Baltimore Pike

the "Baltimore Pike" near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

The Baltimore Pike was an auto trail connecting Baltimore, Maryland, with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Today, parts of the road are signed as U. S. Route 1 (US 1), US 13, and a small portion of Pennsylvania Route 41 (PA 41). A section of the road within the city limits of Philadelphia and surrounding boroughs is known as Baltimore Avenue, although locals are known to call the Delaware County portion "Baltimore Pike". In suburbs farther west, some sections retain the formal name "Baltimore Pike." Today, Baltimore Avenue's eastern terminus is at 38th Street in Philadelphia, where it intersects with Woodland Avenue (from Southwest Philadelphia and the borough of Darby) and funnels into University Avenue. The road used to continue to Market Street until the University City area was redeveloped.

The routing of the Baltimore Pike in Maryland follows US 1 from Baltimore northeast to the Pennsylvania border near Rising Sun in Cecil County. The road passes through Bel Air and crosses the Susquehanna River on the Conowingo Dam. The name Baltimore Pike is given to a section of US 1 Bus. in Harford County between Benson and Main Street in Bel Air. South of Benson, US 1 is named Belair Road. From Main Street, US 1 Bus. follows several streets of various other names before joining with US 1 as Conowingo Road.

The Baltimore Pike enters Pennsylvania from Maryland in West Nottingham Township, Chester County, with the southernmost part of the road in the state a part of US 1, which is a four lane divided highway at this point. North of the Ridge Road intersection, US 1 becomes a freeway called the Kennett Oxford Bypass and Baltimore Pike continues northeast as a two lane undivided road that dead ends near the US 1 freeway. The road heads through wooded areas with some homes, with an older alignment of the road known as Old Baltimore Pike looping to the west of the road. Baltimore Pike comes to the Herr's Snacks plant in the community of Nottingham, at which point the alignments of both Baltimore Pike and Old Baltimore Pike are severed, with traffic having to head west and north along Herr Drive to access PA 272. A short distance to the east along PA 272, the alignment of Baltimore Pike resumes as State Route 3026 (SR 3026), an unsigned quadrant route. The Baltimore Pike is a two lane undivided road and runs north northeast past a few businesses, crossing into East Nottingham Township. The road curves northeast and passes through a mix of farmland and woodland with some residential and commercial development, running a short distance to the northwest of an East Penn Railroad line. Baltimore Pike continues through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes and businesses, crossing the West Branch Big Elk Creek and passing to the north of the Lincoln University campus. The road continues into Upper Oxford Township and runs through more agricultural areas with some housing developments, coming to an intersection with PA 896. Baltimore Pike heads through more rural areas of with some residential development and curves to the east, crossing the East Branch Big Elk Creek into Penn Township. At this point, the road name becomes West Baltimore Pike and it passes between residential development to the north and farmland to the south before passing north of the former Jennersville Hospital. The road heads past a few commercial establishments, reaching an intersection with PA 796 in the community of Jennersville. Following this intersection, West Baltimore Pike heads through farmland before heading into wooded areas with residential developments and crossing into London Grove Township. The road heads near more residences, crossing the Middle Branch White Clay Creek, and enters the borough of West Grove, becoming West Evergreen Street. Here, the road is lined with more homes and comes to an intersection with PA 841, at which point that route joins the road with the name changing to East Evergreen Street. This road curves to the northeast and PA 841 splits north onto Chatham Road. The road heads back into London Grove Township and becomes East Baltimore Pike, continuing through a mix of farms, woods, and development. East Baltimore Pike heads to the east and comes to an intersection with PA 41, at which point SR 3026 ends and Baltimore Pike merges onto PA 41, heading southeast as Gap Newport Pike. Past this interchange, Baltimore Pike continues east as SR 2016, passing through woodland and crossing the Ridley Creek into Upper Providence Township. Here, the road turns northeast and enters the borough of Media, narrowing into a two lane undivided road and becoming West Baltimore Avenue. West Baltimore Avenue curves east and heads into residential areas with some businesses. Upon reaching the commercial downtown of Media, the road intersects Jackson Street and becomes East Baltimore Avenue, passing more businesses and intersecting PA 252. A short distance past this intersection, the road heads into Nether Providence Township and becomes Baltimore Pike again, heading into wooded residential areas with some businesses. Baltimore Pike widens into a four lane divided highway and comes to an interchange with I 476. Immediately after the interchange, the road crosses the Crum Creek into Springfield Township and passes between the Springfield Mall to the north and wooded areas of homes to the south, at which point it becomes the border between Springfield Township to the north and the borough of Swarthmore to the south. Baltimore Pike comes to an intersection with PA 320 and continues past more businesses, fully entering Springfield Township again and becoming a five lane road with a center left turn lane. The road curves to the east northeast and crosses PA 420, becoming the border between Springfield Township to the north and the borough of Morton to the south past this intersection. Baltimore Pike fully enters Springfield Township and is lined with more businesses. Today, the avenue is served by SEPTA Route 34, which runs on Baltimore from the subway mouth at 40th Street to the Angora terminal loop at 61st Street.

Despite its name, the road was not itself a former turnpike, but portions were, including Baltimore and Jerusalem Turnpike between Baltimore and Bel Air, Maryland. The road's easternmost part was another such section: the Chaddsford Turnpike, depicted on an 1843 map running from Mill Creek (present day 43rd Street in West Philadelphia) to the western limits of Philadelphia County, in the direction of Chadds Ford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Its northern section was designated Pennsylvania Route 12 in 1924. Much of the route was designated as part of US 1 in 1926. Until 1928, the route crossed the Susquehanna River on the Conowingo Bridge, which was destroyed and replaced by the Conowingo Dam. Baltimore Avenue formerly continued northward to Market Street as part of Woodland Avenue; this segment was stricken from the City street plan in the late 1950s due to redevelopment by the University of Pennsylvania and what is now Drexel University.

See U. S. Route 1 in Maryland#Junction list