Blue Star Memorial Highway
Blue Star Memorial Highways are highways in the United States that are marked to pay tribute to the U.S. armed forces. The National Council of State Garden Clubs, now known as National Garden Clubs, Inc., started the program in 1945 after World War II. The blue star was used on service flags to denote a service member fighting in the war. The program has since been expanded to include Memorial Markers and Memorial By-ways. These markers are used in National Cemeteries, parks, veterans facilities, and gardens.
List
Alabama
- Scenic Highway 98, Baldwin County starting at Montrose–Daphne city line and traveling north through Montrose
- *Sponsored by the Montrose Garden Club
- *Dedicated April 18, 2015 in a ceremony held at Knights of Columbus Hall
- US 31 just north of Prattville
Alaska
- Sterling Highway, marker at Anchor Point, the westernmost point on the North American contiguous highway system.
Arkansas
- I-30; Marker is at the Arkansas Welcome Center on East-bound I-30 just outside of Texarkansas.
- There also is a marker at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro Ar,
- Interstate 55 at the Arkansas Welcome Center in Blytheville AR. Mile marker 68 southbound.
California
- SR 58 in Southern California
- SR 211, in Humboldt County; marker at Veterans Memorial Building, 1100 Main Street, Ferndale
- US 101 at Trinidad in Humboldt County; markers at both north and south bound Trinidad rest areas between miles 728 and 731
- SR 62 in Southern California from the Arizona state line to I-10
- Interstate 80 at Hunter Hill Safety Rest Area in Vallejo, California
- U.S. 395 at Coso Junction in Inyo County
Colorado
- US 40 in Lakewood Marker at Abbie Duston Roadside Park.
Delaware
- US 13 at the Smyrna Rest Area and in Seaford.
Florida
- U.S. Route 19 in Florida and U.S. Route 27 in Florida in Perry, Florida
- US 92 at the intersection with CR 579 on Kennedy Hill in front of the Hardee's Restaurant between the towns of Thonotosassa, Seffner, and Mango.
- US 41 in Palmetto.
- US 1, Key Largo
- US 98 and Gautier Road in Constitution Park, Port Saint Joe, Florida
- Lakewood Ranch Town Hall in Lakewood Ranch, Florida near Bradenton.
Georgia
- I-75 at the Georgia Welcome center near Ringgold.
- I-75 at the Georgia Welcome center in Lowndes County.
- I-75 at the Georgia Rest area in Cook County.
- I-75 at the Georgia Rest area in Dooly County.
- I-75 at the Georgia Rest area in Monroe County.
- I-75 at the Georgia Rest area in Turner County.
- I-95 at the Georgia Welcome center near Savannah.
- SR 13 between Rest Haven and Buford
- SR 13, Cornelia
- Lumpkin Street near the University of Georgia, Athens
- Covington Monticello Street SW at Church Street
- In front of the Thomas County Courthouse, Thomasville
- Along GA27/US341 in front of the Appling County Public Library, Baxley, Appling County
- Along GA37 in Fort Gaines, Clay County
- Along GA35/GA133 in Moultrie, Colquitt County
- In Riverfront Park, Albany, Dougherty County
- In Marshes of Glynn Overlook Park, off US 17, Brunswich, Glynn County
- Along US19 in roadside park, Mithcell County
- Along GA18/US41 in front of the American Legion buildings in Forsyth, Monroe County
- Along GA153 in Ellaville, Schley County
- Along GA38/US84 in front of the Screven City Hall, Screven
- Along GA3/GA30/US19 in Americus, Sumter County
- Along US1 in roadside park, Toombs County
- Along GA4/US1/US23 in Ware County
- Along US341 in Jesup, Wayne County
- In Georgia Veterans State Park, Crisp County
Illinois
- IL 43 at the intersection of Will County Route 74 in Frankfort in 1980.
- 95th Street & Cook Avenue in Oak Lawn; Across from Oak Lawn Village Library.
- Illinois Route 43 at the intersection on North Avondale Avenue
Indiana
- US 31 Business in Peru at the southwest Intersection with River Road.
- I-70 eastbound rest area near Plainfield.
- US 50 in Jackson County, on the northwest area of Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge.
Iowa
- I-29 north of Council Bluffs; marker was originally placed along US 75 in 1955.
Kansas
National Garden Clubs
Roadside Park
Kentucky
- Barkley Regional Airport, 2901 Fisher Road (West Paducah; Open Gate Garden Club, Paducah.
Louisiana
Maine
The history of Blue Star Memorial Highways in Maine, according to :• 1946 — Garden Club Federation of Maine adopts program.
• 1947 — U.S. Route 1 designated as Maine’s Blue Star Memorial Highway. This covered 546 miles from Fort Kent to Kittery.
• 1957 — U.S. Route 1 and U.S. 1-A, starting at the junction of Route 1A and 1 in Stockton Springs and extending via Bangor and Brewer to the junction of Route 1A and 1 in Ellsworth, are designated as Blue Star Memorial Highways.
• 1972 — U.S. Route 2, including Skowhegan, and state Route 3, are designated Blue Star Memorial Highways. This gave Maine 952 miles of Blue Star Memorial Highway.
• 1974 — State Route 157 and U.S. Route 201, from the junction of Route 1 at Brunswick to the Canadian border near Jackman, is designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway, giving Maine a total of 1171.6 miles of designated highway.
• 1981 — The new entrance to Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Augusta is designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway.
Maryland
- U.S. Route 301 in all of Maryland
Massachusetts
- Interstate 495 and State Route 25, extending from I-95 close to the New Hampshire state line in Salisbury to Cape Cod. I-495 is the second-longest auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S.
Michigan
- U.S. Route 31
Minnesota
- Interstate 35 throughout the state.
- Interstate 94 throughout the state.
Nebraska
- Kansas border to South Dakota border
New Hampshire
- Interstate 95 throughout the state. There is a marker at the rest area in Seabrook just beyond the state line.
New Jersey
- U.S. Route 22 from Mountainside to North Plainfield
- County Route 632/Ridgedale Avenue from East Hanover, Morris County.
- North side of NJ 70, just west of Chairville Road, Medford Township 08055
New York
- Niagara Section of the New York State Thruway, Interstate 190, adjacent to the toll plaza for the northbound South Grand Island Bridge
- New Rochelle at intersection of Main Street and Pratt Street. Fanneuil Park across the street from the New Rochelle Armory.
- Brewster at the historic Brewster Metro-North station clock on the triangle at US 6 and Railroad Avenue.
- Rockland County, New York, Thruway Extension Section of the New York State Thruway to the Garden State Parkway at Chestnut Ridge, Installed and dedicated on October 22, 1958. The marker is currently missing.
- Broome County, New York, the Southern Tier Welcome Center in Kirkwood along Interstate 81. Sponsored by National Garden Clubs Inc.
North Carolina
- Interstate 26, throughout state.
- Interstate 40, throughout state.
- Interstate 77, throughout state.
- Interstate 85, throughout state.
- Interstate 95, throughout state.
- U.S. Route 17, from Wilmington to Elizabeth City.
- U.S. Route 64, from Tennessee state line to Nags head.
- U.S. Route 70, throughout state.
- U.S. Route 74 Business from Rockingham to Hamlet.
- U.S. Route 158, from Mocksville to Roanoke Rapids.
- U.S. Route 158, from Roanoke Rapids to Elizabeth City.
- U.S. Route 158, from Elizabeth City to Nags Head.
- U.S. Route 301, throughout state.
- U.S. Route 421, in Wilkes County.
- North Carolina Highway 24, in Jacksonville.
Oklahoma
- Blue Star Memorial By-Way, dedicated by the Dogwood Garden Club of Red Fork, Oklahoma to recognize military personnel for their service to the United States of America and the many service men and women have passed through Tulsa during their time in defending the country. Location: Route 66 Historical Village, 3770 Southwest Blvd, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oregon
- Blue Star Memorial Rose Garden, Veterans Administration Healthcare System, Roseburg, Oregon. Location: Interstate 5, Garden Valley Blvd exit, west on Garden Valley. left on Centennial Dr.-VA Roseburg entrance. Blue Star Memorial is located on the corner of Centennial Dr & NW Veterans Way.
- Washburne Wayside, Highway 99W, north of Junction City. Blue This marker is no longer here. The State sold the land and the marker was removed.
- Corvallis, Oregon on 99N, to the left of the entrance ramp on to road leading to I5
- Santiam Pass, Oregon Hwy 20 at Tombstone Wayside.
- Albany, Oregon, Waverly Park, Albany Located right off I-5 and the entrance to Albany, Dedicated June 1, 1991.
- Alsea, Oregon, Alsea Memorial Garden BWM Located in Alsea, close to OR Hwy 34, Dedicated June 21, 1991.
- Albany, Oregon, Linn County Veterans Memorial Located in Albany’s Timber Linn Park, off I-5, Dedicated May 17, 2008.
- Lebanon, Oregon, Edward C Allsworth Veteran’s Home, Dedicated July 20, 2017
Pennsylvania
- At most service areas along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Interstate 76
- US 202 at Gulph Road in King of Prussia
- US Route 252 at Providence Road in Media, Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
- Dedication held on October 8, 2013. Portsmouth Free Public Library, 2658 East Main Road, Portsmouth, Rhode Island
South Carolina
- Brushy Creek Rd in Greer at Century Park.
- Interstate 20, throughout state.
- Interstate 77, throughout state.
- Interstate 85, throughout state.
- Interstate 95, throughout state.
- U.S. Route 1, throughout state.
Tennessee
- U.S. Route 45 West in Gibson County, Tennessee
- U.S. Route 25 West in Cove Lake State Park in Campbell County, Tennessee
- U.S. Route 641 within Henry County, Tennessee
Texas
- Tarrant County - FM 1220 just south of WJ Boaz Road
- U.S. 59 from Houston to Texarkana
- FM 3188 from State 94 to its end at Camp Olympia in Trinity County
- U.S. 271 from Paris to Gladewater
- U.S. 287 from the Anderson-Houston county line to the Johnson-Ellis county line.
- U.S. 385 from Big Bend National Park north to the Oklahoma state line north of Dalhart.
- State 155 from Palestine to Linden
- U.S. 77 from the Oklahoma state line at Gainesville to Denton, then via other highways the New Mexico state line.
- SS 496 at Avondale from its junction with U.S. 287 southeasterly via Saginaw, Fort Worth and Kennedale to its junction with U.S. 287 in Mansfield
Virginia
- Interstate 77
- Interstate 95
- U.S. Route 1 in Fairfax County
- Virginia State Route 3 in Lancaster County.
- U.S. Route 301 from the Maryland State Line to Business U.S. Route 301 north of Bowling Green; thence via Business U.S. Route 301 to U.S. Route 301 south of Bowling Green and via Richmond, Colonial Heights, Petersburg and Emporia to the North Carolina State Line. https://web.archive.org/web/20150701135847/http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/route-index-07012003.pdf
- U.S. Route 15 in Fluvanna County, on the campus of Fork Union Military Academy.
- U.S. Route 17 in the City of Chesapeake, running south from Route 64 down to the North Carolina border. The highway was dedicated on May 24th, 2017.
Washington
- Old Pacific Highway, Vancouver, Washington. Oldest and newest Blue Star Memorial Highway Memorial Marker in state of Washington. Located at Covington House.
- Gateway Park, Interstate 90, Otis Orchards. Rest stop and park on the Washington side of the Idaho/Washington state line on Interstate 90. Sign located East of the buildings toward the car parking.
- Green Lake Park, N. 69th Street and Aurora Avenue North on the west side of highway in Seattle. Restored Blue Star Memorial Highway Memorial Marker.
- Veterans' Hospital on Beacon Hill, Seattle. New Blue Star Memorial Marker dedicated on August 5, 2016 at the garden main entrance to the Hospital by the Greater Seattle and Chinook Districts of the Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs and affiliate of the National Garden Clubs, Inc.
- Gee Creek Rest Area, I-5 at Ridgeview, Washington by Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs
Wyoming