 New York State Route 431 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway | ||||
 NY 431 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by NYSDEC | ||||
| Length | 7.96 mi[1] (12.81 km) | |||
| Existed | by 1932[2]–present | |||
| History | Completed in 1935[3] | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  NY 86 in Wilmington | |||
| North end | Peak of Whiteface Mountain | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | New York | |||
| Counties | Essex | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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New York State Route 431 (NY 431) is a state highway in Essex County, New York, United States. The highway, also known as the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway, begins at an intersection with NY 86 in Wilmington and climbs Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation maintains the highway, which is 7.96 miles (12.81 km) long.
Marcellus Leonard, a merchant from nearby Saranac Lake, originally proposed the highway in the late 19th century. However, serious plans for the highway did not develop until the 1920s. Construction of the route began in 1929 and was completed in 1935; Leonard died six months before the opening. The 25-mile-per-hour (40 km/h) highway varies in elevation from over 2,000 feet (610 m) to over 4,500 feet (1,372 m) and increases in elevation by about 450 feet (137 m) per mile as it heads away from NY 86. The Whiteface Highway was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.