U.S. Route 224

U.S. Route 224 marker
U.S. Route 224
Map
US 224 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 24
Maintained by INDOT, ODOT, and PennDOT
Length288.21 mi[a] (463.83 km)
Major junctions
West end US 24 / SR 5 / SR 9 at Huntington, IN
Major intersections
East end
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesIndiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania
CountiesIN: Huntington, Wells, Adams
OH: Van Wert, Putnam, Hancock, Seneca, Huron, Ashland, Medina, Summit, Portage, Mahoning
PA: Lawrence
Highway system
  • Indiana State Highway System
  • Ohio State Highway System
← SR 218IN→ SR 225
← SR 223OH→ SR 224
← PA 223PA→ PA 224

U.S. Route 224 (US 224) is a spur of US 24 that runs through the states of Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. It currently runs for 289 miles (465 km) from US 24 in Huntington, Indiana, east to US 422 Business (US 422 Bus.) and Pennsylvania Route 18 (PA 18) in New Castle, Pennsylvania. It goes through the cities of Canfield, Ohio, Akron, Ohio, and Findlay, Ohio. In Northeast Ohio, US 224 is located a short distance north of the Western Reserve's southern boundary.

Route description

[edit]

Indiana

[edit]
US 224 at its intersection with SR 5 south

From the western terminus at US 24, US 224 heads southeast concurrent with State Road 5 (SR 5). US 224 and SR 5 heads through downtown Huntington as one-way streets, with eastbound on Cherry Street and State Street and westbound on Warren Street. From downtown US 224 and SR 5 head southeast then outside of downtown SR 5 heads due south and US 224 heads east. US 224 passes through Markle where US 224 has an interchange with Interstate 69 (I-69) and intersections with both SR 116 and SR 3. US 224 heads east towards Decatur passing through intersections with SR 301 and SR 1. In Decatur US 224 has a short concurrency with US 27 and US 33. US 224 heads east from Decatur towards Ohio passing through a short concurrency with SR 101.[1]

The only section of U.S. Route 224 in Indiana that is included in the National Highway System is the part concurrent with US 27 and US 33.[2] Traffic reports from the Indiana Department of Transportation in 2010 showed that the lowest traffic levels were the 2,420 vehicles and 670 commercial vehicles using the highway daily near the Ohio state line; the highest traffic levels were the 21,680 vehicles and 1,690 commercial vehicles traveling along the section of US 224 that is concurrent with US 27 and US 33.[3]

Ohio

[edit]

West of its concurrency with US 42 near Lodi, US 224 is a rural arterial highway, mostly two lanes, across western Ohio. It runs roughly parallel to the former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from its westerly US 42 junction to Tiffin, a city around which it sweeps to the south with intersections at various state highways that radiate out from downtown. US 224 passes through a commercial strip on the south side of Willard, and goes through downtown Findlay and Ottawa, but it otherwise specializes in small towns along its course across northwest Ohio. It crosses US 250 east of Greenwich; State Route 4 (SR 4), a major north–south route, at Attica; US 23 south of Fostoria, and I-75 in Findlay, and has brief concurrences with US 127 and US 30 near Van Wert. It crosses the Ashland Railway just east of Willard, the Norfolk Southern Railway at Attica, CSX Transportation near US 23, in Findlay, and in Ottawa, and the Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad west of Van Wert.

East of Lodi, US 224 meets the western terminus of I-76, with which it forms a concurrency. It is in this area, US 224 enters the Connecticut Western Reserve. Less than a mile later, both routes intersect with I-71. US 224 continues along with I-76 to Akron. Here, I-76 exits and heads north. Continuing on US 224, the route runs concurrently with I-277, a short auxiliary highway running through southern Akron. I-277 quickly ends, leaving US 224 to continue into a heavily wooded area. The highway then intersects with SR 43, SR 44, SR 169, SR 225, SR 14, SR 45 and SR 46. Shortly after crossing over SR 11, US 224 enters Boardman Township in Mahoning County, where it eventually crosses a YSRR right of way perpendicularly on its way to the interchange with I-680 before reaching the village of Poland.

This stretch of US 224, through Canfield, Boardman and Poland, is known for its chronic congestion. The original routing of US 224 through the village of Poland turned southeast on Main Street (formerly SR 90, now SR 170) to Riverside Drive, then north on Riverside Drive to the current alignment. In 1954 a bridge was built across Yellow Creek and a new road was constructed from Main Street to Riverside Drive, including an intersection with Water Street (SR 616). As US 224 leaves the village of Poland it continues through rural terrain as it heads towards Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania

[edit]
US 224 eastbound in Union Township

US 224 crosses into Mahoning Township in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, and becomes West State Street, a two-lane, undivided road. The road heads through wooded areas with some homes and commercial establishments, heading to the east-southeast. The route curves to the northeast in Peanut and passes over Norfolk Southern's Youngstown Line, coming to an intersection with PA 551. Here, PA 551 turns northeast to form a concurrency with US 224. The road heads through wooded areas and crosses the Mahoning River and CSX's New Castle Subdivision railroad line. PA 551 splits from US 224 by heading north on North Edinburg Road, with US 224 continuing into wooded areas with some farm fields. The road turns to the southeast and enters Union Township. The route continues through wooded areas with some farmland and homes, passing to the south of New Castle Municipal Airport and heading through the community of Parkstown. US 224 heads into commercial areas, gaining a second lane westbound before widening into a six-lane divided highway as it comes to an interchange with I-376/US 422.[4][5]

Past this interchange, the road becomes a three-lane road with a center left-turn lane and passes through a mix of residences and businesses, running through the community of Oakwood. The route heads into the city of New Castle and passes through wooded areas of development, gaining a second westbound lane and coming to an intersection with US 422 Business. At this point, US 422 Business turns east to join US 224 on four-lane divided West Falls Street, passing more development and crossing over a New Castle Industrial Railroad line and the Shenango River. The road heads to the east and continues through commercial areas. US 224 ends at an intersection with PA 18, at which point US 422 Business turns south to join that route.[4][5]

History

[edit]
The eastern terminus of US 224 at US 422 Bus. and PA 18 in New Castle, Pennsylvania

US 224 was assigned to a portion of the Benjamin Franklin Highway, an auto trail running from Omaha, Nebraska to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; its number assignment was an alternative to a westward rerouting of US 422 which runs along the Benjamin Franklin Highway farther east.[6]

When US 224 was commissioned in Indiana in 1934, it replaced State Road 16 (SR 16), from Huntington to the Ohio state line.

Although US 224 is only in Pennsylvania for 10 miles, the eastern terminus has changed several times since 1933, ending at various points in New Castle, Pennsylvania or in adjacent Union Township west of the city.[7] The eastern terminus has been moved five times (1936, 1947, 1974, 1977, 2008), the most notable of which was in the 1970s when the New Castle Bypass opened in 1974 and the state extended US 224 through the city and into Shenango Township at the eastern terminus of the bypass, taking over US 422's old alignment after that highway was moved to the bypass.

The route was truncated back at the current interchange with US 422 and I-376 in 1977 while the old alignment through New Castle was replaced by Business US 422. This would be the case until March 20, 2008, when US 224 was officially extended two miles (3.2 km) to PA 18 inside the New Castle city limits with the placement of new signs. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) requested approval from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) for the extension in August 2007.[8] and received it the following month.[9]

The extension of US 224 marked the second extension of a major highway into downtown New Castle in a little more than a year, as Pennsylvania Route 65 was extended a mile from its previous terminus with Business 422 to the PA 108/PA 168 concurrency in February 2007.

Future

[edit]

Due to a higher-than-average number of crash-related injuries and fatalities along a stretch of US 224 in Medina County, Ohio, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) recommended converting three intersections, Vandemark, Westfield and Leroy roads, to restricted crossing U-turns. The highest-priority intersection, with Westfield Road in Westfield Township, was awarded $578,000 in ODOT funding and began construction in May 2019 and finished by the end of summer 2019.[10]

There is a $2.4 million project north of the city of Van Wert to replace the current intersection of US 224, US 127 and Marsh Road (County Road 13) with a roundabout. The project began in January 2022 and was completed in October.[11][12][13][14][15][16]

Major intersections

[edit]
StateCountyLocationmi[a]kmExitDestinationsNotes
IndianaHuntingtonHuntington0.0000.000
 US 24 / SR 5 north / SR 9 – Fort Wayne, Wabash		Western terminus of US 224 and its concurrency with SR 5
3.1785.114
 SR 5 south – Warren, J. Edward Roush Lake		Eastern end of SR 5 concurrency
Markle9.895–
10.044		15.924–
16.164		 I-69 – Indianapolis, Fort WayneI-69 exit 286
10.19916.414
 SR 116 east		Western terminus of SR 116
10.97217.658
 SR 3 south – Hartford City		Northern terminus of SR 3
WellsKingsland20.00532.195 SR 1 – Fort Wayne, Bluffton
Lancaster–Jefferson
township line		23.94738.539
 SR 301 south – Craigville		Northern terminus of SR 301
AdamsDecatur31.98451.473

 US 27 north / US 33 north		Northern end of US 27/US 33 concurrency
32.20151.822

 US 27 south / US 33 south		Southern end of US 27/US 33 concurrency
Union Township36.24058.323
 SR 101 north – Monroeville		Western end of SR 101 concurrency
37.23859.929
 SR 101 south		Eastern end of SR 101 concurrency
 39.377
0.00		63.371
0.00		Indiana–Ohio state line
OhioVan WertHarrison Township1.472.37
 SR 49 south – Willshire		Western end of SR 49 concurrency
5.108.21
 SR 49 north – Convoy		Eastern end of SR  concurrency
Pleasant Township10.70–
10.98		17.22–
17.67
 US 30 west – Fort Wayne		Western end of US 30 concurrency
Van Wert14.5023.34
 US 30 east – Upper Sandusky

 US 127 south – Celina		Eastern end of US 30 concurrency; southern end of US 127 concurrency
Pleasant–Ridge
township line		15.8525.51
 US 127 north – Paulding
Marsh Road (CR 13)		Northern end of US 127 concurrency; intersection; scheduled for conversion to roundabout October 2022
Hoaglin–Jackson
township line		21.6834.89
 SR 637 north		Southern terminus of SR 637
PutnamMonterey Township27.7344.63
 SR 66 north – Defiance		Western end of SR 66 concurrency
Ottoville28.7246.22
 SR 66 south – Delphos
SR 189		Eastern end of SR 66 concurrency; western terminus of SR 189
28.8346.40
 SR 189 east		Western terminus of SR 189
Jackson Township31.6750.97 SR 634
32.9252.98
 SR 190 south		Northern terminus of SR 190
Kalida37.1659.80
 SR 114 west		Eastern terminus of SR 114
37.2960.01
 SR 115 north – Continental		Western end of SR 115 concurrency
37.4960.33
 SR 115 south – Lima		Eastern end of SR 115 concurrency
Glandorf45.0872.55
 SR 694 west		Eastern terminus of SR 694
Ottawa46.2974.50

 SR 15 north / SR 65 / SR 109 north		Western end of SR 15 concurrency; southern terminus of SR 109
HancockBlanchard Township60.5897.49 SR 235
62.60100.74
 SR 186 north		Southern terminus of SR 186
Findlay67.09107.97
 I-75 / SR 15 south – Toledo, Lima, Upper Sandusky		Eastern end of SR 15 concurrency
69.01111.06

 SR 12 west / SR 37 south		Western end of SR 12 concurrency; northern terminus of SR 37
70.19112.96
 SR 12 east – Fostoria		Eastern end of SR 12 concurrency
SenecaLoudon Township82.41132.63 US 23 / SR 199 – Upper Sandusky, Toledo
85.00136.79 SR 587
Tiffin91.99148.04 SR 18 – Fostoria, Bellevue
Hopewell Township93.33150.20 SR 53 – Upper Sandusky, Fremont
Clinton Township94.87152.68 SR 231
Clinton–Eden
township line		96.10154.66 SR 100 – Bucyrus
Scipio Township101.19162.85 SR 67 – Upper Sandusky
103.30166.25 SR 19 – Bucyrus, Fremont
Attica110.23177.40 SR 4 – Bucyrus, Marion, Sandusky
HuronWillard118.63190.92 SR 103
119.51192.33
 SR 99 north		Southern terminus of SR 99
121.84196.08 SR 61 / SR 598
Greenwich Township132.09212.58 SR 13
AshlandRuggles Township135.63218.28 US 250
136.94220.38 SR 60
Nova141.53227.77 SR 511
Sullivan145.86234.74 SR 58
MedinaHomerville150.87242.80 SR 301
Lodi154.77249.08

 US 42 west / SR 421 east		Southern end of US 42 concurrency; western terminus of SR 421
157.41253.33 SR 83
158.89255.71

 US 42 east / SR 421 west		Northern end of US 42 concurrency; eastern end of SR 421
Westfield Center164.26264.351

 I-76 west to I-71 – Columbus, Cleveland		Western end of I–76 concurrency; western terminus of I–76; I-71 exit 209
166.12267.342 SR 3
Wadsworth174.52280.867 SR 57
173.56279.329 SR 94
175.56282.5411 SR 261
SummitNorton177.12285.0513 SR 21
178.45287.1914Cleveland Massillon Road
179.99289.6716Barber Road
Barberton181.33291.8217To
 SR 619 south / State Street/East Avenue/Kenmore Boulevard		Full Interchange, Westbound must Exit onto State St & Enter I-76 East Ramp
Akron181.63292.3117
 SR 619 south / East Avenue/Kenmore Boulevard		Closed in 2022, all traffic was sent to State Street exit
182.14293.1318
1
 I-76 east
I-277		Eastern end of I–76 concurrency; western end of I–277 concurrency; western terminus of I–277
183.29–
183.48		294.98–
295.28		2 SR 93
184.61297.103South Main Street
185.88299.144 I-77 / I-277Eastern end of I–277 concurrency; signed as exits 4A (south) & 4B (north); eastern terminus of I–277; I-77 exit 122
186.88300.75Kelly Avenue
187.35301.51Air Dock Access Road/Emmitt RoadEastbound exit and entrance only
188.03302.60 SR 241
Springfield Township190.08305.90
 SR 91 north		Southern terminus of SR 91
Summit–Portage
county line		Springfield–Suffield
township line		191.90308.83
 SR 532 north		Southern terminus of SR 532
PortageSuffield Township194.32312.73 SR 43
Randolph Township199.61321.24 SR 44
Atwater204.89329.74
 SR 183 north		Northern end of SR 183 concurrency
205.42330.59 SR 183Eastern end of SR 193 concurrency
​208.00334.74
 SR 225 south		Western end of SR 225 concurrency
Deerfield Township210.49338.75
 SR 14 / SR 225 north		Eastern end of SR 225 concurrency
MahoningBerlin Township215.98347.59 SR 534
Ellsworth220.70355.18 SR 45
Canfield224.72361.65
 SR 446 south		Northern terminus of SR 446
225.76363.33 US 62 / SR 46
226.88365.13 SR 11
Boardman Township228.38367.54
 SR 625 north		Southern terminus of SR 625
230.91371.61 SR 7
232.77374.61 I-680I-680 exit 11
Poland233.43375.67 SR 170
233.54375.85 SR 616
 238.43
0.00		383.72
0.00		Ohio–Pennsylvania state line
PennsylvaniaLawrenceMahoning Township4.336.97
 PA 551 south (Jackson Street)		Western end of PA 551 concurrency
4.957.97
 PA 551 north (North Edinburg Road)		Eastern end of PA 551 concurrency
Union Township7.8612.65 I-376 / US 422 (Benjamin Franklin Highway) – Sharon, Butler, PittsburghI-376/US 422 exit 13; former eastern terminus of US 224 (1977–2008)
New Castle8.9114.34



 US 422 Bus. west (Sampson Street) to US 422 west – Youngstown, OH		Western end of US 422 Bus. concurrency
10.1516.33

 US 422 Bus. east / PA 18 (North Jefferson Street)		Eastern terminus of US 224 and its concurrency with US 422 Bus.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

[edit]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Total mileage is the sum of each state's mileage[17][18][19]

References

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  1. ^ "Overview Map of US 224 in Indiana" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  2. ^ Federal Highway Administration (December 2003). National Highway System: Indiana (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  3. ^ Indiana Department of Transportation (2010). "Indiana Traffic Counts". Indianapolis: Indiana Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Overview of US 224 in Pennsylvania" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
  5. ^ a b Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (2011). Lawrence County, Pennsylvania Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 21, 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ Weingroff, Richard F. "U.S. 22 – The William Penn Highway". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Sections "More Pennsylvania Problems" and "Ben Franklin Highway". Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  7. ^ "US 224". Pennsylvania Highways.[self-published source]
  8. ^ Bichler, Allen D. (August 17, 2007). "An Application from the State Highway or Transportation Department of Pennsylvania for Extension of a U.S. Route 224" (PDF). Letter to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2016 – via American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
  9. ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (September 29, 2007). "Report for SCOH" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2017.
  10. ^ Ohio Department of Transportation District 3 (March 14, 2017). "US-224 Highway Safety Project (meeting handout)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Barnhart, Kirsten (December 1, 2019). "ODOT looking at roundabout at U.S. 127/U.S. 224/Marsh Road". Delphos Herald. Delphos, Ohio: DHI Media. Archived from the original on April 10, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  12. ^ "Roundabout to be built at intersection of U.S. 127/U.S. 224 at Marsh Road". The Times Bulletin. Van Wert, Ohio: DHI Media. January 15, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  13. ^ Cummins, Todd; Sharpe, Joseph (January 15, 2020). "Roundabout to be built north of city of Van Wert". WLIO. Block Communications. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  14. ^ "Roundabout to improve U.S. 127/224 intersection". The Lima News. AIM Media Midwest. January 15, 2020. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  15. ^ Demczyk, Matt (April 6, 2022). "ODOT Kicks Off Construction Season In Northwest Ohio". WKXA-FM. Blanchard River Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original on April 10, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  16. ^ "U.S. 127/U.S. 224 roundabout construction; and U.S. 127 bridge rehabilitation". Ohio Department of Transportation. Project 110430. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  17. ^ Indiana Department of Transportation (July 2016). Reference Post Book (PDF). Indianapolis: Indiana Department of Transportation. US 224. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  18. ^ "Straight Line Diagrams". Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  19. ^ "Pennsylvania Stateroads". Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on June 3, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
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