Upon crossing the West Virginia-Virginia state line, southbound Interstate 81 immediately meets Virginia Secondary Route 669. This is the first advance sign for this interchange within the state of Virginia, and the welcome sign is located just beyond that sign. Photo taken 06/01/04.
After Exit 323, southbound Interstate 81 approaches the first rest area in Virginia, which also features a welcome center and tourist information center. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Winchester (Junction U.S. 17-50-522) is the first destination city of significance along southbound, followed by Strasburg (Junction Interstate 66/U.S. 48), and Roanoke (Junction U.S. 220/Future Interstate 73). Photo taken 06/01/04.
Southbound Interstate 81 reaches the tourist information center/rest area near Milepost 320. The next rest area is just south of Exit 264/Junction U.S. 211 east and Virginia 211 west. Photo taken 06/01/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 81 is Exit 317, Junction U.S. 11 south to the Virginia 37 freeway bypass around the west edge of Winchester. Use Virginia 37 south to reach U.S. 522 north to Gainesboro and Cross Junction and U.S. 50 west to Hayfield and Gore. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Virginia 7, a major east-west corridor connecting Winchester with the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, heads east to Berryville, Leesburg, and Herndon. All of Virginia 7 is a divided highway, and the portion of the highway between Round Hill and Leesburg is freeway. A toll road, the Dulles Greenway, provides a bypass of Virginia 7 between Leesburg and Herndon/Dulles International Airport. Interstate 81 will meet Virginia 7 at Exit 315, one mile south of this sign. Photo taken 06/01/04.
The city of Winchester was founded in 1744 and is situated at the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley at the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Over 23,000 people live in Winchester, which enjoys a central location on Interstate 81 and transcontinental U.S. 50 (as well as U.S. 17, U.S. 522, and Virginia 7). The area is rich in history; like many other areas in Virginia, it is home to a Civil War-era attraction: General Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters, which was occupied by during the winter of 1861-62. Even President George Washington spent time in Winchester. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Southbound Interstate 81 reaches Exit 315, Junction Virginia 7 east to Berryville and west to Winchester. Photo taken 06/01/04.
The next interchange along southbound is for Exits 313B-A, Junction U.S. 17, 50, and 522, one mile. All three routes are merged together on Millwood Avenue as they trend north into downtown. Downtown Winchester marks the northern terminus of U.S. 17; U.S. 17 ends at the intersection with U.S. 11 (Braddock Street/Cameron Street couplet). Both U.S. 50 and U.S. 522 continue northwest out of Winchester. U.S. 50 heads west into West Virginia near Capon Bridge, then passes through the Mountaineer State (and clips Maryland briefly) en route to the Midwest, Plains States, Rocky Mountain States, and ultimately West Sacramento, California. As for U.S. 522, its northerly aspirations are much shorter. It too enters West Virginia, then passes through Hancock, Maryland, before entering the Keystone State of Pennsylvania. U.S. 522 reaches its northern terminus at U.S. 11-15 in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Photo taken 06/01/04.
U.S. 17, a major highway in Virginia, originates in Winchester, extends southeast along with U.S. 50 to Paris, then split. U.S. 50 continues east toward the District of Columbia, while U.S. 17 turns southeast to meet Interstate 66 near Delaplane. Interstate 66 east and U.S. 17 south briefly merge, and they split again at Exit 28 (Marshall). This sign advises that through trucks seeking a shortcut to Interstate 66 east are prohibited from using U.S. 17. Instead, they must continue south on Interstate 81 to Exit 300, Junction Interstate 66. As for U.S. 17, it becomes a prominent route, serving Fredericksburg, Tappahannock, Hampton Roads, and Portsmouth before disappearing into North Carolina. U.S. 17 culminates its southbound journey at U.S. 41 in Punta Gorda, Florida, just south of its interchange with Interstate 75. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Unfortunately, we missed the signage for Exit 313B, Junction U.S. 17-50-522 northwest into Winchester. No control cities are used on the exit sign for Exit 313A, Junction U.S. 17-50-522 southeast. U.S. 50 continues east to Washington, D.C., Annapolis, and ultimately Ocean City, culminating a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. 522 heads south into the heart of Virginia, joining forces with U.S. 340 near White Post into Front Royal. From there, U.S. 522 heads southeast Sperryville, Culpeper, and Goochland before reaching its southern terminus at U.S. 60 in Powhatan, a good distance south of its parent U.S. 22 (which is way up in Pennsylvania!). Photo taken 06/01/04.
The next exit along southbound is Exit 310, Junction Virginia 37 north to U.S. 11 north/south and Virginia Secondary 642, one mile. This is the final Winchester exit from southbound Interstate 81. U.S. 11, the local access companion for Interstate 81 throughout Virginia, provides the business route through the city, while Virginia 37 provides a freeway alternative to west U.S. 50 and north U.S. 522. Plans call for Virginia 37 freeway to be extended southwest to provide another connection to U.S. 522 southbound (as noted in the 2002-2004 Virginia Official State Map). Photo taken 06/01/04.
Southbound Interstate 81 reaches Exit 310, Junction Virginia 37 north to U.S. 11 (Valley Avenue) north/south and Virginia Secondary 642. Photo taken 06/01/04.
The next interchange along southbound Interstate 81 is Exit 307, Junction Virginia 277 east to U.S. 340-522 near White Post and west to U.S. 11 at Stephens City. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Southbound Interstate 81 reaches Exit 307, Junction Virginia 277. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Many of the rural interchanges along Interstate 81 are designated as part of the state secondary system, which features circular shields rather than the triangular shield used for the primary state system. Route numbers in the secondary route system may be found in multiple parts of the state; they are generally numbered 600 or greater. One such secondary route is found at Exit 302, Junction Virginia Secondary 627, along southbound. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Use Virginia Secondary 627 west via Exit 302 to reach Middletown and a junction with U.S. 11. Looking east, Virginia Secondary 627 connects to U.S. 340-522 in Warren County just north of Front Royal and Interstate 66. Photo taken 06/01/04.
The next exit along southbound Interstate 81 is Exit 300, Junction Interstate 66 east to Washington, D.C. Interstate 66 connects Interstate 81 to the nation's capital, but its future aspirations are much greater. Recent additions to the national high priority corridor system has resulted in plans that would extend Interstate 66 west from Strasburg across the country via the High Priority Corridor 3: Trans-America Corridor. Interstate 66 is being actively developed by the state of Kentucky, and it is possible that this extant section of the freeway may be extended west to reach Kentucky perhaps via Corridor H/U.S. 48 or perhaps by existing freeways (Interstate 81 and Interstate 64). Photo taken 06/01/04.
The interchange between Interstate 81 and Interstate 66 features a left merge from westbound Interstate 66 onto southbound Interstate 81, and this sign advises motorists to use caution in the vicinity of the merge area due to limited merging area. Photo taken 06/01/04.
To reach Interstate 66 east to Front Royal and Washington, D.C., use the left lane; through traffic on southbound Interstate 81 may use either lane. Interstate 66 does not extend past the District of Columbia; it enters the district via the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, splits into the Potomac Freeway northbound and U.S. 50/Constitution Avenue eastbound. Like Richard Nixon's presidency, Interstate 66 reaches its end near the Watergate Complex. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Southbound Interstate 81 reaches its junction with Exit 300, Junction Interstate 66 east to Front Royal and Washington, D.C. To reach the Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park, use Interstate 66 east to U.S. 340-522 south. To reach Interstate 495/Capital Beltway, use Interstate 66 east to Exit 64; the beltway is the best route to points north (Baltimore), south (Richmond), and east (Annapolis, Ocean City, and Dover). Photo taken 06/01/04.
After the Interstate 66 interchange, southbound Interstate 81 next approaches Exit 298, which is another junction with its companion, U.S. 11. Use U.S. 11 south to reach Strasburg. A less direct route to downtown Strasburg is via Exit 296 (Virginia 55 east). Photo taken 06/01/04.
Interstate 81 leaves Warren County and enters Shenandoah County midway between the Interstate 66 and U.S. 11 interchange. The boundary here is marked by Cedar Creek. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Use U.S. 11 south to enter the town of Strasburg, which was founded in 1761 and incorporated in 1922. Located in the Shenandoah Valley, Strasburg played a role in the Civil War era, when Stonewall Jackson made Strasburg "the fountainhead of rail traffic for the South" by bringing railroad cars from the North to the South. Photo taken 06/01/04.
Southbound Interstate 81 reaches Exit 298, Junction U.S. 11 south to Strasburg. Photo taken 06/01/04.
