U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a U.S. highway in the northeast United States, running from

Laurel, Delaware Laurel is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 3,708 at the time of the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census. Laurel is part of the Salisbury metropolitan area, Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistic ...

north to

Champlain, New York Champlain is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Clinton County, New York, Clinton County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 5,754 at the 2010 census. The town is located on the western shore of Lake Ch ...

. In New Jersey, it runs from

Cape May Cape May consists of a peninsula and barrier island system in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is roughly coterminous with Cape May County and runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The so ...

to Fort Lee northwards. In

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, the route runs from the Cape May–Lewes Ferry terminal in

North Cape May North Cape May is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Lower Township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 United States Cen ...

Cape May County Cape May County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Much of the county is located on Cape May bound by Delaware Bay to its west and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and east. Adjacent to the Atlantic coastline are f ...

, where the ferry carries US 9 across the

Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland ...

Lewes, Delaware Lewes ( ) is an incorporated city on the Delaware Bay in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747. Along with neighboring Rehoboth Beach, Lewes is one of the principal cities of Delawar ...

, north to the

George Washington Bridge The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee, New Jersey, with Manhattan in New York City. The bridge is named after George Washington, the first president of the United S ...

in Fort Lee, Bergen County, where the route along with Interstate 95 (I-95) and

US 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making ...

continue into

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. US 9 is the longest U.S. highway in the state. From North Cape May north to Toms River in

Ocean County Ocean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Its county seat is Toms River.Garden State Parkway The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May to the New York state line at Montvale. Its name refers to New Jerse ...

and runs near the Jersey Shore. Along this stretch, it passes through the communities of Rio Grande, Cape May Court House, Somers Point, Pleasantville, Absecon, Tuckerton, Manahawkin, Beachwood and Berkeley Township. In the Toms River area, US 9 runs along the Garden State Parkway for a short distance before heading northwest away from it and the Jersey Shore into Lakewood Township. Upon entering Monmouth County, the route transitions into a multilane suburban

divided highway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...

and continues through Howell Township, Freehold Township,

Manalapan Township Manalapan Township (, ) is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The township is centrally located within the Raritan Valley region and is a part of the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the t ...

, Marlboro Township, Old Bridge Township, Sayreville, and

South Amboy South Amboy is a suburban city in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located on Raritan Bay. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 9,411.Woodbridge Township, US 9 merges with US 1 and the two routes continue through northern New Jersey as US 1/9 to the George Washington Bridge. Prior to 1927, the current alignment of US 9 had been legislated as parts of several state highways, including pre-1927 Route 14 from

to Seaville, pre-1927 Route 19 between Seaville and Absecon, pre-1927 Route 4 between Absecon and Lakewood and South Amboy and

Rahway Rahway () is a city in southern Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A bedroom community of New York City, it is centrally located in the Rahway Valley region, in the New York metropolitan area. The city is southwest of Manhattan ...

, pre-1927 Route 7 Spur between Lakewood and Freehold, and pre-1927 Route 1 between Rahway and Jersey City. US 9 was signed through New Jersey in 1926 to run from

US 30 U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...

in Absecon north to the New York border in

Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...

, where it became US 9W; it ran more to the east of its current alignment between Lakewood and South Amboy. In 1927, US 9 became Route 4 between Absecon and Lakewood and South Amboy and Rahway, Route 35 between Lakewood and Belmar and Eatontown and South Amboy (now Route 88 south of Point Pleasant), Route 4N (now Route 71) between Belmar and Eatontown,

Route 27 Route 27, or Highway 27, may refer to: Australia * Burke Developmental Road (Queensland) * Zeehan Highway (Tasmania) Canada * Alberta Highway 27 * British Columbia Highway 27 * Manitoba Highway 27 * Prince Edward Island Route 27 * Saskatchew ...

between Rahway and Newark, Route 25 between Newark and Jersey City, and

New Jersey Route 1 Route 1 was a state highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey prior to the 1953 renumbering. Created in the 1927 renumbering, it was designated to run from Rockleigh to Bayonne, along the Hudson River.ROUTE NO. 1. Alpine to Bayonne. Beginning at th ...

north of Jersey City. By the 1940s, US 9 had been extended south on Route 4 to Cape May and rerouted to current Route 4 between Lakewood and South Amboy. In addition, the route was moved to its current alignment between South Amboy and Jersey City, following Route 35 and Route 25, and routed to cross the Hudson River on the George Washington Bridge, using a part of Route 6. The state highway concurrencies were removed in 1953 and two realignments occurred to the route as a result of the construction of the Garden State Parkway in the 1950s. In the 1970s, US 9 was extended across the Cape May–Lewes Ferry to continue into Delaware with the former route into Cape May becoming Route 109. Also around this time, two freeways were proposed for US 9 in

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

and Monmouth counties, but never built. The Beesley's Point Bridge over

Great Egg Harbor Bay Great Egg Harbor Bay (or Great Egg Harbor) is a bay between Atlantic and Cape May counties along the southern New Jersey coast. The name derives from Dutch explorer Cornelius Jacobsen May's description of the plentiful birds laying eggs, naming th ...

was closed in 2004, with US 9 rerouted to use the Great Egg Harbor Bridge along the Garden State Parkway.

Route description

Cape May County

From the Cape May Terminal of the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, which carries US 9 across the

, US 9 continues north on Ferry Road, a

with one northbound lane and three southbound lanes which is under the maintenance of the

Delaware River and Bay Authority The Delaware River and Bay Authority or DRBA is a bi-state government agency of the U.S. states of New Jersey and Delaware established by an interstate compact in 1962. The authority operates the Delaware Memorial twin suspension bridges, t ...

. The road soon turns east and becomes four-lane divided Lincoln Boulevard. It runs between the residential community of

to the north and wetlands to the south within Lower Township,

. The road becomes Sandman Boulevard at the intersection with CR 603, where it enters woodland and narrows into a two-lane undivided road. After a turn southeast, US 9 comes to a crossroads with CR 626, which heads south to cross the

Cape May Canal The Cape May Canal is a waterway connecting Cape May Harbor to the Delaware Bay, at the southern tip of Cape May County, New Jersey. There is a long history of unfulfilled plans for a canal across Cape May. available at the Cape May County Libr ...

as Route 162. After crossing the

Cape May Seashore Lines Cape May Seashore Lines is a short line railroad in southern New Jersey. It offers two excursion services: a round trip between Richland and Tuckahoe and a round trip between Rio Grande, Cold Spring Village, and Cape May City. The track is ...

railroad tracks, US 9 turns north onto Shore Road, while Route 109 continues straight to head into

. Shore Road, which is maintained by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transporta ...

(NJDOT), carries the route northward through a mix of woods and marshland containing some development, with the Cape May Seashore Lines tracks running immediately to the west and the

Garden State Parkway The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May to the New York state line at Montvale. Its name refers to New Jerse ...

a short distance to the east. The road passes near Historic Cold Spring Village prior to a brief bend farther to the east of the railroad tracks as the route continues through Erma. US 9 crosses into Middle Township, where it continues northeast into the commercial community of Rio Grande. Here, the road briefly widens to four lanes as it has an intersection with Route 47, which runs up the west bank of the cape. From this point, the two-lane route continues into a mix of woods and development. Heading into Burleigh, US 9 intersects Route 147 and CR 618. Route 147/CR 618, as well as Route 47, provide access to

The Wildwoods The Wildwoods are a group of five communities (four distinct municipalities and one census-designated place) in Cape May County, New Jersey. These are situated on the Island of Five Mile Beach, a barrier island facing the Atlantic Ocean. These Je ...

resort area on the Jersey Shore. North of the Route 147 intersection, US 9 draws alongside the Garden State Parkway as it passes near the Wildwood Golf and Country Club. Shortly after pulling away from the Garden State Parkway once again, the highway continues into Cape May Court House, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Cape May County. In this community, US 9 runs past a mix of homes and businesses, intersecting Shellbay Avenue and CR 657, both of which provide access to the Garden State Parkway at interchanges. At the CR 657 intersection, US 9 briefly gains a

center left-turn lane A reversible lane (British English: tidal flow) is a lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on certain conditions. Typically, it is meant to improve traffic flow during rush hours, by having overhead traffic lights and li ...

and passes west of the

Cape Regional Medical Center Cape Regional Medical Center, formerly Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital, is located at 2 Stone Harbor Boulevard in the Cape May Court House section of Middle Township, New Jersey, United States. It is the only hospital in Cape May County ...

. Upon leaving Cape May Court House, the route runs into more rural surroundings, and comes to an intersection with CR 609, which heads east to an interchange with the Garden State Parkway, and Zoo Road, which heads west to the Cape May County Park & Zoo. Past here, the road again draws closer to the parkway and comes to a ramp that provides access to the southbound direction of the parkway. Continuing northeast through more wooded development, US 9 intersects CR 601 before entering Dennis Township. A short distance later, in the community of Clermont, Route 83 splits off to the northwest. Past this intersection, US 9 continues northeast through more rural areas, reaching an intersection with CR 625 after passing by Magnolia Lake. Following the CR 625 intersection, the road comes to CR 550, which heads to the west. Not long after the CR 550 intersection, US 9 continues into Upper Township, where it passes rural development before reaching Seaville. Here, there is an intersection with the southern terminus of

Route 50 The following highways are numbered 50: International * European route E50 Brazil * BR-050 Canada * Alberta Highway 50 * Manitoba Highway 50 * Newfoundland and Labrador Route 50 * Ontario Highway 50 (Also referred to as Peel Regional Road 50 ...

and a ramp providing access to the southbound direction of the Garden State Parkway and from the northbound direction of the Garden State Parkway. At this intersection, the route is briefly a divided highway. Past this junction, the road continues northeast, where residential development becomes more constant alongside the road as it passes through Palermo. US 9 reaches the community of Marmora, where it heads into commercial areas and briefly becomes a divided highway as it intersects CR 623. At this intersection, US 9 turns southeast to join CR 623 on Roosevelt Boulevard, while Shore Road continues north into Beesleys Point to a dead end at the site of the former Beesley's Point Bridge; this section of Shore Road is still inventoried as part of US 9 by NJDOT even though it no longer carries through traffic along US 9 since the bridge was closed and demolished. US 9/CR 623 runs southeast as five-lane road with a center left-turn lane that passes businesses. The road comes to an interchange with the Garden State Parkway, with a

park-and-ride A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system (rap ...

lot located within the northwest quadrant of the interchange. At this interchange, US 9 heads northeast on the four-lane limited-access parkway while CR 623 continues to Ocean City. The parkway, which has a wide median, carries the route through wooded areas between Beesleys Point to the west and marshland to the east. The median narrows as the highway comes to the Great Egg Harbor Bridge over the

Atlantic County

The highway crosses the Great Egg Harbor Bay into

Egg Harbor Township Egg Harbor Township is a township in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The U.S. Census Bureau in the 2020 census reported the population as 47,842, an increase of 4,519 over the 43,323 counted in the previous decade in the 201 ...

Atlantic County Atlantic County is a County (United States), county located along the southern coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the county had a population of 274,534.

, where it runs across marshy Drag Island into Somers Point before passing over the Drag Channel. The parkway has a southbound

toll plaza A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or '' toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemente ...

before US 9 leaves the roadway at a partial interchange. Now called New Road, the route runs through developed areas prior to crossing CR 559. The road winds east through the Greate Bay Golf Club before turning north and intersecting the northern terminus of

Route 52 The following highways are numbered 52: Australia * Kings Highway (Australia) * Isis Highway ( Childers to Ban Ban Springs) - Queensland State Route 52 (Wide Bay–Burnett Region) * Gillies Highway - Queensland State Route 52 (Far North Queensl ...

, a route leading to Ocean City, and West Laurel Drive, which provides access to and from the northbound Garden State Parkway. At this intersection, the road contains a median. From this point, the two-lane undivided US 9 is lined with businesses and continues northeast, gaining a center left-turn lane prior to the CR 559 Alternate intersection. Here, the route enters

Linwood Linwood may refer to: Places Many of the place names for Linwood come from the presence of linden trees. Australia *Linwood, South Australia * Linnwood, Guildford, 11-35 Byron Road, Guildford, New South Wales Canada * Linwood, Ontario * Linwood, ...

and the turn lane ends as it heads through suburban areas. The road continues into

Northfield Northfield may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Northfield, Aberdeen, Scotland * Northfield, Edinburgh, Scotland * Northfield, Birmingham, England * Northfield (Kettering BC Ward), Northamptonshire, England United States * Northfield, Connec ...

, where it comes to CR 563. US 9 enters Pleasantville, intersecting

US 40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America, is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid-Atlantic States. As with most routes wh ...

US 322 U.S. Route 322 (US 322) is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926. A portion of it at one time was concurrent with ...

(

Black Horse Pike The Black Horse Pike is a designation used for a number of different roadways that had been part of a historic route connecting the Camden area to the area of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Roadways now bearing the Black Horse Pike designation include ...

), a surface route to nearby Atlantic City to the east. The road turns more north-northeast past this intersection, crossing a trail and the

Southern Railroad of New Jersey The Southern Railroad of New Jersey is a small short-line railroad company based in Winslow Township, New Jersey. The railroad operates freight trains in two areas in Southern New Jersey. In the Winslow area, trains operate between Winslow Jun ...

's Pleasantville Industrial Track line. The route reaches an interchange with the

Atlantic City Expressway The Atlantic City Expressway, officially numbered, but unsigned, as Route 446 and abbreviated A.C. Expressway, ACE, or ACX, and known locally as the Expressway, is a long toll road in the U.S. state of New Jersey, managed and operated by ...

, the

toll road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or ''Toll (fee), toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically ...

leading into Atlantic City. After this interchange, US 9 crosses CR 646 and enters Absecon. The route crosses the marshy Absecon Creek prior to passing businesses. After crossing under

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

Atlantic City Line The Atlantic City Line (ACL) is a commuter rail line operated by NJ Transit (NJT) in the United States between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Atlantic City, New Jersey, operating along the corridor of the White Horse Pike. It runs over trackage ...

, another route into Atlantic City,

(White Horse Pike), intersects US 9. After US 30, the road turns east into wooded neighborhoods, becoming Wyoming Avenue. Route 157 intersects US 9 from the south, with US 9 making a left turn to head northeast onto Shore Road. The road continues into Galloway Township, with residential development becoming less dense as it runs a short distance to the west of inland bays, intersecting the southern terminus of CR 561. Past this intersection, US 9 draws farther from the inland bays and becomes New York Road. The road continues through dense woodland with some residences prior to reaching Smithville. Here, the road crosses CR 561 Alternate. Upon leaving the Smithville area, the land gets much more forested. The road turns slightly to the north-northwest as it crosses the marshy Nacote Creek, entering Port Republic and continuing north. After intersecting CR 575, the road passes a monument for the Battle of Chestnut Neck as it intersects Route 167. Following this intersection, US 9 turns west and merges onto the Garden State Parkway at an interchange. The limited-access parkway, which is six lanes wide, carries US 9 north through marshland to a crossing of the

Mullica River The Mullica River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in southern New Jersey in the United States. The Mullica was once known as the ''Little Egg Ha ...

Pine Barrens

This river crossing takes the two roads into Bass River Township, Burlington County, where US 9 merges off the Garden State Parkway. The route heads northwest onto two-lane undivided New York Road through woods, intersecting the northern terminus of the northern segment of Route 167. At this point, the route turns north and comes to a junction with CR 542. US 9 turns east into residential New Gretna before crossing under the Garden State Parkway without an interchange and passing over the marshy Bass River. This section runs along the eastern edge of the heavily forested

Pine Barrens Pine barrens, pine plains, sand plains, or pineland areas occur throughout the U.S. from Florida to Maine (see Atlantic coastal pine barrens) as well as the Midwest, West, and Canada and parts of Eurasia. Perhaps the most well known pine-barre ...

, with occasional areas of development. The road crosses the Balanger Creek into

Little Egg Harbor Township Little Egg Harbor Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 20,065, reflecting an increase of 4,120 (+25.8%) from the 15,945 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in tur ...

Ocean County Ocean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Its county seat is Toms River.Tuckerton and passes more dense development and the Tuckerton Seaport as "Main Street". US 9 crosses the Tuckerton Creek near Pohatcong Lake prior to intersecting the southern terminus of CR 539. From this point, the road resumes a north-northeast bearing, passing more areas of the Pine Barrens as it continues back into Little Egg Harbor Township and runs through Parkertown. Upon entering Eagleswood Township, US 9 passes through the residential community of West Creek. Continuing into Stafford Township, the route reaches Manahawkin, where development increases. In Manahawkin, Route 72, the main route to Long Beach Island, meets US 9 at a cloverleaf interchange. In the vicinity of the interchange, the road is a four-lane divided highway. After this interchange, the two-lane road passes more development before becoming more wooded. US 9 enters Barnegat Township, where it reaches the community of Barnegat, located a short distance to the west of the

Barnegat Bay Barnegat Bay is a small brackish arm of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately long, along the coast of Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States. It is separated from the Atlantic by the long Island Beach State Park (colloquially called a "ba ...

. In this community, there is an intersection with the eastern terminus of CR 554. Past this intersection, the route enters Ocean Township. In this area, US 9 comes to Waretown, where it intersects CR 532 in a commercial area. Leaving Waretown, the road heads north through areas of woodland and businesses before crossing the Oyster Creek into Lacey Township. Here, the road passes to the east of the former

Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Station was a single unit 636 MWe boiling water reactor power plant in the United States. The plant is located on an site adjacent to Oyster Creek in the Forked River section of Lacey Township in Ocean County, New ...

before crossing over a branch of the Forked River. At this point, US 9 runs past businesses in the community of Forked River, turning back to the north-northeast. The land gets more built up as the road enters Lanoka Harbor. A crossing of the Cedar Creek takes the route into Berkeley Township and US 9 continues north as Atlantic City Boulevard. At Bayville, the route is lined with businesses and makes a turn to the northwest. The road briefly forms the border between Berkeley Township to the southwest and Pine Beach to the northeast prior to crossing into Beachwood. In Beachwood, Route 166 heads north as the route widens into a four-lane divided highway. Past Route 166, US 9 turns more to the west past residential neighborhoods as a four-lane undivided road, entering South Toms River, where it widens into a divided highway. US 9 crosses CR 530 prior to merging onto the Garden State Parkway again at another interchange. At this interchange, the southbound direction of US 9 briefly runs concurrent with eastbound CR 530.

Toms River to Freehold

Joined with the eight-lane Garden State Parkway, US 9 briefly passes through Berkeley Township again before crossing the Toms River and entering the township of the same name. Here, the road reaches the exit for CR 527. Past CR 527, the road comes to a cloverleaf interchange with Route 37 at exit 82. US 9 leaves the Garden State Parkway again at the next exit, just before the Toms River Toll Plaza. At this point, the route intersects the northern terminus of Route 166 and heads north along Lakewood Road, a four-lane divided road that comes to an intersection with CR 571. Following this intersection, the road passes wooded suburban areas, turning more to the north-northwest. After a turn to the north, US 9 reaches an interchange with Route 70, a route connecting the northern part of the Jersey Shore to the

Philadelphia area The Delaware Valley is a metropolitan region on the East Coast of the United States that comprises and surrounds Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation and 68th largest city in the world as of 2020. The toponym Delaware Val ...

. After this junction, the road takes the name River Avenue as it comes into Lakewood Township. Upon entering Lakewood, the road passes commercial establishments containing

Kimball Medical Center Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, formerly Kimball Medical Center and before that, Paul Kimball Hospital, is a hospital located in Lakewood, New Jersey, United States, that serves parts of northern Ocean County and southern Monmouth Count ...

and running through tree-covered residential neighborhoods. After crossing

Conrail Shared Assets Operations Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) is the commonly used name for modern-day Conrail ( reporting mark CRCX), an American railroad company. It operates three networks, the North Jersey, South Jersey/Philadelphia, and Detroit Shared Assets Area ...

' (CSAO)

Southern Secondary The Southern Secondary is a rail line in New Jersey, operated by Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) from South Amboy to Red Bank, and the Delaware and Raritan River Railroad (DRR), a subsidiary of Chesapeake and Delaware, LLC, between Red Ban ...

railroad line, the road passes to the east of

Lake Carasaljo A man-made lake in the center of Lakewood Township, New Jersey, Lake Carasaljo was created in the mid-1700s when the South Branch of the Metedeconk River was dammed to provide power for a sawmill, which became known as Three Partners Mill. The l ...

as it intersects CR 528/ CR 547. At this intersection, CR 547 forms a concurrency with US 9 and the two routes continue north on Madison Avenue, crossing the

Metedeconk River The Metedeconk River is a tributary of Barnegat Bay in Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States. The Metedeconk River flows from its U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, acces ...

, which Lake Carasaljo is formed from. After intersecting the western terminus of Route 88, Madison Avenue continues north through the commercial and residential center of Lakewood as a four-lane undivided road, with CR 547 splitting from US 9 by turning east. Entering a business area, the route crosses CR 526, turning into a divided highway called the Lila W. Thompson Memorial Highway. US 9 enters Howell Township, Monmouth County at the point where it crosses over the North Branch Metedeconk River. The road runs north, lined with businesses and shopping centers as it has several intersections with

jughandle A jughandle is a type of ramp or slip road that changes the way traffic turns left at an at-grade intersection (in a country where traffic drives on the right). Instead of a standard left turn being made from the left lane, left-turning traffic ...

s. In this area, the route reaches an interchange with I-195, where US 9 begins a northwestward slant. After this interchange, the highway continues north and passes west of the Howell Park & Ride, with a bus stop next to the northbound lanes serving NJ Transit buses. Past here, the highway enters Freehold Township, where it crosses CR 524.

Freehold to US 1

After entering into Freehold Township, the route turns north and has an intersection with Route 79 before the interchange with the Route 33 freeway. Following Route 33, the highway continues northwest and passes southwest of the Freehold Mall, where a park-and-ride lot is located. The route enters Freehold Borough, the county seat of Monmouth County, as it has an interchange with CR 537. US 9 enters Freehold Township again as it passes between the

Freehold Raceway Mall Freehold Raceway Mall is a super-regional high-end shopping mall, located in Freehold Township, New Jersey. A premier shopping center for Central Jersey, the mall is located off of U.S. Route 9, Route 33, and County Route 537, opposite the Freeh ...

to the west and the

Freehold Raceway Freehold Raceway is a half-mile racetrack in Freehold Borough, New Jersey, and is the oldest racetrack in the United States. Horseraces have been taking place at Freehold Raceway since the 1830s. The Monmouth County Agricultural Society was fo ...

to the east. The route turns north, widens to eight lanes, and intersects Route 33 Business at the former

Freehold Circle Freehold is a borough and the county seat of Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

. From this point, US 9 runs west of Freehold Borough and east of

Monmouth Battlefield State Park Monmouth Battlefield State Park is a New Jersey state park located on the border of Manalapan and Freehold Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. This park preserves the historical battlefield on which the American Revolutio ...

, as a six-lane highway before crossing over CSAO's Freehold Industrial Track and CR 522, with ramps providing access to the latter. After this interchange, the highway narrows back to four lanes and intersects Schibanoff Lane, which leads west to the Freehold Township Commuter Lot. The route enters

immediately after the Craig Road/East Freehold Road intersection, with a park-and-ride lot situated northwest of the intersection in a shopping center. In Manalapan Township, US 9 runs through more suburban areas and passes to the east of the

Manalapan EpiCentre The Manalapan EpiCentre opened in 2002 on the corner of U.S. Route 9 southbound and Symmes Drive in Manalapan, New Jersey. The mall serves the Marlboro and Freehold area. It replaced the earlier Manalapan Mall that was demolished in 1998. History ...

big–box complex. The road crosses Symmes Drive/Ryan Road, where a park-and-ride lot is located on the northwest corner. US 9 reaches an interchange with CR 3 before passing a mix of farmland and development as it crosses into Marlboro Township. In Marlboro Township, businesses predominate the road as it reaches an interchange with Union Hill Road. Following this, US 9 continues north and crosses CR 520. The road enters Old Bridge Township, Middlesex County, where it becomes the Joann H. Smith Memorial Highway and interchanges with the Route 18 freeway. Within this interchange, the travel lanes of US 9 split. From Route 18, the route widens to six lanes as it eventually comes to interchanges with Throckmorton Lane/Ticetown Road and CR 516. Past CR 516, the highway passes a mix of woodland and farm fields and crosses Jake Brown Road, where a park-and-ride lot is located on the northeast corner of the intersection.

Route 34 The following highways are numbered 34: for a list of roads numbered N34 : see list of N34 roads. International * AH34, Asian Highway 34 * European route E34 Australia * Cox Peninsula Road (Northern Territory) * (Sydney) * Maroondah Highway (Vi ...

intersects US 9 at a directional interchange, with access from southbound US 9 to southbound Route 34 and from northbound Route 34 to northbound US 9. Missing movements between northbound Route 34 and southbound US 9 and northbound US 9 and southbound Route 34 are provided by Perrine Road to the south. From Route 34 through to the US 1/9 concurrency in Avenel, there are no jughandles or other intersections, just

right-in/right-out Right-in/right-out (RIRO) and left-in/left-out (LILO) refer to a type of three-way road intersection where turning movements of vehicles are restricted. A RIRO permits only right turns and a LILO permits only left turns. "Right-in" and "left-in" r ...

access and interchanges. Past Route 34, the highway continues past the Old Bridge Park & Ride, with a bus terminal next to the northbound lanes serving NJ Transit buses, and several shopping centers, with a southbound exit and entrance serving the park-and-ride and one of the shopping centers. US 9 enters Sayreville, where it passes more suburban areas, interchanging with CR 673 and CR 615. A short distance after the latter, the road comes to a partial interchange with the Garden State Parkway at exit 123; this interchange only has access from the Parkway southbound to US 9 south and from US 9 north to the northbound parkway. US 9 narrows to four lanes past this interchange and runs northeast as it enters

South Amboy South Amboy is a suburban city in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located on Raritan Bay. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 9,411.Route 35, merging onto that route for a concurrency. The concurrent US 9 and Route 35 head northwest on a four-lane divided highway through commercial areas and woodland, crossing over CSAO's Amboy Secondary before turning north and interchanging with CR 535 (Raritan Street) and Kearney Road, crossing back into Sayreville at the interchange with the former. At this point, the road widens to six lanes. The two routes split at an interchange (the former Victory Circle) that has access to the southbound Garden State Parkway and from the northbound Parkway by way of Chevalier Avenue. From here, US 9 closely parallels the east side of the Garden State Parkway as it crosses the

Raritan River Raritan River is a major river of New Jersey. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. History Geologists assert that the lower Raritan provided t ...

on the Edison Bridge, with the parkway crossing the river on the

Driscoll Bridge The Governor Alfred E. Driscoll Bridge, also known as the Driscoll Bridge is a toll bridge (with a series of three spans) on the Garden State Parkway in the U.S. state of New Jersey spanning the Raritan River near its mouth in Raritan Bay. The bri ...

. Upon crossing the Raritan River, US 9 enters Woodbridge Township, where it reaches a complex interchange with the Garden State Parkway, the Route 440 freeway, and CR 656. Within this interchange, the Garden State Parkway's travel lanes run in between the travel lanes of US 9, with this configuration continuing past the interchange for a short distance. Along this stretch, the road passes under CSAO's Perth Amboy Running Track line and there are ramps to and from CR 616 and to the parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike (

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

). After US 9 heads east away from the parkway, it reaches a cloverleaf interchange with Route 184/ CR 501 and continues into a business district. A short distance later, the highway crosses over the access road between the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike just east of the toll plaza and then the New Jersey Turnpike itself. From this point, the highway passes several office parks, reaching an interchange with CR 514. After CR 514, the route passes some residential neighborhoods before passing to the east of the

Woodbridge Center Woodbridge Center is a major two-level shopping mall located in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey at the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 9. As of 2022, the mall currently features Macy's, Boscov's, J. C. Penney, and Dick's Sporting Good ...

shopping mall. After passing under CSAO's Port Reading Secondary line, US 9 junctions with CR 604 prior to merging with

US 1/9 concurrency

US 1 and US 9 become concurrent upon merging in Woodbridge Township and continue through developed areas, interchanging with Route 35. Soon after this interchange, jughandles and other traffic light-controlled intersections resume. Upon entering Union County, US 1/9 pass through

and Linden, interchanging with

I-278 Interstate 278 (I-278) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in New Jersey and New York in the United States. The road runs from US Route 1/9 (US 1/9) in Linden, New Jersey, northeast to the Bruckner Interchange in the New Yor ...

in Linden. The road continues into urban

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

, crossing Route 439 before turning into a freeway prior to meeting Route 81 near Newark Liberty International Airport. US 1/9 continue along the west end of the airport into

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

, Essex County, reaching the

Newark Airport Interchange The Newark Airport Interchange is a massive interchange of Interstate 78, U.S. Route 1-9, U.S. Route 22, New Jersey Route 21, and Interstate 95 (the New Jersey Turnpike) at the northern edge of Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New ...

with

I-78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...

, US 22, and Route 21. From this interchange, the road continues northeast through industrial areas to an interchange with US 1/9 Truck that provides access to the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95). US 1/9 continue onto the

Pulaski Skyway The Pulaski Skyway is a four-lane bridge-causeway in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey, carrying an expressway designated U.S. Route 1/9 (US 1/9) for most of its length. The structure has a total length of . Its ...

, which carries the route over the Passaic River into

Hudson County Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...

, crossing over Kearny and the

Hackensack River The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The drainage basin, watershed of the ri ...

before coming into Jersey City. Trucks are banned from the Pulaski Skyway and must use US 1/9 Truck to bypass it. The Pulaski Skyway ends at the

Tonnele Circle The Tonnele Circle is an intersection in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. It is named after Tonnele TUN-uh-lee"Avenue, the north–south road that runs through it. Entrances and exits Entrances to and exits from Tonnele Circle are lis ...

with US 1/9 Truck and Route 139, and US 1/9 continue north along at-grade Tonnelle Avenue toward

North Bergen North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 63,361. The township was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by ...

, where the road intersects Route 3 and Route 495. Crossing into Bergen County, Broad Avenue carries US 1/9 through Fairview and Ridgefield before heading into Palisades Park. Here, the two routes join US 46, and the combined road heads north into Fort Lee. US 1/9/46 come to an interchange with I-95, US 9W, and Route 4, where it joins I-95 to head east to the

over the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

. At this point, US 46 ends and I-95 and US 1/9 continue into

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, New York City on the

Trans-Manhattan Expressway Interstate 95 (I-95) is part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Miami, Florida, to the Canada–United States border near Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of New York, I-95 extends from the George Washington Bridge in New Yor ...

Route 9 BBS

The Route 9 BBS, or bus bypass shoulder, are a part of the express bus system in Monmouth and

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

counties. The road is used by

's routes 63, 64, 67 to

, the 130, 132, 136, 139 to

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 buse ...

, and

Academy Bus Academy Bus Lines is a bus company in New Jersey providing local bus services in northern New Jersey, line-run services to/from New York City from points in southern and central New Jersey, and contract and charter service in the eastern United ...

to Lower Manhattan. The bus lanes run for approximately in Old Bridge Township and are the first component of a planned BBS corridor into Monmouth and northern

Ocean The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the wo ...

counties. An extensive analysis by consulting and planning firm

Stantec Stantec Inc. is an international professional services company in the design and consulting industry. The company was founded in 1954, as ''D. R. Stanley Associates'' in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Stantec provides professional consulting servi ...

released in 2010 includes recommendations regarding design, construction, and implementation of the BBS extension. The 2nd phase of the project would start at the project's southern end near the

Lakewood Bus Terminal Lakewood Terminal is a regional bus terminal owned and operated by NJ Transit (NJT) at 1st & Lexington Avenues in Lakewood, New Jersey. Bus service includes routes to Atlantic City, Hudson County, New York, Philadelphia, and points at the Jersey S ...

near Route 88. The third phase and final phase would connect the northern and southern segments passing through Freehold Township and proximate towns, where work would include some widening and deepening of the roadbed to handle bus traffic.

History

US Route 9 - New Jersey crossing the Beesleys Point Bridge

What would become US 9 was originally part of a Lenape trail running from the Great Navesink Trail down to what is now Cape May. The section of the road between Nacote Creek in Port Republic and Somers Point, called Shore Road, was first laid out in 1731 to replace an earlier road along the coast of that area. South of Cape May Courthouse, the road was part of the

Cape May Turnpike Route 162 is an unsigned long state highway in Lower Township, New Jersey, United States. The highway's designation consists entirely of a bridge on Seashore Road (County Route 626 or CR 626), which is known as Relocated Seashore Road. The ...

, which also included parts of Seashore Drive and Route 109. Later the road from Cape May to Tom's River would become part of the Jersey Coast Way, stretching from Cape May to the Staten Island Ferry. The road was legislated as part of several state routes in the 1910s and 1920s. Between Cape May and Seaville, the road was legislated as part of pre-1927 Route 14 in 1917. Pre-1927 Route 19 was designated to run along the current route between Seaville and Absecon, but was never built.State of New Jersey, Laws of 1923, Chapters 182-183. From Absecon north to Lakewood, and from South Amboy to Rahway, pre-1927 Route 4 was designated in 1916 along the current route. Between Lakewood and Freehold, pre-1927 Route 7 Spur, created in 1925, was to run on the present US 9 alignment.State of New Jersey, Laws of 1925, Chapters 24-25. Between Rahway and Elizabeth, pre-1927 Route 1 was created in 1916; an extension north to the

Holland Tunnel The Holland Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River that connects the New York City neighborhood of Hudson Square in Lower Manhattan to the east with Jersey City in New Jersey to the west. The tunnel is operated by the Port Author ...

was planned in 1922. When the

U.S. Highway System The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...

was created in 1926, US 9 was designated in New Jersey to run from US 30 in Absecon north to the New York border in

, where it continued into New York as US 9W. In New Jersey, the route followed the entirety of pre-1927 Route 4 between Absecon and Rahway, bending farther to the east of its current alignment between Lakewood and South Amboy by running closer to the Atlantic Ocean. In Rahway, US 9 joined US 1 and pre-1927 Route 1 for a concurrency north toward Newark. Past Newark, the road followed current US 1/9 Truck toward Jersey City, where US 1 and US 9 split. At this point, US 9 continued north on its current alignment in Fort Lee, where it then ran north on present-day CR 501 toward the New York border. US 9 was designated along this alignment to the New York border as the original numbering plans called for it to continue up the west bank of the Hudson River to

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York C ...

, with US 109 running along the east bank of the river. However, it was instead split into two suffixed routes in New York, with US 9W running along the west bank and US 9E running along the east bank, New Jersey had kept its alignment of US 9 to US 9W at the border in Alpine. In the

1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering In 1927, New Jersey's state highways were renumbered. The old system, which had been defined in sequence by the legislature since 1916, was growing badly, as several routes shared the same number, and many unnumbered state highways had been d ...

, the present-day routing of US 9 between Cape May and Woodbridge became part of Route 4, while the portion along the US 1/9 concurrency south of the Tonnele Circle became part of Route 25 and north of there to the George Washington Bridge became Route 1 and Route 6. Meanwhile, what had been signed as US 9 at the time was Route 4 from Absecon to Lakewood, Route 35 between Lakewood and Belmar and Eatontown and South Amboy (now Route 88 between Lakewood and Point Pleasant), Route 4N (now Route 71) between Belmar and Eatontown, Route 4 (now Route 35) between South Amboy and Rahway,

between Rahway and Newark, Route 25 between Newark and Jersey City, and Route 1 north of Jersey City.State of New Jersey, Laws of 1927, Chapter 319. After the

opened in 1932, US 9, along with US 1 and Route 25, was routed onto it. By the 1940s, US 9 was extended south along Route 4 to Cape May, with the small southern piece leading to US 30 in Absecon becoming an unnumbered road that is now Route 157. In addition, US 9 was moved to its current routing between South Amboy and the George Washington Bridge. By 1947, US 9 and Route 4 were moved to a new alignment between Freehold and Old Bridge Township, with the old alignment becoming Route 4A (now Route 79 and a part of Route 34). In the

1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering On January 1, 1953, the New Jersey Highway Department renumbered many of the State Routes. This renumbering was first proposed in 1951 in order to reduce confusion to motorists. A few rules were followed in deciding what to renumber: *No state ro ...

, the state highways running concurrent with US 9 were removed. In addition, US 1/9 Truck was created as a truck bypass of the Pulaski Skyway, replacing Route 25T, and US 1/9 Business (now Route 139) was signed along the former Route 25 approach to the Holland Tunnel. After the Garden State Parkway was completed through the Toms River area in 1954, US 9 was moved to it to bypass the center of the community and the former route became US 9 Alternate (now Route 166). Also in 1954, a new bridge for the Garden State Parkway was built over the Mullica River at the site of the US 9 bridge; the old bridge carrying US 9 was dismantled, and the route was designated to follow the Garden State Parkway over the Mullica River from two interchanges. The approaches to the former bridge became Route 167. In the mid-1960s, a limited-access toll road called the Garden State Thruway was planned along the US 9 alignment between Toms River and Woodbridge. This freeway was intended to serve all vehicles and provide a shortcut to the Garden State Parkway and US 9 through central New Jersey but was never built. In the early 1970s, another plan surfaced for a US 9 freeway from Route 34 in Madison Township (now Old Bridge Township) north to Route 35 in Sayreville. The freeway, which was to cost $17 million, was not built due to financial problems. A freeway was also proposed for US 9 in Atlantic County in the late 1960s, running from the proposed Route 60 freeway in Somers Point to CR 575 in Smithville. This freeway, which was to cost $35 million and intended to alleviate traffic on the current US 9 and the Garden State Parkway, was also never built due to financial and environmental issues. In 1972, US 9 was relocated from its southern terminus in Cape May to head west to the Cape May–Lewes Ferry terminal in North Cape May, with the former route into Cape May becoming Route 109. US 9 was extended across the ferry to

US 13 U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 (I-95) just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to US 1 in the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville ...

in Laurel, Delaware, in 1974. In 2001, a new span was added to the Edison Bridge over the Raritan River in a $60 million project. The Victory Circle at the north end of the Route 35 concurrency in Sayreville was replaced with an interchange between 2003 and 2006. The Beesley's Point Bridge over the Great Egg Harbor was closed to traffic in 2004 because of a crumbling deck, with the bridge owner, the Beesley's Point Bridge Company, unable to fund repairs. US 9 was detoured around the closure on the Garden State Parkway. In 2008, Cape May County acquired the bridge from the Beesley's Point Bridge Company and planned to restore it by 2012, with an estimated cost of $20 million. However, the Beesley's Point Bridge was slated to be demolished in 2013 as part of a project that will also replace the Great Egg Harbor Bridge. As of 2011, a $588 million project for expansion of the segment of US 9 between Toms River and Lakewood was in a "design concept" phase with funding earmarked for 2016-2017 construction.

In popular culture

The segment of US 9 in New Jersey is mentioned in the lyrics of the Bruce Springsteen song "

Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. As his effort to break into the mainstream, the album was a commercial success, peaking at number three ...

" in the lines "Sprung from cages on Highway 9 / Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin' out over the line."

Major intersections

Related routes

There is one remaining bannered spur of US 9 in the state of New Jersey: *

U.S. Route 1-9 Truck U.S. Route 1/9 Truck (US 1/9 Truck) is a U.S. Route in the northern part of New Jersey that stretches from the eastern edge of Newark to the Tonnele Circle in Jersey City. It is the alternate road for US 1/9 that trucks mus ...

in Jersey City The following state highways were also formerly designated as bannered spurs of US 9: * Route 139 in Jersey City was formerly U.S. Route 1-9 Business * Route 166 in Toms River was formerly U.S. Route 9 Alternate Additionally, the following state highways are former alignments of U.S. Route 9: * Route 109 in

* Route 157 in Absecon * Route 167 near Bass River

References

External links