The King's Highway was the first north-south route through Virginia. The road began in Boston and ended in Williamsburg. It may have followed one or more trails that American Indians used before European colonization.

The route was first cleared on land south of what became Prince William County during the 17th century. Then known as the Potomac Path, the route passed through Dumfries after it crossed the Occoquan River at Colchester.

Road Maintenance

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Virginia law required landowners to annually contribute time to road maintenance. Slaves and tenants largely maintained the King's Highway in Prince William County.

Sections of the King's Highway were paved in the 1920s and incorporated into U.S. Route 1. Route 1 loosely follows the Potomac Path through Prince William County. Segments of the colonial road are now protected.

Traveling Armies

In 1781, Generals George Washington and Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau used the King's Highway to reach Yorktown with their cavalry and wagons. Eighty years later, Federal and Confederate troops followed the road during numerous Civil War campaigns.

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Show me all markers in:  Woodbridge, VA  |  Prince William County  |  22191  |  Virginia  |  United States of America

The King's Highway ~ Preserving History
The Old Potomac Path
Rippon Lodge
Centuries of History
Historic Landscape
Rippon Lodge ~ Latrobe's View
Rippon Lodge ~ Neabsco Creek
Potomac Path
The Burying Ground
Stones, but No Bones

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