U.S. Route 42

U.S. Route 42
Route information
Length:	355 mi[1] (571 km)
Existed:	1926[1] – present
Major junctions
West end:	US 31E / US 60 in Louisville, KY
	I-64 in Louisville, KY I-71 / I-75 in Florence, KY, Fort Mitchell, KY, Covington, KY, and Cincinnati, OH I-71 in Cincinnati, OH, Middleburg Heights, OH, and Cleveland, OH I-70 near London, OH I-80 in Strongsville, OH I-90 in Cleveland, OH
North end:	US 6 / US 20 / US 322 / US 422 / SR 3 / SR 8 / SR 14 / SR 43 / SR 87 in Cleveland, OH
Location
States:	Kentucky, Ohio
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided Replaced ← US 41 KY KY 43 → ← SR 41 OH SR 42 →

U.S. Route 42 (US 42) is an east–west United States highway that runs southwest-northeast for 355 miles (571 km) from Louisville, Kentucky to Cleveland, Ohio. The route has several names including Pearl Road from Cleveland to Medina in Northeast Ohio, Reading Road in Cincinnati, Cincinnati and Lebanon Pike in southwestern Ohio and Brownsboro Road in Louisville. Traveling east, the highway ends in downtown Cleveland, Ohio; and traveling west it ends in Louisville.

Interstate 71 fully supplanted US 42 as an interurban highway in the early 1960s, relegating US 42 to its current role as an ordinary town-to-town surface road. Additionally, I-71 passes through Columbus, where US 42 avoids Columbus completely. It remains intact as a route; no part of it has ever been diverted to any Interstate highway. It is not the "parent" of any US route with a related number.

In spite of its even number, US 42 is posted north-south in Ohio.^[2]

Route description

Kentucky

U.S. Route 42 starts in Louisville, Kentucky, heading northeast through Prospect on the Oldham County and Jefferson County line. From here US 42 is a two lane road passing through the northern KY hills paralleling between Interstate 71 and the Ohio River. Next, it passes through Goshen and North Oldham High School, which sits off to its north side. U.S. 42 continues through Oldham County into Trimble County. In Bedford US 42 intersects with US 421 and is concurrent through downtown. The route still heading northeast crosses into Carroll County prior to crossing the Kentucky River and entering Carrollton. US 42 follows northeast along the south bank of the Ohio River passing Markland Lock and Dam and KY 1039 Markland Dam Bridge which connects between Kentucky Speedway and Indiana. Heading east US 42 parallels the Ohio River passing through Warsaw, Gallatin County about 5 miles (8.0 km) prior to intersecting with U.S. Route 127 starting an extended concurrency. US 127 heads south toward Glencoe, Owenton, and eventually Frankfort.

From the intersection with US 127, US 42 turns away from the Ohio River bank. US 42 enters Boone County about 2.25 miles (3.62 km) prior to intersecting with the western terminus of KY 14. Continuing North US 42-127 in about 6 miles (9.7 km) intersects Beaver Road KY 338 creating a wrong-way concurrency between U.S. 127 and KY 338: when going north, drivers are traveling east on U.S. 42, north on U.S. 127, and south on Kentucky 338. This continues for less than a mile until it intersects with Richwood Pike where KY 338 splits off continuing south.

Continuing north for several miles the US 42-127 intersects with KY 536 (Mount Zion Road). Prior to KY 536 Ryle High School sits on the road's west side. Just south of Ryle, U.S. 42 turns from a two-lane country road to a five-lane road. US 42 passes through Union prior to continuing to the northeast with U.S. 127. After a couple of miles, it crosses Interstate 71/Interstate 75. Entering Florence US 42 intersects with KY 842 and KY 237. Within Florence U.S. Route 25 Dixie Highway joins in a concurrency with US 42-127 which takes on the name Dixie Highway.^[3] After crossing briefly into Elsmere, the route enters Erlanger. U.S. 42 becomes almost entirely a commercial road for the duration of its length in Erlanger. Prior to leaving Erlanger, U.S. 42 becomes narrower and more congested after it crosses KY 236.

U.S. 42 is primarily a commercial road prior to crossing under I-275 and proceeds to turn back into an almost purely residential road with a few exceptions while going north. The route intersects with KY 1303 (Turkeyfoot Road) northern terminus. The Crestview Hills town center lies just south of I-275 on the east side of the road, between Dixie Highway and Turkeyfoot Road. Dixie Heights High School is less than a mile down the road on the western side. Two intersections later US 42 is joined with KY 371 for about 500 feet (150 m). After crossing I-71/I-75 again the road heads in a northeast direction closely parallel to I-71/I-75. As it heads north U.S. 42 starts off mostly as a residential road, turning more and more into a commercial road.

As it winds down from the suburbs into Covington the highway's name changes from Dixie Highway to Pike Street prior to crossing I-71/I-75 again. US 25-42-127 turns left on Main St heading north and crossing KY 8. U.S. 42 crosses into Ohio from Covington on the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge, together with US 25 and US 127.

Ohio

U.S. 42 crosses into Ohio from Covington on the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge, together with US 127, into Cincinnati, Hamilton County. In Ohio the route is classified as 59.3% rural and 40.7% urban with only 1.1 miles (1.8 km) coded as freeway (while running concurrently with US 23 in Delaware) of 241.8 miles (389.1 km) total.^[4] While heading Northeast out of Cincinnati US 42 parallels between I-71 and I-75 intersecting with I-275 prior to leaving Hamilton County. US 42 continues through Butler, Warren, Greene, Clark, Madison, Union, Delaware, Morrow, Richland, Ashland, Wayne and Medina Counties prior to reaching its terminus in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County.^[5] The route barely enters Butler and Wayne Counties with about 3 miles (4.8 km) in each.

The portion of U.S. 42 in Warren County between Lebanon and Waynesville is designated "Sergeant Brian Dulle Memorial Highway",^[6] in honor of a Warren County Sheriff's deputy who was struck and killed along U.S. 42 on May 10, 2011 by a stolen car, while he was laying out stop sticks to catch the driver.^[7]

Major cities along the route are Xenia, London, Delaware, Mansfield, Ashland and Medina prior to reaching the Cleveland Metropolitan area. In London US 42 intersects with I-70. Other than a short concurrency at each end, in Delaware are the only other two concurrency with US routes. Entering Delaware from the south US 42 runs concurrent with US 23 in Delaware until the junction with US 36 which it follows east for about .25 miles (0.40 km) before turning back to the north. The 1.1 miles (1.8 km) concurrence with US 23 is the only stretch of US 42 that is categorized as a limited access freeway in Ohio.^[4]

Heading into Cuyahoga County at Strongsville, U.S. 42 intersects I-80, the Ohio Turnpike, and continues through Middleburg Heights, Parma Heights, and Parma heading into Cleveland and is known locally as Pearl Road. US 42 continues north intersecting with I-71 and nearby exits to I-90. The route is part of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Scenic Byway while continuing north on West 25th. At this point on the route the road is a business district surrounded by varying business and residents of the Ohio City neighborhood. Along this stretch of the route, can be found many historic buildings, including the West Side Market. The last stretch of US 42 is a concurrency with US 6.

The eastern/northern end of U.S. 42 finds its terminus at the intersection of Superior Ave. and Ontario St. in the middle of Public Square in downtown Cleveland. This intersection also serves as the western terminus of US 322 coming from the east on Superior as well as the western termini of US 422, SR 14, and SR 87 and the northern terminus of SR 8 coming from the south on Ontario.

Major intersections

State	County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Kentucky	Jefferson	Louisville	0.00	0.00	US 31E north / US 60 west (East Main Street)	Western terminus; west end of US 60 overlap
					I-64 / US 460	I-64 exit 7
					US 60 east (Frankfort Avenue)	East end of US 60 overlap
		Brownsboro Village–Druid Hills line			KY 1932 south (Chenoweth Lane) – St. Matthews
		Louisville–Northfield line			I-264 to I-71 – Louisville Zoo	I-264 exit 22; former US 460 Byp.
		Louisville			KY 22 east (Seminary Drive)
		Prospect			KY 841 south (Gene Snyder Freeway) to I-71 / I-265
		Prospect–Louisville line			KY 329 east (Covered Bridge Road)
					KY 3222 east (Rose Island Road)
	Oldham	North Oldham			KY 1793 north – Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve
		​			KY 1694 south
		​			KY 393 south – Buckner
		​			KY 524 east – Westport
		Russell Corner			KY 53 south to I-71 – La Grange
		​			KY 524 west
		​			KY 3223 south
		​			KY 1488
	Henry	Sligo			KY 153 south to I-71
	Henry–Trimble county line	​			KY 157 east – Sulphur
	Trimble	Abbott			KY 2868 west (Morton Ridge)
		​			KY 3175 south
		Bedford			KY 754 west
					US 421 south – Frankfort	West end of US 421 overlap
					US 421 north	East end of US 421 overlap
		​			KY 2871 south (Connector Road)
		​			KY 3176 north
	Carroll	​			KY 1226 west
		​			KY 36 west – Milton	West end of KY 36 overlap
		Prestonville			KY 55 south
		Kentucky River			Carrollton–Prestonville Bridge
		Carrollton			KY 320 south
					KY 36 east / KY 227 south to I-71 – Worthville, General Butler State Park	East end of KY 36 overlap
					KY 2350 south
		​			KY 2949 south
		Ghent			KY 47 south
	Gallatin	​			KY 184
		​			KY 1039 to I-71 – Markland Dam, Indiana	Interchange
		Warsaw			KY 35 south to I-71
		​			US 127 south	West end of US 127 overlap
		​			KY 1992 north
		​			KY 562 south
	Boone	​			KY 2850 south
		Hume			KY 14 east
		Beaverlick			KY 338 north / KY 1292 east – Big Bone Lick State Park	West end of KY 338 overlap
		​			KY 338 south – Richwood	East end of KY 338 overlap
		Union			KY 3060 east (Frogtown Road)
					KY 536 (Hathaway Road / Mount Zion Road) – Union Business District
		Florence			KY 237 (Pleasant Valley Road / Gunpowder Road)
					KY 842 (Weaver Road)
					Mall Road	Former KY 3157 north
					I-71 / I-75 – Cincinnati, Lexington, Louisville	I-75 exit 180
					KY 1829 east (Industrial Road)
					US 25 south (Dixie Highway)	West end of US 25 overlap
					KY 1017 north (Turfway Road)
	Kenton	Erlanger			KY 236 (Commonwealth Avenue) to I-75 south
		Crestview Hills			I-275 to I-71 / I-75 / KY 17 – Airport	I-275 exit 83
		Lakeside Park			KY 1303 south (Turkeyfoot Road)
					KY 371 north (Buttermilk Pike)	West end of KY 371 overlap
		Fort Mitchell			KY 371 south (Orphanage Road)	East end of KY 371 overlap
					I-71 / I-75 – Lexington, Louisville, Cincinnati	I-75 exit 188
		Fort Wright			KY 1072 south (Kyles Lane) to I-71 / I-75	West end of KY 1072 overlap
					KY 1072 north (Sleepy Hollow Road)	East end of KY 1072 overlap
		Covington			I-71 / I-75	I-75 exit 191
					5th Street (KY 8 east)	One-way street
				4th Street (KY 8 west)	One-way street
Ohio River			110 0.00	180 0.00	Clay Wade Bailey Bridge; Kentucky–Ohio line US 25 end; east end of US 25 overlap
Ohio	Hamilton	Cincinnati	0.47	0.76	US 27 south / US 52 east (I-71 Alt. north)	South end of US 27/US 52 overlap
					US 22 / SR 3 begin / US 50 / SR 264 west (Sixth Street Expressway) / I-75 – Dayton	Western terminus of US 22/SR 3 NB; ramps to/from US 50 are eastern terminus of SR 264; south end of US 22/SR 3 overlap; no access to I-75 south; I-75 exit 1C
					US 27 north / US 52 west / US 127 north (Central Avenue) to I-75	North end of US 27/US 52/US 127 overlap
			0.98	1.58	Seventh Street east (US 22 east / SR 3 north)	One-way street; north end of US 22/SR 3 overlap
			0.98	1.58	Ninth Street west (US 22 west / SR 3 south)	One-way street
			1.22	1.96	US 27 north / US 52 west / US 127 north (Central Parkway)	North end of southbound US 27/US 52/US 127 overlap
			2.07	3.33	I-471 south / Liberty Street – Newport, KY	I-471 exit 7; no left turn northbound
			2.58	4.15	I-71 north – Columbus	I-71 exit 2
			5.70	9.17	SR 4 north (Paddock Road) to I-75
			6.90	11.10	SR 562 to I-71 / I-75	SR 562 exit 2
			8.25	13.28	SR 561 (East Seymour Avenue) to I-75
		Reading	9.94	16.00	Galbraith Road	To SR 126
		Sharonville	16.13	25.96	I-275 to I-71 / I-75 – Dayton, Columbus	I-275 exit 46
	Butler	No major junctions
	Warren	Mason	24.48	39.40	SR 741 to I-71 / I-75
		Lebanon	30.72	49.44	SR 48 south / SR 63 west / SR 123 south (Main Street)	South end of SR 48/SR 123 overlap
			30.87	49.68	SR 123 north (Silver Street)	North end of SR 123 overlap
			30.94	49.79	SR 48 north (Broadway)	North end of SR 48 overlap
			33.02	53.14	To SR 48 south / I-71 (via SR 48T)
		Waynesville	39.98	64.34	SR 73 – Franklin, Wilmington, Caesar Creek
	Greene	​	47.30	76.12	SR 725 west – Spring Valley, Bellbrook, Centerville
		​	52.74	84.88	US 35 – Dayton, Washington CH	Interchange
		Xenia			US 35 Bus. west (Main Street)	South end of US 35 Bus. overlap
			54.77	88.14	US 68 / SR 380 south (Detroit Street)
					US 35 Bus. east (Main Street)	North end of US 35 Bus. overlap
		Cedarville	62.74	100.97	SR 72 south (Main Street)	South end of SR 72 overlap
			62.89	101.21	SR 72 north (North Main Street)	North end of SR 72 overlap
	Clark	South Charleston	74.00	119.09	SR 41 (Chillicothe Street)
	Madison	London	84.82	136.50	SR 38 south / SR 56 / SR 665 (Main Street)	South end of SR 38/SR 142 overlap
			85.03	136.84	SR 142 east	North end of SR 142 overlap
			85.24	137.18	SR 38 north	North end of SR 38 overlap
		Lafayette	89.39	143.86	US 40	Interchange
		​	91.10	146.61	I-70 – Dayton, Columbus	I-70 exit 79
		​	92.12	148.25	SR 29 – Mechanicsburg, West Jefferson
	Union	Plain City	103.77	167.00	SR 161
		​	104.79	168.64	SR 736 north – Marysville
		New California	108.24	174.20	US 33 – Marysville, Columbus	Interchange
	Delaware	​	115.11	185.25	SR 257 north / SR 745 south – Scioto Village	South end of SR 257 overlap
		​	115.68	186.17	SR 257 south	North end of SR 257 overlap
		Delaware	120.56	194.02	South Sandusky Street	Interchange
			120.84	194.47	US 23 south	South end of US 23 overlap
			122.13	196.55	US 23 north / US 36 west (William Street / SR 521) to SR 37 west / North Sandusky Street – Toledo, Marion	Interchange; north end of US 23 overlap; south end of US 36/SR 37/SR 521 overlap
			122.33	196.87	US 36 east (East William Street / SR 521)	North end of US 36/SR 521 overlap
			122.51	197.16	SR 37 (East Central Avenue) to US 23 north
		Ashley	132.21	212.77	SR 229 – Norton, Marengo
	Morrow	​	135.31	217.76	SR 746 north – Caledonia
		Cardington	140.13	225.52	SR 529 (Marion Street)
		Mount Gilead	145.43	234.05	SR 61 south to I-71	South end of SR 61 overlap
			146.03	235.01	SR 95 (Marion Street / SR 95A) to I-71
			146.15	235.21	SR 95 (High Street) – Mount Gilead State Park
			146.38	235.58	SR 61 north (North Main Street)	North end of SR 61 overlap
		Williamsport	152.17	244.89	SR 19 – Galion
		Johnsville	156.84	252.41	SR 314 – Shelby, Chesterville
	Richland	Lexington	162.56	261.61	SR 97 west	South end of SR 97 overlap
			162.63	261.73	SR 546 south
			163.37	262.92	SR 97 east to I-71 – Bellville	North end of SR 97 overlap
		Mansfield	169.15	272.22	SR 13 south (South Main Street) to I-71	South end of SR 13 overlap
			169.39	272.61	SR 13 north (South Diamond Street) – Mansfield Lahm Airport	North end of SR 13 overlap; south end of SR 13 Truck overlap
			169.46	272.72	US 42 Truck north / SR 13 Truck north (South Adams Street)	North end of SR 13 Truck overlap
			169.87	273.38	SR 430 west / Lincoln Highway west (Park Avenue East)	South end of SR 430 overlap; no left turn northbound
			170.14	273.81	SR 430 east / Lincoln Highway east (Park Avenue East)	North end of SR 430 overlap
			170.32	274.10	SR 39 / US 42 Truck south / SR 430 Truck (East Fifth Street)
		​	172.50	277.61	US 30 to I-71 / Beal Road – Bucyrus, Wooster, Kingwood Center	Interchange
	Ashland	​	177.53	285.71	SR 603 – Olivesburg, Mifflin
​		180.10	289.84	Claremont Avenue - Ashland	Interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance
Ashland		183.05	294.59	SR 60 / SR 511 – Ashland, Hayesville, Loudonville	Interchange
		184.44	296.83	US 250 east / SR 96 to I-71 – Wooster, Ashland	Interchange; south end of US 250 overlap
		185.44	298.44	US 250 west – Norwalk	North end of US 250 overlap
​		189.88	305.58	SR 89 – Polk, Jeromesville
​		191.28	307.84	SR 302 – Savannah, Wooster
​		191.39	308.01	SR 604 east
Wayne	West Salem	197.25	317.44	SR 301 to I-71 north – Homerville, Lattasburg
Medina	​	202.28	325.54	US 224 west / SR 421 – Findlay, Lodi	Interchange; south end of US 224 overlap
	​	206.05	331.61	US 224 east / SR 421 west to I-71 – Akron, Lodi	Interchange; north end of US 224 overlap
	Lafayette	211.23	339.94	SR 162 east (Wedgewood Road) – Akron	South end of SR 162 overlap
	​	211.70	340.70	SR 162 west (Chatham Road) – Spencer	North end of SR 162 overlap
	Medina	215.97	347.57	SR 3 south (South Court Street)	South end of SR 3 overlap
		216.23	347.99	SR 3 north / SR 18 east / SR 57 south (East Washington Street)	North end of SR 3 overlap
		216.31	348.12	SR 18 west / SR 57 north (West Liberty Street)
	Brunswick	223.47	359.64	SR 303 (Center Road) – LaGrange, Hinckley
Cuyahoga	Strongsville	228.80	368.22	SR 82 (Royalton Road)
		230.64	371.18	I-80 / Ohio Turnpike	Ohio Turnpike exit 161
	Middleburg Heights	231.90	373.21	I-71 to Ohio Turnpike – Cleveland, Columbus	I-71 exit 234
	Parma	237.96	382.96	SR 3 south (Ridge Road) to I-480	South end of SR 3 overlap
	Parma–Cleveland line	238.47	383.78	SR 17 (Brookpark Road)
	Cleveland	240.25	386.64	SR 94 south (State Road) to I-480
		241.51	388.67	I-71 to I-90	I-71 exit 245
		242.74	390.65	I-90 west – Toledo	I-90 exit 170A
		243.51	391.89	SR 10 (Lorain Avenue)
		244.06	392.78	US 6 west / US 20 west / US 6 Alt. west (Detroit Avenue)	Southern end of US 6/US 20 concurrency; eastern terminus of US 6 Alt.
				Detroit–Superior Bridge over Cuyahoga River
		245.04	394.35	US 6 / US 20 east / US 322 east / US 422 east / SR 3 south / SR 8 south / SR 14 east / SR 43 south / SR 87 east (Public Square)	Northern terminus; northern end of US 6/US 20/SR 3 concurrency; northern terminus of SR 3/SR 8/SR 43; western terminus of US 322/US 422/SR 14/SR 87
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Tolled

See also

• List of United States Numbered Highways
• Roads in Louisville, Kentucky

References

External links

• Endpoints of U.S. Highway 42

United States Numbered Highway System
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 87 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 101 163 400 412 425
Mainline highways Divided routes Special routes
Routes in italics are no longer a part of the system. Highlighted routes are considered main routes of the system.