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63-536: Between Lexington in the Shenandoah Valley and Richmond , I-64 uses a lower elevation crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains located about 30 miles (48 km) further north, where it runs parallel to U.S. Route 250 through Rockfish Gap . In contrast, through this section, the older US 60 is mostly a rural two-lane road. With the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Humphreys Gap at

126-569: A rail trail or bikeway. In November 2020 the old tunnel and a short trail running through it were opened to the public. In the early 20th century, a road which was designated U.S. Route 250 in 1935 was built across the gap. In 1972 and 1973, sections of the new Interstate 64 were completed across Afton Mountain at Rockfish Gap. Rockfish Gap has been the site of several large multiple vehicle collisions on Interstate 64 during fog conditions on Afton Mountain, which peaks at about 1,915 feet above sea level. In April 1992, there were 2 fatalities in

189-433: A 60-car pileup. In late April 1998, another wreck involving 65 cars sent 40 people to area hospitals. Less than three weeks later, there was another 18-car crash. Fog was a factor in all three incidents. Motorists approaching from lower elevations sometimes suddenly encounter a dense fog as they approach the summit of the gap. A lighting system within the pavement to help designate lanes automatically activated by fog sensors

252-410: A higher altitude in more rugged terrain, US 60 in this area offers much more challenging and weather-sensitive driving conditions, as well as a history of many crashes in the years before I-64 was completed. (The original US 60 alignment through Glasgow , now US 501 , is lower than either but much curvier than I-64.) East of north–south U.S. Route 29 (which runs parallel to the eastern slope of

315-455: A household in the city was $ 28,982, and the median income for a family was $ 58,529. Males had a median income of $ 35,288 versus $ 26,094 for females. The per capita income was $ 16,497. About 8.4% of families and 21.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over. Lexington's primary economic activities stem from higher education and tourism. With its various connections to

378-399: A major thoroughfare in the independent city, and stretches over 20 miles (32 km) to downtown Newport News. Warwick Boulevard, once a major through traffic route, and now mostly a local connector road, is largely paralleled by newer highways, Interstate 64 and State Route 143 (Jefferson Avenue). These, with more lanes and higher speed limits, in combination with Warwick Boulevard, form

441-540: A new crossing of Skiffe's Creek is in a planning stage. Route 60 follows 25th Street out of downtown Newport News into the city of Hampton. When it enters Hampton, 25th Street becomes Kecoughtan Road and Route 60 follows it to downtown. It runs through the Wythe and Southhampton neighborhoods, forming the northern boundary of the Olde Wythe Historic District . In the 1940s and 50s Kecoughtan Road

504-535: A restaurant co-owner asked White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave the restaurant by citing Huckabee Sanders' role in the Trump administration . The incident sparked national controversy. Rockfish Gap Rockfish Gap is a wind gap located in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Charlottesville and Waynesboro , Virginia , United States , through Afton Mountain , which

567-430: A semi-circumferential expressway around the southwestern quadrant of Metropolitan Richmond and becoming Midlothian Turnpike . East of VA-288, Route 60 continues a few miles into the community of Midlothian . From this point east, the road becomes almost a continuous business district and widens to six lanes through the urban parts of Chesterfield County and the westernmost portion in the city of Richmond . U.S. 60 in

630-470: A stop in Lexington. The 1938 movie, Brother Rat , which starred Ronald Reagan , was shot in Lexington. After the release, Reagan was made an honorary VMI cadet. The 1958 Mardi Gras starred Pat Boone as a VMI cadet appearing with actress Christine Carère . Sommersby from 1993 starred Richard Gere , Bill Pullman , James Earl Jones , and Jodie Foster . Foreign Student , released in 1994,

693-587: A suspension for World War II). Lexington is the city of license for radio stations WIQR (88.7 FM), WMRL (89.9 FM), and WLUR (91.5 FM) on W&L campus. Lexington is located at the intersection of historic U.S. Route 11 and U.S. Route 60 and more modern highways, Interstate 64 and Interstate 81 . RADAR Transit operates the Maury Express, which provides local bus service to Lexington and Buena Vista. The Virginia Breeze provides intercity bus service between Blacksburg and Washington, D.C. , with

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756-464: A turnpike between the port of Manchester and Falling Creek. The improved road was opened to travelers in 1804, and ran from Manchester along the old Buckingham road to Falling Creek, now the bridge on Old Buckingham Road west of Unison Drive. Lexington, VA Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia , United States. At the 2020 census , the population

819-466: Is 7a. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. As of the census of 2000, there were 6,867 people, 2,232 households, and 1,080 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,753.8 per square mile (,064.8/km ). The racial makeup

882-564: Is frequently used to refer to the gap. Joining the Shenandoah Valley to the Piedmont region of the state, it is the site of the mountain crossing of Interstate 64 , U.S. Route 250 , and the former Blue Ridge Railroad which later became part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and is currently part of the CSX line. With an elevation of about 1,900 feet (580 m), it is one of

945-785: Is observed on the Friday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day . About 300 Confederate flag supporters, including members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans , rallied before the City Council meeting, and after the vote the Sons of Confederate Veterans vowed to challenge the new local ordinance in court. Previously, flags such as the Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute flags had also been flown on city light poles, but

1008-471: Is the weekly community paper; it also produces a free shopper known as The Weekender . The now-defunct The Rockbridge Weekly , noted for printing police and other local crime reports, was bought by The News-Gazette in June 2012. The Rockbridge Advocate is a monthly news magazine with the motto "Independent as a hog on ice". The Ring-tum Phi , student newspaper of W&L, has been published since 1897 (with

1071-802: The Chesapeake Bay . Rt. 60 leaves the Church Hill section of Richmond on Government Road and the Williamsburg Road, which follows the old Richmond-Williamsburg Stage Road for some distance in Henrico County . This area was the scene of several major American Civil War battles during the Peninsula Campaign in 1862, and the roadway borders federal cemeteries at Government Road near the city limits and at Seven Pines . There Nine Mile Road brings State Route 33 to

1134-598: The Civil War , Lexington attracts visitors from around the country. Places of interest in Lexington include the Stonewall Jackson House , University Chapel , the George C. Marshall Library, Virginia Military Institute Museum, Museum of Military Memorabilia, and the downtown historic district . Hull's Drive In theater attracts visitors to the area and was the first community-owned, non-profit drive-in in

1197-614: The Kingsmill Resort , its Williamsburg brewery, and the Busch Gardens Williamsburg theme park . East of there, US 60 narrows again to two lanes, passing through the historic Grove Community and past Carter's Grove Plantation in southeastern James City County. After crossing Skiffe's Creek , the roadway enters the Lee Hall section of the city of Newport News , where it becomes Warwick Boulevard ,

1260-642: The Lesner Bridge and towards the First Landing State Park and Joint Expeditionary Base East at Cape Henry . At the end of the state park, the roadway briefly is called 83rd Street as it curves onto Atlantic Avenue, running parallel to the oceanfront from a few hundred feet to a block or so to the west passing through most of the most developed portion of the Oceanfront area of the resort city. From Joint Expeditionary Base East to

1323-612: The Manchester Turnpike , later known as the Midlothian Turnpike , west from Richmond and the James River and Kanawha Turnpike west of Lexington into West Virginia. In Virginia, as a through-route, U.S. 60 was largely replaced by Interstate 64 . The latter is roughly parallel, although there is a separation of over 30 miles north and south between Lexington and Richmond . In South Hampton Roads ,

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1386-863: The Rivanna at Charlottesville , with inns or taverns spaced about 10 miles apart. By 1782, carriages could cross the Blue Ridge at Rockfish Gap. In 1818, President of the United States James Monroe , former presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison , and Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court John Marshall joined 24 other dignitaries at a meeting held in the Mountain Top Tavern at Rockfish Gap. Under Jefferson's leadership, they selected nearby Charlottesville as

1449-751: The U.S. Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km ), virtually all of which is land. The Maury River , a tributary of the James River , forms the city's northeastern boundary. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Lexington has a humid subtropical climate , similar to Northern Italy , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Average monthly temperatures range from 34.9 °F in January to 75.2 °F in July. The hardiness zone

1512-958: The Virginia Peninsula east to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel . A few miles south of the bridge-tunnel , in Norfolk , US 60 diverges to follow the south shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay through Ocean View and past the south entrance to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to reach Cape Henry . There it curves south to run along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline to end near the south end of the Virginia Beach resort strip. The first developed portions of US 60 in Virginia included

1575-525: The 1862 Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War . The original tunnel was replaced by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway with a new one on a slightly different alignment in the mid-20th century. The railroad is now owned by CSX Transportation and is operated under lease to Buckingham Branch Railroad , a Virginia-based short-line railroad . The old tunnel (aka Blue Ridge Tunnel ) is still intact and has been considered for possible re-use as

1638-601: The Blue Ridge), the older US 60 and I-64 gradually converge as they pass through the rolling hills of the rocky Piedmont region in an easterly direction to reach the Fall Line at Richmond , where they again become very close. From Richmond east to the harbor area near the mouth of Hampton Roads , US 60 again essentially parallels I-64 through Williamsburg and the Historic Triangle region, extending down

1701-543: The Richmond area enters on Midlothian Turnpike. The road largely follows the path of the old Manchester Turnpike , built early in the 18th century. Nearby, remnants of the Chesterfield Railroad , first in Virginia can be seen just south of the current highway. Midlothian was the site of coal mines after about 1700, with product transported overland to Manchester which was Richmond's sister city south of

1764-412: The U.S. The non-profit Virginia Horse Center is a significant regional equestrian event facility. Lexington also contains a host of small retail businesses, bed and breakfast inns, and restaurants catering to a unique mixture of local, tourist, and collegiate clientele. The historic R. E. Lee Hotel, built in the 1920s, underwent extensive renovation and re-opened its doors late 2014. The News-Gazette

1827-575: The bay front and becomes Shore Drive, passing the entrance to the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek at Little Creek, Virginia as it heads east into the city of Virginia Beach . After passing the Navy Base, Shore Drive again runs close to the bay front and crosses US 13 near the southern terminus of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel . US 60 continues as a 4-lane divided highway as it crosses over Lynnhaven Inlet on

1890-419: The city limits, the roadway immediately begins a steep climb. The roadway has many switchbacks and on both the eastern and western slopes, with White's Gap at the peak. After descending on the eastern side, travelers reach Amherst , where Route 60 intersects north–south U.S. Route 29 . Continuing east, there is an additional shorter section of mountainous terrain before the road levels out somewhat into

1953-528: The city. It is the site of the only house Jackson ever owned, now open to the public as a museum. Cyrus McCormick invented the horse-drawn mechanical reaper at his family's farm in Rockbridge County , and a statue of McCormick is located on the Washington and Lee University campus. McCormick Farm is now owned by Virginia Tech and is a satellite agricultural research center. According to

U.S. Route 60 in Virginia - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-564: The crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains . U.S. 60 crosses at White's Gap ; I-64 uses Rockfish Gap . East of the Blue Ridge, the two pathways gradually converge, meeting again at Richmond. Although US 60 offers a bucolic interlude for many motorists in comparison with I-64, the western portion of the Lexington-Richmond section of US 60 can be very difficult to drive, especially for larger vehicles such as motor homes and commercial vehicles, or any vehicles during inclement weather. It

2079-675: The documentary Lee Beyond the Battles and Gods and Generals . In 2011, the city erupted in controversy after the City Council passed an ordinance to ban the flying of flags other than the United States flag, the Virginia Flag, and an as-yet-undesigned city flag on city light poles. Various flags of the Confederacy had previously been flown on city light poles to commemorate the Virginia holiday, Lee–Jackson Day , which

2142-527: The eastern terminus of both the former Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway (now I-264 ) respectively, continuing to meet the original Virginia Beach Boulevard at 17th Street. It then continues along Pacific over the Rudee Inlet Bridge to the highway's eastern terminus at the intersection of Harbour Point and Rudee Point Road in Virginia Beach. The road itself continues southwest back into the city as General Booth Boulevard. The Manchester Turnpike

2205-514: The fastest way to reach the oceanfront area of Virginia Beach. However, US 60 offers a more scenic, if perhaps slower, alternative, by sticking to the shoreline of the bay and ocean to reach the same destination. After leaving I-64, US 60 shifts onto Ocean View Avenue, a four lane boulevard following the southern shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay , going through the Ocean View area of Norfolk . At East Ocean View, then roadway swings away from

2268-626: The home of the Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee University . Lexington was named in 1778. It was the first of what would be many American places named after Lexington, Massachusetts , known for being the place at which the first shot was fired in the American Revolution . The Union General David Hunter led a raid on Virginia Military Institute during the American Civil War . Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson are buried in

2331-470: The intersection. East of downtown Richmond, US 60 again parallels I-64 east along the Virginia Peninsula through the much flatter coastal plains of the Tidewater region of Virginia to reach the harbor at Hampton Roads . Most of the route immediately east of Richmond is two laned. In the years before I-64 was built, a hilly three-laned portion of US 60 in eastern Henrico County east of Seven Pines (and

2394-735: The junction of Virginia State Route 30 (near I-64 at exit 227), US 60 swings somewhat south to pass through Toano and Norge to reach Williamsburg , which I-64 bypasses slightly to the north. (First designated through the area in the late 1920s, US 60 also has a shorter bypass of the Historic District which encompasses most Colonial Williamsburg attractions). At Williamsburg, the National Park Service 's Colonial Parkway leads to both Jamestown and Yorktown . At milepost 238 on I-64, Virginia State Route 143 begins. As Colonial Williamsburg opened, this four-laned route

2457-514: The junction of much newer I-295 ) was infamous for many years for its center " suicide lane ". Most of this section is now two-laned, with the center lane area reserved for turning lanes. East of Bottoms Bridge , in New Kent County and western James City County , US 60 is a lightly traveled four-lane divided highway that is sometimes used as an alternate route to Interstate 64 when the latter becomes congested. Near Anderson's Corner at

2520-469: The late Paleozoic Alleghenian orogeny (300 to 330 million years ago). Rockfish Gap lies astride a north-northwest trending fracture zone; some fractures are intruded by diabase dikes of Jurassic age. The broken bedrock along this fracture zone is more easily eroded than unfractured bedrock - likely the reason for the formation of the gap at this location. In the 18th century, early trails used by Native Americans were gradually expanded to accommodate

2583-641: The lowest gaps between Manassas Gap and the James River . Rockfish Gap lies along a drainage divide between southeast-flowing streams that drain to the James River and northwest-flowing streams in the Shenandoah River system. The scenic Skyline Drive , which runs north through Shenandoah National Park to Front Royal , and the Blue Ridge Parkway , which runs south to a point near Cherokee, North Carolina , each generally following

U.S. Route 60 in Virginia - Misplaced Pages Continue

2646-536: The major east–west highways through modern-day Newport News. The road was named for the former Warwick County, Virginia , one of the original eight shires of Virginia which consolidated with the City of Newport News in 1958 and assumed the better-known name. Warwick County was named in 1634 for Robert Rich (1587–1658), second Earl of Warwick and a prominent member of the Virginia Company of London ,

2709-697: The mountain ridgetops, meet a short distance north of Rockfish Gap (such that the roadway on the bridge over the gap is actually part of the Blue Ridge Parkway). The Appalachian Trail also passes through the gap. Rockfish Gap is underlain by greenstones of the Catoctin Formation, a late Neoproterozoic geologic unit exposed throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania. Catoctin greenstones were originally erupted as basaltic lava flows 550 to 565 million years ago and later metamorphosed and deformed during

2772-533: The practice is now discontinued due to the city's ordinance. In 2014, a large Confederate battle flag and a number of related state flags were removed from Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University . The flags were moved to a rotating display at the Lee Chapel Museum. The Red Hen restaurant was the site of the June 22, 2018, precipitating event for the Red Hen restaurant controversy in which

2835-559: The proprietary venture which founded Jamestown in 1607. The western reaches of Warwick Boulevard transverse the Denbigh area, long the county seat of Warwick County. A notable section of Huntington Avenue (the block between 25th and 26th streets) carries US 60 in both directions overlapping, and is possibly the only example of a highway in the United States with such a configuration. Notable sites along Warwick Boulevard or close by, west to east, include: Several miles east of Lee Hall,

2898-585: The river (until they merged in 1910). At Manchester, ships could dock in the navigable waters of the James River just east of the fall line . U.S. Route 60 crosses the James River on the Manchester Bridge into downtown Richmond. Nearby in Richmond, it crosses U.S. Route 360 , technically a spur. From Richmond, U.S. 360 extends southwest to Danville, Virginia just north of the North Carolina border and northeast to Reedville, Virginia on

2961-481: The road widens to four lanes near the entrance to Fort Eustis . From there, as Warwick Boulevard, US 60 stretches about 18 miles (29 km) to reach downtown Newport News. In the early 21st century, Newport News was in the midst of a widening project to expand portions of Warwick Boulevard to six lanes. Another project in Newport News to relocate and widen the portion of Route 60 west of Fort Eustis and construct

3024-494: The roads also separate. I-64 became part of the circumferential Hampton Roads Beltway and looping far south and west of Norfolk, rather than reaching the Atlantic Ocean. Although older, Route 60 continues its west to east travel, becoming the public roadway actually closest to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean terminating near the traditional resort strip at Virginia Beach . U.S. Route 60 enters

3087-563: The rolling Piedmont region through the middle belt of the state. At Sprouse's Corner in Buckingham County , north–south U.S. Route 15 is crossed. This is the last major intersection until reaching the outskirts of Richmond. The road is two lanes for most of its journey eastward from Lexington, but widens to four lanes in Powhatan Virginia . Crossing into Chesterfield County , it intersects State Route 288 ,

3150-657: The site of the new University of Virginia . In 1854, the German landscape artist, Edward Beyer , painted a landscape of Rockfish Gap and the Mountain House. State Chief Engineer Claudius Crozet of the Virginia Board of Public Works oversaw construction of the railroad tunnel under Rockfish Gap in the 1850s as part of the state-owned Blue Ridge Railroad . This tunnel was later used by Confederate General Stonewall Jackson to move his foot cavalry during

3213-636: The state as part of I-64 near the top of the Eastern Continental Divide in the Appalachian Mountains and crosses the portions of the Great Valley, passing the city of Covington , and town of Clifton Forge and the city of Lexington. At Lexington, the newer Interstate route swings north, concurrent with I-81 to Staunton where it again turns east. The variation between the routes was largely due to terrain for

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3276-617: The state to install an innovative pavement lighting system. East of the mountain, I-64 passes Charlottesville and has easy grades on its way to Richmond. From Lexington, US 60 runs easterly across the Blue Ridge Mountains . The switchbacks and grades along the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains still used by U.S. 60 combine to form a very hilly and treacherous section. The 30 miles (48 km) east of Lexington become virtually impassable by most vehicles during inclement weather, particularly snow and ice. A short distance east of Interstate 81 , as it passes through Buena Vista , even before leaving

3339-404: The terminus, the routing of US 60 is geographically north–south although it is signed as an east–west route (except for one sign where Atlantic Avenue meets Pacific Avenue noting US 60 as a north–south route). When Atlantic Avenue meets Pacific Avenue, US 60 continues straight onto Pacific Avenue, through the entire resort strip, passing 22nd and 21st streets, which lead to and from

3402-519: The westward expansion of Virginia colonists. The Three Chopt or Three Notch'd Road had been established in the Colony of Virginia between Richmond and the Shenandoah Valley by the 1740s. Most likely, the road followed an ancient Monacan trail from the village of Orapax (east of Richmond) to the western Shenandoah Valley . This well-planned route required only one major river crossing,

3465-453: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.76. In the city, the population was spread out, with 11.0% under the age of 18, 41.4% from 18 to 24, 14.5% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 123.2 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 127.2 males. The median income for

3528-528: Was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County , although the two are separate jurisdictions, and is combined with it for statistical purposes by the Bureau of Economic Analysis . Lexington is within the Shenandoah Valley about 57 miles (92 km) east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles (80 km) north of Roanoke, Virginia . First settled in 1778, Lexington is best known as

3591-558: Was 86.01% White , 10.38% African American , 0.26% Native American , 1.92% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander and 0.48% from other races , and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population. There were 2,232 households, of which 18.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.6% were non-families. 41.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who

3654-423: Was a turnpike road in Chesterfield County , and was the first lengthy paved roadway in that state. It stretched from Manchester (now part of Richmond 's Southside ) west to Falling Creek near Midlothian , and is now known as Midlothian Turnpike, mostly forming part of US 60. In 1802, Chesterfield County's coal manufacturers and residents petitioned the Virginia General Assembly for permission to construct

3717-502: Was based on a novel of college life by former W&L student Phillipe Labro with related scenes made in town. In Fall 2004, the director Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise filmed scenes for War of the Worlds here, with Dakota Fanning and Tim Robbins . In June 2013, filming took place for a movie titled Field of Lost Shoes about the Battle of New Market starring Luke Benward and Lauren Holly . Filming for parts of several Civil War films also took place in Lexington, including

3780-408: Was built in the 1930s as Merrimack Trail to supplement US Route 60. It parallels both US 60 and I-64 all the way east through Williamsburg, James City, and York counties, and through Newport News to reach Fort Monroe (near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel) in Hampton . East of Williamsburg, US 60 passes the multiple Anheuser Busch developments in James City County , which include an office park,

3843-416: Was expanded to 4 lanes and tolls removed in the mid-1970s.) Notable sites along US-60 in Hampton or close by, west to east, include: After passing the tip of Willoughby Spit and a bridge across the north shore of Willoughby Bay, back on land, US 60 exits I-64 . The Interstate continues southerly into Norfolk as part of the Hampton Roads Beltway , and in conjunction with Interstate 264 , generally offers

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3906-430: Was notorious for deadly crashes in the years before I-64 was completed. The newer I-64 uses Rockfish Gap , a lower elevation wind gap which was also selected for a vital railroad crossing by Virginia's legendary 19th century state engineer, Claudius Crozet . Even that crossing, at Afton Mountain, can be very treacherous, and has been particularly notorious for accidents during reduced periods of visibility, motivating

3969-433: Was one of Hampton and Newport News's primary commercial centers. It then turns onto Settlers' Landing Road and follows it through downtown Hampton and across Hampton River on the Booker T. Washington Bridge to join Interstate 64 in crossing Hampton Roads in the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel . (As a historical note, prior to 1957, when the bridge-tunnel was completed, the crossing was via a car ferry service. The bridge-tunnel

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