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How do three-digit routes in West
Virginia get their numbers? To be truthful, I have no idea, as there
is no rhyme or reason to the way three-digit numbers are assigned. I
do have a few theories, however.
Some numbers, such as 259 and 311, appear to be continuations of
routes from other states. Others get numbers based on the numbers
they used to have before new highways were built. For instance, the
former route of US 52 south of Huntington is now WV 152. And when WV
48 was renumbered when US 48 was built, it became WV 480.
But I think many of the roads that have three-digit numbers were
former county roads that have been accepted into the state system. My
reason for thinking this is an understanding of the way county roads
are numbered in West Virginia. Many of them are numbered based on the
main roads in the area. For instance, a highway which branches off of
US 52 might be numbered and signed thus:

This is one of the famous West Virginia "fractional routes." Below is an actual photo of one of these signs, along US 52 in Wayne County:

This sign is located on WV 62 near Charleston:

Say the highway 52/1 in my homemade example above later becomes a state route. It might get the number WV 521. Examples of this type of numbering might be WV 622, which is located near WV 62; and WV 211, which is near the former US 21. If anyone has any better theories, I'd love to hear them.
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West
Virginia Highways Home
Go
Back to H.B.'s Roads Page
Go
Back to H.B.'s Millennium Highway
Copyright
© 1997, H.B. Elkins
This page created Nov. 17, 1998.
This page last modified Oct. 27, 1999.