End of US highway 7

View a map showing this route.

Photo credits: Andy Field; Karin and Martin Karner; Doug Kerr; Robert Mortell; Alex Nitzman
Additional research: Dan Moraseski

Approx. time period North terminus South terminus
1926-1928 (near Highgate Springs, VT) New York, NY
1928-present (near Highgate Springs, VT) Norwalk, CT

The north end of US 7 was originally at the Canada border, outside Highgate Springs VT. However, the northernmost segment of US 7 was paved over when I-89 was built, so now US 7 ends at the northernmost interchange on I-89 (exit 22). Heading northbound on I-89 and taking that last exit, you're greeted with the signage shown below:

Field, Aug. 2007

That's enough to make you think US 7 must continue up to the Canada line. However, when you take that left turn, US 7 immediately curves west over the interstate (just south of the customs facility), and then curves again, back around to the south. On that last curve, the sign below is posted:

Field/Nitzman, July 2000 (still there as of 2007)

The actual endpoint of US 7 is just ahead, at the on-ramp to southbound I-89:

Field/Nitzman, Aug. 2007

To the right is a visitor center, and straight ahead dead-ends in a country club. The photo below shows the same road, looking the opposite direction:

Field/Nitzman, July 2000

Despite the sign, we're actually facing north there; US 7 crosses I-89 to the right; the view below is looking north from that overpass:

Field/Nitzman, July 2000

That's the north end of I-89, and it's also where the historic north end of US 7 was located. Today southbound US 7 continues to the right from this overpass, and then curves south into Highgate Springs.

The original plan for US 7 had it going through only the northwest corner of Connecticut, before entering New York and following today's NY hwy. 22 all the way down to Manhattan. Dan writes, "From late 1927 (when the Holland Tunnel opened) to before 1929, the south end of US 7 was in Manhattan at US 1. At the time, US 1 (later NY 1A) ran east-west on Houston Street, and US 7 (later NY 22) ran north on Lafayette Street." However, not all maps from that timeframe show US 7 in New York, and Dan also informs me that US routes were not signed at all in New York City until after 1931. If so, then even if US 7 officially had an endpoint in NYC, it was only on paper...

...because by 1928, the south end of US 7 had been rerouted to go through western Connecticut and end in Norwalk. Dan writes, "Until some time after 1951, US 7 ended on Main Street at the intersection with Wall Street (today's US 1 used to be US 1A, while mainline US 1 traffic used Wall). Here's an historic view of that intersection:

That's from a 1955 redevelopment booklet, scanned by Michael Summa. Mounted on the lightpost at far right is a US 7 marker, along with a Merritt Parkway shield; below is a close-up:

Michael, who grew up in Norwalk, writes: "During this era, Connecticut used color US markers through the cities: US 7 was blue, US 1 was red."

By the time of my 1959 atlas, US 1 had been rerouted to its current path through Norwalk. So then US 7 began where CT hwy. 123 begins today:

Kerr, Jan. 2002

Interestingly, there was still a US 7 shield installed, pointing you north on Main - that probably dates back to when US 7 really did begin to the left. But US 7 hasn't used Main since the 1980's, when US 7 traffic was diverted over to today's freeway. Now the south end of US 7 is at its interchange with the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike (I-95). Just before that interchange, the last southbound sign is posted:

Mortell, May 2007

"End US 7" would be a more appropriate assembly at that point (since the route essentially ends at the sign bridge just ahead), but Robert points out this functions as a confirming assembly for US 1 drivers who have just entered US 7. A close-up of the signage ahead is shown in the photo below...

Nitzman, June 2005

...although that was taken before "Maritime Aquarium" was changed to a brown panel (that center lane leads to a local road). The shot below shows a sign on northbound I-95 for the south beginning of US 7...

Nitzman, July 2004

...and below is older signage from southbound I-95...

Kerr

...although that's been replaced with the panel shown below:

Karners, Aug. 2010

If you take that exit, you'll soon see the first northbound marker, shown below:

Karners, Aug. 2010