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The Highways of Virginia US 15 
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US 15
From:NC State Line near Clarksville (Mecklenburg County)
To: MD State Line, near Lucketts (Loudon County)
Total Length: 238 miles
Nationally US 15 runs from US 17 ALT Walterboro, SC to I-86/NY 17 Painted Post, NY - about miles
Business Routes: Keysville (since 1966), Leesburg (since 1967), Culpeper (since 1971 or 1972), Warrenton (since 1973), Farmville (since 1976), Clarksville (future)? 
ROUTE LOG
NC STATE LINE: 0 - 0
US 58 WB, VA 49 SB: 6 - 6
US 58 EB: 2 - 8
VA 49 NB: 2 - 10
CR-MK LINE: 6 - 16
VA 92: 8 - 24
US 360 WB: 3 - 27
VA 47: 4 - 31
US 15 Bus, US 360 Bus: 7 - 38
US 15 Bus, US 360 Bus: 1 - 39
VA 40: 2 - 41
US 360 EB, US 360 Bus BEGIN: 1.5 - 42.5
US 15 Bus, US 360 Bus WB: 0.5 - 43
PE-CR LINE: 1 - 44
VA 133: 14 - 58
US 15 Bus, US 460 EB: 2 - 60
US 460 WB, US 460 Bus BEGIN: 4.5 - 64.5
US 15 Bus, US 460 Bus EB: 0.5 - 65
BK-PE LINE: 2 - 67
US 60: 14 - 81
VA 20: 1 - 82
FV-BK LINE: 14 - 96
VA 6 WB: 6 - 102
VA 6 EB: 2 - 104
VA 53: 6 - 110
LO-FV LINE: 8 - 118
US 250: 1 - 119
I-64 (exit 136): 0.5 - 119.5
VA 22: 7 - 126.5
US 33 EB: 4 - 130.5
OR-LO LINE: 1 - 131.5
US 33 WB, VA 231: 0.5 - 132
VA 20 NB: 8 - 140
VA 20 SB: 0.25 - 140.25
VA 20 Bus: 0.25 - 140.5
MA-OR LINE: 3.5 - 144
VA 230: 0.5 - 144.5
CP-MA LINE: 4 - 148.5
VA 299: 9 - 157.5
US 15 Bus, US 29 SB: 1 - 158.5
US 522, VA 3: 1.5 - 160
US 15 Bus, US 29 Bus: 5 - 165
US 15 Bus, US 29 Bus: 7 - 172
FQ-CP LINE: 0.5 - 172.5
US 15 Bus, US 29 Bus: 2 - 174.5
VA 28: 0.5 - 175
US 17 SB: 4 - 179
US 15 Bus, US 17 Bus, US 29 Bus: 6 - 185
US 15 Bus, US 29 Bus, US 17 NB: 4 - 189
VA 215: 7 - 196
PW-FQ LINE: 1 - 197
US 29 NB: 1 - 198
VA 55: 2.5 - 200.5
I-66 (exit 40): 0.5 - 201
VA 234: 4 - 205
LO-PW LINE: 4 - 209
US 50: 3 - 212
US 15 Bus, VA 7 WB: 11 - 223
VA 267: 0.5 - 223.5
VA 7 EB, VA 7 Bus: 1 - 224.5
US 15 Bus: 2.5 - 227
MD STATE LINE: 11 - 238
Creation: US 15 appeared in Virginia in 1927 as an original US route. However, it ran only from NC line to Clarksville, then east to US 1/VA 31 South Hill. From NC to Clarksville was a multiplex with VA 32 and to South Hill was a multiplex with VA 324 and VA 12. US 15 had a huge gap in Virginia, as it picked up again in Pennsylvania.
Adjustments: In 1929, US 15 was rerouted at Clarksville to follow all of VA 32 to Keysville, Farmville, Orange, Culpeper, Warrenton, The Plains, Middleburg, Leesburg to MD. The Clarksville to South Hill routing became US 401 (today is part of US 58).
In 1931, US 15 had two minor reroutings: south of Culpeper, US 15 used to cut over to Winston and enter Culpeper along today's US 522/VA 3. This was eliminated for today's more direct approach. Also, US 15 used to go from Remington to Bealeton to Opal (using today's SR 658 and US 17). US 15 was given its current direct Remington to Opal alignment.
In 1933, US 15's north exit from Culpeper changed from Piedmont St./Clay St. to its current continuation along Main St,, leaving behind those two streets plus Old Brandy Road.
In 1938, US 15 was routed around Warrenton. The old alignment became US 15 ALT.
In 1941, US 15 underwent a significant rerouting between Warrenton and Leesburg. Instead of going from Warrenton north to The Plains and north again to Middleburg, then east with US 50 to Gilbert's Corner before going north to Leesburg, US 15 was given its current alignment along US 29 to New Baltimore, then north through Haymarket to Gilbert's Corner, using a small bit of VA 234's original alignment near US 50. The old US 15 routing became VA 17 to The Plains (current US 17 and VA 245), SR 626 to Middleburg, and US 50 remained solo to Gilbert's Corner. Interestingly, the 1941-50 maps show a gap in US 15 between US 29 and VA 234, and you had to use SR 625 to get between them. The 1951 map is the first to show a continuous US 15 in its current form. Note that even today parts of SR 625 are still unpaved.
In 1953, US 15 was rerouted to avoid most of Buggs Island Lake (leaving behind SR's 821 and 822).
Posting: Fully posted; cutouts remain in Gordonsville, Orange, and Culpeper - all verified in 2003 (thanks to Gribblenation for pics!). Farmville cutouts lasted to at least 1992.
Comments: Unlike US 29, US 15 in VA is mostly two-lane with little traffic.  The largest towns it hits are Leesburg, Culpeper, and Farmville. US 15 in Loudoun Co. is one of the few US highways marked as an official Virginia Scenic Byway.
In the late 60's, maps show the Leesburg bypass as completed from only US 15 North to VA 7 east of town. The map did not identify if this had any number at all. When US 15 Bypass of Farmville was complete, US 460 was not added to it until 1978.
Significant portions of US 15 have been rebuilt where you can still see the original right-of-ways, especially between VA 6 and US 250; VA 20 to VA 230; US 50 to Leesburg.
North of Leesburg the speed limit is permanently 45 mph, as this is a dangerous stretch of road.
US 15 gap
US 15 in 1949.
US 15 ALT  Decommissioned
Previous US 15 ALT's: US 15 ALT: Appeared in 1938 as a renumbering of Mainline US 15 through Warrenton. However, unlike today, US 15 ALT continued due north from the town square along Winchester Ave. to come out at the current US 17 Bus-US 29 Bus split. After US 15's rerouting to follow US 29 in 1941, US 15 ALT still followed Winchester Ave north to the Warrenton Bypass. It wasn't until March 1953 that US 15 ALT was changed to follow US 211 ALT east from the square. Today Winchester Ave carries no number. US 15 ALT became US 15 Bus. in 1973. US 15 ALT - 1941

Last Update: 26 June 2004

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