Charles Street (Baltimore)

Maryland Route 139 marker
Maryland Route 139
Charles Street
Route information
Maintained by MDSHA and Baltimore DOT
Length10.9 mi[1] (17.5 km)
MD 139 is 7.89 mi (12.70 km).[2][3]
The unnumbered portion of Charles Street south of US 1 is 3.0 mi (4.8 km).[1]
Existed1927–present
Tourist
routes		 Baltimore's Historic Charles Street
Major junctions
South endDead end near Wells Street in Baltimore
Major intersections
North endNightlingale Way in Lutherville
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMaryland
CountiesCity of Baltimore, Baltimore
Highway system
← MD 138→ MD 140

Charles Street, known for most of its route as Maryland Route 139 (MD 139), runs through Baltimore and the Towson area of Baltimore County. On the north end, it terminates at an intersection with Bellona Avenue near Interstate 695 (I-695). At the south end, it terminates in Federal Hill in Baltimore. Charles Street is one of the major routes through Baltimore, and is a major public transportation corridor. For the one-way portions of Charles Street, the street is functionally complemented by the parallel St. Paul Street, including St. Paul Place and Preston Gardens, Maryland Avenue, Cathedral Street, and Liberty Street.

Though not exactly at the west–east midpoint of the city, Charles Street is the dividing line between the west and east sides of Baltimore. On any street that crosses Charles Street, address numbers start from the unit block on either side, and the streets are identified as either "West" or "East," depending on whether they are to the west or east of Charles.[4]

The west and east designations also apply to streets that do not cross Charles Street, but exist on both sides of it. The entire length of Charles Street is a National Scenic Byway known as Baltimore's Historic Charles Street.[5][6]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Google Maps Charles Street was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Maryland HLR 2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Maryland HLR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Tilghman, Mary K. (2008-01-01). Insiders' Guide to Baltimore. Globe Pequot. ISBN 9780762745531.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Maryland Byways" (PDF). Maryland State Highway Administration. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  6. ^ "Baltimore's Historic Charles Street". National Scenic Byways Program. Archived from the original on 2009-11-19. Retrieved 2012-03-28.