| National Parkways | |
|---|---|
 Logo for the National Park Service | |
| Highway names | |
| Interstates | Interstate nn (I-nn) |
| US Highways | U.S. Highway nn, U.S. Route nn (US nn) |
| State | Varies by state |
| System links | |
ANational Parkway is a designation for aprotected area in theUnited States given to scenic roadways with a protected corridor of surrounding parkland. National Parkways often connect cultural or historic sites.[1] The U.S.National Park Service manages the parkways.
The firstparkways in the United States were developed in the late 19th century by landscape architectsFrederick Law Olmsted andBeatrix Farrand as roads segregated for pedestrians, bicyclists, equestrians, andhorse carriages, such as theEastern Parkway andOcean Parkway inBrooklyn, New York. The terminology "parkway" to define this type of road was coined byCalvert Vaux and Olmsted in their proposal to link city and suburban parks with "pleasure roads." Newer roads such as theBidwell andLincoln Parkways inBuffalo, New York, were designed for automobiles and are broad and divided by large landscaped central medians. Parkways can be the approach to large urban parks, such as theMystic Valley Parkway toBoston Common in Boston. Some separated express lanes from local lanes, though this was not always the case.
During the early 20th century, the meaning of the word was expanded to includecontrolled-access highways designed for recreational driving of automobiles with landscaping. These parkways originally provided scenic routes without at-grade intersections, very slow vehicles, or pedestrian traffic. Their success led to more development however, expanding a city's boundaries, eventually limiting their recreational driving use. TheArroyo Seco Parkway betweenDowntown Los Angeles andPasadena, California, is an example of lost pastoral aesthetics. It and others have become major commuting routes, while retaining the name parkway.
In the 1930s, as part of theNew Deal, the U.S. federal government constructed national parkways designed for recreational driving, and to commemorate historictrails and routes. As with other roads through national parks, these mostly undivided and two-lane parkways have lowerspeed limits, and are maintained by theNational Park Service and theFederal Highway Administration jointly through the Federal Lands Transportation Program. An example is theCivilian Conservation Corps-builtBlue Ridge Parkway in theAppalachian Mountains ofNorth Carolina andVirginia. Others are:Skyline Drive inVirginia;John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway inWyoming, theNatchez Trace Parkway inMississippi,Alabama, andTennessee; and theColonial Parkway in eastern Virginia'sHistoric Triangle area.[2] TheGeorge Washington Memorial Parkway and theClara Barton Parkway, running along thePotomac River nearWashington, D.C., were also constructed during this era.
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Four parkways are stand-aloneunits of the National Park System: Blue Ridge Parkway, George Washington Parkway, John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway, and Natchez Trace Parkway.[3] Others are managed as part of another unit.
| Name | Length (mi) | Length (km) | Southern or western terminus | Northern or eastern terminus | Date | Description | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore–Washington Parkway | 30.5 | 49.1 | US 50 /MD 201 inCheverly, MD | Russell Street inBaltimore, MD | December 1950 | Original envisioned inPierre Charles L'Enfant's original layout forWashington, DC, in the 18th century; part ofGreenbelt Park | |
| Blue Ridge Parkway | 469.1 | 754.9 | US 441 inSwain County, NC | US 250/Skyline Drive inRockfish Gap, VA | June 30, 1936 | America's longestlinear park; runs mostly along theBlue Ridge, a majormountain chain that is part of theAppalachian Mountains. Continues past northern terminus as Skyline Drive. | [4] |
| Clara Barton Parkway | 6.8 | 10.9 | MacArthur Boulevard inCarderock, MD | Canal Road inWashington, DC | 1930 | Built as the Maryland portion of theGeorge Washington Memorial Parkway | |
| Colonial Parkway | 23.0 | 37.0 | Historic Jamestowne inJamestown, VA | SR 1020 inYorktown, VA | 1937 | Links the three points of Virginia'sHistoric Triangle: Jamestown,Williamsburg, and Yorktown; part ofColonial National Historical Park | |
| Foothills Parkway | 26.8 | 43.1 | US 129 in Chilhowee, TN US 321 nearWalland, TN | US 321 inCosby, TN I-40 nearHartford, TN | February 22, 1944 | Exists in two segments with a spur connecting to US 321 /US 441 inGatlinburg andPigeon Forge; administered byGreat Smoky Mountains National Park | |
| George Washington Memorial Parkway | 24.9 | 40.1 | SR 235 inMount Vernon, VA SR 400 inAlexandria, VA | SR 400 in Alexandria, VA I-495 inLangley, VA | May 29, 1930 | Exists in two segments; the northern one also passes throughWashington, DC | |
| John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway | 27.0 | 43.5 | North boundary ofGrand Teton National Park | West Thumb Geyser Basin inYellowstone National Park | August 25, 1972 | Scenic road that connects the two national parks and named forJohn D. Rockefeller Jr., a conservationist and philanthropist | |
| Natchez Trace Parkway | 444.0 | 714.5 | Liberty Road inNatchez, MS | SR 100 inNashville, TN | May 8, 1938 | Commemorates the historicOld Natchez Trace and preserves sections of the original trail; also passes throughAlabama | |
| Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway | 2.9 | 4.7 | Lincoln Memorial Circle in theNational Mall,Washington, DC | Shoreham Drive / Beach Drive inRock Creek Park, Washington, DC | 1944 | Part ofRock Creek Park | |
| Skyline Drive | 105.5 | 169.8 | US 250/Blue Ridge Parkway inRockfish Gap, VA | US 340 nearFront Royal, VA | 1939 | Part of theShenandoah National Park, continues past southern terminus as Blue Ridge Parkway | |
| Suitland Parkway | 9.1 | 14.6 | I-295 / South Capitol Street inWashington, DC | MD 4 inForestville, MD | December 9, 1944 | Built to connect military facilities duringWorld War II; connects toAndrews Air Force Base, administered byNational Capital Parks-East |
TheGreat River Road was originally envisioned as a National Parkway.
United States National Parkways travel guide from Wikivoyage