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| Ohio State Route 60 | |
|---|---|
| State | OH |
| Type | SR |
| Route | 60 |
| Length mi | 155.90 |
| Established | 1924 |
| Direction a | South |
| Terminus a | Marietta |
| Direction b | North |
| Terminus b | Geneva |
| Counties | Washington County, Monroe County, Belmont County, Jefferson County, Harrison County, Carroll County, Stark County, Summit County, Cuyahoga County, Ashtabula County |
Ohio State Route 60 is a north–south state highway traversing eastern and northeastern Ohio between Marietta on the Ohio River and Geneva on the southern shore of Lake Erie. The route connects multiple county seats, industrial centers, and Appalachian foothill communities, serving as a regional arterial between Interstate 77, U.S. Route 250, and U.S. Route 20. Established in the 1920s, the road has seen numerous realignments, bypass projects, and intersection upgrades in response to changing transportation demands across Ohio's history.
State Route 60 begins at an interchange with U.S. Route 50 near Marietta and proceeds north through the Muskingum River valley, passing near Washington State Community College and the historic districts of Marietta. The highway advances into the Appalachian foothills of Monroe County and Belmont County, intersecting U.S. Route 40 and providing access to towns such as Barnesville and St. Clairsville. Further north, SR 60 traverses industrial corridors adjacent to Steubenville and crosses near Jefferson County communities before reaching the agricultural landscapes of Harrison County and Carroll County.
In Stark County the route serves suburban and exurban areas, intersecting with U.S. Route 30 and connecting to Canton's metropolitan fringe, while continuing into Summit County near Akron where it meets Interstate 76 and Interstate 77. North of Cuyahoga County SR 60 runs through industrial suburbs and former manufacturing sites, paralleling rail corridors historically operated by Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad. Approaching Ashtabula County, the highway intersects U.S. Route 322 and terminates at U.S. Route 20 in Geneva, providing connections to Lake Erie port facilities and regional tourism sites such as the Geneva State Park area.
The corridor predates state designation, following 19th-century turnpikes and wagon roads linking the Ohio River to the Lake Erie shoreline and connecting to early canals and rail terminals affiliated with the Erie Canal era. Designated in 1924 as part of Ohio's numbered highway system, SR 60 replaced segments of older auto trails that paralleled National Road corridors and linked to Marietta College and other institutions. During the Great Depression and New Deal era, Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps projects improved drainage, bridges, and paving along the route, while World War II military logistics increased traffic to manufacturing centers in Steubenville and Akron.
Postwar suburbanization and the Interstate era prompted bypasses around congested town centers, influenced by federal aid programs overseen by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 and state planning at the ODOT. Notable changes include realignments to avoid flood-prone lowlands along tributaries of the Muskingum River and construction of grade-separated intersections near Canton and Akron to accommodate industrial freight linked to companies such as Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and TimkenSteel Corporation. Late 20th- and early 21st-century projects addressed safety at rural intersections identified by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data and replaced aging bridges listed in Historic American Engineering Record surveys.
The highway intersects numerous federal and state routes serving as principal junctions for regional travel: - Southern terminus: interchange with U.S. Route 50 near Marietta - Junctions with Ohio State Route 7 and Ohio State Route 26 serving Ohio River communities - Intersection with U.S. Route 40 near St. Clairsville - Concurrency and connections with U.S. Route 250 and Ohio State Route 9 in the mid-Ohio corridor - Major interchange with U.S. Route 30 in Stark County providing access to Canton - Crossings with Interstate 76 and Interstate 77 in the Akron metro area - Northern terminus: junction with U.S. Route 20 in Geneva near Lake Erie
Adjacent intersections provide linkages to county roads serving Belmont County, Jefferson County, and Ashtabula County economic zones, and to park-and-ride facilities used by Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority commuter services.
ODOT has identified segments of SR 60 for safety upgrades, resurfacing, and bridge rehabilitation under statewide plans coordinated with federal programs such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Proposed improvements prioritize high-crash rural intersections, shoulder widening near freight corridors tied to Port of Cleveland logistics, and geometric realignments to meet modern design standards established by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Local authorities in Ashtabula County, Summit County, and Harrison County have proposed corridor enhancements to improve access to tourism sites, industrial parks, and multimodal hubs linked to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Lake Erie ferry services.
Planned projects include replacing structurally deficient bridges cataloged in ODOT inventories, traffic signal modernization near Canton employment centers, and implementing context-sensitive solutions near historic districts protected by local preservation commissions in Marietta and Geneva.
Over its history SR 60 has spawned short spurs, business routes, and former alignments that now serve local traffic. Former business loops routed through downtowns parallel to Main Street and historic commercial strips were decommissioned following bypass construction; these former alignments are now maintained as county routes or municipal streets under jurisdictions like Stark County Engineer offices. Short connector routes provided access to riverfront docks and rail yards once served by companies such as B & O Railroad and Penn Central; some of these spurs persist as industrial access roads.
Notable former alignments include older two-lane segments bypassed near Barnesville and Steubenville, which retain historic bridges and abutments documented by local historical societies and the Ohio History Connection. Several auxiliary designations were removed or renumbered in mid-century state route revisions overseen by ODOT and published by the Ohio State Highway Patrol highway mapping programs.