Editing Interstate 81 (section)

{{Short description|Interstate  Highway through Appalachian Mountains}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox road
| country = USA
| route = 81
| type = I
| map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=290|type=line|from=Interstate 81.map}}
| map_custom = yes
| map_notes = I-81 highlighted in red
| length_mi = 855.02
| length_ref = <ref name=fhwa>{{cite web |date=December 31, 2021 |title=Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table01.cfm |access-date=July 14, 2022 |work=FHWA Route Log and Finder List |publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]]}}</ref>
| direction_a = South
| terminus_a = {{jct|state=TN|I|40}} in [[Dandridge, Tennessee|Dandridge, TN]]
| junction = <!-- Major junctions only; Only 5-8 most major intersections and cities belong here; please read [[WP:USRD/STDS]] for more info -->{{plainlist|1=
*{{jct|state=TN|I|26|US|23}} near [[Kingsport, Tennessee|Kingsport, TN]]
*{{jct|state=VA|I|77}} from [[Wytheville, Virginia|Wytheville, VA]] to [[Fort Chiswell, Virginia|Fort Chiswell, VA]]
*{{jct|state=VA|I|64}} from [[Lexington, Virginia|Lexington, VA]] to [[Staunton, Virginia|Staunton, VA]]
*{{jct|state=MD|I|70}} at [[Hagerstown, Maryland|Hagerstown, MD]]
*{{Jct|state=PA|US|11}} in [[Carlisle, Pennsylvania|Carlisle, PA]]
*{{jct|state=PA|I|83|US|22|US|322}} in [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg, PA]]
*{{jct|state=PA|I|78}} in [[Union Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania|Union Township, PA]]
*{{jct|state=PA|I|80}} in [[Drums, Pennsylvania|Drums, PA]]
*{{jct|state=PA|I|84|I|380|US|6}} in [[Dunmore, Pennsylvania|Dunmore, PA]]
*{{jct|state=NY|I-Toll|90|NYST}} near [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse, NY]] }}
| direction_b = North
| terminus_b = {{jct|state=ON|Hwy|137}} at the [[Canada–United States border|Canadian border]] on [[Wellesley Island|Wellesley Island, NY]]
| states = [[Tennessee]], [[Virginia]], [[West Virginia]], [[Maryland]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[New York (state)|New York]]
| established = 1957
}}

'''Interstate&nbsp;81''' ('''I-81''') is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) [[Interstate Highway]] in the eastern part of the [[United States]]. Its southern terminus is at [[Interstate 40|I-40]] in [[Dandridge, Tennessee|Dandridge]], [[Tennessee]]; its northern terminus is on [[Wellesley Island]], [[New York (state)|New York]] at the [[Canada–United States border|Canadian border]], where the [[Thousand Islands Bridge]] connects it to [[Ontario Highway 137|Highway&nbsp;137]] and ultimately to [[Ontario Highway 401|Highway&nbsp;401]], the main [[Ontario]] freeway connecting [[Detroit]] via [[Toronto]] to [[Montreal]]. The major metropolitan areas along the route of I-81 include the [[Tri-Cities, Tennessee|Tri-Cities]] of Tennessee; [[Roanoke Region|Roanoke]] in [[Virginia]]; [[Hagerstown metropolitan area|Hagerstown]] in Maryland; [[Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area|Harrisburg]] and the [[Wyoming Valley]] in [[Pennsylvania]]; and [[Binghamton metropolitan area|Binghamton]] and [[Syracuse metropolitan area|Syracuse]] in New York.

I-81 largely traces the paths created down the length of the [[Appalachian Mountains]] through the [[Great Appalachian Valley]] by migrating animals, [[Native Americans in the United States|indigenous peoples]], and early settlers. It also follows a major corridor for troop movements during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.millershousemuseum.org/roads|publisher=Miller's House Museum |title = Roads|language=en|access-date=July 16, 2018}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> These trails and roadways gradually evolved into [[U.S. Route 11|US Route&nbsp;11]] (US&nbsp;11); I-81 parallels much of the older US&nbsp;11.<ref>{{cite book |title = Interstate 81: The Great Warriors Trace |first = Dianne |last = Perrier |date = 2010 |publisher = University Press of Florida |isbn = 978-0-8130-3481-2 |location = Gainesville |oclc = 502304332 }}{{page needed|date=January 2018}}</ref> Being mostly rural in nature, I-81 is heavily used as a trucking corridor and is often used as a bypass of busier and more congested Interstates to the east such as [[Interstate 95|I-95]]; for this reason, it is also used heavily by [[illegal drug trade|drug]] and [[human trafficker]]s, as it is less monitored by [[law enforcement]] than I-95. This led to the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) forming a taskforce to combat the issue in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zuckerman |first1=Jake |title=FBI forms human trafficking task force along I-81 |url=https://www.nvdaily.com/news/crime/fbi-forms-human-trafficking-task-force-along-i-81/article_657d7859-0b88-5cdb-9324-61803070bd57.html |access-date=22 June 2020 |work=North Virginia Daily |date=26 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rossi |first1=Isabella |title=Sex trafficking closer to home than most Virginians would think |url=http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/sex-trafficking-closer-to-home-than-most-virginians-would-think/article_24cd2b06-2d6a-11e9-8dee-23706d3ea3ae.html |access-date=22 June 2020 |work=Collegiate Times |date=12 February 2019}}</ref>

The I-81 Corridor Coalition, a six-state coalition, was organized to handle issues along I-81, such as truck traffic and [[air pollution]]; the commission meets annually.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.i-81coalition.org |title = Corridor Coalition |publisher = I-81coalition.org |access-date = January 29, 2018 }}</ref> I-81 is part of the fastest route between the [[capital city|capital]] of the US ([[Washington, D.C.]]) and the capital of [[Canada]] ([[Ottawa]]).<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=312716f5-fa94-4d47-a1f4-50e610a72191&rss=50 |title = I-81 Safety Conference |publisher = [[WHP-TV]] |location = Harrisburg, PA |access-date = October 4, 2014 }}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>[http://www.witf.org/FM/24934364_New_group_will_focus_on_I-81_Corridor_051212.htm I-81 Corridor group]{{dead link|date= September 2016}}</ref>