Thanks to Robert Droz for the marker and the following info:
The signs prior to 1926 must have been something to see: Not only did they use a sensible state outline, but they were color-coded.
N-S: Blue
E-W: Red
NE-SW: Brown
NW-SE: Yellow
These routes started in 1920 or 1921 and lasted until 1927 or so. 17 and 18 have sections in northern and southern NJ. But at first 17N was 17 and 18S was 18, and the others didn't exist. 19 was only proposed.
| # | general route (current #s) | specific route (current #s) |
| 1 | Trenton to Jersey City on NJ 33-US 130-NJ 27-US 1&9-TRUCK US 1&9 | NJ 33-US 130-CR 642 thru Windsor-NJ 33-CR 539 from Hightstown-Old Highstown Rd-CR 535-Main St in Cranbury-US 130-CR 679 thru Dayton and Deans-CR 697 in Deans-US 130-CR 695 in Red Lion-US 130-CR 695 again-US 130-NJ 171-NJ 27-CR 669 thru Metuchen-NJ 27-Broad St in Newark-Market St-Raymond Blvd-TRUCK US 1&9-CR 605 in Jersey City-CR 501-CR 644 |
| 2 | Camden to Trenton on US 130-US 206 | CR 537-CR 610-US 130-CR 657 thru Burlington-US 130-CR 662 thru Fieldsboro and Bordentown-US 206 |
| 3 | Camden to Absecon on US 30 | CR 561-CR 606-US 30 |
| 4 | Absecon to Rahway on US 9-NJ 88-NJ 35 | NJ 157-US 9-NJ 167-US 9-NJ 166 in Toms River-US 9-NJ 88-NJ 35-Kings Hwy in Middletown-Old Country Rd-NJ 35-CR 4 in Keyport-CR 6-NJ 35-CR 688 in South Amboy-CR 684-Ridgeway Av-Scott Av-Raritan River bridge (no longer exists)-Sheridan St-?-CR 653-NJ 35 |
| 5 | Delaware to Newark on US 46-NJ 53-US 202-NJ 124 | NJ 163-US 46-CR 614 west of Bridgeville-US 46-CR 619 in Bridgeville-US 46-CR 653 west of Hackettstown-US 46-CR 513 in Rockaway-CR 644-US 46-NJ 53-US 202-NJ 124-CR 603 in Newark-CR 510 |
| 6 | Mullica Hill to Camden on NJ 77-NJ 49-NJ 45 | NJ 77-NJ 49-NJ 45-US 130-CR 551 |
| 7 | Hightstown to Asbury Park on NJ 33, with a spur to Lakewood on US 9 |
CR 633-NJ 33-NJ 33 BUS-CR 24 in Freehold-Hull Av-Jerseyville Av-NJ 33 BUS-NJ 33-CR 17 in Neptune-NJ 33 NJ 79-US 9-CR 524-CR 23A in Adelphia-US 9 |
| 8 | Newark to Unionville NY on CR 506 SPUR-CR 506-NJ 23-NJ 284 | CR 506 SPUR-CR 506-NJ 23-CR 683-CR 504 thru Pequannock-CR 660 thru Pompton Plains-NJ 23-CR 511A-CR 694-CR 511-CR 698 in Butler-CR 694-NJ 23-NJ 284 |
| 9 | Phillipsburg to Elizabeth on US 22 | NJ 122-US 22-NJ 173-I-78-NJ 173-CR 626-US 22-Main St thru Lebanon-CR 624 thru Whitehouse-CR 614 thru North Branch-NJ 28-CR 612 in Somerville-CR 533-CR 607-CR 514 SPUR-NJ 28 |
| 10 | Paterson to Edgewater on US 46-NJ 5 | CR 648-CR 12-CR 124-CR 40 (Hackensack River bridge no longer there)-CR 124-CR 17-US 1-NJ 5 |
| 11 | Newark to Peterson on NJ 7-CR 601 | NJ 7-CR 601-CR 509 |
| 12 | Phillipsburg to Paterson on NJ 57-US 46-CR 646 | US 22-NJ 57-CR 670 thru Penwell-NJ 57-NJ 182-US 46-CR 513 in Rockaway-CR 644-US 46-Bloomfield Av in Pine Brook-NJ 159-US 46-CR 615-CR 631-CR 646-CR 644-CR 640-CR 636-CR 639 |
| 13 | US 206-NJ 27 from Trenton to New Brunswick | US 206-CR 583-NJ 27-CR 607 south of Kendall Park-NJ 27-Somerset St in New Brunswick |
| 14 | US 9-NJ 50 from Cape May to Egg Harbor City | NJ 109-US 9-NJ 50-CR 611 thru Corbin City-NJ 50-CR 648-CR 645-NJ 50 |
| 15 | NJ 47-NJ 49 from Rio Grande to Bridgeton | NJ 47-NJ 49 |
| 16 | US 206-US 202 from Princeton to Morristown | Witherspoon St-US 206-CR 609-US 206-Bridge St in Somerville-NJ 28-CR 643-US 206-CR 523-US 202 |
| 17S | US 130 from Penns Grove to Westville | CR 607-US 130-NJ 44-CR 631-US 130 |
| 17N | NJ 17 from Hackensack to Suffern NY | CR 55-CR 62-NJ 17-CR 62-CR 507-US 202 |
| 18S | NJ 48-US 40 from Penns Grove to Atlantic City | CR 675-NJ 48-US 40-CR 615 thru Malaga-US 40-CR 606 in Mays Landing-CR 559-US 40 |
| 18N | CR 505-NJ 63-US 9W from Jersey City to Palisades NY | ?-CR 677-JFK Blvd-CR 505-CR 693-NJ 63-US 1-CR 12-NJ 67-US 9W |
| 19 | Only proposed | |
| 20(S) | Millville to Westville on NJ 47 | NJ 47-CR 615 thru Malaga-NJ 47 |
| 20N | Only proposed | |
Thanks to Steve Anderson and Robert V Droz for old maps, and Jim Williams for info.
BTW there is a detailed late 1800s road map of NJ at the Monmouth County Library on Symmes Dr west of US 9 in Manalapan if anyone wants to check it out.
Return to the SPUI Freeway.