Virginia State Route 3 is a primary
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in the
U.S. state of
Virginia that extends from the
town of
Culpeper south and eastwardly to
Gloucester in Virginia's
Middle Peninsula region. For many years, a portion was named "Historyland Highway".
Route description
Gloucester to Kilmarnock
SR 3 begins in the community of
Gloucester Courthouse
Gloucester Courthouse is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Gloucester County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,951 at the 2010 census.
History
The Gloucester County Courthouse Square Historic District, Glouce ...
, the unincorporated county seat of
Gloucester County, on Virginia's
Middle Peninsula, at a three-way junction with
U.S. Route 17 Business and
SR 14. SR 14 continues west from the junction along northbound US 17 Business through the central business district of Gloucester Courthouse. SR 3 follows SR 14 east in a
wrong-way concurrency and immediately heads into rural agricultural and residential surroundings as a four-lane
divided highway, called the John Clayton Memorial Highway heading northeast. The two state highways run concurrent until they cross into
Mathews County
Mathews County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,533. Its county seat is Mathews.
Located on the Middle Peninsula, Mathews County is included in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport ...
, and reach the unincorporated village of
James Store, where SR 14 continues east towards the community of
Mathews, the unincorporated county seat of Mathews County along an undivided alignment, while westbound SR 3 turns north onto a two-lane undivided highway, known as Windsor Road. Immediately past the split with SR 14, the state highway passes to the west of
Fort Nonsense, a state historical park, before it continues north through wooded areas with some farm fields, houses, and churches at the clearings. SR 3 meets
SR 198 in the hamlet of
Soles, where it turns east onto another wrong-way concurrency and two-lane alignment with eastbound SR 198; SR 198 continues west from SR 3 towards its intersection with
US 17. The state highway follows SR 198 east along Buckley Hall Road, passing through another mix of woodland and farmland, to another three-way intersection where the two routes split. SR 198 continues east toward Mathews, while SR 3 turns north onto another undivided alignment that is called Twiggs Ferry Road, at the intersection. The state highway heads north through the unincorporated village of
Dixie, before crossing the
Piankatank River and leaving Mathews County.
Upon crossing the Piankatank River, SR 3 enters
Middlesex County in an area of residences with large lots, as it continues to its first junction with
SR 33, which heads east from the junction toward the peninsula community of
Deltaville
Deltaville is a small unincorporated community and census-designated place on the eastern tip of Middlesex County in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. It is known for being a vacation spot for those looking for sailing, fishing, a ...
. SR 3 turns left on westbound SR 33 to head through the unincorporated village of
Hartfield, along a two-lane undivided highway known as the General Puller Highway. The two state highway continue northwest through forested and agricultural surroundings, before expanding again, to a four-lane divided highway. Immediately after the highways widen, SR 3 and SR 33 split, with SR 33 continuing west along the divided highway toward
Saluda, the unincorporated county seat of Middlesex County, and
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
, the capital of the
Commonwealth of Virginia, while SR 3 narrows as it turns northeast onto a two-lane undivided highway called Greys Point Road. The state highway continues through agricultural areas in the unincorporated village of
Topping
Topping may refer to:
* Hill-topping, a mate-acquisition strategy amongst insects
* Topping, slang term for capital punishment, especially hanging or beheading
* Topping (surname), the name of several people
* Topping (agriculture), a practice us ...
, before it passes to the southeast of
Hummel Field
Hummel Field is a public use airport located six nautical miles (11 km) east of the central business district of Saluda, in Middlesex County, Virginia, United States. It is owned by the County Board of Supervisors.
Facilities and aircraft
H ...
, a local airport that serves Saluda. SR 3 comes into
Lancaster County, on its crossing of the
Rappahannock River on the
Robert O. Norris Bridge
The Robert O. Norris Bridge is a truss bridge that spans the Rappahannock River in Virginia, United States and serves as the crossing for State Route 3 over the river between Grey's Point on the Middlesex County side and the town of White Stone ...
, a
truss bridge that has a 14-foot vertical clearance. Past the river, the state highway enters the state's
Northern Neck peninsula, where its name changes to Mary Ball Road, and comes into the town of
White Stone White Stone may refer to:
* White Stone (ski store), a British sports retailer
* White Stone, South Carolina, an unincorporated community in Spartanburg County
* White Stone, Virginia, a town in Lancaster County
* White Stone Lake, a lake in Chis ...
on Rappahannock Drive, where it meets the southern terminus of
SR 200. Past White Stone, SR 3 resumes its Mary Ball Road name, and widens to a four-lane divided highway, before becoming undivided again when it enters the town of
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...
, becoming Main Street. Within Kilmarnock, thru trucks are prohibited and the state highway insects SR 200 again, forming a brief concurrency with that route through town. SR 200 heads south from SR 3 back toward the town of
Irvington, while it heads north from SR 3 towards the community of
Reedville in neighboring
Northumberland County, via a connection with
US 360.
Kilmarnock to Fredericksburg
SR 3 heads north through commercial areas, passing northeast of the
Rappahannock Community College
Rappahannock Community College (RCC) is a public community college with two campuses in Virginia, one in Glenns (Gloucester County) and the other in Warsaw (Richmond County). There are three off-campus sites — one in Kilmarnock, one in King ...
campus in the Kilmarnock Center strip mall. The state highway leaves Kilmarnock and expands to a four-lane divided highway as Mary Ball Road, that heads back into wooded areas. A short distance later, SR 3 narrows to a two-lane undivided highway surrounded by additional farm fields, as it passes through the hamlets of
Brook Vale and
Milestone, before passing through a residential strip in the unincorporated village of
Lancaster, the county seat of Lancaster County. The state highway west through a forested area, before turning north-northwest into open farm fields, where it reaches the unincorporated village of
Lively. Here, SR 3 intersects
SR 201, in which southbound SR 201 provides access to
Belle Isle State Park. The state highway leaves Lively and runs northwest through more rural areas, before it intersects another outlet to Belle Isle State Park,
SR 354. Past SR 354, SR 3 enters
Richmond County as the History Land Highway, passes through the residential hamlet of
Robley, before it passes to the southwest of the center of the unincorporated village of
Farnham
Farnham ( /ˈfɑːnəm/) is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a trib ...
, in an agricultural area. From this point, the state highway runs West-Northwest through a residential strip consisting of farmhouses, as well as open farm fields between Farnham and the hamlet of
Emmerton. Northwest of Emmerton, SR 3 widens again into a divided highway with four lanes, with a wide, grassy median, that crosses over
Totuskey Creek Totuskey Creek is a tributary of the Rappahannock River located in Richmond County, Virginia. The creek meets the river near Wellford, Virginia.
The creek served as the eastern border of Rappahannock Tribe lands. In the 1650s, when colonists began ...
on the Richmond County Veterans Memorial Bridge. From Totuskey Creek, development around the state highway increases again as it curves north into the town of
Warsaw, the county seat of Richmond County. Within Warsaw, SR 3 comes to an intersection with US 360 and the southern terminus of SR 3 Business, while it bypasses the center of town to the east; westbound US 360/SR 3 Business provides access to the center of Warsaw as well as Richmond.
The state highway continues from US 360 along four-lane bypass until SR 3 Business loops back to road, north of the center of Warsaw, where it narrows back two lanes and becomes undivided again. SR 3 intersects the western end of
SR 203, which leads east toward the unincorporated town of
Kinsale, in the village of
Lyells, before it leaves Richmond County; SR 203 also provides access to the villages of
Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
and
Sandy Point, via connections with secondary state highways
SR 616 and
SR 604, respectively. Past Lyells, the state highway comes into
Westmoreland County where its name changes to
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 ...
, through areas of rural residences, before it reaches the agricultural hamlet of
Nomini Grove. At this point, SR 3 heads through wooded areas, where it becomes a four-lane divided highway again that has an intersection with western terminus of
SR 202, which leads east to the village of
Mount Holly as well as Hague. A short distance later, the state highway reaches commercial surroundings and narrows to an undivided road that retains four lanes, heading west into the town of
Montross, the county seat of Westmoreland County. SR 3 narrows to two lanes as it approaches the center of Montross, where it reverse turns and passes east of the Historic Westmoreland County Courthouse, before it leaves town and regains it shoulder. It continues north-northwest through rural forested areas with nearby farms and residences, where it intersects
SR 214, the primary access road to
Stratford Hall, in the hamlet of
Lerty. East of the hamlet of
Baynesville, the route also insects
SR 347, which leads into
Westmoreland State Park
Westmoreland State Park lies within Westmoreland County, Virginia. The park extends about one and a half miles along the Potomac River and covers 1,321 acres. The Horsehead Cliffs provide visitors with a panoramic view of the Potomac River, and l ...
, before it turns northwest again through the hamlet of
Potomac Mills
Potomac Mills is a shopping mall located in Woodbridge, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The first mall developed by the Mills Corporation, it was acquired in 2007 by Simon Property Group.
Simon claims it to be the largest o ...
, prior to coming to an intersection with
SR 204, the primary access road to the
George Washington Birthplace National Monument in the hamlet of
Wakefield Corner. SR 3 turns nearly due west as it reaches the village of
Oak Grove, where it intersects the east end of
SR 205 that loops away to serve the town of
Colonial Beach
Colonial Beach, Virginia (CBVA) is a river and beach town located in the northwestern part of Westmoreland County on Virginia's Northern Neck peninsula. It is bounded by the Potomac River, Monroe Bay and Monroe Creek. It is located from Washingt ...
, as well as providing access to the
James Monroe Family Home Site
James Monroe Family Home Site, also known as James Monroe's Birthplace, is a historic archaeological site located near Oak Grove and Colonial Beach, Westmoreland County, Virginia. The site includes the ruins of the Monroe Family Home and birth ...
.
Past the eastern junction with SR 205, SR 3 heads back into wooded surroundings and then into open farm fields, where it enters
King George County
King George County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 26,723. Its county seat is the town of King George.
The county's largest employer is the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center ...
, east of the village of
Rollins Fork
Rollins is a surname which may refer to:
People
* Adrian Rollins (born 1972), English cricketer
* Al Rollins (1926–1996), Canadian ice hockey goaltender
* Annie Katsura Rollins, American Chinese shadow puppeteer
* Bridgett Rollins (born 1956), ...
. From here, the state highway turns northwest and passes through the rural villages of
Index
Index (or its plural form indices) may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Index (''A Certain Magical Index''), a character in the light novel series ''A Certain Magical Index''
* The Index, an item on a Halo megastru ...
and
Shiloh, before coming to a four-way intersection with
US 301 in the hamlet of
Office Hall
Office Hall is a historic plantation house located at King George Court House, King George County, Virginia. The remaining buildings are a two-story detached kitchen, built about 1805–1820, and a large, pyramidal-roofed smokehouse. Also on the ...
. From US 301, SR 3 widens to a four-lane divided highway that continues through wooded areas, meeting the western end of SR 205 in the hamlet of
Purkins Corner. The state highway curves further westward as it passes through the village of
King George King George may refer to:
People Monarchs
;Bohemia
*George of Bohemia (1420-1471, r. 1458-1471), king of Bohemia
;Duala people of Cameroon
*George (Duala king) (late 18th century), king of the Duala people
;Georgia
* George I of Georgia (998 or ...
, the unincorporated county seat of King George County, where it passes a commercial strip, before narrowing to a two-lane undivided road through the middle of the village. After exiting King George, SR 3 reverts to a four-lane divided highway and reaches an intersection with the western terminus of
SR 206, leading northeast to the unincorporated town of
Dahlgren, and also provides access to
Caledon State Park, in the community of Arnolds Corner. The state highway comes back into rural surroundings in the hamlet of
Comorn, and begins to parallel the Rappahannock River, located a short distance to the south of the road. SR 3 continues through the hamlet of
Graves Corner, before reaching the village of
Sealston, west of which the road enters
Stafford County. The state highway continues through a mix of woods and farm fields, passing through the hamlet of
Little Falls, prior to heading into residential and commercial areas of suburban development. In this area, SR 3 features a parallel route along a branch of
CSX Transportation
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
RF&P Subdivision rail line on the northeast before drawing away from the tracks at a modified T-intersection. In this intersection, the westbound direction utilizes a flyover ramp to access a four-lane controlled access expressway known as the Blue and Gray Parkway, then immediately crosses the Rappahannock River into the independent city of
Fredericksburg; SR 3 Business continues along King's Highway and loops to the north to serve Downtown Fredericksburg.
Fredericksburg to Culpeper
Upon entering the city of Fredericksburg, SR 3 continues along the Blue and Gray Parkway as it reaches an interchange with US 17 Business south of downtown, that also provides access to
SR 2. The state highway then crosses over the RF&P Subdivision line before the expressway ends, at an at-grade intersection with Bellman Road. SR 3 passes to the southwest of the
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park and the athletic campus of the
University of Mary Washington, prior to picking up the western end of SR 3 Business, providing access to the main campus of the university. From here, SR 3 continues west along William Street, taking over that name from SR 3 Business, and continues to full and almost cloverleaf interchanges with
US 1, and
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 ...
and US 17 respectively, in a commercial area. At the I-95/US 17 junction, the highway's name changes to Plank Road and it expands to six lanes, as it heads through more commercial areas and enters
Spotsylvania County. SR 3 narrows back to four lanes, as it reverts to rural surroundings with the terrain becoming more hilly, as it crosses the
Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line from the
Tidewater Region to the
Piedmont Plateau
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the Eastern United States. It is situated between the Atlantic coastal plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New York in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont ...
. Within this area, the state highway passes through the hamlet of
Chancellorsville, which is home to
Chancellorsville Battlefield site, as well as the rural hamlet of
Wilderness Corner, before crossing into
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
just before intersecting the northern terminus of
SR 20, in the village of
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...
; SR 20 provides access to the town of
Orange, the county seat of Orange County, and the city of
Charlottesville, as well as being the primary access road to
James Madison's Montpelier
James Madison's Montpelier, located in Orange County, Virginia, was the plantation house of the Madison family, including Founding Father and fourth president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head ...
.
Upon entering Orange County, SR 3 becomes Germanna Highway and turns northwest through forested areas, before becoming a commercial strip road serving the planned communities in the suburban development of
Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods (french: Lac des Bois, oj, Pikwedina Sagainan) is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. Lake of the Woods is over long and wide, containing more than 14,55 ...
. The state highway heads through more areas of rolling hills before it comes into
Culpeper County
Culpeper County is a county located along the borderlands of the northern and central region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 52,552. Its county seat and only incorporated community is Culp ...
, at the crossing of the
Rapidan River to the northwest of the
Germanna site. SR 3 passes to the northwest of the rural village of
Lignum Lignum is Latin for wood and may refer to:
* '' Gmelina lignum-vitreum'', plant endemic to New Caledonia
* Lignum, common name of ''Muehlenbeckia florulenta'', plant native to inland Australia
* Lignum Crucis, remnants of the True Cross
* Lignum Lt ...
before it curves west through the village of
Stevensburg. From here, the state highway passes mainly open farm fields, before reaching the eastern end of its concurrency with
US 522 in the hamlet of
Winfrey. US 522 heads south from Winfrey toward the town of
Mineral while northbound US 522 joins westbound SR 3 to reach an interchange with
US 15/
US 29
U.S. Route 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida to the western suburbs of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland in the Southern United States, connecting the Florida Panhandle to the Baltimore-Was ...
, a short distance to the west and close to the location of the
National Audio-Visual Conservation Center
The National Audiovisual Conservation Center, also known as the Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation, is the Library of Congress's audiovisual archive located inside Mount Pony in Culpeper, Virginia.
Establishment
From 1969 to 1988, th ...
. Past this interchange US 522/SR 3 reduces to a two-lane undivided road, called Fredericksburg Road and follows it into the town of
Culpeper, the county seat of Culpeper County. SR 3 reaches its western terminus at US 522's four way intersection with US 15 Business. US 522 continues west and north from this intersection into Downtown Culpeper, towards the village of
Sperryville, in adjacent
Rappahannock County
Rappahannock County is a county located in the northern Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, US, adjacent to Shenandoah National Park. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 7,348. Its county seat is Washington. The name "Rappaha ...
, and city of
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
, as well as providing access to the
Culpeper National Cemetery.
History
State Route 7 was defined as part of the original 1918 state highway system from
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
southeast via
Front Royal, and
Culpeper to
Fredericksburg, and then along the
Northern Neck via
Warsaw to
Reedville. This is now approximated by
U.S. Route 522
U.S. Route 522 (US 522) is a spur route of US 22 in the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The U.S. Highway travels in a north-south direction, and runs from US 60 near Powhatan, Virginia, to its northern terminus at ...
, State Route 3, and
U.S. Route 360
U.S. Route 360 (US 360) is a spur route of US 60. The U.S. Highway runs entirely within the state of Virginia from US 58 Business, Virginia State Route 293 (SR 293), and SR 360 in Danville east to SR 644 in Reedville. US 360 connects Danvill ...
.
In late 1921, the
State Highway Commission looked at possible routes between Winchester and Front Royal, specifically via
Middletown to
Cedarville and via
Boyce,
White Post,
Stone Bridge, and
Rockland Rockland may refer to:
People
*Per Bergsland, nicknamed Peter Rockland, one of three successful escapees from Stalag Luft III (the "Great Escape")
Places
;In Canada
*Rockland, Greater Victoria
*Rockland, Nova Scotia
*Rockland, Ontario
;In the Uni ...
to Cedarville, and decided on the direct route via
Double Toll Gate.
SR 7 at first ran from
Montross via
Templeman to
Warsaw and then east via
Heathsville to Reedville. By late 1922, a branch northwest from
Callao
Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists o ...
via
Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
to Templeman was added and assigned the
State Route 7-X designation.
In the
1923 renumbering, SR 7 became State Route 37 (and SR 7-X became
State Route 371). By the end of that year, SR 37's east end was moved from Reedville to
Westland,
and the old road between Warsaw and Reedville became part of SR 371.
Major intersections
Special routes
Fredericksburg Business Route
State Route 3 Business runs through historic
Fredericksburg primarily along William Street and the Kings Highway, although a one-way split of the route exists between Washington Avenue and Amelia Street.
Warsaw Business Route
State Route 3 Business in
Warsaw includes Main Street and a concurrency with
US 360.
References
{{s-end
003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to:
*003, fictional British 00 Agent
*003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986)
*1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen
* OO3 gauge model railway
*''O03 (O2)'' and other related ...
State Route 003
State Route 003
State Route 003
State Route 003
State Route 003
State Route 003
State Route 003
State Route 003
State Route 003
State Route 003
State Route 003
State Route 003
1933 establishments in Virginia