List of Washington State Routes
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In the U.S. state of Washington, every state highway - a road owned and maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) - is assigned a State Route number by state law. These are named state route number X in the legal descriptions,[1] and are called State Route X (commonly abbreviated SR X) by WSDOT. These State Routes include roads signed as U.S. Routes or Interstate Highways.
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[edit] Numbering pattern
A rough grid of two-digit numbers is assigned to major routes; U.S. Routes and Interstate Highways make the grid imperfect. Odd-numbered routes stretch from U.S. Route 101 (functionally a State Route 1) in the west to State Route 31 in the east. Even-numbered routes run in three general strips, roughly separated by Interstate 5 and U.S. Route 97. The westernmost strip runs from State Route 4 north to State Route 8 (2 and 10 are used up by U.S. Route 2 and former U.S. Route 10). The next strip runs from State Route 14 (former State Route 12 before U.S. Route 12 was extended into the state) north to State Route 20, and the eastern strip runs from State Route 22 to State Route 28 (formerly to State Route 30, now part of SR 20).
Less major routes are assigned three-digit numbers, as a "child" of a major route. One or two digits are added onto the end of the "parent" to form the three-digit number. For instance, U.S. Route 101 (functionally SR 1) has child routes of State Route 104 and State Route 117, Interstate 5 has child routes of State Route 505 and State Route 527, and State Route 26 has State Route 261 as a child. Child routes of State Route 20 begin with 21, as 20X is used by spurs of U.S. Route 2. (State Route 10 has no children, and neither did State Route 30.) Several unused two-digit numbers are assigned functionally to U.S. Routes - for instance U.S. Route 97 fits as SR 15, so one of its children is State Route 153. Similarly, a child of U.S. Route 395, functionally SR 29, is State Route 291. On the other hand, both of these have newer child routes assigned based on their U.S. Route numbers - State Route 971 and State Route 397 for instance. This method had been used since the beginning for some child routes of U.S. Route 830 (since renumbered as spurs of State Route 4), though other children were numbered by its location in the grid (as SR 4 and SR 12).
The two child routes of State Route 9 are State Route 92 and State Route 96, as three-digit numbers beginning with 90 are in use by Interstate 90.
Most Washington State Ferry routes are legally part of the state highway system. As a result, many ferry routes are part of highways which share numbering at their start and end points, such as State Route 104 on the Edmonds to Kingston run.[2] State Route 339 is only the Vashon Heights-Seattle ferry, and does not include any actual roadway.[3]
[edit] History
The first state road, running across the Cascade Range roughly where State Route 20 now crosses it, was designated by the legislature in 1893. Two other roads - a Cascade crossing at present State Route 410 and a branch of the first road to Wenatchee - were added in 1897. The Washington Highway Department was established in 1905, and a set of twelve State Roads, numbered from 1 to 12, were assigned. A thirteenth was added in 1907, and SR 14 to SR 18 in 1909.[4][5]
However, it was not until 1913 that a connected system was laid out - earlier state roads had been disconnected segments of road needing improvements. The seven primary roads were only assigned names, while the older state roads kept their numbers as secondary roads. In 1923, most state roads were assigned new numbers, though the primary and secondary split remained, and several roads remained named only.[5] The United States Numbered Highways were assigned in late 1926, overlapping some of the State Roads.
The first major reworking of the system was passed in 1937, including a complete renumbering. A number of Primary State Highways were designated, while Secondary State Highways were suffixed spurs off of those. For instance, Primary State Highway 1 was the Pacific Highway (present Interstate 5), and Secondary State Highway 1B was a spur from Bellingham to the Canadian border (now State Route 539). U.S. Routes kept dual designations with State Highways.[5] By 1952, the present highway shield, in the shape of George Washington's head, had been adopted.[6]
[edit] Renumbering
In 1963, a law was passed authorizing a new numbering for sign routes. These would coincide with the U.S. Route designations, as well as the Interstate Highway numbers assigned in 1959, and would provide a non-suffixed number for every stretch of state highway. The present numbering system was adopted then.[7] Signs for the new sign routes were posted in January 1964, and until 1970 they coexisted with the older state highway numbers. At that time, the legislative definitions were changed to use the sign route numbers, renamed state routes. Those definitions, with amendments, are still in use today.[8]
[edit] State route list
[edit] Interstates
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Interstate 5 | |
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Interstate 205 | |
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Interstate 405 | |
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Interstate 605 | |
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Interstate 705 | |
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Interstate 82 | |
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Interstate 182 | |
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Interstate 90 |
[edit] U.S. Highways
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US 12 | |
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US 95 | No longer enters Washington. |
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US 195 | |
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US 195 Spur | |
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US 395 | |
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US 97 | |
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US 97 Alternate | |
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US 97 Spur | No longer enters Washington. |
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US 197 | |
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US 101 | Functionally SR 1. |
| |
US 101 Alternate |
[edit] Decommissioned
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US 10 | Now SR 10. |
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US 410 | |
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US 830 | |
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US 295 | |
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US 99 | |
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US 99 Alternate (Burlington) US 99 Alternate (Bellingham) |
[edit] State Routes
| Current State Routes | Former or proposed State Routes |
|---|---|
| U.S. Route 101 (functionally SR 1) | |
| US 101 Alternate; SR 100 (Spur); SR 102; SR 103; SR 104; SR 105 (Spur); SR 106; SR 107; SR 108; SR 109 (Spur); SR 110 (Spur); SR 112; SR 113; SR 115; SR 116; SR 117; SR 119 | SR 111; SR 118 |
| U.S. Route 2 | |
| SR 202; SR 203; SR 204; SR 206; SR 207 | SR 200; SR 209 |
| State Route 3 | |
| SR 300; SR 302 (Spur); SR 303; SR 304; SR 305; SR 307; SR 308; SR 310; SR 339 | SR 306 |
| State Route 4 | |
| SR 401; SR 409; SR 411 (Spur); SR 432; SR 433 | SR 402; SR 403; SR 407; SR 431 |
| Interstate 5 | |
| I-205; I-405; I-705; SR 500; SR 501; SR 502; SR 503 (Spur); SR 504 (Spur); SR 505; SR 506; SR 507; SR 508; SR 509; SR 510; SR 512; SR 513; SR 515; SR 516; SR 518; SR 519; SR 520; SR 522; SR 523; SR 524 (Spur); SR 525 (Spur); SR 526; SR 527; SR 528; SR 529 (Spur); SR 530; SR 531; SR 532; SR 534; SR 536; SR 538; SR 539; SR 542; SR 543; SR 544; SR 546; SR 547; SR 548; SR 599 | I-605; SR 514; SR 517; SR 537; SR 540 |
| State Route 6 | |
| SR 603 | |
| State Route 7 | |
| SR 702; SR 706 | SR 700; SR 704 |
| State Route 8 | |
| SR 801 | |
| State Route 9 | |
| SR 9 Spur; SR 92; SR 96 | |
| State Route 10 (former U.S. Route 10) | |
| SR 410 | US 410 |
| State Route 11 | |
| U.S. Route 12 | |
| SR 121; SR 122; SR 123; SR 124; SR 125 (Spur); SR 127; SR 128; SR 129 (Spur); SR 131 | SR 120; SR 126 |
| U.S. Route 97 (functionally SR 13) | |
| SR 131 | |
| State Route 14 | |
| SR 14 Spur; SR 141 (Spur); SR 142 | SR 140; SR 143 |
| U.S. Route 97 (functionally SR 15) | |
| SR 150; SR 153; SR 155 (Spur) | SR 151 |
| State Route 16 | |
| SR 16 Spur; SR 160; SR 163; SR 166 | |
| State Route 410 (functionally SR 16) | |
| SR 161; SR 162; SR 164; SR 165; SR 167; SR 169 | SR 168 |
| State Route 17 | |
| SR 170; SR 171; SR 172; SR 173; SR 174 (Spur) | SR 175 |
| State Route 18 | |
| SR 181 | |
| State Route 19 | |
| U.S. Route 195 (functionally SR 19) | |
| SR 193; SR 194 | |
| State Route 20 | |
| SR 20 Spur; SR 211; SR 213; SR 215 | SR 237 |
| State Route 21 | |
| State Route 22 | |
| SR 221; SR 223; SR 224; SR 225 | SR 220 |
| State Route 23 | |
| SR 230; SR 231 | SR 232 |
| State Route 24 | |
| SR 240; SR 241; SR 243 | |
| State Route 25 | |
| SR 251 | |
| State Route 26 | |
| SR 26 Spur; SR 260; SR 261; SR 262; SR 263 | |
| State Route 27 | |
| SR 270; SR 271; SR 272; SR 274; SR 276; SR 278 | |
| State Route 28 | |
| SR 281 (Spur); SR 282; SR 283; SR 285 | |
| U.S. Route 395 (functionally SR 29) | |
| SR 290 (Spur); SR 291; SR 292 | SR 294 |
| State Route 30 (renumbered) | |
| U.S. Route 30 (never entered Washington) | |
| US 730 (Spur) | US 830 |
| State Route 31 | |
| SR 311 | |
| State Route 35 | |
| U.S. Route 395 (functionally SR 39) | |
| SR 397 | |
| State Route 41 | |
| Interstate 82 | |
| I-182; SR 821; SR 823 | |
| U.S. Route 830 (functionally SR 83; decommissioned) | |
| SR 831; SR 832; SR 833 | |
| Interstate 90 | |
| SR 900; SR 902; SR 903 (Spur); SR 904; SR 906 (Spur); SR 908 | SR 901; SR 920 |
| U.S. Route 95 (no longer enters Washington) | |
| US 195 (Spur); US 395 | US 295 |
| U.S. Route 97 | |
| US 97 Alternate; US 97 Spur; US 197; SR 970; SR 971 | |
| State Route 99 (former U.S. Route 99) | |
| US 99 Alternate | |
[edit] Bridges
Several bridges have been defined as part of the state highway system:
- South Fork Skykomish River Bridge
- Manette Bridge
- Grays River Bridge (Rosburg)
- Elochoman Bridge
[edit] Beaches
Most ocean beaches are also drivable in Washington, though many are only open to vehicles between the day after Labor Day and April 14. They are legally part of the state highway system with a general speed limit of 25 MPH.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Revised Code of Washington Chapter 47.17 - State highway routes
- ^ Revised Code of Washington Chapter 47.17.175 - State route No. 104
- ^ Revised Code of Washington Chapter 47.17.571 - State route No. 339
- ^ State Roads As Established by Legislature, 1893 to 1935 (PDF)
- ^ a b c Historical Collection - 40 Years with the Washington Department of Highways
- ^ Twenty-Fourth Biennial Report of the Washington Highway Commission 1950-52, U. S. Route directional marking assembly supplemented by overhead mast arm supported standard destination signs in Tenino, Washington.
- ^ Washington State Highway Commission, December 1, 1965, Identification of State Highways, part 1 and part 2 (PDF)
- ^ Highways of Washington State - State Highways aka State Routes (SRs)
[edit] External links
- Washington State Department of Transportation
- Washington State Department of Transportation Library's Biennial Reports Historical Image Library
- Highways of Washington State
- Road Signs of Washington
| Numbered highways in the United States | |
|---|---|
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