Ocean Highway

For the former state highway in New Jersey created in 1909, see Ocean Highway (New Jersey).
For the shipping route across the Bass Strait, see Sea Highway.
Ocean Highway
Route information
Length996 mi (1,603 km)
Major junctions
South end US 90 in Jacksonville, FL
Major intersections I-295 in Jacksonville

I-16 in Savannah, GA
I-26 in Charleston, SC
I-40 in Wilmington, NC
I-64 in Norfolk, VA
US 50 in Salisbury, MD
US 40 in Wilmington, DE
I-76 in Camden, NJ

I-195 in Trenton, NJ
North end US 1 in North Brunswick, NJ
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesFlorida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey
Highway system

Ocean Highway was a designation established early in the 20th century for a combination of roadways and water-crossings for motor vehicles which would generally traverse as close as possible to the Atlantic Ocean along the East Coast of the United States from Jacksonville, Florida to North Brunswick, New Jersey. The Ocean Highway concept predated the creation of the Interstate Highway System beginning in the 1950s, and in many states the highways and byways of coastal routes from Florida to North Brunswick still carry the name.

Unlike many of the earlier named roads such as the Lincoln Highway, Dixie Highway, and the National Auto Trails, the Ocean Highway was intended to promote tourism and leisurely drives, rather than primarily a fast and expeditious long distance route. Eight states participated in the program at its inception: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. Formed as an opportunity to promote tourism of the various beaches up and down the Atlantic Coast, the Ocean Highway promotions began in the 1930s.