U.S. Route 6 (US 6) is a part of the

United States Numbered 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 ...

that runs from

Bishop, California Bishop (formerly Bishop Creek) is a city in California, United States. It is the largest populated place and only incorporated city in Inyo County. Bishop is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley, at an elevation of . The city was na ...

Provincetown, Massachusetts Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States Census, Provincet ...

. US 6 is the second longest federal highway in the United States, second only to

U.S. Route 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...

. In Ohio, the road runs west-east from the Indiana state line near Edgerton to the Pennsylvania state line near

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia * Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Ando ...

. The that lie in Ohio are maintained by the

Ohio Department of Transportation The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT; ) is the administrative department of the Ohio state government responsible for developing and maintaining all state and U.S. roadways outside of municipalities and all Interstates except the Ohio T ...

(ODOT). US 6 serves the major cities of Sandusky, Lorain, and

Cleveland 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. ...

. The highway is also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway to honor the Union forces of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. The alternate name was designated in 1953. US 6 originally ran from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania. It was extended through Ohio to Colorado in June 1931. The route of US 6 has remained largely unchanged since 1931.

Route description

US 6 traverses the far northern portion of Ohio, passing through 10 counties. The highway travels through largely farm and field country until it reaches Sandusky. After Sandusky, US 6 travels along the coast of

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...

until Cleveland. From Cleveland to the Pennsylvania state line, Route 6 passes through mostly wooded land.

Western Ohio

US 6 crosses into

Williams County, Ohio Williams County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,102. Its county seat is Bryan. The county was created in 1820 and later organized in 1824. It is named for David Williams, one of the ...

, at the Indiana state line between

Butler, Indiana Butler is a city in DeKalb County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,684 at the 2010 census. History Butler was platted in 1856 when the railroad was extended to that point. It was likely named for David Butler, a pioneer. Butler was ...

, and

Edgerton, Ohio Edgerton is a village in Williams County, Ohio, United States in the extreme northwest corner of the state. The population was 2,012 at the 2010 census. History The area around Edgerton was organized as St. Joseph Township on December 2, 1832 ...

. The highway goes east from the border, passing through the small town of Edgerton, where it has a brief concurrency with

Ohio State Route 49 State Route 49 (SR 49) is a state highway in the western part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It begins in Drexel, an area within the city of Trotwood, at US 35 and runs northwesterly to Greenville, and then runs roughly along near the western edg ...

. Continuing east through farm country, US 6 passes through Ridgeville Corners, until reaching

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

in Henry County, where it intersects

US 24 U.S. Route 24 (US 24) is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It originally ran from Pontiac, Michigan, in the east to Kansas City, Missouri, in the west. Today, the highway's eastern terminus is in Independence Township, Mic ...

, starting a 4.6-mile long concurrency. East of Napoleon, US 6 passes through McClure. 15 miles east of McClure, Route 6 passes south of the college town of

Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...

, intersecting with

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...

. Along this 15-mile stretch, the road crosses into Wood County. Just east of Bowling Green, US 6 has a 1-mile long overlap with

Ohio State Route 199 Ohio State Route 199 (SR 199) is a north-south highway in northwest Ohio. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with US 23 just south of Upper Sandusky, and its northern terminus is at US 20 and SR 795 in Perrysburg. The route begins n ...

. US 6 continues through rural country until it passes just north of

Bradner Bradner is a village in Wood County, Ohio, United States. The population was 985 at the 2010 census. History Bradner was platted in 1875, and named for John Bradner, proprietor. A post office called Bradner has been in operation since 1876. The ...

. Here, the highway intersects

U.S. Route 23 } U.S. Route 23 or U.S. Highway 23 (US 23) is a major north–south U.S. Highway between Jacksonville, Florida, and Mackinaw City, Michigan. It is an original 1926 route which originally reached only as far south as Portsmouth, Ohio, and has sinc ...

at the Wood- Sandusky county line. In Sandusky County, US 6 passes through the small towns of Rollersville and Helena before reaching the city of Fremont. In Fremont, US 6 overlaps with

Ohio State Route 53 State Route 53 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of Ohio (physically northeast-southwest). Its southern terminus is at the beginning of the U.S. 68/ S.R. 67 concurrency in Kenton, Ohio, and its northern terminus is on Ca ...

for 4.1 miles,

US 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...

for 3.9 miles, and

Ohio State Route 19 State Route 19 (SR 19) is a north–south route in northern and central Ohio. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 42 in the unincorporated village of Williamsport, and its northern terminus is at State Route 2 north of Oak Harbor. H ...

for 2.6 miles. Route 6 skirts the northern city limits of Fremont before turning northeast just east of Fremont. 3 miles from Fremont, US 6 crosses under

I-80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...

I-90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

, but there is not an interchange between the highways. 11 miles northeast of the interstate, US 6 crosses into Erie County. Charles Berry Bascule Bridge

Just into Erie County, US 6 overlaps Ohio State Route 269 for 0.6 miles, then intersects

Ohio State Route 2 State Route 2 (SR 2), formerly known as Inter-county Highway 2 until 1921 and State Highway 2 in 1922, is an east–west highway crossing most of northern Ohio. Its western terminus is at the Indiana state line near Hicksville where the route ...

1.8 miles east of the SR 269 concurrency. Just east of this intersection, US 6 enters the city of Sandusky. US 6 passes through a largely residential part of Sandusky. Locally, the highway is also known as Tiffin Avenue, West Washington Street, Warren Street, and Cleveland Road West.

Cedar Point Cedar Point is a amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and op ...

is accessed from US 6. Southeast of Sandusky, US 6 passes the Griffing Sandusky Airport near Fairview Lanes. As US 6 continues east through Erie County, it passes through the city of

Huron Huron may refer to: People * Wyandot people (or Wendat), indigenous to North America * Wyandot language, spoken by them * Huron-Wendat Nation, a Huron-Wendat First Nation with a community in Wendake, Quebec * Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi ...

, the communities of Mitiwanga and Beulah Beach, and the city of

Vermilion Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color, color family, and pigment most often made, since ancient history, antiquity until the 19th century, from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide, which is toxic) and its correspondi ...

before crossing into

Lorain County Lorain County is a County (United States), county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 312,964. Its county seat is Elyria, Ohio, Elyria. The county was physicall ...

. East of Vermilion, in Lorain County, US 6 enters the city of Lorain, the last major city before the highway reaches Cleveland. In Lorain, Route 6 stays close to the Lake Erie shoreline and crosses the Black River on the

Charles Berry Bridge The Charles Berry Bridge, in Lorain, Ohio along U.S. Route 6 (US 6), is the second-largest bascule bridge in the world. It was dedicated on Veterans Day in 1988. The bridge had been built in the late 1930s and in use for roughly 48 yea ...

, the second-largest

bascule bridge A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- or ...

in the world. East of Lorain, US 6 passes through Sheffield Lake and

Avon Lake Avon Lake is a city in northeastern Lorain County, Ohio, United States, located on the southern shore of Lake Erie about 17 miles west of Cleveland. The population was 25,206 at the 2020 Census. It is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area. Hi ...

before crossing into

Cuyahoga County Cuyahoga County ( or ) is a large urban County (United States), county located in the Northeast Ohio, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the Canada–United States border, U.S.- ...

Cleveland

After passing through Bay Village, US 6 enters the suburbs of Cleveland. In Rocky River, US 6 starts concurrencies with

and

. Also, an alternate route of US 6 starts in Rocky River and winds along Detroit Avenue for 7.3 miles to its eastern terminus just west of the

Cuyahoga River The Cuyahoga River ( , or ) is a river located in Northeast Ohio that bisects the City of Cleveland and feeds into Lake Erie. As Cleveland emerged as a major manufacturing center, the river became heavily affected by industrial pollution, so mu ...

in the Ohio City neighborhood. US 6 enters the city of Cleveland during its overlap with SR 2 and US 20. US 6, along with US 20, splits from SR 2 just before it crosses the Cuyahoga River on the Main Avenue Bridge. Route 6 meets up with

Ohio State Route 3 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 ...

and U.S. Route 42 at West 25th Street, and the four highways (US 6, US 20, US 42, SR 3) cross the Cuyahoga River on the Veterans Memorial Bridge. At the east end of the bridge, US 6 passes through

Public Square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true square, geometric square, used for community gathe ...

. Here, the concurrencies with US 20, US 42, and SR 3 end.

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 ...

also starts a concurrency with US 6 in Public Square that ends 0.5 mi east of the plaza East of Public Square, US 6 has an interchange with

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

. 4.5 miles east of this intersection, US 6 starts another concurrency with US 20 in East Cleveland that lasts for 4.2 miles. After splitting from US 20, US 6 runs concurrent with

Ohio State Route 84 State Route 84 (SR 84) is an east–west state highway in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. Its western terminus is along US 6 at US 20 in Euclid, and its eastern terminus is at the Pennsylvania state line about south-south ...

for 2.1 miles before entering Lake County.

Eastern Ohio

The 10.23 miles that lie within Lake County pass through many small residential developments in Willoughby Hills and Kirtland before crossing into

Geauga County Geauga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,397. The county seat is Chardon. The county is named for an Onondaga or Seneca language word meaning 'raccoon', originally the name of the ...

. In Geauga County, US 6 passes through the city of Chardon, where it has a brief overlap with

Ohio State Route 44 State Route 44 (SR 44) is a north–south state highway in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. It runs from a southern terminus at State Route 43 in Waynesburg to a northern terminus at the entrance to Headlands Beach State ...

. In Chardon, US 6 turns northeast to serve Hambden Township and Montville Township before crossing into Ashtabula County. In Ashtabula County, US 6 travels straight east through the townships of Hartsgrove,

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, New Lyme, and Cherry Valley, as well as the village of

before turning north with

Ohio State Route 7 State Route 7 (SR 7), formerly known as Inter-county Highway 7 until 1921 and State Highway 7 in 1922, is a north–south state highway in the southern and eastern portions of the U.S. state of Ohio. At about in length, it is the longest s ...

. 7.5 miles north of Andover, US 6 breaks its concurrency with SR 7, turns east, and enters Pennsylvania in

Crawford County Crawford County is the name of eleven counties in the United States: * Crawford County, Arkansas * Crawford County, Georgia * Crawford County, Illinois * Crawford County, Indiana * Crawford County, Iowa * Crawford County, Kansas * Crawford Count ...

, just north of the

Pymatuning Reservoir Pymatuning Reservoir is a man-made lake in Crawford County, Pennsylvania and Ashtabula County, Ohio in the United States, on land that was once a very large swamp. Much of it is incorporated into two state parks: Pymatuning State Park in Pennsyl ...

Signage of US 6 - Ohio SR 174 Intersection

History

US 6 was one of the original routes created when the

was formed. Originally, US 6 was only routed from Provincetown, Massachusetts to Brewster, New York. Soon after, it was routed to Pennsylvania and was alternatively named the Roosevelt Highway. The route was not extended into Ohio until 1931, when the highway was expanded to

Greeley, Colorado Greeley is the home rule municipality city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Weld County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,795 at the 2020 United States Census, an increase of 17.12% since the 2010 ...

. The Ohio routing established in 1931 has not been changed since then. By the 1930s, the Roosevelt Highway name had started to fade. Major William Anderson, Jr. took notice of this and proposed the idea of redesignating the highway to honor Union forces during the Civil War. Veteran associations started promoting the idea in 1934. Because each state along the highway owned its portion of US 6, each state had to act on the proposal. Each state had approved the renaming by 1953, and it was in that year that US 6 was designated as the Grand Army of the Republic Highway along its entire length. The name is signed in all 14 states that US 6 passes through.

Major intersections

References

External links