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 ...

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

US 27 U.S. Route 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 1 in Florida, US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in India ...

US 42 U.S. Route 42 (US 42) is an east–west United States highway that runs southwest–northeast for from Louisville, Kentucky to Cleveland, Ohio. The route has several names including Pearl Road from Cleveland to Medina in Northeast Ohio, Readi ...

US 127 U.S. Route 127 (US 127) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at US 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The northern terminus is at Interstate 75 (I-75) near Gr ...

US 52 U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States highway in the central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows ...

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.U.S. Route 1/9 in 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 ...

.Mapguy. "Endpoints of US highways." 12 Oct. 2006. 21 Oct. 200

US 22 is named

William Penn Highway The William Penn Highway was an auto trail that ran from Pittsburgh in west to New York City in the east. It served as the Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway west of Reading and as its branch to New York City. The William Penn Highway Association o ...

throughout most of

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, ...

. In southwest

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, it overlaps with State Route 3 and is familiarly known as the

3C Highway State Route 3 (SR 3) is a major north–south (physically northeast-southwest) highway in Ohio which leads from Cincinnati to Cleveland by way of Columbus. It is the second longest state route in Ohio. Because of this, the road is also known ...

, "22 and 3", and Montgomery Road. A section of US 22 in Pennsylvania between New Alexandria at

U.S. Route 119 U.S. Route 119 (US 119) is a spur of US 19. It is a north–south route (on a northeast-southwest alignment) that was an original United States highway of 1926. It is Corridor G of the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) east of US ...

and

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...

at

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island ...

has been designated a part of

Corridor M The Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) is a series of highway corridors in the Appalachia region of the eastern United States. The routes are designed as local and regional routes for improving economic development in the historic ...

of the

Appalachian Development Highway System The Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) is a series of highway corridors in the Appalachia region of the eastern United States. The routes are designed as local and regional routes for improving economic development in the historical ...

.

Route description

, - , OH , 244.1 , 392.82 , - , WV , 6.01 , 9.65 , - , PA , 338.20 , 544.28 , - , NJ , 60.53 , 97.41 , - , Total , 648.84 , 1044.20

Ohio

US 22 has its westernmost end-point in downtown

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

—however, its eastbound and westbound end-points are not at the same intersection. Officially, US 22 Eastbound begins on Central Avenue (

US 27 U.S. Route 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 1 in Florida, US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in India ...

northbound/

US 52 U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States highway in the central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows ...

westbound/

US 127 U.S. Route 127 (US 127) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at US 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The northern terminus is at Interstate 75 (I-75) near Gr ...

northbound) at 5th Street, then proceeds north, turning east onto 7th Street. Meanwhile, US 22 Westbound follows 9th Street and officially ends at Central Avenue (signage designating the end occurs much sooner, approaching Elm Street, U.S. Route 42 Northbound). From downtown Cincinnati to

Washington Court House Washington Court House (often abbreviated as Washington C.H.) is a city in Union Township, Fayette County, Ohio. It is the county seat of Fayette County and is located between Cincinnati and Columbus. The population grew almost 1.5% from 2010 to ...

, US 22 roughly follows the historic 3C Highway which connected Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. This section is also concurrent with State Route 3 (SR 3). At Washington Court House, SR 3 and US 22 diverge. US 22 continues to the east through Circleville to Lancaster. From Lancaster to

Zanesville Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. It is located east of Columbus and had a population of 24,765 as of the 2020 census, down from 25,487 as of the 2010 census. Historically the state capit ...

, US 22 roughly follows the route of

Zane's Trace Zane's Trace is a frontier road constructed under the direction of Col. Ebenezer Zane through the Northwest Territory of the United States, in what is now the state of Ohio. Many portions were based on traditional Native American trails. Con ...

, an early pioneer road blazed by Colonel Ebenezer Zane beginning in 1796. Starting just west of Cadiz, US 22 becomes a limited-access expressway for the remainder of its 30-some miles in Ohio as it approaches and enters the

Pittsburgh metropolitan area Greater Pittsburgh is a populous region centered around its largest city and economic hub, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The region encompasses Pittsburgh's urban core county, Allegheny, and six adjacent Pennsylvania counties: Armstrong, Beaver, ...

(with the exception of an at grade intersection with no stop lights or signs on US 22 and narrowing to two lanes for about a mile east of Cadiz). It junctions with

State Route 7 The following highways are numbered 7. For roads numbered A7, see list of A7 roads. Route 7, or Highway 7, may refer to: International * AH7, Asian Highway 7 * European route E07 * European route E007 Afghanistan *Kunduz-Khomri Highway (A7) ...

for roughly a mile along the Ohio River shoreline in

Steubenville Steubenville is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Ohio River 33 miles west of Pittsburgh, it had a population of 18,161 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The city's name is deri ...

.

West Virginia

Known as the

Robert C. Byrd Robert Carlyle Byrd (born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.; November 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010) was an American politician and musician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia for over 51 years, from 1959 until his death in 2010. A ...

Expressway, the expressway route that began roughly to the west near Cadiz, Ohio, continues for approximately within the state of

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

(the highway runs concurrent with WV 2 for one of those miles) as it approaches more population density within the Pittsburgh metro area. US 22 travels through or borders the city of Weirton for its entire length in West Virginia, from the Ohio state line over the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

, to the

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, ...

state line.

Pennsylvania

US 22 enters

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, ...

as a limited-access highway connecting

Weirton, West Virginia Weirton () is a city in Brooke and Hancock counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located primarily in Hancock County, the city lies in the northern portions of the state's Northern Panhandle region. As of the 2020 census, the city's pop ...

, and

Steubenville, Ohio Steubenville is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Ohio River 33 miles west of Pittsburgh, it had a population of 18,161 at the 2020 census. The city's name is derived from Fort Steuben, a 1 ...

, with Pittsburgh. Through much of the

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

area, it overlaps

Interstate 376 Interstate 376 (I-376) is a major auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System in the US state of Pennsylvania, located within the Allegheny Plateau. It runs from I-80 near Sharon south and east to a junction with the Pennsylvania Tur ...

and

US 30 U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...

. US 30 merges with US 22 near

Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...

and

Pittsburgh International Airport Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, is a civil–military international airport in Findlay Township and Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Located about 10 miles (15 km) west of downtown Pittsbur ...

, and both highways then merge with Interstate 376 in Robinson Township. Together, these three highways form a busy, limited-access multiplex through the city of Pittsburgh. US 30 then splits from Interstate 376 and US 22 in

Wilkinsburg Wilkinsburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The borough has a population of 15,930 as of the 2010 census. Wilkinsburg is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The borough was named for John Wilkins Jr., a United States Army ...

, and the I-376/US 22 concurrency continues to the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville, where I-376 ends. East of Interstate 376, US 22 continues east of Pittsburgh as a primary arterial highway. The entire length between Pittsburgh and

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 ...

and

Interstate 99 Interstate 99 (I-99) is an Interstate Highway in the United States with two segments: one located in central Pennsylvania, and the other in southern New York. The southern terminus of the route is near exit 146 of the Pennsylvania Turn ...

just west of Altoona was widened to at least four lanes by summer 2011. Interstate 99 links the highway to State College and the

Pennsylvania Turnpike The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's we ...

. Heading east from Interstate 99, US 22 narrows and becomes the primary highway linking

Hollidaysburg Hollidaysburg is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Blair County, Pennsylvania, Blair County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located on the Juniata River, south of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Altoona and is part of ...

and

Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...

. Near Mount Union, it forms a concurrency with

US 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 a ...

and the two highways go northeast along the

Juniata River The Juniata River () is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed August 8, 2011 in central Pennsylvania. The river is ...

to Lewistown. In Lewistown, US 22 breaks with US 522 and forms a concurrency with

US 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 ...

, and the two routes travel southeast, mostly as an expressway, toward

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...

. At the north end of Harrisburg, US 22 and US 322 split and US 22 runs southward toward the Farm Show complex. From there, it turns eastward along Arsenal Boulevard, Herr Street, and Walnut Street to Jonestown Road. Through Dauphin and

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

counties, US 22 parallels

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island ...

and

Interstate 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 Tunn ...

to the south as a four-lane arterial. East of Fredericksburg, along the border between Lebanon and Berks counties, US 22 forms a concurrency with Interstate 78, which runs to the

Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them: * Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California * Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County * Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in T ...

area. Former highway alignments of US 22 that parallel this section are collectively known as the "Hex Highway", so called because of the Berks County-based

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spe ...

families that hang

hex sign Hex signs are a form of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, related to fraktur, found in the Fancy Dutch tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Barn paintings, usually in the form of "stars in circles", began to appear on the landscape in the early 1 ...

s on their barns. US 22 in the

Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...

is a four-lane limited-access expressway between Easton and Interstate 78 to the west; it is dually designated with the

Lehigh Valley Thruway U.S. Route 22 (US 22) is an east–west U.S. highway that stretches from Cincinnati, Ohio, in the west to Newark, New Jersey, in the east. In Pennsylvania, the route runs for between the West Virginia state line in Washington County, whe ...

in Allentown. The original designation for this expressway was to be Interstate 78, but local opposition to a freeway in Phillipsburg, along with substandard conditions at Easton, forced federal highway officials to relocate Interstate 78 south of Allentown,

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

, Easton, and Phillipsburg. U.S. 22 then crosses 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 ...

on the Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge.

New Jersey

U.S. Route 22 in New Jersey predates and was largely replaced by

Interstate 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 Tunn ...

after Interstate 78 was built between 1956 and 1989, and shares designation with I-78 from exit 3 to exit 18. US 22 was an expressway in some segments, including the area around Perryville and Clinton. It connects Phillipsburg with Newark in New Jersey. US 22 has one major interchange besides I-78, that being

Interstate 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 ...

, although it is not a full interchange, with two missing movements: US 22 eastbound to I-287 northbound and I-287 southbound to US 22 westbound. One of two

level crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, Trail, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an Overpass#Railway, overpass ...

of the highway happens in Union County in the Union Township section of the highway (the other occurring in

Lewistown, Pennsylvania Lewistown is a borough in and the county seat of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the principal city of the '' Lewistown, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area'', which encompasses all of Mifflin County. It lies along the Juniata Ri ...

). It once belonged to the

Rahway Valley Railroad The Rahway Valley Railroad (RVRR) was a short-line railroad in the Northeastern United States which connected the Lehigh Valley Railroad in Roselle Park and the Central Railroad of New Jersey in Cranford with the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western ...

; the crossing was closed in 1992 when service on the railroad was ended.

History

US 22 is one of the original U.S. Routes, though in the 1925 plan it was to terminate in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, entering Ohio on modern U.S. Route 422. In the finalized 1926 plan, it followed the current course to U.S. Route 40, where it ended. In 1932, it had been extended to Cincinnati as it is currently, replacing

Ohio State Route 10 State Route 10 (SR 10) is a state highway located in and around Cleveland, Ohio. The current routing of SR 10 was certified in 1934. The route's western terminus is in Eaton Township in Lorain County at the junction of U.S. Route 20, Stat ...

and following preexisting State Route 3. Before the Byrd Expressway, West Virginia's segment of U.S. 22 ran from Pennsylvania Avenue at the PA/WV state line to Main St., then left on Main St. through downtown Weirton (aligning U.S. 22 with

West Virginia Route 2 West Virginia Route 2 is a state highway in the US state of West Virginia. It generally parallels the Ohio River along the western border of the state, from U.S. Route 60 in Huntington (just west of the East End Bridge) northeasterly to U.S. ...

), and right on Freedom Way to the Fort Steuben Bridge and Ohio River to Steubenville, Ohio. An "Alternate U.S. 22" route ran along Cove Road from Pennsylvania Avenue to the intersection of Harmon Creek Road (left turn) and the continuation of Cove Road. With the opening of the first segment of the Byrd Expressway on March 9, 1972, U.S. 22 was reassigned, starting on the new road from the PA/WV state line, continuing on Cove Road where the expressway ended and joining the remainder of the original route at Main St. The Pennsylvania Avenue segment of U.S. 22 from Colliers Way to Main St. was reassigned as WV Route 105 and Alt. U.S. 22 was reassigned as WV Route 507. In 2003, WV 507 was extended along the previous U.S. 22 alignment from Cove Road to the Fort Steuben Bridge and was reassigned as County Route 507. The

Fort Steuben Bridge The Fort Steuben Bridge, originally the Weirton-Steubenville Bridge, was a suspension bridge which spanned the Ohio River from Steubenville, Ohio to Weirton, West Virginia and carried U.S. Route 22 and then Ohio State Route 822 during its exis ...

, which originally carried U.S. 22 across the Ohio River until the construction of the Veterans Memorial Bridge, was permanently closed on January 8, 2009, and demolished by detonation on February 21, 2012.

Major intersections

References

External links

Speed Limits for Route 22 in New Jersey

{{Authority control Roads in Cincinnati 22 22 22

Route description

Ohio

West Virginia

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

History

Major intersections

See also

References

External links