The Most Feared Route in Pennsylvania

Out of all of Pennsylvania's sketchy roadways, drivers are most apprehensive about this one

Pennsylvania's Most Feared RoutesPhoto byWikimedia Commons

Pennsylvania’s Route 6 — a 400-mile stretch of open road and the state’s longest-numbered highway — made a recent list of the most feared routes in America, according to a survey of 3,000 drivers.

Commissioned by Gunther Mitsubishi and conducted by QuestionPro, the survey asked road-trippers which routes in each state they fear being stranded on the most. While Route 6 may engender the most trepidation among Pennsylvania drivers, it also offers gorgeous road trips and was once described by National Geographic as “one of America’s most scenic drives.”

Although Route 6 is rich with aesthetic and cultural attractions, drivers fear the risk of driving on this long, rural highway.

The survey ranks Route 6 as 42nd in the nation for most feared routes to drive. That falls just behind Maryland's segment of U.S. Route 50, which serves the infamously congested route from Maryland to Washington D.C., and it also gets a lot of traffic from tourists heading to Maryland's shores.

The survey ranks these roads as the ten “most feared routes” in the U.S. The top five generally pass through vast, desolate swaths of land with few services and possibly dangerous weather hazards, including lava flows or 120-degree heat.

This is the top ten list of America's most feared routes:

1. New Mexico: U.S. Route 285
2. California: Death Valley Road (SR-190)
3. Texas: U.S. Route 90
4. Hawaii: Saddle Road (Hawaii Route 200)
5. Nevada: U.S. Route 50 "The Loneliest Road in America"
6. Kentucky: Mountain Parkway (KY-9002)
7. South Dakota: U.S. Route 14A (Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway)
8. Alaska: Dalton Highway (AK-11)
9. New York: State Route 17
10. Mississippi: U.S. Route 49

Route 6 in Pennsylvania is mainly a two-lane highway, with speed limits decreasing every time you pass through a small town during the 403-mile-long trek. The overall speed on this highway feels different from the interstate, where speeds are typically much faster. The speed limit on Route 6 is set at 55 miles per hour.

The highway crosses through eleven counties and would take about five or six days to traverse from one end to the other. There are also many bridges along this route.

One of the scarier aspects of this road is that it's sparsely traveled, meaning if something happens and you are in need of help, you may have to wait a while longer until people can come to your aid.

Portions of Route 6 have also been prone to fatal crashes, according to a 2019 analysis of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation data published in the Pocono Record.

Looking at state crash data between 2007 and 2017, the portion of Route 6 in Meshoppen Township in Wyoming County was the site of seven fatal accidents in about 3.5 miles. From Dingman Township to Shohola Township in Pike County during that same time period, there were nine fatal car crashes across 6.5 miles of Route 6, the analysis found.

Despite its faults, Route 6 is the most scenic highway in Pennsylvania and there are many interesting stops along the way, such as historical sites, diners, attractions, recreational opportunities, and shops that sit in quaint little towns and villages that wouldn't normally be noticed.

There’s plenty to see year-round, too. You can stroll along the breathtaking Kinzua Skywalk and look through the glass platform at its end to see the 600-foot drop to the Allegheny National Forest below. In Tioga County, about halfway along Route 6, there’s the spectacular Pine Creek Gorge, popularly known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.

While people may be apprehensive about driving on Route 6, it boasts a beautiful landscape and travel opportunities that may be worthwhile to adventure-seekers. The most important thing to remember if you take a trip down this road is to be prepared in case of an accident or car troubles that may leave you stranded.

According to Ready.gov, a stocked car emergency kit should contain:

• A set of jumper cables
• Emergency flares or a reflective triangle
• An ice scraper
• A cell phone charger you can use in your car
• Blankets
• A road atlas
• Kitty litter or sand for better tire traction in the snow or ice

If you would like more information on Route 6 in northern Pennsylvania, visit the PA Route 6 website.