U.S. Route 52 in West Virginia

U.S. Route 52 marker
U.S. Route 52
Map
US 52 highlighted in red
Route information
Length184.9 mi (297.6 km)
Existed1926–present
Major junctions
South end I-77 / US 52 at Rocky Gap, VA
Major intersections
North end US 52 near Chesapeake, OH
Location
CountryUnited States
CountiesMercer, McDowell, Wyoming, Logan, Mingo, Pike (KY), Wayne, Cabell
Highway system
  • Kentucky State Highway System
WV 51WV WV 53
US 51KY KY 52

U.S. Route 52 (US 52) skirts the western fringes of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It runs from the Virginia state line near Bluefield, where it is concurrent with Interstate 77 (I-77), in a general northwest and north direction to I-64 at Kenova. There it turns east, overlapping I-64 for five miles (8.0 km) before splitting off onto the West Huntington Expressway into Ohio via the West Huntington Bridge. Despite having an even number, US 52 is signed north–south in West Virginia. In some other states along its route, it is signed east-west. The West Virginia segment is signed such that US 52 north corresponds to the general westward direction of the highway, and vice versa. For a while, US 52 parallels US 23, which is on the other side of the Big Sandy River in Kentucky. This continues into Ohio, where US 52 travels on the Ohio side of the Ohio River while US 23 travels on the Kentucky side.

Most of the route is being converted to a four-lane divided highway, but not to interstate standards. From I-77 south of Bluefield to near Williamson, the new highway has been referenced to as the King Coal Highway; from Williamson north to Kenova, it is the Tolsia Highway.

View north along current US 52 in Gilbert