Route information | ||||
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Maintained by PennDOT | ||||
Length | 33.722 mi[1] (54.270 km) | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | MD 896 in London Britain Township | |||
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North end | PA 340 in Smoketown | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Pennsylvania | |||
Counties | Chester, Lancaster | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Pennsylvania Route 896 (PA 896) is a north–south state highway located in the counties of Chester and Lancaster in southeastern Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at the Maryland state line just south of Strickersville in London Britain Township. South of the state line, the road continues as unsigned Maryland Route 896 (MD 896) for 0.21 mi (0.34 km), and then enters Delaware as Delaware Route 896 (DE 896) toward Newark. The northern terminus is at PA 340 in the East Lampeter Township community of Smoketown, just east of the city of Lancaster. The highway serves the borough of Strasburg, known for its Amish tourist attractions. The section south of the borough down to the state line is predominantly farmland. PA 896 follows a northwest-southeast orientation between PA 340 and the Maryland state line.
PA 896 was initially designated in 1928 between PA 42 (now PA 10) in Russellville and the Octoraro Creek in Homeville. In 1937, the route was extended in both directions to run between the Maryland border and U.S. Route 30 (US 30, now PA 462) east of Lancaster, following its current alignment between the Maryland border and Strasburg and Strasburg Pike northwest of Strasburg. The extension replaced a portion of PA 796 leading to the Maryland border. In the 1960s, PA 896 was rerouted at Strasburg to head north to PA 340. In 2009, PA 896 was routed to bypass Strasburg.