The National Road is one of my favorite subjects, and I’ve driven it from one end (in Maryland; Baltimore if you’re not a purist, Cumberland if you are) to the other (Vandalia, Illinois). Here are my posts from the road, sorted more or less geographically from east to west. Click a state to see a list of posts from there:

Maryland • Pennsylvania
West Virginia • Ohio
Indiana • Illinois

A few general posts:

Scenes from the National Road in 1920 — I bought some little cards showing scenes from the road in 1920.

Then and now on the National Road — Vintage postcard views of the road compared with more recent photos.

Madonnas of the Trail — Five statues of pioneer mothers stand on the National Road, as part of a larger initiative in 1928 along the coast-to-coast National Old Trails Road. (See an older post about the Madonnas here.)

Maryland

The National Road in Maryland — A preview of my trip along the road.

Ellicott City — A very old town along the road.

New Market — The antiques capital of Maryland.

Antietam Creek bridges — Three bridges on and near the National Road that cross Antietam Creek.

The Wilson Bridge — This big stone bridge is named for its builder, but it crosses Conococheague Creek.

Abandoned 1930s National Road pavement — Curiously, a short stretch of old pavement was left behind when US 40 was widened and straightened.

The view from Polish Mountain — A stunning landscape from the road’s original alignment.

Three bridges over the Casselman River — One stone, one steel, and one concrete.

Pennsylvania

This post is brought to you by the letter S — An S bridge.

Addison Toll House — After the US government got out of the National Road business, it became a toll road. Here’s one of the toll houses.

West Virginia

The Wheeling Suspension Bridge — I always swore I’d drive the bridge, and I finally did.

Ohio

And so ended our vacation — I wrecked my car after entering Ohio on the road. Whee.

Clinching the National Road — Two years later, I returned to Ohio to try again. I succeeded.

Saying goodbye to the old bridge at Bridgeport — When I wrote this, the bridge still stood. Not anymore.

Bricks and bridges at Blaine — An 1828 bridge, with its brick deck, preserved alongside a more modern bridge.

Then there was the time I-70 jumped out in front of my car — Seriously. I about pooped my pants.

The disrupted National Road — I-70 clings to the National Road so closely over these 18 miles that sometimes they’re the same road.

They say the old S bridge is crumbling, but it held up my car just fine — An 1828 S bridge that you can still drive on, or at least you could when I wrote this.

The last drivable National Road S bridge closed due to heavy trucks — That driveable S bridge? Yeah, it’s closed now.

The house on Best Road — On an old alignment high over current US 40 stands a gorgeous 1870s home.

Old buildings in Old Washington — A National Road town so well preserved it’s like stepping back in time.

Crooked little bridges, well preserved — Two bypassed S bridges that have been restored.

When someone tells me to hit the bricks, I take it literally — Several still-driveable sections of brick National Road laid in about 1917 remain in eastern Ohio.

A quick tour of Zanesville — A well-preserved downtown, the famous Y bridge, and an unexpected sight.

Concrete evidence — In 1914, 24 miles of experimental concrete were laid down on the National Road. Little bits of it remain.

Improving the rutted road — Historic National Road photos from across Ohio.

Stepping back in time for an overnight stay — 1950s-era motels still in operation in Columbus.

Landmarks and historic architecture in Columbus — Seeing the sights along the National Road as it passes through town.

The Main Street Bridge — There’s a new bridge over Main Street in Columbus. It’s a beauty.

Serving the National Road traveler — Historic inns from the time when covered wagons were the road’s usual traffic.

Seeing the sights in Springfield — I lingered in Springfield for a while because there was so much to see.

Whatever happened to Tadmor? — It used to be a town on the National Road, at least until just after the flood of 1913.

I stopped at McDonald’s on my last road trip — But not the McDonald’s you’re thinking about.

Indiana

I’ve documented Indiana’s portion of the National Road the most, because I live here.

A survey of all the old National Road and US 40 alignments in Indiana — Lots and lots of old pavement.

Grand old homes along Indiana’s National Road — If you keep your eyes open as you drive, you can take in some classic architecture along the road.

Grand old houses along Indiana’s National Road — An updated post, with lots more old houses.

Picturesque barns along the National Road and US 40 in Indiana — Lots of old barns dot the National Road; here are some.

East

The end of the Dayton Cutoff — Dayton, Ohio was bypassed by the National Road. Ticked locals built a successful competing road. It merged with the National Road just inside Indiana.

Woodside Drive, a former US 40 alignment in Richmond, Indiana — Woodside Drive was never the National Road, but for some years starting probably in the 1930s, it was US 40.

Old McDonald’s sign on the National Road in Richmond, Indiana — Just like the title says!

Richmond — One of the few Indiana towns along the road that was founded before the road came through. From 2009.

Visiting Richmond, on the National Road in Indiana — A 2021 visit to Richmond.

Classic motels on US 40 in Wayne County, Indiana — Several old motels still operate on the road near Richmond.

Neon sign, lost — A neon sign for a store on the road in Richmond ended up in an antique store in Centerville.

Arch city — Centerville is known for five arches that front its buildings along the road. The town has a colorful history, too.

Suddenly, it’s 1860 — A return visit to Centerville, six years after the previous post.

Indiana National Road milestones — Only two milestones remain on Indiana’s National Road.

National Road milestone west of Richmond, Indiana — Revisiting one of the milestones.

The Huddleston Farmhouse — A restored and lovingly cared-for 1841 inn and family residence that’s open for tours.

Touring the Huddleston farmhouse, part 1: the exterior and grounds — I made a return visit to the Huddleston property and photographed the exterior more extensively.

Touring the Huddleston farmhouse, part 2: the interior — Photos from inside the Huddleston farmhouse, which is set up much as it would have been when the Huddlestons lived here.

Small National Road towns in eastern Indiana — Looking at Dublin, Lewisville, and Dunreith.

Abandoned motel near Dunreith, Indiana, on US 40 — A look at what once was.

The one old alignment of the National Road in eastern Indiana and the mystery of Star Blvd. — I had puzzled for years about the history of this old alignment between Dunreith and Raysville. Could Star Blvd. have once been US 40? I investigated.

Old National Road from Dunreith to Knightstown in Indiana — A more comprehensive look at the original alignment between Dunreith and Knightstown.

Onetime motor court converted to apartments on US 40 in Hancock County, Indiana — Whoever restored this old motor court did a fantastic job.

Central

Irvington, an Indianapolis neighborhood on old US 40 — A look at this early Indianapolis suburb, now an urban neighborhood.

Lifting a blighted neighborhood: The Angie’s List campus — This company headquarters where the Michigan Road and the National Road meet on Indianapolis’s Eastside. They transformed a decaying, crime-ridden neighborhood.

The McOuat building — A blighted building, restored. in downtown Indianapolis.

The bridges that carried the National Road and US 40 over the White River in Indianapolis — A look at the 1916 bridge that is now part of a state park, and the bridges that came before it to carry the National Road here.

Bicycling the National Road across the White River in Indianapolis — When navigating the alignments of the National Road in Downtown Indianapolis, there’s no straight path.

Single frame: Washington at Addison — A photo of an Odd Fellows building on the National Road on Indianapolis’s Near Westside.

The Central State Hospital for the Insane — Indiana’s first state insane asylum opened in 1848 on the National Road in what is now the Near Westside of Indianapolis. Its ruins remain.

West

US 40 and the National Road in western Indiana, 2006 — A preview of some posts I brought over from my old Web site, of my first ever road trip, along US 40 and the National Road from Indianapolis to the Illinois state line.

Philosophical questions along the National Road — How many times must a road’s path change before it’s no longer the same road?

US 40 and the National Road at Six Points near Plainfield, Indiana — From my 2006 road trip, a look at an old alignment.

Straightened, widened, and moved — Realignments of the road as it leaves Indianapolis headed west.

Abandoned US 40 bridge west of Plainfield, Indiana — From my 2006 road trip, a look at an abandoned early-1920s bridge that once carried this road.

Nature always wins — A bridge and some concrete pavement abandoned since at least the early 1940s.

Visiting my favorite abandoned bridge — A return to the bridge in the previous post, four years later.

Iron’s Cemetery — An almost-forgotten cemetery, along the highway but hidden from view.

Stilesville — Many tiny towns dot the National Road in western Indiana. This one, with a small “downtown,” is a giant among them.

A forgotten brick segment of US 40 — Bricks laid about 1923 are on private property today.

The original paths of the National Road and US 40 in Putnam County, Indiana — A survey of several old alignments.

Old US 40/National Road alignment in Putnam County, Indiana — From my 2006 road trip, a look at an alignment paved in concrete in about 1923.

Behind the Walker Motel — A 1923 concrete alignment of the road, plus a bridge, lay quietly behind an old motel.

1928 photo of the US 40 bridge over Deer Creek in Putnam County, Indiana — I found a photo of this bridge when it was nearly new.

The Cooper Iron Bridge — A bridge that used to span Deer Creek on the National Road was moved around the corner when a newer bridge was built.

Found: Hidden old National Road alignment — The alignment that led to the original site of the Cooper Iron Bridge is hidden in the woods.

Old US 40/National Road at Pleasant Gardens in western Indiana — From a 2006 trip, my first look at a confusing set of old alignments of the road in Putnam County.

A kink in the Road — A gravel alignment and an abandoned bridge in Putnam County.

Captured: Gravel National Road alignment — A brief second look at the Putnam County gravel alignment.

The old road at Reelsville, part 1 — The original alignment of the road near this small town, plus a 1929 Luten bridge.

The old road at Reelsville, part 2 — The 1923 realignment of the road near Reelsville.

Puzzle solved: The National Road at Pleasant Gardens and Reelsville in Indiana — Other roadgeeks’ research laid out the timeline of the various National Road alignments here.

1933 photographs of US 40 at Harmony, Indiana — Rare historic photographs of US 40 here while it was a two-lane highway.

The most dangerous highway in Indiana — Well, it was. In 1967. The opening of I-70 ended that.

Return I will to old Brazil — A visit to Brazil, a small city built along the National Road. Several 1800s buildings still stand along the road.

State Road 340, an original alignment of US 40/National Road in Clay County, Indiana — When US 40 was upgraded to four lanes, this segment of the original road was bypassed. From 2006.

State Road 340, an original alignment of US 40 and the National Road in Clay County, Indiana — A closer look at SR 340, from 2021.

Abandoned bridge abutment on US 40/National Road in Vigo County — When US 40 was four-laned here, a bridge over a railroad track was removed but its abutment left behind.

Captured: National Road gas station — A tiny brick house was once a gas station in Terre Haute.

A visit to Rose-Hulman — My alma mater is on the National Road on the eastern edge of Terre Haute. I share some autumn campus photos.

Roadside relics — Vigo County and Terre Haute are rich in 20th-century roadside sights.

US 40 in downtown Terre Haute, Indiana (as it was in 2006) — When I made this trip, US 40 still ran through downtown Terre Haute. Here are some photos.

There’s actually a place called Toad Hop on Indiana’s National Road — Near the Illinois border you’ll find this unincorporated town and an original alignment of US 40 and the National Road.

Where the National Road fades away — Modern US 40 and I-70 merge over the National Road’s original path near the Illinois border.

The National Road in western Indiana — Provides a link to my full writeup of my August, 2009 trip.

Ride Across Indiana

In 2021, I rode my bicycle across Indiana on the National Road. Here are all of the posts documenting that trip.

Ride Across Indiana: It can be hard to distinguish excitement from anxiety

Ride Across Indiana: This ride is pre-disastered

Ride Across Indiana: Light winds and flat roads

Ride Across Indiana: How long on this longest day ‘til I finally make it through?

Ride Across Indiana: 150 miles and done

The story behind my ride across Indiana

Illinois

A brief history of the National Road in Illinois — Just what the title says.

The National Road in Illinois — Twenty miles of abandoned brick highway.

The National Road and US 40 at the Indiana/Illinois line — Looking at how the old road changed over the years where it crossed from Indiana into Illinois.

The abandoned brick National Road in Illinois — I had more to say about this old brick road.

Road trip season is almost here — More photos of the abandoned brick highway.

The brick National Road and US 40 east of Marshall, Illinois — A comprehensive look at the brick highway from the Indiana line west to Marshall.

Building the Illinois National Road — Photos, ca 1925, of the brick road being built.

Bursting the nostalgia bubble — Confronting a false fantasy while exploring the road.

The National Road and US 40 in Livingston, Illinois — Hidden road remnants around this tiny Illinois town.

A famous row of buildings in Marshall, Illinois — A view of the same corner in 1950, 1980, and 2014.

Captured: The Archer House — A photo of an 1841 inn on the National Road.

The last stone-arch bridge still in use on the Illinois National Road — Just like the title says. It’s on the edge of Marshall.

Neat creatures, 2 cents — A wooden cover over a modern concrete bridge near Clark Center makes for a good photo opportunity.

A change in the pavement on the abandoned National Road in Illinois — The old brick highway ends abruptly just east of Martinsville, and becomes an old concrete highway.

The ten-foot-wide highway — A very narrow strip of concrete road east of Martinsville that is about 100 years old.

The beautiful homes on Main Street in Casey, Illinois — Casey’s Main Street is filled with great old homes. It’s worth pulling off US 40 to follow the old National Road so you can see them.

The National Road and US 40 in Casey, Illinois — A second look at the road in Casey, this time focusing on downtown and buildings other than the beautiful homes.

Remnants of the National Road and US 40 in east central Illinois — Driveable segments of the original highway west of Casey.

The Village of the Porches — Greenup’s downtown features striking New Orleans-style balconies on all the buildings.

The covered bridge over the Embarras River — A modern wooden covered bridge carries the National Road over this river, and it’s a must-see.

The Green Lantern on the National Road/US 40 in Illinois — A grand neon sign in front of a pile of rubble east of Effingham.

Are there two alignments of the National Road in Effingham, Illinois? — I vote yes. And I vote that the older alignment gets no props.

Drunken road striping — The highway department clearly uses this old alignment for striping practice.

A confluence of roads near Vandalia — A later alignment of US 40 and, later, I-70, left behind some old pavement east of Vandalia.

The end of the National Road — Where the National Road ends in Vandalia, you’ll find evidence of Abraham Lincoln.

The National Road revisited — Links to a long-form writeup of a late-2007 trip I made to explore the old alignments in Clark, Cumberland, and Effingham Counties.

Captured: Senate chambers — The Senate chambers inside the former statehouse at Vandalia.