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| US 220 | |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Type | US |
| Route | 220 |
| Length mi | 700 |
| Established | 1926 |
| Direction a | South |
| Terminus a | Rockingham |
| Direction b | North |
| Terminus b | Waverly |
| States | North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York |
US 220 is a United States Numbered Highway running north–south through the Southeastern United States, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Northeastern United States, linking coastal plain communities, Piedmont corridors, Appalachian valleys, Chesapeake Bay watersheds, and Southern Tier centers. The route connects regional hubs and links with Interstate corridors such as Interstate 73, Interstate 74, Interstate 68, and Interstate 80, while intersecting major federal, state, and local highways that serve freight, commuter, and tourist traffic.
The highway begins near Rockingham and traverses the Piedmont and Uwharrie National Forest approaches before meeting corridors serving Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point where it interchanges with Interstate 40, Interstate 85, and US 29. Continuing north, the route passes through Roanoke and the Blue Ridge Parkway environs while paralleling rail lines operated by Norfolk Southern Railway and the CSX Transportation network, providing access to Shenandoah Valley crossings and connections with Interstate 81. Farther north, the highway follows the Allegheny Mountains approaches into West Virginia and northeastern Maryland, intersecting corridors to Hagerstown and linking to Interstate 70. In Pennsylvania, the route serves the Altoona metropolitan area, traverses the Pennsylvania Turnpike corridor near Fort Littleton, and proceeds through the Southern Tier of New York, terminating near Waverly and connections to US 6 and NY 17.
Designated in the original 1926 United States Numbered Highway plan, the corridor evolved from early auto trails and turnpikes used in the 19th century by travelers between Charleston, Richmond, and Philadelphia. The route was realigned during the New Deal era and post-World War II expansion, with federally funded improvements coordinated with agencies such as the Bureau of Public Roads and later the Federal Highway Administration. Mid‑20th century upgrades paralleled interstate planning decisions influenced by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, integrating segments with Interstate 81 and reliever projects near Harrisburg and Greensboro. Recent decades saw bypass construction around towns like Martinsville and highway modernization projects influenced by regional planning commissions such as the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Transportation, and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
The highway intersects numerous major routes, including interchanges with Interstate 73 and Interstate 74 in North Carolina, a concurrency with US 220 Business in urban centers, connections to Interstate 40 and Interstate 85 near Greensboro, an intersection with Interstate 581 in Roanoke, crossings of Interstate 81 near Harrisonburg, junctions with US 50 and Interstate 70 approaching Hagerstown, links to US 22 and Interstate 78 in Pennsylvania, and terminus connections with US 6 and NY 17 in New York regions, with nearby access to Amtrak stations and freight terminals serving Conrail successors and regional port facilities.
The corridor includes multiple auxiliary and business routes such as business loops serving Bedford, Clarksburg, and Wellsboro, as well as state-designated spur routes managed by the Maryland State Highway Administration and the New York State Department of Transportation. Historic alignments were redesignated as state routes and county roads, some preserved as scenic byways adjacent to the Appalachian Trail, Allegheny National Forest, and local historic districts tied to National Register of Historic Places listings. Connections to parkway and turnpike projects link the route to projects influenced by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, metropolitan planning organizations, and regional economic development authorities.
Planned improvements include capacity upgrades, interchange reconstructions coordinated with regionally prioritized programs, environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act for facility expansions, and multimodal integration with Amtrak and regional transit agencies. Projects under study involve possible relocations to improve freight movement to terminals serving the Port of Virginia and Port of Baltimore, safety enhancements near high‑accident corridors, and partnership initiatives with state departments such as the West Virginia Division of Highways, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and New York State Department of Transportation to address resilience to Hurricane Isabel‑era flooding and winter storm impacts.
Category:United States Numbered Highways