End of US highway 5

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Photo credits: Robert Mortell; Alex Nitzman; me

Approx. time period North terminus South terminus
1926-1960s(?) Derby Line, VT New Haven, CT (US 1)
1960s(?)-present Derby Line, VT New Haven, CT (I-91)

The north end of US 5 is at the Canada border in Derby Line VT. Approaching the boundary, the road splits; non-local trucks aren't allowed to use this port of entry, so instead they're routed east (right) to customs at I-91's northernmost interchange:

me, Oct. 2004

Passenger cars may continue straight ahead on US 5, down the hill towards a small bridge. Note the building with an American flag at lower left - that straddles the international boundary (a plaque near the US customs building cites this as an example of the goodwill between the two countries, and in particular between these border communities). Across the road from that building is a small monument marking the line, shown in the foreground of the photo below:

me, Oct. 2004

The Canadian customs station is visible in the background of both photos. Coming the opposite direction, people entering the U.S. via route 5 first see this:

Mortell, 1996

In the distance you can see the backside of the assembly shown in the first photo above. Just over the hillcrest, drivers are stopped at the port of entry shown below:

me, Oct. 2004

The first southbound reassurance marker is about a half-mile ahead, after passing out of Derby Line:

me, Oct. 2004

About 300 miles ahead, the last such marker looks like this:

Mortell, 1996

The south end of US 5 is a little ways ahead, at its interchange with I-91 in New Haven CT. Below we're looking south on State Street:

Mortell, May 2007

No "End" signage here, but if you follow the turn to the right, you're on Warren Place briefly, and then the on-ramp to southbound I-91 is a left turn. Of course that's not the original end of US 5 - the designation used to continue ahead on State about two miles, ending at its junction with Water Street and Union Avenue (US 1). Below we're looking north on Union:

Mortell, July 2007

Northbound US 1 continues to the right on Water, while ahead on State was the south beginning of US 5. Part of that same bridge is visible in the photo below:

Mortell, July 2007

That's looking west on Water, or southbound US 1, which continues to the left on Union. To the right on State was where US 5 originally began.

The photo below was taken from northbound I-91:

Nitzman, July 2004

If you take exit 5, the offramp lines up with northbound State:

Mortell, May 2007

Southbound State is to the left (under I-91), and to the right is James Street. I would argue that currently the "southernmost beginning" of US 5 is here, but you'd have to go nearly a half-mile ahead on State and cross under I-91 before reaching what I described above as the south "end" of US 5. In fact, right across the street from the "To South I-91 [right]" sign pictured above is the assembly shown below:

Mortell, May 2007

That's the first US 5 sign with a "North" tab.

Heading south on I-91, things are quite a bit different. For one thing, I'm not sure why US 5 traffic isn't directed to use exit 7 - seems like you could get to State quicker and easier that way. But it's exit 6 that's marked for US 5. Robert reports that after you exit, there's no more directional signage for US 5, even though you have to make two left turns to get to State.