U.S. Route 50(US 50) is a transcontinental highway which stretches fromOcean City, MarylandtoWest Sacramento, California.In theU.S. stateofVirginia,US 50 extends 86 miles (138 km) from the border withWashington, D.C.at aPotomac Rivercrossing atRosslyninArlington Countyto theWest Virginiastate line nearGoreinFrederick County.
 U.S. Route 50 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US 50 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byVDOT | ||||
| Length | 85.96 mi[1][2](138.34 km) | |||
| Existed | 1926–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  US 50atWest Virginiaborder nearCapon Bridge, WV | |||
| East end |  I-66/US 50atWashington, D.C.border in Arlington | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Virginia | |||
| Counties | Frederick,City of Winchester,Clarke,Fauquier,Loudoun,Fairfax,City of Fairfax,Arlington | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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History
editUS 50, also known in modern times for most of its mileage inVirginiaas theJohn Mosby Highwayand for a part as Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway, is steeped in history as a travelway.Native Americansfirst created it as they followed seasonally migrating game from thePotomac Riverto theShenandoah Valley.As English colonists expanded westward in the late 17th and 18th centuries, the Indian trail gradually became a more clearly defined roadway. First on horseback, and then in stage coaches and wagons, in colonial times, travelers from the ports ofAlexandriaandGeorgetown(then inMaryland) followed it toWinchesterat the lower end of the Shenandoah Valley for trade. Along the way, small settlements sprang up which provided lodging and provisions for travelers and trade centers for local farmers.
During theAmerican Civil War,the roads which became US 50 were an important travelway for troops, and were the site of significant battles and skirmishes. Among these, theBattle of Chantilly,theBattle of Aldie,as well asArlington National Cemeterywere all located close by.
During the 19th century, theVirginia Board of Public Worksencouraged and helped finance internal transportation improvements such ascanals,turnpikes,and some of the earlierrailroads.In 1806, theLittle River Turnpikeopened 34 miles (55 km) of macadamized "paved" road from Alexandria toAldieand theAldie and Ashby's Gap Turnpikewas formed in 1810 to operate atoll roadwestward to the crest of theBlue Ridge MountainsatAshby's Gap.TheWinchester and Berry's Ferry Turnpikeextended from the Ashby's Gap to Winchester.
In 1922, these three privately owned turnpikes were taken over by theCommonwealth of Virginiaand became State Route 36. Then in November 1926 the route became part of US Route 50 as designated in theUnited States Numbered Highway System.At Winchester, the northern end of theValley Pike,another historic trail, turnpike and toll road pathway steeped in history, intersected US 50 and several other important older roads. (The Valley Pike ran up the Shenandoah Valley southward and was operated in its later years by futureVirginia governorand U.S. SenatorHarry Flood Byrdbefore it too was acquired by the state and becameU.S. Route 11).
US Route 50 was one of the major east–west transcontinental highways in the grid system of the lower 48 states planned in the 1920s as a successor to theNational Auto Trails System.It extended fromSan Francisco, CaliforniatoAnnapolis, Maryland(later extended toOcean City, Maryland). Route 50 crosses Virginia near the state's northern borders with Maryland and West Virginia. The east–west major routes in the 1920s national grid system were those with two digit numbers ending with a zero (e.g. US 10, US 20, etc.). Virginia's other east–west highway of this type isUS 60,which extends in modern times fromVirginia Beachacross the middle section of the state to exit west ofCovington.
TheLoudoun County Board of Supervisorsvoted to rename the section of US 50 within Loudoun County from John Mosby Highway to Little River Turnpike on December 7, 2021. This is in an effort to restore historical names and remove segregationist and Confederate symbols throughout the county.[3]
Route description
editThe eastern two-thirds of US 50 in Virginia is substantially paralleled byInterstate 66,although the newer highway gradually diverges to the south after their Fairfax interchange toFront Royaland meetsInterstate 81atStrasburg,about 15 miles (24 km) south of Winchester, where US 50 meets I-81.
Frederick County and Winchester
editU.S. Route 50 enters the state from theWest Virginiaborder, descending from theAppalachian MountainsinFrederick County,the most northern Virginia county, and carrying the name ofNorthwest Turnpike.It is on a winding, two lane road until it passes the former lumbering town ofGore,at which point it widens to a four-lane highway. It eventually crossesState Route 37and enters theindependent cityofWinchester.
Winchester was long the transportation hub of the lower Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Today, US 50 meetsInterstate 81there, as well asUS 11,US 522,andState Route 7.U.S. Route 17 joins US 50 here from its national northern terminus as the route exits the city to the east and crosses the Shenandoah River.
Paris, Ashby Gap, Clarke County
editAfter crossing the Shenandoah River, the divided four-laned roadway which serves as combined U.S. Routes 17 and 50 ascends intoClarke Countyand crossesUS 340close to Boyce, a few miles south ofBerryville,thecounty seat.
Just west of Paris, the highway crosses a ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains at a place known asAshby Gap.Named for Thomas Ashby, thiswind gapwas a strategic point for both sides in theAmerican Civil Warbecause whichever side controlled the Gap also controlled access to the northern end of theShenandoah Valleyfrom the east. In those days before modern communications, Ashbys Gap was also an important location for the military Signal Corps to send and receive visual communications. A few miles west of Upperville,U.S. Route 17finally separates from US 50 atParis.
Fauquier and Loudoun counties
editWest of Fairfax County, US 50 in Virginia is known as the John Mosby Highway inFauquier Countyand Little River Turnpike inLoudoun County.During theAmerican Civil War,ColonelJohn Singleton Mosbywas a Confederatepartisanwho operated with great success in this region, gaining status as a local folk-hero. TheLittle Riveris a tributary of theGoose Creek,which itself is a tributary of thePotomac River.The roadway reaches theTown of Upperville,straddles a county line and dipping intoLoudoun Countyalong the way. It then passes into the northern edge ofFauquier County.
Upon entering Loudoun County, US 50 exits the Blue Ridge Mountains and enters the Piedmont region. The highway passes across the southeastern portion through theTown of Middleburg,and the communities ofAldie(birthplace ofStonewall Jackson's mother, Julia Beckwith Neale),Gilberts Corner,Arcola,andSouth Riding.NearGilberts Corner,it has an intersection withUS 15.Starting in Aldie, the highway becomes a 17-mile straightaway until it intersectsU.S. 29in Fairfax City. Within Middleburg, US 50 is known as Washington Street.
Fairfax County, City of Fairfax, Arlington County
edit
Continuing east from the border withLoudoun County,US 50, Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway, travels along the historic Little River Turnpike route. It passes by the southern edge ofWashington Dulles International Airportand theSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Centerand through the communities ofChantillyandFair Oaks.
Shortly after entering theindependent cityofFairfax,US 50 leaves Little River Turnpike (its original route until 1935, which continues asVirginia State Route 236) and joins a concurrency withUS 29as Fairfax Boulevard (a new designation, concurrent with the old names Main Street,Lee Highway,and Arlington Boulevard). US 29 splits from US 50 again just before exiting the City of Fairfax.
From this point east into eastern Fairfax County andArlington County,US 50 is known asArlington Boulevard.The roadway travels roughly across the center of both counties. In Arlington, it serves as the dividing line for addresses in the county. Finally, the route passes nearRosslyn,a high-density business area of Arlington on its trek toward theTheodore Roosevelt Bridge,where itexits Virginiaand passes intoWashington, D.C.concurrent withInterstate 66.
Major intersections
edit| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick | | 0.00 | 0.00 |  US 50west –Romney | Continuation intoWest Virginia | ||
| | 2.97 | 4.78 |   SR 259south (Carpers Pike) –Wardensville | Northern terminus of SR 259 | |||
| Hayfield | 8.01 | 12.89 |  SR 600(Hayfield Road) –Gainesboro,Mountain Falls | ||||
| | 11.40 | 18.35 |  SR 608(Wardensville Grade) –Mount Williams | ||||
| | 14.18 | 22.82 |        SR 37toI-81/US 11/US 522north –Martinsburg,Berkeley Springs,Roanoke | Interchange | |||
| CityofWinchester | 16.30 | 26.23 |  US 11north /US 522north /US 17north (South Cameron Street) | Western end of US 11 / US 522 / US 17 concurrency; northern terminus of US 17 | |||
| 16.69 | 26.86 | US 11south (Gerrard Street) –Winchester Historic District | Eastern end of US 11 concurrency | ||||
| Frederick | | 17.89 | 28.79 | I-81–Martinsburg,Roanoke | I-81 exit 313 | ||
| | 18.02 | 29.00 |  US 522south (Front Royal Pike) –Winchester Regional Airport,Front Royal | Eastern end of US 522 concurrency | |||
| Clarke | Waterloo | 25.12 | 40.43 |  US 340(Lord Fairfax Highway) –Berryville,White Post,Front Royal,Shenandoah National Park,Skyline Drive | |||
| | 27.95 | 44.98 |   SR 255north (Bishop Meade Road) /SR 624(Red Gate Road) –Millwood | Southern terminus of SR 255 | |||
| | 31.63 | 50.90 |  SR 606(Mount Carmel Road) | FormerSR 276north | |||
| Fauquier | Paris | 34.43 | 55.41 | US 17south toI-66–Warrenton,Sky Meadows State Park | Eastern end of US 17 concurrency | ||
| Upperville | 37.85 | 60.91 |  SR 712(Delaplane Grade Road) –Delaplane | ||||
| | 42.77 | 68.83 |  SR 611(St. Louis Road) –Purcellville | ||||
| Loudoun | Middleburg | 46.14 | 74.26 |  SR 626(Plains Road) –The Plains | |||
| Aldie | 50.83 | 81.80 |  SR 734(Snickersville Pike) –Philomont,Bluemont | ||||
| Gilberts Corner | 52.53 | 84.54 |  US 15(James Monroe Highway) toI-66–Leesburg,Warrenton | Roundabout | |||
| | 52.90 | 85.13 | Howsers Branch Drive toUS 15 | Roundabout | |||
| South Riding | 58.75 | 94.55 | SR 606(Loudoun County Parkway) –Herndon | ||||
| Fairfax | Pleasant Valley | 61.68 | 99.26 |  SR 609(Pleasant Valley Road) | |||
| Chantilly | 63.57 | 102.31 |  SR 28–Dulles Airport,Centreville | Interchange | |||
| 64.06 | 103.09 |  SR 657(Centreville Road / Walney Road) | |||||
| 65.13 | 104.82 |  SR 645(Lees Corner Road) | Western end of SR 645 concurrency | ||||
| 65.59 | 105.56 | SR 645(Stringfellow Road) | Eastern end of SR 645 concurrency | ||||
| Greenbriar–Fair Oaksline | 66.94 | 107.73 |  SR 286(Fairfax County Parkway) toI-66 | Interchange | |||
| Fair Oaks | 68.05 | 109.52 | SR 608(West Ox Road) | Interchange | |||
| 68.33– 68.90 | 109.97– 110.88 | Fair Oaks Shopping Center | Interchange; no westbound entrance | ||||
| 69.15 | 111.29 |  I-66toI-495–Washington,Gainesville,Front Royal | I-66 exit 57A/B | ||||
| 69.80 | 112.33 |   SR 665(Waples Mill Road) toSR 123south –Virginia International University,George Mason University | |||||
| CityofFairfax | 70.00 | 112.65 | |||||
| 70.60 | 113.62 |    US 29south (Lee Highway) /SR 236east (Main Street) –Old Town Fairfax | Western end of US 29 concurrency, western terminus of SR 236 | ||||
| 71.47 | 115.02 | SR 123(Chain Bridge Road) toI-66–Old Town Fairfax,George Mason University | |||||
| 73.26 | 117.90 |  US 29/SR 237north (Lee Highway) toI-66/ Old Lee Highway | Fairfax Circle (traffic circlewith cut-through); eastern end of US 29 concurrency, western end of SR 237 concurrency | ||||
| 73.54 | 118.35 |  SR 237south (Pickett Road) toSR 236east /SR 655(Blake Lane) | Eastern end of SR 237 concurrency | ||||
| Fairfax | Woodburn–Merrifieldline | 75.83 | 122.04 |    SR 650(Gallows Road) toI-495 Express–Merrifield | Interchange; servesInova Fairfax Hospital | ||
| Merrifield–Annandale– West Falls Churchtripoint | 76.23 | 122.68 | I-495(Capital Beltway) toI-66–Tysons Corner,Richmond | Interchange; exits 50A-B on I-495 | |||
| West Falls Church–Annandaleline | 76.57 | 123.23 |  Fairview Park Drive toI-495 Expresssouth /US 29(Lee Highway) | Interchange; signed for I-495 westbound and US 29 eastbound | |||
| West Falls Church | 78.71 | 126.67 |  SR 649(Annandale Road) –Falls Church,Annandale | ||||
| Seven Corners | 79.73 | 128.31 |   SR 7toSR 338–Falls Church,Alexandria | Interchange; also servesSR 613andEast Falls Church station | |||
| Arlington | Arlington | 81.32 | 130.87 | Carlin Springs Road | Interchange | ||
| 82.50 | 132.77 | George Mason Drive –NFATC | Interchange | ||||
| 82.85 | 133.33 |  SR 120(Glebe Road) –Ballston | Interchange | ||||
| 83.83 | 134.91 |   SR 27east (Washington Boulevard) toI-395–Clarendon,Pentagon | Interchange; western terminus of SR 27 | ||||
| Clarendon | 84.35– 84.75 | 135.75– 136.39 | 10th Street North (SR 237south) / North Courthouse Road / Fairfax Drive | Interchange; eastern terminus of SR 237 | |||
| Rosslyn | 85.00 | 136.79 | North Rhodes Street / North Rolfe Street / North Queen Street / 14th Street / Fairfax Drive | Interchange; no westbound entrance | |||
| 85.40 | 137.44 | North Lynn Street –Key Bridge,Rosslyn,Fort Myer | Interchange; also serves North Meade Street | ||||
| 85.60 | 137.76 | Memorial Bridge/George Washington Parkwaysouth –Arlington Cemetery | Interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||||
| Potomac River | 85.96 | 138.34 |  US 50east toI-66east (Theodore Roosevelt Bridge) –Washington | Continuation into theDistrict of Columbia | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
edit- ^ab"2011 Traffic Data".Virginia Department of Transportation. 2011.RetrievedJanuary 25,2013.
- ^"U.S. Route 50 in Virginia"(Map).Google Maps.RetrievedJanuary 25,2013.
- ^"Renaming Route 7 and Route 50".Loudoun County, Virginia official website.December 7, 2021.RetrievedDecember 14,2021.
External links
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