Route 37 is a north–south
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...
in
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
running from
Interstate 84 (I-84) in
Danbury
Danbury ( ) is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2020 was 86,518. It is the third-largest city in Western Connecticut, and the seventh-largest ...
north to
U.S. Route 7
U.S. Route 7 (US 7) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in western New England that runs for through the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The highway's southern terminus is at Interstate 95 (I-95) e ...
(US 7) in
New Milford. The northernmost section between the town centers of
Sherman
Sherman most commonly refers to:
*Sherman (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General
*M4 Sherman, a World War II American tank
S ...
and New Milford was once part of an early toll road known as the New Milford and Sherman Turnpike chartered in 1818.
Route description
Route 37 begins at an intersection with
Route 39 and
Route 53 in downtown
Danbury
Danbury ( ) is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2020 was 86,518. It is the third-largest city in Western Connecticut, and the seventh-largest ...
, where one can also access
I-84
Interstate 84 may refer to:
* Interstate 84 (Oregon–Utah), passing through Idaho, formerly known as Interstate 80N
* Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts), passing through New York and Connecticut
{{road disambiguation ...
(exit 6). It heads northeast as North Street, crossing under I-84 at exit 7 with access to the eastbound direction only. North of I-84, the road continues as Padanaram Road for about then shifts to Pembroke Road. Route 37 crosses into the town of
New Fairfield
New Fairfield is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,579 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. New Fairfield is one of five towns that surround Candlewood Lake, the largest l ...
after another , as it skirts the banks of the
Margerie Lake Reservoir. Route 37 intersects with Route 39 for a second time in New Fairfield center, where the road name changes to Sherman-New Fairfield Road. Route 37 continues through the northwest section of New Fairfield. Along the way it intersects with Patterson Road, an unsigned state highway known as State Road 850, which connects to
Putnam County Road 68
County routes in Putnam County, New York, known within the county as "county roads", are owned and maintained by the Putnam County Department of Highways and Facilities.
Most of the county road numbers, which are all two-digits, are signed with ...
in New York state. Route 37 then enters the town of
Sherman
Sherman most commonly refers to:
*Sherman (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General
*M4 Sherman, a World War II American tank
S ...
as Greenwoods Hill Road and passes through the
Pootatuck State Forest. About north of the town line, Route 37 meets Route 39 for the third time in Sherman center. After overlapping Route 39 for about , the two routes split, with Route 37 heading east (as Barnes Hill Road) and Route 39 heading north. Route 37 crosses into the town of
New Milford after another . Route 37 ends at
U.S. Route 7
U.S. Route 7 (US 7) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in western New England that runs for through the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The highway's southern terminus is at Interstate 95 (I-95) e ...
in New Milford at the banks of the
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United ...
about later.
[
]
History
The road from New Milford to Sherman to the state line in Pawling, New York
Pawling may refer to:
*Pawling (town), New York, in Dutchess County
**Pawling (village), New York, in the town of Pawling
*** Pawling (Metro-North station), train station for the village
**Pawling Nature Reserve, in the northern section of the t ...
was established as a turnpike in 1818, called the New Milford and Sherman Turnpike. It used Housatonic Avenue and Boardman Road in New Milford center, crossing the Housatonic River on the Boardman Bridge. West of the river it used modern Route 37 to reach Sherman center. West of Sherman center, it used Briggs Hill Road to the state line.
The old turnpike (west of the Housatonic River) later became a state highway and given the designation Highway 131 in the early 1920s. At the same time, the Danbury-New Fairfield-Sherman route was designated as Highway 136. Modern Route 37 was created in the 1932 state highway renumbering from old highways 131 and 136 (except for the Briggs Hill Road segment).
/ref>
Junction list
References
External links
{{commons category-inline
037
Transportation in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Transportation in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Danbury, Connecticut
New Fairfield, Connecticut