U.S. Route 60 (US 60) in the Commonwealth of

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 ...

runs west to east through the central part of the state, generally close to and paralleling the

Interstate 64 Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at Interstate 70, I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and U.S. Route 61, US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern ter ...

corridor, except for the crossing of the

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 in the

South Hampton Roads South Hampton Roads is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia's Tidewater region in the United States with a total population of 1,177,742 as of 2020. It is part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA ( M ...

area. Between Lexington in 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 ...

and

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 ...

, I-64 uses a lower elevation crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains located about further north, where it runs parallel to

U.S. Route 250 U.S. Route 250 (US 250) is a route of the United States Numbered Highway System, and is a spur of U.S. Route 50. It currently runs for from Richmond, Virginia, to Sandusky, Ohio. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohi ...

through

Rockfish Gap Rockfish Gap is a wind gap located in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Charlottesville and Waynesboro, Virginia, United States, through Afton Mountain, which is frequently used to refer to the gap. Joining the Shenandoah Valley to the Piedmont ...

. In contrast, through this section, the older US 60 is mostly a rural two-lane road. With the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains at

Humphreys Gap Humphreys may refer to: Places *10172 Humphreys, main belt asteroid In the United States * Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge, Arkansas-Mississippi *Camp Humphreys, U.S. Camp in South Korea * Humphreys, Missouri *Humphreys County, Mississippi *Humphre ...

at a higher altitude in more rugged terrain, US 60 in this area offers much more challenging and weather-sensitive driving conditions, as well as a history of many crashes in the years before I-64 was completed. (The original US 60 alignment through

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, now US 501, is lower than either but much curvier than I-64.) East of north–south

U.S. Route 29 U.S. Route 29 or U.S. Highway 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida, to Ellicott City, Maryland, just west of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, in the Eastern United Stat ...

(which runs parallel to the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge), the older US 60 and I-64 gradually converge as they pass through the rolling hills of the rocky Piedmont region in an easterly direction to reach the

Fall Line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is noticeable especially the place rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the ...

, where they again become very close. From Richmond east to the harbor area near the mouth of

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 ...

, US 60 again essentially parallels I-64 through

Williamsburg Williamsburg may refer to: Places *Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia *Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City *Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California *Williams ...

and the

Historic Triangle The Historic Triangle includes three historic colonial communities located on the Virginia Peninsula, bounded by the York River on the north and James River on the south. The three points that form the triangle are Jamestown, Colonial Williams ...

region, extending down the

Virginia Peninsula The Virginia Peninsula is the natural landform located in southeast Virginia outlined by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay. It is sometimes known as the ''Lower Peninsula'' to distinguish it from two other penins ...

east to the

Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Hampton may refer to: Places Australia * Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia * Hampton, New South Wales * Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region * Hampton, Victoria ** Hampton railway station, Melbo ...

. A few miles south of the bridge-tunnel, 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 ...

, US 60 diverges to follow the south shoreline 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 ...

through Ocean View and past the south entrance to the

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel 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 * ...

to reach

Cape Henry Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia located in the northeast corner of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to the long estuary of the Chesapeake Bay. Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Ch ...

. There it curves south to run along the

Atlantic Ocean 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 ...

shoreline to end near the south end of the Virginia Beach resort strip. The first developed portions of US 60 in Virginia included the Manchester Turnpike, later known as the Midlothian Turnpike, west from Richmond and the

James River and Kanawha Turnpike The James River and Kanawha Turnpike was built to facilitate portage of shipments of passengers and freight by water between the western reaches of the James River via the James River and Kanawha Canal and the eastern reaches of the Kanawha River ...

west of Lexington into West Virginia.

Route description

In Virginia, as a through-route, U.S. 60 was largely replaced by

. The latter is roughly parallel, although there is a separation of over 30 miles north and south between Lexington and

. In

, the roads also separate. I-64 became part of the circumferential

Hampton Roads Beltway The Hampton Roads Beltway is a loop of Interstate 64 and Interstate 664, which links the communities of the Virginia Peninsula and South Hampton Roads which surround the body of water known as Hampton Roads and comprise much of the region o ...

and looping far south and west of Norfolk, rather than reaching the Atlantic Ocean. Although older, Route 60 continues its west to east travel, becoming the public roadway actually closest to the waters of the

and the

terminating near the traditional resort strip at

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 ...

West Virginia to Lexington

U.S. Route 60 enters the state concurrent with

I-64 Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at the Bowers Hill ...

near the top of 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 ...

in the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

and crosses the portions of the Great Valley, passing the city of Covington, and town of Clifton Forge and the city of Lexington.

Blue Ridge Mountains to Richmond

At Lexington, the newer Interstate route swings north, concurrent with I-81 to Staunton where it again turns east. The variation between the routes was largely due to terrain for the crossing of the

. U.S. 60 crosses at White's Gap; I-64 uses

. East of the Blue Ridge, the two pathways gradually converge, meeting again at Richmond. Although US 60 offers a bucolic interlude for many motorists in comparison with I-64, the western portion of the Lexington-Richmond section of US 60 can be very difficult to drive, especially for larger vehicles such as motor homes and commercial vehicles, or any vehicles during inclement weather. It was notorious for deadly crashes in the years before I-64 was completed.

I-64 via Rockfish Gap, Charlottesville

The newer I-64 uses

, a lower elevation

wind gap A wind gap (or air gap) is a gap through which a waterway once flowed that is now dry as a result of stream capture. A water gap is a similar feature, but one in which a waterway still flows. Water gaps and wind gaps often provide routes whic ...

which was also selected for a vital

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

crossing by Virginia's legendary 19th century state engineer,

Claudius Crozet Claude "Claudius" Crozet (December 31, 1789 – January 29, 1864) was a soldier, educator, and civil engineer. Crozet was born in France and trained as an artillery officer and civil engineer. After the defeat of Napoleon's army, he emigrated t ...

. Even that crossing, at Afton Mountain, can be very treacherous, and has been particularly notorious for accidents during reduced periods of visibility, motivating the state to install an innovative pavement lighting system. East of the mountain, I-64 passes Charlottesville and has easy grades on its way to Richmond.

Older route via Buena Vista, Amherst, Cumberland

From Lexington, US 60 runs easterly across the

. The switchbacks and grades along the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains still used by U.S. 60 combine to form a very hilly and treacherous section. The east of Lexington become virtually impassable by most vehicles during inclement weather, particularly snow and ice. A short distance east of

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40, I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee, Dandridge, Tennessee; its nort ...

, as it passes through Buena Vista, even before leaving the city limits, the roadway immediately begins a steep climb. The roadway has many switchbacks and on both the eastern and western slopes, with White's Gap at the peak. After descending on the eastern side, travelers reach Amherst, where Route 60 intersects north–south

. Continuing east, there is an additional shorter section of mountainous terrain before the road levels out somewhat into the rolling Piedmont region through the middle belt of the state. At Sprouse's Corner in Buckingham County, north–south

U.S. Route 15 U.S. Route 15 or U.S. Highway 15 (US 15) is a United States Numbered Highway, serving the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from US ...

is crossed. This is the last major intersection until reaching the outskirts of Richmond. The road is two lanes for most of its journey eastward from Lexington, but widens to four lanes in Powhatan Virginia. Crossing into Chesterfield County, it intersects State Route 288, a semi-circumferential expressway around the southwestern quadrant of Metropolitan Richmond and becoming Midlothian Turnpike.

Richmond

East of VA-288, Route 60 continues a few miles into the community of

Midlothian Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...

. From this point east, the road becomes almost a continuous business district and widens to six lanes through the urban parts of Chesterfield County and the westernmost portion in the city of

. U.S. 60 in the Richmond area enters on Midlothian Turnpike. The road largely follows the path of the old

Manchester Turnpike The Manchester Turnpike was a Toll road, turnpike in Chesterfield County, Virginia, Chesterfield County in the U.S. state of Virginia, and was the first paved or artificial roadway in that state. It stretched from Manchester, Richmond, Virginia, ...

, built early in the 18th century. Nearby, remnants of the

Chesterfield Railroad The Chesterfield Railroad was located in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It was a long mule-and-gravity powered line that connected the Midlothian coal mines with wharves that were located at the head of navigation on the James River just below t ...

, first in Virginia can be seen just south of the current highway.

was the site of

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

mines after about 1700, with product transported overland to

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

which was Richmond's sister city south of the river (until they merged in 1910). At Manchester, ships could dock in the navigable waters of the

James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...

just east of the

fall line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is noticeable especially the place rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the ...

U.S. Route 60 crosses the James River on the Manchester Bridge into downtown Richmond. Nearby in Richmond, it crosses U.S. Route 360, technically a spur. From Richmond, U.S. 360 extends southwest to

Danville, Virginia Danville is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The city is located in the Southside (Virginia), Southside Virginia region and on the fall line of the Dan River ( ...

just north of the

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

border and northeast to

Reedville, Virginia Reedville is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Northumberland County, Virginia, Northumberland County in the Northern Neck region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It is located at the eastern terminus of U.S. Route 360 (Northumbe ...

on the

. Rt. 60 leaves the Church Hill section of Richmond on Government Road and the Williamsburg Road, which follows the old Richmond-Williamsburg Stage Road for some distance in

Henrico County Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,389 making it the fifth-most populous county in Virginia. Henrico Coun ...

. This area was the scene of several major

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

battles during the

Peninsula Campaign The Peninsula campaign (also known as the Peninsular campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March to July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The oper ...

in 1862, and the roadway borders federal cemeteries at Government Road near the city limits and at Seven Pines. There Nine Mile Road brings State Route 33 to the intersection.

Richmond to Hampton Roads

East of downtown Richmond, US 60 again parallels I-64 east along the

through the much flatter

coastal plain A coastal plain (also coastal plains, coastal lowland, coastal lowlands) is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and an upland area. Formation Coastal plains can f ...

s of the

Tidewater region of Virginia Tidewater is a region in the Atlantic Plains of the United States located east of the Atlantic Seaboard fall line (the natural border where the tidewater meets with the Piedmont region) and north of the Deep South. The term "tidewater" can be ...

to reach the harbor at

. Most of the route immediately east of Richmond is two laned. In the years before I-64 was built, a hilly three-laned portion of US 60 in eastern Henrico County east of Seven Pines (and the junction of much newer

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 ...

) was infamous for many years for its center "

suicide lane A reversible lane, also known as variable lane, dynamic lane, and tidal flow, is a managed lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on certain conditions. Typically, it is meant to improve traffic flow during rush hours, ...

". Most of this section is now two-laned, with the center lane area reserved for turning lanes. East of Bottoms Bridge, in New Kent County and western

James City County James City County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 78,254. Although politically separate from the county, the county seat is the adjacent independent city of Williamsburg. Located o ...

, US 60 is a lightly traveled four-lane divided highway that is sometimes used as an alternate route to Interstate 64 when the latter becomes congested. Near Anderson's Corner at the junction of Virginia State Route 30 (near I-64 at exit 227), US 60 swings somewhat south to pass through Toano and

Norge Norge is the Norwegian (Bokmål and Riksmål), Danish and Swedish name for Norway. It may also refer to: People * Kaare Norge (born 1963), Danish guitarist * Norge Luis Vera (born 1971), Cuban baseball player Places * 11871 Norge, asteroid ...

to reach

, which I-64 bypasses slightly to the north. (First designated through the area in the late 1920s, US 60 also has a shorter bypass of the Historic District which encompasses most

Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in Williamsburg, Virginia. Its historic area includes several hundred restored or recreated buildings from the 18th century, wh ...

attractions). At Williamsburg, the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

Colonial Parkway Colonial Parkway is a scenic parkway linking the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. It is part of the National Park Service's Colonial National Historical Park. Virginia's official state cl ...

leads to both Jamestown and Yorktown. At milepost 238 on I-64,

Virginia State Route 143 State Route 143 (SR 143) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from Camp Peary near Williamsburg east to U.S. Route 258 (US 258) at Fort Monroe in Hampton. SR 143 is a major local thoroughfare on ...

begins. As Colonial Williamsburg opened, this four-laned route was built in the 1930s as

Merrimack Trail Merrimack Trail is the local name for State Route 143 as it passes through portions of York County and James City County and the independent city of Williamsburg in the Virginia Peninsula subregion of Hampton Roads in Virginia. History With t ...

to supplement US Route 60. It parallels both US 60 and I-64 all the way east through Williamsburg, James City, and York counties, and through Newport News to reach

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe is a former military installation in Hampton, Virginia, at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula, United States. It is currently managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth o ...

(near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel) in

Hampton Hampton may refer to: Places Australia *Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia * Hampton, New South Wales *Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region * Hampton, Victoria ** Hampton railway station, Melbour ...

. East of Williamsburg, US 60 passes the multiple

Anheuser Busch Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC ( ) is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (AB InBev), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple ...

developments in

, which include an office park, the

Kingsmill Resort Kingsmill Resort is a vacation, conference, and golf resort in the Eastern United States, eastern United States, located in James City County, Virginia, southeast of Williamsburg, Virginia, Williamsburg. It is located on a portion of the Kingsmi ...

, its Williamsburg brewery, and the

Busch Gardens Williamsburg Busch Gardens Williamsburg (formerly Busch Gardens Europe and Busch Gardens: The Old Country) is a amusement park in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia, United States, located approximately northwest of Virginia Beach. The park w ...

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

. East of there, US 60 narrows again to two lanes, passing through the historic Grove Community and past

Carter's Grove Plantation Carter's Grove, also known as Carter's Grove Plantation, is a plantation located on the north shore of the James River in the Grove Community of southeastern James City County in the Virginia Peninsula area of the Hampton Roads region of Vir ...

in southeastern James City County.

Newport News

After crossing

Skiffe's Creek Skiffe's Creek is located in James City County and the independent city of Newport News in the Virginia Peninsula area of the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in the United States. It is a tributary of the James River. Early his ...

, the roadway enters the Lee Hall section of the city of

Newport News Newport News () is an independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the fifth-most populous city in Virginia and 140th-most populous city i ...

, where it becomes Warwick Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in the independent city, and stretches over to downtown Newport News. Warwick Boulevard, once a major through traffic route, and now mostly a local connector road, is largely paralleled by newer highways,

and State Route 143 (Jefferson Avenue). These, with more lanes and higher speed limits, in combination with Warwick Boulevard, form the major east–west highways through modern-day Newport News. The road was named for the former

Warwick County, Virginia Warwick County was a county in Southeast Virginia that was created from Warwick River Shire, one of eight created in the Virginia Colony in 1634. Located on the Virginia Peninsula on the northern bank of the James River between Hampton Roads ...

, one of the original eight

shires of Virginia The eight Shires of Virginia were formed in 1634 in the Virginia Colony. These shires were based on a form of local government used in England at the time, and were redesignated as counties a few years later. As of 2007, five of the eight origina ...

which consolidated with the City of Newport News in 1958 and assumed the better-known name. Warwick County was named in 1634 for Robert Rich (1587–1658), second

Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom which has been created four times in English history. The name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation came in 1088, and the title was held b ...

and a prominent member of the

Virginia Company of London The Virginia Company of London (sometimes called "London Company") was a Division (business), division of the Virginia Company with responsibility for British colonization of the Americas, colonizing the east coast of North America between 34th ...

, the proprietary venture which founded Jamestown in 1607. The western reaches of Warwick Boulevard transverse the

Denbigh Denbigh ( ; ) is a market town and a community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales. It was the original county town of the Denbighshire (historic), historic county of Denbighshire created in 1536. Denbigh's Welsh name () translates to ...

area, long the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Warwick County. A notable section of Huntington Avenue (the block between 25th and 26th streets) carries US 60 in both directions overlapping, and is possibly the only example of a highway in the United States with such a configuration. Notable sites along Warwick Boulevard or close by, west to east, include: * Lee Hall (several attractions) *

Fort Eustis Fort Eustis is a United States Army installation in Newport News, Virginia. In 2010, it was combined with nearby Langley Air Force Base to form Joint Base Langley–Eustis. The post is the home to the United States Army Training and Doctrin ...

Warwick Line The Warwick Line (also known as the Warwick–Yorktown line) was a defensive works across the Virginia Peninsula maintained along the Warwick River by Confederate General John B. Magruder against much larger Union forces under General George B. ...

Warwick County Courthouses Warwick County Courthouses, also known as the Warwick County Courthouse and Clerk's Office, is a historic courthouse and clerk's office located in Newport News, Virginia. The original county courthouse was located closer to the James River at Wa ...

Christopher Newport University Christopher Newport University (CNU) is a public university in Newport News, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1960 as Christopher Newport College, an extension school of the College of William and Mary for mid-career working professiona ...

* Ferguson Center for the Performing Arts * Riverside Regional Medical Center *

Mariners' Museum and Park The Mariners' Museum and Park is located in Newport News, Virginia, United States. Designated as America’s ''National Maritime Museum'' by Congress, it is one of the largest maritime museums in North America. The Mariners' Museum Library contai ...

Hilton Village Hilton Village is a planned English-village-style neighborhood in Newport News, Virginia. Recognized as a pioneering development in urban planning, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood was built between 191 ...

Huntington Park Huntington Park is a city located in the South Central region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The area includes the separate communities of Florence, California, Florence, Firestone Park, California, Firestone Park, Graham, ...

Newport News Shipbuilding Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the sole designer, builder, and refueler of aircraft carriers and one of two providers of submarines for the United States Navy. Founded as the Chesapeake Dry Dock ...

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of trac ...

coal pier A coal pier is a transloading facility designed for the transfer of coal between rail and ship. The typical facility for loading ships consists of a holding area and a system of conveyors for transferring the coal to dockside and loading it into ...

s Several miles east of Lee Hall, the road widens to four lanes near the entrance to

. From there, as Warwick Boulevard, US 60 stretches about to reach downtown Newport News. In the early 21st century, Newport News was in the midst of a widening project to expand portions of Warwick Boulevard to six lanes. Another project in Newport News to relocate and widen the portion of Route 60 west of Fort Eustis and construct a new crossing of Skiffe's Creek is in a planning stage. Route 60 follows 25th Street out of downtown Newport News into the city of Hampton.

Hampton

When it enters Hampton, 25th Street becomes Kecoughtan Road and Route 60 follows it to downtown. It runs through the

Wythe A wythe is a continuous vertical section of masonry one unit in thickness. A wythe may be independent of, or interlocked with, the adjoining wythe(s). A single wythe of brick that is not structural in nature is referred to as a masonry veneer. ...

and Southhampton neighborhoods, forming the northern boundary of the Olde Wythe Historic District. In the 1940s and 50s Kecoughtan Road was one of Hampton and Newport News's primary commercial centers. It then turns onto Settlers' Landing Road and follows it through downtown Hampton and across Hampton River on the Booker T. Washington Bridge to join Interstate 64 in crossing Hampton Roads in the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. (As a historical note, prior to 1957, when the bridge-tunnel was completed, the crossing was via a car ferry service. The bridge-tunnel was expanded to 4 lanes and tolls removed in the mid-1970s.) Notable sites along US-60 in Hampton or close by, west to east, include: * Old Wythe Historic District * Little England Chapel * Blackbeard's Point * Historic Little England * St. John's Episcopal Church *

Virginia Air and Space Center The Virginia Air and Space Science Center is a museum and educational facility in Hampton, Virginia that also serves as the visitors center for NASA's Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base. The museum also features an IMAX digit ...

Hampton University Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missiona ...

Emancipation Oak Emancipation Oak is a historic tree on the campus of Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, in the United States. The large, sprawling southern live oak ('' Quercus virginiana''), believed to be over 200 years old, is 98 feet (30 m) in diam ...

Hampton National Cemetery Hampton National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of Hampton, Virginia. It encompasses , and as of 2014, had over 30,000 interments. There are two separate parts to this facility. The original cemetery is called the "Ham ...

Phoebus Apollo is one of the Olympian deities in ancient Greek and Roman religion and Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases, the Sun and light, poetry, ...

South Hampton Roads: a shoreline route to Virginia Beach

After passing the tip of

Willoughby Spit Willoughby Spit is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It is bordered by water on three sides: the Chesapeake Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and Willoughby Bay to the south. H ...

and a bridge across the north shore of Willoughby Bay, back on land, US 60 exits

. The Interstate continues southerly into Norfolk as part of the

, and in conjunction with Interstate 264, generally offers the fastest way to reach the oceanfront area of Virginia Beach. However, US 60 offers a more scenic, if perhaps slower, alternative, by sticking to the shoreline of the bay and ocean to reach the same destination. After leaving I-64, US 60 shifts onto Ocean View Avenue, a four lane boulevard following the southern shoreline of the

, going through the Ocean View area of

. At East Ocean View, then roadway swings away from the bay front and becomes Shore Drive, passing the entrance to the

Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations ...

Little Creek, Virginia Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...

as it heads east into the city of

. After passing the Navy Base, Shore Drive again runs close to the bay front and crosses

US 13 U.S. Route 13 or U.S. Highway 13 (US 13) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 (I-95) just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina, to US 1 in the northeast ...

near the southern terminus of the

. US 60 continues as a 4-lane divided highway as it crosses over Lynnhaven Inlet on the Lesner Bridge and towards the

First Landing State Park First Landing State Park (formerly Seashore State Park) offers recreational opportunities at Cape Henry in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia. As the first planned state park of Virginia, First Landing is listed on the National ...

and

Joint Expeditionary Base East Joint Expeditionary Base-Fort Story, commonly called simply Fort Story is a sub-installation of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek–Fort Story, which is operated by the United States Navy. Located in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Vi ...

. At the end of the state park, the roadway briefly is called 83rd Street as it curves onto Atlantic Avenue, running parallel to the oceanfront from a few hundred feet to a block or so to the west passing through most of the most developed portion of the Oceanfront area of the resort city. From Joint Expeditionary Base East to the terminus, the routing of US 60 is geographically north–south although it is signed as an east–west route. When Atlantic Avenue meets Pacific Avenue, US 60 continues straight onto Pacific Avenue, through the entire resort strip, passing 32nd Street, where it meets the eastern terminus of US 58, and 22nd and 21st Streets, which lead to and from the eastern terminus of both the former

Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway Interstate 264 (I-264) is an Interstate Highway in the US state of Virginia. It serves as the primary east–west highway through the South Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. The route connects the central business districts of ...

(now

I-264 Interstate 264 is the designation for two Interstate Highways in the United States, both of which are related to Interstate 64: *Interstate 264 (Kentucky), a bypass of Louisville, Kentucky *Interstate 264 (Virginia) Interstate 264 (I-264) ...

) respectively, continuing to meet the original

Virginia Beach Boulevard Virginia Beach Boulevard is a major connector highway which carries U.S. Route 58 most of its length and extends from the downtown area of Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk to the Oceanfront area of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Virginia Beach, passing throu ...

at 17th Street. It then continues along Pacific over the Rudee Inlet Bridge to the highway's eastern terminus at the intersection of Harbour Point and Rudee Point Road in Virginia Beach. The road itself continues southwest back into the city as General Booth Boulevard.

History

The Manchester Turnpike was a

turnpike road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road for which a fee (or ''toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented to help recoup the costs of road construction and maintenance ...

in Chesterfield County, and was the first lengthy paved roadway in that state. It stretched from

(now part of

's Southside) west to Falling Creek near

, and is now known as Midlothian Turnpike, mostly forming part of US 60. In 1802, Chesterfield County's

manufacturers and residents petitioned the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, ...

for permission to construct a turnpike between the port of Manchester and Falling Creek. The improved road was opened to travelers in 1804, and ran from Manchester along the old

Buckingham Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of ...

road to Falling Creek, now the bridge on Old Buckingham Road west of Unison Drive.Part of Chesterfield Co., Va.
1864, from the Gilmer Map Collection

Major intersections

References

External links

{{state detail page browse, type=US, route=60, state=Virginia, statebefore=West Virginia, stateafter= 60 Virginia U.S. Route 060

U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as General Booth Bouleva ...

U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060 U.S. Route 060