U.S. Route 9

U.S. Route 9 is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway stretching over 500 miles along the East Coast of the United States. It runs from the Delaware Memorial Bridge near Wilmington, Delaware to the international border at Rouses Point, New York, adjacent to Lacolle, Quebec. The highway serves as a vital corridor through the New York metropolitan area and the Hudson Valley, connecting numerous historic communities and serving as a key alternate route to the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate 87.

Route description

From its southern terminus at the Delaware Memorial Bridge, it traverses the Delaware River into Salem County, New Jersey, quickly becoming a primary arterial through the Pine Barrens. It passes near Batsto Village and through Tuckerton before reaching the Jersey Shore at Atlantic City, where it briefly coincides with the Black Horse Pike and White Horse Pike. North of the shore resorts, the route becomes a congested commercial strip through Ocean County and Lakewood, approaching the Raritan Bay. It forms part of the Woodbridge-Edison corridor, intersecting major highways like the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike. Through Union County, it serves Elizabeth and Linden before crossing the Arthur Kill into Staten Island via the Goethals Bridge. In New York City, it follows Richmond Avenue and Clove Road, crosses the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, and utilizes the Gowanus Expressway and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to reach the Queens-Midtown Tunnel into Manhattan. There, it briefly runs on 34th Street before using the Lincoln Tunnel to return to New Jersey at Weehawken. It ascends the Palisades alongside Interstate 495, passing through Fort Lee and serving as Main Street there. Through Bergen County, it is a major commercial artery through Englewood and Teaneck before crossing the New York state line at the Alpine boat basin. In New York, it parallels the Hudson River, passing through Westchester County, Rockland County, and numerous river towns like Peekskill and Kingston. It intersects with the New York State Thruway multiple times and passes near the United States Military Academy at West Point. North of Albany, it serves as the primary street through Saratoga Springs and Glens Falls, skirting the Adirondack Park before terminating at the Champlain border crossing.

History

The highway was one of the original routes in the U.S. Highway System established in 1926, largely following pre-existing auto trails like the Lincoln Highway in New Jersey and the Albany Post Road in New York. Its initial southern terminus was in Cape May, New Jersey, but was truncated to the Delaware Memorial Bridge upon that span's completion in 1951. Significant realignments occurred with the construction of modern bridges and expressways, particularly in the New York City area, where its path across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and through Queens was established in the 1960s. The route has historically been a key military corridor, used during the American Revolutionary War and noted for its proximity to sites like the Battle of Saratoga. Many sections, especially in the Hudson Valley, retain their historic character as the primary main street for communities that developed in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Major intersections

Key junctions from south to north include the Delaware Memorial Bridge connection to Interstate 295, the Garden State Parkway in Woodbridge, and the New Jersey Turnpike in Edison. In New York City, it meets the Staten Island Expressway, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and the Long Island Expressway. It interchanges with the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Bergen County and crosses the Tappan Zee Bridge corridor via Interstate 287. In New York, it intersects the New York State Thruway (Interstate 87) at multiple points, including near Nyack, Albany, and Glens Falls. Other significant junctions include U.S. Route 20 in Albany, U.S. Route 4 near Fort Ann, and the northern terminus at Interstate 87 in Champlain, which continues into Canada as Quebec Autoroute 15.

Category:U.S. Route 9 Category:United States Numbered Highways in Delaware Category:United States Numbered Highways in New Jersey Category:United States Numbered Highways in New York (state)