Pennsylvania
Gettysburg Journey through Hallowed Ground Byway
Pennsylvania’s Scenic Byways
Pennsylvania created its own byways program in 2001 with the approval of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). The program was created and is managed by the Program Management Committee within PennDOT. Pennsylvania boasts 22 scenic byways, four of which are FHWA national scenic byways. The program’s goal is to support local governments and economic development. However, the program also focuses on the protection and preservation of scenic land and education for tourists and residents in the communities along scenic byways.
Key Points
- Pennsylvania is home to four national scenic byways and 18 state and federal agency scenic byways.
- Byways play a key role in the state travel and tourism industry, which in 2019 welcomed 211 million visitors who spent a combined $46 billion, supporting the employment of 333,100 people.
- The Historic National Road Scenic Byway, built in 1811, is the first major highway in the United States.
- The national program continues to grow, and in February 2021 the Brandywine Valley Route was designated Pennsylvania’s newest national scenic byway.
Pennsylvania Byways
Map Key:
- All-American Roads
- National Scenic Byways
- Federal Agency Byways
- State Scenic Byways
All-American Roads
National Scenic Byways
Federal Agency Byways
State Scenic Byways
Byways Provide Access to Public Lands
Pennsylvania byways provide access to the state’s most spectacular public lands, including 19 national parks, 121 state parks, 4 Wild and Scenic Rivers, 169 national historic landmarks, two World Heritage Sites, and 20 state forests.
About the National Scenic Byways Program
The National Scenic Byways Program, established by Congress in 1991, recognizes historic, scenic, and culturally important roads, all of which promote economic development and tourism in communities around the U.S. There are more than 1,200 byways in all 50 states.
All scenic byways exhibit one or more of six core intrinsic qualities — scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, archaeological, or natural. For a road to be named a national scenic byway, it must first be designated a state, tribal, or federal agency scenic byway. Once achieving that, a road may apply for national scenic byway designation, but its intrinsic quality must be of regional significance. All-American Roads are the very best of the national scenic byways, demonstrating at least two intrinsic qualities of national significance.