Virginia State Route 3

State Route 3
Route information
Maintained by VDOT
Length:	151 mi[1] (242 km)
Existed:	1933 – present
Major junctions
West end:	US 15 Bus. / US 522 in Culpeper
	I‑95 / US 17 in Fredericksburg SR 3 Bus. / US 360 in Warsaw
East end:	US 17 Bus. / SR 14 in Gloucester
Highway system
Virginia Routes Interstate U.S. Primary Secondary Byways History Turnpikes ← SR 2 SR 4 →

State Route 3 in rural Lancaster County

State Route 3 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia that extends from the town of Culpeper south and eastwardly to Gloucester in Virginia's Middle Peninsula region. For many years, a portion was named "Historyland Highway".

Route description

Gloucester County

Route 3 begins as the John Clayton Memorial Highway in Gloucester, sharing the highway with State Route 14.

Mathews County

After entering Mathews County, Virginia, Route 3 takes a left onto Windsor Road and then a Right on Dutton Road. After that, it takes a left and crosses the Piankatank River.

Middlesex County

After crossing the Piankatank River, goes through Hartfield and Greys Point, and then crosses the Rappahannock River on the Robert O. Norris Bridge.

Lancaster County

Route 3 is called Mary Ball Road in Lancaster County, named after George Washington's mother Mary Ball Washington, who was born there. A section is the Lancaster Courthouse Historic District, including the "post village" which has long been the county seat.

Richmond County

In Richmond County, Route 3 splits into a business route and a bypass in Warsaw. The business route is concurrent with US 360 going through the town. After leaving the town, it narrows into two lanes.

Westmoreland County

Route 3 is a Scenic Byway between Montross and Oak Grove. It passes by Westmoreland State Park and the George Washington Birthplace National Monument.

King George County

The King George County segment of State Route 3 is known as King's Highway throughout the county. It traverses the county boundaries in a fairly east–west direction, starting at the King George County-Westmoreland County boundary line. It extends westward, crossing U.S. Route 301 and widening back to four lanes as it continues towards Stafford County and the city of Fredericksburg.

Kings Highway is also the main access road to Interstate 95 through Fredericksburg for King George County.

A large portion of the King George County Administration is situated on Kings Highway. The county courthouse, county seat, Sheriff's office, the offices of the Board of Supervisors and School Board are located at State Route 3 through King George County.

Stafford County

Route 3 enters the county after passing over Muddy Creek. In Stafford County, Route 3 is called Kings Highway. It passes by Ferry Farm, the boyhood home of George Washington.

City of Fredericksburg

Route 3 splits into a business route and a bypass while going through Fredericksburg. The bypass is called the Blue and Gray Parkway. The business route follows William Street. Both routes enter the city by passing over the Rappahannock River, although on different bridges. They rejoin as William Street just before the U.S. 1 interchange. The street name changes to Plank Road somewhere between Route 1 and Interstate 95.

Spotsylvania County

Route 3 is known as Plank Road in Spotsylvania County. It's a divided highway of at least four lanes, sometimes six and eight, for the duration of this segment. The Spotsylvania Mall and large Central Park regional shopping center next to it, are located at the junction with Interstate 95. It is the most heavily traveled portion of Route 3.

Orange County

SR 3 slightly goes through Orange County. When entering westbound the highway intersects VA 20 at Wilderness.

Culpeper County

Route 3 is known as Germanna Highway in Culpeper County, after an early colonial community of German ironworkers.

Town of Culpeper

Route 3 enters the town of Culpeper after crossing over the U.S. Route 15/U.S. Route 29 bypass of the city. It ends at U.S. Route 15 Business at an intersection with Orange Road.

History

State Route 7 was defined as part of the original 1918 state highway system from Winchester southeast via Front Royal, and Culpeper to Fredericksburg, and then along the Northern Neck via Warsaw to Reedville.^[2] This is now approximated by U.S. Route 522, State Route 3, and U.S. Route 360.

In late 1921, the State Highway Commission looked at possible routes between Winchester and Front Royal, specifically via Middletown to Cedarville and via Boyce, White Post, Stone Bridge, and Rockland to Cedarville, and decided on the direct route via Double Toll Gate.^[3]

SR 7 at first ran from Montross via Templeman to Warsaw and then east via Heathsville to Reedville.^[4] By late 1922, a branch northwest from Callao via Hague to Templeman was added and assigned the State Route 7-X designation.^[5][6]

In the 1923 renumbering, SR 7 became State Route 37 (and SR 7-X became State Route 371). By the end of that year, SR 37's east end was moved from Reedville to Westland,^[7] and the old road between Warsaw and Reedville became part of SR 371.

Major intersections

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Culpeper	Culpeper	0.00	0.00	US 15 Bus. / US 522 north (Orange Road / Germanna Highway) – Winchester, Orange	Western end of US 522 concurrency
	​	1.30	2.09	US 15 / US 29 – Washington, Charlottesville	interchange
	​	1.62	2.61	US 522 south (Zachary Taylor Highway) – Mineral, Powhatan	Eastern end of US 522 concurrency
Orange	Wilderness	19.24	30.96	SR 20 south (Constitution Highway) – Orange, Charlottesville, Wilderness Battlefield, James Madison's Montpelier	Northern terminus of SR 20
Spotsylvania	Wilderness Corner			SR 613 (Brock Road) – Spotsylvania CH	former SR 210 south
City of Fredericksburg		31.91	51.35	I‑95 (US 17) – Washington, Richmond	Exit 130 (I-95)
		33.15	53.35	US 1 – Falmouth, Washington, Massaponax, Richmond	interchange
		33.39	53.74	SR 3 Bus. east (William Street) – Fredericksburg, University of Mary Washington	Western terminus of SR 3 Bus.
		33.92	54.59	US 1 Bus. (Lafayette Boulevard)
		34.92	56.20	US 17 Bus. / SR 2 (Dixon Street) – Tappahannock, Bowling Green, Shannon Airport	interchange
Stafford	​	35.61	57.31	SR 3 Bus. west – Fredericksburg	interchange
King George	Arnolds Corner	50.84	81.82	SR 206 east (Dahlgren Road) – Dahlgren, Caledon Natural Area	Western terminus of SR 206
	Purkins Corner	53.42	85.97	SR 205 east (Ridge Road) – Edgehill, Colonial Beach	Western terminus of SR 205
	Office Hall	54.98	88.48	US 301 (James Madison Parkway) – Baltimore, Richmond
Westmoreland	Oak Grove	65.00	104.61	SR 205 west (James Monroe Highway) / SR 638 (Leedstown Road) – Colonial Beach	Eastern terminus of SR 205
	Wakefield Corner	67.83	109.16	SR 204 east (Popes Creek Road)	Western terminus of SR 204
	Flat Iron			SR 624 (Flat Iron Road)	to former SR 204 west
	Baynesville	72.71	117.02	SR 347 (State Park Road)	Southern terminus of SR 347
	Lerty	73.39	118.11	SR 214 east (Stratford Hall Road) – Stratford Hall	Western terminus of SR 214
	Templeman	81.29	130.82	SR 202 east (Cople Highway) – Mt. Holly, Hague	Western terminus of SR 202
				SR 690 (Menokin Road)	former SR 202 west
Richmond	Lyells	87.33	140.54	SR 203 north (Oldhams Road) – Kinsale, Sandy Point	Southern terminus of SR 203
	Warsaw	89.78	144.49	SR 3 Bus. east (Main Street) – Warsaw	Western terminus of SR 3 Bus.
		91.01	146.47	US 360 / SR 3 Bus. west (Richmond Road) – Callao, Warsaw, Tappahannock, Richmond	Eastern terminus of SR 3 Bus.
	​			SR 642 (Sharps Road) – Sharps	former SR 228 south
Lancaster	​	105.43	169.67	SR 354 south (River Road) – Litwalton, Bertrand	Northern terminus of SR 354
	Lively	110.76	178.25	SR 201 (White Chapel Road) to SR 354 – Heathsville, Belle Isle State Park
	​			SR 604 (Merry Point Road)	to Merry Point Ferry
	Kilmarnock	120.57	194.04	SR 200 north (East Church Street) – Wicomico Church, Burgess, Reedville	Western end of SR 200 concurrency
		120.66	194.18	SR 200 south (Irvington Road)	Eastern end of SR 200 concurrency
	White Stone	125.16	201.43	SR 200 north / SR 695 south (Chesapeake Drive) – Irvington, Palmer, Foxwells, Historic Christ Church	Southern terminus of SR 200; former SR 3 east
Rappahannock River		126.71	203.92	Robert O. Norris Bridge
Middlesex	Harmony Village	132.55	213.32	SR 33 west (General Puller Highway) – Saluda, Richmond	Western end of SR 33 concurrency
	Hartfield	136.00	218.87	SR 33 east (General Puller Highway) – Deltaville	Eastern end of SR 33 concurrency
Piankatank River				Twigg Bridge
Mathews	Dixie	140.57	226.23	SR 198 east (Buckley Hall Road) – Mathews	Western end of SR 198 concurrency
	Soles	142.12	228.72	SR 198 west (Buckley Hall Road) to US 17 – Saluda	Eastern end of SR 198 concurrency
	Fort Nonsense	144.19	232.05	SR 14 east (John Clayton Memorial Highway) – Mathews	Western end of SR 14 concurrency
Gloucester	Gloucester Court House	150.55	242.29	US 17 Bus. / SR 14 west (Main Street) – York River Bridge, Gloucester Historic District	Eastern end of SR 14 concurrency
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

Bannered routes

Fredericksburg Business Route

State Route 3 Business
Location:	Fredericksburg

State Route 3 Business runs through historic Fredericksburg primarily along William Street and the Kings Highway, although a one-way split of the route exists between Washington Avenue and Amelia Street.

Warsaw Business Route

State Route 3 Business
Location:	Warsaw

State Route 3 Business in Warsaw includes Main Street and a concurrency with US 360.

References

Route map: Bing / Google

1. 2010 Virginia Department of Transportation Traffic Data Culpeper County - Orange County - Spotsylvania County - City of Fredericksburg - Stafford County - King George County - Westmoreland County - Richmond County - Lancaster County - Middlesex County - Mathews County - Gloucester County
2. State Highway Commission of Virginia (July 5, 1922). Minutes of the First Meeting of the State Highway Commission Created Under the Acts of 1922 (PDF) (Report). Richmond, VA: Commonwealth of Virginia., Proposed "State Highway System" for Virginia, as Recommended by the State Roads Committee, January, 1918
3. State Highway Commission of Virginia (November 29 – December 3, 1921). Minutes of the Meeting of the State Highway Commission and an Inspection Trip (PDF) (Report). Richmond, VA, and Washington, DC: Commonwealth of Virginia., pages 36 and 51
4. State Highway Commission of Virginia (July 5–8, 1921). Minutes of the Meeting of the State Highway Commission, an Inspection Trip, and a Public Hearing (PDF) (Report). Culpeper, Richmond, and Manassas, VA: Commonwealth of Virginia., page 3
5. State Highway Commission of Virginia (November 8–11, 1922). Minutes of the Fifth Meeting of the State Highway Commission (PDF) (Report). Richmond, VA: Commonwealth of Virginia., page 1
6. State Highway Commission of Virginia (November 27–28, 1922). Minutes of the Sixth Meeting of the State Highway Commission (PDF) (Report). Commonwealth of Virginia., page 6
7. State Highway Commission of Virginia (December 11–12, 1923). Minutes of Meeting (PDF) (Report). Richmond, VA: Commonwealth of Virginia., page 14