Victory Highway facts for kids

The Victory Highway was a special road project in the United States. It was planned to stretch all the way across the country. This highway connected New York City on the East Coast to San Francisco on the West Coast. It was created to honor American soldiers who fought and died in World War I. Today, much of its path is followed by U.S. Route 40.

How the Victory Highway Began

The idea for the Victory Highway came from a group called the Victory Highway Association. This group was formed in 1921. Their goal was to find and mark a highway that would go across the entire country. It was meant to be a special tribute to the American soldiers who lost their lives in World War I.

The plan was to place special sculptures called Victory Eagles along the route. These eagles would help mark the highway. However, only six of these sculptures were ever finished.

Where Did the Highway Go?

By 1922, the association had decided on the highway's path. It would start in New York City. From there, it would go southwest through several cities:

• Camden, New Jersey
• Philadelphia
• Wilmington, Delaware
• Baltimore

Originally, the route was planned to go through Washington, D.C.. However, Washington was later removed from the path. Instead, the highway turned west from Baltimore towards Cumberland, Maryland.

Crossing the Country

From Cumberland, the Victory Highway followed an older road called the National Road. This part of the route went all the way to Vandalia, Illinois. This section was also part of another famous road, the National Old Trails Road.

The Victory Highway continued to follow the National Old Trails Road near Fulton, Missouri. Then, it took a slightly different path through Missouri. It passed through Jefferson City before reaching Kansas City.

From Kansas City, the highway continued west to Denver. This part of the route used the Golden Belt Highway. After Denver, it went through Salt Lake City. It then crossed the Great Salt Lake Desert using a section called the Wendover Cut-off. Finally, it entered Nevada.

Journey to the Pacific

After crossing the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the highway entered California. It passed through Sacramento. Then, it went through the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. This part of the route is now known as State Route 160.

The highway crossed the Antioch Bridge. It then went through the Broadway Tunnel. The Victory Highway finally ended in San Francisco on the Pacific coast.

Different Paths and Bridges

For much of its route, especially east of St. Louis, the Victory Highway followed the same path as the National Old Trails Road. However, it took a different route through New Jersey.

The National Old Trails Road crossed the Delaware River at Trenton. But the Victory Highway crossed the river on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge into Camden. From Camden, it headed northeast through towns like Burlington and Hightstown. It continued to Perth Amboy. This part of the route roughly followed what is now U.S. Route 130.

After crossing the Victory Bridge into Perth Amboy, the highway turned east. It went over the Outerbridge Crossing and through Staten Island. Finally, travelers would take the Staten Island Ferry to reach Manhattan.

Once the Outerbridge Crossing was finished in 1928, there were only two ferries left on the entire highway. These were the Staten Island Ferry and a ferry between San Francisco and Oakland on the other end.

The Highway Changes

In 1926, the United States Numbered Highways system was created. This new system gave numbers to major roads across the country. The Victory Highway's route was mostly replaced by the new U.S. 40.

Even after this change, the Victory Highway Association continued to encourage people to travel along the route. They promoted tourism. However, as named highways became less important, the association changed its name. In 1938, it became the U.S. Highway 40 Association. This marked the end of the Victory Highway as a distinct named route.