U.S. Route 250 (US 250) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Sandusky, Ohio to Richmond, Virginia. In Virginia, the highway runs from the West Virginia state line near Hightown east to its eastern terminus at US 360 in Richmond. US 250 is the main east–west highway of Highland County, which is known as Virginia's Little Switzerland; the highway follows the path of the 19th century Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike. From Staunton east to Richmond, the highway serves as the local complement to Interstate 64 (I-64), roughly following the 18th century Three Notch'd Road through Waynesboro and Charlottesville on its way through the Shenandoah Valley, its crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Rockfish Gap, and the Piedmont. In the Richmond metropolitan area, US 250 is known as Broad Street, a major thoroughfare through the city's West End and downtown areas.
Route description
West Virginia to Staunton
US 250 enters Virginia on top of Allegheny Mountain, the ridgeline that forms the Virginia – West Virginia state line and the Eastern Continental Divide. The highway continues northwest into Pocahontas County, West Virginia toward Durbin and Elkins. US 250, which is known as Highland Turnpike, parallels the state line, then veers east and has a curvaceous descent along the east side of the mountain to the narrow valley of Back Creek. The highway climbs over Lantz Mountain before reaching Hightown in the Bluegrass Valley, which contains the headwaters of both the South Branch Potomac River on the north and the Jackson River, one of two chief tributaries of the James River, on the south. East of Hightown, US 250 crosses Monterey Mountain and enters the town of Monterey, the county seat of Highland County. The highway serves as the town's Main Street and intersects US 220 (Jackson River Road).
US 250 passes to the north of Jack Mountain and follows Crab Creek through a gap in Doe Hill to McDowell, where the highway crosses the Bullpasture River. The highway continues across Bullpasture Mountain and crosses the Calfpasture River, the other chief tributary of the James River. After passing through Shaws Ridge, US 250 goes through the hamlet of Head Waters and has a curvaceous crossing of Shenandoah Mountain, where the highway enters Augusta County. At the Augusta County border, a parking area leads to Fort Edward Johnson, which was a series of fortifications built by the Confederate Army in 1862. The highway continues as Hankey Mountain Highway, which heads southeast to West Augusta in the valley of the Calfpasture River and continues east along Jennings Branch through Jennings Gap in Little North Mountain to enter the Shenandoah Valley. US 250 heads southeast along the creek through Lone Fountain and Churchville, Virginia. In the latter village, the highway runs concurrently with Virginia State Route 42 (SR 42), which heads north as Scenic Highway and south as Buffalo Gap Highway.
US 250 continues southeast as Churchville Avenue, which crosses the Middle River on its way to the independent city of Staunton. The highway meets SR 262 (Woodrow Wilson Parkway) at a diamond interchange at the west city limits and heads southeast toward the downtown area. At the north end of downtown, US 250 turns onto Augusta Street, where the highway runs concurrently with US 11 Business. The highways pass to the west of Mary Baldwin College and the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and intersect SRs 252 and 254, which both follow Frederick Street westbound and Beverley Street eastbound. At the south end of downtown, just north of the Staunton Amtrak station, US 250 and US 11 Business turn east onto Johnson Street, which parallels CSX's North Mountain Subdivision. US 11 Business's southern terminus is at US 250's intersection with US 11 and SR 254. SR 254 heads north on Coalter Street and east with northbound US 11 on Commerce Road while US 250 and US 11 pass under the railroad together on Greenville Avenue. South of the rail crossing, US 250 turns east onto Richmond Avenue.