The Most Popular Road in the Hudson Valley Goes All the Way to Canada

Consider my mind blown. A road that most Hudson Valley commuters simply use to get to work could actually take them on an international vacation.

Growing up in the Hudson Valley, I was proud of my backroad knowledge. Being able to get from one town to another without jumping on a major highway felt like a badge of honor. Consider my surprise, then, when I found out the secret about our most popular road.

The Many "9s" of the Hudson Valley

While there might certainly be some debate as to which local road is the most used, there should be no doubt that whichever one it is, it begins with a 9. Route 9A, 9D, and 9W are just some of many "9s" that run through our corner of New York. One, however, is a bit more impressive than the rest.

"Local" Hudson Valley Road Actually Runs from Delaware to Canada

I don't know about you, but it's weird for me to think about someone in a different state talking about a road that I consider local to the Hudson Valley. One such road, however, runs over 520 miles from Delaware to the border of Canada and passes through the Hudson Valley at roughly its halfway point.

Route 9 Stretches from Delaware to Canada

The road in question is the original: Route 9. Running between Laurel, Delaware and Champlain, New York, the road that most Hudson Valley residents think about as the route between Fishkill and Hudson actually reaches far outside of the Hudson Valley.

Learning that Route 9 passes through multiple states is like learning that your elementary school teacher actually has a life outside of the classroom. The silver lining, however, is that it could make one hell of a road trip.

Read More: Is This the Most Scenic Road in New York State?

While not exactly as scenic as California's famous Route 1 that runs along the Pacific coast, Route 9 has a similar experience. Running parallel to the Hudson River for many miles, Route 9 could be your one-road route to our neighbor to the north.

Get our free mobile app

Looking at it that way, Route 9 can still feel like a local road. Just like I enjoyed avoiding "major" roads like 209 in Ulster County when I was a kid, taking Route 9 to Canada and ignoring major highways like 87 is just a different way of taking a backroad.