Pennsylvania Route 44

PA Route 44
Route information
Maintained by PennDOT
Length:	149.24 mi[1] (240.18 km)
Existed:	1927[2][3] – present
Major junctions
South end:	I-80/PA 42 in Buckhorn
	US 220 in Jersey Shore US 6 in Coudersport
North end:	NY 417 at the New York-Pennsylvania border in Ceres Township
Location
Counties:	Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Union, Lycoming, Clinton, Potter, McKean
Highway system
Pennsylvania State Route System Interstate US State Scenic Byways Legislative ← PA 43 PA 45 → ← PA 341 PA 343 → ← PA 453 PA 456 →

Pennsylvania Route 44 (PA 44) is a 149.24 mi (240.18 km)-long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route is designated from Interstate 80 and Pennsylvania Route 42 in Buckhorn to the New York state line near New York State Route 417 in Ceres Township.

Commissioned in 1927 by the Pennsylvania Department of Highways, PA 44 originally ran from the NY state line to Jersey Shore. Today, the highway is a scenic route from Columbia County to Potter County.

Route description

Columbia and Montour Counties

Pennsylvania Route 44 northbound one kilometer from its southern terminus.

PA 44 begins in the census-designated place of Buckhorn at an intersection with Pennsylvania Route 42 and exit 232 of Interstate 80. From there, the highway runs northwest as Buckhorn Road through the Appalachians. In Jerseytown, the route intersects Pennsylvania Route 642 and Pennsylvania Route 254. Outside of Jerseytown, PA 44 turns westward as White Hall Road.

The route enters Montour County passing through the Muncy Hills. From Schuyler to Turbotville, Route 44 is concurrent with Pennsylvania Route 54 at Continental Boulevard.

Northumberland and Union Counties

Pennsylvania Route 44 north in Turbotville, Northumberland County

PA 44 enters Northumberland County running southwest through the mainly plain and agricultural sections of the county. In the village of Mcewensville briefly east of the Interstate 180 underpass, the route intersects Main Street, the historic Susquehanna Trail that was once U.S. Route 111. From Watsontown to Dewart, PA 44 is concurrent with PA 405 along Main Street. In Dewart, the route turns west and crosses the West Branch Susquehanna River via Bridge Avenue; this is the former location of the historic Allenwood River Bridge, which was replaced by the current concrete structure in 1990.

West of the bridge, PA 44 is designated as a scenic route to the intersection with PA 144 in Potter County. After crossing the bridge, the route intersects U.S. Route 15 in the Union County community of Allenwood. West of the hamlet, PA 44 runs mainly west along the banks of the White Deer Hole Creek in the White Deer Valley.

Clinton and Lycoming Counties

PA 44 in Cummings Township, as seen from Upper Pine Bottom State Park.

The highway enters Lycoming County in the White Deer Valley area. In the hamlet of Washington at the intersection with Gap Road, PA 44 turns north before intersecting the southern terminus of PA 554 in Elimsport; on the intersection, the highway turns west.

West of Elimsport, the highway crosses the North White Deer Ridge; one of the ridges on the Appalachian Mountain system. West of the ridge, PA 44 intersects the southern terminus of PA 654 in the town of Collomsville. The route proceeds west and upon reaching a gap that cuts through the Bald Eagle Mountain range near the intersection with PA 880, the highway turns north.

North of the gap, the highway turns west and crosses the West Branch Susquehanna River and enters the borough of Jersey Shore. Inside the borough, PA 44 turns north onto Main Street for a short distance and interchanges the U.S. Route 220 expressway to begin a short 3 mile (5 km) wrong-way concurrency.

The expressway runs mainly southwest, officially signed as the "Frank D. Oreilly Highway". Southwest of the Pine Creek crossing, PA 44 leaves US 220. PA 44 crosses the creek again and continues north along the western banks of the creek.

In the village of Tomb, PA 44 intersects the western endpoint of PA 973, where the highway runs through the Pine Creek Gorge. Near the village of Cummings, PA 44 turns west to cross the Pine Creek and intersect PA 414. The highway proceeds west through the southern sections of the Tiadaghton State Forest. Through the reminder of the Lycoming section of PA 44, the highway runs north, serving primarily as the boundary between Lycoming and Clinton Counties.

Potter and McKean Counties

At the intersection of PA 44 and PA 144 in Abbott Township, Potter County

PA 44 enters Potter County through the western portions of the Tioga State Forest. At the eastern tip of the Susquehannock State Forest, PA 44 begins a concurrency with PA 144; the scenic route continues south, on PA 144. The two routes run briefly on Pine Hill Road. North of the overlap, PA 44 proceeds northwest through more mountainous terrain. This section of PA 44, signed as Cherry Springs Road, traverses many hills and mountains including Mount Brodhead, Cherry Springs Vista, Kaple Hill, and Cochran Hill.

North of the mountainous region, PA 44 turns west to begin a concurrency with U.S. Route 6, the Grand Army of the Republic Highway. The two routes run into the borough of Coudersport, where they split in downtown; US 6 turns south and PA 44 turns north onto Main Street. North of Coudersport, PA 44 meets the western terminus of PA 49.

PA 44 approaching its end in Ceres

The route proceeds northward into the Greenman Hill area. In Coneville, PA 44 intersects the western terminus of PA 244. From PA 244, the highway proceeds on a northwest direction into the northern tier of Pennsylvania. The highway spends over 55 miles in Potter County. The highway briefly enters McKean County for about a little over 3 miles, passing through its northeast corner (5 km) before terminating at the New York-Pennsylvania border and becoming a short road (less than 100 yards) that connects to New York State Route 417.^[4][5]

History

The former eastern segment of PA 44 that once was routed to Mahanoy City.

When PA 44 was commissioned in 1927, the route was designated from U.S. Route 220 in Jersey Shore to the New York-Pennsylvania border. Northeast of Coudersport from PA 49 to PA 244, and from US 6 to US 220, the road was not paved. From Jersey Shore to Turbotville, PA 44 was assigned the Pennsylvania Route 54 designation. From Turbotville to Jerseytown, the road was designated as Pennsylvania Route 454. From Jerseytown to Buckhorn, 44 was numbered as Pennsylvania Route 342.^[6][7]

By 1940, PA 44 was extended east to Turbotville, replacing the previous PA 54 alignment. Also in the 1940s, PA 44 was completely paved from Coudersport to the New York state line.^[8] In the 1950s, PA 44 was largely extended to Mahanoy City in Schuylkill County.^[9]

By 1970, the road was truncated to its current southern terminus in Buckhorn.^[10]

Major intersections

County	Location[11]	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Columbia	Hemlock Township	0.00	0.00	I-80 / PA 42 – Millville, Bloomsburg	Exit 232 (I-80)
	Madison Township	6.75	10.86	PA 642	Eastern terminus of PA 642
		7.83	12.60	PA 254
Montour	Limestone Township	16.11	25.93	PA 54 east (Continental Boulevard)	Southern terminus of concurrency.
Northumberland	Turbotville	18.61	29.95	PA 54 west	Northern terminus of concurrency.
	Watsontown	24.64	39.65	PA 405 south (Dickson Avenue) – Milton	Southern terminus of concurrency.
	Delaware Township	26.92	43.32	PA 405 north	Northern terminus of concurrency
Union	Gregg Township	27.90	44.90	US 15 – Lewisburg, Williamsport
Lycoming	Washington Township	35.44	57.04	PA 554	Southern terminus of PA 554
	Limestone Township	43.12	69.39	PA 654	Western terminus of PA 654
		47.03	75.69	PA 880	Northern terminus of PA 880
	Piatt–Porter township line	51.49	82.87	South end of freeway
				US 220 north – Williamsport	Southern terminus of concurrency
	Porter Township–Jersey Shore line			Thomas Street	Interchange
Clinton	Pine Creek Township	54.16	87.16	US 220 south – Lock Haven	Northern terminus of concurrency, Exit 120 (US 220)
				North end of freeway
Lycoming	Watson Township	59.22	95.31	PA 973	Western terminus of PA 973
	Cummings Township	66.72	107.38	PA 414	Waterville, Western terminus of PA 414
Lycoming–Clinton county line	McHenry–Gallagher township line	72.04	115.94	PA 664 (Coudersport Pike)	Northern terminus of PA 664
Potter	Stewardson Township	96.26	154.92	PA 144 south – Renovo	Southern terminus of concurrency
	Abbott Township	101.59	163.49	PA 144 north – Galeton	Northern terminus of concurrency
	Sweden Township	120.31	193.62	US 6 east (Grand Army of the Republic Highway)	Southern terminus of concurrency
	Coudersport	122.44	197.05	PA 872	Northern terminus of PA 872
		124.40	200.20	US 6 west (Main Street) – Port Allegany, Smethport	Northern terminus of concurrency
	Eulalia Township	127.45	205.11	PA 49	Western terminus of PA 49
	Hebron Township	136.07	218.98	PA 244	Western terminus of PA 244
McKean	Ceres Township	149.24	240.18	NY 417	New York state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

• U.S. Roads portal
• Pennsylvania portal

References

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pennsylvania Route 44.

• Pennsylvania Highways website on PA 44
• Junction List for PA 44
• Photos of the ends of PA 44