Ohio State Route 215

State Route 215
Route information
Maintained by ODOT
Length:	4.61 mi[3] (7.42 km)
Existed:	1923[1][2] – present
Major junctions
West end:	SR 821 near Belle Valley
East end:	SR 285 near Sarahsville
Location
Counties:	Noble
Highway system
Ohio highways Interstates • U.S. Routes • State Routes ← SR 213 SR 216 →

State Route 215 (SR 215, OH 215) is an east–west state highway in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. The western terminus of State Route 215 is at a T-intersection with State Route 821 just 0.50 miles (0.80 km) southeast of the village of Belle Valley and State Route 821's junction with Interstate 77. Its eastern terminus is at another T-intersection, this time with State Route 285 just outside of the village of Sarahsville.

Created in the middle of the 1920s, State Route 215 is a two-lane rural highway that primarily serves as a connector between the Noble County villages of Belle Valley and Sarahsville. Its routing has changed over the years, but it has always been in or just outside of Noble County. The highway passes in the vicinity of Wolf Run State Park along its way.

Route description

All of State Route 215 is situated within the central portion of Noble County. This state highway is not included as a part of the National Highway System, a network of routes deemed most important for the nation's economy, mobility and defense.^[4]

State Route 215 begins at a T-intersection with State Route 821 nearly 0.50 miles (0.80 km) southeast of Belle Valley and Interstate 77 in Noble Township. The highway runs northeasterly through rural terrain that starts out as open field but quickly transitions into forest. After meeting Wolf Run Road, State Route 215 abuts the southeastern boundary of Wolf Run State Park. The route passes the Hickory Hill Road (County Road 14) intersection, then turns east and crosses into Center Township. State Route 215 climbs up and down hilly terrain that is generally open field in the foreground, with trees forming a very scenic background. A few homes now appear alongside State Route 215 as it bends to the southeast, and curves back to the northeast just prior to arriving at its endpoint at a T-intersection with State Route 285 just west of Sarahsville.^[5]

History

Since its inception in 1923, State Route 215 has always had a presence in or near Noble County, but in different forms. For example, the original routing of State Route 215 consisted of the present State Route 83 from its western junction with State Route 78 to Cumberland, and the current State Route 146 from Cumberland to its northern junction with State Route 821 near Pleasant City.^[1][2] Four years later, State Route 215 was shortened and re-routed. The portion that followed present-day State Route 83 was re-designated as State Route 76, while State Route 146 and State Route 215 swapped alignments. State Route 146 took on its present-day routing from Cumberland to Pleasant City, while State Route 215 was now routed along what today is known as Noble County Road 20, running from what then became State Route 76 south of Cumberland to what was then a part of U.S. Route 21 (now State Route 821) in Belle Valley.^[6][7]

State Route 215 would stay this way until 1965, when the highway was extended on the east end, routed along a previously un-numbered roadway heading east from Belle Valley to its current eastern terminus at State Route 285 just outside of Sarahsville.^[8][9] Then, in 1971, the portion of State Route 215 west of Belle Valley was removed from the state highway system, with jurisdiction being transferred to Noble County, which re-named the roadway as County Road 20. Consequently, at that point, State Route 215 became the connector between State Route 821 and State Route 285 that it is today.^[10][11]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Noble County.

Location	Mile[3]	Destinations	Notes
Noble Township	0.00	SR 821	Western terminus at T-intersection.
Center Township	4.61	SR 285	Eastern terminus at T-intersection.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works (April 1922) (MrSID). Map of Ohio State Highways (Map). Cartography by ODHPW. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1922a.sid. Retrieved 2011-01-20. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works (July 1923) (MrSID). Map of Ohio Showing State Routes (Map). Cartography by ODHPW. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1923a.sid. Retrieved 2011-01-20. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Ohio Department of Transportation. "Technical Services Straight Line Diagrams". http://www.odotonline.org/techservapps/SLD/default.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-24. 
4. ^ Federal Highway Administration (December 2003) (PDF). National Highway System: Ohio (Map). http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/nhs/maps/oh/oh_Ohio.pdf. Retrieved 2011-01-19. 
5. ^ Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! Maps – Overview Map of State Route 215 (Map). Cartography by NAVTEQ. http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=h&lat=39.790564&lon=-81.522052&zoom=13&q1=39.781743%2C-81.54793&q2=39.80677%2C-81.474974. Retrieved 2010-11-19. 
6. ^ Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works (August 1926) (MrSID). Map of Ohio Showing State Routes (Map). Cartography by ODHPW. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1926a.sid. Retrieved 2011-01-20. 
7. ^ Ohio Department of Highways and Public Works (June 1927) (MrSID). Map of Ohio Showing State Highway System (Map). Cartography by ODHPW. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1927a.sid. Retrieved 2011-01-20. 
8. ^ Ohio Department of Highways (1964) (MrSID). Official Ohio Highway Map (Map). Cartography by ODOH. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1964a.sid. Retrieved 2011-01-20. 
9. ^ Ohio Department of Highways (1965) (MrSID). Ohio Highway Map (Map). Cartography by ODOH. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1965a.sid. Retrieved 2011-01-20. 
10. ^ Ohio Department of Highways (1969) (MrSID). Ohio Highway Map (Map). Cartography by ODOH. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1969a.sid. Retrieved 2011-01-20. 
11. ^ Ohio Department of Highways (1971) (MrSID). Ohio Highway Map (Map). Cartography by ODOH. http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/Innovation/prod_services/Documents/StateMaps/otm1971a.sid. Retrieved 2011-01-20.