When originally built, The National Road was America’s first “moonshot” — a road that would carry the young nation west. Carved from forest and mountain, spanning mighty rivers, it was the marvel of its age and stoked the dreams of thousands who followed this macadam and cobblestone ribbon into the frontier. Begun in 1811 to carry settlers and trade from the great capital of Baltimore into the then-wilds of Illinois, The National Road would take four decades to complete.

Through city and town, iconic history and welcoming present, trace a route once traveled by conestoga wagon and stagecoach. Step into adventure and new experiences — slow down, see the places and meet the people who breathe new life into every day along The Historic National Road, also known as “The Road That Built the Nation.”