U.S. Route 1 (US 1) is a part of the
U.S. Highway System that extends from
Key West, Florida
Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...
, to the
Canada–United States border
The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: ...
at
Fort Kent, Maine. In the
U.S. state of
New York, US 1 extends from the
George Washington Bridge in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
to the
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...
state line at
Port Chester. It closely parallels
Interstate 95 (I-95) for much of its course, and does not serve as a major
trunk road within the state. It is not
concurrent with any other highways besides I-95 and (briefly)
US 9, and few other state highways intersect it.
It travels through a variety of different terrain within the city and
Westchester County
Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...
, from the
Cross Bronx Expressway
The Cross Bronx Expressway is a major freeway in the New York City borough of the Bronx. It is mainly designated as part of Interstate 95 (I-95), but also includes portions of I-295 and U.S. Route 1 (US 1). The Cross Bronx begins ...
to several important surface roads in the northwestern
Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
and then the main street of the Westchester suburbs along
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
. In many of the latter communities, it begins to intermittently follow the route of the historic
Boston Post Road, and often still carries that name.
US 1 was designated as part of the 1926 establishment of the U.S. Highway System. It was first signed in New York in 1927, replacing New York State Route 1 (NY 1), a route assigned three years earlier as part of the creation of the modern New York state route system.
Route description
US 1 enters New York concurrent with I-95 and US 9, but returns to a solo surface route a short distance into the Bronx. It remains a busy urban and suburban artery all the way to Connecticut, often four lanes wide and serving as the main street of many of the communities it passes through once it leaves the city. I-95 returns to close proximity in the suburbs as well, and the two roads intersect twice.
New York City
US 1 enters
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
on the
George Washington Bridge together with
I-95 and
US 9. The
concurrency between US 1 and US 9 that began at
Woodbridge 31 miles (50 km) to the south ends at the first exit, when US 9 splits to the north to follow
Broadway. The expressway continues another mile, crossing under several buildings in short tunnels, before crossing the
Harlem River via the
Alexander Hamilton Bridge into the
Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
. It is bookended by an exit to the
Harlem River Drive on the west and the
Major Deegan Expressway
Interstate 87 (I-87) is a north–south Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of New York. It is most of the main highway between New York City and Montreal. The highway begins at exit 47 off I-278 in the New York ...
(
I-87) on the east.
The busy highway, now known as the
Cross Bronx Expressway
The Cross Bronx Expressway is a major freeway in the New York City borough of the Bronx. It is mainly designated as part of Interstate 95 (I-95), but also includes portions of I-295 and U.S. Route 1 (US 1). The Cross Bronx begins ...
, continues another 2 miles (3 km) until US 1 leaves it at
Webster Avenue
Webster Avenue is a major north–south thoroughfare in the Bronx, New York City, United States. It stretches for from Melrose to Woodlawn (on the Bronx- Westchester borderline). The road starts at the intersection of Melrose Avenue, East 165t ...
, one of the Bronx's longest streets, in the
Tremont section of the borough, on a northerly heading. A mile and a half beyond the Cross Bronx, US 1 turns right (east) onto
Fordham Road, near the
eponymous university. At this busy transportation hub, the road also crosses the
Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority of the U.S. state of New York and under contract with the Connectic ...
at the
Fordham station. Due to the prohibition of left turns from Fordham Road to Webster Avenue, southbound traffic on US 1 requires taking a detour onto Washington Avenue and East 189th Street.
US 1's eastward heading trends to the south as it enters
Bronx Park a mile to the east, after a complex junction with
Southern Boulevard. In the park, it crosses the
Bronx River, where it trends back to the north again, and has a full
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 the
Bronx River Parkway
The Bronx River Parkway (sometimes abbreviated as the Bronx Parkway) is a long parkway in downstate New York in the United States. It is named for the nearby Bronx River, which it parallels. The southern terminus of the parkway is at Story Aven ...
. Immediately following that, it turns north on Boston Road, the first section of the
Boston Post Road it follows into Connecticut. This slants northeast across the eastern outskirts of
Williamsbridge
Williamsbridge is a neighborhood geographically located in the north-central portion of the Bronx in New York City. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are East 222nd Street to the north, Boston Road to the east, East G ...
past
Gun Hill Road into
Eastchester, where it starts to veer eastward again, to a route more closely parallel with I-95. At Provost Avenue,
New York State Route 22
New York State Route 22 (NY 22) is a north–south state highway that parallels the eastern border of the U.S. state of New York, from the outskirts of New York City to the hamlet of Mooers in Clinton County near the Canadian border ...
(NY 22), New York's longest north–south route, starts a journey to the
Canadian border. After leaving Provost Avenue, US 1 then crosses the
Eastchester Bridge named for the neighborhood it passes through. The bridge passes over the
Hutchinson River
The Hutchinson River is a freshwater stream located in the Bronx, and Southern Westchester County, New York. The river forms in Scarsdale at Brookline Road and flows 10 miles (16 km) south until it empties into Eastchester Bay in ...
, and then descends towards Ropes Avenue to the south, where it leaves New York City.
Westchester County
One-quarter mile into the village of
Pelham Manor, the
Hutchinson River Parkway crosses over, with access available in both directions. Now Boston Post Road, it crosses the village and, another mile to the northeast, has another interchange at I-95 (now the New England Thruway) just after entering
New Rochelle at Pelham Country Club. Just after that it crosses under
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...
'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 mile past that junction, in New Rochelle's busy downtown, US 1 divides, with northbound traffic staying on Main Street while Huguenot Street takes southbound drivers. The roads rejoin after another mile, at Pratt Street, as the surrounding neighborhood becomes more residential. New Rochelle gives way to
Larchmont
Larchmont is a village located within the Town of Mamaroneck in Westchester County, New York, approximately northeast of Midtown Manhattan. The population of the village was 5,864 at the 2010 census. In February 2019, Bloomberg ranked Lar ...
after another mile, and returns to being Boston Post Road. A mile and a half later, after passing through downtown,
NY 125, a short route to
White Plains, leaves to the north at Weaver Street. The junction with NY 125 is just north of the Larchmont village limits.
After another few blocks, US 1 comes to the
Mamaroneck
Mamaroneck ( ) is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States.
The population was 31,758 at the 2020 United States census over 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of ...
town line. Here it comes closer to
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
when it passes Harbor Island Park a mile from the municipal boundary, and then enters the
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
at Mamaroneck Avenue. A mile past that junction and downtown,
NY 127, also bound for White Plains, forks left at Keeler Avenue as US 1 itself begins to trend more to the east into
Rye, passing
Rye Neck High School
Rye Neck High School is a public secondary school located in the Village of Mamaroneck, New York and the Town of Rye, New York. It is part of the Rye Neck Union Free School District and is connected to Rye Neck Middle School. Rye Neck High School ...
at the town line.
To the right of the wooded area to the north is the
Boston Post Road Historic District, a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...
characterized by mansions and homes that have remained unchanged since before the Civil War including the
1838 Peter Augustus Jay House, Lounsberry and Whitby Castle. The road begins to head more to the north after passing it and Rye Golf Club, to its intersection with
Playland Parkway, which leads to the popular
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
, Rye's other National Historic Landmark.
One mile past this junction, US 1 crosses downtown Rye, where
NY 120 forks off to the north at Purchase Street, and then passes through the junction that marks the eastern terminus of
I-287
Interstate 287 (I-287) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US states of New Jersey and New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving the northern half of New Jersey and the counties of Rockland and Westchester in N ...
, the Cross-Westchester Expressway, crossing it and I-95 again in the process, with access to both. Immediately afterward it enters
Port Chester, its last community in New York.
It curves a bit toward the east here, crossing the railroad tracks again after an industrial area, then turning left on South Main Street to follow a more northern route through the working-class city's busy downtown, where
NY 120A touches at Westchester and King streets to eventually follow the New York–Connecticut border back to its parent route.
Now North Main Street, US 1 continues through downtown Port Chester to cross under the tracks again. Traffic lessens here as the neighborhood grows less commercial, and a half-mile later, at Putnam Avenue, the road crosses the
Byram River into
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich (, ) is a town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast, Greenwich is home to many hedge funds and othe ...
at the beginning of a brief split (southbound traffic enters New York on Hillside Avenue).
History
US 1 roughly follows the old
Boston Post Road, an early colonial highway between
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
originally laid out in 1673 for transporting mail and later utilized for stage coach travel. The old Boston Post Road began in
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan (also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York) is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with ...
and went north across the length of Manhattan. It crossed into the mainland on
Kingsbridge, then continued through a largely abandoned road to
Williamsbridge
Williamsbridge is a neighborhood geographically located in the north-central portion of the Bronx in New York City. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are East 222nd Street to the north, Boston Road to the east, East G ...
, then across the northern part of the Bronx along Bussing Avenue. It then continued into Westchester County along Kingsbridge Road, South Columbus Avenue, Colonial Avenue, and Kings Highway to present US 1. From there the old Boston Post Road roughly followed modern US 1 into
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...
. By 1797, a new bridge over the Harlem River, approximately at the site of the
Third Avenue Bridge, had been constructed. This significantly shortened the route out of Manhattan and this new alignment became the preferred route. The new alignment used
Third Avenue
Third Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, as well as in the center portion of the Bronx. Its southern end is at Astor Place and St. Mark's Place. It transitions into Cooper Squ ...
and
Boston Road in the Bronx, then continued along modern US 1 through Westchester County.
In 1800, the Westchester Turnpike company was chartered to build and maintain a toll road between New York City and Connecticut. The company straightened out the old Boston Post Road in Westchester County to more or less the modern alignment of US 1. By the middle of the 19th century, most of the toll roads had been dissolved and the roads reverted to public management. In the beginning of the 20th century, the state highway system was established in New York and most of the main thoroughfares came under the control of the State Highway Department. Highways were first publicly marked with route numbers in 1924. The old Westchester Turnpike alignment was designated as NY 1, which matched the route number across the Connecticut state line. NY 1 ended at the New York city limits since roads in the city were not under the control of the State Highway Department.
In 1926, the
U.S. Highway system was established. US 1 in New York was designated from
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.[Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich (, ) is a town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast, Greenwich is home to many hedge funds and othe ...]
. Old NY 1 was incorporated into the new US 1. However, because New York city did not post route numbers, US 1 ended at the
42nd Street Ferry landing in
Weehawken
Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197. (where the old
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway is the first transcontinental highway in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 191 ...
crossed into the city) and resumed again at the Bronx–Westchester boundary. By 1928, the
Holland Tunnel opened and the end of US 1 on the New Jersey side was moved there.
For several years, the Automobile Club of New York had been lobbying New York City to sign state highways within the city, including US 1. Their proposal was to sign US 1 from the Holland Tunnel, then along
Houston Street and
Second Avenue, then crossing the Harlem River along the
Willis Avenue Bridge, then via Southern Boulevard, West Farms Road, and Boston Road. In December 1934, New York City finally agreed to sign routes within the city. By this time, the new
George Washington Bridge had opened and it was decided that US 1 and
US 9 would be routed through there. The old proposed US 1 alignment through Manhattan became
NY 1A. When first signed in New York City, US 1 utilized 181st Street, then crossed the Harlem River on the
Washington Bridge, and then continued on University Avenue and Fordham Road before continuing on modern US 1. In 1977, US 1 was moved to Webster Avenue and the
Cross Bronx Expressway
The Cross Bronx Expressway is a major freeway in the New York City borough of the Bronx. It is mainly designated as part of Interstate 95 (I-95), but also includes portions of I-295 and U.S. Route 1 (US 1). The Cross Bronx begins ...
, crossing the Harlem River using the
Alexander Hamilton Bridge.
Suffixed routes
US 1 once had as many as three suffixed routes; however, all three were eliminated by the 1960s.
*
NY 1A is a former alternate route of US 1 via the
Holland Tunnel and
lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan (also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York) is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with ...
. It existed from 1934 to .
*The NY 1B designation was used for two distinct highways:
**The first NY 1B was a connector between NY 1A at
Pelham Bay Park and US 1 in
New Rochelle that utilized Shore Road, Pelham Road, and Echo Avenue. When it was assigned , it ended at the
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
line. The route was extended into
the Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...
in the late 1930s,
but removed .
**The
second NY 1B is a former designation for the
Major Deegan Expressway
Interstate 87 (I-87) is a north–south Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of New York. It is most of the main highway between New York City and Montreal. The highway begins at exit 47 off I-278 in the New York ...
(now part of
I-87). The route was assigned
and removed by 1947.
*
NY 1X is a former designation for a portion of the
Hutchinson River Parkway. It existed from 1941 to 1946.
Major intersections
See also
*
*
*
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:U.S. Route 001 In New York
01
1 New York
Transportation in Manhattan
Transportation in the Bronx
Transportation in Westchester County, New York
Pelham, New York
Port Chester, New York
Rye, New York
Larchmont, New York
Mamaroneck, New York
Transportation in New Rochelle, New York