U.S. Route 13 in Virginia

U.S. Route 13
Route information
Maintained by VDOT
Length:	129.06 mi (207.70 km)
Existed:	1926 (1918 as SR 4, 1923 as SR 34) – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 13 at North Carolina state line near Somerton
	US 58 in Suffolk US 460 in Suffolk I‑64 / I‑264 / I‑664 in Chesapeake US 17 in Chesapeake I‑464 in Chesapeake I‑264 in Norfolk US 58 in Norfolk I‑64 in Norfolk US 60 in Virginia Beach SR 175 near Chincoteague
North end:	US 13 at Maryland state line near New Church
Highway system
United States Numbered Highways List Bannered Divided Replaced Virginia Routes Interstate U.S. Primary Secondary Byways History Turnpikes ← US 11 SR 13 →

U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for 517 miles (832 km) from Interstate 95 just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. In the U.S. state of Virginia, US 13 runs north–south through the Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore regions of the state, using the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to get between the two. In the Hampton Roads area, it uses Military Highway to bypass the city centers. It is most usually a four-lane highway, sometimes up to freeway or expressway standards with controlled access.

Route description

U.S. Route 13 enters the state from North Carolina on a two-lane alignment without shoulders, carrying the name Whaleyville Road. It passes through the small communities of Somerton and Whaleyville, intersecting a few non-state level roads along the way. Just south of Suffolk, the route intersects Virginia State Route 32, merging with it as it passes by Suffolk Municipal Airport. Just north of this intersection, US 13 separates from the roadway at a trumpet interchange and upgrades to a freeway as it prepares to bypass the city on the Southwest Suffolk Bypass. The straight alignment carries the former US 13 as US 13 Business.

Around the west side of the city, US 13 lands on the main Suffolk Bypass, which carries U.S. Route 58, and the two routes begin to travel to the north. As it turns east, the route interchanges with U.S. Route 460 as well, forming a three-route overlap. Around the north side of the city, the bypass interchanges with SR 32 once again before the freeway ends at the former alignment of US 13, still carrying the other two routes. This interchange features several unfinished ghost ramps which aim toward US 13 Business.

US 13, US 58, and US 460 then travel northeast on a six-lane expressway-style highway, carrying the name Portsmouth Boulevard, through forest and slight development until it nears Interstate 664, part of the Hampton Roads Beltway. US 460 leaves the overlap at South Military Highway before the interchange, while US 13 and US 58 continue across, US 13 leaving shortly after to rejoin US 460. The two route bear eastward on Military Highway, interchanging with Interstate 64. A railroad alignment begins to parallel Military Highway, and they then cross a drawbridge, shortly after encountering Virginia State Route 166. Within this interchange, US 460 bears north on SR 166, while US 13 continues on the Military Highway, featuring a diamond interchange with Interstate 464 not too long after. It turns northeast as it passes through the city, with Interstate 64 beginning to parallel the route to the south. US 13 then interchanges I-264 once again, and then US 58. US 13 then leaves Military Highway at a large at-grade intersection, turning east on Northampton Boulevard along with SR 166.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel carries US 13 across the Chesapeake Bay

US 13 once again meets Interstate 64 shortly after entering Northampton Boulevard, entering the independent city of Virginia Beach just beyond the interchange. SR 166 leaves at Diamond Springs Road, leaving US 13 to bear north alone toward the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. The route bridges the Little Creek Reservoir on a causeway and turns to the north, interchanging with Virginia State Route 225 at a cloverleaf interchange and U.S. Route 60 at a diamond. US 60 is the last exit from US 13 before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel toll plaza, after which point the highway raises over the beach and passes across the 17.4-mile (28.0 km) span over and under the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Along the bridge, the mile markers change to reflect the length of the bridge, not the miles along US 13. The Bridge-Tunnel drops the route on the Delmarva Peninsula's Eastern Shore of Virginia.

On the Eastern Shore, US 13 is the main north–south highway in the region, and carries the name Charles M. Lankford, Jr. Highway (usually shortened to Lankford Highway). The Eastern Shore routing is a divided highway, passing through mostly farmland and small communities, though US 13 does have bypasses of most of the communities, such as Exmore and Onley. Near Oak Hall, Virginia State Route 175 leaves the route to the east, bearing toward Chincoteague. From there, the route curves slightly to the west and passes into Maryland between New Church and Pocomoke City, Maryland.

Whaleyville Bypass

As part of the Suffolk 2026 Comprehensive Plan, the city plans to bypass the crossroads community of Whaleyville in southwestern Suffolk City. US 13 (along with NC Highway 11) is a strategic highway corridor in North Carolina towards Greenville.^[1][2]

History

Salem Methodist Church historical marker near Cheriton, Virginia.

What is now US 13 on the Eastern Shore was added to the state highway system in 1918 as State Route 4. It was renumbered State Route 34 in the 1923 renumbering, and US 13 was applied to its whole length in 1926. SR 34 was dropped in the 1933 renumbering, and was immediately reused on a route through Lawrenceville. That was renumbered to State Route 46 in the 1940 renumbering, and the current State Route 34 was designated in the late 1940s.

Before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, US 13 continued across the Chesapeake Bay using a ferry.

Major intersections

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
City of Suffolk		0.00	0.00	US 13 south – Ahoskie	North Carolina state line
		0.94	1.51	Arthur Drive - Somerton	former SR 643
		4.75	7.64	Mineral Springs Road - Holland	former SR 616
		11.80	18.99	SR 32 south (Carolina Road) – Edenton, Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge	south end of SR 32 overlap
		11.91	19.17	Old Somerton Road / Airport Road - Suffolk Municipal Airport	former SR 646
		13.16	21.18	US 13 Bus. north / SR 32 north (Carolina Road) – Downtown Suffolk	Interchange; north end of SR 32 overlap; south end of freeway
				SR 688 (Turlington Road) to US 58 Bus. – Downtown Suffolk	northbound exit and southbound entrance
		15.41	24.80	US 58 west – Franklin, Emporia	south end of US 58 overlap
		16.91	27.21	SR 604 (Pitchkettle Road)
		18.35	29.53	US 460 west (US 460 Bus. east) – Petersburg, Downtown Suffolk	South end of US 460 overlap
		19.23	30.95	SR 10 / SR 32 – Smithfield, Newport News, Downtown Suffolk
		20.85	33.55	SR 642 (Wilroy Road)
		22.53	36.26	US 13 Bus. south / US 58 Bus. west / US 460 Bus. west – Downtown Suffolk	interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance; north end of freeway
City of Chesapeake		27.97	45.01	I‑664 north (Hampton Roads Beltway inner loop) / US 58 east / US 460 Alt. east (Airline Boulevard) / SR 191 north (Jolliff Road) – Newport News, Hampton, Richmond	I-664 exit 13; north end of US 58 overlap; south end of I-664 overlap (northbound only)
				West Military Highway	interchange northbound; intersection southbound
				I‑264 / I‑64 east (Hampton Roads Beltway outer loop) – Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach	north end of I-664 overlap (northbound only); US 13 north follows exit 14
		30.97	49.84	I‑64 to I‑664 – Suffolk, Virginia Beach	I-64 exit 297
		32.03	51.55	US 17 (North George Washington Highway) to I‑64 – Portsmouth, Elizabeth City, NC
				SR 196 west (Canal Drive)
				Gilmerton Bridge over Southern Branch Elizabeth River
		34.84	56.07	US 460 east / SR 166 (Bainbridge Boulevard) – South Norfolk	Interchange; east end of US 460 overlap
		35.64	57.36	I‑464 to I‑64 / I‑264 / US 17 south – Norfolk, Virginia Beach	I-464 exit 2
		36.70	59.06	SR 168 (Battlefield Boulevard) to I‑64 – Great Bridge, Nags Head	Interchange
City of Virginia Beach		39.39	63.39	Providence Road	former SR 409 east
		39.82	64.08	Indian River Road	former SR 407
City of Norfolk		41.44	66.69	I‑264 to I‑64 – Downtown Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond, Virginia Beach	I-264 exit 13
		42.19	67.90	US 58 (Virginia Beach Boulevard)	Interchange
		43.51	70.02	SR 165 north (North Military Highway) / SR 166 west (Princess Anne Road) to I‑64 east – Airport, Downtown Norfolk	south end of SR 165 / SR 166 overlap
		43.76	70.42	SR 165 south (Kempsville Road)	north end of SR 165 overlap
		44.26	71.23	I‑64 (Hampton Roads Beltway) – Hampton, Richmond, Downtown Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk	I-64 exit 282; no access from US 13 north to I-64 west or I-64 east to US 13 south
City of Virginia Beach		45.44	73.13	SR 166 east (Diamond Springs Road)	north end of SR 166 overlap
		47.32	76.15	SR 225 (Independence Boulevard) – Amphib Base	Interchange
		48.20	77.57	US 60 (Shore Drive) – Little Creek, Virginia Beach, Beaches	Interchange
Chesapeake Bay		49.26	79.28	Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
Northampton	Kiptopeke			SR 600 (Seaside Road)	former SR 186 north
				SR 624 (Capeville Drive) – Capeville	former SR 186 south
	Cape Junction	75.53	121.55	US 13 Bus. north (Bayside Road) / SR 184 west (Stone Road) – Cape Charles, Cheriton
	Cheriton	77.09	124.06	US 13 Bus. south (Bayside Road) – Cheriton
	Stumptown	80.00	128.75	US 13 Bus. north (Courthouse Road) – Eastville
	Eastville	81.30	130.84	SR 631 (Willow Oak Road) – Eastville	former SR 185 east
		82.11	132.14	US 13 Bus. south (Courthouse Road) – Eastville
	Nassawadox			SR 606 (Rogers Drive) – Franktown, Hospital	former SR 184 west
	Exmore	92.97	149.62	US 13 Bus. north (Main Street) – Exmore, Willis Wharf
		94.47	152.03	SR 183 (Occohannock Neck Road) – Silver Beach, Downtown Exmore
		94.91	152.74	SR 178 (Main Street) – Belle Haven, Downtown Exmore, Willis Wharf
		95.22	153.24	Lincoln Avenue (US 13 Bus. south)
Accomack	Belle Haven Station			SR 181 west – Belle Haven
	Painter			SR 182 east (Main Street) – Quinby
	Keller			SR 180 west (North Street) / SR 696 east (Keller Fair Road) – Pungoteague	South end of SR 180 overlap
				SR 180 east (Wachapreague Road) – Wachapreague	North end of SR 180 overlap
				SR 389 – Eastern Shore Community College
	Onley	105.71	170.12	US 13 Bus. north (Coastal Boulevard) / SR 609 west (Redwood Road) – Onley
		106.33	171.12	SR 179 (West Main Street) – Onancock, Onley
				US 13 Bus. – Tasley	interchange
		108.14	174.03	US 13 Bus. (Tasley Road / Front Street) – Accomac
	Accomac			SR 764 (Accomac Road / Courthouse Avenue) – Greenbush, Accomac	former SR 177
		110.42	177.70	US 13 Bus. south (Front Street) / SR 663 west (Mary N. Smith Road) – Accomac
	Centerville	112.36	180.83	SR 176 west (Parksley Road) – Parksley
	Nelsonia	116.66	187.75	SR 187 (Nelsonia Road) – Bloxom, Modest Town
	Temperanceville	122.07	196.45	SR 695 west (Saxis Road) – Saxis, Makemie Park, Sanford	former SR 288 west
	Oak Hall			SR 703 (Withams Road)	former SR 175 west
	Nash Corner	125.38	201.78	SR 175 east (Chincoteague Road) – Wallops Island, Chincoteague, Assateague
		129.06	207.70	US 13 north (Ocean Highway) – Salisbury	Maryland state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

• Virginia State Route 13
• State Route 341, Centerville west to Parksley, now State Route 176
• State Route 342, Tasley west to Onancock, now State Route 126
• State Route 343, Eastville east to the Eastern Shore Railroad, now part of State Route 631

References

Route map: Bing / Google

1. "City of Suffolk, Virginia". Suffolkva.us. 2006-04-05. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
2. http://www.ncdot.gov/doh/preconstruct/tpb/shc/vision/SHCMaps/graphics/SHC_Vision_Plan.jpg

External links