Pennsylvania Route 222

Pennsylvania Route 222
Route information
Maintained by PennDOT and City of Allentown
Length	4.482 mi[1] (7.213 km)
Existed	1991[2]–present
Major junctions
South end	I-78 / US 222 / PA 309 in Dorneyville
North end	PA 145 in Allentown
Location
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Counties	Lehigh
Highway system
Pennsylvania State Route System Interstate US State Scenic Legislative
← US 222 → US 224

Pennsylvania Route 222 (PA 222) is a 4.482 mi (7.213 km)-long state highway located in Allentown and its surrounding suburbs in the Lehigh Valley region in eastern Pennsylvania.

Most of the route runs along Hamilton Boulevard. In Center City Allentown, the route is aligned along West Hamilton, West Linden, and West Walnut Streets. The southern terminus of the route is at Interstate 78 (I-78) and PA 309 in Dorneyville, where the roadway changes designation from PA 222 to U.S. Route 222 (US 222). The northern terminus is PA 145 in Allentown.

Since the city's founding in the 18th century, Hamilton Street was among the first streets constructed in the city and served as the main street in Center City Allentown. Hamilton Street and Hamilton Boulevard became part of the William Penn Highway in 1916, PA 3 in 1924, and US 22 in 1926. In 1931, US 22 was routed to a new alignment to the north, and Hamilton Boulevard and Hamilton Street west of 15th Street became a part of US 222. In the 1950s, US 222 was rerouted to bypass Allentown, leaving Hamilton Boulevard and Hamilton Street through the city unnumbered.

In 1984, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) proposed extending US 222 from I-78/PA 309 to Center City Allentown, where it would end at PA 145. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) rejected extending US 222 into Allentown, and PA 222 was instead designated to run between I-78/PA 309 and US 222 and PA 145 in 1991.