 Maryland Route 51 | ||||
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 Maryland Route 51 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by MDSHA | ||||
| Length | 25.53 mi[1] (41.09 km) | |||
| Existed | 1927–present | |||
| Tourist routes |  Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Scenic Byway | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| North end |    I-68 / US 40 / US 220 in Cumberland | |||
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| South end |  WV 9 near Paw Paw, WV | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Maryland | |||
| Counties | Allegany | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Maryland Route 51 (MD 51) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Oldtown Road, the state highway runs 25.53 miles (41.09 km) from an interchange with Interstate 68 (I-68) in Cumberland south to the West Virginia state line at the Potomac River, where the highway continues east as West Virginia Route 9 (WV 9) toward Paw Paw. Around Cumberland, MD 51 is a major highway that provides a bypass of the South End neighborhood of that city and access to industrial areas along the North Branch Potomac River. South of North Branch, MD 51 is a rural highway connecting small communities along the river in southeastern Allegany County, including Oldtown. Documentation from the Maryland State Highway Administration depict the highway as following an east-west alignment, but all signage indicates a north-south road.
The city streets of Cumberland on which MD 51 was later designated were paved by 1910. The highway was constructed from the city limits of Cumberland to North Branch in the mid-1920s and to Paw Paw in the early 1930s and dedicated as Uhl Highway. Industrial Boulevard, a divided highway in the city of Cumberland, was constructed in the mid-1960s. MD 51 between Evitts Creek and North Branch was relocated in the mid-1980s to better serve nearby industrial properties.