America’s Longest Famous Highway Passes Through The Heart Of Upstate New York

Did you know that Route 20 is the longest highway in all of America? It runs right through Upstate New York too.

US Route 20 is the longest highway in the United States stretching 3,365 miles coast to coast from Kenmore Square in Boston, to the junction of US 101 in Newport, Oregon. If you thought the thruway aka Interstate 90 was the longest, you'd be wrong.

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Also Route 20 is New York State's longest highway. It stretches 372 miles from the border with Massachusetts to the border of Pennsylvania.

In New York State, 108 miles of Route 20 from Duanesburg (Schenectady County) on the east to LaFayette (Onondaga County) on the west is designated as a New York State Scenic Byway because of its spectacular beauty and unique history to the westward migration of the state and the nation. The area stretching about 30 miles either side of the Scenic Byway is considered the Scenic Byway Corridor. The corridor features even more idyllic communities, numerous specialty shops, local farm markets and numerous community events."

How did Route 20 begin? It started as Native American trails in the early years of America. These trails were transformed with the construction of several turnpikes to handle the burgeoning westward traffic by horse and wagon.

SEE ALSO: Road in New York State Among 'Deadliest in America'

The most famous of the turnpikes connected Albany to Cherry Valley and later was extended to Cazenovia and the Syracuse area. This roadway became known as the Cherry Valley Turnpike and soon was dotted with taverns, hotels and other amenities for travelers. In the 1860s, the Cherry Valley Turnpike became the property of New York State. State and federal programs began providing funds for road building and management assistance by the turn of the century."

In 1926, the road was designated as U.S. Route 20, the longest road in the country, running coast to coast a distance of 3,365 miles.

A little fun driving history for you thanks to Central and Upstate New York.