| Maryland Route 224 | ||||
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Maryland Route 224 highlighted in red |
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by MDSHA | ||||
| Length: | 26.70 mi[1] (42.97 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: | MD 6 in Riverside | |||
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MD 344 in Chicamuxen |
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| North end: | MD 227 in Pomonkey | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Maryland highway system
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Maryland Route 224 (MD 224) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs 26.70 mi (42.97 km) from MD 6 in Riverside north to MD 227 in Pomonkey. MD 224 is one of the main highways of southwestern Charles County, connecting several villages, state parks, and preserves along the Potomac River and Mattawoman Creek. Much of the route is undeveloped, heavily forested and makes a nice drive, but there few places to stop.
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MD 224 begins at an intersection with MD 6 (Port Tobacco Road) just north of the latter highway's western terminus in Riverside. MD 224 heads west as two-lane Riverside Road through densely-forested southwestern Charles County, paralleling the left bank of the Potomac River about a mile (1.6 km) inland. The state highway passes the entrance to Camp Merrick and the former Maryland Point Observatory in Maryland Point. MD 224 crosses Thorne Gut and curves northwest and then north through Purse State Park.[1][2] After crossing Liverpool Point Road to the west of Nanjemoy, the state highway continues north then northeast to its intersection with MD 344 (Chicamuxen Road) near the hamlet of Chicamuxen.[2]
MD 224 continues northeast as Chicamuxen Road, crossing Reeder Run and passing along the southern edge of Chicamuxen Wildlife Management Area and an intersection with Stump Neck Road, which leads to the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division. The state highway passes through the villages of Rison, where it passes the entrance to Smallwood State Park, and Marbury, where MD 224 intersects Bicknell Road and crosses Marbury Run.[1][2] The state highway passes through Mattawoman Natural Environmental Area and intersects the northern end of MD 425 (Mason Springs Road) at Mason Springs before joining MD 225 (Hawthorne Road) in a concurrency to cross Mattawoman Creek.[1] MD 224 continues east on Livingston Road, crossing the Indian Head Rail Trail and passing Maryland Airport before reaching its northern terminus at MD 227 (Pomfret Road) in Pomonkey.[1][2] MD 227 continues north on Livingston Road toward Bryans Road.[2]
MD 224 was originally the designation assigned to Chicamuxen Road from Doncaster to Mason Springs and Livingston Road from Mason Springs all the way to the District of Columbia boundary in Forest Heights. MD 224's function in Prince George's County was replaced by MD 210 in the 1950s; MD 224's northern terminus was rolled back to its present location at that time. MD 224 was extended south to Riverside along what was originally MD 563. MD 344 was then assigned to the portion of Chicamuxen Road south of Riverside Road.
The entire route is in Charles County.
| Location | Mile [1] |
Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside | 0.00 | MD 6 (Port Tobacco Road) – La Plata | Southern terminus |
| Nanjemoy | 10.10 | Liverpool Point Road | Former MD 426 |
| Chicamuxen | 14.82 | MD 344 south (Chicamuxen Road) – Doncaster | MD 224 turns north onto Chicamuxen Road; MD 344 is old alignment of MD 224 |
| Marbury | 21.14 | Bicknell Road – Pisgah | Bicknell Road south is former MD 484 |
| Mason Springs | 23.22 | MD 425 south (Mason Springs Road) – Pisgah | |
| 23.36 | MD 225 east (Hawthorne Road) – La Plata | South end of concurrency with MD 225 | |
| 23.76 | MD 225 west (Hawthorne Road) – Indian Head | North end of concurrency with MD 225 | |
| Pomonkey | 26.70 | MD 227 (Livingston Road/Pomfret Road) – Bryans Road, Pomfret | Northern terminus |
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