U.S. Route 33 in West Virginia
U.S. Route 33 (US 33) in the U.S. state of West Virginia extends 248 miles (399 km) from the Ohio River at Ravenswood to the Virginia state line atop Shenandoah Mountain west of Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Route information | ||||
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Maintained by WVDOH | ||||
Length | 248 mi (399 km) | |||
Existed | 1926–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | ||||
East end | ||||
Location | ||||
Counties | Jackson, Roane, Calhoun, Gilmer, Lewis, Upshur, Barbour, Randolph, Pendleton | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Route description
Shortly after entering West Virginia and crossing the Ohio River, US 33 turns south, then east in Ravenswood. It then joins SR 2's freeway, turning northeast, then east again to Silverton. The two routes then split, and US 33 joins Interstate 77 to Ripley. The route then turns east from I-77, joining US 119 at Spencer, then passing through extremely rural areas of Roane, Calhoun, Gilmer, and Lewis counties.
US 33 Intersects Interstate 79 at Weston, West Virginia. From Interstate 79 east, US 33 is a four-lane highway, part of Corridor H of the Appalachian Development Highway System. The four-lane segment continues on through rural areas of Upshur, and Randolph counties, to just a couple miles past Elkins.
At Harding, US 250 joins US 33 for several miles after Elkins, where US 33 joins SR 55 and returns to a two-lane road, except for a seven-mile (11 km) section of four-lane across Kelly Mountain between Canfield and Bowden. Passing through the Monongahela National Forest, US 33 crosses the Eastern Continental Divide between Harman and Onego at about 3,240 feet (990 m) elevation, entering Pendleton County, then descends the Allegheny Front along Seneca Creek, skirting the north end of Spruce Mountain, at 4,861 feet (1,482 m) the highest point of the Allegheny Mountains.
US 33 then joins SR 28 at Seneca Rocks, West Virginia, and continues south in the Potomac River headwaters through scenic forest and farmland landscapes. Turning eastward from SR 28 at Judy Gap, US 33 crosses North Fork Mountain at about 3,600 feet (1,100 m), with a turnout on the western slope offering a scenic view of the Germany Valley below and the more distant Allegheny Front from Spruce Knob to Dolly Sods. US 220 joins US 33 for about half a mile in Franklin. After Franklin, US 33 continues eastward through rural areas, then climbs steeply to cross Shenandoah Mountain at Dry River Gap at about 3,450 feet (1,050 m) into Rockingham County, Virginia.
Major intersections
County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |||
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Ohio River | 0.0 | 0.0 | Continuation into Ohio | |||||
Ravenswood Bridge; Ohio–West Virginia state line | ||||||||
Jackson | Ravenswood | Western end of WV 68 overlap | ||||||
Western end of WV 2 overlap | ||||||||
Silverton | Eastern end of WV 2 overlap; northern end of I-77 overlap | |||||||
Ripley | Southern end of I-77 overlap | |||||||
Roane | Spencer | |||||||
Western end of US 119 overlap | ||||||||
Calhoun | Arnoldsburg | Western end of WV 16 overlap | ||||||
Millstone | Eastern end of WV 16 overlap | |||||||
Gilmer | Glenville | Western end of WV 5 overlap | ||||||
Eastern end of WV 5 overlap | ||||||||
Linn | ||||||||
Lewis | Weston | Western end of US 19 overlap (southbound lanes) | ||||||
Western end of US 19 overlap (northbound lanes) | ||||||||
Eastern end of US 19 overlap (all lanes) | ||||||||
Western terminus of US 48; western end of US 48 overlap; I-79 exit 99 | ||||||||
Upshur | Buckhannon | Interchange; eastbound exit only | ||||||
Eastern end of US 119 overlap | ||||||||
Barbour |
No major junctions | |||||||
Randolph | | Western end of US 250/WV 92 overlaps | ||||||
Aggregates | Eastern end of WV 92 overlap; former US 33 alignment | |||||||
Elkins | Western end of US 48/US 219 overlap | |||||||
Western end of WV 92 overlap; former US 33 alignment | ||||||||
Eastern end of US 219/US 250/WV 92 overlaps; western end of WV 55 overlap | ||||||||
Harman | ||||||||
Pendleton | Seneca Rocks | Eastern end of WV 55 overlap; northern end of WV 28 overlap | ||||||
Judy Gap | Southern end of WV 28 overlap | |||||||
Franklin | Northern end of US 220 overlap | |||||||
Southern end of US 220 overlap | ||||||||
Shenandoah Mountain | West Virginia–Virginia state line; elevation 3,450 ft (1,050 m) | |||||||
Continuation into Virginia | ||||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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