U.S. Route 2 | |||||||||||||
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Theodore Roosevelt Highway | |||||||||||||
Map of northern Vermont with US 2 highlighted in red
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Route information | |||||||||||||
Maintained by NYSDOT and VTrans | |||||||||||||
Length: | 150.52 mi (242.24 km) US 2 continues west into New York for 0.87 miles (1.40 km) |
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Existed: | 1926 – present | ||||||||||||
Major junctions | |||||||||||||
West end: | US 11 in Rouses Point, NY | ||||||||||||
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East end: | US 2 at Lancaster, NH | ||||||||||||
Location | |||||||||||||
Counties: | Grand Isle, Chittenden, Washington, Caledonia, Essex | ||||||||||||
Highway system | |||||||||||||
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Vermont Route 2A | |
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Location: | St. George-Colchester |
Length: | 13.853 mi (22.294 km) |
Vermont Route 2B | |
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Location: | Danville-St. Johnsbury |
Length: | 3.459 mi (5.567 km) |
U.S. Route 2 (US 2) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that is split into two segments. Its eastern segment runs from Rouses Point, New York, to Houlton, Maine. In Vermont, US 2 extends 151.604 miles (243.983 km) from the New York state line in Alburgh to the New Hampshire state line in Guildhall. West of Vermont, US 2 continues into New York for another 0.87 miles (1.40 km) to an intersection with US 11 in Rouses Point. US 2 passes through the cities of Burlington and Montpelier as it traverses the state. The Burlington to Montpelier route was first laid out as a toll road in the early 19th century. It was later incorporated into the transcontinental auto trail known as the Theodore Roosevelt International Highway in 1919 before being designated as part of US 2 in 1926.
Although the portion of the road from Alburgh to Burlington follows a north-south alignment, US 2 is signed east (heading south during this portion) and west (heading north), making it the longest east-west signed route in the state.
The eastern segment of US 2 begins in New York at an intersection with US 11 just one mile (1.6 km) south of the Canadian border in Rouses Point. From there, it crosses Lake Champlain into Grand Isle County, Vermont, traversing the length of the county and crossing Lake Champlain over several bridges until it reaches the mainland in Milton and Chittenden County. From there it travels south to Burlington, where it begins to closely parallel Interstate 89 and the Winooski River all the way to Montpelier and Washington County. In Montpelier, the main route bypasses the downtown area using Memorial Drive, while a business loop using State Street serves downtown. After leaving Montpelier, the road turns north-eastward, crossing into Caledonia County and passing through Saint Johnsbury. It then passes into rural Essex County, and eventually crosses the Connecticut River from Guildhall, Vermont into Lancaster, New Hampshire.