This is a list of turnpikes built and operated by private companies in the U.S. state of New York, mainly in the 19th century. While most of the roads are still maintained as free public roads, some have been abandoned.
Background { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "New York Turnpikes.map" } Turnpikes, though common in Britain, were almost unheard of in their American colonies. After they had declared independence, the states' road networks were still in poor condition, often with state and local authorities being unable to effectively maintain their roads. The construction of the first turnpike in America, the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, sparked a wave of turnpike creation across the northeast. New York followed suit, chartering its first turnpike in 1797. In all, over 450 companies were chartered. Many were chartered to expand access to the state's western regions, others were chartered to be local connections to larger thru-routes, and there were still others meant to connect to other states.
For a turnpike to be created, a company must first have been chartered by the state legislature, as general incorporation law had yet to be widespread in its use. Vetoes of charters were rare, though they were known to happen. A company's charter created the framework for how a company was to operate. To raise capital, companies sold shares of their stock at a fixed rate. Then, the company would set about constructing their road, as prescribed in their charters. The methods of construction could range from a simple dirt road to a toilsome macadam construction. As much as two-thirds of companies in New York were unable to complete their roads in the time allotted by the legislature. However, if a company completed their road, they could begin to collect tolls on their road (or earlier, if allowed by the legislature). Toll booths were erected to accomplish this task, often residential homes with a small booth attached. Tolls varied based on the number of people and livestock travelling, and the type of vehicle travelled in. Exemptions were granted for, among other things, living near a toll booth, going to a house of worship, requesting a physician, or travelling armies. Should a road be not up to standards, gates were to be kept open to travellers until the road was in good condition. Local reaction to a turnpike varied; some communities welcomed a new turnpike, accepting the tolls as a civic duty to be paid, while others resisted by boycotting through shunpikes, lying to escape tolls, or outright vandalism.
The turnpike craze busted as soon as it boomed, challenged by the introduction of steamboats and railroads; the Erie Canal supplanted the need for cross-state turnpikes. Though many long distance turnpikes were doomed, some of the smaller, local turnpikes survived well into the 19th century, with a few surviving into the 20th century. With the introduction of plank roads, the chartering of traditional turnpikes fell out of fashion, with only a few more being chartered. Toll roads had become a memory a few decades into the 20th century, though the 1950s brought about the New York Thruway System, reintroducing toll roads to the state.
List NameCharteredLengthRoutingApproximate modern designationBuilt?NotesAlbany and Schenectady Turnpike, 87; reorganized March 30, 1802, c. 69Schenectady, AlbanyNY 5Yes1852: Abandoned within AlbanyGreenville Turnpike Unknown Port Jervis, Greenville, Mt Hope CR 94 Yes First Great Western Turnpike, c. 30Cherry Valley, Esperance, Duanesburg, WatervlietUS 20YesInitially founded as the Western Turnpike, April 4, 1798, c. 88. Authorized to extend into Albany 1830. Authorized to abandon the easternmost 8 miles 1847, then within Schoharie and Otsego counties 1853.Columbia Turnpike, c. 69Hudson, Claverack, Hillsdale, Massachusetts state lineNY 23 (NY 23B)YesConnected to Twelfth Massachusetts Turnpike at east end. Still in operation by 1907, when its toll houses were turned over to the countyRensselaer and Columbia Turnpike, c. 73Rensselaer, Nassau, Lebanon SpringsUS 20YesFounded as the Albany and Columbia Turnpike, April 5, 1798 (c. 94) to go from the state line at Lebanon Springs to Albany; it charter was repealed in the act that created this turnpike.Eastern Turnpike, c. 73Rensselaer, Berlin, MassachusettsForbes Avenue, Washington Avenue, NY 43, Taborton Road, Stage Coach Road ... Old Eastern Turnpike Trail ... Upper Stage Coach Road, Old Post Road, Plank Road, Green Hollow Road ...YesConnected to Williamstown Turnpike at east end. Eastern end (Sand Lake to NY/MA state line) declared public in 1824. Authorized to sell remaining section (Sand Lake to Hudson River) to the Albany and Sand Lake Plank Road Company in 1849.Northern TurnpikeMain Road, c. 79Lansingburgh, Cambridge, Salem, GranvilleNY 40, Melrose Valley Falls Road, Northern Turnpike, NY 67, Bushwick-Hoosick Road, Stage Road, Turnpike Road, NY 22Yes1837: Authorized to reroute off Stage Road to Turnpike Road and NY 67. 1846: Authorized to abandon north of CambridgeBranchSalem, Vermont state lineCR 153YesSeneca Road CompanyMain Road, c. 78Canandaigua, Waterloo, Cayuga, Oneida, UticaNY 5, NY 173, NY 175, Onondaga CR 133, (Turnpike Road: Mud Lock – Sennett)Yes1845: Abandoned from Canandaigua through Geneva. Authorized to sell or abandon parts of their road 1850, then fully dissolved 1852North BranchMarch 21, 1806, c. 75Chittenango, Syracuse, CayugaSusquehannah Turnpike, c. 79Salisbury, CT, Catskill, Cairo, Durham, Gilboa, Stamford, Treadwell, UnadillaState Line Road, Dutchess CR 60, CR 8, NY 82, US 9, Church Road, Greendale Road, Main Street, NY 145, CR 20, Durham Road, Potter Mountain Road, NY 990V, Gilboa Road, NY 23, Turnpike Road, Delhi–Leonta Road, NY 357YesPart of the Catskill Turnpike Road. Portion of the turnpike east of the Hudson spun off as the Ancram Turnpike 1803. Due to lost revenues to competition with the Charlotte Turnpike, was made public west of the intersection of the two 1844, then west of Gilboa 1845Orange Turnpike, c. 102Sloatsburg, MonroeNY 59, NY 17, Orange Turnpike, Greycourt Road, Lehigh AvenueYes1806: extended south to the New Jersey state line at Suffern to connect to the Franklin Turnpike, and north to ChesterMohawk Turnpike, c. 105Schenectady, Amsterdam, Fonda, Palatine Bridge, Little Falls, Herkimer, UticaNY 5YesCompany reformed to spin off bridge at Schenectady 1805Westchester Turnpike, c. 121Eastchester, New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, Port Chester, Connecticut state lineUS 1YesConnected to Connecticut Turnpike at north endNewburgh and Cochecton Turnpike, c. 36Newburgh, Montgomery, Wurtsboro, Monticello, Cochecton, Pennsylvania state lineNY 17K, NY 17, NY 17B, Newburgh TurnpikeYesFlushing and Newtown Turnpike, c. 57Flushing, NewtownNY 25A, 37th Street, Elmhurst AvenueYesChenango TurnpikeMain Road, c. 92Oxford, Norwich, Sherburne, Hamilton, Sangerfield, Paris, WhitestownEast River Road, NY 12, NY 12B, Madison CR 83, US 20, NY 12YesAbandoned a few years after construction. Later known as Oxford and Chenango TurnpikeBranchApril 4, 1803, c. 85Oxford, Wattle's FerryChenango CR 35, NY 8, NY 7YesWas to be later incorporated into the Oxford TurnpikeOneida Turnpike, c. 94Vernon, Peterboro, CazenoviaPeterboro Road, Cody RoadYesUnion Turnpike, c. 118Hudson, New LebanonNY 66, NY 295, New Concord Road, Frisbee Street, Columbia CR 5, Old Hudson Turnpike, Columbia CR 30, NY 22YesStephentown Turnpike, c. 119Stephentown, Rensselaer and Columbia TurnpikeRensselaer CR 26YesDecommissioned November 12, 1816, c. 11New-Windsor and Blooming-Grove Turnpike, c. 120New Windsor, Blooming Grove, GoshenNY 94, NY 208, Sarah Wells TrailYesSecond Great Western Turnpike, c. 150Cherry Valley, Cooperstown, SherburneNY 166, Otsego CR 33, Kraham Road, Chicken Farm Hill Road, Main Street, NY 80YesSchoharie Kill Bridge Road, c. 150Windham, Susquehannah TurnpikeNY 23YesLocally known as the Windham Turnpike. 1810: Road clarified, with authorization to run from Cairo and extend to BlenheimQuaker Hill Turnpike, c. 66New Fairfield, Connecticut, BeekmanNoTroy and Schenectady Turnpike, c. 95Troy, SchenectadyNY 7YesMade public 1844Hudson Branch Turnpike, c. 96Hudson, Livingston (including later Taghkanic)US 9YesRoad made public 1827Ulster and Delaware Turnpike, c. 98Connecticut state line, Millerton, Pine Plains, Rhinebeck, Kingston, Delhi, Walton, BainbridgeBeilke Road, NY 199, Salisbury Turnpike, NY 308, NY 28, NY 10, NY 206YesConnected to Salisbury and Canaan Turnpike at east endDutchess TurnpikeMain Road, c. 111Poughkeepsie, Pleasant Valley, Millbrook, Amenia, Connecticut state lineUS 44, NY 343YesConnected to Goshen and Sharon Turnpike at east end. Authorized to be planked 1851.BranchMillbrook, Dover PlainsNY 343YesSchoharie TurnpikeFull Road (1802-1807), c. 113Athens, Freehold, Oak Hill, Middleburgh, Cherry ValleySchoharie Turnpike, NY 145, Lawyersville Road, Looenburgh Turnpike, New York 10, Luenbergh 2/3, Chestnut StreetYesSplit into the Eastern Branch and Western Branch on March 13, 1807Eastern Branch (post-1807), c. 30Athens, Freehold, LivingstonvilleSchoharie Turnpike, NY 145YesWestern 10 miles abandoned 1834, then abandoned west of the Potic River 1844Western Branch