TheNew England road marking system was a regional system of markednumbered routes in the six-state region ofNew England in the United States. The routes were marked by a yellow rectangular sign with black numbers and border. Many signs were painted ontelephone poles. The routes were approved by thehighway departments of the six New England states in April 1922.[1]
Prior to the New England road marking system, through routes were mainly marked with colored bands on telephone poles. These were assigned by direction (red for east–west, blue for north–south and yellow for intermediate or diagonal routes). TheMassachusetts Highway Commission convinced the rest of southern New England andNew York to use this system in 1915 (New Hampshire andVermont already had their own schemes, andMaine also opted out), and it was the main system until 1922.[2]
The New England road marking system, while limited to New England, was designed for expansion to the whole country. One- and two-digit numbers were assigned to major interstate routes, with three-digit routes forstate routes (marked in a rectangle, with thestate abbreviation below the number). In general, odd numbers ran east–west and even numbers ran north–south. The main exception wasRoute 1, which was to run along theAtlantic coast fromFlorida toCalais, Maine. A few of the majorauto trails were not to be assigned numbers, instead being marked with letters—for instance, L for theLincoln Highway and R for theRoosevelt International Highway.[1]
In 1926, several of the routes were supplanted by the nationalUnited States Numbered Highway System. Except for Route 1, which becameU.S. Route 1, the old numbers were not used, since the U.S. Highway System uses odd numbers for north–south routes and even numbers for east–west routes. While some of the routes that did not become U.S. Routes were disbanded in the 1930s, many of these routes were transferred tostate highway systems, often retaining their original route numbers.
Before 1915, there was no uniform method to mark major throughways in New England or New York. Vermont and New Hampshire had existing pole marking schemes, though these varied between the states. Vermont's system was unique because route colors were not determined by direction, but by funding and responsibility for maintenance. Maine also had an existinglettering scheme, established in 1914. Many states at this time had numbering systems solely for government use. For example, Connecticut had established aninternal system of trunk lines in 1900, which had grown to 14 routes by 1913, but this system was not signposted. In 1908, the New York legislature had laid out 37 routes slated for maintenance solely by the state, but there was no proper numbering until 1924.
In 1915, the Massachusetts Highway Commission proposed to the New England States and New York to adopt a uniform pole-marking scheme, with red bands signifying major east-west routes, blue bands signifying major north-south routes, and all secondary routes marked yellow. All the states agreed to the system, though New Hampshire and Vermont stipulated that these routes would not replace their existing systems.
This system held in most of these states, though Maine supplanted this system in 1919 with its own system ofauto trails. By 1922, it was generally agreed that pole markings in general were too inconsistent from region to region. In April 1922, delegates from the New England states met at a dinner conference hosted by the Automobile Club of America to coordinate a new system. Soon thereafter, the system was approved by the highway commissions of all the states involved, and signing began soon thereafter. Maine did not use the system until 1925.[1]
| Number | Length (mi) | Length (km) | Southern or western terminus | Northern or eastern terminus | Local names | Formed | Removed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Route 1 | — | — | New York state line inGreenwich, CT | Canadian border inCalais, ME | Atlantic Highway | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofUS 1 |
 Route 1A | — | — | Route 1 inWesterly, RI | Route 1 inProvidence, RI | — | — | Predecessor ofRI 3 | |
| Route 1A | — | — | Seabrook, NH | Route 1/Route 16 inPortsmouth, NH | — | — | Predecessor ofNH 1A | |
 Route 2 | — | — | Route 1 inNew Haven, CT | Canadian border inDerby Line, VT | Connecticut River Way | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofUS 5 |
 Route 2A | — | — | Route 2 inWest Burke, VT | Route 2 inDerby Line, VT | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofVT 5A | |
 Route 3 | — | — | New York state line inDanbury, CT | Provincetown, MA | New York, Hartford, Providence, and Cape Cod Route | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofUS 6 andMA 28 |
 Route 4 | — | — | New York state line inSharon, CT | Canadian border inHighgate Springs, VT | New York, Berkshire, and Burlington Way | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofUS 7 |
 Route 5 | — | — | New York state line inPittsfield, MA | Route 1 inBoston, MA | Hubway | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofUS 20 |
 Route 6 | — | — | Route 3 inOrleans, MA | Route 26 inColebrook, NH | Cape Cod White Mountains Way | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofUS 3,MA 3,MA 6A |
 Route 6A | — | — | — | — | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofMA 3A | |
 Route 6B | — | — | Route 6 inCambridge, MA | — | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofMA 3B which becameMA 38 | |
 Route 7 | — | — | New York state line inWilliamstown, MA | Route 1 inBoston, MA | Mohawk Trail | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofMA 2 |
 Route 8 | — | — | Route 1 inStratford, CT | Route 9 inWilmington, VT | Stratford, Waterbury, and North Adams Route | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofCT 8,MA 8,VT 8 |
 Route 9 | — | — | New York state line inBennington, VT | Route 1 inWells, ME | Bennington Wells Route | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofVT 9,NH 9,ME 9 |
 Route 10 | — | — | Route 1 inOld Saybrook, CT | Route 18 inLittleton, NH | Central New England Route | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Predecessor ofCT 9,CT 10,MA 10,NH 10 |
 Route 11 | — | — | Route 4 inManchester, VT | Route 1 inBiddeford, ME | Manchester Biddeford Route | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | BecameVT 11,NH 11,ME 11,ME 111 |
 Route 12 | — | — | Route 1 inNew London, CT | Route 2 inNewport, VT | Keene Way | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | BecameCT 12,MA 12,NH 12,VT 12,VT 14,VT 16,US 5 |
 Route 12A | — | — | Route 12 inRandolph, VT | Route 12 inNorthfield, VT | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | BecameVT 12A | |
 Route 12B | — | — | Route 12 inHardwick, VT | Route 2/Route 12 inCoventry, VT | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | BecameVT 14 | |
 Route 13 | — | — | New York state line inFair Haven, VT | Route 2 inWhite River Junction, VT | Whitehall White River Junction Way | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | BecameUS 4 |
 Route 14 | — | — | Route 4/Route 30 inBurlington, VT | Route 6/Route 6A inFranklin, NH | Burlington Franklin Way | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | BecameUS 2,VT 14,US 4 |
 Route 15 | — | — | Route 4/Route 30 inWinooski, VT | Canadian border inHoulton, ME | Burlington Bangor Way | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | BecameVT 15,US 2 |
 Route 16 | — | — | Route 1 inPortsmouth, NH | Route 26 inErrol, NH | East Side Road | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | BecameNH 16 |
 Route 17 | — | — | New York state line inEgremont, MA | Route 1 inStonington, CT | Westerly Route | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Replaced byMA 23,US 7,US 44,CT 2 |
 Route 18 | — | — | Route 12/Route 14 inMontpelier, VT | Route 1 inPortland, ME | Crawford Notch Way | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Replaced byUS 2,VT 18,US 302 |
 Route 20 | — | — | Route 1 inBrunswick, ME | Canadian border inJackman, ME | Portland Quebec Highway | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Superseded byUS 201 |
 Route 24 | — | — | Route 1 inCalais, ME | Canadian border inMadawaska, ME | Brunswick Greenville | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Superseded byUS 1 |
 Route 25 | — | — | Route 14 inBarre, VT | Route 1 inPortland, ME | Montpelier Portland Route | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Superseded byUS 302,NH 25,ME 25 |
 Route 25A | — | — | Route 25 inOrange, VT | Route 25 inHaverhill, NH | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Superseded byVT 25,NH 25 | |
 Route 26 | — | — | Route 6 inColebrook, NH | Route 1 inPortland, ME | Dixville Notch Way | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Superseded byNH 26,ME 26 |
 Route 28 | — | — | Route 3 inWareham, MA | ME 113 Maine state line inConway, NH | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Superseded byMA 28,NH 28,NH 16,NH 25,NH 113,US 302 | |
 Route 30 | — | — | New York state line inPoultney, VT | Canadian border inAlburgh, VT | Vergennes Fair Haven Route | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Replaced by local roads thenUS 4,VT 30,US 7,US 2,VT 225 |
 Route 30A | — | — | — | — | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | ||
 Route 30B | — | — | — | — | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | ||
 Route 32 | — | — | Route 1 inGroton, CT | Route 11 inSunapee, NH | Lake Sunapee Route | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Replaced byCT 12,CT 32,MA 32,US 202,NH 9,NH 149,NH 114,NH 103,NH 103B |
 Route 32A | — | — | Route 32 inHenniker, NH | Route 11 inSunapee, NH | 01922-01-011922 | 01927-01-011927 | Superseded byUS 202,NH 9,NH 103,NH 103B | |
| ||||||||
 New England Route 1 | |
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| Location | Greenwich, CT–Calais, ME |
Route 1, or the Atlantic Highway, began inGreenwich, Connecticut, from which the main highway of the Atlantic Coast continued toNew York City. The highway followed the coast ofLong Island Sound throughStamford,Norwalk, andBridgeport toStratford, where the highway met the southern end ofRoute 8. Route 1 continued throughMilford and had a junction withRoute 2 inNew Haven. The highway continued east toOld Saybrook, where it met the southern terminus ofRoute 10 and crossed theConnecticut River. Route 1 met the southern ends ofRoute 12 andRoute 32 inNew London andGroton, respectively. The highway intersected the eastern end ofRoute 17 inStonington, Connecticut, immediately before enteringWesterly, Rhode Island.
Route 1 immediately intersected the southern end of Route 1A on entering Rhode Island. Route 1A followed a shorter, more inland route between Westerly andProvidence. Route 1 paralleled theBlock Island Sound coast toNarragansett, where the highway turned north alongNarragansett Bay towardWarwick and Providence. In the state capital, Route 1 collected the other end of Route 1A and intersectedRoute 3. The highway passed throughPawtucket and entered Massachusetts. Route 1 went straight towardBoston, where the route met the eastern ends ofRoute 5 andRoute 7 and intersected the north–southRoute 6 andRoute 28. The highway left Boston for theNorth Shore of Massachusetts, then passed through theSeacoast Region of New Hampshire toPortsmouth. Route 1A in New Hampshire followed the shore fromSeabrook to Portsmouth where the route met the southern end ofRoute 16.
Route 1 continued along thesouthern Maine coast, where the highway had junctions withRoute 9 andRoute 11 inWells andBiddeford, respectively. The highway met three route termini inPortland:Route 18,Route 25, andRoute 26. Route 1 continued northeast toBrunswick, where the highway intersected the eastern and southern ends ofRoute 19 andRoute 20, respectively. The route continued through theDown East cities ofBelfast andEllsworth before turning north to its terminus inCalais, where the highway met the southern end ofRoute 24 before entering New Brunswick.
The general course of Route 1 is today followed byU.S. Route 1, which served as the main highway of the Atlantic coast of not just New England but the United States until it was eclipsed byInterstate 95. Route 1A in Rhode Island was replaced withRhode Island Route 3, and in New Hampshire was replaced withNew Hampshire Route 1A.
 New England Route 2 | |
|---|---|
| Location | New Haven, CT–Derby, VT |
Route 2, or the Connecticut River Way, began atRoute 1 inNew Haven, Connecticut. The highway headed north throughMeriden and entered theConnecticut River valley south ofHartford, where the highway joinedRoute 3 andRoute 17 to cross theBulkeley Bridge to the east side of the river. Route 2 followed the east side of the river fromEast Hartford into thePioneer Valley of Massachusetts. AtSpringfield, the highway joinedRoute 5 on theMemorial Bridge to return to the west side of the river. Route 2 headed north throughHolyoke toNorthampton, where the highway was joined byRoute 10. The two New England routes intersectedRoute 7 atGreenfield before diverging atBernardston, where Route 10 crossed the river to serve New Hampshire and Route 2 continued along the west side of the river into Vermont.
Route 2 brieflyran concurrently withRoute 9 throughBrattleboro. The highway passed throughBellows Falls and intersectedRoute 11 inSpringfield. AtWeathersfield, Route 2 was joined byRoute 12, which came across the river fromClaremont, New Hampshire. The two highways diverged atHartland, then Route 2 continued intoWhite River Junction and its junctions withRoute 13 andRoute 14, which crossed the river together intoLebanon, New Hampshire. The highway intersectedRoute 25A inBradford andRoute 25 inWells River. Route 2 left the Connecticut River atBarnet and intersectedRoute 15 andRoute 18 inSt. Johnsbury. AtWest Burke, Route 2 continued northwest while Route 2A continued north. Route 2 was joined by Route 12 again atBarton. The two highways passed throughOrleans and received the northern end ofRoute 12B atCoventry before Route 12 ended atNewport. Route 2 headed east to receive the northern end of Route 2A atDerby before reaching the Canadian border, where the road enteredQuebec.
The general course of Route 2 is today followed byU.S. Route 5, the main route through the Connecticut River valley until it was succeeded byInterstate 91. Route 2A was replaced withVermont Route 5A.
 New England Route 3 | |
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| Location | Danbury, CT–Provincetown, MA |
Route 3, or the New York, Hartford, Providence, and Cape Cod Route, began at the New York state line inDanbury, Connecticut. The highway headed east throughNewtown toWaterbury. Route 3 joinedRoute 8 north from Waterbury toThomaston, then headed east throughBristol andPlainville. The highway bypassedNew Britain on its way toHartford, where the highway intersectedRoute 10 and crossed theConnecticut River on theBulkeley Bridge withRoute 2 andRoute 17. InEast Hartford, Route 2 split to the north, Route 17 split to the southeast, and Route 3 continued east throughManchester toWillimantic, where it metRoute 32. The highway continued throughDanielson, the site of its junction withRoute 12, before entering Rhode Island.
Route 3 crossed northern Rhode Island toProvidence, where the highway intersectedRoute 1. The highway entered Massachusetts and served theSouth Coast cities ofFall River andNew Bedford. Route 3 met the southern end ofRoute 28 atWareham and inBourne met a connector road toRoute 6 atSagamore. Route 3 headed south from Bourne toFalmouth, then headed east along theNantucket Sound shore ofCape Cod throughHyannis. The highway turned north atChatham and met the eastern end of Route 6 inOrleans. Route 3 continued north and then west along the narrowing cape to its terminus inProvincetown.
The general course of Route 3 was replaced byU.S. Route 6, except from New York to Danbury byConnecticut Route 35, fromSouthbury toFarmington by local roads and Connecticut Route 10, and from Bourne to Orleans, which is today part ofMassachusetts Route 28. The Danbury–East Hartford portion of the highway was further superseded byInterstate 84, and the Providence–Wareham portion was replaced byInterstate 195.
 New England Route 4 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sharon, CT–Highgate Springs, VT |
Route 4, or the New York, Berkshire, and Burlington Way, began at the New York state line inSharon, Connecticut. The highway continued south along the eastern edge of New York toNew York City. Route 4 headed northeast throughSalisbury toNorth Canaan, where the highway metRoute 17. The two highways headed north toGreat Barrington, Massachusetts, where Route 17 split east. Route 4 continued north through theBerkshire Hills, where the highwayran concurrently withRoute 5 fromLenox toPittsfield and withRoute 7 throughWilliamstown. Route 4 continued north along the western side of Vermont, intersectingRoute 9 inBennington,Route 11 inManchester, andRoute 13 inRutland. The highway began a long concurrency withRoute 30 inMiddlebury. Route 4 and Route 30 met the northern end ofRoute 30A inVergennes, then the highways followed the eastern side ofLake Champlain toBurlington, where they met the western end ofRoute 14. Route 4 and Route 30 met the western end ofRoute 15 inWinooski before Route 30 split west atColchester to serveGrand Isle. Route 4 continued north throughSt. Albans to the Canadian border atHighgate Springs, where the road entered Quebec.
Route 4 followed the general course of what is nowU.S. Route 7 from North Canaan to Highgate Springs. The highway was further superseded byInterstate 89 from Burlington to Canada. South of North Canaan, the highway followed what is nowU.S. Route 44 to Salisbury,Connecticut Route 41 to Sharon, andConnecticut Route 343 andNew York State Route 343 toAmenia, New York. From there, the highway, which in New York was not officially part of the New England road marking system, followed what is todayNew York State Route 22 to New York City.
 New England Route 5 | |
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| Location | Pittsfield, MA–Boston, MA |
Route 5, known as the Hubway, began at the New York state line inPittsfield, Massachusetts. The highway headed east to the center of Pittsfield, then joinedRoute 4 south toLenox. As Route 5 crossed theBerkshire Hills, it brieflyran concurrently withRoute 8 inWest Becket. The highway intersectedRoute 10 inWestfield and joinedRoute 2 to cross theConnecticut River on theMemorial Bridge intoSpringfield. Route 5 continued east throughPalmer, where the highway was joined briefly byRoute 32, then headed northeast throughWarren,Brookfield, andSpencer toWorcester, where the highway intersectedRoute 12. The highway continued east throughMarlboro andWeston and enteredBoston, where Route 5 had connections withRoute 28,Route 7,Route 6, andRoute 1.
Route 5 was replaced byU.S. Route 20 for most of its length. However, between Palmer andShrewsbury, the highway followed the corridors of what are nowMassachusetts Route 67 andMassachusetts Route 9. Route 5 was further superseded along its entire length by theMassachusetts Turnpike.
 New England Route 6 | |
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| Location | Orleans, MA–Colebrook, NH |
Route 6, which was referred to as the Cape Cod White Mountains Way, began at a junction withRoute 3 inOrleans, Massachusetts, onCape Cod. The highway headed west along theCape Cod Bay shore of the peninsula, passing throughDennis on its way toSagamore, where the route had a connector road toRoute 3 inBourne. Route 6 continued northwest through what are now theSouth Shore suburbs ofBoston. The main highway passed throughPlymouth,Kingston,Weymouth, andQuincy. An alternate route, Route 6A, passed closer to theMassachusetts Bay coast between Plymouth and Quincy, servingDuxbury andCohasset. Route 6 continued into Boston, where the highway intersectedRoute 1 andRoute 28 and met the eastern end ofRoute 7. The highway headed northwest from Boston toLowell, where the highway followed theMerrimack River into New Hampshire.
Route 6 passed through New Hampshire's three largest cities,Nashua,Manchester, and the state capital ofConcord. The highwayran concurrently with Route 28 between Manchester andSuncook, and the highway intersectedRoute 9 in Concord. AtFranklin, Route 6 met the eastern end ofRoute 14 and joined withRoute 11 to leave the Merrimack valley and pass through the heart of theLakes Region. The two routes diverged north ofLaconia, and as Route 6 returned to thePemigewasset River valley, it ran concurrently withRoute 25 fromMeredith toPlymouth. Route 6A provided a more direct alternate route from Franklin to Plymouth viaBristol. Route 6 continued through theWhite Mountains, which the route summitted atFranconia Notch. The highway intersectedRoute 18 atTwin Mountain andRoute 15 atLancaster, then reached its end at a joint terminus withRoute 26 inColebrook.
Route 6 followed the general course of what is nowU.S. Route 6 from Orleans to Sagamore andMassachusetts Route 3 from Sagamore to Boston. The highway was replaced byU.S. Route 3 from Boston to its northern terminus. Route 6A in Massachusetts is nowMassachusetts Route 3A, and Route 6A in New Hampshire is nowNew Hampshire Route 3A.
 New England Route 7 | |
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| Location | Williamstown, MA–Boston, MA |
Route 7, or theMohawk Trail, began at the New York state line inHancock, Massachusetts. The highway started heading north from the state line and turned east inWilliamstown, through which the highway joinedRoute 4. Route 7 intersectedRoute 8 inNorth Adams and crossed theBerkshire Hills. The highway emerged into thePioneer Valley atGreenfield, where the highway intersectedRoute 2 andRoute 10 and crossed theConnecticut River at the site of theGeneral Pierce Bridge. East of the Connecticut River valley, Route 7ran concurrently withRoute 32 betweenAthol andBaldwinville and intersectedRoute 12 inFitchburg. The highway continued southeast throughConcord andLexington and joinedRoute 6 entering Boston, where the highways had connections withRoute 1 andRoute 28.
Route 7 was superseded byMassachusetts Route 2 for almost all of its length. However, the highway followedMassachusetts Route 43 from its western terminus to Williamstown and ran south of the current route of Massachusetts Route 2 from Greenfield toMillers Falls.
 New England Route 8 | |
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| Location | Stratford, CT–Wilmington, VT |
Route 8, or the Stratford, Waterbury, and North Adams Route, began atRoute 1 inStratford, Connecticut. The highway paralleled theHousatonic River toShelton, where the highway crossed the river intoDerby and followed theNaugatuck River throughWaterbury. Route 8ran concurrently withRoute 3 from Waterbury toThomaston, then continued north throughTorrington toWinsted, where the highway intersectedRoute 17. Route 8 continued through theBerkshire Hills throughWest Becket, where the highway briefly joinedRoute 5, andDalton. The highway intersectedRoute 7 inNorth Adams, then crossed into Vermont and ended atRoute 9 inWilmington.
Route 8 was supplanted byConnecticut Route 8,Massachusetts Route 8, andVermont Route 8, though by 1927, the route in Vermont was relocated along modern-dayRoute 100.[4]
 New England Route 9 | |
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| Location | Bennington, VT–Wells, ME |
Route 9, named the Bennington Wells Route, began at the New York state line inBennington, Vermont. The number continued west toTroy, New York, along what was brieflyNew York State Route 9. Route 9 intersectedRoute 4 in the center of Bennington and crossed theGreen Mountains before meeting the northern end ofRoute 8 inWilmington. The highway crossedHogback Mountain then descended into theConnecticut River valley toBrattleboro. Route 9 briefly followedRoute 2 through town before crossing the river into New Hampshire. The highway headed northeast throughKeene, where it intersectedRoute 10 andRoute 12. Route 9ran concurrently withRoute 32 betweenHillsboro andHenniker before reaching the state capital ofConcord, where it had a junction withRoute 6. The highway continued throughEpsom, the site of its intersection withRoute 28, toDover, where the route crossedRoute 16. Route 9 crossed theSalmon Falls River into Maine atBerwick and reached its eastern terminus atRoute 1 inWells on thesouthern Maine coast.
Route 9 was replaced withVermont Route 9,New Hampshire Route 9, and a small portion ofMaine Route 9.
 New England Route 10 | |
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| Location | Old Saybrook, CT–Littleton, NH |
Route 10, designated the Central New England Route, began atRoute 1 inOld Saybrook, Connecticut. The highway headed north along the west side of theConnecticut River throughMiddletown toHartford. Within the state capital, Route 10 intersectedRoute 2 andRoute 3 and joinedRoute 17 northwest toAvon. The highway turned north to pass throughGranby and enter Massachusetts atSouthwick. Route 10 continued north throughWestfield, where it intersectedRoute 5, then veered northeast toNorthampton. The highwayran concurrently with Route 2 throughGreenfield, the site of its junction withRoute 7 toBernardston. Route 10 crossed to the east side of the Connecticut River atNorthfield and headed north along the river into New Hampshire. Route 10 turned east atHinsdale then north atWinchester toKeene, where the route intersectedRoute 9 andRoute 12. The highway metRoute 11 atNewport and joinedRoute 14 west throughLebanon to return to the Connecticut River valley. Route 10 followed the east side of the river throughOrford toHaverhill. The highway joinedRoute 25 from there toWoodsville, then Route 10 split northeast to its terminus atRoute 18 inLittleton.
The general course of Route 10 was later followed byConnecticut Route 9,U.S. Route 44,Connecticut Route 189,Connecticut Route 10,Massachusetts Route 10,New Hampshire Route 10, andU.S. Route 302. The directional turns between Northfield and Winchester are now part ofRoute 63 andNew Hampshire Route 119. Small portions of the highway have been superseded further byInterstate 91 andInterstate 89.
 New England Route 11 | |
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| Location | Manchester, VT–Biddeford, ME |
Route 11, deemed the Manchester Biddeford Route, began atRoute 4 inManchester, Vermont. The highway crossed theGreen Mountains and emerged into theConnecticut River valley atSpringfield, where the highway intersectedRoute 2. Route 11 crossed the river toCharlestown, New Hampshire, where the highway metRoute 12. The two highways headed north along the east side of the Connecticut River toClaremont, where Route 12 split west to cross the river and Route 11 headed east toNewport, where the route intersectedRoute 10. Route 11 met the northern end ofRoute 32 inSunapee, where the highway curved north aroundLake Sunapee. The highway was joined byRoute 14 inAndover; the two highways headed east to Route 14's eastern terminus inFranklin. At that junction, Route 6A headed north along thePemigewasset River valley whileRoute 6 and Route 11 headed east into theLakes Region. North ofLaconia, Route 11 split from Route 6 and followed the southern shore ofLake Winnipesaukee toAlton, where the highway intersectedRoute 28. The highway continued southeast toRochester, where the highway intersectedRoute 16 and crossed theSalmon Falls River into Maine. Route 11 passed throughSanford andAlfred on its journey to its eastern terminus atRoute 1 inBiddeford.
Route 11 was succeeded byVermont Route 11,New Hampshire Route 11, a small piece ofMaine State Route 11 from the state line to Alfred, andMaine State Route 111 from Alfred to Biddeford.
 New England Route 12 | |
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| Location | New London, CT–Newport, VT |
Route 12, which was named the Keene Way, began atRoute 1 inNew London, Connecticut. The highway followed the west side of theThames River toNorwich, where the route intersectedRoute 17 andRoute 32. Route 12 continued through theQuinebaug River valley and intersectedRoute 3 atDanielson before entering Massachusetts. In that state, the highway intersectedRoute 5 inWorcester and passed throughLeominster. Route 12 veered northwest after meetingRoute 7 inFitchburg and passed throughWinchendon before entering New Hampshire. The highway passed throughKeene, where it intersectedRoute 9 andRoute 10, and reached theConnecticut River valley atWalpole.
Route 12 followed the east side of the river north throughCharlestown, whereRoute 11 joined its course, toClaremont, after which the route headed west intoWeathersfield, Vermont. The highwayran concurrently withRoute 2 north toHartland and briefly joinedRoute 13 on its way toWoodstock. Route 12 continued north toBethel, where the route joinedRoute 14 to the state capital ofMontpelier. BetweenRandolph andNorthfield, Route 12A formed a western loop that servedBraintree andRoxbury. The highway briefly followedRoute 18 out of the capital before splitting north toHardwick, where the route briefly ran withRoute 15. Route 12B split from the mainline at Hardwick while Route 12 followed a more easterly path toBarton, where Route 12 began to share road with Route 2. Route 12B met up with Route 2 and Route 12 atCoventry before Route 12 reached its northern terminus atNewport, from which Route 2 continued north toward Quebec.
Route 12 was replaced byConnecticut Route 32 from New London to Norwich,Connecticut Route 12 north of Norwich,Massachusetts Route 12,New Hampshire Route 12, andVermont Route 12 from the Connecticut River to Montpelier. North of Montpelier, Route 12 was replaced withVermont Route 14 to Hardwick,Vermont Route 16 to Barton, andU.S. Route 5 to Newport. Route 12A is nowVermont Route 12A, and Route 12B was succeeded by Vermont Route 14. Route 12 was further functionally replaced in various sections by Connecticut'sInterstate 395,Interstate 190 andInterstate 290 in Massachusetts, andInterstate 91 andInterstate 89 in Vermont.
 New England Route 13 | |
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| Location | Fair Haven, VT–White River Junction, VT |
Route 13, also known as the Whitehall White River Junction Way, began at the New York state line inFair Haven, Vermont, east ofWhitehall, New York. In the center of Fair Haven, the highway intersectedRoute 30, with which the highway headed east, and the southern end of Route 30A. Route 13 and Route 30ran concurrently toCastleton, then Route 13 continued toRutland, where the highway intersectedRoute 4. The highway crossed theGreen Mountains between Rutland andBridgewater. Route 13 continued throughWoodstock, east of which the highway briefly joinedRoute 12, to its eastern terminus atRoute 2 inWhite River Junction.
Route 13's corridor was taken over byU.S. Route 4.
 New England Route 14 | |
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| Location | Burlington, VT–Franklin, NH |
Route 14, known as the Burlington Franklin Way, began atRoute 4 andRoute 30 inBurlington, Vermont. The highway paralleled theWinooski River through theGreen Mountains toMontpelier. In the state capital, Route 14 joinedRoute 12 and the beginning ofRoute 18. The latter two routes split northeast while Route 14 headed southeast throughBarre, whereRoute 25 split to the east. Route 14 headed south throughRoyalton and southeast toWhite River Junction, where the highway intersectedRoute 2. The highway crossed theConnecticut River toLebanon, New Hampshire, through which the highwayran concurrently withRoute 10. The route headed southeast throughCanaan andDanbury toAndover. Route 14 joinedRoute 11 east from Andover to the former route's eastern terminus inFranklin atRoute 6 and Route 6A.
Route 14 was superseded byU.S. Route 2,Vermont Route 14, andU.S. Route 4. The former two highways were themselves superseded byInterstate 89.
 New England Route 15 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Winooski, VT–Houlton, ME |
Route 15, deemed the Burlington Bangor Way, began not inBurlington but just to the north atRoute 4 andRoute 30 inWinooski. The highway headed northeast throughCambridge and followed theLamoille River through theGreen Mountains and throughMorrisville. Route 15 intersected the southern end of Route 12A and brieflyran concurrently withRoute 12 inHardwick. The highway joinedRoute 18 inDanville; the two highways passed throughSt. Johnsbury, where they intersectedRoute 2, before diverging. Route 15 continued northeast throughLunenburg before crossing theConnecticut River intoLancaster, New Hampshire, where the route intersectedRoute 6. The highway headed southeast through theWhite Mountains toGorham, where the highway intersectedRoute 16 and followed theAndroscoggin River into Maine.
Route 15 joined withRoute 26 betweenBethel andNewry and left the valley of the Androscoggin River atDixfield. The highway continued throughFarmington and entered theKennebec River valley atNorridgewock, where the route joinedRoute 20 toSkowhegan. Route 15 passed throughPittsfield andNewport before reachingBangor, where the highway connected withRoute 1. While Route 1 headed backDown East in both directions, Route 15 headed north through thePenobscot River valley throughMilford andEnfield. The highway left the Penobscot valley atMattawamkeag and curved northeast throughIsland Falls. Route 15 passed throughHoulton, where the highway intersectedRoute 24, before entering New Brunswick.
Route 15 was replaced byVermont Route 15 andU.S. Route 2. The highway was further superseded byInterstate 95 between Bangor and Houlton.
 New England Route 16 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Portsmouth, NH–Errol, NH |
Route 16, or the East Side Road, began atRoute 1 inPortsmouth, New Hampshire. The highway headed north on the west side of thePiscataqua River andSalmon Falls River and intersectedRoute 9 inDover andRoute 11 inRochester. Route 16 passed through the eastern side of theLakes Region, within which the route received the northern end ofRoute 28 atOssipee and joined withRoute 25. The highwayran concurrently withRoute 18 fromConway toGlen, then crossed theWhite Mountains atPinkham Notch on the east side ofMount Washington. Route 16 intersectedRoute 15 inGorham and passed throughBerlin before reaching its northern terminus atRoute 26 atErrol.
Route 16 was superseded byNew Hampshire Route 16.
 New England Route 17 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Egremont, MA–Stonington, CT |
Route 17, or the Westerly Route, began at the New York state line inEgremont, Massachusetts. The highway headed east toGreat Barrington, then followedRoute 4 south into Connecticut. AtNorth Canaan, Route 17 split from Route 4 and headed southeast throughWinsted andCanton intoHartford. The highway joinedRoute 2 andRoute 3 to cross theConnecticut River on theBulkeley Bridge. InEast Hartford, Route 17 split southeast from Route 3 throughMarlborough andColchester. The highway brieflyran concurrently withRoute 32 throughNorwich, where the highways intersectedRoute 12. Route 17 continued southeast from Norwich to its eastern terminus atRoute 1 inStonington, Connecticut, just west ofWesterly, Rhode Island.
Route 17 was replaced byMassachusetts Route 23,U.S. Route 7,U.S. Route 44, andConnecticut Route 2.
 New England Route 18 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Montpelier, VT–Portland, ME |
Route 18, designated the Crawford Notch Way, began atRoute 12 andRoute 14 inMontpelier, Vermont. The three highways passed through the state capital, thenRoute 14 split southeast towardBarre andRoute 12 split north forHardwick. Route 18 headed northeast and joinedRoute 15 atDanville to run throughSt. Johnsbury, where the highways intersectedRoute 2. East of town, Route 18 split southeast to cross theConnecticut River into New Hampshire atWaterford. The highway met the northern end ofRoute 10 atLittleton and intersectedRoute 6 inTwin Mountain. Route 18 crossed theWhite Mountains by way ofCrawford Notch, then followed theSaco River toConway, north of which the highwayran concurrently withRoute 16 andRoute 28 The highway followed the river into Maine with Route 28 which terminated at the state line, then passed throughBridgton andNaples before reaching its eastern terminus atRoute 1 inPortland.
Route 18 was superseded byU.S. Route 2,Vermont Route 18,New Hampshire Route 18, andU.S. Route 302.
 New England Route 20 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Brunswick, ME–Jackman, ME |
Route 20, named the Portland Quebec Highway, began not in Portland but atRoute 1 inBrunswick, Maine. The highway headed north toGardiner, where the highway began to follow theKennebec River. Route 20 continued throughAugusta andWaterville toSkowhegan. The highway joinedRoute 15 west toNorridgewock, then turned north again to follow the Kennebec River toward Quebec. Route 20 left the river north ofCaratunk and reached its northern end at the Canadian border north ofJackman, beyond which the road continued towardQuebec City.
Route 20 was replaced byU.S. Route 201.
 New England Route 24 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Calais, ME–Madawaska, ME |
Route 24 was originally intended to connectBrunswick andGreenville, Maine, but instead it began inCalais whereRoute 1 crossed into New Brunswick. The highway headed west along theSt. Croix River throughPrinceton. Route 24 continued north throughTopsfield andDanforth toHoulton, where the highway intersectedRoute 15. The highway continued through theAroostook County towns ofMars Hill,Presque Isle, andCaribou. Route 24 began paralleling theSt. John River atVan Buren. The highway followed the river northwest throughGrand Isle toMadawaska, where the highway terminated at its crossing of the river intoEdmundston, New Brunswick.
Route 24 is now wholly part ofU.S. Route 1.
 New England Route 25 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Barre, VT–Portland, ME |
Route 25, or the Montpelier Portland Route, began not in the state capital of Vermont but to the east atRoute 14 inBarre. The highway's alternate route, Route 25A, split southeast from the main route inOrange. The main route continued east toWells River, where the highway intersectedRoute 2 and crossed theConnecticut River. FromWoodsville, New Hampshire, the highwayran concurrently south withRoute 10 toHaverhill. Route 25A intersected Route 2 inBradford, Vermont, and crossed the river intoPiermont, New Hampshire, then joined Route 10 north to reconnect with its parent at Haverhill. Route 25 headed southeast throughWarren toPlymouth, joining Route 6A for its last few miles to reconnect with the latter route's parent,Route 6. Route 25 joined Route 6 through theLakes Region toMeredith, where Route 25 headed northeast to the north ofLake Winnipesaukee toOssipee. There, the highway briefly joinedRoute 16 before striking out east into Maine. Route 25 headed throughCornish,Standish, andWestbrook on its way to its eastern terminus atRoute 1 inPortland.
Route 25 was replaced byU.S. Route 302, most ofNew Hampshire Route 25, andMaine State Route 25. Route 25A was replaced byVermont Route 25 and a little bit ofNew Hampshire Route 25.
 New England Route 26 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Portland, ME–Colebrook, NH |
Route 26, also known as the Dixville Notch way, began atRoute 1 inPortland, Maine. The highway headed north throughGray,Poland, andNorway. Route 26 curved west toBethel, where the highway joinedRoute 15 along theAndroscoggin River toNewry. The highway continued northwest into New Hampshire, where the highway met the northern end ofRoute 16 atErrol. Route 26 crossed theWhite Mountains atDixville Notch before reaching its northern end atRoute 6 atColebrook on theConnecticut River.
Route 26 was superseded byMaine State Route 26 andNew Hampshire Route 26.
 New England Route 28 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Wareham, MA–Conway, NH |
Route 28 began atRoute 3 alongBuzzards Bay inWareham, Massachusetts. The highway headed north through the interior ofsoutheastern Massachusetts viaMiddleborough andBrockton. InBoston, Route 28 had connections withRoute 1,Route 5,Route 6, andRoute 7. The highway passed throughReading and crossed theMerrimack River atLawrence before entering New Hampshire. Route 28 passed throughDerry before reachingManchester, from which the highwayran concurrently withRoute 6 toSuncook. The highway intersectedRoute 9 atEpsom andRoute 11 inAlton and passed along the east side ofLake Winnipesaukee before reachingRoute 16 inOssipee, following it throughTamworth,Albany andConway before intersecting withRoute 18 and running concurrently with it to the state line with Maine nearFryeburg where it terminated.[5]
Route 28 was replaced by most ofMassachusetts Route 28 andNew Hampshire Route 28.
 New England Route 30 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Poultney, VT–Alburgh, VT |
Route 30, also known as the Vergennes Fair Haven Route, began at the New York state line inPoultney, Vermont[citation needed]. The highway headed north along the east side of thePoultney River toRoute 13 atFair Haven. From there, the highway's alternate route, Route 30A, continued north from the town throughOrwell andAddison while Route 30 joined Route 13 in aconcurrency east toCastleton, where the highway turned north throughSudbury andCornwall toMiddlebury. There, Route 30 ran concurrently withRoute 4 toVergennes, where Route 30A rejoined the main route. Route 30 and Route 4 continued north along the east side ofLake Champlain toBurlington andWinooski, in which the highways met the western ends ofRoute 14 andRoute 15, respectively. NearColchester, Route 30 split northwest from Route 4 and ran the length ofGrand Isle County. AtAlburgh, Route 30 continued north to its end at the Canadian border while a spur, Route 30B, headed west towardRouses Point, New York.
Route 30 was mostly replaced by local roads between Poultney and Fair Haven, thenU.S. Route 4,Vermont Route 30,U.S. Route 7,U.S. Route 2, andVermont Route 225. Route 30A was superseded byVermont Route 22A, and Route 30B was taken over by U.S. Route 2.
 New England Route 32 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Groton, CT–Sunapee, NH |
Route 32, or the Lake Sunapee Route, began atRoute 1 inGroton, Connecticut. The highway followed the east side of theThames River toNorwich, where the highway intersectedRoute 12 andRoute 17. Route 32 continued north throughWillimantic, where the route had a junction withRoute 3, and left Connecticut after passing throughStafford Springs. The highway continued toPalmer, Massachusetts, the site of its junction withRoute 5. Route 32 continued northeast throughWare andBarre, then northwest throughPetersham toAthol. The highway joinedRoute 7 east toBaldwinville, then headed northeast throughWinchendon, where the highway intersectedRoute 12 again, into New Hampshire. Route 32 headed throughPeterborough toHillsborough, where the highway metRoute 9. The two highwaysran concurrently toHenniker, then Route 32 split northwest toNewbury, from which the highway followed the west side ofLake Sunapee to its terminus atRoute 11 atSunapee.
Route 32 was superseded byConnecticut Route 12,Connecticut Route 32,Massachusetts Route 32,U.S. Route 202,New Hampshire Route 114,New Hampshire Route 103, andNew Hampshire Route 103B.
Maine adopted the system three years after its inception, replacing the existinglettered routes andauto trails. The state began to add two and one digit routes in 1931; a full renumbering in 1933 effectively ended Maine's involvement in the system.[6]
Massachusetts abandoned the scheme quickly with the advent of the U.S. Highway Numbering, having renumbered Route 6 south of Boston to match U.S. 3. By 1929, 2-digit routes were beginning to be assigned.
| Route | From | Through | To | Modern Designation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Connecticut Line atChepachet | Providence | Massachusetts Line atEast Providence | U.S. 44 |
| 102 | Wickford | Coventry,Nasonville | Woonsocket | SR 102,SR 146, S Main St |
| 103 | Connecticut Line atCoventry | Providence | Massachusetts Line atWarren | SR 14, Waterman St/Ave, Broadway, Veterans' Memorial Highway,SR 103 |
| 104 | Providence | Smithfield | Woonsocket | Manton Ave, Woonasquatucket Ave,SR 104 |
| 107 | Wakefield | Kingston | Wyoming | SR 108,SR 138 |
| 108 | Providence | Lincoln | Woonsocket | SR 246,SR 146,SR 146A |
| 112 | Charlestown | Richmond | Hope Valley | SR 112, Carolina Nooseneck Road, Baker Pines Road |
| 114 | Newport | Warren,East Providence,Pawtucket | Cumberland | SR 114 |
| 117 | Coventry | Apponaug | Warwick | SR 117 |
| 122 | Providence | Cumberland | Woonsocket | SR 112 |
| 126 | Massachusetts line atAdamsville | Tiverton | SR 179,SR 77 | |
| 138 | Newport | Portsmouth | Massachusetts line atTiverton | SR 138 |
| 142 | Woonsocket | Massachusetts line atCumberland | SR 114,SR 121 |
The state of Vermont already had a system of state-maintained roads by the time of the introduction of the numbering scheme. With the introduction of the U.S. Highway Numbering, it seems that Vermont was quick to drop the New England numbering where convenient, having renumbered many interstate routes by 1927.
By 1927, Route 8 in Vermont took a different course than that established in 1922. From the Massachusetts line, the route made its way along modern Route 8 toHeartwellville, then along modern Route 100 and Boyd Hill Road toWilmington. An additional segment fromRawsonville toLondonderry is also cited in the 1927 US Bureau of Public Roads study, though its relation during this time to the former route is unclear. In later USGS topo maps, this gap was bridged by modern Route 100.
