U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south

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 ...

in the states of

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

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 ...

, 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, between

Lewes, Delaware Lewes ( ) is an incorporated city on the Delaware Bay in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747. Along with neighboring Rehoboth Beach, Lewes is one of the principal cities of Delawar ...

, and

North Cape May, New Jersey North Cape May is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Lower Township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 United States Ce ...

); the other is

US 10 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. US 9 is signed east–west in Delaware and north–south on the rest of its route. The southern terminus of the route is in

Laurel, Delaware Laurel is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 3,708 at the time of the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census. Laurel is part of the Salisbury metropolitan area, Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistic ...

, at an intersection with

US 13 U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 (I-95) just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to US 1 in the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville ...

, while the highway's northern terminus is at a junction with Interstate 87 (I-87) in

Champlain, New York Champlain is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Clinton County, New York, Clinton County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 5,754 at the 2010 census. The town is located on the western shore of Lake Ch ...

, where the roadway continues north as the unsigned NY 971B, which ends in a cul-de-sac just short of the

Canadian border 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 ...

Route description

Much of US 9 is a two-lane road, with some expansions near more populous areas. The major exception to this is central and northern New Jersey, where it is a wide four-lane (or six-lane) divided strip, especially during much of its concurrency with US 1 and in Middlesex and Monmouth Counties. New York boasts a few similar sections, as well as two short expressway sections near Albany. In New Jersey, US 9 mainly runs parallel to 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 Jerse ...

, and in New York, most of US 9 runs parallel to

I-87 Interstate 87 may refer to either of two unconnected Interstate Highways in the United States: * Interstate 87 (New York), a highway running from New York City north to the Canadian border in Champlain, New York. * Interstate 87 (North Carolina) ...

Delaware

US 9 runs an east–west path through Sussex County, running east from

Laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (mus ...

, passing through Georgetown, east to Lewes, where it leads to the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, which carries US 9 across the

Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland ...

to New Jersey. US 9 was extended to Delaware by way of the Cape May–Lewes Ferry in 1974, replacing Delaware Route 28 (DE 28) between Laurel and Georgetown and DE 18 between Georgetown and Lewes. US 9 runs concurrent with DE 404 between Georgetown and the Five Points intersection near Lewes.

New Jersey

From Cape May, US 9 runs north parallel to the

, until briefly joining the Parkway to cross the

Great Egg Harbor Bay Great Egg Harbor Bay (or Great Egg Harbor) is a bay between Atlantic and Cape May counties along the southern New Jersey coast. The name derives from Dutch explorer Cornelius Jacobsen May's description of the plentiful birds laying eggs, naming th ...

on the reconstructed Great Egg Harbor Bridge following the closure and demolition of the Beesley's Point Bridge. US 9 then exits the Parkway north of the bridge (where the Parkway includes a toll on all US 9 and Parkway traffic in the southbound direction) and runs through the Atlantic City suburbs, until joining the Parkway briefly again to cross the

Mullica River The Mullica River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in southern New Jersey in the United States. The Mullica was once known as the ''Little Egg Ha ...

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...

in the

Pine Barrens Pine barrens, pine plains, sand plains, or pineland areas occur throughout the U.S. from Florida to Maine (see Atlantic coastal pine barrens) as well as the Midwest, West, and Canada and parts of Eurasia. Perhaps the most well known pine-barre ...

region of South Jersey. At New Gretna, US 9 exits the Parkway and parallels wooded areas and marshlands along Little Egg Harbor and Manahawkin and Barnegat Bays, passing Manahawkin and paralleling Long Beach Island, until South Toms River where the highway rejoins the Parkway for a third and final time through Toms River. In Toms River exists the only Parkway/US 9 concurrency with interim interchanges at Parkway Exits 81 and 82, before exiting the Parkway at Exit 83 and continuing north through Toms River to Lakewood, where the road becomes a divided highway that follows a more inland route through

Howell Howell may refer to: Places In the United Kingdom *Howell, Lincolnshire, England In the United States *Howell, Georgia * Howell, Evansville, a neighborhood of Evansville, Indiana *Howell, Michigan * Howell, Missouri *Howell, Utah * Howell C ...

Freehold Freehold may refer to: In real estate *Freehold (law), the tenure of property in fee simple * Customary freehold, a form of feudal tenure of land in England * Parson's freehold, where a Church of England rector or vicar of holds title to benefice ...

, Manalapan,

Marlboro Marlboro (, ) is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the United States and by Philip Morris International (now separate from Altria) outside the US. The largest Mar ...

, Old Bridge, Sayreville and into

Perth Amboy Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 55,436. Perth Amboy has a Hispanic majority population. In the 2010 census, th ...

. From there, the road resumes its parallel course with the Garden State Parkway. After crossing the Edison Bridge over the

Raritan River Raritan River is a major river of New Jersey. Its 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 Raritan provided t ...

, it merges with

US 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making ...

in Woodbridge. The concurrency, an important and busy regional artery, continues past Newark Liberty International Airport and over the

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

, finally leaving the state along with US 1 and

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

via 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 S ...

Overlap with US 1

A large section in northeast New Jersey and a small section in southern New York is

concurrent Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

with

. Route shields on this section, which includes the

, often show both numbers in the same shield, with a dash or ampersand between (1–9 or 1&9). It is known locally as "one and nine" or "one-nine".

New York

US 9 exits shortly after the George Washington bridge to go onto New York City's

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

north of it, passing over the northern tip of

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 ...

Island via the toll-free Broadway Bridge, through

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

and into

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

, where in some towns it follows the old

Albany Post Road The Albany Post Road was a post road – a road used for mail delivery – in the U.S. state of New York. It connected New York City and Albany along the east side of the Hudson River, a service now performed by U.S. Route 9 (US 9). H ...

, which dates from the early days of the nation's existence. Following 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 ...

closely as a busy surface road through the many suburban river villages and past

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

s such as Sunnyside and

Kykuit Kykuit ( ), known also as the John D. Rockefeller Estate, is a 40-room historic house museum in Pocantico Hills, a hamlet in the town of Mount Pleasant, New York 25 miles north of New York City. The house was built for oil tycoon and Rockefelle ...

, US 9 becomes the

Croton Expressway U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Laurel, Delaware, to Champlain, New York. In New York, US 9 extends from the George Washington Bridge in Manhattan to an interchange with Interstate 87 ...

between

Croton-on-Hudson Croton-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 8,327 at the 2020 United States census over 8,070 at the 2010 census. It is located in the town of Cortlandt as part of New York City's northern sub ...

and

Peekskill Peekskill is a city in northwestern Westchester County, New York, United States, from New York City. Established as a village in 1816, it was incorporated as a city in 1940. It lies on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across fr ...

. That section ends at the Annsville Circle junction with

US 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to ...

and

202 Year 202 ( CCII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Antoninus (or, less frequently, year 955 '' Ab urbe condi ...

, where US 9 returns to two-lane status as it follows the old post road inland, away from the river. At Fishkill, the road passes the historic Van Wyck Homestead Museum and it becomes a six-lane divided strip until reaching the Poughkeepsie city limit. It then narrows to a four-lane divided strip which lasts until it intersects St. Andrews Rd, just north of the Hyde Park/Poughkeepsie town line where it returns to two-lane status as it goes through Hyde Park and past its historic sites. At Red Hook US 9 veers inland again, becoming a two-lane country road through Columbia County save for the outskirts of Hudson. In

Rensselaer County Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 161,130. Its county seat is Troy. The county is named in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the ...

it widens again as it intersects I-90 and then joins

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 ...

to Albany, where it crosses the Hudson at the Dunn Memorial Bridge. It is a busy surface road through the state capital, becoming a strip in its northern suburbs, taking traffic eventually to

Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...

and Lake George, at the edge of the

Adirondack Park The Adirondack Park is a part of Forest Preserve (New York), New York's Forest Preserve in northeastern New York (state), New York, United States. The park was established in 1892 for “the free use of all the people for their health and pleasur ...

The Adirondack section of US 9 is the least trafficked of the road, returning to two lanes as it runs through vast tracts of forested wilderness and occasional hamlets. Almost 100 miles (161 km) to the north, it leaves the park and runs along or near

Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; french: Lac Champlain) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the US states of New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. The New York portion of t ...

to Plattsburgh. North of there, it is once again a two-lane road all the way to Champlain, ending at an on-ramp to

just shy of the border. File:First Northern US 9 I87 Reassurance Marker.jpg, First northern reassurance marker on New York I-87/US 9 File:US9AlbanyView.jpg, US 9 north as it approaches Albany

History

Prior to the opening of the Cape May–Lewes Ferry in 1964, US 9 ended on Lafayette Street in

Cape May, New Jersey Cape May is a city located at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations, and part of ...

. It was re-routed to the west, via Sandman Boulevard and Lincoln Avenues, to meet the new ferry, and its southern stub into Cape May was renumbered as

New Jersey Route 109 Route 109 is a state highway located in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. The route runs from Jackson Street in Cape May north to an intersection with U.S. Route 9 (US 9) in Lower Township. It crosses one of two road bridges over th ...

. Originally, the road continued north across the border (as Route 9 towards

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

) through the customs facilities now used by Interstate 87/ Autoroute 15. The official northern terminus (the point where the END US 9 sign is posted) is just south of the interchange with I-87, less than a mile from customs.

Major intersections

;Delaware : northeast of

: in Georgetown : Cape May–Lewes Ferry in Lewes. US 9 utilizes the ferry across

. ;New Jersey : in Pleasantville : in Absecon : in Howell Township : in Woodbridge Township : in Woodbridge Township. The highways travel concurrently to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. : in Linden : in

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 ...

: in Newark : in Newark : in Palisades Park. The highways travel concurrently to the

– New York state line. : in Fort Lee. The highways travel concurrently to Manhattan, New York City. : in Fort Lee ;New York : in

Tarrytown Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hu ...

: in

. The highways travel concurrently to northwest of Peekskill. : in Fishkill : in

Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsie ...

: in Schodack : in Schodack. The highways travel concurrently to Albany. : in Schodack : in East Greenbush : in Albany : in Albany : south of

: in Moreau : in Queensbury : in the Village of Champlain : in the Town of Champlain

In popular culture

The highway is mentioned in the Bruce Springsteen songs "

Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. As his effort to break into the mainstream, the album was a commercial success, peaking at number three ...

" and "The Promise". The highway, particularly the section around

, New Jersey, is associated with Springsteen more generally. Also mentioned in Springsteen song “Last Man Standing”. It is also mentioned in the songs "My Geraldine Lies Over the Delaware" by

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age comedy/drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from January 31, 1988, until May 12, 1993. The series premiered immediately after ABC's coverage of Super ...

and "The Devil On Hwy 9" by Danzig. The Breeders song “Drivin’ on 9” refers to the route. In Wayne Wang's film "Smoke" Thomas Cole's father Cyrus runs a garage on Highway 9.

References

External links

Delaware Highways – US 9

NJDOT – US 9
Straight Line Diagram for the New Jersey portion of US9 from 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 transporta ...

New Jersey Highways – US 9

Capital Highways – Mid-Crosstown Arterial

{{DEFAULTSORT:09 United States Numbered Highway System