Editing Interstate 81 (section)

== Route description ==
I-81 is part of the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]], a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the [[Federal Highway Administration]] (FHWA).<ref>{{FHWA NHS}}</ref>{{lengths table|length_ref=<ref name=fhwa />}}
|-
| [[Interstate 81 in Tennessee|TN]] || {{convert|75.66|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Interstate 81 in Virginia|VA]] || {{convert|324.92|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Interstate 81 in West Virginia|WV]] || {{convert|26.00|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Interstate 81 in Maryland|MD]] || {{convert|12.08|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania|PA]] || {{convert|232.76|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
| [[Interstate 81 in New York|NY]] || {{convert|183.60|mi|km|disp=table}}
|-
| '''Total''' || {{convert|855.02|mi|km|disp=table}}
|}

=== Tennessee ===
{{Main|Interstate 81 in Tennessee}}
I-81 begins in Tennessee at [[Interstate 40|I-40]] in [[Dandridge, Tennessee|Dandridge]], a route that connects to [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]] to the west and [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]] to the east. I-81 meets [[Interstate 26|I-26]] and [[U.S. Route 23|US&nbsp;23]], which go to [[Kingsport, Tennessee|Kingsport]] and [[Johnson City, Tennessee|Johnson City]]. At milemarker&nbsp;75, I-81 leaves Tennessee and enters Virginia.

=== Virginia ===
{{Main|Interstate 81 in Virginia}}
[[File:2019-07-08 14 24 49 View south along Interstate 81 from the overpass for Carrier Drive in Harrisonburg, Virginia.jpg|right|thumb|I-81 looking southbound near milepost&nbsp;245 in [[Harrisonburg, Virginia]]]]
I-81 in Virginia is largely a rural route with brief concurrencies with [[Interstate 77|I-77]] and [[Interstate 64|I-64]]. The route parallels the Appalachian Mountains for much of its route through Tennessee and Virginia, serving such cities as the [[twin cities]] of Bristol, [[Bristol, Tennessee|Tennessee]] and [[Bristol, Virginia|Virginia]]; [[Wytheville, Virginia|Wytheville]]; [[Roanoke, Virginia|Roanoke]]; [[Christiansburg, Virginia|Christiansburg]]; [[Lexington, Virginia|Lexington]]; [[Staunton, Virginia|Staunton]]; [[Harrisonburg, Virginia|Harrisonburg]]; and [[Winchester, Virginia|Winchester]]. In Harrisonburg, I-81 cuts through [[James Madison University]].<ref name="Fiske Logue 2006">{{cite book |last1 = Fiske |first1 = E.B. |last2 = Logue |first2 = R. |title = The Fiske Guide to Colleges |location = New York |publisher = Times Books |year = 2006 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sKvSAAAAIAAJ |access-date = February 26, 2018 |via = [[Google Books]] |page = 358 |isbn = 9781402203749 |quote = The university straddles Interstate 81, an outlet to several major East Coast cities. }}</ref> It parallels its older counterpart, [[U.S. Route 11|US&nbsp;11]], for its entire length in Virginia.<ref name="Charles Harbaugh 2015">{{cite book |first1 = Charles IV |last1 = Harbaugh |first2 = Jeff |last2 = Pennington |title = Middletown |location = Charleston, SC |publisher = Arcadia Publishing |series = Images of America |year = 2015 |isbn = 978-1-4671-2242-9 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ooWtBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA10 |access-date = February 26, 2018 |via = Google Books |page = 10 }}</ref>

=== West Virginia ===
{{Main|Interstate 81 in West Virginia}}
[[File:2016-08-24 13 49 39 View north along Interstate 81 just after entering Ridgeway, Berkeley County, West Virginia from Rest, Frederick County, Virginia.jpg|thumb|left|Northbound on I-81 just after entering West Virginia]]
I-81 briefly enters the [[Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia]] for about {{convert|26|mi|km}}, serving the city of [[Martinsburg, West Virginia|Martinsburg]]. The entire routing is in [[Berkeley County, West Virginia|Berkeley County]] and serves the [[Eastern WV Regional Airport]]. The [[West Virginia]] segment was completed in 1966 and there have been no realignments since.

=== Maryland ===
{{Main|Interstate 81 in Maryland}}
[[File:2016-07-29 19 17 29 View north along Interstate 81 just north of Exit 5 (Halfway Boulevard) just southwest of Hagerstown in Washington County, Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|View north along I-81 just north of exit&nbsp;5 at Halfway Boulevard in [[Halfway, Maryland]]]]
In [[Maryland]], the Interstate Highway runs {{convert|12.08|mi|km}} from the [[West Virginia]] state line at the [[Potomac River]] in [[Williamsport, Maryland|Williamsport]] north to the [[Pennsylvania]] state line near [[Maugansville, Maryland|Maugansville]]. I-81 is the primary north–south Interstate Highway in [[Washington County, Maryland|Washington County]], connecting [[Hagerstown, Maryland|Hagerstown]] with [[Chambersburg, Pennsylvania|Chambersburg]] and [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]] to the north and [[Martinsburg, West Virginia|Martinsburg]], [[Winchester, Virginia|Winchester]], and [[Roanoke, Virginia|Roanoke]] to the south.<ref name=":2">{{Maryland HLR|year=2013|county1=Washington|pages1=13–19|access-date=February 3, 2018}}</ref> It is the shortest mainline Interstate in Maryland and contains the shortest portion of I-81 of all six states through which the Interstate highway passes. The Interstate was dedicated as Maryland Veterans Memorial Highway in 1987.<ref name=":3" /> I-81 passes through the state of Maryland at one of its narrowest points, the "Hub City" of [[Hagerstown, Maryland|Hagerstown]] where it intersects with a large number of other routes, most notably [[Interstate 70|I-70]]. [[Hagerstown Regional Airport]] is served by this Interstate Highway.<ref name=":2" />

=== Pennsylvania ===
{{Main|Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania}}
[[File:Interstate 78 and 81 junction, northbound.jpg|thumb|left|I-81 northbound at western terminus of [[Interstate 78|I-78]] in [[Lebanon County, Pennsylvania]]]]
I-81 forms a major north–south corridor through the state of Pennsylvania, serving the boroughs of [[Chambersburg, Pennsylvania|Chambersburg]] and [[Carlisle, Pennsylvania|Carlisle]], where it meets the [[Pennsylvania Turnpike]] ([[Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey)|I-76]]) but does not directly interchange with it (motorists must use US&nbsp;11 to connect). Around the state capital of [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]], the route forms the northern section of Pennsylvania's [[Capital Beltway (Harrisburg)|Capital Beltway]]. The route then travels northeast toward the [[Wyoming Valley]], where it serves the cities of [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]] and [[Scranton, Pennsylvania|Scranton]](as well as meeting the PA Turnpike's Northeast Extension), then heads north through the [[Endless Mountains]] region toward the state line.

=== New York ===
{{Main|Interstate 81 in New York}}
[[File:Syracuse Interstates.jpg|thumb|right|I-81 at [[Interstate 690|I-690]] in downtown Syracuse]]
In New York, I-81 crosses the [[New York–Pennsylvania border|Pennsylvania state line]] southeast of [[Binghamton, New York|Binghamton]]. The freeway runs north–south through [[Central New York]], serving the cities of Binghamton, [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]], and [[Watertown, New York|Watertown]]. It passes through the [[Thousand Islands]] in its final miles and crosses two bridges, both part of the series of bridges known as the [[Thousand Islands Bridge]]. South of Watertown, I-81 closely parallels [[U.S. Route 11|US&nbsp;11]], the main north–south highway in Central New York prior to the construction of I-81. At Watertown, US&nbsp;11 turns northeastward to head across New York's [[North Country (New York)|North Country]] while I-81 continues on a generally northward track to the Canadian border. From there, the road continues into the province of [[Ontario]] as [[Ontario Highway 137|Highway&nbsp;137]], a short route leading north to the nearby [[Ontario Highway 401|Highway&nbsp;401]].<ref>{{google maps |date = April 16, 2012 |url = https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=I-81+N&daddr=I-81+N&hl=en&ll=43.329174,-75.822144&spn=3.004846,7.13562&sll=44.346701,-75.982111&sspn=0.00577,0.013937&geocode=FX7WgAIdmh58-w%3BFZavpAIdn5Z4-w&t=h&mra=me&mrsp=1,0&sz=17&z=8 |title = Overview Map of I-81 in New York |access-date = February 3, 2018 }}</ref>