U.S. Route 19 in Virginia
Encyclopedia
U.S. Route 19 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Memphis, Florida
to Erie, Pennsylvania
. In Virginia
, the U.S. Highway runs 88.89 miles (143.1 km) between a pair of twin cities
: Bristol, Tennessee
and Bristol, Virginia
at the Virginia–Tennessee
state line, and Bluefield
and Bluefield
at the Virginia – West Virginia
state line. Between its endpoints, US 19 has lengthy concurrencies with US 11
, US 58 Alternate, and US 460
during its course connecting Abingdon
, Lebanon
, and Tazewell
within Washington
, Russell
, and Tazewell
counties in Southwest Virginia
.
. US 19, US 11E, US 421, and SR 381 meet the southern end of SR 113
at separate intersections: Cumberland Street carries northbound SR 113 east and Sycamore Street carries the westbound direction. The four highways continue north to east–west Euclid Avenue, where US 11E has its northern terminus. SR 381 continues north along Commonwealth Avenue to the southern end of I-381
, a spur south from I-81. Westbound Euclid Avenue heads west carrying northbound US 421 and southbound US 11W. US 19 turns east to join US 11 on eastbound Euclid Avenue.
US 19 and US 11 head east as a two-lane divided boulevard through a residential area. The street becomes undivided shortly before the U.S. Highways reach the northern end of SR 113
(Moore Street), which heads south toward Virginia Intermont College
and downtown Bristol. US 19 and US 11 continue northeast on Lee Highway, which here and in much of Virginia is a three-lane road with center turn lane. The highway meets I-81 and US 58 at a diamond interchange
with a rakish angle. US 19 and US 11 pass under Norfolk Southern Railway
's Pulaski District and cross Beaver Creek before leaving the city of Bristol. The two highways continue northeast through Washington County, where they pass Virginia Highlands Airport
before entering the town of Abingdon. At the west end of town, US 19 and US 11 intersect SR 140
(Jonesboro Road), a connector between the U.S. Highways and I-81 that also serves Virginia Highlands Community College
. The U.S. highways continue east as Main Street, which passes under the Norfolk Southern rail line before US 19 turns north onto Porterfield Highway.
before reaching Lebanon. At the southwest corner of the town, the U.S. Highway has a diamond interchange with US 19 Business (Main Street) and SR 660 (Mountain Road). US 19 has a diamond interchange with SR 654 before meeting the eastern end of US 19 Business (Trail of the Lonesome Pine) east of Big Cedar Creek.
US 19 continues northeast as the Trail of the Lonesome Pine, which has an intersection with SR 80 (Hayters Gap Road) at the hamlet of Smithfield. The two highways run concurrently to Rosedale, where SR 80 heads north as Red Bud Highway. At Southwest Virginia Community College
at the Russell–Tazewell County line, US 19 veers north through Wardell and crosses the Little River
. The U.S. Highway curves east again and meets US 460 (Governor George C. Peery Highway) at Claypool Hill
. US 19 and US 460 parallel the Clinch River
and Norfolk Southern Railway's Clinch Valley District through Pounding Mill
and Cliffield to the hamlet of Pisgah, where US 19 Business and US 460 Business head south as Crab Orchard Road toward Frog Level.
US 19 and US 460 become a freeway through the town of Tazewell that has diamond interchanges with SR 16 Alternate (Fairground Road) and SR 16
(Tazewell Avenue). The freeway crosses the railroad and the Clinch River at its partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 61
(Riverside Drive). North of Tazewell, US 19 and US 460 have a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 645 (Cauitts Creek Road) and SR 678 (Market Street) before meeting the eastern end of the U.S. Highways' business routes, named Fincastle Turnpike, at a partial interchange where the highways cross over the Clinch Valley rail line. US 19 and US 460 diverge as the local and express routes, respectively, through the twin towns of Bluefield, Virginia and Bluefield, West Virginia. US 19 heads northeast from its trumpet interchange with US 460 and crosses the rail line into the town of Bluefield, where the highway reduces to two lanes and follows Virginia Avenue. After closely paralleling the rail line, at Greever Avenue, the U.S. Highway makes a right-angle turn north to continue on Virginia Avenue, then veers east, passing under the rail line at its junction with the Pocahontas District rail line. US 19 has a pair of right-angle turns at its crossing of Beaverpond Creek just west of its intersection with SR 102 (College Avenue). The U.S. Highway passes through downtown Bluefield, Virginia before crossing the state line into Bluefield, West Virginia, where the highway continues as Bluefield Avenue.
!County
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=6 colspan=2|City of Bristol
|0.00
|
|Southern terminus of US 19 and US 11E in Virginia; Tennessee
state line; south end of concurrency with SR 381
|-
|0.08
|
|South end of concurrency with US 421
|-
|0.23
|
|
|-
|0.58
|
|Northern terminus of US 11E and US 11W; southern terminus of US 11 in Virginia; north end of concurrencies with US 421 and SR 381; south end of concurrency with US 11
|-
|1.62
|
|
|-
|3.36
|
|I-81 Exit 5
|-
|rowspan=3|Washington
|rowspan=3|Abingdon
|13.09
|
|
|-
|13.99
|
|North end of concurrency with US 11
|-
|14.44
|
|South end of concurrency with US 58 Alternate
|-
|rowspan=6|Russell
|Hansonville
|26.70
|
|North end of concurrency with US 58 Alternate
|-
|rowspan=3|Lebanon
|32.33
|
|Diamond interchange
|-
|34.39
|
|Diamond interchange
|-
|36.04
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Rosedale
|40.80
|
|South end of concurrency with SR 80
|-
|43.37
|
|North end of concurrency with SR 80
|-
|rowspan=10|Tazewell
|Claypool Hill
|56.90
|
|South end of concurrency with US 460
|-
|Pisgah
|67.76
|
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Tazewell
|
|SR 16 Alt. (Fairground Road)
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|69.48
|
|Diamond interchange
|-
|70.91
|
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|
|
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|73.66
|
|Westbound exit, eastbound entrance
|-
|rowspan=3|Bluefield
|84.37
|
|Trumpet interchange; north end of concurrency with US 460
|-
|88.09
|
|
|-
|88.89
|
|Northern terminus of US 19 in Virginia; West Virginia
state line
Memphis, Florida
Memphis is a census-designated place in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The population was 7,264 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
to Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
. In Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, the U.S. Highway runs 88.89 miles (143.1 km) between a pair of twin cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
: Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...
and Bristol, Virginia
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, Bristol, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Tennessee....
at the Virginia–Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
state line, and Bluefield
Bluefield, Virginia
Bluefield is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, along the Bluestone River. The population was 5,078 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578...
and Bluefield
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
at the Virginia – West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
state line. Between its endpoints, US 19 has lengthy concurrencies with US 11
U.S. Route 11 in Virginia
U.S. Route 11 in Virginia runs north–south through the western part of the state, parallel to Interstate 81.-History:What is now US 11 was added to the state highway system in 1918 as portions of State Route 10 and State Route 3 . SR 3 became State Route 33 in 1923, and US 11 was applied to...
, US 58 Alternate, and US 460
U.S. Route 460 in Virginia
U.S. Route 460 in Virginia runs east–west through the southern part of the state. It has two separate pieces in Virginia, joined by a relatively short section in West Virginia...
during its course connecting Abingdon
Abingdon, Virginia
Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, USA, 133 miles southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,191 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Washington County and is a designated Virginia Historic Landmark...
, Lebanon
Lebanon, Virginia
Lebanon is a town in Russell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,273 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Russell County.-Geography:Lebanon is located at ....
, and Tazewell
Tazewell, Virginia
Tazewell is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, USA. The population was 4,206 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area, which has a population of 107,578. It is the county seat of Tazewell County....
within Washington
Washington County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 51,103 people, 21,056 households, and 14,949 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile . There were 22,985 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
, Russell
Russell County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 30,308 people, 11,789 households, and 8,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 people per square mile . There were 13,191 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
, and Tazewell
Tazewell County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,598 people, 18,277 households and 13,232 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile . There were 20,390 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile...
counties in Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or...
.
Bristol to Abingdon
US 19 enters Virginia concurrent with US 11E at State Street, which follows the Virginia–Tennessee state line as the main street of Bristol, Virginia to the north and Bristol, Tennessee to the south and forms the easternmost part of SR-1 west of the intersection. The two U.S. Highways and SR 381 head north along Commonwealth Avenue, a four-lane divided highway that intersects Goode Street one block north of the state line; Goode Street carries US 421 and both US 11 Truck and US 19 Truck through the Bristol Commercial Historic DistrictBristol Commercial Historic District (Bristol, Virginia)
The Bristol Commercial Historic District in Bristol, Virginia is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. It has an area of ....
. US 19, US 11E, US 421, and SR 381 meet the southern end of SR 113
Virginia State Route 113
Virginia State Route 113 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 11E, US 19, US 421, and SR 381 north to US 11 and US 19 within Bristol.-Route description:...
at separate intersections: Cumberland Street carries northbound SR 113 east and Sycamore Street carries the westbound direction. The four highways continue north to east–west Euclid Avenue, where US 11E has its northern terminus. SR 381 continues north along Commonwealth Avenue to the southern end of I-381
Interstate 381
Interstate 381 is a spur from Interstate 81 that provides access to Bristol, Virginia, United States. It runs for from the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Keys Street in Bristol north to Interstate 81 at exit 0...
, a spur south from I-81. Westbound Euclid Avenue heads west carrying northbound US 421 and southbound US 11W. US 19 turns east to join US 11 on eastbound Euclid Avenue.
US 19 and US 11 head east as a two-lane divided boulevard through a residential area. The street becomes undivided shortly before the U.S. Highways reach the northern end of SR 113
Virginia State Route 113
Virginia State Route 113 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 11E, US 19, US 421, and SR 381 north to US 11 and US 19 within Bristol.-Route description:...
(Moore Street), which heads south toward Virginia Intermont College
Virginia Intermont College
Virginia Intermont College is a small private liberal arts college in Bristol, Virginia. It was founded in 1884 by a Baptist minister to create additional education opportunities for women. The school has been coeducational since 1972....
and downtown Bristol. US 19 and US 11 continue northeast on Lee Highway, which here and in much of Virginia is a three-lane road with center turn lane. The highway meets I-81 and US 58 at a diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
with a rakish angle. US 19 and US 11 pass under Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
's Pulaski District and cross Beaver Creek before leaving the city of Bristol. The two highways continue northeast through Washington County, where they pass Virginia Highlands Airport
Virginia Highlands Airport
Virginia Highlands Airport is a public-use airport located in Abingdon, Virginia. The airport has a single asphalt runway designated 6/24. It measures 4,471 feet in length with a width of 75 feet. It is owned by the Virginia Highlands Airport Authority. The manager is Mickey Hines....
before entering the town of Abingdon. At the west end of town, US 19 and US 11 intersect SR 140
Virginia State Route 140
State Route 140 is a primary state highway in Abingdon, Virginia, United States. It runs from U.S. Route 11/U.S. Route 19 south most of the way to Interstate 81/U.S. Route 58...
(Jonesboro Road), a connector between the U.S. Highways and I-81 that also serves Virginia Highlands Community College
Virginia Highlands Community College
Virginia Highlands Community College is located in Abingdon, Virginia. One of the 23 schools in the Virginia Community College System, the college was established November 30, 1967 to serve the residents of Washington County, western Smyth County, and the city of Bristol, Virginia. Over 4,000...
. The U.S. highways continue east as Main Street, which passes under the Norfolk Southern rail line before US 19 turns north onto Porterfield Highway.
Abingdon to Bluefield
US 19 heads northwest as a four-lane divided highway that is joined by US 58 Alternate (Russell Road) before leaving the town of Abingdon. The two highways cross Walker Mountain and briefly follow the North Fork Holston River before following Moccasin Creek through Moccasin Gap between Clinch Mountain to the west and Brumley Mountain to the east. US 19 and US 58 Alternate enter Russell County at Little Moccasin Gap a short distance east of where the highways diverge at Hansonville. US 19 continues northeast by the village of WillisWillis, Russell County, Virginia
Willis is an unincorporated community in Russell County, Virginia, United States. Its elevation is 2,215 feet ....
before reaching Lebanon. At the southwest corner of the town, the U.S. Highway has a diamond interchange with US 19 Business (Main Street) and SR 660 (Mountain Road). US 19 has a diamond interchange with SR 654 before meeting the eastern end of US 19 Business (Trail of the Lonesome Pine) east of Big Cedar Creek.
US 19 continues northeast as the Trail of the Lonesome Pine, which has an intersection with SR 80 (Hayters Gap Road) at the hamlet of Smithfield. The two highways run concurrently to Rosedale, where SR 80 heads north as Red Bud Highway. At Southwest Virginia Community College
Southwest Virginia Community College
Southwest Virginia Community College is located outside of Richlands, Virginia, on the border of Tazewell and Russell counties, and is one of the 23 schools in the Virginia Community College System. SWCC was opened in 1968 to serve the residents of Buchanan, Russell and Tazewell counties....
at the Russell–Tazewell County line, US 19 veers north through Wardell and crosses the Little River
Little River (Clinch River)
The Little River is a river in the United States state of Virginia.-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Virginia...
. The U.S. Highway curves east again and meets US 460 (Governor George C. Peery Highway) at Claypool Hill
Claypool Hill, Virginia
Claypool Hill is a census-designated place in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,719 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578.-Geography:...
. US 19 and US 460 parallel the Clinch River
Clinch River
The Clinch River rises in Southwest Virginia near Tazewell, Virginia and flows southwest through the Great Appalachian Valley, gathering various tributaries including the Powell River before joining the Tennessee River in East Tennessee.-Course:...
and Norfolk Southern Railway's Clinch Valley District through Pounding Mill
Pounding Mill, Virginia
Pounding Mill is an unincorporated community in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States....
and Cliffield to the hamlet of Pisgah, where US 19 Business and US 460 Business head south as Crab Orchard Road toward Frog Level.
US 19 and US 460 become a freeway through the town of Tazewell that has diamond interchanges with SR 16 Alternate (Fairground Road) and SR 16
Virginia State Route 16
State Route 16 is a primary state highway in the southwest part of the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from the North Carolina border at North Carolina Highway 16 north to the West Virginia border at West Virginia Route 16, passing through the towns of Troutdale, Marion, and Tazewell.-Grayson...
(Tazewell Avenue). The freeway crosses the railroad and the Clinch River at its partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 61
Virginia State Route 61
Virginia State Route 61 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from SR 16 in Tazewell east to U.S. Route 460 in Narrows. SR 61 passes through several narrow creek valleys as it parallels the West Virginia state line through Tazewell, Bland, and Giles...
(Riverside Drive). North of Tazewell, US 19 and US 460 have a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 645 (Cauitts Creek Road) and SR 678 (Market Street) before meeting the eastern end of the U.S. Highways' business routes, named Fincastle Turnpike, at a partial interchange where the highways cross over the Clinch Valley rail line. US 19 and US 460 diverge as the local and express routes, respectively, through the twin towns of Bluefield, Virginia and Bluefield, West Virginia. US 19 heads northeast from its trumpet interchange with US 460 and crosses the rail line into the town of Bluefield, where the highway reduces to two lanes and follows Virginia Avenue. After closely paralleling the rail line, at Greever Avenue, the U.S. Highway makes a right-angle turn north to continue on Virginia Avenue, then veers east, passing under the rail line at its junction with the Pocahontas District rail line. US 19 has a pair of right-angle turns at its crossing of Beaverpond Creek just west of its intersection with SR 102 (College Avenue). The U.S. Highway passes through downtown Bluefield, Virginia before crossing the state line into Bluefield, West Virginia, where the highway continues as Bluefield Avenue.
History
What is now US 19 was part of the original 1918 state highway system. It was part of State Route 10 from Bristol to Abingdon, a spur of SR 10 (designated State Route 106 in the 1923 renumbering and State Route 110 in the 1928 renumbering) from Abingdon to Hansonville, another spur of SR 10 from Hansonville to Lebanon, and State Route 11 from Lebanon to Bluefield. The spur from Hansonville to Lebanon was initially designated State Route 10Y. In the 1923 renumbering it was renumbered State Route 112 (as a spur of SR 11), and in the 1928 renumbering it became State Route 131. US 19 was added in the late 1920s, and in the 1933 renumbering the state routes were dropped.Major intersections
{| class=wikitable!County
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=6 colspan=2|City of Bristol
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, Bristol, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Tennessee....
|0.00
|
|Southern terminus of US 19 and US 11E in Virginia; Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
state line; south end of concurrency with SR 381
|-
|0.08
|
|South end of concurrency with US 421
|-
|0.23
|
|
|-
|0.58
|
|Northern terminus of US 11E and US 11W; southern terminus of US 11 in Virginia; north end of concurrencies with US 421 and SR 381; south end of concurrency with US 11
|-
|1.62
|
|
|-
|3.36
|
|I-81 Exit 5
|-
|rowspan=3|Washington
Washington County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 51,103 people, 21,056 households, and 14,949 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile . There were 22,985 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
|rowspan=3|Abingdon
Abingdon, Virginia
Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, USA, 133 miles southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,191 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Washington County and is a designated Virginia Historic Landmark...
|13.09
|
|
|-
|13.99
|
|North end of concurrency with US 11
|-
|14.44
|
|South end of concurrency with US 58 Alternate
|-
|rowspan=6|Russell
Russell County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 30,308 people, 11,789 households, and 8,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 people per square mile . There were 13,191 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
|Hansonville
|26.70
|
|North end of concurrency with US 58 Alternate
|-
|rowspan=3|Lebanon
Lebanon, Virginia
Lebanon is a town in Russell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,273 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Russell County.-Geography:Lebanon is located at ....
|32.33
|
|Diamond interchange
|-
|34.39
|
|Diamond interchange
|-
|36.04
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Rosedale
|40.80
|
|South end of concurrency with SR 80
|-
|43.37
|
|North end of concurrency with SR 80
|-
|rowspan=10|Tazewell
Tazewell County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,598 people, 18,277 households and 13,232 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile . There were 20,390 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile...
|Claypool Hill
Claypool Hill, Virginia
Claypool Hill is a census-designated place in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,719 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578.-Geography:...
|56.90
|
|South end of concurrency with US 460
|-
|Pisgah
|67.76
|
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Tazewell
Tazewell, Virginia
Tazewell is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, USA. The population was 4,206 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area, which has a population of 107,578. It is the county seat of Tazewell County....
|
|SR 16 Alt. (Fairground Road)
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|69.48
|
|Diamond interchange
|-
|70.91
|
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|
|
|Partial cloverleaf interchange
|-
|73.66
|
|Westbound exit, eastbound entrance
|-
|rowspan=3|Bluefield
Bluefield, Virginia
Bluefield is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, along the Bluestone River. The population was 5,078 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578...
|84.37
|
|Trumpet interchange; north end of concurrency with US 460
|-
|88.09
|
|
|-
|88.89
|
|Northern terminus of US 19 in Virginia; West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
state line