Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania

Interstate 81
American Legion Memorial Highway
Route information
Maintained by PennDOT
Length: 232.63 mi[1] (374.38 km)
Major junctions
South end: I-81 at the MD state line near Hagerstown
  US 30 in Chambersburg
US 11 to I-76 / Penna. Tpk. in Carlisle
PA 581 near Camp Hill
US 22 / US 322 in Harrisburg
I-83 / US 322 in Colonial Park
I-78 in Lickdale
I-80 near Hazleton
PA 309 in Wilkes-Barre
I-84 / I-380 / US 6 near Scranton
I-476 / Penna. Tpk. / US 6 near Scranton
North end: I-81 at the NY state line near Hallstead
Highway system

Main route of the Interstate Highway System
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Roads in Pennsylvania
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PA 80 PA 81

Interstate 81 is an 854.89-mile (1,375.81 km) long north–south Interstate Highway, stretching from Dandridge, Tennessee to Fisher's Landing, New York at the US/Canadian border. In the state of Pennsylvania, I-81 runs for 232.63 miles (374.38 km) from the Maryland state line near Chambersburg to the New York state line near Hallstead and is called the American Legion Memorial Highway.

Contents

Route description

Maryland to Interstate 78

I-81 enters Pennsylvania at the Maryland state line about 13 miles (21 km) south of Chambersburg. In Chambersburg at mile marker 16, it meets with a major highway; U.S. Route 30 (the Chambersburg Pike to Gettysburg). About a mile north of Carlisle at exit 52, it meets with U.S. Route 11, which takes passengers to the Pennsylvania Turnpike/ Interstate 76, since I-81 has no direct interchange with I-76. The stretch of US 11 connecting I-81 to I-76 is known locally as the "Miracle Mile" since it contains plenty of traveler services including restaurants, gas stations, lodging, truck stops, shops, etc. [1]. From here, I-81 travels in an almost precisely east–west direction for the next 37 miles (until exit 89). At mile marker 59, it has an interchange with the western terminus of Pennsylvania Route 581, the Harrisburg Expressway. I-81 becomes the Capital Beltway from exit 59 to exit 70. As passengers approach exit 67, a major complex interchange is seen. The interchange consists of U.S. Route 22 and U.S. Route 322; US Route 322 merges with Interstate 81. Exit 70 is the eastern terminus of the US 322 concurrency and the northern terminus of Interstate 83, and is located in Colonial Park. For the entire segment between the Mason-Dixon Line and Interstate 78, I-81 runs through the Great Valley.

Interstate 78 to New York State

At mile marker 89, I-81 meets the western terminus of I-78; I-78 picks up the eastward route through the Great Valley and heads toward Allentown and New York City, while I-81 turns back northward, cutting through the Blue Mountain at Swatara Gap. From mile marker 141 to mile marker 146; I-81 passes near the city of Hazleton. At exit 151, I-81 meets a major interstate; Interstate 80. As motorists enter Wilkes-Barre at mile marker 165, Interstate 81 merges with a major Pennsylvania route for 5 miles (8.0 km); Pennsylvania Route 309. At exit 175, I-81 meets with Pennsylvania Route 315, which will lead passengers to the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. In Scranton at mile marker 185, there is a short freeway called the Central Scranton Expressway which will lead passengers into downtown Scranton. At mile marker 187, I-81 is at the Throop Dunmore Interchange which consists of Interstate 84, Interstate 380, and U.S. Route 6. US 6 merges with I-81 for 7 miles (11 km) from mile marker 187 to mile marker 194. At mile marker 194, is the northern terminus of Interstate 476 which is the north east extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The last exit in Pennsylvania is exit 230 which is Pennsylvania Route 171 near Hallstead. 4 miles (6.4 km) north of exit 230, passengers have entered the state of New York.

Exit list

County Location Exit Destinations Notes
Old New
Franklin State Line Maryland state line. I-81 south continues into Maryland.
1 1 PA 163 (Mason Dixon Road) Interchange straddles Maryland state line.  Southbound ramps are in Maryland, and northbound ramps are in Pennsylvania.
Antrim Township 2 3 US 11 (Molly Pitcher Highway) No access from northbound US 11 to southbound I-81
Greencastle 3 5 PA 16 – Greencastle, Waynesboro, Mercersburg
Guilford Township 4 10 PA 914 – Marion
Chambersburg 5 14 PA 316 (Wayne Avenue) – Waynesboro
6 16 US 30 (Lincoln Way) – Gettysburg
7 17 Walker Road To Norland Avenue and Wilson College
Greene Township 8 20 PA 997 – Scotland Penn State - Mont Alto and Letterkenny Army Depot
Southampton Township 9 24 PA 696 (Fayette Street)
Cumberland Southampton Township 10 29 PA 174 (King Street) – Shippensburg Airport
Penn Township 11 37 PA 233 – Newville Park and Ride Lot
Carlisle 12 44 PA 465 – Plainfield Carlisle Fairgrounds.
13 45 College Street Dickinson College, Penn State Dickinson School of Law.
14 47 PA 34 (Hanover Street) U.S. Army War College; split into exits 47A (south) and 47B (north)
15 48 PA 74 (York Road) Northbound exit, southbound entrance
16 49 PA 641 (High Street) Southbound exit, northbound entrance
Middlesex Township 17 52 US 11 / I-76 / Penna. Tpk. – New Kingston, Middlesex Township Carlisle exit on I-76/PA Turnpike; split into exits 52A (US 11 north) and 52B (I-76 / US 11 south) northbound
Silver Spring Township 18 57 PA 114 – Mechanicsburg
Hampden Township
Southern terminus of I-81/Capital Beltway concurrency.
19 59 PA 581 east (Harrisburg Expressway) / US 11 – Camp Hill Capital Beltway; south end of concurrency with Captial Beltway
20 61 PA 944 (Wertzville Road)
East Pennsboro Township 21 65 US 11 / US 15 – Enola, Marysville Central Pennsylvania College; split into exits 65A (south) and 65B (north)
Dauphin Harrisburg 22 66 Front Street — Downtown Harrisburg Amtrak Terminal.
23A 67A US 22 east (Cameron St.) / PA 230 east Harrisburg Area Community College.
23B 67B US 22 west / US 322 west – Lewistown, State College South end of concurrency with US 322
Southern terminus of I-81/ US 322 concurrency.
24 69 Progress Avenue Widener University.
Colonial Park Northern terminus of I-81/ US 322 concurrency.
 Northern terminus of I-81/Capital Beltway concurrency.
25 70 I-83 south / US 322 east – Hershey, York Capital Beltway. Harrisburg Airport; north end of concurrency with US 322 / Capital Beltway
Paxtonia 26 72 US 22 – Paxtonia, Linglestown Split into exits 72A (Linglestown) and 72B (Paxtonia to US 22) southbound
West Hanover Township 27 77 PA 39 – Manada Hill, Hershey Hershey Attractions.
East Hanover Township 28 80 PA 743 – Grantville, Hershey
Lebanon East Hanover Township 29 85 PA 934 south – Annville, Fort Indiantown Gap Lebanon Valley College; split into exits 85A (south) and 85B (north) northbound
Union Township N/A 89 I-78 east – Allentown Left exit southbound
30 90 PA 72 – Lebanon
Schuylkill Pine Grove Township 31 100 PA 443 – Pine Grove
Tremont Township 32 104 PA 125 – Ravine
Frailey Township 33 107 US 209 – Tremont, Tower City
34 112 PA 25 – Hegins
Foster Township 35 116 PA 901 – Minersville, Mount Carmel
Butler Township 35A 119 Highridge Park Road – Hecksherville, Gordon
Frackville 36 124 PA 61 – Saint Clair, Frackville, Pottsville, Shamokin Split into exits 124A (south) and 124B (north)
Mahanoy Township 37 131 PA 54 – Hometown, Mahanoy City, Shenandoah Split into exits 131A (east) and 131B (west)
Delano Township 38 134 Delano
Kline Township 39 138 PA 309 – McAdoo, Tamaqua
Luzerne Hazle Township 39A 141 PA 424 / PA 309 – Hazleton
40 143 PA 924 – Hazleton
Sugarloaf Township 41 145 PA 93 – West Hazleton Penn State University Hazleton Campus.
Butler Township N/A 151 I-80 – Bloomsburg, Stroudsburg Split into exits 151A (east) and 151B (west)
Dorrance 42 155 Dorrance
Nuangola 43 159 Nuangola
Hanover Township 44 164 PA 29 north (South Cross Valley Expressway) – Nanticoke Luzerne County Community College.
Wilkes-Barre 45 165
PA 309 south / PA 309 Bus. – Wilkes-Barre, Mountain Top
Bus. 309 left exit; 309 South right offramp; split into exit 165A (south) and 165B (north); south end of concurrency with PA 309
Southern terminus of I-81/ PA 309 concurrency.
46 168 Highland Park Boulevard —  Wilkes-Barre Access to Wachovia Arena and Downtown Wilkes-Barre.
Plains Township Northern terminus of I-81/ PA 309 concurrency.
47 170 PA 115 east / PA 309 north (North Cross Valley Expressway) – Bear Creek, Wilkes-Barre, King's College Split into exits 170A (PA 115) and 170B (PA 309).
Pittstown Township 48 175 PA 315 / I-476 / Penna. Tpk. – Pittston, Dupont Wilkes-Barre exit of PA Turnpike Northeast Extension.
Avoca 49 178 PA 315 – Avoca, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport
Lackawanna Moosic 50 180 US 11 / PA 502 – Moosic No access from southbound I-81 to northbound US 11
Scranton 51 182 Montage Mountain Road, Davis Street Access to PNC Field and Snö Mountain ski area
52A 184
PA 307 (River St.)
Northbound exit, southbound entrance
52B 184 PA 307 (Moosic St.) Southbound exit, northbound entrance
53 185 Central Scranton Expressway Access to Scranton Memorial Stadium and  University of Scranton.
Dunmore 54 186 Drinker Street Northbound exit, southbound entrance
187 I-84 east to I-380 south / US 6 east – Milford, Mount Pocono, Carbondale Throop Dunmore Interchange; south end of concurrency with US 6
Southern terminus of I-81/ US 6 concurrency.
55 188 PA 347 – Throop, Dunmore Access to Penn State- Worthington Scranton Campus and Marywood University.
Scranton 56 190 Main Avenue – Dickson City
57 191
US 6 Bus. / US 11 (North Scranton Expressway) – Dickson City, North Scranton
Split into exits 191A (US 6 Bus.) and 191B (US 11)
South Abington Township Northern terminus of I-81/ US 6 concurrency.
58 194 US 6 west / US 11 south / I-476 / Penna. Tpk. – Clarks Summit Clarks Summit exit of PA Turnpike Northeast Extension. Northern terminus of Northeast Extension; north end of concurrency with US 6
Scott Township 59 197 PA 632 – Waverly
60 199 PA 524 – Scott Township
61 201 PA 438 – East Benton
Benton Township 62 202 PA 107 – Fleetville, Tompkinsville
Susquehanna Lenox Township 63 206 PA 374 – Glenwood, Lenoxville
64A 211 PA 106 – Lenox Northbound exit, southbound entrance
64B 211 PA 92 – Lenox Southbound exit, northbound entrance
Harford Township 65 217 PA 547 – Harford
New Milford Township 66 219 PA 848 – Gibson
New Milford 67 223 PA 492 – New Milford, Lakeside
Hallstead 68 230 PA 171 – Great Bend, Susquehanna Last exit in Pennsylvania.
New York state line. I-81 north continues into New York.

See also

References

External links

Interstate 81
Previous state:
Maryland
Pennsylvania Next state:
New York