U.S. Route 23 in Ohio

U.S. Route 23 (US 23) is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida, to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the state of Ohio, it is a major north–south state highway that runs from the Kentucky border at Portsmouth to the Michigan border at Sylvania.

U.S. Route 23
Route of US 23 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ODOT
Length	234.83 mi[1] (377.92 km)
Existed	1926–present
Major junctions
South end	US 23 at U.S. Grant Bridge in Portsmouth
	US 52 in Portsmouth US 35 / US 50 in Chillicothe US 22 in Circleville I-70 / I-71 in Columbus US 36 / US 42 in Delaware US 30 in Upper Sandusky US 224 near Fostoria US 6 near Bradner I-75 / I-475 / US 20 in Perrysburg US 24 in Maumee
North end	US 23 / US 223 at Michigan-Ohio state line near Sylvania
Location
Counties	Scioto, Pike, Ross, Pickaway, Franklin, Delaware, Marion, Wyandot, Seneca, Sandusky, Wood, Lucas
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided Ohio Highways Interstate U.S. State Scenic ← SR 22 → SR 23

Route description

The route crosses over the Ohio River via the U.S. Grant Bridge into the city of Portsmouth. Through downtown Portsmouth, it follows parallel one-way streets with northbound traffic on Gay Street and southbound on Chillicothe Street. These roads merge into Scioto Trail, which becomes a divided highway north of Rosemount, and again north of Lucasville, through Piketon to just south of Waverly.[2]

Within Waverly, the route becomes concurrent with SR 104, in addition to a four-block concurrency with SR 335 that ends in downtown Waverly. The concurrency with State Route 104 ends just south of Chillicothe, Ohio, at which point US 23 becomes an expressway.[2] The route bypasses Chillicothe to the east, including a short concurrency with US 35 before once again becoming a divided highway near Kingston. It continues as such through Circleville to the southern edge of Columbus, at the southern junction of Interstate 270.[2]

Columbus

Protected bike lane and bus stop island on Summit Street near the Ohio State University campus

In downtown Columbus, the route is applied to a one-way pair. It first jogs easterly via Livingston Avenue (north) and Fulton Street (south) before continuing northerly with northbound traffic on Fourth Street and southbound traffic on Third Street, which becomes Summit Street north of Fifth Avenue. The one-way pair ends at Hudson Street on the border of the SoHud and Glen Echo neighborhoods, with both directions of US 23 jogging westerly onto Hudson Street before continuing northerly on Indianola Avenue, closely paralleling Interstate 71. The route then moves westerly again via Morse Road, then north again onto High Street on the north edge of the East Beechwold neighborhood. North of the northern junction with Interstate 270, High Street becomes Columbus Pike.

The section immediately north of the northern junction with Interstate 270 was upgraded with a northbound-only set of express lanes which passes under Dimension Drive, Campus View Boulevard, Radio City Boulevard, and Flint Road, with the former alignment of US 23 providing access to those roads. This configuration, known as the "Trench", opened to traffic in September 2015, and its construction coincides with a reconfiguration of the I-270 exit.[3]

North of Columbus

In Lewis Center, US 23 once again becomes an expressway, and remains as such until Carey, except for a small portion north of Delaware.[2] Between Marion and Carey, all junctions with other routes are exits, except for SR 529 east of Marion and SR 294 east of Harpster. The route becomes concurrent with US 42 along an eastern bypass of Delaware, then bypasses Waldo and Marion to the east. It bypasses Upper Sandusky to the east and north, mostly in concurrency with US 30.[2] The route then departs the expressway at Carey, becoming concurrent with SR 103 while the expressway continues westerly as SR 15. Within Carey, the concurrency with State Route 103 ends, and a concurrency with SR 199 begins. The two co-signed routes continue as a rural highway to Fostoria, Ohio.[2]

Within Fostoria, US 23 becomes concurrent with SR 18 while turning westerly along Lytle Street, then northerly along a short, unnamed expressway in concurrency with SR 12. At the northern end of the expressway, State Route 12 departs while US 23, still concurrent with State Routes 18 and 199, continues westerly along Tiffin Street, then northerly along County Line Street. State Routes 18 and 199 both depart within Fostoria city limits, while US 23 continues northerly and becomes Fostoria Road. Northeast of Bradner, the route has a junction with US 6.

Northwest of Woodville, the route becomes concurrent with US 20, with both routes continuing northwesterly to Perrysburg.[2] There, US 23 begins a brief wrong-way concurrency with I-75, then departs for a concurrency with Interstate 475, the western bypass of the Toledo metropolitan area. US 23 and I-475 are concurrent for the latter route's entire north-south portion, until I-475 departs in Sylvania to become an east-west aligned route. US 23 then continues northerly into Michigan as a freeway.[2]

History

Before the establishment of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, the route of what would eventually become US 23 was numbered as SR 4 from Portsmouth to Marion; SR 22 from Marion to Carey; SR 63 from Carey to Fostoria; SR 199 from Fostoria to Millbury; and SR 2 from Millbury to Toledo.[4][5] Over the years, portions of US 23 have been realigned to divided highway, freeway, or expressway portions. Among these are a bypass of Circleville built in 1958;[6] the Marion-to-Carey expressway routing, on which work began in 1962;[7] and a bypass of Chillicothe, on which work began in 1966.[8]

When first established, US 23 followed its current routing from Fostoria to Woodville, then continued north along present-day Fostoria Road into Millbury, and northwest along present-day Ohio State Route 51 (Woodville Road) into East Toledo. There, it followed East Broadway Avenue, Starr Avenue, and Main Street to the Cherry Street Bridge (now the Martin Luther King Bridge) across the Maumee River. The route then followed Cherry Street (present-day SR 120) to Detroit Avenue (US 24), before turning west onto Laskey Road and north onto Lewis Avenue.[5] Only a year later, the Fostoria-to-Toledo routing was shifted westerly, taking a northwest-southeast route that was originally designated SR 63 between Fostoria and Perrysburg, then East River Road into Toledo. It crossed the Maumee River via the Fassett Street Bridge, then followed South, Sumner, Logan, Summit, and Huron streets to rejoin its original routing. The Fostoria-to-Millbury routing was designated SR 199, and the Millbury-to-Toledo routing became SR 102,[9] which in turn became present-day SR 51 in 1955.[10] By 1940, US 23 was shifted westerly again in Toledo, taking the Anthony Wayne Bridge to Summit Street, then to Jefferson Avenue and Collingwood Boulevard before rejoining the previous routing.[11]

US 23 was realigned c. 1960 to follow Monroe Street northwesterly out of Toledo, joining with the first constructed segment of its current freeway routing in Sylvania.[12][13] The freeway was extended southerly to US 20 (Central Avenue) by 1964.[14] By 1969, the entire western freeway bypass of Toledo was complete, carrying the current routings of both US 23 and I-475. In addition, US 23 and SR 199 were swapped north of Fostoria in 1969, with US 23 reverting to its pre-1927 routing between Fostoria and Woodville, then becoming concurrent with US 20 from there to Perrysburg; the 1927-1969 routing of US-23 between Fostoria and Perrysburg thus became part of SR 199.[15]

Major intersections

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Greenup	South Portsmouth				US 23 south – Greenup, Ashland	Continuation into Kentucky
Ohio River		0.00	0.00	U.S. Grant Bridge; Kentucky–Ohio state line
Scioto	Portsmouth	0.45	0.72		SR 73 west / SR 104 north (2nd Street)	Eastern end of SR 73; southern terminus of SR 104
		1.06– 1.13	1.71– 1.82		US 52 (11th Street, 12th Street)	Eastbound US 52 follows 11th Street; westbound follows 12th Street
	Lucasville	11.43	18.39		SR 348 west / SR 728 east (Fairground Road) – Otway	Eastern end of SR 348; western end of SR 728
		11.92	19.18		SR 823 – Ironton	Interchange
Pike	Scioto Township	20.63	33.20	—	American Centrifuge Facility	Half-folded diamond interchange; access to Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant
	Seal Township				SR 32 / SR 124	Former diamond interchange; replaced by existing interchange following SR 32 realignment
		23.08	37.14	—	SR 32 / SR 124 – Jackson, Cincinnati	Diamond interchange
	Waverly	28.53	45.91		SR 104 south (Lake White Road)	Southern end of SR 104 overlap
		29.17	46.94		SR 220 (Market Street) / SR 335 begins	Southern end of SR 335 overlap
		29.52	47.51		SR 335 north (Clough Street)	Northern end of SR 335 overlap
Ross	Franklin Township	35.63	57.34		SR 372 east (Stoney Creek Road)
	Scioto Township	41.40	66.63	—	US 23 Bus. / SR 104 north (Bridge Street) / Three Locks Road	Northern end of SR 104 overlap; US 23 Business not signed southbound
		43.22	69.56	—	US 50 (Eastern Avenue) to US 35 east	Northbound access to eastbound US 35 and from westbound US 35 to southbound US 23
		43.70	70.33	—	US 35 east to US 50 east – Jackson, Athens	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; eastern end of US 35 overlap
		44.98	72.39	—	To US 50 west (Main Street) – Chillicothe
		46.02	74.06	—	US 35 west – Dayton	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; western end of US 35 overlap
	Springfield Township	48.78	78.50	—	US 23 Bus. / SR 159 (Bridge Street) – Kingston	US 23 Business not signed northbound
	Green Township	50.78	81.72	—	SR 207 north
Pickaway	Pickaway Township	57.24	92.12		SR 361 east
	Circleville	63.92	102.87	—	US 22 / SR 56 – Circleville	Five-ramp partial cloverleaf; northbound exit via Mound Street
	South Bloomfield	72.14	116.10		SR 316 east – Ashville	Southern end of SR 316 overlap
		72.42	116.55		SR 316 west	Northern end of SR 316 overlap
		72.75	117.08		SR 752 east
	Harrison Township	76.24	122.70		SR 762 – Commercial Point
Franklin	Hamilton Township	80.37	129.34		SR 665 west / SR 317 east – Groveport, Rickenbacker Airport
		83.36– 83.39	134.15– 134.20	83	I-270 to I-71 – Columbus, Wheeling	Exit 52 on I-270
	Columbus	86.28	138.85		SR 104 north to US 33 SR 104 south to I-71
		89.04	143.30		US 33 east (Livingston Avenue)	Southern end of US 33 overlap
		89.13	143.44		I-70 / I-71 south – Wheeling	No access to northbound I-71; exit 100B on I-70
		89.32– 89.41	143.75– 143.89		US 62 south / SR 3 south (Main Street, Rich Street)	Southern end of US 62 and SR 3 concurrencies
		89.75	144.44		US 40 / US 62 north / SR 16 (Broad Street)	Northern end of US 62 overlap
		89.95– 90.04	144.76– 144.91		US 33 west / SR 3 north (Long Street, Spring Street)	Northern end of US 33 and SR 3 concurrencies
				—	Greater Columbus Convention Center shipping and dropoff	Unsigned ramp, southbound exit and entrance
		90.66	145.90	—	I-670 – Dayton, Airport	Northbound-to-eastbound ramp also connects to northbound I-71; I-670 exit 4
	Worthington	99.66	160.39		SR 161 (Dublin Granville Road)
	Columbus	101.23	162.91	101	I-270 to I-71 – Indianapolis, Cleveland	Exit 23 on I-270; south end of northbound-only express lanes; signed as exits 101A and 101B
					Northwoods Boulevard	North end of northbound-only express lanes
Delaware	Orange Township	104.36	167.95		SR 750 – Powell, Columbus Zoo
	Delaware	111.74	179.83		SR 315 south (Olentangy River Road)
		113.36– 113.60	182.44– 182.82		US 42 south / S. Sandusky Street	Southern end of US 42 overlap; northbound US 23 to southbound US 42 access via S. Sandusky Street
		114.86– 115.09	184.85– 185.22	114, 115	US 36 / US 42 north / SR 37 (Central Avenue, William Street) / N. Sandusky Street	Interchange; northern end of US 42 overlap; signed as exit 114 northbound and exit 115 southbound; William Avenue signed northbound only; Central Avenue signed southbound only
		115.96	186.62	—	N. Sandusky Street	Former southbound exit and northbound entrance; converted to signalized intersection 2016, although ramp from N. Sandusky to US 23 remains[16]
	Marlboro Township	124.39	200.19		SR 229 – Norton, Ashley
Marion	Waldo Township	124.75	200.77		SR 229	Secondary cutoff to SR 229; no entrances to US 23
		126.35	203.34	—	SR 98 – Waldo, Bucyrus	Access to SR 47 and SR 423
	Marion Township	134.56	216.55	—	SR 95 – Marion, Mount Gilead
		135.57	218.18	—	SR 309 – Marion, Galion
		137.14	220.71	—	Marion-Williamsport Road
	Grand Prairie Township	140.64	226.34	—	SR 4 – Bucyrus
		143.52	230.97	—	SR 231 – Morral, Nevada
Wyandot	Pitt Township	148.00	238.18		SR 294 – Harpster	Intersection
		151.68	244.11	—	SR 199
	Crane Township	153.81– 153.86	247.53– 247.61	—	US 30 east – Bucyrus, Mansfield	Southern end of US 30 overlap
	Upper Sandusky	155.48	250.22	—	CR 330 (Wyandot Avenue) – Upper Sandusky
		158.17	254.55	—	SR 53 / SR 67 – Upper Sandusky, Tiffin
		159.42	256.56	—	SR 199
	Salem Township	159.82– 160.54	257.21– 258.36	—	US 30 west – Van Wert	Northern end of US 30 overlap; left exit and entrance northbound
	Crawford Township	167.353– 167.62	269.329– 269.76	—	SR 15 west to I-75 – Findlay, Toledo SR 103 – Carey, Fostoria	US 23 departs freeway, which continues to the west as SR 15; eastern terminus of SR 15; southern end of SR 103 overlap
	Carey	168.82	271.69		SR 568 west / SR 103 east / SR 199 south	Northern end of SR 103 overlap; southern end of SR 199 overlap
Seneca	Loudon Township	178.20	286.79		US 224 – Findlay, Tiffin
	Fostoria	182.99– 183.00	294.49– 294.51		SR 18 east	Southern end of SR 18 overlap
		183.51	295.33		SR 12 west	Southern end of SR 12 overlap
		183.81	295.81		SR 12 east	Northern end of SR 12 overlap
		184.33	296.65		SR 18 west / SR 613 west	Northern end of SR 18 overlap
Seneca–Wood county line		185.26	298.15		SR 199 north	Northern end of SR 199 overlap
Wood–Sandusky county line	Montgomery–Freedom– Madison–Scott township quadripoint	196.95	316.96		US 6 – Bowling Green, Fremont
	Freedom–Madison township line	199.95	321.79		SR 600 east – Gibsonburg	Western end of SR 600
		202.81	326.39		SR 105 – Woodville, Pemberville
	Troy–Woodville township line	204.40	328.95		SR 582 east	Southern end of SR 582 overlap
		204.44	329.01		SR 582 west	Northern end of SR 582 overlap
		205.95	331.44		US 20 east – Woodville, Fremont	Southern end of US 20 overlap
Wood	Troy Township	208.25	335.15	81B	Pemberville Road
		208.82	336.06	81A	SR 420 to I-280 – Toledo	To Ohio Turnpike (I-80/I-90); connected to exit 81B eastbound
		211.10	339.73		SR 163 east	Western end of SR 163
	Perrysburg	217.18	349.52	193	I-75 north / US 20 west – Toledo	Northern end of US 20 overlap; southern end of I-75 overlap; exit 193 on I-75
		219.03	352.49	192	I-75 south / I-475 north – Maumee	Northern end of I-75 overlap; southern end of I-475 overlap; I-475 exits 0A-B
		219.40	353.09	2	SR 25 (Dixie Highway) – Perrysburg
Lucas	Maumee	222.74	358.47	4	US 24 (Anthony Wayne Trail) – Napoleon, Maumee
		224.72	361.65	6	To I-80 / I-90 / Ohio Turnpike / Salisbury Road / Dussel Drive	Salisbury Road runs west, Dussel Drive runs east; added 1989[17]
	Springfield Township	226.89	365.14	8	SR 2 (Airport Highway) – Toledo Express Airport, Swanton, Toledo	Signed as exits 8A (east) and 8B (west) southbound
	Sylvania Township	231.81	373.06	13	US 20 (Central Avenue) / SR 120
		231.98	373.34	14	I-475 east – Toledo	Northern end of US 23 overlap; signed as exit 232 southbound
	Sylvania	234.18	376.88	234	US 223 begins / SR 51 / SR 184 east (Monroe Street) – Sylvania	Southern end of US 223 overlap
		234.83	377.92		US 23 north / US 223 north – Ann Arbor	Continuation into Michigan
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

References

1. Office of Technical Servies (July 3, 2014). "DESTAPE". Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
   • Scioto
   • Pike
   • Ross
   • Pickaway
   • Franklin
   • Delaware
   • Marion
   • Wyandot
   • Seneca
   • Sandusky
   • Wood
   • Lucas
2. Ohio Department of Transportation (June 2011). Official Ohio Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). c. 1:570,240. Columbus: Ohio Department of Transportation. OCLC 5673562, 31884639.
3. Rouan, Rick (September 8, 2015). "Rt. 23 trench to open to traffic this week". The Columbus Dispatch. dispatch.com. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
4. Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works (August 1925). Map of Ohio Showing State Routes (PDF) (Map). 1:760,320. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works. OCLC 5673562.
5. Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works (August 1, 1926). Map of Ohio Showing State Routes (PDF) (Map). 1:760,320. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works. OCLC 5673562.
6. Ohio Department of Highways (1958). Ohio Highway Map (PDF) (Map). 1:633,600. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways. OCLC 5673562, 13688035.
7. Ohio Department of Highways (1962). Ohio Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). c. 1:563,200. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways. OCLC 5673562, 7444243.
8. Ohio Department of Highways (1966). Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). c. 1:563,200. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways. OCLC 5673562.
9. Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works (June 1, 1927). Map of Ohio Showing State Routes (PDF) (Map). 1:760,320. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works. OCLC 5673562.
10. Ohio Department of Highways (1955). Ohio Highway Map (PDF) (Map). 1:633,600. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways. OCLC 5673562, 7448742.
11. Ohio Department of Highways (1940). Ohio Highway Map (PDF) (Map). 1:633,600. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways. OCLC 5673562, 54667346.
12. Ohio Department of Highways (1959). Ohio Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map) (1959–1960 ed.). 1:633,600. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways. OCLC 5673562, 13687960.
13. Ohio Department of Highways (1961). Ohio Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). 1:633,600. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways. OCLC 5673562, 54667348.
14. Ohio Department of Highways (1964). Ohio Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). c. 1:563,200. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways. OCLC 5673562, 7448791.
15. Ohio Department of Highways (1969). Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). c. 1:563,200. Columbus: Ohio Department of Highways. OCLC 5673562, 7448779.
16. Budzak, Gary (March 9, 2016). "U.S. 23/Pennsylvania Avenue exit ramp to close Tuesday". Delaware Gazette. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
17. McLaughlin, Mary-Beth (June 8, 2003). "Maumee Turned Risk Into Riches at Arrowhead Park". The Blade. Toledo, OH. Retrieved June 16, 2008.

External links