United States Highway 2 is an east-west United States highway. US 2 is the designation of two very distinct routes along the northern edges of the country -- but while some routes were truncated because of encroaching Interstate highways, US 2 has been split since it was commissioned in the original 1926 highway plan. However, a route through Canada used to be marked, connecting the routes; see the section on Canada.

Eastern Segment

The eastern segment of US 2 traverses the northern reaches of the New England states.

Termini

As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in Houlton, Maine at the Canadian border. It shares the endpoint with Interstate 95, and the route continues as Provincial Highway 95. Five miles into Canada, this route intersects with Trans-Canada Highway 2. Its western terminus is in Rouses Point, New York, also at the Canadian border. US 2 and U.S. Highway 11 meet, turn north a half mile to the border, and continue as Provincial Highway 223.

Alternate routes

As of 2004, Alternate US 2 has an eastern terminus in Houlton, Maine, just two miles from the start of the main line route. It rejoins US 2 in Macwahoc. While the main line of US 2 follows Interstate 95 for a while before heading south, Alternate US 2 veers to the south and east to serve an isolated area of the state.

States traversed

The highway passes through the following states:

• Maine
• New Hampshire
• Vermont
• New York (about one mile in Rouses Point, half of which is co-signed with U.S. Highway 11)

Western Segment

The western segment of US 2 extends from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan across the northern tier of the lower 48 states.

Termini

As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in St. Ignace, Michigan at an intersection with Interstate 75. Its western terminus is in Everett, Washington at an intersection with Washington State Route 529 (former U.S. Highway 99). However, signage is unclear between there and the intersection with Interstate 5.

Historic termini

Until 1984, the eastern end of US 2 extended up Interstate 75 to the Canadian border, in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

States traversed

The highway passes through the following states:

• Michigan
• Wisconsin
• Minnesota
• North Dakota
• Montana
• Idaho
• Washington

At the crossing between Wisconsin and Minnesota, the highway crosses the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge, supposedly about 8,300 feet in length—roughly 11,800 feet in length when the above land approaches are included.

Canada

Currently, the east end of the west segment is on I-75 south of the Canadian border, and the west end of the east segment is at the border. Until the 1960s at the latest, a route marked as 'TO US 2' was minimally signed along the Trans-Canada Highway and other Provincial Highways through Ontario and Quebec, linking the two segments.

References

• misc.transport.road post by Ron Wilbanks, May 2, 2003 (http://groups-beta.google.com/group/misc.transport.road/messages/2f022d120d1665b2,ef5b0048db435956,6c6421c3d26e517e,ac852d4f53bc5dec,e2a8377e87d03169,8dc7d2ecd43545a0,761270a55c46f1da,2087b69776f8ee48,0e2545936fbb75d7,094793becc61945a?thread_id=4e7fd9cfe13d0bba&mode=thread&noheader=1&q=us+2+canada+wilbanks#doc_761270a55c46f1da)

Related US Routes

• U.S. Highway 102
• U.S. Highway 202
• U.S. Highway 302
• List of United States Highways

Sources and external links

• Endpoints of US highways: Eastern Segment (http://www.geocities.com/usend0009/End002E/end002E.htm) and Western Segment (http://www.geocities.com/usend0009/End002W/end002W.htm) (used with permission)