Route 50
From Indiana state line 1 mile west of Elizabethtown to West Virginia state
line in Belpre. Part of U.S. Route 50, which runs from Sacramento,
California to Ocean City, Maryland.
Counties:
Hamilton, Clermont, Brown, Highland, Ross, Vinton, Athens, Washington
Length:
216 miles
General Direction:
East/West
Dual Certifications:
Supercedes route 32 from 2 miles west of Albany to West Virginia state
line.
Supercedes routes 7 and 32 from Coolville to Belpre.
Intersections:
0: IN; 4: 128; 5: 264; 19: 264W;
20: 71S,75,264E; 22: 71N,471,52; 29: 32,125,561;
37: 126; 38: 28,131; 40: 50F; 44: 222;
48: 132,276; 52: 133; 55: 286; 58: 131;
60: 68; 62: 251; 66: 134; 68: 135;
77: 62,73,124,138; 87: 753S; 88: 753N; 95: 41S;
96: 41N; 110: 28; 115: 104N; 117: 104S,159,772;
119: 23N,35W; 121: 23S; 123: 35E; 130: 327N;
134: 327S; 138: 671; 143: 683; 150: 93;
153: 677; 156: 278; 162: 356; 166: 32W;
168: 681; 176: 33E; 178: 682; 179: 33W;
185: 690; 190: 329; 199: 7S; 200: 144;
207: 124,555; 210: 339,618; 215: 7N;
216: 618,WV
Freeway Sections:
From route 75 to route 471 in Cincinnati.
From 2 miles east of Chillicothe to 6 miles east of Chillicothe.
From 2 miles west of Athens to 5 miles east of Athens.
Four-Lane Divided Highway Sections:
From Indiana state line to 5 miles east of Addyston.
From 6 miles east of Addyston to 5 miles west of downtown Cincinnati.
From route 264W to route 75 in Cincinnati.
From route 32 to Mariemont.
From 2 miles west of Albany to 2 miles west of Athens.
From Coolville to Belpre.
History of route 50:
Certified in 1926.
Originally routed along current route 50 from Indiana state line to
Cincinnati, route 52 from Cincinnati to 7 miles east of downtown
Cincinnati, and route 50 from 7 miles east of downtown Cincinnati to
Athens.
In 1926, Athens to West Virginia state line split into northern and
southern routes, with route 50N routed along current route 550 from
Athens to Marietta and route 7 from Marietta to Newport; and route 50S
routed along current route 50.
In 1932, rerouted from Cincinnati to 9 miles east of downtown
Cincinnati along current routes 22, 561, and unnumbered roads.
Indiana state line to Cleves was route 7 before 1926.
Cleves to downtown Cincinnati was unnumbered before 1926.
Downtown Cincinnati to 7 miles east of downtown Cincinnati was route 7
before 1926.
7 miles east of downtown Cincinnati to 9 miles east of downtown
Cincinnati was routes 25 and 74 before 1926.
9 miles east of downtown Cincinnati to Milford was unnumbered before
1926.
Milford to Athens was route 26 before 1926.
Athens to Coolville was route 144 before 1926.
Coolville to Belpre was route 7 only before 1926.
Athens to West Virginia state line was route 50S from 1926-35.
Athens to West Virginia state line certified as route 50 in 1935.
Indiana state line to Cleves, Cincinnati to Milford, and 2 miles west of
Belpre to Belpre upgraded to four lanes by 1946.
In 1941, routing through eastern Cincinnati changed to the current
routing.
Downtown Cincinnati to 7 miles east of downtown Cincinnati dually
certified with routes 52, 74, and 125 by 1946.
7 miles east of downtown Cincinnati to 9 miles east of downtown
Cincinnati dually certified with routes 74 and 125 by 1946.
2 miles west of Athens to Athens upgraded to four lanes in 1947.
Cleves to Addyston upgraded to four lanes by 1950.
Addyston to Cincinnati upgraded to four lanes by 1952.
Routes 52, 74, and 125 certifications from downtown Cincinnati to 7 miles
east of downtown Cincinnati removed by 1956.
Routes 74 and 125 certifications from 7 miles east of downtown
Cincinnati to 9 miles east of downtown Cincinnati removed by 1956.
4 miles west of Athens to 2 miles west of Athens and Little Hocking to
Porterfield (Center Belpre in 1961) upgraded to four lanes in 1960.
Coolville to Little Hocking upgraded to divided highway in 1963.
Porterfield to 2 miles west of Belpre upgraded to divided highway by
1966.
By 1966, rerouted north of previous route and into Belpre from the
north.
Porterfield to Belpre certified as route 618 by 1966.
In 1967, routing through downtown Cincinnati changed to follow that of
route 71 and new freeway.
2 miles east of Chillicothe to 6 miles east of Chillicothe upgraded to
freeway by 1969.
2 miles west of Albany to Albany upgraded to divided highway in 1971.
Cleves to downtown Cincinnati dually certified with route 52 by 1979.
2 miles west of Athens to 5 miles east of Athens (Athens bypass) added
as a freeway by 1979.
Route 52 certification from Cleves to downtown Cincinnati removed in
1981.
Albany to 4 miles west of Athens upgraded to divided highway by 1993.
2 miles west of Albany to West Virginia state line dually certified
with route 32 in 1993.
Route 50 Before 1926:
From Lebanon to 11 miles north of Covington.
Routed along current route 48.
Entire route certified as route 48 in 1926.
Last updated by John Simpson
on 5-11-98 at 20:50 EDT.