Location: The Historic National Road runs from the Illinois bank of the Mississippi River to eastern Maryland, crossing through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia
Length: 824.15 miles (1326.9 km)
Time To Allow: 1–9 days

Description/Highlights/Points of Interest

The Historic National Road was the nation's first federally funded interstate highway. It opened the nation to the west and became a corridor for the movement of goods and people, creating the great cultural diversity we treasure. Visitors experience a physical timeline, including classic inns, tollhouses, diners and motels that trace 200 years of American history. Spanning mountains, rolling farmland and picturesque villages, the Historic National Road exhibits the nation's beauty and heritage and helps define the unique American experience.

The following organization offers a trip along the Historic National Road:

Historic National Road
American Driving Vacations
As the first federal highway in the United States, the National Road served to connect the ports of the East Coast with the growing regions of the Northwest Territory. Authorized by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to provide an effective route for westward expansion, the National Road originally ended in Wheeling, West Virginia. A growing level of traffic west demanded that the road be continued, placing such historic towns as Bridgeport, St. Clairsville and Morristown “in the fast lane.” Today, many of these towns, bypassed by Interstate 70, have not changed significantly in the past several decades. A recent effort by the National Scenic Byways program to place special emphasis on the National Road, now allows visitors to enjoy the whole span of the Road’s history from colonial times to the present. A special 4-day, 3-night Traveling America package in the West Virginia/Ohio region takes it all in.