The James Madison Highway - Culpeper to Maryland
Culpeper:
From Orange, US 15 heads north to Culpeper where it joins another "Great Virginia Drive", US 29 and the Seminole Trail.  Route 15 no longer goes through downtown Culpeper, as it runs along the Culpeper Bypass with US 29. (Photo at right; taken by Doug Kerr).   The James Madison Highway still goes through the nearly 250 year old town by way of Business US 15.  Culpeper still boasts a vibrant Main Street along with numerous historic neighborhoods and homes.
Warrenton:
Route 15 has bypassed Warrenton twice since 1938.  Originally routed through downtown, US 15 was moved to the west away from the central business district in 1938.  As the town grew, so did traffic on the bypass.  In the mid-1980s, the second bypass - this time to the east - was constructed.  After the bypass' opening in 1987, both Routes 15 and 29 moved onto it.  A decade later US 17 would move onto the bypass as well.

Business US 15 still follows the first routing of the highway through town.  Warrenton can be considered as a crossroads of major 'named' highways.  The Lee Highway enters town from the east along Route 29 and continues west towards Luray on US 211.  The Seminole Trail's journey from the south ends here.  Finally, the James Madison Highway continues north on its original alignment via Route 17.

Leesburg:
Leesburg, which has a lengthy history of importance during the Civil War, is the last large town on the James Madison Highway.  Near Leesburg is the site of the October 21, 1861, Battle of Ball's Bluff.  Also, the Town of Leesburg played an important role in both the Antietam and Gettysburg campaigns.  At Edward's Ferry, just east of town, over 100,000 Union troops crossed the Potomac over 12 days in June of 1863. (1)

The town of Leesburg was bypassed in 1967.  The James Madison Highway and US 15 continues from Leesburg as a rural two lane highway through the small village of Lucketts (see photo at right from Mike Roberson) before crossing the Potomac and entering Maryland at Point of Rocks.  It is here where the James Madison Highway ends; US 15 continues towards Frederick, Maryland and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
 


Site Navigation:
  • Take Original Route 15 through The Plains (In Development)
  • < South to Orange and Central Virginia
  • Return to the US 15 - James Madison Highway Index


    • Sources & Links:

  • (1) Town of Leesville. "Civil War - Leesburg, Virginia." http://www.leesburgva.gov/about/CivilWar/(October 12, 2005).
  • Town of Culpeper
  • Town of Culpeper Tourism
  • Museum of Culpeper History
  • Town of Warrenton
  • Town of Leesburg


    • Page Created: October 12, 2005
    Last Updated: December 16, 2006

    © 2005-06 William Lawson