U.S. Bicycle Route 76 (USBR 76) is a cross-country bicycle route east of Kansas in the United States. It is one of the two original U.S. Bicycle Routes, the other being U.S. Bicycle Route 1. U.S. Bicycle Route 76 runs from the Midwestern state of Missouri to the eastern seaboard state of Virginia. It is also known as the TransAmerica Bike Route.
A spur, U.S. Bicycle Route 176, was established in Virginia in 2016.
History
TransAm- A Journey Across the US - On May 12, Alyssa and I set out from Astoria, Oregon with one goal on our minds; Yorktown, Virginia. We spent 76 days riding our bikes on the TransAmerica ...
Bicycle Route 76 originated as the Bikecentennial, the route for a large bike tour organized for the 1976 celebration of the United States Bicentennial. The Adventure Cycling Association was at that time also known as the "Bikecentennial."
Bicycle Route 76 was established in 1982 as an original U.S. Bicycle Route, along with U.S. Bicycle Route 1 from Florida to Virginia. Bicycle traffic along a good deal of Bicycle Route 76 has been sparse to practically non-existent for several years. However, a 2003 conference encouraged the establishment of new interstate bicycle routes, as well as proposing the extension the two existing ones, 76's western terminus being conjectured on the Oregon coast.
Since 2014, the annual Trans Am Bike Race has used the route.
Route description
Missouri
In the state of Missouri, U.S. Bicycle Route 76 is signed. The route begins at the Kansas border 28 miles west of Golden City, continuing east across 348.5 miles of the state before reaching the Mississippi River just west of Chester, Illinois. The route passes through the following counties:
- Ste. Genevieve County
- St. Francois County
- Iron County
- Reynolds County
- Shannon County
- Texas County
- Wright County
- Webster County
- Greene County
- Dade County
- Jasper County
- Barton County
Illinois
In the state of Illinois, U.S. Bicycle Route 76 intersects the Tunnel Hill State Trail in southern Illinois and passes through the following counties:
- Randolph County
- Jackson County
- Williamson County
- Johnson County
- Pope County
- Hardin County
Kentucky
In the state of Kentucky, U.S. Bicycle Route 76 is signed, and a map is available as part of a state bicycle tours publication.
Virginia
In the state of Virginia, part of U.S. Bicycle Route 76 is signed, and a map is available as part of a state bicycling publication. The route passes along the following roads and through the following counties and communities:
- State Route 80 (Virginia) from Elkhorn City, Kentucky to Meadowview, Virginia in Washington County
- Buchanan County (10.9 mi.)
- Dickenson County (20.6 mi.)
- Russell County (20.1 mi.)
- Washington County (38.4 mi.)
- Meadowview to Damascus
- U.S. Route 58 from Damascus, where the route crosses the Virginia Creeper Trail and the Appalachian Trail to County Route 603 through Smyth County to Troutdale in Grayson County
- Smyth County (6.4 mi.)
- Grayson County (7.4 mi.)
- State Route 16 from Troutdale to Sugar Grove in Smyth County
- Smyth County (14.7 mi.)
- Wythe County (34.7 mi.)
- Pulaski County (23 mi.)
- City of Radford (2.6 mi.)
- Montgomery County (27.9 mi.)
- County Routes 787, 664, 600, and 666 from Radford to Christiansburg
- Ellett Road (County Route 723) from Cambria in Christiansburg to Ellett just east of Blacksburg passing under the Wilson Creek Bridge, second tallest bridge in Virginia, and part of the Virginia Smart Road
- Lusters Gate Road (County Route 723) from Ellett to Lusters Gate passing through Ellett Valley with the North Fork of the Roanoke River to the east and the Eastern Continental Divide a few miles to the west
- Catawba Road (County Route 785) from Lusters Gate to the Roanoke County line passing through Catawba Valley
- Roanoke County (13.7 mi.)
- Blacksburg Road (County Route 785) from the Montgomery County line to Catawba passing out of the Roanoke River watershed and into the Chesapeake Bay (James River) watershed
- County Route 779 from Catawba to the Botetourt County line
- Botetourt County (40.5 mi.)
- Rockbridge County (17 mi.)
- City of Lexington (3 mi.)
- Rockbridge County (27.6 mi.)
- Augusta County and Nelson County (29.8 mi)
- Just south of Waynesboro near Afton Mountain, the route runs along the Blue Ridge Parkway for about 25 miles, overlooking the Shenandoah Valley to the west and Nelson County's Rockfish Valley to the east.
- Albemarle County (38.9 mi.)
- City of Charlottesville (3.7 mi.)
- Fluvanna County (21.7 mi.)
- Goochland County (4.1 mi.)
- Louisa County (31.4 mi.)
- Hanover County (50.7 mi.)
- Henrico County (16 mi.)
- Charles City County (26.8 mi.)
- James City County (13.9 mi.)
- Along the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown
- City of Williamsburg (3.2 mi.)
- York County (11.4 mi)
- Yorktown
Total miles: 560.1
References
External links
- Media related to U.S. Bicycle Route 76 at Wikimedia Commons
- Adventure Cycling - TransAmerica Trail
