View source for State highway

{{Short description|Highway owned by the state, either a reference to the national government or a specific state}}
{{Redirect-several|dab=off|State Road, Delaware|Territorial Road (Michigan)|New Jersey Route 139|Oregon Route 200}}
[[File:Amalfitana 13.jpg|thumb|[[Strada statale 163 Amalfitana]] in [[Italy]], which runs along the stretch of the [[Amalfi Coast]] between the [[southern Italy|southern Italian]] towns of [[Sorrento]] and [[Amalfi]].]]

A '''state highway''', '''state road''', or '''state route''' (and the equivalent '''provincial highway''', '''provincial road''', or '''provincial route''') is usually a road that is either [[Route number|numbered]] or maintained by a sub-national state or [[province]]. A road numbered by a state or province falls below numbered national highways ([[Canada]] being [[Trans-Canada Highway#Jurisdiction and designation|a notable exception]] to this rule) in the hierarchy (route numbers are used to aid navigation, and may or may not indicate ownership or maintenance). 

Roads maintained by a state or province include both nationally numbered highways and un-numbered state highways. Depending on the state, "state highway" may be used for one meaning and "state road" or "state route" for the other.

In some countries such as [[New Zealand]], the word "state" is used in its sense of a [[sovereign state]] or country. By this meaning a state highway is a road maintained and numbered by the national government rather than local authorities.

==By country==
===Australia===
{{Main|Route number#Australia}}
[[File:Australian state route 3.svg|100px|thumb|right|Australian State Route 3 marker]]
[[Australia]]'s important urban and inter-regional routes not covered by the National Highway or National Route systems are marked under the State Route system. They can be recognised by blue shield markers. They were practically adopted in all states by the end of the 1980s, and in some states, some less important National Routes were downgraded to State Routes. Each state has or had its own numbering scheme, but do not duplicate National Route numbers in the same state, or nearby routes in another state.<ref name=NAASRA>{{Citation | author1=National Association of Australian State Road Authorities | title=Guide to the publication and policies of N.A.A.S.R.A. : current at December 1975 | publication-date=1976 | publisher=Sydney | edition=10th | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35154905 }}</ref>


As with the National Routes and National Highways, State Routes are being phased out in most states and territories in favour of alphanumeric routes.<ref name="RMS">{{cite web |url=http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/alpha_numeric/index.html |title=Alpha-numeric route numbers|author=[[Roads & Maritime Services]]|date=26 November 2012 |access-date=17 December 2012}}</ref><ref name="Queensland">{{cite web |url=http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/busind/techstdpubs/Manual%20of%20Uniform%20Traffic%20Control%20Devices/Compressed/mutcdamend7Part15D.pdf |title=Mutcd 2003 Amend 8 Part 15D |publisher=[[Department of Transport & Main Roads]]|access-date=3 October 2013}}</ref><ref name="MRWA signs">{{cite web|title=Route Numbering|url=https://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/BuildingRoads/StandardsTechnical/RoadandTrafficEngineering/TrafficManagement/DirectionalSignsGuidelines/Pages/Guidelines_for_Direction_Signs_in_the_Perth_Metropolitan_Area.aspx|work=Guidelines for Direction Signs in the Perth Metropolitan Area|publisher=[[Main Roads Western Australia]]|access-date=17 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021152024/https://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/BuildingRoads/StandardsTechnical/RoadandTrafficEngineering/TrafficManagement/DirectionalSignsGuidelines/Pages/Guidelines_for_Direction_Signs_in_the_Perth_Metropolitan_Area.aspx|archive-date=21 October 2013|url-status=live|date=21 September 2011|quote=Main Roads has chosen to retain the shield numbering system}}</ref><ref name="RMS alpha QandA">{{cite web|title=Questions and answers: A better way to navigate NSW roads|url=http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/alpha_numeric/documents/factsheets/qanda.pdf|publisher=New South Wales Government|access-date=16 May 2014|department=Roads & Maritime Services|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140516123848/http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/alpha_numeric/documents/factsheets/qanda.pdf|archive-date=16 May 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> However, despite the fact that Victoria has fully adopted alphanumeric routes in regional areas, state route numbers are still used extensively within the city of Melbourne as a part of its [[List of old road routes in Victoria|Metropolitan Route Numbering Scheme]].<ref name="VicRoads signs">{{cite web |title=Direction Signs and Route Numbering (non-Freeway) |url=http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/62F8B797-D2D1-49C9-8B8D-E40DAD6105D6/0/TEM2Ch10.pdf |work=Traffic Engineering Manual, Chapter 2 - Edition 1 |publisher=[[VicRoads]]|access-date=10 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406005845/https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/62F8B797-D2D1-49C9-8B8D-E40DAD6105D6/0/TEM2Ch10.pdf |archive-date=6 April 2016 |url-status=live |pages=21–35 |date=2001}}</ref> 


Unlike in other Australian states, State Routes in Western Australia carry a large importance by representing major routes across the state, as Western Australia has not adopted the Alphanumeric numbering system.

===Brazil===
{{Expand section|date=May 2024}}[[File:SP-270.png|100px|thumb|right|[[Rodovia Raposo Tavares|SP-270]] state highway shield in the state of [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]]]]
[[Brazil]] is another country that is divided into states and has state highways. For example, the longest highway in the state of [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]], the [[Rodovia Raposo Tavares]], is designated as [[Rodovia Raposo Tavares|SP-270 and SP-295]].
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===Canada===
[[File:Ontario_401.svg|80px|left|thumb|An [[Ontario]] provincial highway marker]] 
[[File:ON_400_TCH.jpg|right|thumb|A Canadian provincial highway double-signed with a numberless, but named, national Trans-Canada marker]]
 
{{main|Numbered highways in Canada}}
[[Canada]] is divided into provinces and territories, each of which maintains its own system of provincial or territorial highways, which form the majority of the country's highway network. There is also the national transcontinental [[Trans-Canada Highway]] system, which is marked by distinct signs, but has no uniform numeric designation across the country. In the eastern provinces, for instance, an unnumbered (though sometimes with a named route branch) Trans-Canada route marker is co-signed with a numbered provincial sign, with the provincial route often continuing alone outside the Trans-Canada Highway section. However, in the western provinces, the two parallel Trans-Canada routes are consistently numbered with Trans-Canada route markers; as Highways 1 and 16 respectively.

Canada also has a designated [[National Highway System (Canada)|National Highway System]], but the system is completely unsigned, aside from the Trans-Canada routes. This makes Canada unique in that national highway designations are generally secondary to subnational routes.
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===Germany===
{{Main articles|Landesstraße|Bundesstraße}}
[[File:B98-neu-bei-Neustadt.jpg|thumb|{{lang|de|Staatsstrasse}} 156 in [[Saxony]]]]

In [[Germany]], state roads (''{{lang|de|Landesstraßen}}'' or {{lang|de|Staatsstraßen}}) are a road class which is ranking below the federal road network ({{lang|de|Bundesstraßen}}). The responsibility for road planning, construction and maintenance is vested in the federal states of Germany.

Most federal states use the term {{lang|de|Landesstraße}} (marked with 'L'), while for historical reasons [[Saxony]] and [[Bavaria]] use the term {{lang|de|Staatsstraße}} (marked with 'S'). The appearance of the shields differs from state to state.

The term {{lang|de|Land-es-straße}} should not be confused with {{lang|de|Landstraße}}, which describes every road outside built-up areas and is not a road class.

===Italy===
{{main|State highway (Italy)}}
{{see also|Roads in Italy}}
[[File:Strada Statale 1 Italia.svg|thumb|150px|left|Road marker for state highways in Italy]]

The [[State highways (Italy)|Strade Statali]], abbreviated SS, is the [[Italy|Italian]] national network of state highways. The total length for the network is about {{convert|25.000|km|abbr=on}}.<ref name="stradeanas.it">{{cite web|url=http://www.stradeanas.it/index.php?/strade/consistenza/index|title=Anas S.p.A. - Consistenza|access-date=19 March 2024|language=it}}</ref> The Italian state highway network are maintained by [[ANAS]]. From 1928 until 1946 state highways were maintained by Azienda Autonoma Statale della Strada (AASS). The next level of roads below Strada Statali is [[Regional road (Italy)|Strada Regionale]] ("regional roads"). The routes of some state highways derive from ancient [[Roman roads]], such as the [[Strada statale 7 Via Appia]], which broadly follows the route of the [[Appian Way|Roman road of the same name]]. Other examples are the [[Strada statale 1 Via Aurelia]] ([[Via Aurelia]]) and the [[Strada statale 4 Via Salaria]] ([[Via Salaria]]).
[[File:Arenzano-IMG 0632.JPG|thumb|[[Strada statale 1 Via Aurelia]] in [[Arenzano]]. It is one of the most important state highways in Italy and derives from an ancient Roman consular road, the [[Via Aurelia]].]]
[[File:Soraga 001.JPG|thumb|[[Strada statale 48 delle Dolomiti]] in [[Soraga di Fassa|Soraga]]. It is a mountainous road that runs through the [[Dolomites]] area from [[South Tyrol]], through [[Trentino]] to [[Cadore]].]]

Since the reforms following the [[Proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy|birth of the Kingdom of Italy]] in 1861, the State took charge of the construction and maintenance of a primary network of roads for connections between the main cities; in 1865 the [[Giovanni Lanza|Lanza]] law introduced the classification of roads between national, provincial and municipal (see Annex F, art.10)<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|author=M. Moraglio|date=June 2004|title=Le politiche viarie in Italia da fine Ottocento al regime fascista|journal=Studi storici|volume=45|number=2|pages=555–580|jstor=20567255 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/20567255|language=it}}</ref> and the Royal Decree of 17 November 1865, n. 2633<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.regio:1865-11-17;2633@originale|title=REGIO DECRETO 17 novembre 1865, n. 2633|access-date=19 March 2024|language=it}}</ref> listed the first 38 national roads.

Italian state highways are identified by a number and a name. In road signs and maps the number is preceded by the acronym SS, an acronym for ''strada statale'' ("state road"). The nomenclature of the state highways managed by [[ANAS]] generally follows the SS ''n'' scheme, where ''n'' is a number ranging from 1 ([[Strada statale 1 Via Aurelia|Aurelia]]) up to 700 (of the [[Royal Palace of Caserta]]) depending on the date of establishment of the state highway. Newly built ANAS roads, not yet classified, are identified by the acronym NSA, an acronym for ''nuova strada ANAS'' ("new ANAS road").<ref name="stradeanas.it"/>

State highways can be technically defined as main extra-urban roads (type B road) or as secondary extra-urban roads (type C road). State highways that cross towns with a population of at least 10,000 inhabitants are urban roads (type D and E) under the jurisdiction of the relevant municipalities. The state highway that cross towns or villages with a population of less than 10,000 inhabitants are urban roads (type D and E) under the jurisdiction of the municipality, subject to authorization from [[ANAS]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.normattiva.it/atto/caricaDettaglioAtto?atto.dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=1992-05-18&atto.codiceRedazionale=092G0306&currentPage=1|title=Art. 26, comma 3, d. lgs. 385/92, Nuovo Codice della Strada|access-date=19 March 2024|language=it}}</ref>

Notable state highways in Italy are the [[Strada statale 1 Via Aurelia]], the [[Strada statale 4 Via Salaria]], the [[Strada statale 4 dir]], [[Strada statale 7 Via Appia]], the [[Strada statale 12 dell'Abetone e del Brennero]], the [[Strada statale 18 Tirrena Inferiore]], the [[Strada statale 35 dei Giovi]], the [[Strada statale 36 del Lago di Como e dello Spluga]], the [[Strada statale 37 del Maloja]], the [[Strada statale 38 dello Stelvio]], the [[Strada statale 44 del Passo di Giovo]], the [[Strada statale 44 bis Passo del Rombo]], the [[Strada statale 48 delle Dolomiti]], the [[Strada statale 72 di San Marino]], the [[Strada statale 106 Jonica]], the [[Strada statale 115 Sud Occidentale Sicula]], the [[Strada statale 125 Orientale Sarda]], the [[Strada statale 131 Carlo Felice]], the [[Strada statale 131 Diramazione Centrale Nuorese]], the [[Strada statale 148 Pontina]], the [[Strada statale 163 Amalfitana]], the [[Strada statale 336 dell'Aeroporto della Malpensa]] and the [[Strada statale 407 Basentana]].

===India===
[[File:Road marker IN SH.svg|thumb|100px|right|Road marker for state highways in India]]
[[State highways in India]] are numbered highways that are laid and maintained by [[State governments of India|state governments]].

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===Japan===
{{main article|Prefectural road}}
[[File:Fukuoka Pref Route Sign 0008.svg|thumb|100px|left|Road marker for Fukuoka Prefectural Route 8]]
In Japan, prefectural roads are maintained by the governments of the [[Prefectures of Japan|prefecture]] they are in. By length, 10.7% of public roads in Japan were prefectural roads as of 2011; by usage, they carried more than 30% of all traffic volume on public roads as of 2007.<ref>MLIT ''(Kokudo-kōtsū-shō)'', Road bureau ''(dōro-kyoku)'': [http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/road_e/q2_definition.html Road definition & classification]</ref>
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===Mexico===

[[Mexico]]'s [[Numbered highways in Mexico|State Highway System]] is a system of urban and state routes constructed and maintained by each Mexican state. The main purpose of the state networks is to serve as a feeder system to the federal highway system. All states except the [[Mexican Federal District|Federal District]] operate a road network. Each state marks these routes with a white shield containing the abbreviated name of the state plus the route number.

===New Zealand===
{{main|New Zealand state highway network}}
[[Image:State Highway 1 NZ.svg|100px|thumb|left|New Zealand state highway marker]]
New Zealand state highways are national highways – the word "state" in this sense means "government" or "public" (as in [[State housing in New Zealand|state housing]] and [[state school]]s), not a division of a country.

New Zealand's state highway system is a nationwide network of roads covering the [[North Island]] and the [[South Island]]. As of 2006, just under 100 roads have a "State Highway" designation. The [[NZ Transport Agency]] administers them. The speed limit for most state highways is 100&nbsp;km/h, with reductions when one passes through a densely populated area.

The highways in New Zealand are all state highways, and the network consists of SH 1 running the length of both main islands, SH 2–5 and 10–58 in the North Island, and SH 6–8 and 60–99 in the South Island. National and provincial highways are numbered approximately north to south. [[New Zealand State Highway 1|State Highway 1]] runs the length of both islands.

===South Korea===
{{Main|Local highways of South Korea}}
Local highways ({{Korean|hangul=지방도|hanja=地方道|rr=Jibangdo|mr=Chipangdo}}) are the next important roads under the [[National highways of South Korea|national highways]]. The number has two, three, or four digits. Highways with two-digit numbers are called state-funded local highways.

===Turkey===
{{Main|Turkish State Highway System}}
[[File:D100-TR.svg|thumb|Highway shield of the [[D.100]], a major state highway in Turkey.]]
State roads ({{langx|tr|devlet yolu}}) are primary roads, mostly under the responsibility of [[General Directorate of Highways (Turkey)|General Directorate of Highways]] (KGM) except in [[Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey|metropolitan city centers]] where the responsibility lies with local government. The roads have a three-digit number designation, preceded by ''D''.

Provincial roads ({{langx|tr|İl yolu}}) are secondary roads, maintained by respective local governments with the support of the KGM. The roads have a four-digit numbering grouped as two pairs separated by a dash. The first pair represents the [[Vehicle registration plates of Turkey|license number of that province]].

===United States===
{{see also|Numbered highways in the United States#State highways}}
[[Image:Circle sign 50.svg|100px|thumb|right|Default U.S. state highway marker]]
State highways are generally a mixture of primary and secondary roads, although some are [[freeway]]s (for example, [[California State Route 99|State Route 99]] in California, which links many of the cities of the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]], [[Massachusetts Route 128|Route 128]] in Massachusetts, or parts of [[New Hampshire Route 101|Route 101]] in New Hampshire).  Each state has its own system for numbering and its own marker. The default marker is a [[Circular highway shield|white circle containing a black sans-serif number]] (often inscribed in a black square or slightly rounded square), according to the ''[[Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices]]'' (MUTCD). However each state is free to choose a different marker,<ref>{{cite book |title= [[Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices]] |chapter-url= https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009r1r2/part2/part2d.htm#section2D11 |chapter= Section 2D.11 Design of Route Signs |author= Federal Highway Administration |author-link= Federal Highway Administration |year= 2009 |edition= 2009 2nd revised |location= Washington, DC |publisher= Federal Highway Administration |quote= Guidance: State Route signs...should be rectangular and should be approximately the same size as the U.S. Route sign....The shape of the white area should be circular in the absence of any determination to the contrary by the individual State concerned. }}</ref> and most states have. States may choose a design theme relevant to its state (such as an outline of the state itself) to distinguish state route markers from interstate, county, or municipal route markers. The longest state highway in the U.S. is [[Montana Highway 200]].
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==See also==
{{Portal|Roads}}
* [[County highway]]
* [[Numbered street]]
* [[Highways in Australia]]
* '''United States''':
** [[List of longest state highways in the United States]]
** [[Numbered highways in the United States]]
** [[Interstate Highway System]]
** [[United States Numbered Highway System]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:State highways| ]]
[[Category:Types of roads]]