Blue Star Memorial Highway

Blue Star Memorial Highways are highways in the United States that are marked to pay tribute to the U.S. armed forces. The National Council of State Garden Clubs, now known as National Garden Clubs, Inc., started the program in 1945 after World War II. The blue star was used on service flags to denote a service member fighting in the war. The program has since been expanded to include Memorial Markers and Memorial By-ways. These markers are used in National Cemeteries, parks, veterans facilities, and gardens.

List

Alabama

Scenic Highway 98, Baldwin County starting at Montrose–Daphne city line and traveling north through Montrose
*Sponsored by the Montrose Garden Club
*Dedicated April 18, 2015, in a ceremony held at Knights of Columbus Hall
US 31 just north of Prattville

Alaska

Sterling Highway, marker at Anchor Point, the westernmost point on the North American contiguous highway system.

Arkansas

I-30; Marker is at the Arkansas Welcome Center on East-bound I-30 just outside of Texarkansa.
There also is a marker at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro Ar,
Interstate 55 at the Arkansas Welcome Center in Blytheville AR. Mile marker 68 southbound.

California

SR 58 in Southern California
SR 211, in Humboldt County; marker at Veterans Memorial Building, 1100 Main Street, Ferndale
US 101 at Trinidad in Humboldt County; markers at both north and south bound Trinidad rest areas between miles 728 and 731
SR 62 in Southern California from the Arizona state line to I-10
Interstate 80 at Hunter Hill Safety Rest Area in Vallejo, California
U.S. 395 at Coso Junction in Inyo County
San Fernando Blvd. in Burbank, California; marker located at McCambridge Park

Colorado

US 40 in Lakewood
US 287 in Lafayette at Baseline Road.

Delaware

US 13 at the Smyrna Rest Area and in Seaford.

Florida

US 1 in Florida
US 17 in Charlotte County, Citrus County, Clay County
US 19 and US 27 in Perry, Florida
US 41 in Charlotte County, Collier County, Lee County, Manatee County, Sarasota County
US 90 in Baker County
US 92 at the intersection with CR 579 on Kennedy Hill in front of the Hardee's Restaurant between the towns of Thonotosassa, Seffner, and Mango.
US 92 at the intersection with the Lake Parker boat ramp at Sertoma Park in Lakeland.
US 98 and Gautier Road in Constitution Park, Port Saint Joe
US 98 in Bay County
US 441 in Alachua County
Lakewood Ranch Town Hall in Lakewood Ranch
Old Route 41 in Bonita Springs

Georgia

I-75 at the Georgia Welcome center near Ringgold.
I-75 at the Georgia Welcome center in Lowndes County.
I-75 at the Georgia Rest area in Cook County.
I-75 at the Georgia Rest area in Dooly County.
I-75 at the Georgia Rest area in Monroe County.
I-75 at the Georgia Rest area in Turner County.
I-95 at the Georgia Welcome center near Savannah.
SR 13 between Rest Haven and Buford
SR 13, Cornelia
Lumpkin Street near the University of Georgia, Athens
Covington Monticello Street SW at Church Street
In front of the Thomas County Courthouse, Thomasville
Along GA27/US341 in front of the Appling County Public Library, Baxley, Appling County
Along GA37 in Fort Gaines, Clay County
Along GA35/GA133 in Moultrie, Colquitt County
In Riverfront Park, Albany, Dougherty County
In Marshes of Glynn Overlook Park, off US 17, Brunswich, Glynn County
Along US19 in roadside park, Mitchell County
Along GA18/US41 in front of the American Legion buildings in Forsyth, Monroe County
Along GA153 in Ellaville, Schley County
Along GA38/US84 in front of the Screven City Hall, Screven
Along GA3/GA30/US19 in Americus, Sumter County
Along US1 in roadside park, Toombs County
Along GA4/US1/US23 in Ware County
Along US341 in Jesup, Wayne County
In Georgia Veterans State Park, Crisp County

Illinois

IL 43 at the intersection of Will County Route 74 in Frankfort in 1980.
95th Street & Cook Avenue in Oak Lawn; Across from Oak Lawn Village Library.
95th Street & Spaulding Avenue in Evergreen Park.
Illinois Route 43 at the intersection on North Avondale Avenue
Blue Star Memorial Highway and Woods.

Indiana

US 31 Business in Peru at the southwest Intersection with River Road.
I-70 eastbound and westbound rest area's near Plainfield.
US 50 in Jackson County, on the northwest area of Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge.

February 21, 1950	Terre Haute	H1
February 21, 1950	Centerville	H1
December 11, 1950	G.C. of Indiana	H3
August 12, 1953	Indiana State G.C.	?
May 3, 1971	Indiana G.C.	H2
January 7, 1974	Garden Clubs of Indiana	H1
June 7, 1978	Garden Clubs of Indiana	H2
July 16, 1979	G.C. of Indiana, Inc.	H1
July 16, 1979	G.C. of Indiana, Inc. – Southeast District	H1
September 28, 1979	G.C. of Indiana, Inc. – Northwest District	H1
May 12, 1980	G.C. of Indiana, Inc. – Central District	H1
December 18, 1982	G.C. of Indiana, Inc. – Southwest District	H2
April 18, 1985	New Castle G.C.	B1
April 18, 1985	Brown County G.C., Nashville, IN	B1
December 9, 1987	Hobart G.C., Hobart	B1
April 29, 1991	Southbend G.C., Southbend	H1
June 20, 1991	G.C. of Indiana, Inc., Pendleton	H1
April 3, 1992	G.C. of Indiana, Inc., Indianapolis	B1
May 31, 1996	Plainfield G.C., Danville	B1
February 13, 1997	Marengo G.C., Hardinsburg	B1
March 9, 1998	G.C. of Indiana, Inc., Indianapolis	B1
August 24, 1998	Dyer G.C., Dyer	B1
January 18, 1999	Dirt Diggers G.C., Paoli	B1
January 28, 1999	Flower Lane G.C., Columbus	B1
March 4, 1999	G.C. of Indiana, Inc., Hardinsburg	H1
March 22, 2000	G.C. of Indiana, Inc.	B1
January 8, 2001	Peru G.C.	B1
June 12, 2002	Come into the Garden	B1
May 19, 2003	Terrace G.C.	B1
July 21, 2004	Cultivating G.C.	H1
February 10, 2005	G.C. of Marion	H1
May 6, 2005	Central District of IN	H1
October 11, 2005	G.C. of Indiana, Inc., District II	B1
December 22, 2008	Vale of Paradise, Valpariso	H1
July 13, 2009	Portage G.C., Gilbert Park, Portage, IN	B1
January 10, 2012	Westwood G.C., VFW Post 1114, Evansville	B 1
April 30, 2012	G.C. of Indiana, S. Dan Jones Rd., Avon	H 1
June 22, 2013	Gibson County Fairgrounds, Princeton/Green Thumb Garden Club of Princeton, Inc.	M1
August 1, 2013	Lincoln State Park, Lincoln City/ Christmas Lake Village GC	B1
September 14, 2013	Black River Rest Area on I-64 near Griff, Princeton/ Green Thumb GC of Princeton, Inc.	H1
September 14, 2013	Gibson County Fairgrounds, Princeton/ Green Thumb GC of Princeton, Inc.	M1
June 1, 2014	Veterans Memorial Park, 303 W. Henry St., Syracuse/ Syracuse-Wawasee GC	B1
November 1, 2014	Eastside Park, Eastside Park Dr., Washington/ Washington Arts & Flowers GC	B1
November 9, 2014	Courthouse Square; Hwy 46-Greensburg/ Give un Take & Greensburg Nightbloomer GC's	H1
July 1, 2015	Hobart Historical Society, 706 E. 4th St., Hobart/ Hobart Garden Club	B1
March 2, 2016	200 W. Main St., Winamac IN/Iris-Elm GC	BBy-Way/1
April 11, 2016	Civic Center, 200 Block Main St., Sullivan IN/Sullivan County Garden Club IN	BBy-Way/1
April 20, 2016	9301 Madison-Crown Point, IN/North West District/ The Garden Club of Indiana, Inc.	BMemorial/1
April 19, 2016	1 Matter Park Circle, Marion IN/ The Garden Club of Marion IN	BBy-Way/1
June 16, 2016	Corner of Manor Ave. & Ridge Rd., Munster IN/ North West District; Munster Garden Club	BBy-Way/1
June 16, 2016	R.L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, 1481 W 10th St., Indianapolis IN/ The Garden Club of Indiana; Indiana's2016 Bicentennial	BMemorial/1
April 12, 2017	Wellfield Botanic Gardens, Elkhart IN/The Four Winds Garden Club	BBy-Way/1
July 23, 2017	Gateway Drive/HWY 50 East along sidewalk/ Washington Arts & Flowers Garden Club	Bhighway/1
July 23, 2017	Crown Point Courthouse Square – Corner of Court & Joliet St – SW of Lake County Court House, Crown Point IN	BBy-Way/1
May 5, 2019	Clay Township Government Center, 10701 Twp. Gov. Center, Indianapolis IN 46280/Broad Ripple Garden Club	BHighway/1
Fall/2020	Boonville Courthouse, Courthouse Square, Boonville, IN/ Boonville GC, The Garden Club of Indiana, Inc	BBy-Way/1
May 31, 2021	Wolf Lake Memorial Park, 2324 Calumet Ave., Hammond, IN/ The GC of IN, Inc, NW District	GMemorial/1

https://www.gardenclub.org/blue-and-gold-star-memorials

Iowa

I-29 north of Council Bluffs; marker was originally placed along US 75 in 1955.

Kansas

Smith Center Garden Club
National Garden Clubs
Roadside Park

Kentucky

Barkley Regional Airport, 2901 Fisher Road ; Open Gate Garden Club, Paducah.

Maine

The history of Blue Star Memorial Highways in Maine, according to :
• 1946 — Garden Club Federation of Maine adopts program.
• 1947 — U.S. Route 1 designated as Maine's Blue Star Memorial Highway. This covered 546 miles from Fort Kent to Kittery.
• 1957 — U.S. Route 1 and U.S. 1-A, starting at the junction of Route 1A and 1 in Stockton Springs and extending via Bangor and Brewer to the junction of Route 1A and 1 in Ellsworth, are designated as Blue Star Memorial Highways.
• 1972 — U.S. Route 2, including Skowhegan, and state Route 3, are designated Blue Star Memorial Highways. This gave Maine 952 miles of Blue Star Memorial Highway.
• 1974 — State Route 157 and U.S. Route 201, from the junction of Route 1 at Brunswick to the Canadian border near Jackman, is designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway, giving Maine a total of 1171.6 miles of designated highway.
• 1981 — The new entrance to Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Augusta is designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway.

Maryland

U.S. Route 301 in all of Maryland

Massachusetts

Interstate 495 and State Route 25, extending from I-95 close to the New Hampshire state line in Salisbury to Cape Cod. I-495 is the second-longest auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S.

Michigan

U.S. Route 31
Woodward Avenue, marker on northbound side, just south of I-696 in Pleasant Ridge
U.S. 31/Blue Star Highway, north of Phoenix Road/Blue Star Highway traffic light in South Haven

Minnesota

Interstate 35 throughout the state.
Interstate 94 throughout the state.

Nebraska

Kansas border to South Dakota border

New Hampshire

Interstate 95 throughout the state. There is a marker at the rest area in Seabrook just beyond the state line.

New Jersey

U.S. Route 22 from Mountainside to North Plainfield
County Route 632/Ridgedale Avenue from East Hanover, Morris County.
North side of NJ 70, just west of Chairville Road, Medford Township 08055
Knowlton Rest Area, MM 7.2 Interstate 80 East Bound, Columbia, New Jersey 07832

New York

Niagara Section of the New York State Thruway, Interstate 190, adjacent to the toll plaza for the northbound South Grand Island Bridge
New Rochelle at intersection of Main Street and Pratt Street. Fanneuil Park across the street from the New Rochelle Armory.
Brewster at the historic Brewster Metro-North station clock on the triangle at US 6 and Railroad Avenue.
Rockland County, New York, Thruway Extension Section of the New York State Thruway to the Garden State Parkway at Chestnut Ridge, Installed and dedicated on October 22, 1958. The marker is currently missing.
Broome County, New York, the Southern Tier Welcome Center in Kirkwood along Interstate 81. Sponsored by National Garden Clubs Inc.

North Carolina

Interstate 26, throughout state.
Interstate 40, throughout state.
Interstate 77, throughout state.
Interstate 85, throughout state.
Interstate 95, throughout state.
U.S. Route 17, from Wilmington to Elizabeth City.
U.S. Route 64, from Tennessee state line to Nags head.
U.S. Route 70, throughout state.
U.S. Route 74 Business from Rockingham to Hamlet.
U.S. Route 158, from Mocksville to Roanoke Rapids.
U.S. Route 158, from Roanoke Rapids to Elizabeth City.
U.S. Route 158, from Elizabeth City to Nags Head.
U.S. Route 301, throughout state.
U.S. Route 421, in Wilkes County.
North Carolina Highway 24, in Jacksonville.

Oklahoma

Blue Star Memorial By-Way, dedicated by the Dogwood Garden Club of Red Fork, Oklahoma to recognize military personnel for their service to the United States of America and the many service men and women have passed through Tulsa during their time in defending the country. Location: Route 66 Historical Village, 3770 Southwest Blvd, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Oregon

Blue Star Memorial Rose Garden, Veterans Administration Healthcare System, Roseburg, Oregon. Location: Interstate 5, Garden Valley Blvd exit, west on Garden Valley. left on Centennial Dr.-VA Roseburg entrance. Blue Star Memorial is located on the corner of Centennial Dr & NW Veterans Way.
Washburne Wayside, Highway 99W, north of Junction City. Blue This marker is no longer here. The state sold the land and the marker was removed.
Corvallis, Oregon on 99N, to the left of the entrance ramp on to road leading to I5
Santiam Pass, Oregon Hwy 20 at Tombstone Wayside.
Albany, Oregon, Waverly Park, Albany Located right off I-5 and the entrance to Albany, Dedicated June 1, 1991.
Alsea, Oregon, Alsea Memorial Garden BWM Located in Alsea, close to OR Hwy 34, Dedicated June 21, 1991.
Albany, Oregon, Linn County Veterans Memorial Located in Albany's Timber Linn Park, off I-5, Dedicated May 17, 2008.
Lebanon, Oregon, Edward C Allsworth Veteran's Home, Dedicated July 20, 2017
Milwaukie, Oregon, Milwaukie Bay Park, On 99E
Ontario, Oregon, Oregon Trail Rest Area on I-84 West exit 377

Pennsylvania

At most service areas along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Interstate 76
US 202 at Gulph Road in King of Prussia
PA 252 at Providence Road in Media

Rhode Island

Dedication held on August 10, 2013. Portsmouth Free Public Library, 2658 East Main Road, Portsmouth, Rhode Island

South Carolina

Brushy Creek Rd in Greer at Century Park.
Interstate 20, throughout state.
Interstate 77, throughout state.
Interstate 85, throughout state.
Interstate 95, throughout state.
U.S. Route 1, throughout state.

Tennessee

U.S. Route 45 West in Gibson County, Tennessee
U.S. Route 25 West in Cove Lake State Park in Campbell County, Tennessee
U.S. Route 641 within Henry County, Tennessee
U.S. Route 31W in Sumner and Robertson County

Texas

Tarrant County - FM 1220 just south of WJ Boaz Road
U.S. 59 from Houston to Texarkana
FM 3188 from State 94 to its end at Camp Olympia in Trinity County
U.S. 271 from Paris to Gladewater
U.S. 287 from the Anderson-Houston county line to the Johnson-Ellis county line.
U.S. 385 from Big Bend National Park north to the Oklahoma state line north of Dalhart.
State 155 from Palestine to Linden
U.S. 77 from the Oklahoma state line at Gainesville to Denton, then via other highways the New Mexico state line.
SS 496 at Avondale from its junction with U.S. 287 southeasterly via Saginaw, Fort Worth and Kennedale to its junction with U.S. 287 in Mansfield

Virginia

Interstate 77
Interstate 95
U.S. Route 1 in Fairfax County
Virginia State Route 3 in Lancaster County.
U.S. Route 301 from the Maryland State Line to Business U.S. Route 301 north of Bowling Green; thence via Business U.S. Route 301 to U.S. Route 301 south of Bowling Green and via Richmond, Colonial Heights, Petersburg and Emporia to the North Carolina State Line.
U.S. Route 15 in Fluvanna County, on the campus of Fork Union Military Academy.
U.S. Route 17 in the City of Chesapeake, running south from Route 64 down to the North Carolina border. The highway was dedicated on May 24, 2017.

Washington

Old Pacific Highway, Vancouver, Washington. Oldest and newest Blue Star Memorial Highway Memorial Marker in state of Washington. Located at Covington House.
Gateway Park, Interstate 90, Otis Orchards. Rest stop and park on the Washington side of the Idaho/Washington state line on Interstate 90. Sign located East of the buildings toward the car parking.
Green Lake Park, N. 69th Street and Aurora Avenue North on the west side of highway in Seattle. Restored Blue Star Memorial Highway Memorial Marker.
Veterans' Hospital on Beacon Hill, Seattle. New Blue Star Memorial Marker dedicated on August 5, 2016, at the garden main entrance to the hospital by the Greater Seattle and Chinook Districts of the Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs and affiliate of the National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Gee Creek Rest Area, I-5 at Ridgefield, Washington by Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs
Long Lake Garden Club in Port Orchard maintains a Blue Star marker at Retsil Veterans Home and Hospital in Port Orchard
US 12 at Mossyrock Dam North recreational fishing area parking lot
Hal Ramaley Memorial Park in Oak Harbor, WA. The Oak Harbor Garden Club maintains a Blue Star Memorial By-Way sign within the park.

Wyoming

Routes in Wyoming designated as Blue Star Memorial Highways include Interstate 25, Interstate 80, I-25 Business Route through Douglas, U.S. Route 85. Blue Star Memorial markers are also located in Cody, Riverton and Worland.