Ridge Pike | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Maintained by PennDOT, Municipality of Norristown, Montgomery County, and City of Philadelphia | |
| Existed | 1706–present |
| Major junctions | |
| West end |  US 422 in Douglassville |
| |
| East end | Wood Street in Philadelphia |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| Counties | Berks, Montgomery, Philadelphia |
| Highway system | |
Ridge Pike is a major historic road in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that opened in 1706 that originally connected Wissahickon Creek to Perkiomen Creek.[1] Inside Philadelphia, it is called Ridge Avenue. Going westward, it traverses many eastern Pennsylvania neighborhoods in Montgomery County including Conshohocken and beyond, connecting with Germantown Pike near Collegeville and continuing to Pottstown.[2] In Montgomery County, Ridge Pike is called Main Street in the Norristown area and again in Collegeville and Trappe, and is called High Street in the Pottstown area.
The intersection of 13th Street and Ridge Avenue is notable for being the location of Benjamin Franklin's kite experiment which led to the proof that lightning is electricity. Portions of Ridge Pike carried U.S. Route 422 (US 422) before US 422 was moved to a freeway alignment between west of Pottstown and King of Prussia.
- ^ "History | Whitemarsh Township, PA - Official Website". www.whitemarshtwp.org.
- ^ "Philadelphia History: Ridge Street (Ridge Avenue)". www.ushistory.org.