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 New York City. 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 New York City still carry the name.
Unlike many of the early named roads such as the Lincoln Highway and the Dixie Highway, and later 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.
Major points and attractions along or near the Ocean Highway include:
The main route used U.S. Route 17, U.S. Route 13, U.S. Route 40, U.S. Route 130 and U.S. Route 1.
Over the years, some of the routing has changed. For example, for many years, the routing to the north through Virginia after passing the eastern edge of the Dismal Swamp offered a choice. A westerly track followed U.S. Route 17, passing through Portsmouth and crossing the James River Bridge and the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge to travel northerly to the west of the Chesapeake Bay, while an eastern alternative used U.S. Route 13 to pass through Norfolk and crossed the Chesapeake Bay via the Little Creek Ferry (replaced by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in 1964) to reach Virginia's Eastern Shore, and move north up the Delmarva Peninsula to Maryland and Delaware. After 1964, the former Little Creek Ferry equipment was transferred to the Delaware Bay, and the Cape May-Lewes Ferry was introduced, offering another choice for crossing into New Jersey and following the shore points north from the traditional route over the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
