Boston, Oregon Connect 3,365 Miles Apart

BOSTON, MA — Ever wondered where the longest continuing road in America begins? Step outside the Kenmore Square T Station, and you'll wonder no more.

Now planted in the middle of Kenmore and Comm Ave is the 3,365-mile marker to tell you exactly where Route 20 starts, and how long it runs.

The Mass. Department of Transportation placed the marker Thursday morning in a ceremony that will be mirrored more than 3,000 miles away in Newport, Oregon, where the route terminates.

“There are many things that divide our country, but Route 20 is one thing that connects us,” Highway Administrator Thomas Tinlin said of Thursday's sign installation.

Per MassDOT, the eastern end of Route 20 is about 3 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and the western end is within a mile of the Pacific Ocean in Newport. The western end of Route 20 was originally located at the entrance to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, but the highway was extended into Oregon in 1940, and then all the way to Newport, Oregon in 1945.

Massachusetts’ section of Route 20, which was constructed beginning in 1926, travels through 5 counties and 25 municipalities, running parallel to I-90, (the Massachusetts Turnpike), from Boston to the New York Border. In total, Route 20 passes through 12 states on its way to the west.

Images courtesy MassDOT