U.S. Route 340
U.S. Numbered Highway in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland in the United States
U.S. Route 340 (US 340) is a spur route of US 40, and runs from Greenville, Virginia, to Frederick, Maryland. In Virginia, it runs north–south, parallel and east of US 11, from US 11 north of Greenville via Waynesboro, Grottoes, Elkton, Luray, Front Royal, and Berryville to the West Virginia state line. A short separate piece crosses northern Loudoun County on its way from West Virginia to Maryland.
In West Virginia, it runs north–south in Jefferson County, between Clarke County, Virginia and Loudoun County, Virginia. It is the main route between Charles Town and Harpers Ferry, and it is known as the William L. Wilson Freeway through that stretch. The southern portion of the highway, between the Virginia state line and Charles Town, is known as Berryville Pike.
In Maryland, the U.S. highway runs east–west, for 17.01 miles (27.37 km) from the Virginia state line at the Potomac River at Sandy Hook east to its northern (eastern) terminus at US 15 and US 40 (the Frederick Freeway) in Frederick. US 340, which is known for most of its length as Jefferson National Pike, connects Frederick with the communities of Jefferson, Brunswick, and Knoxville in the southern part of the Middletown Valley of western Frederick County and Weverton in far southern Washington County. The U.S. highway also links Frederick with Harpers Ferry and Charles Town in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. US 340 is a part of the National Highway System for its entire length in Maryland.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “U.S. Route 340” as u.S. Numbered Highway in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland in the United States. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as u.S. Numbered Highway in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland in the United States. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2852458.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “U.S. Route 340”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow U.S. Route 340 primary sources, U.S. Route 340 archive and Route research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “U.S. Route 340”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “U.S. Route 340” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.