north and crosses the
North Shore Railroad. PA 42 runs through wooded areas immediately to the west of the railroad tracks with the Susquehanna River a short distance to the east. The road turns north-northwest away from the railroad tracks and heads through the residential community of
Rupert. The route passes through more woodland with some homes before reaching an interchange with
US 11
{{Infobox road
, country=USA
, type=US
, route=11
, map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map
, map_custom=yes
, map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...
.
![Pennsylvania Route 42 in Weiser State Forest](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Pennsylvania_Route_42_in_Weiser_State_Forest.JPG)
At this point, PA 42 heads northeast concurrent with US 11 on 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 ...
Montour Boulevard, crossing the
Fishing Creek into the town of
Bloomsburg. Immediately after, the route splits from US 11 at another interchange to the west of the
Bloomsburg Fair
The Bloomsburg Fair has been held in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, since 1855 and continues to this day.
History
It was originally held as an agricultural exhibition located on the lower end of Second Street, which is now Main Street. Since then it ...
fairgrounds, heading northwest on four-lane divided Mall Boulevard and crossing the Fishing Creek back into Montour Township. The road heads near residential areas and narrows into a two-lane undivided road, crossing a stream into
Hemlock Township. PA 42 heads through wooded areas with some nearby commercial development, turning to the north and passing near some farmland, widening back into a four-lane divided highway. The road enters commercial areas and comes to an interchange with
I-80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
, intersecting the southern terminus of
PA 44 at the north end of the interchange. The route passes more businesses, heading to the west of the
Columbia Colonnade
Columbia Colonnade (formerly Columbia Mall) was a shopping mall located just outside Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It was anchored by EFO Furniture, Planet Fitness, Dunham's Sports, MVP Clubhouse, and a VA Clinic. The mall was next to Interstate 80 ...
(formerly Columbia Mall). PA 42 narrows into a two-lane undivided road and heads northeast through agricultural areas. The route turns north onto Millville Road and runs through wooded areas to the west of
Little Fishing Creek
Little Fishing Creek is a tributary of Fishing Creek in Sullivan County, Lycoming County, and Columbia County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long and flows through eight townships. The watershed of the creek has a ...
. The road curves to the north-northwest and heads through more woodland with some farm fields and homes, continuing to the west of the creek. PA 42 heads back to the north and continues through more rural areas, crossing into
Madison Township and turning to the west near
Mordansville, becoming an unnamed road. The road turns back to the north and heads through farmland with some homes, crossing the Little Fishing Creek into
Mount Pleasant Township. The route curves to the northwest and runs through more wooded areas with some farms and residences to the northeast of the creek, entering
Greenwood Township and turning to the north, passing through the residential community of
Eyers Grove. PA 42 continues through agricultural areas with some woods and homes, turning north-northwest and crossing into the borough of
Millville. The road passes through more rural areas before becoming South State Street and running past homes. In the center of town, the route intersects
PA 254 and becomes North State Street, heading through more residential areas. PA 42 passes a few businesses before turning north and heading back into Greenwood Township. Here, the road again runs along the east bank of the Little Fishing Creek as it becomes an unnamed and heads through rural areas of residential and commercial development, passing through
Iola. The route heads north-northeast into a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes and intersects the eastern terminus of
PA 442. PA 42 crosses the creek into
Pine Township and heads north through
Sereno, running through more farms and woods with occasional residences before heading into more forested areas. Farther north, the road passes through a mix of farmland and woodland with a few homes.
[
]
Lycoming and Sullivan counties
PA 42 enters Jordan Township in Lycoming County
Lycoming County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 114,188. Its county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. ...
and continues through more agricultural and wooded areas with some residences. The road heads into more forested areas with a few homes and passes west of the community of Unityville, turning northwest and intersecting PA 118. The route curves back to the north and runs through more woodland with some farm fields and homes. PA 42 continues through agricultural areas and heads into Franklin Township, turning to the northwest and passing through more farmland and woodland with a few residences. The road heads through woods as it comes to a junction with the northern terminus of PA 239
Pennsylvania Route 239 (PA 239) is a state highway located in Luzerne, Columbia and Lycoming Counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at PA 93 in Nescopeck Township. The northern terminus is at PA 42 in North ...
. The route continues west-northwest through more farms and woods with homes, passing through North Mountain. The road turns more to the northwest and briefly passes through a corner of Penn Township.
PA 42 heads into Davidson Township in Sullivan County, turning to the north and passing through wooded areas with some fields and homes. The road curves to the northwest as it heads through forests, turning to the west and coming to an intersection with US 220
U.S. Route 220 (US 220) is a spur route of US 20. It runs in a north–south layout in the eastern United States, unlike its parent route as well as conventionally even-numbered highways which run east-west. US 220 extends for fr ...
in Beech Glen. At this point, the route turns north to form a concurrency with US 220 on the Appalachian Throughway, heading through a mix of farmland and woodland with a few residences. The road crosses the Muncy Creek
Muncy Creek (also known as Big Muncy Creek) is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River in Sullivan County and Lycoming County, at Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately long. The watershed of the creek has an area of . ...
and PA 42 splits from US 220 in Muncy Valley by heading northwest on an unnamed road. The route runs north through forested areas, crossing the Trout Run into Shrewsbury Township. The road heads northwest before turning to the north, continuing through dense forests. PA 42 passes through wooded areas with a few homes, curving more to the northeast and becoming Eagles Mere Avenue. The road turns to the east and enters the borough of Eagles Mere, passing through residential areas to the south of Eagles Mere Lake. The route heads back into Shrewsbury Township and becomes unnamed again, winding east through more dense forests. PA 42 heads into Laporte Township and turns to the northeast, passing to the west of Celestial Lake. The road turns to the east and continues through forested areas with some homes, heading into the borough of Laporte. Here, PA 42 becomes Main Street and passes homes with a few businesses before ending at another intersection with US 220.
History
Following the passage of the Sproul Road Bill in 1911, what would become PA 42 was designated as Legislative Route 274 between Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
, Legislative Route 160 between Reading and Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
, Legislative Route 141 between Hamburg and Schuylkill Haven, Legislative Route 140 between Schuylkill Haven and Pottsville, Legislative Route 161 between Pottsvile and Centralia, Legislative Route 183 between Centralia and Bloomsburg, Legislative Route 239 between Bloomsburg and Unityville, Legislative Route 17 between Laporte and Towanda, and Legislative Route 287 between Towanda and South Waverly. By 1926, the entire length of Legislative Route 274 was paved except between Compass
A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...
and south of Honey Brook and Honey Brook and Morgantown. With the creation of the U.S. Highway System
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 ...
in 1926, the road between Reading and Centralia was designated as part of US 120, a route that ran from 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 ...
northwest to Erie
Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...
, while the road between Laporte and South Waverly was designated as part of US 711, a route that ran from Northumberland
Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey.
It is bordered by land on ...
north to South Waverly. At this time, the entire length of US 120 between US 22 in Reading and Centralia was paved while all of US 711 between Laporte and South Waverly was paved except for the stretch between Ringdale and New Albany. In 1927, PA 42 was designated to run from 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 ...
/ PA 12 (now PA 472) in Oxford north to the New York border in South Waverly. The route headed north Reading and ran concurrent with US 120 from Reading to Centralia. From Centralia, PA 42 headed north to Laporte and ran concurrent with US 220 (which replaced US 711) from Laporte to South Waverly.
In 1928, PA 42 was removed from its concurrencies with US 120 (now PA 61) between Reading and Centralia and US 220 between Laporte and South Waverly, splitting the route into two sections. The southern section of PA 42 ran 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 south of Chrome north to US 222/ PA 73 (now US 222 Bus.) in Reading while the northern section of PA 42 ran from US 120 (now PA 61) in Centralia north to US 220 in Laporte. At this time, the entire length of the southern section of PA 42 was paved. The northern section of PA 42 was paved between Centralia and Aristes, from the south end of the US 11 concurrency in Bloomsburg to short distance north of Bloomsburg, between Millville and Iola, and between the south end of the US 220 concurrency in Beech Glen and Eagles Mere, while the route was under construction between Catawissa and US 11 in Bloomsburg and between Mordansville and Millville. By 1930, PA 42 was paved between Little Mountain and US 11 in Bloomsburg and between Mordansville and Millville.
In May 1935, the section of PA 42 between Oxford and Reading was replaced by US 122 (now PA 10). As a result, the northern terminus of the southern section of PA 42 was cut back to US 1 (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 ...
) in Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
, having been removed from a concurrency with US 1 along Baltimore Pike between Barnsley and Oxford.[ ] By 1940, PA 42 was paved between Aristes and Little Mountain, between north of Bloomsburg and Mordansville, between Iola and the border between Columbia and Lycoming counties, between PA 539
Pennsylvania Route 239 (PA 239) is a state highway located in Luzerne, Columbia and Lycoming Counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at PA 93 in Nescopeck Township. The northern terminus is at PA 42 in North ...
(now PA 239) near North Mountain and US 220 in Beech Glen, for a short distance north of Eagles Mere, and for a short distance south of Laporte. In addition, the route was improved between the border between Columbia and Lycoming counties and the PA 642 junction (now PA 118) by 1940. The section along the US 11 concurrency in Bloomsburg was upgraded to a multilane road by 1940. The southern section of PA 42 was decommissioned in the 1940s, with the portion between the Maryland border and Chrome replaced by an extended PA 272 while the section between Chrome and Barnsley is now Barnsley Road. By 1950, the entire length of PA 42 was paved. In the 1950s, PA 42 was upgraded to a multilane road between Centralia and Aristes. PA 42 was widened to a divided highway between the south end of the US 11 concurrency and the I-80 interchange in Bloomsburg in the 1960s.
Major intersections
PA 42 Truck
Pennsylvania Route 42 Truck (PA 42 Truck) is a truck route
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...
of PA 42 in Sullivan County, bypassing the section of PA 42 between Muncy Valley and Laporte. While this stretch of PA 42 winds through state forest land, trucks are designated to follow the much simpler alignment of US 220, with which PA 42 Truck is cosigned for its entire length. The truck route also terminates at the same intersection as its parent route.
See also
*
*
References
External links
{{commons category
Pennsylvania Highways: PA 42
Pennsylvania Roads - PA 42
042
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
Transportation in Columbia County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Transportation in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania