US 1 is the only US Highway in the District of Columbia with cool black shields like these (the above is courtesy Lou Corsaro).


NB at Madison Dr. NW, just after crossing the National Mall. There are no left turns at Constitution Ave., meaning one must cut over to 15th St. to turn from US 1 NB to US 50 WB, and creating a most unusual situation: As J.P. Nasiatka tells it, DC has legislated no left turn at an intersection where US 1 SB turns left (Constitution Ave. WB to 14th St. NW SB), somewhat like NJ officially having had NJ 29 NB on a one-way SB road. Traffic is signed to use 9th St. to I-395 instead, though one could use 15th St. to Jefferson Dr. on the south side of the mall. As I found while driving through the city, the impossible turn also happens to US 29 and US 50.


All four northbound DC-US 1 shields still standing. I didn't see the southbound shields that Lou had found, but I was paying more attention straight ahead than to the other side of the road.


A closeup of the arrow on the last sign above shows that the US 1 signs are actually a black sheet applied to a white background, with the appropriate holes cut out for the direction, shield, and in this case arrow. The sign is so old, the sheet is peeling away from the backing, leaving a halo around the arrow. Click for the full closeup of the sign.


Now southbound, a wide shield in the heart of Washington, courtesy Lou Corsaro.


All southbound along Rhode Island Ave., with the first photo to be found at 14th St. NE (and Montana Ave.), and the last photo at the turn to 6th St. NW. The 9th St. sign is really misleading, especially in DC where there are different 9th Streets. 9th St. NE does not cross US 1 to the south (toward New York Ave./US 50), but if you turn left at 13th St NE (right after the sign), you can follow Brentwood Rd. into another piece of 9th St. NE. (I don't see what the big deal is - making a left at 14th St. NE puts you on Montana Ave., which also meets New York Ave.) 9th St. NW is another optional meaning, but New York Ave. ends at the White House a few blocks to the west, and US 1 has already left Rhode Island Ave. (it's US 29 at that particular point). Look, neither one is possible, so just can the sign.


Ending the page right, courtesy Lou Corsaro, with South DC-US 1 in an INTERSTATE shield! I was unable to find it on my trip down US 1, sadly.

Onto US 50 and the US 1/50 duplex
Onto I-395 and the US 1/I-395 duplex over the Potomac

Into Virginia on US 1
Into Maryland on US 1
To I-495 in Virginia
Back to DC Roads
Back to Roads