Maryland Route 139
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 139, known locally for most of its existence as North Charles Street, runs through Baltimore City and through the Towson
area of Baltimore County
. On the north end it terminates at a traffic circle with Bellona Avenue near Interstate 695
and at the south end it terminates in Federal Hill
in Baltimore. Charles Street is one of the major routes through the city of Baltimore, and is a major public transportation corridor.
Though not exactly at the west–east midpoint of the city, Charles Street is considered to be the division between the west and east sides of Baltimore. On any given street that crosses Charles Street, address numbers start from the unit block on either end, and the streets are identified either as "West" or "East", depending on whether they are to the west or east of Charles.
/US 40 Truck in Baltimore (better known as North Avenue). MD 139, as mentioned before, follows North Charles Street northbound; the southbound lanes of MD 139 are carried by Saint Paul Street.
is located, eventually crossing a four-lane bridge over the Jones Falls and travelling north to North Avenue, where the historic area ends and the MD 139 designation begins.
Beginning the Maryland Route 139 designation, Charles Street follows a street with four-lane capacity and lined with trees, mostly fronted with rowhomes and several tall buildings. It spreads to six-lane capacity briefly at 26th Street as it continues north. Beyond 29th Street, it condenses to three lanes, gaining a one-lane southbound side street to the west, and passes between the Baltimore Museum of Art and Johns Hopkins University
(JHU) campus. This configuration ends once the street crosses University Parkway, where the one-way restriction ends.
St. Paul Street is located one block to the east of Charles Street, and follows the same basic design southbound. It also begins at North Avenue; south of North Avenue, the street follows a portion of Maryland Route 2
. As MD 139, St. Paul Street carries four lanes of roadway north from North Avenue, with a more residential appearance all the way north to 31st Street. Here, it enters the college neighborhood of JHU, fronted with stores, and the street itself widens to accommodate a segregated southbound parking lane. North of 33rd Street, it passes by the campus of Union Memorial Hospital to the east. Once the route moves north to University Parkway, it turns west to intersect Charles Street.
, and passes by a large golf course to the west as the route crosses the city line into Baltimore County
.
, where the route widens to a divided boulevard and starts to wind and curve through a wooded area, rising in elevation. The route then curves to the north, passing under the highly elevated Joppa Road and soon after encounters the Baltimore Beltway. The overpass that Charles Street uses to cross the Beltway was replaced in 2009 to a more decorative one as part of a project to widen the Beltway. The interchange with the Beltway is a half-diamond, half-dumbbell interchange, with its western entrance ramp also bringing in traffic from the nearby Interstate 83 interchange. Here, MD 139 and Charles Street officially end; however, the route's roundabout connects to another incarnation of Bellona Avenue, which connects to MD 131.
at what was called Uhler's Spring Branch. The road was being referred to as Charles Street by at least 1761.
In 1858, the Jones Falls
flooded and overflowed. The bridge along Charles Street was swept away.
Communities:
Tourist Attractions:
Colleges and Universities:
Hospitals:
. Route 11 currently operates along all points on Charles Street between downtown Baltimore and Northern Parkway
. After operating along the parallel Bellona Avenue through the Rodgers Forge
community, buses return to Charles Street (then in Baltimore County), then pass through Greater Baltimore Medical Center
before operating via Towsontown Boulevard to Towson Town Center
. Charles Street is also served by Route 3 as far north as 33rd Street. Southbound buses on this line operate along St. Paul Street
. Routes 61 and Route 64 also operate in part on Charles Street.
There are also two rapid transit stations located on Charles Street. Penn Station is located between Charles and St. Paul Street, which connects to Amtrak
, MARC Train
, and Light Rail
service. Along the Metro Subway, the street is served by the Charles Center
station, located on Baltimore Street.
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
area of Baltimore County
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
. On the north end it terminates at a traffic circle with Bellona Avenue near Interstate 695
Interstate 695 (Maryland)
Interstate 695 is a -long full beltway Interstate Highway extending around Baltimore, Maryland, USA. I-695 is officially designated the McKeldin Beltway, but is colloquially referred to as either the Baltimore Beltway or 695...
and at the south end it terminates in Federal Hill
Federal Hill, Baltimore, Maryland
Federal Hill is a neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland, United States that lies just to the south of the city's central business district. Many of the structures are included in the Federal Hill Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970...
in Baltimore. Charles Street is one of the major routes through the city of Baltimore, and is a major public transportation corridor.
Though not exactly at the west–east midpoint of the city, Charles Street is considered to be the division between the west and east sides of Baltimore. On any given street that crosses Charles Street, address numbers start from the unit block on either end, and the streets are identified either as "West" or "East", depending on whether they are to the west or east of Charles.
Route description
Maryland Route 139 begins at US 1U.S. Route 1 in Maryland
U.S. Route 1 is the easternmost and longest of the major north–south routes of the United States Numbered Highway System, running from Key West, Florida to Fort Kent, Maine. In the U.S...
/US 40 Truck in Baltimore (better known as North Avenue). MD 139, as mentioned before, follows North Charles Street northbound; the southbound lanes of MD 139 are carried by Saint Paul Street.
Charles and St. Paul Streets
Outside of the MD 139 designation, Charles Street begins one block north of the elevated Interstate 95 at a dead end south of Wells Street, travelling north as a one-way street. After passing through downtown, Charles Street passes through Baltimore's historic district and follows a street which sometimes narrows to three lanes. It divided into two carriageways and becomes part of Washington Plaza for a few blocks, where the Washington MonumentWashington Monument (Baltimore)
The Washington Monument in the elegant Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland was the first architectural monument planned to honor George Washington.-History:...
is located, eventually crossing a four-lane bridge over the Jones Falls and travelling north to North Avenue, where the historic area ends and the MD 139 designation begins.
Beginning the Maryland Route 139 designation, Charles Street follows a street with four-lane capacity and lined with trees, mostly fronted with rowhomes and several tall buildings. It spreads to six-lane capacity briefly at 26th Street as it continues north. Beyond 29th Street, it condenses to three lanes, gaining a one-lane southbound side street to the west, and passes between the Baltimore Museum of Art and Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
(JHU) campus. This configuration ends once the street crosses University Parkway, where the one-way restriction ends.
St. Paul Street is located one block to the east of Charles Street, and follows the same basic design southbound. It also begins at North Avenue; south of North Avenue, the street follows a portion of Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2 is the longest state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Solomons Island in Calvert County north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 40 Truck in Baltimore...
. As MD 139, St. Paul Street carries four lanes of roadway north from North Avenue, with a more residential appearance all the way north to 31st Street. Here, it enters the college neighborhood of JHU, fronted with stores, and the street itself widens to accommodate a segregated southbound parking lane. North of 33rd Street, it passes by the campus of Union Memorial Hospital to the east. Once the route moves north to University Parkway, it turns west to intersect Charles Street.
North of University Parkway
MD 139, now solely carried on Charles Street on a four-lane street, travels north through a wooded and much more residential neighborhood, on a path toward Stratford Road. Here, parallel parking on the street ends and all of its lanes are used for through traffic, and Charles Street splits into two one-lane, one-way streets which connect to the now-dualized St Paul Street. Here, MD 139 and Charles Street take over this roadway and travel further north, re-condensing to four-lanes undivided at the divided road's end and travelling due north. After two blocks, it crosses Cold Spring Lane and bisects the campus of Loyola College. It then continues further north through this sylvan area, across Northern ParkwayNorthern Parkway (Baltimore)
Northern Parkway is a major road that runs west–east across the northern part of the city Baltimore. For most of the way, it is at least six lanes wide, and it is used by motorists for crosstown travel....
, and passes by a large golf course to the west as the route crosses the city line into Baltimore County
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
.
Baltimore County
In the county, the route continues for a short stretch and crosses Bellona AvenueMaryland Route 134
Maryland Route 134 is the state highway designation for a portion of Bellona Avenue in Baltimore City and County within the U.S. state of Maryland. Bellona Avenue begins at York Road in Baltimore City and passes through Rodgers Forge in Towson before it reaches Charles Street...
, where the route widens to a divided boulevard and starts to wind and curve through a wooded area, rising in elevation. The route then curves to the north, passing under the highly elevated Joppa Road and soon after encounters the Baltimore Beltway. The overpass that Charles Street uses to cross the Beltway was replaced in 2009 to a more decorative one as part of a project to widen the Beltway. The interchange with the Beltway is a half-diamond, half-dumbbell interchange, with its western entrance ramp also bringing in traffic from the nearby Interstate 83 interchange. Here, MD 139 and Charles Street officially end; however, the route's roundabout connects to another incarnation of Bellona Avenue, which connects to MD 131.
History
When Charles Street was first laid out in the Town of Baltimore in 1730, it was originally known as Forest (or Forrest) Street. The southern end was at the present day Lombard StreetLombard Street (Baltimore)
Lombard Street is a major street in Baltimore. It forms a one-way pair of streets with Pratt Street that run west-east through downtown Baltimore. For most of their route, Pratt Street is one-way in an eastbound direction, and Lombard Street is one way westbound. Both streets begin in west...
at what was called Uhler's Spring Branch. The road was being referred to as Charles Street by at least 1761.
In 1858, the Jones Falls
Jones Falls
The Jones Falls is a stream in Maryland. It is impounded to create Lake Roland before running through the city of Baltimore and finally emptying into the Baltimore Inner Harbor....
flooded and overflowed. The bridge along Charles Street was swept away.
Points of interest
Charles Street is home to many famous landmarks in the Baltimore area. These include:- Charles Street Shopping District
- Mt. Vernon
- Charles VillageCharles Village, BaltimoreCharles Village is a neighborhood located in the north-central area of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It is a middle-class area with many single-family homes that is in proximity to many of Baltimore's urban amenities. The neighborhood began in 1869 when of land were purchased for development...
- Homewood campus
- HomelandHomeland, BaltimoreHomeland is a neighborhood located in the northern part of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is bounded roughly by Melrose Avenue on the north, Bellona Avenue on the east, Homeland Avenue on the south, and Charles Street on the west....
- Rodgers ForgeRodgers Forge, MarylandRodgers Forge is a neighborhood located in the unincorporated Towson area of Baltimore County, Maryland, just north of the Baltimore City/County line. It is mostly a residential area, with rowhouses, apartments, single family dwellings, and a new complex of luxury garaged townhomes. The area also...
Tourist Attractions:
- Baltimore Inner Harbor (one block away)
- Baltimore Arena
- Washington MonumentWashington Monument (Baltimore)The Washington Monument in the elegant Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland was the first architectural monument planned to honor George Washington.-History:...
- Walters Art Gallery
- Baltimore Museum of ArtBaltimore Museum of ArtThe Baltimore Museum of Art in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, was founded in 1914. Built in the Roman Temple style, the Museum is home to an internationally renowned collection of 19th-century, modern, and contemporary art. Founded in 1914 with a single painting, the BMA today has 90,000 works...
Colleges and Universities:
- University of BaltimoreUniversity of BaltimoreThe University of Baltimore , located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood at 1420 N. Charles Street, is part of the University System of Maryland. Through the Freshman Initiative or Lower Division Initiative, UB has transformed from an upper division university to a...
- Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityThe Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
- Loyola University Maryland
- College of Notre Dame of MarylandCollege of Notre Dame of MarylandNotre Dame of Maryland University is an independent, Catholic-affiliated, liberal arts college located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, that primarily serves female students.-History:...
- Though Towson UniversityTowson UniversityTowson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
is not directly located on Charles Street, it can be found nearby.
Hospitals:
- Greater Baltimore Medical CenterGreater Baltimore Medical CenterGreater Baltimore Medical Center, known to many simply as GBMC, is a hospital located in the Baltimore suburb of Towson, Maryland. GBMC serves more than 26,700 inpatient cases and approximately 60,000 emergency room visits annually. GBMC’s main campus also includes three medical office...
- Sheppard Pratt
- St. Joseph Medical Center (nearby)
- Union Memorial HospitalUnion Memorial HospitalUnion Memorial Hospital is a non-profit, acute care teaching hospital located in the North Central section of Baltimore, Maryland....
(one block away) - Mercy HospitalMercy Medical Center (Baltimore, Maryland)Mercy Medical Center is a hospital located in Baltimore, Maryland. The Tower Building of the hospital opened in 1963 and is located at 301 St. Paul Place....
- (one block away)
Public transportation
In Baltimore City, there is plenty of public transportation along Charles Street provided by the Maryland Transit AdministrationMaryland Transit Administration
The Maryland Transit Administration is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation. It is better known as MTA Maryland to avoid confusion with other cities' transit agencies who share the initials MTA. The MTA operates a...
. Route 11 currently operates along all points on Charles Street between downtown Baltimore and Northern Parkway
Northern Parkway (Baltimore)
Northern Parkway is a major road that runs west–east across the northern part of the city Baltimore. For most of the way, it is at least six lanes wide, and it is used by motorists for crosstown travel....
. After operating along the parallel Bellona Avenue through the Rodgers Forge
Rodgers Forge, Maryland
Rodgers Forge is a neighborhood located in the unincorporated Towson area of Baltimore County, Maryland, just north of the Baltimore City/County line. It is mostly a residential area, with rowhouses, apartments, single family dwellings, and a new complex of luxury garaged townhomes. The area also...
community, buses return to Charles Street (then in Baltimore County), then pass through Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Greater Baltimore Medical Center, known to many simply as GBMC, is a hospital located in the Baltimore suburb of Towson, Maryland. GBMC serves more than 26,700 inpatient cases and approximately 60,000 emergency room visits annually. GBMC’s main campus also includes three medical office...
before operating via Towsontown Boulevard to Towson Town Center
Towson Town Center
Towson Town Center is a large indoor shopping mall located in Towson, Maryland. It was the largest indoor shopping mall in Maryland prior to the completion of Arundel Mills in late 2000 in Hanover and the 2007 expansion of the Annapolis Mall.- History :...
. Charles Street is also served by Route 3 as far north as 33rd Street. Southbound buses on this line operate along St. Paul Street
St. Paul Street-Calvert Street
St. Paul Street and Calvert Street are a one-way pair of streets in Downtown Baltimore and areas north. The streets, which are part of Maryland Route 2, are two of Baltimore's best-known streets in the downtown area.-St. Paul Street:...
. Routes 61 and Route 64 also operate in part on Charles Street.
There are also two rapid transit stations located on Charles Street. Penn Station is located between Charles and St. Paul Street, which connects to Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, MARC Train
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
, and Light Rail
Baltimore Light Rail
The Maryland Transit Administration Light Rail is a light rail system serving Baltimore, Maryland, United States, and the surrounding suburbs.In downtown Baltimore it uses city streets...
service. Along the Metro Subway, the street is served by the Charles Center
Charles Center (Metro Subway station)
The Charles Center Metro Subway Station is one of 14 stops along the Baltimore Metro Subway line. It is the area of the city considered to be most central, and until 1995, when the extension to Johns Hopkins Hospital was opened, it was the final stop on the line...
station, located on Baltimore Street.