Virginia State Route 5

{{Short description|State highway in eastern Virginia, US}} {{For|the former State Route 5|State Route 5 (Virginia 1918-1923)}} {{Use American English|date=April 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox road |state=VA |type=VA |route=5 |length_mi=54.96 |length_ref=<ref name="traffic counts">[http://virginiadot.org/info/resources/2010/AADT_127_Richmond_2010.pdf 2010 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - City of Richmond] [http://virginiadot.org/info/resources/2010/AADT_043_Henrico_2010.pdf 2010 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Henrico County] [http://virginiadot.org/info/resources/2010/AADT_018_CharlesCity_2010.pdf 2010 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Charles City County] [http://virginiadot.org/info/resources/2010/AADT_047_JamesCity_2010.pdf 2010 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - James City County]</ref> |length_round=2 |map=VA 5 map.svg |established=July 1, 1933<ref>{{cite news |title=New Numbers of Va. Highways Effective July 1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42704631/va_route_changes_may_10_1933/ |access-date=January 21, 2020 |work=The Richmond Times-Dispatch |date=May 10, 1933 |page=5|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> |tourist=20px|alt=|link= Virginia Byway |direction_a=West |direction_b=East |terminus_a={{jct|state=VA|US|60}} in Richmond |junction={{jct|state=VA|SR|895}} near Richmond {{jct|state=VA|I|295}} near Richmond {{jct|state=VA|SR|156}} at Granville {{jct|state=VA|SR|106|SR|156}} at Kimages {{jct|state=VA|SR|155}} in Charles City {{jct|state=VA|SR|199}} near Williamsburg {{jct|state=VA|SR|31|SR|199}} near Williamsburg {{jct|state=VA|SR|132}} in Williamsburg {{jct|state=VA|US|60}} in Williamsburg |terminus_b={{jct|state=VA|SR|143}} in Williamsburg |counties=City of Richmond, Henrico, Charles City, James City, City of Williamsburg |previous_type=VA |previous_route=4 |next_type=VA |next_route=6 }}

'''Virginia State Route 5''' ('''SR 5''') is a primary state highway in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It runs between the independent cities of Richmond and Williamsburg. Between Charles City County and James City County, it crosses the Chickahominy River via the Judith Stewart Dresser Bridge, a fixed-span bridge which replaced historic Barrett's Ferry and the former drawbridge.

The entire length of SR 5 outside Richmond and Williamsburg is a Virginia Byway. Since 2015, the Virginia Capital Trail dedicated pedestrian and bicycle trail runs alongside the automobile highway.

==Route description== thumb|right|View east along SR 5 at SR 155 in Charles City For much of its distance, SR 5 generally parallels the north bank of the James River, following the path of older colonial roads. It passes through three of the original eight shires created in the Colony of Virginia in 1634 by King Charles I of England. These are James City County, Charles City County, and Henrico County, moving from east to west as the area was developed in the colonial period.

== James River plantations ==

Some of the larger and older of the extant James River Plantations are along the route. None is owned by any government. Houses and/or grounds are generally open daily to visitors, with various admission fees applicable. From west to east, these are the Shirley Plantation, Edgewood Plantation, Berkeley Plantation, Westover Plantation, Evelynton Plantation, Belle Air Plantation, Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation, North Bend Plantation and Sherwood Forest Plantation.

==History== The first piece of SR 5 was added to the state highway system in 1923, a portion of the road running west from Charles City for {{convert|18.5|mi|km}} toward Richmond,<ref>{{CTB minutes|03-1923-02|page= 21}}</ref> and was numbered '''State Route 41'''.<ref>{{CTB minutes|06-1923-01|page= 7}}</ref> {{convert|3|mi|km|spell=In}} were added in 1924,<ref>{{CTB minutes|04-1924-01|page= 7}}</ref> {{convert|6.39|mi|km}} were added in 1925,<ref name="CTB minutes|02-1925-01">{{CTB minutes|02-1925-01|page= 4}}</ref> and the remaining {{convert|3.5|mi|km}}, taking the route to the Richmond city limits, were added in 1927.<ref name="CTB minutes|03-1927-01">{{CTB minutes|03-1927-01|page= 9}}</ref>

An extension to the east, heading north from Charles City to State Route 39 (now U.S. Route 60) at Providence Forge, was added in 1926.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{CTB minutes|05-1926-01|pages= 19, 21}}</ref> In the 1928 renumbering of state roads, this was designated as State Route 413, since a new alignment of SR 41, heading east from Charles City toward Williamsburg for {{convert|8|mi|km|spell=in}}, was added to the state highway system, as was a {{convert|4.5|mi|km|adj=on}} piece at the other end, heading west from State Route 510 (now State Route 31).<ref>{{CTB minutes|08-1928-02|pages= 28, 31}}</ref> A further {{convert|3.50|mi|km}} from the west and {{convert|2.80|mi|km}} from the east were added in 1930 and 1931,<ref>{{CTB minutes|12-1930-02|pages= 10, 14}}</ref> and, in 1932, the route was completed from Richmond to Williamsburg, with {{convert|3.00|mi|km}} from the west and {{convert|1.70|mi|km}} from the east.<ref>{{CTB minutes|07-1932-03|pages= 18, 20}}</ref> thumb|left|250px|SR 5 in Charles City County, near the Henrico County line

The road from State Route 32 (now U.S. Route 15) at Zion Crossroads east to Oilville was added to the state highway system by 1923 as '''State Route 321'''.<ref>{{CTB minutes|12-1923-01|page= 12}}</ref> Extensions east from Oilville were added for {{convert|4|mi|km|spell=in}} in 1924,<ref>{{CTB minutes|04-1924-01|page= 8}}</ref> {{convert|6|mi|km|spell=in}} in 1925,<ref name="CTB minutes|02-1925-01"/> and {{convert|7.5|mi|km}} in 1926.<ref>{{CTB minutes|05-1926-01|pages= 19, 22}}</ref> By 1927, SR 321 became an extension of SR 41 west from Richmond, and that year the former SR 321 was extended {{convert|3.5|mi|km}}, the rest of the way to Richmond.<ref name="CTB minutes|03-1927-01"/>

SR 321/SR 41 was also extended west for {{convert|2.0|mi|km}} in 1926,<ref name="ReferenceA"/> two more miles in 1927,<ref name="CTB minutes|03-1927-01"/> and {{convert|5.4|mi|km}} - the rest of the way to State Route 39 (now State Route 22) at Shadwell - in 1928.<ref>{{CTB minutes|08-1928-02|pages= 22–3}}</ref>

In Richmond, SR 41 initially used Broad Street, a hairpin turn through Chimborazo Park, Fulton Street, Williamsburg Road, Hatcher Street, Newton Road, and New Osborne Turnpike.<ref>{{CTB minutes|07-1932-02|page= 11}}</ref><ref name="Henrico map">[http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/cgi-bin/vhip_annotated/vhip.pl?&map=hen Map of Henrico County]{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}, 1930s</ref>

State Route 39 from Shadwell west to Monterey, now U.S. Route 250, was part of the initial 1918 state highway system (numbered State Route 9 until 1923). It initially continued west from Monterey on present US 250,<ref>{{CTB minutes|07-1922-01|quote= Proposed 'State Highway System' for Virginia, as Recommended by the State Roads Committee, January, 1918}}</ref> but by 1924 it used current State Route 84 west to West Virginia. The road west from Monterey towards West Virginia Route 56<ref>{{CTB minutes|04-1924-01|page= 5}}</ref> (now U.S. Route 250) for {{convert|7.86|mi|km}} was added to the state highway system in 1930<ref>{{CTB minutes|12-1930-02|page= 24}}</ref> and 1932 as '''State Route 835''';<ref>{{CTB minutes|07-1932-03|page= 26}}</ref> the remaining mileage to the state line was added in 1933.<ref>{{CTB minutes|10-1933-01|page= 23}}</ref>

In the 1933 renumbering, State Routes 41 and 835 both became part of a new '''State Route 5''', as did the piece of State Route 39 from Monterey to Shadwell. By 1935,<ref>{{CTB minutes|08-1935-02|quote=Route 250, Broad Street Road, just east of Hungary Springs Road}}</ref> the whole route west of Richmond became an extension of U.S. Route 250 into Virginia, truncating SR 5 to its present Richmond-Williamsburg route.

SR 5 was extended east along State Route 31 through Williamsburg to State Route 168 (now State Route 143) "to improve the service to travelers interchanging between Route 5 and Routes 60 and 168" in 1958.<ref>{{CTB minutes|08-1958-01|page= 64}}</ref> SR 31 has since been truncated to the SR 5 junction.

==Major intersections== {{jcttop|state=VA|length_ref=<ref name="traffic counts"/>}} {{VAint |type=concur |indep_city=Richmond |lspan=2 |mile=0.00 |road={{jct|state=VA|US|60|dir1=west|name1=East Main Street|road|25th Street}} |notes=Western terminus; west end of US 60 overlap }} {{VAint |type=concur |mile=0.30 |road={{jct|state=VA|US|60|dir1=east|name1=Williamsburg Avenue}} |notes=East end of US 60 overlap }} {{VAint |county=Henrico |cspan=5 |location=Oakland |ctdab=Henrico |mile= |road=New Osborne Turnpike |notes=former SR 146 north }} {{VAint |location=none |mile=5.01 |road={{jct|state=VA|road|Laburnum Avenue|to2=to|SR|895|US|60}} }} {{VAint |location=none |mile= |road={{jct|state=VA|road|Battlefield Park Road|location1=Fort Harrison (Richmond National Battlefield Park)}} |notes=former SR 156 south }} {{VAint |location=none |mile=8.35 |road={{jct|state=VA|I|295|location1=Washington|location2=Rocky Mount, NC}} |notes=Exit 22 (I-295) }} {{VAint |type=concur |location=none |mile=13.05 |road={{jct|state=VA|SR|156|dir1=north|name1=Willis Church Road|city1=Seven Pines|city2=Mechanicsville}} |notes=West end of SR 156 overlap }} {{VAint |type=concur |county=Charles City |cspan=2 |location=none |mile=19.11 |road={{jct|state=VA|SR|106|SR|156|dir2=south|name2=Roxbury Road|city1=Hopewell|city2=Prince George|location3=Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge}} |notes=East end of SR 156 overlap }} {{VAint |location=Charles City |mile=28.48 |road={{jct|state=VA|SR|155|dir1=north|Sec|644|county2=Charles City|name2=Courthouse Road|city1=Providence Forge|city2=Charles City CH}} }} {{jctbridge |river=Chickahominy River |mile=41.76 |bridge=Barrett's Ferry Bridge }} {{VAint |county=James City |cspan=4 |location=none |mile= |road={{jct|state=VA|Sec|5000|county1=James City|dir1=east|name1=Monticello Avenue|city1=Williamsburg}} }} {{VAint |location=none |mile= |road={{jct|state=VA|Sec|614|county1=James City|name1=Greensprings Road|city1=Jamestown}} }} {{VAint |location=Five Forks |ctdab=James City |mile= |road={{jct|state=VA|Sec|615|county1=James City|name1=Ironbound Road|location1=Dunbar|city2=Jamestown}} }} {{VAint |type=concur |location=none |mile=49.95 |road={{jct|state=VA|SR|199|dir1=west|to2=to|SR|321|Sec|616|county3=James City|city1=Williamsburg}} |notes=West end of SR 199 overlap }} {{VAint |type=concur |indep_city=Williamsburg |lspan=7 |mile=50.41 |road={{jct|state=VA|SR|31|dir1=south|name1=Jamestown Road|SR|199|dir2=east|city1=Newport News|city2=Jamestown|location3=Busch Gardens}} |notes=East end of SR 199 overlap }} {{VAint |type=concur |mile=52.34 |road={{jct|state=VA|SR|132|dir1=south|name1=South Henry Street|to2=to|SR|199|road|Francis Street|location1=Busch Gardens|location2=to Colonial Parkway|location3=William & Mary Law School}} |notes=West end of SR 132 overlap }} {{VAint |type=concur |mile=52.72 |road={{jct|state=VA|SR|132|dir1=north|name1=North Henry Street|to2=to|I|64|road|Lafayette Street|location1=Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center|location2=Colonial Parkway}} |notes=East end of SR 132 overlap; former SR 162 west }} {{VAint |type=concur |mile=53.78 |road={{jct|state=VA|US|60|dir1=east|name1=York Street|road|Page Street to Francis Street|location1=Busch Gardens}} |notes=West end of US 60 overlap }} {{VAint |mile= |road=Second Street |notes=former SR 162 east }} {{VAint |type=concur |mile=54.34 |road={{jct|state=VA|US|60|dir1=west|name1=Bypass Road|location1=Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center|location2=Colonial Parkway}} |notes=East end of US 60 overlap }} {{VAint |mile=54.96 |road={{jct|state=VA|SR|143|name1=Capitol Landing Road / Merrimac Trail|to2=to|I|64}} |notes=Eastern terminus }} {{jctbtm|keys=concur}}

==Road names==

{| class=wikitable !Location !Name !Notes |- | City of Richmond | E. Main Street | Western terminus |- | rowspan="3" | Henrico County | Old Osborne Turnpike | |- | Osborne Turnpike | |- | New Market Road | |- | Charles City County | rowspan="2" | John Tyler Memorial Highway | rowspan="2" | |- | James City County |- | rowspan="8" | City of Williamsburg | Humelsine Parkway | Concurrency with SR 199 |- | Jamestown Road | |- | S. Boundary Street | |- | W. Francis Street | |- | Henry Street (South/North) | Concurrency with SR 132 |- | Lafayette Street | Old SR 162 alignment |- | Page Street | |- | Capitol Landing Road | Eastern terminus |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category|Virginia State Route 5}} {{Attached KML|display=title,inline}} *[http://www.vahighways.com/route-log/va005.htm Virginia Highways Project: VA 5]

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