Virginia State Route 20
Encyclopedia
Virginia State Route 20 (SR 20) is a primary state highway
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...

 in the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

. The state highway runs 89.79 miles (144.5 km) from U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 15 in Virginia
U.S. Route 15 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Walterboro, South Carolina to Painted Post, New York. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the North Carolina state line near Clarksville north to the Maryland state line at the Potomac River near Lucketts...

 (US 15) in Dillwyn
Dillwyn, Virginia
Dillwyn is an incorporated town in Buckingham County, Virginia, in the United States. The population was 447 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dillwyn is located at ....

 north to SR 3
Virginia State Route 3
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...

 in Wilderness
Wilderness, Virginia
Wilderness is the name of an area near the border of Orange and Spotsylvania counties in Virginia. Although not an official town, it is known as a locality and understood to be at the intersection of Virginia primary 20 and Virginia primary 3....

. SR 20 is a C-shaped route that connects Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...

 with Farmville
Farmville, Virginia
Farmville is a town in Prince Edward and Cumberland counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 6,845 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Prince Edward County....

 (via US 15) in Southside Virginia. The state highway also links Charlottesville to Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...

 (via SR 3) by way of Orange County
Orange County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,881 people, 10,150 households, and 7,470 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile . There were 11,354 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...

, within which SR 20 is the main east–west highway and intersects US 15 again in the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Orange
Orange, Virginia
Orange is a town in Orange County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,721 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Orange County...

.

Route description

SR 20 begins at an intersection with US 15 (James Madison Highway) just west of the town of Dillwyn. The state highway heads north as the two-lane Constitution Route, which passes through the hamlet of Allenslevel
Allenslevel, Virginia
Allenslevel is an unincorporated community in Buckingham County, in the U.S. state of Virginia....

, the site of Buckingham Correctional Center
Buckingham Correctional Center
Buckingham Correctional Center is a state prison located on 968 acres outside the town of Dillwyn in Buckingham County, Virginia, USA. This facility is a Security Level 3 and has assignment criteria of Single, Multiple and Life...

. SR 20 crosses the Slate River and passes through the community of Centenary
Centenary, Virginia
Centenary is an unincorporated community in Buckingham County, in the U.S. state of Virginia....

 on its way through northwestern Buckingham County to its crossing of the James River
James River
The James River may refer to:Rivers in the United States and their namesakes* James River * James River , North Dakota, South Dakota* James River * James River * James River...

. On the north side of the bridge, the state highway enters the town of Scottsville
Scottsville, Virginia
Scottsville is a town in Albemarle and Fluvanna counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 555 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

, through which the highway passes as Valley Street. SR 20 meets SR 6
Virginia State Route 6
Virginia State Route 6 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as River Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 250 in Afton east to SR 161 in Richmond. SR 6 is one of the main highways of mountainous Nelson County, where the highway runs...

 (Main Street) in the center of town. The two highways run together to the north end of town where SR 6 splits west as Irish Road.

SR 20 continues through southern Albemarle County as Scottsville Road. The state highway heads through Glendower
Glendower, Virginia
Glendower is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia....

, where the highway passes close to the historical presidential
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 retreat Pine Knot
Pine Knot (cabin)
Pine Knot was a cabin owned and occupied by former President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt and his wife Edith Kermit Roosevelt, located fourteen miles south of Charlottesville, Virginia in Albemarle County. The cabin was used by Roosevelt and the first lady while he was president,...

 and Christ Church Glendower
Christ Church Glendower
Christ Church Glendower is a historic church in Keene, Virginia.It was built in 1831 and added to the National Register in 1971....

. North of Keene
Keene, Virginia
Keene is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia, United States. As of the 1990 census, the town had a total population of 10....

, SR 20 crosses the Hardware River
Hardware River
The Hardware River is a tributary of the James River in central Virginia in the United States. Via the James River it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay....

 as the watercourse and the highway passes through a gap between Green Mountain and Carters Mountain, which are part of the Southwest Mountains
Southwest Mountains
The Southwest Mountains of Virginia are a mountain range centered around Charlottesville, parallel to and geologically associated with the Blue Ridge Mountains, which lie about 30 miles to the west...

. The state highway follows the west side of the latter mountain to the community of Mill Creek
Mill Creek, Virginia
Mill Creek is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia....

, where the highway expands to a four-lane divided highway at its intersection with SR 53
Virginia State Route 53
Virginia State Route 53 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Thomas Jefferson Parkway, the state highway runs from SR 20 near Charlottesville east to U.S. Route 15 in Palmyra. SR 53 connects the county seats of Albemarle and Fluvanna counties...

 (Thomas Jefferson Parkway). SR 53 provides access to Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...

 and James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...

's respective estates of Monticello
Monticello
Monticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...

 and Ash Lawn–Highland. SR 20 passes the entrance to Piedmont Virginia Community College
Piedmont Virginia Community College
' is an open access community college offering two-year associate's degrees, one-year certificates, continuing education and workforce training. The campus is located in Albemarle County, Virginia, south of Charlottesville...

 just south of its partial cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 64
Interstate 64 in Virginia
In the U.S. state of Virginia, Interstate 64 runs east–west through the middle of the state from West Virginia to the Hampton Roads region, a total of . It is notable for crossing the mouth of the harbor of Hampton Roads on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, the first bridge-tunnel to...

.

SR 20 becomes Monticello Avenue on crossing Moores Creek into the city of Charlottesville. The street reduces to two lanes and curves west to Avon Street, onto which the state highway turns north. At Garrett Street, SR 20 continues onto four-lane divided 9th Street, which crosses over CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

's Piedmont Subdivision into downtown Charlottesville. The state highway passes to the east of the Downtown Mall
Downtown Mall
The Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, Virginia is one of the longest pedestrian malls in the United States. Located on Main Street, it runs from 6th St. N.E. to Old Preston Ave., where it extends to Water St., for total length of eight blocks. It is laid with brick and concrete, and home to an...

 and meets US 250 Business, which heads eastbound along Market Street and westbound along High Street, which are both two-way streets. The business route joins SR 20 in a concurrency on High Street, which passes by Martha Jefferson Hospital
Martha Jefferson Hospital
Martha Jefferson Hospital is a nonprofit community hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded in 1903 by eight local physicians. The 176-bed hospital has an employed staff of 1,600 and has 365 affiliated physicians....

. US 250 Business reaches its eastern terminus at US 250
U.S. Route 250 in Virginia
U.S. Route 250 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Sandusky, Ohio to Richmond, Virginia. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the West Virginia state line near Hightown east to its eastern terminus at US 360 in Richmond...

 (Long Street). SR 20 turns east onto US 250 to cross the Free Bridge over the Rivanna River
Rivanna River
The Rivanna River is a tributary of the James River in central Virginia in the United States. The Rivanna's tributaries originate in the Blue Ridge Mountains; via the James River, it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay....

 to leave the city limits.

SR 20 heads north from the Charlottesville vicinity along Stony Point Road, which parallels the west flank of the Southwest Mountains. The state highway passes the communities of Key West
Key West, Virginia
Key West is both a subdivision in Albemarle County, Virginia and a historic home that formerly served as a place name for the community. The Key West estate was owned by the Minors, a prominent and wealthy family, before much of the land was sold off to become the Key West subdivision...

, Eastham
Eastham, Virginia
Eastham is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia....

, Stony Point
Stony Point, Virginia
Stony Point is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia. The region acknowledged as Stony Point includes the historical villages of Proffit and Rosena. The physical core of Stony Point is the , , and several dozen surrounding homes. A general store is the sole public service...

, and Rosena
Rosena, Virginia
Rosena is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia. It lies at the intersection of Rt. 20 and Rt. 640, within the Stony Point community...

. SR 20 enters Orange County and its name changes to Constitution Highway south of Barboursville
Barboursville, Virginia
Barboursville is an unincorporated community in Albemarle and Orange counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. Barboursville is famous for being the birthplace of renowned American military commander and President Zachary Taylor...

, which contains the ruins of the namesake estate
Barboursville (James Barbour)
Barboursville is the ruin of the estate of former U.S. Senator, U.S. Secretary of War, and Virginia Governor James Barbour, located in Barboursville, Virginia, on the grounds of Barboursville Vineyards. The house was designed by Barbour's friend and political ally, Thomas Jefferson...

. The state highway has a short concurrency with US 33
U.S. Route 33 in Virginia
U.S. Route 33 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Elkhart, Indiana to Richmond, Virginia. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the West Virginia state line near Rawley Springs east to its eastern terminus at SR 33 in Richmond. US 33 is the primary east–west highway of...

 (Spotswood Trail) in which the highways pass under Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...

's Washington District. SR 20 heads northeast and intersects SR 231
Virginia State Route 231
State Route 231 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from State Route 22 near Cismont north via Gordonsville, Somerset, Rochelle, Pratts, Madison, Banco, and Etlan to U.S. Route 522 near Sperryville.-Major intersections:...

 (Blue Ridge Turnpike) north of Somerset
Somerset, Virginia
Somerset is an unincorporated community in Orange County, Virginia, United States. It is located at 38°12'27N 78°13'6W with an altitude of 121 metres ....

. The state highway continues east and closely parallels the railroad through Montpelier Station
Montpelier Station, Virginia
Montpelier Station is an unincorporated community in Orange County, Virginia, United States. Montpelier Station is located along Virginia State Route 20 west-southwest of Orange. Montpelier Station has a post office with ZIP code 22957. The community is home to a historic railroad depot, which...

, which is named for James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...

's estate Montpelier on the south side of the tracks.

SR 20 continues east to the town of Orange, where the highway enters town as Main Street. At the Holladay House
Holladay House
Formerly called the Doctor Holladay House, the Holladay House in Orange, Virginia is on the nationally recognized . Named for Dr. Lewis Holladay, a prominent Virginia physician, the Holladay House has witnessed almost two centuries of American history...

, the state highway turns south onto Caroline Street while Main Street continues east SR 20 Business. SR 20 passes the James Madison Museum
James Madison Museum
The James Madison Museum located in Orange, Virginia is a museum dedicated to 4th President of the United States James Madison and his wife, Dolley Madison. Exhibits include original furniture used by James Madison, his personal items, portraits of the Madisons, and a statue.Due to Madison's...

 before US 15 (Madison Street) joins the highway in a concurrency to pass under the Washington District rail line. The state highway turns east onto Berry Hill Road and passes under another Norfolk Southern rail line before receiving the other end of SR 20 Business (Byrd Street). SR 20 becomes Constitution Highway again on leaving the town of Orange. The state highway passes Orange County Airport and intersects US 522
U.S. Route 522 in Virginia
U.S. Route 522 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Powhatan, Virginia to Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. In Virginia, the U.S. highway runs from its southern terminus at US 60 in Powhatan north to the West Virginia state line near Cross Junction...

 (Zachary Taylor Highway) between Unionville
Unionville, Virginia
Unionville is an unincorporated community in Orange County, Virginia, United States. Unionville is east-northeast of Orange. Unionville has a post office with ZIP code 22567....

 and Rhoadesville
Rhoadesville, Virginia
Rhoadesville is an unincorporated community in Orange County, Virginia, United States. Rhoadesville is east-northeast of Orange. Rhoadesville has a post office with ZIP code 22542....

. SR 20 briefly passes through part of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park is a unit of the National Park Service in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and elsewhere in Spotsylvania County, commemorating four major battles in the American Civil War.-Park:...

 near the site of the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...

 before reaching its eastern terminus at SR 3 (Germanna Highway) in the community of Wilderness just west of the Spotsylvania County
Spotsylvania County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 90,395 people, 31,308 households, and 24,639 families residing in the county. The population density was 226 people per square mile . There were 33,329 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile...

 line.

Major intersections

{| class=wikitable
!County
!Location
!Mile

!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Buckingham
|Dillwyn
Dillwyn, Virginia
Dillwyn is an incorporated town in Buckingham County, Virginia, in the United States. The population was 447 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dillwyn is located at ....


|0.00
|
|Southern terminus
|-
|rowspan=4|Albemarle
Albemarle County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,236 people, 31,876 households, and 21,070 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 33,720 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile...


|rowspan=2|Scottsville
Scottsville, Virginia
Scottsville is a town in Albemarle and Fluvanna counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 555 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...


|19.34
|
|South end of concurrency with SR 6
|-
|19.92
|
|North end of concurrency with SR 6
|-
|rowspan=2|Mill Creek
Mill Creek, Virginia
Mill Creek is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia....


|36.81
|
|
|-
|37.23
|
|I-64 Exit 121
|-
|rowspan=3 colspan=2|City of Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...


|38.89
|Market Street
|South end of concurrency with eastbound US 250 Business
|-
|39.01
|
|South end of concurrency with westbound US 250 Business
|-
|39.90
|
|North end of concurrency with US 250 Business; south end of concurrency with US 250
|-
|Albemarle
Albemarle County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,236 people, 31,876 households, and 21,070 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 33,720 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile...


|Franklin
Franklin, Albemarle County, Virginia
Franklin is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia....


|40.16
|
|North end of concurrency with US 250
|-
|rowspan=9|Orange
Orange County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,881 people, 10,150 households, and 7,470 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile . There were 11,354 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...


|rowspan=2|Barboursville
Barboursville, Virginia
Barboursville is an unincorporated community in Albemarle and Orange counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. Barboursville is famous for being the birthplace of renowned American military commander and President Zachary Taylor...


|55.01
|
|South end of concurrency with US 33
|-
|55.23
|
|North end of concurrency with US 33
|-
|Somerset
Somerset, Virginia
Somerset is an unincorporated community in Orange County, Virginia, United States. It is located at 38°12'27N 78°13'6W with an altitude of 121 metres ....


|60.86
|
|
|-
|rowspan=4|Orange
Orange, Virginia
Orange is a town in Orange County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,721 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Orange County...


|67.09
|
|SR 20 turns south onto Caroline Street
|-
|67.24
|
|South end of concurrency with US 15
|-
|67.41
|
|SR 20 turns east onto Berry Hill Road
|-
|68.07
|
|
|-
|Unionville
Unionville, Virginia
Unionville is an unincorporated community in Orange County, Virginia, United States. Unionville is east-northeast of Orange. Unionville has a post office with ZIP code 22567....


|76.40
|
|
|-
|Wilderness
Wilderness, Virginia
Wilderness is the name of an area near the border of Orange and Spotsylvania counties in Virginia. Although not an official town, it is known as a locality and understood to be at the intersection of Virginia primary 20 and Virginia primary 3....


|89.79
|
|Northern terminus

Orange business route

SR 20 Business is a business route
Business route
A business route in the United States and Canada is a short special route connected to a parent numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or town, and finally reconnecting with the same parent numbered highway again at its...

of SR 20 in the town of Orange. The business route runs 0.71 miles (1.1 km) between intersections with SR 20 on either side of town. SR 20 Business begins as Main Street where SR 20 turns south onto Caroline Street next to the Holladay House. The business route intersects US 15 (Madison Street) and meets Norfolk Southern Railway's Washington District at grade. SR 20 Business turns southeast onto Byrd Street to rejoin SR 20 on a tangent.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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