Interstate 81

Interstate 81 is a major north-south interstate highway in the eastern United States. It’s the primary interstate highway between Tennessee and New York along the Appalachian Mountains.

Interstate 81 begins near Knoxville, Tennessee, at an intersection with Interstate 40. The interstate highway passes through the Northeast Tennessee region, a popular place for outdoor recreation in Cherokee National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It intersects with Interstate 26 between Johnson City and Kingsport.

Interstate 81 crosses Southwest Virginia through Bristol, Abingdon, Marion, and Wytheville in Virginia. The popular attractions are Bristol Motor Speedway, Grayson Highlands State Park, and the Appalachian Trail. In Wytheville, Interstates 81 and 77 join briefly until Fort Chiswell.

After passing Christiansburg and Roanoke, Interstate 81 travels through the spectacular Shenandoah Valley. It connects to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park, two of the most scenic highways in the country.

Interstate 81 passes through a sliver of West Virginia and Maryland. Harpers Ferry is one of the most popular Trail Towns on the Appalachian Trail and a popular weekend getaway destination.

In Pennsylvania, Interstate 81 passes through the Dutch Country Roads of Pennsylvania. Gettysburg National Military Park, the state’s capital at Harrisburg, and Hershey are popular destinations. Then, the interstate highway passes through the Upstate Pennsylvania region through Scranton.

In New York, Interstate 81 skirts the boundary between the Central New York and Finger Lakes regions. After passing through Syracuse, the interstate highway crosses the Thousand Islands – Seaway region.

Interstate 81 ends at the Canadian border on an island in the St. Lawrence River. The Thousand Islands Bridge crosses the international border into Ontario.

Length: 855 miles
Established: 1961