Primary route
I-68
Morgantown to Hancock
Length112.6 mi
Designated1991
States2
Junctions2
About I-68
Also known as National Freeway.
From Morgantown, WV (I-79) to Hancock, MD (I-70)
Interstate 68 is an east-west route running about 113 miles from Morgantown, West Virginia, east across the Appalachian Mountains to Hancock, Maryland, where it ends at Interstate 70. The route crosses some of the most rugged terrain in the eastern United States, climbing over a series of mountain ridges in far western Maryland and the northern panhandle of West Virginia. It carries the official name National Freeway and serves as the main high-standard road across this otherwise isolated stretch of the central Appalachians.
From its western end at Morgantown the route runs east through Cumberland, Maryland, the largest city along its path, before descending toward the Potomac River valley at Hancock. Along the way it passes through deep mountain country, including the dramatic road cut at Sideling Hill where the highway slices through a ridge to expose the folded rock layers beneath. The corridor links the upper Monongahela valley of West Virginia with the Interstate 70 and Interstate 81 corridors to the east.
Because of the mountainous geography, the road includes long grades, sweeping curves, and high elevations that can see heavy snow in winter. It functions as a key freight and travel connection between the central Appalachian region and the wider Interstate network, replacing a slower and more difficult route along older US 40 alignments.
State-by-state mileage
| State | Miles |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | 31.5 |
| Maryland | 81.1 |
| Total | 112.6 |
History
Interstate 68 was completed and designated in 1991, built largely along the corridor of US 40 and US 48 through the western Maryland mountains. Construction of the Sideling Hill road cut in the 1980s was one of the most ambitious engineering efforts on the route, removing a large section of the ridge to carry the highway through at a manageable grade.
Major cities and places
MorgantownCumberlandHancock
Notable features
- Sideling Hill road cut
- Big Savage Mountain
Did you know
- Carries the official name National Freeway.
- Designated in 1991 after completion across the western Maryland mountains.
- The Sideling Hill cut exposes folded rock layers and includes a former exhibit center.
- Crosses several high Appalachian ridges with long and steep grades.
- Ends at I-70 in Hancock, Maryland, and at I-79 in Morgantown, West Virginia.