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| U.S. Route 33 (Ohio) | |
|---|---|
| State | OH |
| Type | US |
| Route | 33 |
| Length mi | 233.4 |
| Established | 1926 |
| Direction a | West |
| Terminus a | Indiana |
| Direction b | East |
| Terminus b | West Virginia |
| Counties | Allen, Auglaize, Logan, Union, Franklin, Pickaway, Fairfield, Hocking, Vinton, Athens |
U.S. Route 33 (Ohio) is a United States Numbered Highway running diagonally across Ohio from the Indiana state line near Wapakoneta to the Ohio River crossing into West Virginia at Pomeroy. The highway connects a mixture of rural communities, regional industrial centers, and the state capital, traversing diverse terrain including the Allegheny Plateau and agricultural plains. US 33 serves as a key corridor for freight, commuters and regional tourism, linking with multiple Interstate and U.S. routes along its route.
US 33 enters Ohio from Indiana near Wapakoneta, intersecting with local connectors and proceeding southeast through Allen County and Auglaize County toward St. Marys and Saint Marys River crossings. The route continues past Glandorf into Logan County where it serves as a principal arterial to Bellefontaine and connects with SR 47, I‑75 via spurs, and US 68 near regional manufacturing centers. Approaching Union County, US 33 expands into freeway-standard lanes approaching the Columbus metropolitan area, intersecting with I‑70, I‑71 and providing access to John Glenn Columbus International Airport corridors.
Within Franklin County US 33 forms part of the northwest-southeast spine feeding Downtown Columbus and suburban areas such as Dublin and Powell, intersecting with SR 315 and US 23. Southeast of Pickaway County the highway passes near Circleville and regional campuses before entering the more rugged landscapes of Fairfield County and Hocking County. Here US 33 transitions to a limited-access expressway, linking to Lancaster and skirting the Hocking Hills recreation zone through winding alignments and grade-separated interchanges.
Continuing into Vinton County and Athens County, US 33 descends through the Raccoon Creek and tributary valleys, providing connections to Athens and Ohio University via spur routes and state highways. The easternmost segment follows river valleys to Pomeroy, where US 33 crosses the Ohio River on a bridge into Chesapeake, linking with West Virginia routes and regional coal-transport corridors.
The corridor that would become US 33 traces back to 19th-century turnpikes and postbellum rail-fed roads serving Lima, Bellefontaine, and Columbus. Designated in 1926 as part of the original United States Numbered Highway System, US 33 originally followed surface streets and early state routes through Logan County and Franklin County. Mid-20th century improvements paralleled federal highway investment programs including projects inspired by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 and subsequent state-sponsored expansions under the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), converting many two-lane segments to divided highways.
During the 1960s–1990s, US 33 experienced multiple realignments: urban bypasses around Bellefontaine and Lancaster, grade-separated expressway segments near Columbus and the construction of the Appalachian corridor through Athens County and Vinton County. These projects were influenced by regional initiatives such as the Appalachian Regional Commission and local economic development plans tied to manufacturing in Hilliard and agricultural distribution centers near Marysville. The 21st century brought interchange modernizations and safety improvements following collision studies and community advocacy involving agricultural groups and municipal governments.
US 33 intersects multiple principal routes, forming critical junctions with I‑75 near Van Wert corridors, US 68 at Bellefontaine, I‑71 and I‑70 within the Columbus metro, and US 23 in central Franklin County. Further southeast, notable interchanges include SR 256 near Circleville, SR 327 in Jackson Township environs, and SR 32 near Piketon and Athens approaches. At its eastern terminus, US 33 connects to WV 2 via the Ohio River bridge at Pomeroy/Chesapeake.
Throughout Ohio, US 33 has spawned business and auxiliary designations to serve downtowns and industrial districts. Examples include a business route serving Wapakoneta and spur alignments into Bellefontaine and Lancaster that preserve access to historic central business districts. Several bypasses around Circleville and Athens have corresponding business loops maintained by county jurisdictions and coordinated with ODOT and local planning commissions. Auxiliary improvements also include collector–distributor systems near Columbus and frontage-road networks serving airport logistics and industrial parks linked to Rickenbacker freight operations.
Planned projects for US 33 in Ohio emphasize safety upgrades, capacity enhancements, and regional economic development integration. ODOT and partners including the FHWA have proposed interchange reconstructions in the Columbus metro to reduce congestion around Dublin and Powell, plus corridor widening in segments approaching Hocking County to support tourism to Hocking Hills. Appalachian-focused investments, supported by the Appalachian Regional Commission and state grant programs, aim to improve pavement resilience and truck climbing lanes through Vinton County and Athens County to facilitate freight to the Ohio River ports. Environmental review continues for potential realignments and multimodal enhancements near Pomeroy with stakeholders including county commissioners, tribal nations with historical interests, and regional economic development agencies.
Category:U.S. Highways in Ohio