Orange Belt

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The Orange Belt is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's longest "belt" in the Pittsburgh/Allegheny County Belt System, running 109 miles. For most of its route, it is the outermost route in the system, except for the north of the county where the Red Belt runs. The Orange Belt forms a nearly complete circle around the city, except for a 12 mile stretch in the south between the towns of Library, Pennsylvania and Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. The belt was originally set up in the 1940s though the current route was finalized in the 1970s.

The current Orange Belt stretches from its southwestern terminus at PA 88 in Bethel Park, northwest to Moon Township, northeast to Richland Township, southeast to Plum, and finally southwest to its southeastern terminus at PA 51 in Elizabeth. Much of the route was previously rural, though suburban sprawl has placed it in many prominent commercial corridors. The Orange Belt also runs through most of the major parks of the county, including South Park and North Park.

The Orange Belt crosses or joins many Pennsylvania routes including PA 48, PA 50, PA 51, PA 56, PA 60, PA 88, PA 366, PA 380, PA 910, and PA 978. It also crosses or joins US 22 and US 30. It crosses the Sewickley Bridge.

Until the 1970s, the belt was a complete circle by crossing into Washington County, Pennsylvania, but that section was removed. (However, the belt still enters Westmoreland County--the only one of the system to officially cross into another county.)