U.S. Route 1 (US 1) is a

United States highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...

which parallels the

East Coast of the United States The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...

, running 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 ...

in the south to

Fort Kent, Maine Fort Kent is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States, situated at the confluence of the Fish River and the Saint John River, on the border with New Brunswick, Canada. The population was 4,067 in the 2020 census. Fort Kent is home to a ...

at the

Canadian 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 ...

border in the north. Of the entire length of the route, of it runs through

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. It enters the state from

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, ...

on the

Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge The Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge is one of three road bridges connecting Trenton, New Jersey with Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Opened on December 1, 1952, it carries U.S. Route 1 (US 1) and is owned and operated by the Delaware ...

over the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

in the state capital of Trenton, running through the city on the Trenton Freeway. From here, US 1 continues northeast as a surface

divided highway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...

through suburban areas continuing into Middlesex County and passing through

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

and

Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These invention ...

. US 1 merges with US 9 in

Woodbridge Woodbridge may refer to: Places Australia *Woodbridge, Western Australia formerly called ''West Midland'' *Woodbridge, Tasmania Canada *Woodbridge, Ontario England *Woodbridge, Suffolk, the location of ** Woodbridge (UK Parliament constituency ...

, and the two routes continue through northern New Jersey as US 1/9 to the

George Washington Bridge The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee, New Jersey, with Manhattan in New York City. The bridge is named after George Washington, the first president of the United St ...

over the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

in Fort Lee. At this point, the road continues into

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 ...

along with I-95. The current alignment of US 1 between Trenton and New Brunswick was chartered as the

Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike Route 26 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States, running along Livingston Avenue from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in North Brunswick Township northeast to Nassau Street at the border of New Brunswick. Prior to the 1953 renumbering, the r ...

in 1803 and struggled throughout its 100-year existence. In 1913, the

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, 1913 ...

across the United States was created and connected Trenton to

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

within New Jersey. The Lincoln Highway was legislated as Route 13 between Trenton and New Brunswick in 1917 and as part of Route 1 between New Brunswick and

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

, later extended to

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.US 1/9 Truck to Jersey City, where it continued to the

Holland Tunnel The Holland Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River that connects the New York City neighborhood of Hudson Square in Lower Manhattan to the east with Jersey City in New Jersey to the west. The tunnel is operated by the Port Author ...

. In 1927, the Lincoln Highway portion of US 1 became Route 27. The current alignment of US 1 between Trenton and Newark was legislated as Route 26, Route S26 and Route 25, while the current route north from Jersey City to the George Washington Bridge became Route 1 and Route 6. In subsequent years, US 1 was moved onto its current routing between Trenton and the George Washington Bridge. The state highways running concurrent with US 1 were removed in 1953, around the same time the route was moved to the Trenton Freeway within Trenton and the old alignment became US 1 Alternate, part of which is now US 1 Business. By 1969, the Trenton Freeway was extended north to Whitehead Road in Lawrence Township, and that segment became Route 174. When the Trenton Freeway was completed north to US 1, the US 1 designation was shifted to the freeway, replacing Route 174.

Route description

Mercer County

U.S. Route 1 crosses the

into New Jersey on the

, which is maintained by the

Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) is a bistate, public agency that maintains and operates river crossings connecting the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The agency's jurisdiction stretches roughly along the Dela ...

. Once in Trenton, US 1 becomes the Trenton Freeway and is maintained by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

. US 1 meets Route 29 at a partial

diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...

just north of the river. As the road heads through the downtown area with

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

’s

Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...

running next to the route on the east side, it has a southbound exit and entrance with Warren Street that provides access to the

New Jersey State House The New Jersey State House is located in Trenton and is the capitol building for the U.S. state of New Jersey. Built in 1792, it is the third-oldest state house in continuous legislative use in the United States; only the Maryland State Capit ...

. It then comes to an interchange with the northern terminus of

Route 129 The following highways are numbered 129: Canada * Ontario Highway 129 * Prince Edward Island Route 129 Costa Rica * National Route 129 India * National Highway 129 (India) Japan * Japan National Route 129 United States * Interstate 129 * ...

as well as the western terminus of Route 33 near the

Trenton Transit Center Trenton Transit Center is the main passenger train station in Trenton, New Jersey. It is the southernmost stop in New Jersey on the Northeast Corridor. It is the terminus for NJ Transit trains to and from New York City and SEPTA Trenton Line ...

serving Amtrak,

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

Northeast Corridor Line The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail service operated by NJ Transit between the Trenton Transit Center and New York Penn Station on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor in the United States. The service is the successor to Pennsylvania Railroad ...

and River Line, and

SEPTA The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...

Trenton Line The Trenton Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail (commuter rail) system. The route serves the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with service in Bucks County along the Delaware River to Trenton, New Jersey. Route Trenton L ...

. At this point, the Trenton Freeway turns onto a depressed alignment, with

Conrail Shared Assets Operations Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) is the commonly used name for modern-day Conrail (reporting mark CRCX), an American railroad company. It operates three networks, the North Jersey, South Jersey/Philadelphia, and Detroit Shared Assets Area ...

' (CSAO) Enterprise Industrial Track closely parallel to the east, and comes to an interchange with Perry Street. The route turns northeast directly over the

Delaware and Raritan Canal The Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal) is a canal in central New Jersey, built in the 1830s, that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadel ...

, which still flows underneath, and has an exit for Olden Avenue. The freeway has a northbound ramp for Mulberry Street before the parallel railroad tracks curve east away from the road and there is a northbound exit and southbound entrance from the median that provides access to US 1 Business and US 206. Past this interchange, US 1 continues into Lawrence Township, where the surroundings become more wooded as the freeway has an exit for Whitehead Road. Along this stretch, the freeway closely parallels the canal, which emerges from under the freeway just north of Mulberry Street. The Trenton Freeway ends at the point US 1 Business merges back into US 1. Here, US 1 becomes a 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 ...

surface road with

jughandle A jughandle is a type of ramp or slip road that changes the way traffic turns left at an at-grade intersection (in a country where traffic drives on the right). Instead of a standard left turn being made from the left lane, left-turning traffic ...

s called the Herbert Highway that is lined with suburban businesses. Continuing northeast, the first intersection along this road is with the eastern terminus of CR 546 (Franklin Corner Road). After this intersection, the road crosses the Delaware & Raritan Canal again prior to a modified

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

I-295 Interstate 295 is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States: *Interstate 295 (Delaware–Pennsylvania), a bypass of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania *Interstate 295 (Florida), a beltway around central Jacksonville *Interstate 29 ...

. Past this point, US 1 widens to six lanes as it has an interchange providing access to the

Quaker Bridge Mall Quaker Bridge Mall is a two-level super-regional mall located in the Clarksville section of Lawrence Township, New Jersey. As of 2022, the mall currently features the traditional tenants Macy's, and JCPenney. The mall currently features prominent ...

to the east of the route. A short distance later, there is a cloverleaf interchange with CR 533 (Quakerbridge Road). Upon crossing CR 533, the road enters West Windsor Township. After an interchange with Meadow Road, US 1 continues past corporate parks prior to an interchange with Alexander Road. Following this interchange, the road passes under NJ Transit's

Princeton Branch The Princeton Branch is a commuter rail line and service owned and operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The line is a short branch of the Northeast Corridor Line, running from Princeton Junction northwest to Prin ...

and comes to

CR 571 County Route 571 (CR 571) is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Route 37 in Toms River Township to Route 27 in Princeton. Though it is designated a north–south county route by the New Jersey Department ...

(also signed as CR 526) at the modified

Penns Neck Circle This is a list of traffic circles in New Jersey. The U.S. state of New Jersey at one point had a total of 101 traffic circles, 44 of which were part of State highway, state roads. However, the number has shrunk as traffic circles have been phas ...

, which US 1 runs straight through. Past this intersection, the road passes near farmland. Studies are being conducted to implement the

Central New Jersey Route 1 BRT Bus rapid transit in New Jersey comprises limited-stop bus service, exclusive bus lanes (XBL) and bus bypass shoulders (BBS). Under the banner ''Next Generation Bus'' New Jersey Transit (NJT), the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), ...

, a bus rapid transit system utilizing the highway that would radiate from Princeton Junction.

Middlesex County

Upon crossing the

Millstone River The Millstone River is a tributary of the Raritan River in central New Jersey in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002. The Millstone River begins in western Monmouth County and flows westward throu ...

, US 1 enters Plainsboro Township, where it passes more business parks and comes to an interchange with Scudders Mill Road. Past Scudders Mill Road, the road runs to the west of the James Forrestal Campus of

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

before passing to the east of

Forrestal Village Forrestal Village is a , mixed-use retail and office complex in Plainsboro Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, along Route 1. Despite being in Plainsboro it has a Princeton address. It is just north of Princeton University's Forrestal cam ...

. An interchange with College Road a short distance later provides access to both places. The route continues into South Brunswick, where it narrows to four lanes and runs through a mix of rural areas and development. US 1 briefly widens back to six lanes as it reaches an intersection with CR 522. Past CR 522, the surroundings of the four-lane road become more forested, with a few commercial establishments. The road briefly forms the border between South Brunswick to the northwest and

North Brunswick North Brunswick is a Township (New Jersey), township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. It is centrally located in the Raritan River, Raritan Valley region within the New York Metropolitan area. At the ...

to the southeast before fully entering North Brunswick. Here, the route widens to six lanes again and comes to an interchange with the southern terminus of Route 91 (Jersey Avenue), where US 1 makes a turn to the east-northeast. Immediately after this interchange, the route passes over Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and comes to an exit for the south end of Route 26 (Livingston Avenue). The road reaches the northern terminus of US 130 and the southern terminus of Route 171 (Georges Road) at an interchange. A short distance later, US 1 has access to Milltown Road through an interchange. The road passes by

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

college farm before turning northeast and coming to a cloverleaf interchange with Ryders Lane. After this interchange, US 1 crosses into

, where it has an interchange with Route 18/ CR 527. Upon crossing the

Raritan River Raritan River is a major river of New Jersey. Its Drainage basin, watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. History Geologists assert that the lower Rar ...

on the

Donald and Morris Goodkind Bridges The Donald and Morris Goodkind Bridges are a pair of bridges on U.S. Route 1 in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The bridges cross the Raritan River, connecting Edison on the north bank with New Brunswick on the south. The northbound span, a concr ...

, US 1 enters

and continues north into developed suburban areas before turning northeast and meeting CR 514 (Woodbridge Avenue) at an interchange. A short distance later, the route crosses CR 529 (Plainfield Avenue) at an at-grade intersection. Lined with businesses, the road continues across CSAO's Bonhamtown Industrial Track line and comes to two close interchanges with CR 531 (Main Street) and

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 ...

. Past here, US 1 passes under the Middlesex Greenway and comes to an interchange with CR 501 (Amboy Avenue). In this area, US 1 passes to the east of the

Menlo Park Mall Menlo Park Mall is a two-level super regional shopping mall, located on U.S. Route 1 and Parsonage Road in Edison, New Jersey. The mall has a gross leasable area of .Woodbridge Township, where it comes to a partial interchange with the

Garden State Parkway The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May to the New York state line at Montvale. Its name refers to New Jersey ...

. Following this interchange, US 1 comes to the

Woodbridge Center Woodbridge Center is a major two-level shopping mall located in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey at the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 9. As of 2022, the mall currently features Macy's, Boscov's, J. C. Penney, and Dick's Sporting Good ...

shopping mall on the east side of the road. US 1 passes over CSAO's

Port Reading Secondary The Port Reading Secondary, also known as the Port Reading Branch, is a railway line in New Jersey. It runs from a junction with the Lehigh Line in Bound Brook, New Jersey, to Port Reading, New Jersey, on the Arthur Kill. Originally built by t ...

line and crosses Green Street (

CR 604 CR or Cr may refer to: In business * Conversion rate, in marketing * Credit Record, in accounting * Crown Royal, a brand of Canadian whisky Organizations Religious organizations * Celtic reconstructionism, a form of Polytheism * Congregation of ...

) prior to merging with

US 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, betwe ...

US 1/9 concurrency

US 1 and US 9 become concurrent upon merging in Woodbridge Township and continue through developed areas, interchanging with Route 35. Upon entering Union County, US 1/9 pass through

Rahway Rahway () is a city in southern Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A bedroom community of New York City, it is centrally located in the Rahway Valley region, in the New York metropolitan area. The city is southwest of Manhattan ...

and Linden, interchanging with

I-278 Interstate 278 (I-278) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in New Jersey and New York in the United States. The road runs from US Route 1/9 (US 1/9) in Linden, New Jersey, northeast to the Bruckner Interchange in the New York ...

in Linden. The road continues into urban

, crossing Route 439 before turning into a freeway prior to meeting Route 81 near

Newark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Count ...

. US 1/9 continues along the west end of the airport into

, Essex County, reaching the

Newark Airport Interchange The Newark Airport Interchange is a massive interchange of Interstate 78, U.S. Route 1-9, U.S. Route 22, New Jersey Route 21, and Interstate 95 (the New Jersey Turnpike) at the northern edge of Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New ...

with

I-78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...

US 22 U.S. Route 22 (US 22) is a west–east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at U.S. Route 27, US 27, U.S. Route 42, US 42, U.S. Route 127, US 127, and U.S. Route 52, US 52 to Newark, New ...

, and Route 21. From this interchange, the road continues northeast through industrial areas to an interchange with US 1/9 Truck that provides access to the

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...

(I-95). US 1/9 continue onto the

Pulaski Skyway The Pulaski Skyway is a four-lane bridge-causeway in the Gateway Region, northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey, carrying an freeway, expressway designated U.S. Route 1/9 (US 1/9) for most of its length. The structure has a ...

, which carries the route over the

Passaic River Passaic River ( ) is a river, approximately long, in Northern New Jersey. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey, ...

into

Hudson County Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...

, crossing over Kearny and the

Hackensack River The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the subur ...

before coming into

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Tonnele Circle The Tonnele Circle is an intersection in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. It is named after Tonnele TUN-uh-lee"Avenue, the north–south road that runs through it. Entrances and exits Entrances to and exits from Tonnele Circle are lis ...

with US 1/9 Truck and Route 139, and US 1/9 continues north along at-grade Tonnelle Avenue toward

North Bergen North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 63,361. The township was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by a ...

, where the road intersects Route 3 and Route 495. Crossing into

Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Fairview and Ridgefield before heading into Palisades Park. Here, the two routes join US 46, and the combined road heads north into Fort Lee. US 1/9/46 come to an interchange with I-95,

US 9W U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the states of New Jersey and New York. It begins in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as Fletcher Avenue crosses the US 1–9, US 46, and the Interstate 95 (I-95) approache ...

, and

Route 4 Route 4, or Highway 4, may refer to several highways in the following countries: International * AH4, Asian Highway 4 * European route E04 * European route E004 * Cairo – Cape Town Highway Albania * SH-4 road in Albania from Durres to Kakav ...

, where it joins I-95 to head east to the

over the

. At this point, US 46 ends and I-95 and US 1/9 continue into

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

Trans-Manhattan Expressway Interstate 95 (I-95) is part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Miami, Florida, to the Canada–United States border near Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of New York, I-95 extends from the George Washington Bridge in New Yor ...

History

What is now US 1 between Trenton and New Brunswick was originally chartered as the

in 1803. Throughout its history, the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike faced stiff competition from canals such as the Delaware & Raritan Canal and railroads such as the

Camden and Amboy Railroad The United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company (UNJ&CC) was a railroad company which began as the important Camden & Amboy Railroad (C&A), whose 1830 lineage began as one of the eight or ten earliest permanent North AmericanList of Earliest Am ...

. In the later part of the 19th century, the turnpike company folded and the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

took over ownership of the turnpike. When the charter for the Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike expired in 1903, it became a public road. When the first numbered highways were legislated in New Jersey in 1916, the present day US 1 between New Brunswick and Elizabeth was to become a part of Route 1, a route that was to connect Trenton and Elizabeth. Between Trenton and New Brunswick, this route was to follow present-day Route 33 and US 130. In 1922, an extension of Route 1 was legislated to continue north from Elizabeth to the

in Jersey City. When 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 hi ...

was established in 1926, the routing of US 1 in New Jersey was to follow the

from the

Lower Trenton Bridge The Lower Trenton Toll Supported Bridge, commonly called the Lower Free Bridge, Warren Street Bridge or Trenton Makes Bridge, is a two-lane Pennsylvania (Petit) through truss bridge over the Delaware River between Trenton, New Jersey and Mor ...

in Trenton to Newark, which was Route 13 between Trenton and New Brunswick and Route 1 north of there. From Newark, the route followed present-day US 1/9 Truck east toward Jersey City, where it was to head to the Holland Tunnel. The Lincoln Highway the first transcontinental highway in the United States created in 1913 to link New York City to

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. Route 13 had been legislated along the Trenton to New Brunswick portion in 1917. NJ S26 (cutout)

In the

1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering In 1927, New Jersey's state highways were renumbered. The old system, which had been defined in sequence by the legislature since 1916, was growing badly, as several routes shared the same number, and many unnumbered state highways had been d ...

, the alignment of US 1 between Trenton and Newark became

Route 27 Route 27, or Highway 27, may refer to: Australia * Burke Developmental Road (Queensland) * Zeehan Highway (Tasmania) Canada * Alberta Highway 27 * British Columbia Highway 27 * Manitoba Highway 27 * Prince Edward Island Route 27 * Saskatchewan ...

, while the proposed Route 1 Extension became part of Route 25. In addition, Route 26 was designated along the former Trenton and New Brunswick Turnpike, while the current US 1 between Route 26 and US 130 became Route S26. North of current US 130, present-day US 1 to Newark also became a part of Route 25. The current US 1/9 between the Tonnele Circle and the George Washington Bridge meanwhile became parts of Route 1 and Route 6.State of New Jersey, Laws of 1927, Chapter 319. The Route 1 Extension, now designated Route 25, was complete in 1928 with the exception of the Pulaski Skyway. This road was considered the first superhighway in the United States. After the Pulaski Skyway opened in 1932, US 1 along with US 9 was rerouted to use it. By the 1930s, US 1 was routed to use Route 26, Route S26, and Route 25 between Trenton and Newark instead of Route 27. US 1 and US 9 were routed to use the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River instead of the Holland Tunnel by the 1940s, following Route 1 and US 46/Route 6 between the Tonnele Circle and the George Washington Bridge. The Trenton Freeway, a freeway through the city of Trenton, was first planned in 1950 to provide a bypass of Trenton and a connection to the new Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge. This freeway opened in December 1952 and became part of both US 1 and Route 26. In the

1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering On January 1, 1953, the New Jersey Highway Department renumbered many of the State Routes. This renumbering was first proposed in 1951 in order to reduce confusion to motorists. A few rules were followed in deciding what to renumber: *No state ro ...

that followed a month later, all the state highways running concurrent with US 1 were removed. In addition, US 1/9 Truck was designated as a bypass of the Pulaski Skyway (replacing Route 25T) and US 1/9 Business (now Route 139) was designated on the former Route 25 between the Tonnele Circle and the Holland Tunnel. Also, after the US 1 designation was moved to the Trenton Freeway, the former route through Trenton would become US 1 Alternate. During the development of the

Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...

, New Jersey and Pennsylvania considered having I-95 cross over the Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge, and continue north on the existing US 1. The project was opposed due to inadequate highway standards (lack of shoulder ramps, and only two lanes in each direction). During this time, both states sought alternate routes for the proposed I-95. In 1960, New Jersey and Pennsylvania decided to designate the

Scudder Falls Bridge The Scudder Falls Bridge is a toll bridge that carries Interstate 295 (I-295) over the Delaware River, connecting Lower Makefield Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with the Scudders Falls section of Ewing Township in Mercer County, ...

as I-95. By 1969, an extension of the Trenton Freeway from the current left-hand exit to US 1 Business/US 206 to Whitehead Road was completed and received the Route 174 designation. In 1967, the

recommended an extension of the Trenton Freeway from Whitehead Road to the traffic light at Bakers Basin Road and Franklin Corner Road. Once the extension was completed by the 1980s, the route number was then changed from Route 174 to US 1. The former alignment of US 1 along surface streets in Trenton was renumbered to US 1 Business, while the US 1 Alternate was dropped. There had been plans to create a west–east spur of the New Jersey Turnpike called Route 92. It was to begin just north of the intersection of Ridge Road and U.S. Route 1 in South Brunswick and terminate at the mainline of the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) at Exit 8A in Monroe Township. This proposal was cancelled on December 1, 2006, after the

New Jersey Turnpike Authority The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge Towns ...

decided to use funds to widen the mainline turnpike instead. By the 1990s, many traffic lights along the segment of US 1 in West Windsor and Plainsboro were removed and replaced with exit ramps and overpasses. As a result, the traffic lights at Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro Road, Alexander Road, and Meadow Road were eliminated. This was followed by building ramps to replace the traffic light at US 130 and US 1 located North Brunswick, completed in 2003. An environmental impact study has been conducted by Rutgers University’s Transportation Policy Institute and Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution to improve US 1 through the Penns Neck area. This project would eliminate the Penns Neck Circle where US 1 meets Washington Road (CR 571) and move US 1 onto a new freeway alignment in the area. In addition, CR 571 is planned to be realigned to intersect US 1 further to the north. In 2009, the segment of US 1 between I-287 in Edison and the Garden State Parkway in Woodbridge was rebuilt to include new ramps at several intersections and removed access to a couple of roads in a $53.9 million project that was intended to alleviate traffic and make this section safer. In 2013, the road was one of three that tied for the #1 ranking on the Tri-State Transportation Campaign's list of the top ten most dangerous roads for pedestrians in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. The route, along with

U.S. Route 40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America, is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid-Atlantic States. As with most routes wh ...

U.S. Route 322 U.S. Route 322 (US 322) is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926. A portion of it at one time was concurrent with ...

Atlantic County Atlantic County is a county located along the southern coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county had a population of 274,534.U.S. Route 130 U.S. Route 130 (US 130) is a U.S. Highway that is a spur route of U.S. Route 30, located completely within the state of New Jersey. It is signed with north and south cardinal directions, following a general northeast–southwest diagonal path, wi ...

(Burlington Pike) in

Burlington County Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Holly.

, were so ranked due to the nine pedestrian deaths that occurred on each of those roads from 2009 to 2011.

Major intersections

Related routes

There are two remaining bannered spurs of US 1 in the state of New Jersey: * U.S. Route 1 Business in Trenton *

U.S. Route 1-9 Truck U.S. Route 1/9 Truck (US 1/9 Truck) is a U.S. Route in the northern part of New Jersey that stretches from the eastern edge of Newark to the Tonnele Circle in Jersey City. It is the alternate road for US 1/9 that trucks mus ...

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Route 139 in

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.An enlarged view of road jurisdiction at the confluence of US 1, US 206, NJ 29, NJ 33 and NJ 129 near TrentonAn enlarged view of road jurisdiction at the confluence of the New Jersey Turnpike, I 95, NJ 3, NJ 495 and US 1 near Secaucus/North BergenAn enlarged view of road jurisdiction at the Fort Lee approaches to the George Washington Bridge
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Steve Anderson US 1 Freeway (New Jersey)Speed Limits for State RoadsPenns Neck Bypass StudyUS 1 (Greater New York Roads)
{{DEFAULTSORT:U.S. Route 001 in New Jersey 01 1 New Jersey Transportation in Mercer County, New Jersey Transportation in Middlesex County, New Jersey Transportation in Union County, New Jersey Transportation in Essex County, New Jersey Transportation in Hudson County, New Jersey Transportation in Bergen County, New Jersey Expressways in the United States Historic American Engineering Record in New Jersey Limited-access roads in New Jersey Lincoln Highway