Eastern Ohio’s Historic National Road Road Trip

Your road trip begins in Bridgeport at the border between West Virginia and Ohio. Construction techniques in the 1820s limited the ability to blast through rock, so the National Road follows a narrow, curving route around hills as it heads west toward the village of Morristown.

The modern-day construction of I-70 did quite a number on the old National Road west of Morristown, so you’ll split your time between the interstate and the two-lane alignment of the National Road on this part of the journey. You’ll leave the interstate behind near the town of Old Washington, where the scenery becomes much more rural.

Through Cambridge the National Road is known as Glenn Highway, honoring the birthplace of former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn. Plan to stretch your legs at South Bridge Park, where an 1828 stone arch bridge (an “S” bridge) carried the original National Road over Peters Creek. Portions of this section of the route feature bricks laid during World War I.

Leaving quaint downtown Zanesville, you’ll arrive at an interesting feature—a Y-Bridge over the confluence of the Licking and Muskingum rivers. The three-way bridge is an architectural rarity, with an intersection at the middle of the river. It’s smooth sailing the rest of your journey to Kirkersville, past small communities and corn fields along the way.