Built Environment : Transportation Geography :

Transportation Structures:
Route Typologies - List

Outline List (Part 1)


The architectural/geographical/cultural resources that are the focus of this nomenclature and discussion are predominantly "historical," i.e., more than 50 years of age. A better absolute closing date is World War II, which ended many architectural, structural and technological trends.

Example types and subtypes are linked to part of an online topographic map collection at TopoZone and will call up a topographic map in a new window showing the place.


Outline of the typological list, with links to complete descriptions and examples in sublists:
  1. Valley Route Type-Family / River Road Type-Family
    1. Bank Route / Bankside Route Type
    2. Terrace Route Type
      1. [Mid-Valley] [Bluffside?] Terrace Route Subtype
    3. Break-of-Slope Route Type
    4. [Transverse Sprint] Route Type
    5. [Bluff / Highbank] Route Type



  2. Robinson road to Hill House beyond end of Hatmaker Lane, Twin Township, Ross County, Ohio, USA Upland / [Rolling Land] Route Type-Family
    1. Grade Route Type
      1. Blunt Grade Route Type
      2. Soft Grade Route Type
    2. Gully Route Type
    3. Sideling Route Type
      1. Sideling [Grade] Route Subtype
      2. Sideling Level Route Subtype
    4. Ridge Route / Crest Route / Summit Route Type
      1. Watershed Route Subtype
    5. Edge Route Type
    6. [Serpentine] Route Type
    7. Switchback Route Type


    McGraw Road (Township Road 232) in Athens County - using Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad abandoned roadbed
  3. Flank & Appropriation Route Type-Family
    1. Canal-Flank Route Type / Canal-Side Route Type
    2. Canal Appropriation~ Type
    3. Railroad-Flank Route Type / Railroad-Side Route Type
    4. Railroad Appropriation~ Type
    5. Road-Flank Route Type / Road-Side Route Type
    6. Parallel Railroad Route Type



    Part of Dry Run Road in Section 22, Green Township, Ross County, Ohio, USA
  4. Land Survey Route Type-Family
    5.
    1. Rectangular Survey Route Types
      1. Section-Line Route Type
      2. Quarter Section-Line Route Subtype
      3. Tangent Align/Realign Route Subtype
    2. Metes & Bounds Survey Route Type



    Baker Road (County Road 10), Sections 12 and 6, Lee Township, Athens County, Ohio, USA
  5. Tangential~ Route Type-Family~
    1. Tangential Across Route Type
    2. Tangential Over Route / Overland Route / Cross-Country Route



  6. Plains & Beach Type Family
    1. Plains & Beach Ridge Type
      1. Beach Ridge Route Subtype


  7. Headwater/Subheadwater (Portage) Route Type-Family
    1. Headwater-Headwater Route Subtype
    2. Headwater-Subheadwater Route Subtype
    3. Subheadwater-Subheadwater Route Subtype

< Transp_RouteTypol.html >
(Adapted 06/23/02 in part from "Route Types - A Suggested Typology" v 4.1 -
Second Draft: August 17, 1999 - Original: May 21, 1998
© INTREPID HISTORICAL SERVICES - Kevin B. Coleman
Chillicothe, Ohio, USA
*