U.S. Route 522
U.S. Route 522 is a spur route of US 22 in the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The U.S. Highway travels in a north-south direction, and runs from US 60 near Powhatan, Virginia, to its northern terminus at US 11 and US 15 near Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. US 522 serves many small cities and towns in the Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, and northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The highway serves the Virginia communities of Goochland, Mineral, Culpeper, the town of Washington, and Front Royal and the independent city of Winchester. US 522 then follows the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians north and then east through the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, a stretch of Western Maryland, and South Central Pennsylvania to its terminus in the Susquehanna Valley. The highway serves Berkeley Springs, West Virginia; Hancock, Maryland; and the Pennsylvania communities of McConnellsburg, Mount Union, Lewistown, and Middleburg.
Route description
Powhatan to Culpeper
US 522 begins at a four-legged intersection with US 60 on the western edge of the unincorporated village of Powhatan, the county seat of Powhatan County. The roadway continues on the south side of the intersection as SR 1002, which passes the eponymous church before it connects with SR 13. US 522 heads north as Maidens Road, which heads through the community of Jefferson, the site of the historic home Elmington. North of Michaux, the highway meets the east end of SR 313, which leads to the Beaumont Learning Center, before it crosses the William Walthall Michaux Bridge over the James River into Goochland County. US 522 crosses over CSX's James River Subdivision rail line and joins SR 6 at Maidens. The two highways meet the east end of SR 329, which leads to the Virginia Correctional Center for Women, opposite the historic home Brightly. US 522 and SR 6 continue through Goochland, where the highways pass the Goochland County Court Square. The highways meet the west end of SR 396, which leads to the Goochland campus of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, before the two highways diverge at the north end of the county seat.US 522 continues north on Sandy Hook Road, which passes through the eponymous hamlet before entering Louisa County at the village of Gum Spring. There, the U.S. Highway intersects US 250 and has a diamond interchange with I-64. US 522 continues on Cross County Road, which passes through Shelfar and Orchid and crosses the South Anna River at Southanna. The route continues through Apple Grove to Cuckoo, where the highway joins US 33 in front of the eponymous historic estate. After a brief concurrency with US 33, US 522 splits north onto Pendleton Road through Pendleton, where the highway parallels CSX's Piedmont Subdivision rail line into the town of Mineral, where the route follows Mineral Avenue and passes through its namesake historic district. At the intersection of Mineral Avenue and First Street, US 522 meets SR 208 and SR 22, the latter of which has its eastern terminus at the intersection. SR 208 and SR 22 head north and west on Mineral Avenue toward the county seat of Louisa; US 522 and SR 208 turn east onto First Street, intersect the rail line at grade, and turn north onto Louisa Avenue.
US 522 and SR 208 follow Zachary Taylor Highway away from Mineral. North of Contrary Creek, the two routes diverge at Wares Crossroads. SR 208 splits east onto New Bridge Road toward Spotsylvania Courthouse, and US 522 continues northwest along the presidential-named highway. The U.S. Highway crosses the mainstem of Lake Anna, the North Anna River, to cross the western corner of Spotsylvania County. US 522 crosses Pamunkey Creek as it enters Orange County. After leaving the Lake Anna area, the U.S. Highway heads straight north to Unionville, where the route intersects SR 20. US 522 crosses Mill Run and Mountain Run and follows Raccoon Branch as the route curves northwest and crosses the Rapidan River into Culpeper County. At Winston, US 522 curves northeast and joins Rapidan Road on a tangent and begins to parallel Norfolk Southern Railway's Washington District rail line. The U.S. Highway veers away from the rail line, crosses Sumerduck Creek, and expands to a four-lane divided highway as passes the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center and approaches Germanna Highway, which carries SR 3, southeast of Culpeper.
Culpeper to Front Royal
US 522 and SR 3 head northwest along four-lane divided Germanna Highway. The highways meet US 15 and US 29 at a diamond interchange and enter the town of Culpeper, where the divided highway narrows to a two-lane road and crosses over the Norfolk Southern rail line. SR 3 has its western terminus at Orange Road, which heads south carrying US 15 Bus.; US 15 Bus. joins US 522 on Germanna Highway west one block to US 29 Bus., where US 522 and US 15 Bus. turn north and join US 29 Bus. on Main Street. The three highways pass by the historic Burgandine House, at Main Street's oblique intersection with Orange Road, and to the west of the South East Street Historic District, which contains the Hill Mansion and Culpeper National Cemetery. The U.S. Highway and the two business routes continue through the Culpeper Historic District, where they pass the Pitts Theatre, the A. P. Hill Boyhood Home, and the Lord Culpeper Hotel and pass to the west of the Culpeper railroad station. North of downtown, US 522 diverges from US 15 Bus. and US 29 Bus. when it turns west onto Evans Street, which crosses Mountain Run and passes Fairview Cemetery on its way out of the town of Culpeper.US 522 heads northwest into the foothills of the Blue Ridge in western Culpeper County as Sperryville Pike. The U.S. highway passes through the hamlets of Norman and Griffinsburg and crosses Devils Run and the Hazel River south of their confluence. US 522 passes through the village of Boston, the site of the historic home Elmwood, before it enters Rappahannock County. The highway crosses Blackwater Creek between Round Hill and Scrabble and follows the stream through the gap between Butler Mountain and Bessie Bell Mountain to Woodville. US 522 crosses White Walnut Run and Beaverdam Creek south of its junction with SR 231. The U.S. Highway continues to Sperryville, where the highway passes through the village's namesake historic district. US 522 crosses the Thornton River immediately before its junction with US 211 east of US 211's ascent of the Blue Ridge and access to Shenandoah National Park at Thornton Gap.
US 522 runs concurrently with US 211 northeast along four-lane divided Lee Highway. The routes cross the Piney River near Sperryville and the Covington River at Rediviva. South of the Rappahannock county seat of Washington, US 211 Bus. and unsigned US 522 Bus. split north onto Main Street to serve the county seat directly. The mainline U.S. Highways pass southeast of the town and reconnect with the entirely concurrent business routes, which exit town on Warren Street, next to the Calvert Mill. US 522 and US 211 cross Battle Run just west of Massies Corner, where US 211 continues east toward Warrenton while US 522 heads north on two-lane Zachary Taylor Highway. US 522 passes through Flint Hill, site of the eponymous Baptist church. The highway crosses the Jordan River and three of its tributaries—Wilson Branch, Hittles Mill Stream, and Indian Run—between Flint Hill and Huntly. From Huntly, US 522 ascends the Blue Ridge to Chester Gap, where the highway intersects the Appalachian Trail next to the headwaters of the Rappahannock River and the Rappahannock–Warren–Fauquier county tripoint.
Front Royal to Winchester
US 522 enters Warren County and descends to the town of Front Royal along Remount Road, which passes the historic Mountain Home along its descent along Happy Creek. The U.S. Highway expands to a four-lane divided highway and its name changes to Commerce Avenue at SR 55, which heads west along South Street and east as John Marshall Highway. US 522 passes to the east of the Front Royal Historic District. In the northern part of the town, the highway curves west to Commerce Avenue's terminus at Royal Avenue, which carries US 340 and SR 55. The three highways follow four-lane Royal Avenue north to a right-angle curve where the three routes curve onto 14th Street and then turn north onto four-lane divided Shenandoah Street. US 522, US 340, and SR 55 cross Norfolk Southern's Hagerstown District rail line and the South Fork Shenandoah River into the Riverton area of Front Royal, where SR 55 splits to the west onto Strasburg Road. The two U.S. Highways then cross the North Fork Shenandoah River and Norfolk Southern Railway's B-Line just west of the confluence of the two Shenandoah River forks. US 522 and US 340 cross Crooked Run and have a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-66 as they leave the town of Front Royal.US 522 and US 340 head north along four-lane divided Winchester Road. The highways pass through Cedarville, the site of the Virginia Inland Port, and through Nineveh, the site of the historic estate Erin. North of Nineveh, the routes follow the Warren–Frederick county line and briefly enter Clarke County, where the road is named Stonewall Jackson Highway. US 522 and US 340 diverge at a four-legged intersection at Double Tollgate. US 340 heads east along Lord Fairfax Highway; the west leg of the junction is SR 277, which heads toward Stephens City. US 522 continues into Frederick County as Front Royal Pike, which passes through Armel at Wrights Run and Parkins Mills at Opequon Creek. The highway passes to the west of Winchester Regional Airport before reaching Millwood Pike, which carries US 17 and US 50. The north leg of the junction is the ramps to and from northbound I-81. US 522 turns west onto Millwood Pike, and the three U.S. Highways enter the independent city of Winchester within the southbound side of the partial cloverleaf interchange.
US 522, US 17, and US 50 follow four-lane divided Millwood Avenue along the south side of the campus of Shenandoah University. West of Abrams Creek, the four-lane divided highway continues west as Jubal Early Drive; the three U.S. Highways turn northwest onto a two-lane continuation of Millwood Avenue. The routes cross Town Run and have an oblique grade crossing of CSX's Shenandoah Subdivision rail line. At Gerrard Street, which carries US 11, all four U.S. Highways turn north onto two-lane Cameron Street. US 522, US 11, US 17, and US 50 head north into the Winchester Historic District. At Cork Street, US 17 reaches its northern terminus and US 50 turns west. US 522 and US 11 continue north along the east edge of the downtown area. North of downtown, US 11 and US 522 diverge when the latter highway turns west onto Commercial Street. US 522 intersects the Winchester and Western Railroad immediately before it turns north onto Fairmount Avenue, which the highway follows out of the city of Winchester and back into Frederick County.