New York State Route 56 (1920s–1930)

New York State Route 72
Map of St. Lawrence County and vicinity with NY 72 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NYSDOT
Length:	15.36 mi (24.72 km)
Existed:	1930 – present
Major junctions
West end:	NY 56 near Potsdam village
East end:	NY 11B in Hopkinton
Location
Counties:	St. Lawrence
Highway system
New York Highways Interstate U.S. State Reference Parkways ← NY 71 NY 73 →

New York State Route 72 (NY 72) is a state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States. The road is an east–west highway located entirely within the eastern part of St. Lawrence County. The western terminus of NY 72 is at an intersection with NY 56 in the town of Potsdam, south of the village of Potsdam. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with NY 11B west of the community of Hopkinton in the town of Hopkinton.

The NY 72 designation dates back to 1930; however, the route initially followed an entirely different alignment from Potsdam to Hopkinton and was much longer than it is now, extending as far east as Brighton, Franklin County. It was shifted onto its present routing by the 1940s and truncated to its current length in the 1970s.

NY 72 begins at an intersection with NY 56 southwest of the Potsdam village limits in the town of the same name in northern St. Lawrence County. The route heads southeast on a line to Stafford Corners, a small hamlet located on the Potsdam-Parishville, then turns east to serve the hamlets of Parishville Center, located at the junction of NY 72 and Ashton/Sinclair Roads, and Parishville, located on the west branch of the St. Regis River. Within Parishville, NY 72, named Main Street, crosses over the river and intersects the southern end of County Route 47 (CR 47), a connector leading to U.S. Route 11 (US 11) and NY 11C 10 miles (16 km) to the north.