U.S. Route 11 (US 11) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from New Orleans, Louisiana, to the Canada–United States border at Rouses Point, New York. In the state of New York, US 11 extends for from the Pennsylvania state line south of the Southern Tier city of Binghamton to the Canada–United States border at the North Country village of Rouses Point, where it becomes Route 223 upon entering Quebec. The portion of US 11 south of Watertown follows a mostly north–south alignment and is paralleled by Interstate 81 (I-81) while the part of the route north of Watertown follows a more east–west routing, parallel to but not directly on the St. Lawrence River.
The portion of US 11 in New York passes through the central district of four cities: Binghamton, Cortland, Syracuse, and Watertown. East of Watertown, the route traverses mostly rural terrain and serves only small villages, such as Potsdam, Malone, and Champlain. While the portion of US 11 between the Pennsylvania state line and Watertown is merely an alternate route to I-81, the section east of Watertown is the primary long-distance route across the North Country of New York.
US 11 was designated as part of the 1926 establishment of the U.S. Numbered Highway System. It was first signed in New York in 1927, replacing New York State Route 2 (NY 2), a route assigned three years earlier as part of the creation of the modern New York state route system. The termini of US 11 have more or less remained the same since; however, multiple realignments have occurred along the points in between. One of US 11's three suffixed routes, NY 11C, follows a former routing of US 11.
Route description
South of Syracuse
US 11 proceeds northwestward through New York from the Pennsylvania border toward Binghamton along the eastern bank of the Susquehanna River. In the town of Kirkwood, it has a grade-separated interchange with County Route 177 (CR 177) between the Conklin–Kirkwood Bridge and CR 177's interchange with I-81, the Interstate's first exit in New York. Most of this stretch is an undivided highway; however, there is a brief divided four-lane section where the highway has a partial Y interchange with NY 990G, a connector to exit 2 on I-81 as well as NY 17 (Future I-86). This connector is part of the former routing of NY 17.
US 11 remains four lanes, now undivided, as it enters the city of Binghamton, serving as the main thoroughfare of the East Side neighborhood. This section is also known as Court Street. The highway then turns southwest, crossing railroad tracks and heading toward downtown. Here, it has an intersection with NY 7 just north of the Tompkins Street Bridge and a folded diamond interchange with NY 363. In the center of downtown, US 11 goes through a roundabout and passes Broome County Courthouse. It then has a junction with NY 434, which terminates at the highway from the south, before crossing the Court Street Bridge, after which it intersects NY 17C and turns north to follow Front Street along the Chenango River. It passes Binghamton High School and goes through a portion of the West Side neighborhood. Later, the highway again interchanges with I-81 (and NY 17) at Interstate exit 5.
US 11 and I-81 continue to parallel each other as they head north from Binghamton toward Cortland, passing through the hamlets and villages of Hinmans Corners, Glen Castle, Castle Creek, and Whitney Point. Beyond Whitney Point, both I-81 and US 11 begin to follow the Tioughnioga River in a north-northeasterly direction, with US 11 passing through four further settlements along the river (Lisle, Marathon, Messengerville, and Blodgett Mills). Before reaching Cortland, the highway has a direct interchange with I-81 at exit 10 followed immediately by a junction with NY 41, which joins US 11 as the road enters Cortland.
The southernmost portion of US 11 in Cortland is known as Port Watson Street, but it then turns several times onto other streets (Church Street, where it has a brief concurrency with NY 13, and then Clinton Avenue and North Main Street). In downtown Cortland, US 11 passes numerous Cortland County and city offices. It exits downtown via North Main into a primarily residential area, passing the Guthrie Cortland Medical Center. US 11 continues out of the city toward the village of Homer. Another reference route, NY 930Q, connects US 11 and NY 41 to exit 12 of I-81 by two loop ramps. From here, the highway enters Homer, where it is known as Main Street. It has a junction with NY 90 at Cayuga Street, serving as that road's southern terminus. NY 41 then diverges to the northwest at Clinton Street.