Interstate 81 in Virginia

Interstate 81
Route information
Maintained by VDOT
Length:	324.92 mi[1] (522.91 km)
Major junctions
South end:	I-81 in Bristol
	I‑381 in Bristol I‑77 / I‑74 near Wytheville US 460 in Christiansburg I‑73 / I‑581 just north of Roanoke I‑64 from Lexington to Staunton US 250 near Staunton I‑66 near Front Royal US 17 / US 50 / US 522 in Winchester
North end:	I‑81 near Winchester
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Virginia Routes Interstate U.S. Primary Secondary Byways History Turnpikes ← SR 80 SR 82 →

Interstate 81 (I-81) is an 855-mile (1,376 km) long highway. In the U.S. state of Virginia, I-81 runs for 324.92 miles (522.91 km), making the portion in Virginia longer than any other state's portion. It is also the longest Interstate highway within the borders of Virginia. It stretches from the Tennessee state line near Bristol to the West Virginia state line near Winchester.

Route description

I-81 and I-64 run together in Augusta County

Interstate 81 enters Bristol, Virginia from Tennessee and runs primarily along the mountains of western Virginia. For most of its length, I-81 parallels U.S. Route 11. I-81 runs concurrently with Interstate 77 in Wytheville, Virginia for about 10 miles (16 km) in a notable example of a wrong-way concurrency: both I-81 south and I-77 north share the same roadbed there. The same also happens here with Interstate 74. Further north, the highway also runs concurrently with several miles of Interstate 64.

Future

The state has proposed to widen its entire portion of I-81 to a minimum of three or four lanes in each direction to accommodate increased truck traffic and to toll non-passenger vehicles. Some sections of the new Virginia I-81 may completely separate car and truck traffic. Between exits 315 and 317 the state has proposed to widen it to 4 lanes for this 2 mile portion in Winchester, Virginia.^[2]

Auxiliary routes in Virginia

	Interstate	City	Type	Notes
	Interstate 381	Bristol	Spur
	Interstate 581	Roanoke	Spur	Concurrent with US 220, future route of I-73

Exit list

County	Location	mi	km	Old exit	New exit	Destinations	Notes
Washington	​	0.0	0.0			I-81 south – Kingsport, Knoxville	Tennessee state line
City of Bristol		0.9	1.4	1	1	US 58 west / US 421 – Bristol, Gate City	South end of US 58 overlap; signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (west/north) southbound
		3.2	5.1	2	3	I‑381 south – Bristol	I-381 exits 1A-B.
		5.6	9.0	3	5	US 11 / US 19 (Lee Highway)
		7.4	11.9	4	7	Old Airport Road / Bonham Road	former SR 76
Washington	​	10.3	16.6	5	10	US 11 / US 19 (Lee Highway) (via SR F310)
	​	13.6	21.9	6	13	SR 611 / Lee Highway (US 11 / US 19)	Access to Virginia Highlands Airport
	Abingdon	14.4	23.2	7	14	SR 140 to US 19 – Abingdon	Access to Virginia Highlands Community College
		17.6	28.3	8	17	US 58 Alt. / SR 75 – Abingdon, South Holston Dam
	​	19.5	31.4	9	19	US 11 / US 58 east – Abingdon, Damascus	North end of US 58 concurrency
	​	22.2	35.7	10	22	SR 704 (Enterprise Road)
	​	24.7	39.8	11	24	SR 80 – Meadowview
	​	26.4	42.5	12	26	SR 737 – Emory	Access to Emory and Henry College
	Old Glade Spring	29.5	47.5	13	29	SR 91 – Damascus, Glade Spring
	​	32.1	51.7	14	32	US 11 (Lee Highway) – Chilhowie
Smyth	Chilhowie	35.7	57.5	15	35	SR 107 – Chilhowie	former SR 79
	Seven Mile Ford	39.3	63.2	16	39	US 11 / SR 645 – Seven Mile Ford
	​	44.1	71.0	17	44	US 11 – Marion
	Marion	44.9	72.3	18	45	SR 16 – Marion
	Mount Carmel	47.3	76.1	19	47	US 11 – Marion
	Atkins	50.4	81.1	20	50	US 11 (via SR 622) – Atkins
	​	54.3	87.4	21	54	SR 683 – Groseclose	Access to Mountain Empire Airport
Wythe	​	60.6	97.5	22	60	SR 90 – Rural Retreat
	​	67.4	108.5	23	67	US 11 – Wytheville	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Wytheville	70.4	113.3	24	70	US 21 south / US 52 north – Wytheville	South end of US 52 concurrency
		72.6	116.8	25	72	I‑77 north / I‑74 north – Bluefield, Charleston, WV	South end of I-77 concurrency
		73.6	118.4	26	73	US 11 south – Wytheville	South end of US 11 concurrency
	​	77.4	124.6	27	77	SR F042 (Chapman Road) / SR F043 (East Lee Highway)
	Fort Chiswell	80.2	129.1	28	80	US 52 south / SR 121 north – Fort Chiswell, Max Meadows	North end of US 52 concurrency
	​	81.6	131.3	29	81	I‑77 south / I‑74 south – Charlotte, NC	North end of I-77 concurrency
	​	84.5	136.0	30	84	SR 619 – Grahams Forge
	​	86.6	139.4	31	86	SR F044 (East Lee Highway) / SR F045 (Topaz Drive)
Pulaski	​	89.5	144.0	32	89	US 11 north / SR 100 south – Pulaski, Hillsville	North end of US 11 concurrency, south end of SR 100 concurrency; signed as exits 89A (south) and 89B (north)
	Draper	92.4	148.7	33	92	SR 658 – Draper
	McAdam	94.7	152.4	34	94	SR 99 north / Service Road (SR F047) – Pulaski	signed as exits 94A (Service Road) and 94B (SR 99) northbound
	Newbern	98.1	157.9	35	98	SR 100 – Dublin, Pearisburg	north end of SR 100 overlap
	​	101.4	163.2	36	101	SR 660 – Claytor Lake State Park
Montgomery	​	105.4	169.6		105	SR 232 / SR 605 – Radford
	​	109.6	176.4		109	SR 177 / SR 600 – Radford
	Christiansburg	113.9	183.3		114	SR 8 – Christiansburg, Floyd
		118.4	190.5		118A	Parkway Drive
		118.4	190.5		118B	US 460 west to US 11 / US 460 Bus. – Christiansburg, Blacksburg	south end of US 460 overlap (C/D roads only)
				37	118C	US 11 / US 460 east / US 460 Bus. west – Christiansburg, Shawsville, Elliston	north end of US 460 overlap (C/D roads only)
	​	128.4	206.6	38	128	SR 603 to US 11 – Ironto
Roanoke	​	132.1	212.6	39	132	SR 647 – Dixie Caverns
City of Salem		137.6	221.4	40	137	SR 112 / SR 619 – Salem
Roanoke	​	140.4	226.0	40A	140	SR 311 – Salem, New Castle
	​	141.2	227.2	41	141	SR 419 to SR 311 north – Salem, New Castle
	​	143.4	230.8	42	143	I‑581 south / US 220 south – Airport, Roanoke	South end of US 220 concurrency; I-581 exits 0A-B
	​	146.4	235.6	43	146	SR 115 – Hollins, Cloverdale, Roanoke
Botetourt	​	150.3	241.9	44	150	US 11 / US 220 north / US 220A south to US 460 – Troutville, Daleville, Fincastle, Cloverdale	North end of US 220 overlap; signed as exits 150A (south) and 150B (north)
	​	156.4	251.7	45	156	SR 640 to US 11 – Troutville
	​	162.6	261.7	46	162	US 11 – Buchanan
	​	167.3	269.2	47	167	US 11 south – Buchanan	South end of US 11 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
	​	168.4	271.0	48	168	SR 614 – Arcadia
Rockbridge	Springfield	175.4	282.3	49	175	US 11 north – Natural Bridge	North end of US 11 concurrency
	Fancy Hill	180.5	290.5	50	180	US 11 – Fancy Hill, Natural Bridge, Glasgow	Signed as exits 180A (south) and 180B (north) southbound
	​	188.7	303.7	51	188	US 60 – Lexington, Buena Vista	Signed as exits 188A (east) and 188B (west)
	​	191.3	307.9	52	191	I‑64 west – Lexington, Charleston	South end of I-64 concurrency, east exit 56.
	​	195.6	314.8	53	195	US 11 (Lee Highway) – Lexington
	Fairfield	200.2	322.2	53A	200	SR 710 – Fairfield
	Raphine	205.6	330.9	54	205	SR 606 – Raphine, Steeles Tavern	to SR 56
Augusta	​	213.4	343.4	55	213	US 11 to US 340 – Greenville	Signed as exits 213A (south) and 213B (north) southbound
	Brookwood	217.2	349.5	55A	217	SR 654 – Mint Spring, Stuarts Draft
	​	220.1	354.2	55B	220	SR 262 to US 11 – Staunton
	​	221.4	356.3	56	221	I‑64 east – Richmond	North end of I-64 concurrency, west exit 87.
	Peyton	222.2	357.6	57	222	US 250 – Staunton, Fishersville
	​	225.1	362.3	58	225	SR 262 (Woodrow Wilson Parkway) – Staunton
	Verona	227.6	366.3	59	227	SR 612 – Verona
	Weyers Cave	234.9	378.0	60	235	SR 256 – Weyers Cave, Grottoes
Rockingham	​	240.5	387.0	61	240	SR 257 / SR 682 – Mount Crawford, Bridgewater
City of Harrisonburg		243.1	391.2	62	243	US 11 – Harrisonburg
		245.6	395.3	63	245	SR 253 (Port Republic Road)
		247.5	398.3	64	247	US 33 – Harrisonburg, Elkton	Signed as exits 247A (east) and 247B (west)
Rockingham	​	251.1	404.1	65	251	US 11 – Harrisonburg
	Mauzy	257.0	413.6	66	257	US 11 / SR 259 – Mauzy, Broadway, Timberville
Shenandoah	New Market	264.6	425.8	67	264	US 211 east (SR 211 west) – New Market, Timberville, Luray
	​	268.8	432.6	68	269	SR 730 to US 11 – Shenandoah Caverns, Mount Jackson
	​	273.4	440.0	69	273	SR 292 / SR 703 – Mount Jackson, Basye
	Bowmans Crossing	277.2	446.1	70	277	SR 614 – Bowmans Crossing	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	​	279.6	450.0	71	279	SR 185 / SR 675 – Edinburg
	Woodstock	283.4	456.1	72	283	SR 42 – Woodstock
	​	291.1	468.5	73	291	SR 651 – Toms Brook
	​	296.7	477.5	74	296	US 48 / SR 55 – Strasburg
	​	298.3	480.1	75	298	US 11 – Strasburg
Frederick	​	300.6	483.8	76	300	I‑66 east – Front Royal, Washington	I-66 exits 0A-B
	​	302.3	486.5	77	302	SR 627 – Middletown
	Stephens City	307.3	494.6	78	307	SR 277 to US 340 – Stephens City
	Winchester	309.9	498.7	79	310	SR 37 north to US 50 west / US 522 north / US 11 / SR 642 – Romney, Berkeley Springs, Kernstown
	Winchester	313.4	504.4	80	313	US 17 / US 50 / US 522 – Winchester	Signed as exits 313A (south/east) and 313B (north/west) southbound
	Winchester	314.9	506.8	81	315	SR 7 – Winchester, Berryville
	Winchester	317.8	511.4	82	317	US 11 to SR 37 / US 522 north / US 50 west – Winchester, Stephenson
	Clearbrook	321.6	517.6	83	321	SR 672 – Clearbrook, Brucetown
	Rest	323.9	521.3	84	323	SR 669 to US 11 – Whitehall
	​	324.92	522.91			I‑81 north – Martinsburg	West Virginia state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

See also

• George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
• Holston River
• James River
• New River (Kanawha River)
• Shenandoah National Park
• Shenandoah River
• US Route 11 in Virginia

References

• 2007 Rand McNally Atlas

1. "Route Log - Main Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 1". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
2. "50 Years of the Interstate". Virginiadot.org. June 29, 1956. Retrieved September 19, 2011.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

• Media related to Interstate 81 in Virginia at Wikimedia Commons
• I-81.org I-81 Corridor in Virginia by VDOT