U.S. Route 33 (US 33) is a

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 ...

that runs northwest–southeast for from northern

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, passing through

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

and

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

en route. Although most odd-numbered U.S. routes are north–south, US 33 is labeled east–west throughout its route, except in Indiana where it is labeled north–south. It roughly follows a historic trail used by Native Americans from

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 ...

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

. As of 2018, the highway's northern terminus is at US 20 in southeastern

Elkhart, Indiana Elkhart ( ) is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The population was 53,923 at the 2020 census. The city is located east of South Bend, Indiana. It is the most populous city in the Elkhart–Goshen metropolitan area, which in tu ...

, although it once extended to

St. Joseph, Michigan St. Joseph, colloquially known as St. Joe, is a city and the county seat of Berrien County, Michigan. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 7,856. It lies on the shore ...

, and even to

Lake Michigan Beach, Michigan Lake Michigan Beach is an unincorporated community in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes, without any legal status as a municipality. The population was 1,101 at the 2020 ...

. Until 1998, the route extended northward through

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...

, to Niles. Its current eastern (or southern) terminus is Richmond, Virginia. State Route 33 (SR 33) then continues eastward through

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

to Stingray Point, on the Middle Peninsula and

near Deltaville, Virginia. Part of US 33 was created in conjunction with the Blue and Gray Trail in 1938 in order to promote a direct and scenic route between the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

and Virginia's historic Tidewater region.

Route description

, - , IN , , - , OH , , - , WV , , - , VA , , - , Total ,

Indiana

From its terminus at US 20 on the southeast side of Elkhart, US 33 is a winding road that cuts diagonally from northwest to southeast through Northeast Indiana and serves as Main Street or a portion of Main Street in several cities and towns, including Elkhart, Dunlap, and Churubusco. The road is the main overland link between the

Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 United S ...

and

South Bend South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...

metropolitan statistical areas. On the west side of Fort Wayne, US 33 joins US 30 near

Interstate 69 Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of eight unconnected segments. The longest segment runs from Evansville, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and includ ...

(I-69), then follows the Interstate south, intersecting with State Road 14 (SR 14) and US 24 before turning east to follow the I-469 bypass around the southwest side of Fort Wayne. At the intersection with SR 1 south of the Fort Wayne International Airport, I-469/US 33 turns to the northeast until it intersects US 27 at the Fort Wayne suburb of Hessen Cassel, where US 33 splits off to the southeast to follow US 27 as a combined highway toward Decatur. At Decatur, US 33/US 27 becomes a north–south road before it intersects with US 224 and continues as such until US 33 splits from US 27 south of Decatur and heads east toward the Ohio state line, intersecting SR 101 at Pleasant Mills along the way.

Ohio

, the highway runs at a generally southeast–northwest angle from the west-central to the southeastern part of the state, passing through mostly rural territory except for a significant portion running through downtown Columbus. Most of the route in the state, particularly east of Columbus, is expressway. The highway crosses over the Ravenswood Bridge into West Virginia.

West Virginia

US 33 extends in West Virginia, from the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

at Ravenswood to the Virginia state line atop Shenandoah Mountain west of

Harrisonburg, Virginia Harrisonburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham Cou ...

. Shortly after entering West Virginia and crossing the Ohio River, US 33 turns south, joining I-77 to Ripley. The route then turns east from I-77, joining US 119 at Spencer, then passing through extremely rural areas of Roane, Calhoun, Gilmer, and Lewis counties. US 33 intersects I-79 at

Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * W ...

. From I-79 east, US 33 is a four-lane highway, part of

Corridor H U.S. Route 48 (US 48), also known as the incomplete Appalachian Development Highway System#Corridor H, Corridor H of the Appalachian Development Highway System, extends from Interstate 79 (I-79) in Weston, West Virginia, eastward across t ...

of the

Appalachian Development Highway System The Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) is a series of highway corridors in the Appalachia region of the eastern United States. The routes are designed as local and regional routes for improving economic development in the historica ...

. The four-lane segment continues on through rural areas of Upshur, and Randolph counties, to just a couple miles past Elkins. At Harding, US 250 joins US 33 for several miles after Elkins, where US 33 joins West Virginia Route 55 (WV 55) and returns to a two-lane road, except for a section of four-lane across Kelly Mountain between Canfield and Bowden. Passing through the

Monongahela National Forest The Monongahela National Forest is a U.S. National Forest, national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, US. It protects over of federally managed land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Po ...

, US 33 crosses the

Eastern Continental Divide The Eastern Continental Divide, Eastern Divide or Appalachian Divide is a drainage divide, hydrological divide in eastern North America that separates the easterly Atlantic Seaboard drainage basin, watershed from the westerly Gulf of Mexico wat ...

between Harman and Onego at about in elevation, entering Pendleton County, then descends the

Allegheny Front The Allegheny Front is the major southeast- or east-facing escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, eastern West Virginia, and western Virginia. The Allegheny Front forms the boundary between the Ridge-an ...

along Seneca Creek, skirting the north end of Spruce Mountain, at the highest point of the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range ( ) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada. Historically it represented a significant barr ...

. US 33 then joins WV 28 at

Seneca Rocks Seneca Rocks is a large cliff, crag and local landmark in Pendleton County, West Virginia, Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. The south peak is the only peak inaccessible except by technical rock climbing ...

and continues south in the

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

headwaters through scenic forest and farmland landscapes. Turning eastward from WV 28 at Judy Gap, US 33 crosses North Fork Mountain at about , with a turnout on the western slope offering a scenic view of the Germany Valley below and the more distant Allegheny Front from

Spruce Knob Spruce Mountain, located in eastern West Virginia, is the highest ridge of the Allegheny Mountains. The whale-backed ridge extends for only from northeast to southwest, but several of its peaks exceed in elevation. The summit, Spruce Knob (), ...

to Dolly Sods. US 220 joins US 33 for about half a mile in Franklin. After Franklin, US 33 continues eastward through rural areas, then climbs steeply to cross Shenandoah Mountain at Dry River Gap at about into Rockingham County,

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 ...

Virginia

US 33 extends in Virginia from the West Virginia state line west of Harrisonburg across the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

, and Atlantic Piedmont to

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

. It enters Virginia from West Virginia on Shenandoah Mountain. After going down the mountain, it passes through the

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

of Rawley Springs. After traveling from Rawley Springs, reaches the

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

of Harrisonburg and intersects major routes State Route 42 (SR 42), US 11, and I-81 before leaving the city. The four-lane highway passes around the southernmost end of

Massanutten Mountain Massanutten Mountain is a synclinal ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, located in the U.S. state of Virginia. The original Native American name for the ridge is unknown. Geography The mountain bisects the Shenandoah Valley just e ...

, towards Elkton. There, it intersects US 340. After leaving Elkton, the highway heads towards the

, once it gets to the mountains, it reduces to two lanes and becomes three lanes a few times. At Swift Run Gap it intersects

Skyline Drive Skyline Drive is a National Parkway that runs the entire length of the National Park Service's Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, generally along the ridge of the mountains. The drive's northern terminus is at ...

and enters Greene County. After going down the mountains, it goes back to four lanes and heads south of Stanardsville. After that, the route heads southeast towards US 29 in Ruckersville. After that, it heads south east and enters Orange County. It heads east north of the Albemarle County line and intersects SR 20 on a concurrency. After that, it goes through a small part of the Southwest Mountains towards Gordonsville. It goes on a roundabout with US 15 and SR 231. US 33 heads east with US 15 and into Louisa County. Shortly after, US 33 splits from US 15 and heads southeast towards Louisa. In Trevilians, it intersects SR 22.The route then goes east toward Montpelier. In Montpelier, the route goes southeast towards Interstate 295. After I-295, US 33 goes a few miles to an interchange with I-64. Just after, the route meets US 250. The two routes head southeast into Downtown

. Both meet their eastern terminus there. From Richmond, "Route 33" continues east as SR 33 across 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 ...

through the Tidewater region of the Middle Peninsula to reach the

at Stingray Point just east of Deltaville.

History

The US 33 designation was established January 1, 1938; it and the Blue and Gray Trail were dedicated on May 2 of that year in multiple ceremonies. At the time, US 33 extended into the state of Michigan near Niles up to a terminus in St. Joseph, following US 31. In November 1960, US 33 was extended to a junction with I-196/ US 31 near Lake Michigan Beach, north of St. Joseph. In 1986, the highway was truncated south of Niles to the junction with US 12. In April 1998, it was truncated again to

. Before its second truncation, it passed through Mishawaka and

. Former segments of US 33 are now known as M-63, M-139, M-51, and State Road 933. Various segments of US 33 have been improved to limited-access freeways. These include Ohio segments from St. Marys to Wapakoneta; Huntsville (near Bellefontaine) to

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

(a northwestern suburb of Columbus); and bypasses around Lancaster, Nelsonville, Athens, and Pomeroy. In West Virginia, US 33 from

Interstate 79 Interstate 79 (I-79) is an Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States, designated from I-77 in Charleston, West Virginia, north to Pennsylvania Route 5 (PA 5) and PA 290 in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is a primary thoroughfare t ...

near

east nearly to Elkins is four-lane, built as part of

of the

. The route's steep grade up Shenandoah Mountain in easternmost West Virginia has been widened, with some sharp curves improved.

Major intersections

;Indiana : in Elkhart : in Ligonier. The highways travel concurrently to northeast of

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

. : in Fort Wayne. US 30/US 33 travels concurrently through the city. : east of Roanoke. The highways travel concurrently to Fort Wayne. : south-southeast of

. I-469/US 33 travels concurrently to east of Roanoke. US 24/US 33 travels concurrently around the southwestern side of Fort Wayne. : in Decatur. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Decatur. The highways travel concurrently to south-southeast of

. ;Ohio : southeast of Rockford : in Wapakoneta : in Bellefontaine : in Marysville. The highways travel concurrently to west of Marysville. : northeast of New California : in

: in Columbus : in Columbus : in Columbus. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Columbus. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in Columbus : in Columbus : southwest of Lancaster : in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

. The highways travel concurrently to east of Athens. ;West Virginia : in Ripley. The highways travel concurrently to Silverton. : in Weston. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : southeast of

: in Buckhannon. The highways travel concurrently to Spencer. : in Elkins. US 33/US 219 travels concurrently to north of Elkins. US 33/US 250 travel concurrently to north of Norton. : in Franklin. The highways travel concurrently to north of Franklin. ;Virginia : in Harrisonburg. The highways travel concurrently around the Rockingham County Courthouse. : in Harrisonburg : in Elkton : in Ruckersville : south of Gordonsville. The highways travel concurrently to Gordonsville. : in

Cuckoo Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae ( ) family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes ( ). The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals, and anis. The coucals and anis are somet ...

. The highways travel concurrently to north-northwest of Cuckoo. : northwest of Glen Allen : in

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons (historical), Britons') is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven, Dunbartonshire, River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. ...

: in Richmond. The highways travel concurrently through the city. : in

References

External links

Endpoints of US 33Indiana Highway Ends: US 33
{{U.S. Routes 33 U.S. Route 033