The U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) is a developing national network of officially recognized, numbered, and signed bicycle routes which use existing roads, trails, and other facilities appropriate for bicycle touring. 

Check out our 10 Fast Facts for a quick overview of the USBRS.

Check out Maps & Route Resources for more information on established U.S. Bicycle Routes.

Designated routes are on any facility that is suitable for touring bicycles, which includes paved roads, paths and trails, as well as hard-crushed gravel surfaces. U.S. Bicycle Routes do not include mountain bike routes. You can contact the state department of transportation to learn more about specific facilities along each route in a given state.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is responsible for approving USBR designation and recommends that states utilize the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, but AASHTO does not require construction of bicycle facilities or design standards for U.S. Bicycle Routes.

To be included in the National Corridor Plan and considered for designation, U.S. Bicycle Routes must connect at each end to another state, international border, or existing U.S. Bicycle Route.

AASHTO does not oversee the suitability of a route; rather, this is determined by the individual state DOT. To assist route creators, AASHTO developed the USBRS Corridor & Route Criteria, with primary and secondary considerations for corridor and route development. It is meant to be a guide for consistency; however, each state department of transportation is responsible for signing off on the suitability of U.S. Bicycle Routes for bicycling and determining the specific criteria used for U.S. Bicycle Routes developed in their state. 

Route criteria, including acceptable traffic volumes, prioritized types of infrastructure and surfaces, directness of the route, frequency of services, etc, vary depending on what each state determines is suitable for bicycling. AASHTO does not require construction of bicycle facilities or design standards, but recommends that states utilize the AASHTO Guide for Development of Bicycle Facilities.

For more on what is required by AASHTO for the USBRS, read the Purpose and Policy Statement and check out the example criteria provided on the Implementation Resources page.

In 1982, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved two U.S. Bicycle Routes: USBR 1 in Virginia and North Carolina and USBR 76 in Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois. After these two routes were designated, no additional routes were nominated and the project lay dormant for over 20 years.

In 2003, in an effort to reinvigorate the U.S. Bicycle Route System, AASHTO formed a Task Force on U.S. Bicycle Routes, which included Adventure Cycling Association, among other organizations. The Task Force formalized a process in 2007 that states could use to designate U.S. Bicycle Routes, including creating the National Corridor Plan and the AASHTO application. Adventure Cycling began providing staff support to help state partners designate routes in 2005 and continues to be the go-to resource for USBRS information and guidance.

Read USBRS History for more background on how the USBRS got started.

There are other similar bicycle route networks to the USBRS around the world, and you can find a list on the International Bicycle Route Network page with links for more information. 

In 2017, we began a partnership with Ride with GPS to provide fully navigable digital maps and route information. Check out the Maps & Route Resources page for more information. Also take a look at the USBRS Interactive Map to see all designated USBRs and how they connect with other bicycle routes across the country.

You can find out which USBRs are signed on the Maps & Route Resources page. Adventure Cycling maps display signed USBRs where they intersect with Adventure Cycling routes with a numbered sign icon.

U.S Bicycle Routes are designed with confident cyclists in mind. Some route sections may be appropriate for beginning bicyclists and families (separated bike paths, trails, and lanes); however; many route sections are more appropriate for seasoned bicycle travelers (roads with little or no shoulder). Over time, as more cyclists use these routes, more bicycle-specific facilities appropriate for all bicyclists may be created and maintained.

The National Corridor Plan shows established U.S. Bicycle Routes as solid lines. The lighter colored dotted lines indicate corridors where routes may be developed. The corridor plan is a template that is used by route planners in each state to show the possible route connections between states. 

Additionally, you can view an interactive Open Cycle Map that displays established U.S. Bicycle Routes as well as other established state and national bicycle routes. For other information on established USBRs visit our Maps and Route Resources page.

You can check out this USBRS-Amtrak overlay map to see the possibilities for Amtrak connections along USBRs, and the Train Routes + Bike Routes Map Tool to see possibilities for Amtrak connections along Adventure Cycling routes. Check out our Multimodal Travel page to learn more about Adventure Cycling’s partnership with Amtrak to test and implement carry-on bicycle service on Amtrak routes.

Adventure Cycling Association is the only national organization that provides staff support to the USBRS project. Our staff offers technical assistance, coordination, and outreach to help states achieve official designation of USBRs. We also work to build awareness and interest of the U.S. Bicycle Route System in the transportation and tourism sector, as well as in cycling and trail communities.

They are both national route networks and the major differences are listed in the table below. You can see how the two route networks intersect by choosing the OpenCycleMap background on this interactive map. The colored lines display Adventure Cycling routes and the red lines display USBRS routes. You may need to zoom in to see USBRs.

State departments of transportation (DOTs) develop and nominate U.S. Bicycle Routes for numbered designation through the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), which also assigns numbers to U.S. highways and interstates. See the FAQs for Planners for more information on AASHTO and the implementation of USBRs.

Currently, an average of 1,500-2,000 miles of U.S. Bicycle Routes are designated each year. The USBRS is a constantly evolving project, and even when all of the prioritized corridors are established, many routes will be shifted and/or added to improve connectivity and route suitability as new opportunities arise.

If you would like to learn about your state's involvement with the USBRS, you can email us at usbrsinfo@adventurecycling.org. For information on established USBRs visit our Maps and Route Resources page.

Subscribe to the USBRS eNews to receive updates directly in your inbox, sent four times per year. 

Follow us on Twitter (@usbicycleroutes) and like us on Facebook to learn the most up-to-date information about the development of the USBRS. You can also read our Building the U.S. Bicycle Route System blog for current information.

You can volunteer with the lead organization involved in implementing a USBR, which may be your state department of transportation, state bicycle advocacy group, or other organization.

Also, when your state (or city) transportation agency creates or updates a bicycle and pedestrian plan, you can submit a letter or comments in support of including U.S. Bicycle Routes in the plan. A template letter is available on our Advocacy Alerts & Letters page. 

You can contact Adventure Cycling for more information at usbrsinfo@adventurecycling.org.

The process to implement USBRs has, in many cases, been initiated and carried out by volunteers with the support of the state department of transportation and Adventure Cycling. If you're interested in volunteering to help get a USBR implemented in your state, you can contact Adventure Cycling at usbrsinfo@adventurecycling.org and we'll get you started. 

Each May, Adventure Cycling runs a month-long fundraiser for the USBRS. Your contribution will help us to meet our fundraising goal and support our work to develop and sign the USBRS. Be sure to like us on Twitter (@usbicycleroutes) and Facebook.

We also welcome donations at any time of year to help fund the USBRS. You can donate to Adventure Cycling or join as a member to support our work to inspire and empower bicycle travel. Thanks for your support!