Embedded Files
100 years of US routes: 1926-2026
Endpoints of
Mileage: in 1989 AASHTO listed a figure of 59 miles for US 223... but that assumed a Toledo endpoint. US 223 has since been truncated to Sylvania, and our own 2020 measurement yielded 47.1 miles. Want historic mileages? Our handy reference book includes the mileages that were published in all 13 of AASHO/AASHTO's historic route logs (spanning the years 1927 to 1989).
US 223 was commissioned in 1930, along what until then had been the southernmost segment of US 127. Even at its maximum extent, its length was less than 60 miles. The map below illustrates the fact that, until 1961, it was US 112 (not US 12) that ran east-west through Somerset. And originally US 223 extended south all the way into downtown Toledo:
c. 1956, Gousha
Sylvania
In 1977 US 223 was realigned to go due east from Riga MI, where it connects with the US 23 freeway at interchange 5. In Michigan, US 223 is co-signed with US 23. That is also true in Ohio now, but that was not always the case:
Hargraves, 2002 (MI)
Hargraves, 2002 (OH)
Stuve, Jul. 2014
Note the "South" directional on those signs; more on that below. In 1987 Ohio had US 223 truncated out of Toledo; since then its terminus is at the hwy. 51-184 interchange (the first southbound exit, the green sign for which is visible in the distance). Signs do not instruct US 223 traffic to exit there, but drivers who do so encounter an "End US 223" sign on the offramp:
Field/Nitzman, Sep. 2005
Dienhart, Oct. 2023
That is Monroe Street running across the photo. It actually carried the original US 223, so it is somewhat ironic that modern US 223 ends at its own historic route.
These photos were looking west on Monroe, from the opposite side of the US 23 freeway. Note that Ohio signs this "West" on US 223 -- which is very odd, because the half-mile segment that exists in Ohio is about as north/south as a road can get, and the remainder of the highway in Michigan is signed north/south!
Morrison, Oct. 2013
Head, Jul. 2025
Monroe curves to the left -- that was the route of historic US 223, but today that is OH 51, which ends at the intersection just ahead, where Alexis Road (OH 184) comes in from the right. After making that curve, drivers would formerly encounter the sign bridge shown here:
Field/Nitzman, Sep. 2005
Head, Jul. 2025
Originally US 223 continued northbound by going straight ahead for about a half-mile before angling north on Sylvania's Main Street. But today US 223 begins to the right with US 23.
These next photos show signage for traffic heading the opposite direction (east) on Monroe:
Garnell, Jan. 2003
Head, Jul. 2025
Head, Jul. 2025
It was not mentioned on that sign, but OH 51 (Monroe) angles to the right (that is how one gets to the onramp for northbound US 23-223). Historically US 223 followed that road all the way downtown (as did US 127 before that). This photo was looking north on US 23 at interchange 234 (the last exit in Ohio):
Hargraves, 2002
Suddenly a US 223 sign began appearing along with US 23 -- it is rare that a US route terminus occurs at a junction with a state route (instead of another US route or an interstate). Formerly that was the only mention of US 223, as it was not referenced ahead on the confirming signpost:
Hargraves, 2002
Street View, June 2014
Today, there is no mention of US 23 or 223 on the overhead signage, but ahead US 223 does have a reassurance marker.
Somerset
The north end of US 223 has always been in Somerset. This photo was from eastbound US 12:
Hargraves, 2002 (signs replaced by 2013)
About a half-mile to the right on US 127, the mainline becomes US 223, and traffic wanting to remain on US 127 must exit to the right:
Hargraves, 2002
Morrison, Oct. 2013
Travelers who veer left there will soon see the first southbound US 223 confirming marker:
Hargraves, 2002
Heading the opposite direction, these photos show the "End" signage:
Hargraves, 2002
Morrison, Oct. 2013
Willoughby, May 2025
In 2024 that junction was reconfigured as a roundabout, as shown in the preceding photo.
Approaching Somerset from the south on US 127, this interesting sign was posted:
Hargraves, 2002
It would be more typical to use standard junction signage, but that sign was in "construction zone" orange, so maybe there are a lot of accidents at that intersection, the signage for which is shown here:
Hargraves, 2002
Morrison, Oct. 2013
Research and/or image credits: Paul Dienhart; Andy Field; Dan Garnell; Don Hargraves; Mike Head; Jeff Morrison; Alex Nitzman; Dale Sanderson; Eric Stuve; Michael Summa; Dave Willoughby
Page originally created 2002;last updated Aug. 25, 2025.
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