Route 21

From route 250, 2 miles west of Strasburg to route 77, 4 miles north of Independence.

Counties:

Tuscarawas, Stark, Wayne, Summit, Cuyahoga

Length:

63 miles

General Direction:

North/South

Dual Certifications:

  • Superceded by route 77 from 26 miles north of Massillon to 1 mile south of route 80.

    Intersections:

    0: 250; 2: 212; 7: 62W; 9: 30,62E; 12: 172,241; 13: 236; 21: 93; 30: 585; 33: 76; 34: 261; 37: 162; 39: 77; 49: 77; 50: 80; 53: 82; 62: 17; 63: 77

    Freeway Sections:

  • From 26 miles north of Massillon to 1 mile south of route 80.

    Four-Lane Divided Highway Sections:

  • From route 30 to route 77, 26 miles north of Massillon.
  • From route 77, 1 mile south of route 80 to 1 mile north of Independence.

    History of route 21:

  • Certified in 1926.
  • Originally certified as part of U.S. Route 21, which at its greatest length ran from Hunting Island, South Carolina to Cleveland, Ohio.
  • Originally routed from West Virginia state line near Marietta to Cleveland along unnumbered roads paralleling route 77 from Newcomerstown to Strasburg and current route 250 from Strasburg to 2 miles north of Strasburg. Routing from Marietta to Newcomerstown followed that of what was route 8 before 1926. See route 8 for a description of that route.
  • Entire route was route 13 before 1926.
  • Brecksville to Cleveland upgraded to four lanes by 1946.
  • Ghent to Brecksville upgraded to four lanes by 1954.
  • Route 17 to route 14 upgraded to freeway by 1959.
  • Route 18 to Brecksville dually certified with route 1 in 1960.
  • Route 17 to route 14 dually certified with route 77 in 1962.
  • Route 70 to 5 miles north of Cambridge upgraded to freeway and dually certified with route 77 in 1964.
  • Brecksville to Cleveland dually certified with route 1 in 1964.
  • Canal Fulton to Ghent upgraded to four lanes by 1964.
  • Ghent to 1 mile south of route 80 rerouted onto and dually certified with route 77 in 1964.
  • Route 14 to Cleveland upgraded to freeway from and dually certified with route 77 by 1966.
  • Route 1 certification removed in 1966.
  • West Virginia state line to 2 miles west of New Phildelphia rerouted onto route 77 in 1970.
  • West Virginia state line to Strasburg certified as route 77 only in 1971.
  • Strasburg to 2 miles north of Strasburg certified as route 250 only in 1971.
  • 4 miles north of Independence to Cleveland certified as route 77 only in 1971.
  • Truncated at route 250 and 4 miles north of Independence in 1971.
  • U.S. 21 certification removed in 1971.

    Route 21 Before 1926:

  • From Pomeroy to Findlay.
  • Routed along current route 33 from Pomeroy to Marysville, route 31 from Marysville to Kenton, and route 68 from Kenton to route 15, and an unnumbered road from route 15 to Findlay.
  • Entire route certified as route 31 in 1926.
    Last updated by John Simpson on 8-10-98 at 18:04 EDT.