Route of the Lincoln Highway

Route of the Lincoln Highway
Name	Lincoln Highway
Designation	Auto trail
Length mi	3400
Established	1913
Termini	Times Square, New York City – Lincoln Park, San Francisco
States	New York; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; Ohio; Indiana; Illinois; Iowa; Nebraska; Colorado; Wyoming; Utah; Nevada; California

Route of the Lincoln Highway The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental automobile route in the United States, conceived to link Times Square and Lincoln Park and to promote cross-country travel between New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Early proponents from the Lincoln Highway Association, including Carl G. Fisher, Henry B. Joy, Thomas H. MacDonald, and Ezra Meeker, collaborated with state highway departments and local boosters such as the American Automobile Association to map an alignment that traversed major hubs like Cleveland, Omaha, Salt Lake City, and Sacramento. The route influenced federal programs championed by figures linked to the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916, the Bureau of Public Roads, and policymakers in Washington, D.C., shaping subsequent projects like the U.S. Highway System and later the Interstate Highway System.

History and planning

Planning began with the formation of the Lincoln Highway Association in 1913, driven by automobile entrepreneurs such as Carl G. Fisher, financiers like Henry B. Joy of Packard Motor Car Company, and preservationists including Ezra Meeker. Early meetings in San Francisco, New York City, and Chicago involved representatives from state highway departments in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and California. The association negotiated with municipal governments in Cleveland, Fort Wayne, Omaha, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco while coordinating signage experiments inspired by precedents in Germany and roadbuilding techniques promoted by engineers from the American Association of State Highway Officials and the Bureau of Public Roads. Campaigns by the association intersected with national debates in Washington, D.C. over the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 and attracted publicity from newspapers like the New York Times and magazines including Popular Science.

Original transcontinental alignment (1913)

The 1913 alignment began at Times Square, proceeded through New Jersey across the Hudson River approaches near Newark toward Philadelphia, passed through Lancaster and Pittsburgh, then followed roads through Canton and Cleveland to Fremont before entering Indiana via Fort Wayne. From Chicago the route continued west through Davenport and Omaha across the Missouri River into Nebraska, threading through Lincoln and North Platte toward Cheyenne and Laramie. West of Salt Lake City, alignments hugged corridors near Wendover and crossed into Nevada before descending to Reno and crossing the Sierra Nevada to Sacramento and onward to San Francisco.

State-by-state route descriptions

New York and New Jersey: The highway used avenues linking Times Square to ferry approaches serving Newark and corridors toward Elizabeth; civic boosters from Newark and Jersey City lobbied state highway commissions. Pennsylvania and Ohio: The alignment followed primary roads through Philadelphia, Lancaster, Pittsburgh, Canton, and Cleveland, coordinated with county commissioners in Allegheny County and Cuyahoga County. Indiana and Illinois: Routes through Fort Wayne and Chicago linked with business districts and industrialists in Cook County and urban planners from Chicago. Iowa and Nebraska: The Lincoln Highway passed through Davenport, Ames, Omaha, and Lincoln, crossing the Missouri River via bridges built with support from local chambers of commerce and state legislators. Wyoming and Utah: Segments across Cheyenne and Laramie utilized wagon roads later improved under direction of the Wyoming Highway Department and alignments through Salt Lake City negotiated with the Utah Department of Transportation. Nevada and California: Western sections climbed the Sierra Nevada into Sacramento and descended the peninsula to San Francisco, intersecting transcontinental rail hubs like Promontory and seaports in San Francisco.

Major realignments and alternate routes

From the 1910s through the 1930s, multiple realignments reflected collaboration among the Lincoln Highway Association, state highway commissions, and private interests including automobile clubs like the American Automobile Association and entrepreneurs such as Carl G. Fisher. Notable alternates diverted traffic via Cleveland versus Pittsburgh, followed northern corridors through Davenport and Iowa City or more southerly corridors via Omaha and Lincoln. Realignments paralleled federal initiatives like the U.S. Route 30 designation and adjustments made during the implementation of the U.S. Highway System in 1926 and subsequent state renumberings.

Landmarks, bridges, and surviving segments

Surviving segments include brick-paved streets in Cedar Rapids, concrete stretches near Ulm and historic bridges such as the Dubuque crossings over the Mississippi River and the Bellefontaine span. Landmarks associated with the route include Times Square markers, the Lincoln Park terminus, museums like the Lincoln Highway Association collections, and roadside attractions promoted by local chambers in Kearney, Cheyenne, and Reno.

Mapping, signage, and commemorations

Cartographers from the Lincoln Highway Association produced maps circulated in publications such as the New York Times and Popular Mechanics while state highway departments adopted standardized shields later harmonized with designs from the American Association of State Highway Officials. Commemorative efforts by organizations including the Lincoln Highway Association and municipal governments have erected plaques in San Francisco, Sacramento, Omaha, Cedar Rapids, and Times Square, while heritage trails and markers have been coordinated with entities like the National Register of Historic Places and state historic preservation offices.

Legacy and influence on U.S. highway development

The Lincoln Highway established precedents that influenced the creation of the U.S. Highway System, inspired figures in the Bureau of Public Roads and legislators behind the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916, and fostered the growth of automobile culture linked to entrepreneurs such as Henry B. Joy and Carl G. Fisher. Its promotion of transcontinental travel contributed to later developments embodied by the U.S. Route 30 corridor and the Interstate Highway System, and its commemorations continue to engage preservationists, transport historians, and civic groups in San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, and numerous municipalities along the original route.

Category:Lincoln Highway Category:Historic roads in the United States