U.S. Bicycle Route 21

U.S. Bicycle Route 21 (USBR 21) is a north–south United States Bicycle Route that travels through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia in the United States.

U.S. Bicycle Route 21
Route information
Length	1,043.4 mi^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] (1,679.2 km)
Existed	2015^[5]–present
Major junctions
North end	USBR 30 in Cleveland
Major intersections	USBR 44 from Massillon to near Wooster, OH USBR 50 from Columbus to Xenia, OH USBR 25 from Cincinnati to Aberdeen, OH USBR 76 in Berea, KY SBR 90 in LaFayette, GA SBR 5 near Rockmart, GA SBR 35 in Atlanta, GA
South end	Atlanta, GA near the North Avenue station (MARTA)
Location
Country	United States
States	Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia
Highway system
United States Bicycle Route System List
← USBR 20 USBR 23 →

Route description

Lengths

	mi^[4]^[3]^[2]^[1]	km
OH	366.9	590
KY	265.3	427
TN	250.4	403
GA	160.8	259
Total	1,043.4	1,679

Ohio

USBR 21 begins at a junction with USBR 30 at Edgewater Park in Cleveland. From Cleveland to Cincinnati, it runs along the Ohio to Erie Trail, concurrent with State Bicycle Route 1, which mostly consists of off-road multi-purpose trails such as the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail and Little Miami Scenic Trail. There are additional overlaps with USBR 44 Massillon to near Wooster and with USBR 50 from Columbus to Xenia. Past Cincinnati, the route resumes along the Ohio River Trail, concurrent with USBR 25, to the Kentucky state line at Aberdeen.^[6][7]

Kentucky

Across the Ohio River from Aberdeen in Maysville, USBR 21 continues along the Bluegrass Tour route to the Tennessee state line near Middlesboro.^[8] It intersects with USBR 76, one of the first U.S. Bicycle Routes, at Berea.

Tennessee

USBR 21 runs from Cumberland Gap National Historical Park to Chattanooga.^[2]

Georgia

USBR 21 follows the Silver Comet Trail for 52 miles (84 km) from Cedartown to Smyrna.^[1]

History

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved the southern segment of USBR 21 in Georgia in 2015^[5] as the first U.S. Bicycle Route in the state. In May 2019, AASHTO approved the northern segment through Kentucky,^[9] which was extended in May 2021 through Ohio to its northern terminus in Cleveland.^[10] In 2022, the route was extended through Tennessee, connecting the two segments.^[2]

Auxiliary routes

U.S. Bicycle Route 221

U.S. Bicycle Route 221
Location	Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Length	12.3 mi^[1] (19.8 km)
Existed	2015–present

U.S. Bicycle Route 221 (USBR 221) was originally established in 2015 as USBR 321,^[1] but was renumbered to USBR 221 in 2018.^[11] It connects to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.

U.S. Bicycle Route 421

U.S. Bicycle Route 421
Location	Mountain Cove Farms
Length	38.7 mi^[1] (62.3 km)
Existed	2015–present

U.S. Bicycle Route 421 (USBR 421) was originally established in 2015 as USBR 521,^[1] but was renumbered to USBR 421 in 2018.^[11] It connects to Mountain Cove Farms.^[11]

U.S. Bicycle Route 621

U.S. Bicycle Route 621
Location	Rome, Georgia
Length	25.5 mi^[12] (41.0 km)
Existed	2016^[13]–present

U.S. Bicycle Route 621 (USBR 621) connects to Rome, Georgia.

References

1. DiGioia, Katelyn (August 11, 2015). "AASHTO Application for Designation of a U.S. Bicycle Route: Georgia USBR No. 21" (PDF). Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
2. "A new state joins the USBRS!" (Press release). Missoula, Montana: Adventure Cycling Association. November 30, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
3. Hearn, Troy (August 1, 2018). "Application for Designation of a U.S. Bicycle Route: Kentucky USBR No. 21" (PDF). p. 1. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
4. "U.S. Bicycle Route System Adds 2,903 Miles of New Routes in 5 States" (Press release). Missoula, Montana: Adventure Cycling Association. August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
5. Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (September 25, 2015). (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 20, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
6. "Ohio's State and US Bike Routes". Ohio Department of Transportation. March 1, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
7. "State & US Bike Route System: Overview and Implementation" (PDF). Ohio Department of Transportation. August 3, 2020. p. 2. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
8. "On Road Bicycle Routes and Events". Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
9. Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (May 21, 2019). (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 12, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
10. Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (May 2021). "2021 Spring Meeting Report to the Council on Highways and Streets" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
11. Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (May 22, 2018). (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
12. DiGioia, Katelyn (August 11, 2015). "AASHTO Application for Designation of a U.S. Bicycle Route: Georgia USBR No. 621" (PDF). Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 2, 2019. (applied for as 721 but application was amended to Route Number 621)
13. Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (May 24, 2016). (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 16, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2019.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to U.S. Bicycle Route 21.

• Bicycle & Pedestrian by the Georgia Department of Transportation