U.S. Route 13 or U.S. Highway 13 (US 13) is a north–south
United States Numbered Highway
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 ...
established in 1926 that runs for from
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
(I-95) just north of
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city.
Fayetteville has received the All-Ameri ...
, to
US 1 in the northeastern suburbs of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, near
Morrisville. In all, it traverses five states in the
Atlantic coastal plain
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
region. It follows the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
coast more closely than does the main north–south U.S. Highway of the region, US 1. Because of this, its number is out of place on the general U.S. Highway numbering grid, as it should be running west of
US 11 but does not. Its routing is largely rural, the notable exceptions being the
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
area in
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
and the northern end of the highway in
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...
and Pennsylvania. It is also notable for being the main thoroughfare for the
Delmarva Peninsula
The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by the majority of the state of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Eastern Shore of Virginia.
The peninsula is l ...
and carrying the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel (CBBT, officially the Lucius J. Kellam Jr. Bridge–Tunnel) is a bridge–tunnel that crosses the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay between Delmarva and Hampton Roads in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. It ope ...
to it in Virginia.
US 13's original plan in 1926 had the route serve no further south than the Delmarva Peninsula. However, it has been extended many times, connecting to the mainland via ferry service and eventually reaching North Carolina. This link across the mouth of the
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...
became fixed in 1964 with a bridge–tunnel. The entire route on the Delmarva Peninsula, except for a few sections in
Accomack County, Virginia
Accomack County is a United States county that, together with Northampton County, constitutes the Eastern Shore region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. These two counties also form the southern portion of the Delmarva Peninsula, which is bo ...
, has been dualized fully with four lanes, and further upgrades continue, such as a freeway section around the east side of
Salisbury, Maryland
Salisbury ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wicomico County, Maryland, United States. Salisbury is the largest city in Eastern Shore of Maryland, the state's Eastern Shore region, with a population of 33,050 at the 2020 United States census ...
.
Route description
, -
,
NC
,
, -
,
VA
,
, -
,
MD
,
, -
,
DE
,
, -
,
PA
,
, -
, Total
,
North Carolina

US 13 runs southwest to northeast through the eastern part of North Carolina. It begins at
I-95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
near
Fayetteville Fayetteville may refer to:
*Fayetteville, Alabama
*Fayetteville, Arkansas
** The Fayetteville Formation
*Fayetteville, Georgia
*Fayetteville, Illinois
*Fayetteville, Indiana
*Fayetteville, Washington County, Indiana
*Fayetteville, Missouri
*Fayette ...
as a continuation of
I-295
Interstate 295
is the designation for the following eight Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to I-95:
*Interstate 295 (Delaware–Pennsylvania), a bypass of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Interstate 295 (Florida), a be ...
(Fayetteville Outer Loop) and heads northeast, intersecting
US 421 in
Spivey's Corner and
US 701 in
Newton Grove. It passes over
I-40
Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway in the southeastern and southwestern portions of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and ...
without an interchange; access is provided via US 701 or
North Carolina Highway 50
North Carolina Highway 50 (NC 50) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It goes from Topsail Beach in the south to Creedmoor in the north, connecting the cities of Warsaw, Newton Grove, Benson, and Raleigh ...
(NC 50). It then passes through the city of
Goldsboro, where it intersects
US 70 and
US 117. US 13 continues northeast and shares a brief concurrency with
US 264 before passing through the city of
Greenville. US 13 then heads north from Greenville, following the limited-access
US 64 east between
Bethel
Bethel (, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; ; ) was an ancient Israelite city and sacred space that is frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
Bet ...
and
Williamston and
US 17 north between Williamston and
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places
*Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region
Australia New South Wales
*Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...
. US 13 then heads north from Windsor toward
Ahoskie and intersects with
NC 11. It then crosses
US 158 in
Gates County
Gates County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of North Carolina, on the border with Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,478, making it the fifth-least populous county in North Carolina. Its ...
before crossing the state line with Virginia.
Virginia
US 13 continues north, expanding to four lanes near
Suffolk
Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
and diverges onto the Suffolk Bypass where it joins
US 58 and
US 460. Here,
one of the many business routes of US 13 passes straight through the city as the bypass passes the city to the west. It continues through the
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
area on the
Military Highway
Military Highway is a four-to-eight-lane roadway built in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia, United States, during World War II. Carrying US 13 for most of its length, it also carries US 58, and US 460 while in Chesapeake. ...
and continues north to the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel (CBBT, officially the Lucius J. Kellam Jr. Bridge–Tunnel) is a bridge–tunnel that crosses the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay between Delmarva and Hampton Roads in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. It ope ...
, which the route uses to continue across the
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...
to the
Eastern Shore of Virginia
The Eastern Shore of Virginia is the easternmost region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It consists of two counties (Accomack County, Virginia, Accomack and Northampton County, Virginia, Northam ...
. Here, US 13 is the main north–south route of the region and connects to most cities and towns with four more business routes forming loops off the highway. North of
New Church, US 13 crosses the state border into
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
.
Maryland
US 13 passes through the lower
Eastern Shore Eastern Shore may refer to:
* Regions in the Delmarva Peninsula:
** Eastern Shore of Maryland
** Eastern Shore of Virginia
* Eastern Shore (Nova Scotia), a region
* Eastern Shore (electoral district), a provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia
...
region of Maryland. It runs through
Pocomoke City in
Worcester County, where it meets the southern terminus of
US 113. It continues north into
Somerset County, where it passes through the town of
Princess Anne
Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King ...
. It then enters
Wicomico County
Wicomico County ( ) is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Maryland, on the Delmarva Peninsula. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,588. The county seat is Salisbury. The county was named for the Wicomico ...
, where it bypasses the cities of
Salisbury
Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...
and
Fruitland to the east on the limited-access Salisbury Bypass, with the former alignment signed as
US 13 Business (US 13 Bus.). On the northeastern part of the bypass, US 13 is concurrent with
US 50, which bypasses Salisbury to the north. North of Salisbury, US 13 continues to the state line town of
Delmar.
Delaware
US 13 runs through the entire north–south length of Delaware. It enters the state in
Delmar and runs through western
Sussex County, intersecting the western terminus of
US 9 in
Laurel
Laurel may refer to:
Plants
* Lauraceae, the laurel family
* Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel
People
* Laurel (given name), people with the given name
* Laurel (surname), people with the surname
* Laurel (mus ...
and passing through the city of
Seaford. It continues into
Kent County and heads north toward the state capital of
Dover
Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
. US 13 forms the commercial district of the city of Dover. Between Dover and
Wilmington in
New Castle County
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...
, US 13 is paralleled by the
Delaware Route 1
Delaware Route 1 (DE 1) is the longest numbered state highway in the U.S. state of Delaware. The route runs from the Maryland state line in Fenwick Island, Delaware, Fenwick Island, Sussex County, Delaware, Sussex County, where the ...
(DE 1) freeway, portions of which are a
toll road
A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road for which a fee (or ''Toll (fee), toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented to help recoup the costs of road construction and ...
. It crosses the
Chesapeake & Delaware Canal
The Chesapeake & Delaware Canal (C&D Canal) is a -long, -wide and -deep ship canal that connects the Delaware River with the Chesapeake Bay in the states of Delaware and Maryland in the United States.
In the mid-17th century, mapmaker Augus ...
on the
St. Georges Bridge. US 13 continues toward Wilmington, sharing a concurrency with
US 40 in the
New Castle area. It bypasses the heart of Wilmington to the east, with
US 13 Bus. passing through the downtown area. US 13 parallels
I-495
Interstate 495 (I-495)
is the designation for the following five Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to I-95:
* The Capital Beltway, a beltway around Washington, D.C., running through Virginia, Maryland, and a sliver ...
between Wilmington and the Pennsylvania border.
Pennsylvania
Upon entering the commonwealth of Pennsylvania from Delaware, US 13 runs along the banks of the
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...
parallel to
I-95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
through
Delaware County. It then runs a southwest to northeast path through the city of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. It traverses
West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Although there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the n ...
on many
one-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or couplet refers to that portion of a bi-directional traffic facilitysuch as a road, bus, streetcar, or light rail linewhere its opposing flows exist as two independent and roughly parallel facilities.
Descriptio ...
s and then passes by the
Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo is a zoo located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia on the west bank of the Schuylkill River. It was the first true zoo in the United States; it was chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859 ...
. US 13 then runs through
North Philadelphia
North Philadelphia, nicknamed North Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is immediately north of Center City, Philadelphia, Center City. Though the full extent of the region is somewhat vague, "North Philadelphia" is regarded as ...
and
Northeast Philadelphia
Northeast Philadelphia, nicknamed Northeast Philly, the Great Northeast, and known colloquially as simply "the Northeast", is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the 2000 census, Northeast Philadelphia has a population of betw ...
by following Hunting Park Avenue, the
Roosevelt Boulevard (which is also
US 1), and Frankford Avenue, where it crosses
Pennypack Creek
Pennypack Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 creek in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It runs southeast through lower Bucks Coun ...
on the
oldest bridge in the U.S. US 13 then enters
Bucks County
Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...
, again closely following I-95, the Delaware River and US 1. US 13 ends after an interchange with US 1 near
Morrisville in
Falls Township. The road continues north toward
Yardley
Yardley may refer to:
People Surname
*Bruce Yardley (1947–2019), Australian cricketer
*David Yardley (1929–2014), British legal scholar and public servant
*Doyle Yardley (1913–1946), American military officer
* Eric Yardley (born 1990), Ame ...
as Pine Grove Road.
History
file:Frankford Ave. Bridge 05.jpg, US 13 crosses
Pennypack Creek
Pennypack Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 creek in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It runs southeast through lower Bucks Coun ...
via the Frankford Avenue Bridge, the oldest bridge in the U.S., built 1697.
The original 1925 U.S. Highway plan, which never came to fruition, had provision for a US 13 in North Carolina. It would have started in Wilmington, North Carolina, Wilmington and run at least as far north as
Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Elizabeth City, following what would become US 17. Although US 13 was signed in most northern states by the late 1920s, it would not reach North Carolina until the early 1950s.
The route was proposed as one of the first four-lane highways in the U.S. to
Pierre S. du Pont
Pierre Samuel du Pont (; January 15, 1870 – April 4, 1954) was an American entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist and member of the prominent du Pont family.
He was president of DuPont from 1915 to 1919, and was on its board of directors un ...
by
John J. Raskob
John Jakob Raskob, KCSG (March 19, 1879 – October 15, 1950) was a financial executive and businessman for DuPont and General Motors, and the builder of the Empire State Building. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1928 ...
so as to run from Wilmington, Delaware, to the state capital, Dover. Du Pont wanted a two-lane highway—the standard at the time, but Raskob suggested that with the growth and development of northern Delaware, there would be a future need for a four-lane one. Du Pont agreed and, to honor Raskob for his insight, sought to name the route after him. However, Raskob declined.
Major intersections
;North Carolina
: in
Eastover
: in Eastover
: in
Spivey's Corner
: in
Newton Grove
: in
Mar-Mac. The highways travel concurrently to
Goldsboro.
: in
Goldsboro. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
: in Goldsboro
: north of
Snow Hill. The highways travel concurrently to south-southwest of
Farmville
''FarmVille'' is a series of agriculture-simulation social network games developed and published by Zynga in 2009. It is similar to '' Happy Farm'' and ''Farm Town''. Its gameplay involves various aspects of farmland management, such as plo ...
.
: in
Greenville
: north of
Bethel
Bethel (, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; ; ) was an ancient Israelite city and sacred space that is frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
Bet ...
. The highways travel concurrently to south-southeast of
Williamston.
: south of
Williamston. The highways travel concurrently to
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places
*Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region
Australia New South Wales
*Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...
.
: northwest of
Winton. The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Winton.
;Virginia
: in
Suffolk
Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
. The highways travel concurrently to
Chesapeake Chesapeake most often refers to:
*Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian
*Chesapeake Bay
*Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula
Chesapeake may also refer to:
Populated places In Virginia
* ...
.
: in Suffolk. The highways travel concurrently to Chesapeake.
: in
Chesapeake Chesapeake most often refers to:
*Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian
*Chesapeake Bay
*Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula
Chesapeake may also refer to:
Populated places In Virginia
* ...
. The highways travel concurrently for approximately .
: in Chesapeake
: in Chesapeake
: in Chesapeake
: in
Norfolk
Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
: in Norfolk
: in Norfolk
: in
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the List of cities in Virginia, most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeaster ...
;Maryland
: in
Pocomoke City
: in
Salisbury
Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...
. The highways travel concurrently around the city.
;Delaware
: northeast of
Laurel
Laurel may refer to:
Plants
* Lauraceae, the laurel family
* Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel
People
* Laurel (given name), people with the given name
* Laurel (surname), people with the surname
* Laurel (mus ...
: in
State Road
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 numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a state or ...
. The highways travel concurrently to
Wilmington Manor.
: in Wilmington Manor
: in Wilmington Manor
: south of
Wilmington
: in
Claymont
Claymont is a census-designated place (CDP) in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population of Claymont was 9,895.
History
The community now known as Claymont started on the banks of Naamans Creek where i ...
;Pennsylvania
: in
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...
: in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
: in Philadelphia. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
: in
Bristol Township
: in
Falls Township
:Pine Grove Road in Falls Township
See also
Auxiliary routes
*
U.S. Route 113
U.S. Route 113 (US 113) is a U.S. Highway that is a spur of US 13 in the U.S. states of Maryland and Delaware. The route runs from US 13 in Pocomoke City, Maryland, north to Delaware Route 1 (DE 1) in ...
, the only surviving spur route of US 13
*
U.S. Route 213
Maryland Route 213 (MD 213) is a state highway located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the United States. The route runs from MD 662 in Wye Mills, Queen Anne's County, north to the Pennsylvania border near Fair Hill in ...
, replaced by US 50 and MD 213
Special routes
References
External links
Endpoints of U.S. Highway 13
{{Authority control
13
Interstate 95