U.S. Route 11 in Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
U.S. Route 11 roughly parallels Interstate 81
in the U.S. state
of Pennsylvania
. It serves Harrisburg and Scranton. Between those two cities, US 11 follows the Susquehanna River
, while I-81 follows a shorter route over the mountains.
parallel to Interstate 81
south of Greencastle
in Antrim Township
, Franklin County
. The two routes head to the northeast, running parallel to each other as they pass through Chambersburg
, where they intersect U.S. Route 30
, Shippensburg
, and Carlisle
. Northeast of Carlisle in Middlesex, US 11 interchanges with the Pennsylvania Turnpike
(Interstate 76
), and then I-81 roughly 1 mile later. The stretch of US 11 between I-76 and I-81 is known as the "Miracle Mile" since it contains plenty of traveler services including restaurants, gas stations, lodging, truck stops, shops, etc. There is no direct interchange between the two interstates, so travelers must use this stretch, or travel through downtown Carlisle, to get from one interstate to the other.
US 11, now to the south of I-81, continues eastward into the western suburb
s of Harrisburg
as the Carlisle Pike. This road serves a major arterial route in eastern Cumberland County
, Pennsylvania
. Rumored to have originally been a Native American
trail, it is now a significant center of urban sprawl
serving much of Harrisburg
's western suburbs. The road passes through Middlesex township
, the small unincorporated village of New Kingstown
, Silver Spring
and Hampden township
. Upon reaching Pennsylvania Route 581, US 11 splits from Carlisle Pike and runs concurrent with PA 581.
In Camp Hill
, a close suburb of Harrisburg, US 11 stops paralleling I-81 and joins U.S. Route 15
northward through the western suburbs of Harrisburg, crossing I-81 in this area. As the road exits the Harrisburg area, US 11 and US 15 begin to parallel the Susquehanna River
as both head northward. They intersect U.S. Route 22
/U.S. Route 322
near Duncannon
and U.S. Route 522
in Selinsgrove
. The two routes remain overlapped to an intersection in Shamokin Dam
, where US 15 branches off to the northwest, following the path of the Susquehanna's West Branch
northward. US 11, in contrast, continues to parallel the main Susquehanna River, passing through municipalities such as Danville
, Bloomsburg
, and Berwick
(where it crosses Interstate 80
) prior to reaching Wilkes-Barre
.
In Wilkes-Barre, US 11 breaks from the Susquehanna and begins to run parallel to I-81 once more. From Wilkes-Barre, the highway goes through nearby Scranton
, becoming the North Scranton Expressway north of downtown. The North Scranton Expressway (officially the Congressman Joseph M. McDade Expressway) is a freeway north of downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania
, United States
, carries U.S. Route 11 and Pennsylvania Route 307
north from the Mulberry Street Bridge over the Lackawanna River
near downtown north to Interstate 81, U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 6 Business. It carried unsigned State Route 3027 until State Routes 0011 and 0307 were moved off their former routes to match the signed US 6 and PA 307 alignments (forming State Route 6011 and State Route 6307). SR 3027 still runs along Mulberry Street from Jefferson Avenue, where US 11 and PA 307 turn southwest, southeast to Harrison Avenue (SR 6011).
In Clarks Summit
, just north of Scranton, US 11 intersects U.S. Route 6
. US 6 joins US 11 westward to Factoryville
, where US 11 separates from US 6 and resumes its northerly trek through Susquehanna County
to the New York-Pennsylvania border in Great Bend Township
.
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Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It serves Harrisburg and Scranton. Between those two cities, US 11 follows the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
, while I-81 follows a shorter route over the mountains.
Route description
US 11 enters PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
parallel to Interstate 81
Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania
Interstate 81 is an long north–south Interstate Highway, stretching from Dandridge, Tennessee to Fisher's Landing, New York at the US/Canadian border...
south of Greencastle
Greencastle, Pennsylvania
Greencastle is a borough in Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,722 at the 2000 census.-History:...
in Antrim Township
Antrim Township, Pennsylvania
Antrim Township is a township in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 12,504 at the 2000 census. It was named after County Antrim in Northern Ireland.-Geography:...
, Franklin County
Franklin County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 129,313 people, 50,633 households, and 36,405 families residing in the county. The population density was 168 people per square mile . There were 53,803 housing units at an average density of 70 per square mile...
. The two routes head to the northeast, running parallel to each other as they pass through Chambersburg
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
, where they intersect U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 in Pennsylvania
In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, U.S. Route 30 runs east–west across the southern part of the state, passing through Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on its way from the West Virginia state line east to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge over the Delaware River into New Jersey...
, Shippensburg
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
Shippensburg is a borough in Cumberland and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Settled in 1730, Shippensburg lies in the Cumberland Valley, 41 miles west-southwest of Harrisburg, and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1900, 3,228 people...
, and Carlisle
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
. Northeast of Carlisle in Middlesex, US 11 interchanges with the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The three sections of the turnpike system total . The main section extends from Ohio to New Jersey and is long...
(Interstate 76
Interstate 76 (east)
Interstate 76 is an Interstate Highway in the United States, running 435 miles from an interchange with Interstate 71 west of Akron, Ohio, east to Interstate 295 near Camden, New Jersey....
), and then I-81 roughly 1 mile later. The stretch of US 11 between I-76 and I-81 is known as the "Miracle Mile" since it contains plenty of traveler services including restaurants, gas stations, lodging, truck stops, shops, etc. There is no direct interchange between the two interstates, so travelers must use this stretch, or travel through downtown Carlisle, to get from one interstate to the other.
US 11, now to the south of I-81, continues eastward into the western suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
as the Carlisle Pike. This road serves a major arterial route in eastern Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 235,406.-History:...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Rumored to have originally been a Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
trail, it is now a significant center of urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
serving much of Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
's western suburbs. The road passes through Middlesex township
Middlesex Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Middlesex Township is a township located in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the township had a total population of 6,669.- Geography :...
, the small unincorporated village of New Kingstown
New Kingstown, Pennsylvania
New Kingstown is a census-designated place in Silver Spring Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 539 at the 2000 census...
, Silver Spring
Silver Spring Township, Pennsylvania
Silver Spring Township is a township in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,592 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
and Hampden township
Hampden Township, Pennsylvania
Hampden Township is the largest municipality in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 24,135 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. Upon reaching Pennsylvania Route 581, US 11 splits from Carlisle Pike and runs concurrent with PA 581.
In Camp Hill
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Camp Hill is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 2 miles southwest of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,636 at the 2000 census...
, a close suburb of Harrisburg, US 11 stops paralleling I-81 and joins U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 15 is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Carolina to Interstate 86 and NY 17 in Painted Post, New York.US...
northward through the western suburbs of Harrisburg, crossing I-81 in this area. As the road exits the Harrisburg area, US 11 and US 15 begin to parallel the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
as both head northward. They intersect U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route 22 in Pennsylvania
U.S. Route 22 is an east–west route stretching from Cincinnati, Ohio in the west to Newark, New Jersey in the east. In Pennsylvania, the route runs for between the West Virginia state line at Washington County, where it is a limited-access expressway-grade route through the western suburbs...
/U.S. Route 322
U.S. Route 322
U.S. Route 322 is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926...
near Duncannon
Duncannon, Pennsylvania
Duncannon is a borough in Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,508 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. The center of population of Pennsylvania is located in Duncannon. It is named after the coastal town of...
and U.S. Route 522
U.S. Route 522
U.S. Route 522 is a spur route of U.S. Route 22 in the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 60 in Powhatan, Virginia. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 11 and U.S. Route 15 in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. US 522 passes through the states of Virginia, West...
in Selinsgrove
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
Selinsgrove is a borough in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1787 by Captain Anthony Selin, who fought with Washington in the Revolutionary War....
. The two routes remain overlapped to an intersection in Shamokin Dam
Shamokin Dam, Pennsylvania
Shamokin Dam is a small borough in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is derived from a dam that was built across the Susquehanna River in the 19th century. The dam supported steamboat ferries run by Ira T. Clement, which transported goods and people between Shamokin Dam and the...
, where US 15 branches off to the northwest, following the path of the Susquehanna's West Branch
West Branch Susquehanna River
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch...
northward. US 11, in contrast, continues to parallel the main Susquehanna River, passing through municipalities such as Danville
Danville, Pennsylvania
Danville is a borough in Montour County, Pennsylvania, USA, of which it is the county seat, on the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. Danville was home to 8,042 people in 1900, 7,517 people in 1910, and 7,122 people in 1940. The population was 4,897 at the 2000 census...
, Bloomsburg
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg is a town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, 40 miles southwest of Wilkes Barre along the Susquehanna River. In 1900, the population of Bloomsburg stood at 6,170; in 1910, 7,413; in 1940, 9,799, and in 1990, 12,439. The population was 14,855 at the 2010 census...
, and Berwick
Berwick, Pennsylvania
Berwick is a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, 22.6 miles southwest of Wilkes Barre. Berwick is one of two principal cities of the Bloomsburg–Berwick Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Columbia and Montour counties and had a combined population of 82,387...
(where it crosses Interstate 80
Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania
The transcontinental Interstate 80 is designated across northern Pennsylvania as the Keystone Shortway, officially the Z.H. Confair Memorial Highway. This route was built mainly along a completely new alignment, not paralleling any earlier U.S. Routes, as a shortcut to the tolled Pennsylvania...
) prior to reaching Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
.
In Wilkes-Barre, US 11 breaks from the Susquehanna and begins to run parallel to I-81 once more. From Wilkes-Barre, the highway goes through nearby Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, becoming the North Scranton Expressway north of downtown. The North Scranton Expressway (officially the Congressman Joseph M. McDade Expressway) is a freeway north of downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, carries U.S. Route 11 and Pennsylvania Route 307
Pennsylvania Route 307
Pennsylvania Route 307 is a north–south route of the Pennsylvania Highway System that runs for . The southern terminus is Pennsylvania Route 435 in Covington Township and the northern terminus is Pennsylvania Route 92 in Tunkhannock Township...
north from the Mulberry Street Bridge over the Lackawanna River
Lackawanna River
The Lackawanna River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It flows through a region of the northern Pocono Mountains that was once a center of anthracite coal mining in the United States...
near downtown north to Interstate 81, U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 6 Business. It carried unsigned State Route 3027 until State Routes 0011 and 0307 were moved off their former routes to match the signed US 6 and PA 307 alignments (forming State Route 6011 and State Route 6307). SR 3027 still runs along Mulberry Street from Jefferson Avenue, where US 11 and PA 307 turn southwest, southeast to Harrison Avenue (SR 6011).
In Clarks Summit
Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania
Clarks Summit is a borough in Lackawanna County northwest of Scranton in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,116 at the 2010 census. It is also the northern terminus of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, I-476.-History:...
, just north of Scranton, US 11 intersects U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
. US 6 joins US 11 westward to Factoryville
Factoryville, Pennsylvania
Factoryville is a borough in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,144 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Factoryville is located at ....
, where US 11 separates from US 6 and resumes its northerly trek through Susquehanna County
Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,238 people, 16,529 households, and 11,785 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 21,829 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
to the New York-Pennsylvania border in Great Bend Township
Great Bend Township, Pennsylvania
Great Bend Township is a township in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,890 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
.
Major intersections
|-|rowspan=2|Mechanicsburg
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Mechanicsburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA, eight miles west of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Mechanicsburg was settled in 1806 and incorporated as a borough on April 12, 1828...
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|rowspan=4|Duncannon
Duncannon, Pennsylvania
Duncannon is a borough in Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,508 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. The center of population of Pennsylvania is located in Duncannon. It is named after the coastal town of...
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|rowspan=6|Snyder
Snyder County, Pennsylvania
Snyder County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 39,702. Snyder County was formed in 1855 from parts of Union County...
|rowspan=4|Selinsgrove
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
Selinsgrove is a borough in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1787 by Captain Anthony Selin, who fought with Washington in the Revolutionary War....
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