U.S. Route 33 (US 33) is a

United States Numbered 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 ...

that runs northwest–southeast for from northern

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

to Richmond, Virginia, passing through

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 ...

and

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 B ...

en route. Although most odd-numbered U.S. routes are north–south, US 33 is labeled east–west throughout its route, except in Indiana where it is labeled north–south. It roughly follows a historic trail used by Native Americans from

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...

to Lake Michigan. As of 2018, the highway's northern terminus is at US 20 in southeastern

Elkhart, Indiana Elkhart ( ) is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, Indiana, east of Chicago, Illinois, and north of Indianapolis, Indiana. Elkhart has the larger population of the two principal cities of th ...

, although it once extended to

St. Joseph, Michigan St. Joseph, colloquially known as St. Joe, is a city and the county seat of Berrien County, Michigan. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,365. It lies on the shore o ...

, and even to

Lake Michigan Beach, Michigan Lake Michigan Beach is an unincorporated community in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes, without any legal status as a municipality. The population was 1,216 at the 2010 c ...

. Until 1998, the route extended northward through

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

, to Niles. Its current eastern (or southern) terminus is Richmond, Virginia. State Route 33 (SR 33) then continues eastward through

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

to Stingray Point, on the

Middle Peninsula The Middle Peninsula is the second of three large peninsulas on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the Middle Peninsula was home to 92,886 people. It lies between the Northern Neck and ...

and

near

Deltaville, Virginia 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 ...

. Part of US 33 was created in conjunction with the Blue and Gray Trail in 1938 in order to promote a direct and scenic route between the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lak ...

and Virginia's historic

Tidewater region Tidewater refers to the north Atlantic coastal plain region of the United States of America. Definition Culturally, the Tidewater region usually includes the low-lying plains of southeast Virginia, northeastern North Carolina, southern Mary ...

Route description

Indiana

Until the 2008 truncation, between South Bend and Fort Wayne, US 33 was part of 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 ...

, and some road signage still refers to "Lincolnway". From its new terminus at US 20 on the southeast side of Elkhart, US 33 is a winding road that cuts diagonally from northwest to southeast through Northeast Indiana and serves as Main Street or a portion of Main Street in several cities and towns, including Elkhart, Dunlap, and Churubusco. The road is the main overland link between the Fort Wayne and

South Bend South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

metropolitan statistical areas. Until the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the " British Band", cros ...

, Fort Wayne was a trading post and US Army outpost in the

Indiana Territory The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by a congressional act that President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, ...

, but it has grown into a large regional city. From Elkhart, US 33 continues southeast passing through the suburbs of Dunlap and Midway before crossing State Road 15 (SR 15) and SR 4, then continues southeast toward Benton as Lincolnway East. Southeast of Benton, US 33 intersects SR 13 before joining with US 6 to become an east–west rural highway running for a few miles between just north of

Lake Wawasee Lake Wawasee, formerly Turkey Lake, is a natural lake southeast of Syracuse in Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. It is the largest natural lake wholly contained within Indiana. It is located just east of Indiana State Road 13. History Lak ...

near Syracuse to Ligonier at the intersection of SR 5, where US 33 splits from US 6 and turns south, joining SR 5 as a north–south road for a few miles before splitting off to the southeast toward Kimmell as it enters Noble County. US 33 continues southeast through Noble County until it reaches

Wolf Lake ''Wolf Lake'' is an American supernatural drama television series that originally aired on CBS from September 19 to October 24, 2001. Nine episodes were produced, but only five aired before the series was canceled by CBS. The full series, inclu ...

, where it serves as the northern terminus of SR 109 before continuing until its intersection with SR 9 at Merriam just north of the Whitley County line. In Whitley County, the road curves eastward to bypass Blue Lake before intersecting with SR 205 in Churubusco near the county line with Allen County as it heads toward Fort Wayne. On the west side of Fort Wayne, US 33 joins US 30 near Interstate 69 (I-69), then follows the Interstate south, intersecting with SR 14 and US 24 before turning east to follow the I-469 bypass around the southwest side of Fort Wayne. At the intersection with SR 1 south of the

Fort Wayne International Airport Fort Wayne International Airport is eight miles southwest of Fort Wayne, in Allen County, Indiana, United States. It is owned by the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 ...

, I-469/US 33 turns to the northeast until it intersects US 27 at the Fort Wayne suburb of Hessen Cassel, where US 33 splits off to the southeast to follow US 27 as a combined highway toward Decatur. At Decatur, US 33/US 27 becomes a north–south road before it intersects with US 224 and continues as such until US 33 splits from US 27 south of Decatur and heads east toward the Ohio state line, intersecting SR 101 at Pleasant Mills along the way.

Ohio

, the highway runs at a generally southeast–northwest angle from the west-central to the southeastern part of the state, passing through mostly rural territory except for a significant portion running through downtown Columbus. Most of the route in the state, particularly east of Columbus, is expressway. The highway crosses over the

Ravenswood Bridge The William S. Ritchie Jr. Bridge, more commonly known as the Ravenswood Bridge, is a two-lane cantilever bridge in the United States, connecting Ravenswood, West Virginia and rural Meigs County, Ohio, across the Ohio River. It has a total l ...

into West Virginia.

West Virginia

US 33 extends in West Virginia, from the Ohio River at Ravenswood to the Virginia state line atop

Shenandoah Mountain Shenandoah Mountain is a mountain ridge approximately long in Virginia and West Virginia. The steep, narrow, sandstone-capped ridge extends from northern Bath County, Virginia to southern Hardy County, West Virginia. Along the way, its crest def ...

west of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Shortly after entering West Virginia and crossing the Ohio River, US 33 turns south, joining I-77 to Ripley. The route then turns east from I-77, joining US 119 at Spencer, then passing through extremely rural areas of Roane,

Calhoun John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) was the 7th vice president of the United States. Calhoun can also refer to: Surname * Calhoun (surname) Inhabited places in the United States *Calhoun, Georgia *Calhoun, Illinois * Calhoun, Kansas * Calhoun, Kentuc ...

, Gilmer, and

Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

counties. US 33 intersects

I-79 Interstate 79 (I-79) is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States, designated from I-77 in Charleston, West Virginia, north to Pennsylvania Route 5 (PA 5) and PA 290 in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is a primary thoroughfare ...

Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * ...

. From I-79 east, US 33 is a four-lane highway, part of Corridor H of the Appalachian Development Highway System. The four-lane segment continues on through rural areas of Upshur, and Randolph counties, to just a couple miles past Elkins. At Harding, US 250 joins US 33 for several miles after Elkins, where US 33 joins

West Virginia Route 55 West Virginia Route 55 is an east–west state highway in West Virginia. The western terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 19 in Muddlety. The eastern terminus is at the Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, ...

(WV 55) and returns to a two-lane road, except for a section of four-lane across Kelly Mountain between Canfield and

Bowden Bowden may refer to: Places Australia * Bowden Island, one of the Family Islands in Queensland * Bowden, South Australia, northwestern suburb of Adelaide * Bowden railway station Canada * Bowden, Alberta, town in central Alberta England * Bowde ...

. Passing through the

Monongahela National Forest The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally managed land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Regi ...

, US 33 crosses the Eastern Continental Divide between Harman and Onego at about in elevation, entering Pendleton County, then descends the

Allegheny Front The Allegheny Front is the major southeast- or east-facing escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, eastern West Virginia, and western Virginia, USA. The Allegheny Front forms the boundary between the ...

along Seneca Creek, skirting the north end of Spruce Mountain, at the highest point of the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range (; also spelled Alleghany or Allegany), informally the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada and posed a significant barrier to land travel in less devel ...

. US 33 then joins WV 28 at

Seneca Rocks Seneca Rocks is a large crag and local landmark in Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. The south peak is one of a small number of peaks inaccessible except by technical rock climbing techniques on the East ...

and continues south in the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...

headwaters through scenic forest and farmland landscapes. Turning eastward from WV 28 at Judy Gap, US 33 crosses

North Fork Mountain North Fork Mountain is a quartzite-capped mountain ridge in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province of the Allegheny Mountains (or "High Alleghenies" or "Potomac Highlands") of eastern West Virginia. Kile Knob, at 4,588 feet (1,398 m), is th ...

at about , with a turnout on the western slope offering a scenic view of the

Germany Valley Germany Valley is a scenic upland valley high in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia originally settled by German (including Pennsylvania Dutch) farmers in the mid-18th century. It is today a part of the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks ...

below and the more distant Allegheny Front from

Spruce Knob Spruce Mountain, located in eastern West Virginia, is the highest ridge of the Allegheny Mountains. The whale-backed ridge extends for only from northeast to southwest, but several of its peaks exceed in elevation. The summit, Spruce Knob (4863 ...

Dolly Sods The Dolly Sods Wilderness – originally simply Dolly Sods – is a U.S. Wilderness Area in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, US, and is part of the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Dolly Sods ...

. US 220 joins US 33 for about half a mile in Franklin. After Franklin, US 33 continues eastward through rural areas, then climbs steeply to cross

at Dry River Gap at about into Rockingham County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Virginia

US 33 extends in Virginia from the West Virginia state line west of Harrisonburg across the Shenandoah Valley,

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the world, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsy ...

, and Atlantic Piedmont to Richmond. It enters Virginia from West Virginia on

. After going down the mountain, it passes through the

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

of Rawley Springs. After traveling from Rawley Springs, reaches the

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

of Harrisonburg and intersects major routes State Route 42 (SR 42), US 11, and

I-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 Isla ...

before leaving the city. The four-lane highway passes around the southernmost end of

Massanutten Mountain Massanutten Mountain is a synclinal ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, located in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is near the West Virginia state line. Geography The mountain bisects the Shenandoah Valley just east of Strasburg ...

, towards Elkton. There, it intersects US 340. After leaving Elkton, the highway heads towards the

, once it gets to the mountains, it reduces to two lanes and becomes three lanes a few times. At

Swift Run Gap Swift Run Gap is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains located in the U.S. state of Virginia. Geography At an elevation of , it is the site of the mountain crossing of U.S. Highway 33 between the Piedmont region on the eastern side and the Sh ...

it intersects

Skyline Drive Skyline Drive is a National Parkway that runs the entire length of the National Park Service's Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, generally along the ridge of the mountains. The drive's northern terminus is a ...

and enters Greene County. After going down the mountains, it goes back to four lanes and heads south of Stanardsville. After that, the route heads southeast towards

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, Maryland in the Southern United States, connecting the Florida Panhandle to the Baltimore-Washington ...

in Ruckersville. After that, it heads south east and enters

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 ...

. It heads east north of the Albemarle County line and intersects SR 20 on a concurrency. After that, it goes through a small part of the

Southwest Mountains The Southwest Mountains of Virginia are a mountain range centered on Charlottesville, parallel to and geologically associated with the Blue Ridge Mountains, which lie about 30 miles (50 km) to the west. Some of the more prominent peaks inc ...

towards Gordonsville. It goes on a roundabout with

US 15 U.S. Route 15 (US 15) is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Car ...

and SR 231. US 33 heads east with US 15 and into Louisa County. Shortly after, US 33 splits from US 15 and heads southeast towards Louisa. In Trevilians, it intersects SR 22.The route then goes east toward Montpelier. In Montpelier, the route goes southeast towards Interstate 295. After I-295, US 33 goes a few miles to an interchange with

I-64 Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchang ...

. Just after, the route meets US 250. The two routes head southeast into Downtown Richmond. Both meet their eastern terminus there. From Richmond, "Route 33" continues east as SR 33 across the Atlantic coastal plain through the

of the

to reach the

at Stingray Point just east of Deltaville.

History

The US 33 designation was established January 1, 1938; it and the Blue and Gray Trail were dedicated on May 2 of that year in multiple ceremonies. At the time, US 33 extended into the state of Michigan near Niles up to a terminus in St. Joseph, following US 31. In November 1960, US 33 was extended to a junction with I-196/ US 31 near Lake Michigan Beach, north of St. Joseph. In 1986, the highway was truncated south of Niles to the junction with US 12. In April 1998, it was truncated again to

. Before its second truncation, it passed through

Mishawaka Mishawaka is a city on the St. Joseph River, in Penn Township, St. Joseph County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 51,063 as of the 2020 census. Its nickname is "the Princess City". Mishawaka is a principal city of the South Be ...

and

. Former segments of US 33 are now known as M-63, M-139, M-51, and State Road 933. Various segments of US 33 have been improved to limited-access freeways. These include Ohio segments from St. Marys to Wapakoneta; Huntsville (near Bellefontaine) to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

(a northwestern suburb of Columbus); and bypasses around Lancaster, Nelsonville, Athens, and Pomeroy. In West Virginia, US 33 from Interstate 79 near

east nearly to Elkins is four-lane, built as part of Corridor H of the Appalachian Development Highway System. The route's steep grade up

in easternmost West Virginia has been widened, with some sharp curves improved.

Major intersections

;Indiana : in Elkhart : in Ligonier. The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Syracuse. : in Fort Wayne. US 30/US 33 travels concurrently through the city. : east of Roanoke. The highways travel concurrently to Fort Wayne. : south-southeast of Fort Wayne. I-469/US 33 travels concurrently to east of Roanoke. US 24/US 33 travels concurrently around the southwestern side of Fort Wayne. : in Decatur. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Decatur. The highways travel concurrently to south-southeast of Fort Wayne. ;Ohio : southeast of Rockford : in Wapakoneta : in Bellefontaine : in Marysville. The highways travel concurrently to west of Marysville. : northeast of New California : in

: in Columbus : in Columbus : in Columbus. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Columbus. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Columbus : in Columbus : southwest of Lancaster : in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

. The highways travel concurrently to east of Athens. ;West Virginia : in Ripley. The highways travel concurrently to Silverton. : in Weston. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : southeast of

: in Buckhannon. The highways travel concurrently to Spencer. : in Elkins. US 33/US 219 travels concurrently to north of Elkins. US 33/US 250 travel concurrently to north of

Norton Norton may refer to: Places Norton, meaning 'north settlement' in Old English, is a common place name. Places named Norton include: Canada * Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan *Norton Parish, New Brunswick **Norton, New Brunswick, a ...

. : in Franklin. The highways travel concurrently to north of Franklin. ;Virginia : in Harrisonburg. The highways travel concurrently around the Rockingham County Courthouse. : in Harrisonburg : in Elkton : in Ruckersville : south of Gordonsville. The highways travel concurrently to Gordonsville. : in

Cuckoo Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separ ...

. The highways travel concurrently to north-northwest of Cuckoo. : northwest of Glen Allen : in

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990. Dumbarton was the ca ...

: in Richmond. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Richmond

References

External links

Endpoints of US 33Indiana Highway Ends: US 33
{{U.S. Routes 33 U.S. Route 033