The numbered roads in Essex County account for 1503km (934miles) of roads in the Canadian province of Ontario.These roads include King's Highways that are signed and maintained by the province, as well as county roads under the jurisdiction of the Essex County xxx. The third type of existing roadway in the county is locally maintained municipal roads, many of which are concession roads and sidelines; these are beyond the scope of this article.
Odd-numbered roads are generally north–south, with numbers increasing from west to east; even-numbered roads are generally east–west roads, with numbers increasing from north to south, with some exceptions. County roads are not signed within the city limits of Windsor. There are also several unrelated roads named "Malden Road". In 2002, the City of Windsor and the Town of Tecumseh swapped land with each other. Windsor gained land west of Banwell Road, including Windsor International Airport and Tecumseh Mall. Portions of several county roads within the land given to Windsor lost their designation as a result of this exchange.
The 43 numbered routes provide year-round access to the rural areas of the county, with roads within Windsor under a separate authority. The longest road in Essex County is County Road 20, which stretches 76km (47miles) between Windsor and Leamington via the shoreline of the Detroit River and Lake Erie.
There are 129.9km (80.7miles) of provincially-maintained highways in Essex County, known as "provincial highways" or "King's Highways," a term adopted in 1930.[1] [2] As in the rest of Ontario, the provincially maintained highways in Essex County are designated with a shield-shaped sign topped with a crown. The highway number is in the centre, with the word ONTARIO below. These signs are known as shields, but may be referred to as reassurance markers.Provincially maintained highways generally have greater construction standards than municipally or locally maintained roads.[3]
There are 40 numbered county roads in Essex County.[4] County roads are signed with a flowerpot-shaped sign, as are most regional and county roads in Ontario. The road number appears in the centre of the sign, with the word ESSEX above and the word COUNTY below. Like King's Highways, these signs are known as shields.[5]
| Western/Southern Terminus | Eastern/Northern Terminus | Length | Communities | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambassador Bridge in Windsor | in Leamington (continues east as Essex County Road33) | 51.1km (31.8miles) | Windsor, Essex, Leamington | |||
| in Leamington (continues south as Erie Street North) | west of Tilbury (continues north as Essex County Road35) | 22.6km (14miles) | Leamington, Comber | |||
| in Windsor | East of in Tilbury (east of Exit56) | 56.2km (34.9miles) | Windsor, Tilbury |
County roads are referred to on signage as Essex County Road X. The following table lists existing numbered roads maintained by the County of Essex.[6]
| Name(s) | Western/Southern Terminus | Eastern/Northern Terminus | Length | Communities | Comments | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km | mi | |||||||||||||
| Wheatley Road, Queen Street, Baptiste Road | Dead end at a factory plant parking lot just south of Wheatley | CR 2 | NaNurl=https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/42.0631903,-82.4635635/42.3038453,-82.4362395/@42.183377,-82.636111,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e0 | Wheatley, Tilbury | Dual designation of Essex County Road 1, and Chatham-Kent Road 1. | |||||||||
| (west) | Old Tecumseh Road | Windsor city limits | CR 22 | NaNurl=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.3120156,-82.8974326/42.3011919,-82.7837564/@42.3031351,-82.9627768,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m3!4m2!3e0!5i1?entry=ttu | Tecumseh, St. Clair Beach, Puce, Emeryville, Lakeshore. | Is split in two parts: From CR 21 to County Road 22 in Puce, and then from County Road 22 in Belle River to Essex-Kent County border (with CR 1). Formerly Highway 39 until 1961, when the Pike Creek Bypass/E.C. Row Expressway bypass of Pike Creek was finished, from Banwell Road to CR 2/22 Intersection. Former bridge approach is now used as a driveway/boat launch for the bordering house, next to the current roadway. Continues as Chatham-Kent Road 36. | ||||||||
| (east) | Tecumseh Road, Notre Dame Street, 2nd Concession Road | Notre Dame Street (CR 22) | Essex-Kent County border (with CR 1) | NaNurl=https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/42.2913998,-82.6840539/42.3037983,-82.436264/@42.2691172,-82.7387932,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e0 | Emeryville, Belle River, Deerbrook, Pointe-Aux-Roches (all now a part of Lakeshore). | |||||||||
| Malden Road | River Canard at CR 20 (15 km/9 mi) | Windsor City limit | NaNurl=https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/42.1868978,-83.0921335/42.2530472,-83.0605131/@42.1864001,-83.0921675,18.58z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0 | Lasalle, Windsor | A north-south semi-rural road in Essex County. It travels from Highway 3 (Huron Church Road) in Windsor to its terminus with Essex County Road 20 in River Canard. Like several other nearby county roads, Malden Road was listed as a Windsor Suburban Road until 1998. There are other Malden Roads in Essex County. County Road 12 between County Road 11 (Walker Road) and County Road 34 (Talbot Road North) is named Malden Road. The road next north is named North Malden Road, while the road next south is named South Malden Road. Another Malden Road exists northwest in Maidstone between County Road 8 and Manning Road. An Old Malden Road exists between 14th Concession and 12th Concession/Walker Sideroad. | |||||||||
| (south) | Meloche Road | CR 18 | CR 16 | NaNurl=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.1099445,-83.0820025/42.0992345,-83.0825186/@42.1045907,-83.0880333,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e0 | Amherstburg | Is currently discontinuous due to expansion of the Amherstburg quarry. | ||||||||
| (north) | Thomas Road | Essex-Amherstburg Trail / Thomas Road | CR 10 | NaNurl=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.124389,-83.0875326/42.1432797,-83.0863075/@42.1338157,-83.0971832,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e0 | ||||||||||
| Todd Lane | CR 3 | Highway 3 | NaNurl=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.2514533,-83.0602186/42.2511834,-83.0355207/@42.2511963,-83.0684747,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e0 | Lasalle | Can be thought of as a continuation of County Road 40 and County Road 42 | |||||||||
| Huron Church Line | Highway 3 | CR 9 (Howard Avenue) | NaNurl=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.1969209,-82.9996873/42.2484428,-83.0310738/@42.2227355,-83.0527106,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e0 | Lasalle | ||||||||||
| Townline Road | CR 3 in River Canard | CR 1 | NaNurl=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.1872167,-83.0711646/42.1654285,-82.4579374/@42.2046908,-83.4240136,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e0 | Lasalle, Amherstburg, Tecumseh, Essex, Lakeshore, Kingsville, Leamington | Cuts across the mid-line of Essex County, almost directly half-way. Road heads due-east from River Canard in the west, straight towards Essex, and continuing all the way to the County boundary with Chatham-Kent. The road is appropriately named "Townline Road", as it acts as the boundary line with all of the current municipalities of Essex County. It also cuts Essex County nearly in half, as it is situated halfway between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. | |||||||||
| Howard Avenue (7th Concession Road) | CR 20 | Windsor City limits/Highway 3 | Lasalle, Tecumseh | Acts as a townline between Lasalle and Tecumseh. | ||||||||||
| Middle Side Road | CR 20 (Front Road) | CR 11 (Walker Road) / Essex town limit | Amherstburg, McGregor | |||||||||||
| Walker Road | Windsor City limit | CR 20 | Tecumseh, Essex, Amherstburg, McGregor, Harrow | Close to the Chrysler Canada Greenway, acts as a townline between Amherstburg and Essex. Has a brief concurrency with CR 18. | ||||||||||
| Malden Road (unrelated to CR 3) | CR 11 (Walker Road) | CR 23 (Arner Townline) | Gesto, Essex | |||||||||||
| Erie Street | CR 20 in Harrow | CR 50 in Colchester | Harrow, Colchester, Essex | Can be thought of as an extension of CR 11 | ||||||||||
| Mersea Road | CR 27, just north of Cottam | CR 1 | Kingsville, Cottam, Albuna, Leamington | |||||||||||
| Edgars Sideroad, Campbell Sideroad, South Malden Road, Marsh Road | CR 8 | CR 11, just north of Harrow | Essex, Harrow, Gesto | |||||||||||
| Alma Street | CR 20 | CR 5 | Amherstburg | One of Essex County's shortest county roads | ||||||||||
| 10th Concession | Windsor, Tecumseh | Windsor city limit at Highway 401 | CR 46 | Used to continue to CR 42, however, annexation by the City of Windsor, moved the terminus south to the new Windsor city limit on the north side of Highway 401. | ||||||||||
| Pike Road, 7th Concession Road, Road 4, Mersea Road 4 | 20 | Highway 77 | Amherstburg, Essex, Kingsville, Leamington | |||||||||||
| Manning Road | Riverside Drive | CR 8 | Tecumseh, St. Clair Beach, Lakeshore, Maidstone, Essex | One of the busiest roads in any category in Essex County. | ||||||||||
| Front Road, Highway 18, Main Street, Seacliff Drive | Morton Drive / Windsor city limit | CR 33 | NaNurl=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.2497986,-83.0903972/42.0331171,-82.5807989/@42.0356927,-82.6984308,12.25z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-83.1135322!2d42.0624836!3s0x883b3d039195a7bf:0x32440f7a9f784abc!1m0!3e0 | Windsor, Lasalle, River Canard, Amherstburg, Essex, Harrow, Kingsville, Ruthven, Leamington | Formerly Highway 18, continues as Ojibway Parkway in Windsor. It is also the Detroit River Heritage Parkway from intersection with E.C. Row Expressway to just south of Amherstburg. Former alignment for the River Canard bridge is now known as Sari Lane. | |||||||||
| Brighton Road | CR 2 | CR 42 | St. Clair Beach, Tecumseh, Lakeshore | |||||||||||
| E.C. Row Expressway, Highway 2, County Road 22, Tecumseh Road, Notre Dame Street | Windsor city limit (just east of CR 43 (Banwell Road)) | CR 42 (just south of Belle River) | NaNurl=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.3038209,-82.8952299/42.2731653,-82.6846882/@42.289925,-82.9541867,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-82.6859618!2d42.2923375!3s0x883acce3c6d31f11:0x49f235083c51e2a3!1m0!3e0 | Windsor, Tecumseh, St. Clair Beach, Puce, Emeryville, Belle River, Lakeshore | Formerly Highway 39 from July 11, 1934, until 1970, when Highway 2 absorbed it entirely. Was re-routed along the Pike Creek Bypass portion of E.C. Row Expressway (section from Manning Road to CR 2/22 intersection) in 1961. One of the busiest roads in any category in Essex County. Was Highway 2 from 1970-1998. | |||||||||
| Arner Townline, Gosfield Townline, Fairview Avenue, Naylor Sideroad | CR 50 | CR 46 | Arner, Essex, Lakeshore | Acts as a townline between Essex and Kingsville | ||||||||||
| Puce Road, 12-13 Sideroad | CR 22 | CR 46 | Puce, Lakeshore | |||||||||||
| Belle River Road, Cottam Sideroad | CR 2 (Belle River) | CR 23 | Belle River, Woodslee, Cottam, Lakeshore, Kingsville, Essex. | |||||||||||
| Division Road, South Talbot Road | CR 34, south of Cottam | CR 20 | Kingsville, Cottam | Main road leading from Highway 3 into downtown Kingsville. | ||||||||||
| Albuna Townline, French Line Road, St. Joachim Road, West Ruscom River Road | CR 2 in Deerbrook | CR 20 in Ruthven | NaNurl=https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/42.0388948,-82.645024/42.2942077,-82.6253421/@42.1659279,-82.8320619,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e0 | Kingsville, Leamington, Ruthven, St. Joachim, Lakeshore, Deerbrook | The only county road to touch both lakes, Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, under a single designation. | |||||||||
| Leamington By-Pass, Bevel Line, Point Pelee Road | Intersection with Highways 3 and 77 in Leamington | Point Pelee National Park entrance | NaNurl=https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/41.9880333,-82.550198/42.0680411,-82.598252/@42.0338504,-82.616094,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e0 | Leamington, Point Pelee | Currently in two parts, from Highway 3/77 intersection, to CR 34, and again from CR 20 to Point Pelee Nat. Park. Leamington intends to connect the two via an "East End Arterial Road" to alleviate growth on the east side of town. | |||||||||
| Talbot Road, Highway 3, County Road 34 | Highway 3, Maidstone | CR 1, in Wheatley | NaNurl=https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/42.2118396,-82.9032438/42.0950115,-82.4629158/@42.0639766,-82.773647,10.67z/data=!4m24!4m23!1m20!3m4!1m2!1d-82.8330481!2d42.183798!3s0x883ad745ea890123:0x39ddacf53f837dda!3m4!1m2!1d-82.7277932!2d42.1138944!3s0x883ac4d1fa95b8b7:0xb0c4b693df7870f0!3m4!1m2!1d-82.6718779!2d42.0545493!3s0x883ac3b8efb90aa7:0xacad222f7d5ed962!3m4!1m2!1d-82.6191066!2d42.0484051!3s0x883ac10e20cd3b21:0x79bcfb4617c8b164!1m0!3e0 | Tecumseh, Maidstone, Lakeshore, Essex, Kingsville, Cottam, Ruthven, Leamington, Wheatley. | Former alignment of Highway 3, until the Essex By-Pass (current Highway 3) was completed, in 1981. The Leamington By-Pass was completed in 1997, and Highway 3 was routed along that road, being truncated at Highway 77. | |||||||||
| Comber Sideroad | Highway 77-Highway 401 interchange, just north of Comber | CR 2 | Pointe-Aux-Roches/Stoney Point, Comber | |||||||||||
| Gracie Sideroad, Simpson Sideroad, Manery Road | CR 20 | CR 2 | No towns of major significance | |||||||||||
| Lighthouse Sideroad, 1st Concession, Tisdelle Drive | CR 2 | Lighthouse Cove | Lighthouse Cove | |||||||||||
| Sprucewood Avenue | Windsor city limit | CR 3 | Windsor, Lasalle | Can be thought of as a continuation of CR 6 and CR 42 | ||||||||||
| Meadows Road | CR 20 | CR 50 | Amherstburg, Essex | Can be thought of as a continuation of CR 9 (Howard Avenue) | ||||||||||
| Division Road, County Road 42, Old Highway 2 | Windsor city limit | Tilbury | NaNurl=https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/42.2745208,-82.9047246/42.2635185,-82.4495428/@42.2584549,-83.0067742,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m3!4m2!3e0!5i1 | Windsor, Tecumseh, Lakeshore, Belle River, St. Joachim, Tilbury | Formerly Highway 18 from June 11, 1930, until re-numbered Highway 2 on December 16, 1931, when it gained its current routing. CR 42 became Highway 2, until 1970 before being re-routed via CR 22 in Belle River. Fully turned back in 1998. Continues as Chatham-Kent Road 2. | |||||||||
| Banwell Road, 11th Concession Road | E.C. Row Expressway | CR 46 | Windsor, Tecumseh | Acts as the border between Windsor and Tecumseh | ||||||||||
| (original) | Jefferson Road | Division Road (CR 42) | Windsor, Tecumseh | In the early 1970s, Windsor Airport was expanded, and Pilette Road and Jefferson Road were both closed off to traffic, permanently. Jefferson is used as an auxiliary parking lot for Chrysler Canada's excess production at times. | ||||||||||
| Union Avenue | CR 20 | CR 34 | Kingsville, Ruthven, Union | Formerly Highway 18B (1937–1953), then Highway 107 from 1953 onward, before being turned back in 1970. Temporarily re-transferred to provincial control as Highway 18 for a few months during a re-routing to bring people towards the newly opened Leamington By-Pass (Highway 3), before being turned back in its entirety in 1998, being reverted to CR 45. | ||||||||||
| Provincial Road, Middle Road, County Road 46 | Windsor city limit | CR 1 | NaNurl=https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/42.2492038,-82.9611642/42.2469967,-82.4330197/@42.3073614,-83.2730872,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-82.8307769!2d42.2179908!3s0x883ad6dabfc4a835:0x2108938b5ca9136e!1m0!3e0 | Windsor, Tecumseh, Maidstone, Lakeshore, Woodslee, Ruscom Station, Comber | Formerly Highway 2A (1929–1938), then Highway 98 until 1970. It was the longest provincial highway lost to downloading until 1997. | |||||||||
| Oak Street | Intersection with CR 34 and Fraser Road | Erie Street (Formerly part of Highway 77) | Leamington | Somewhat busy, travels through downtown Leamington, by the Heinz Canada Ketchup Factory. Has a 5-way traffic signal at its western terminus. | ||||||||||
| Heritage Road | CR 20 | CR 20 | Amherstburg, Colchester, Kingsville | Formerly Highway 18A from April 13, 1938, until being turned back in 1979, southernmost highway in Canada. Acts as a loop to CR 20, former Highway 18. Hwy 18A was turned back in 1983. Was fully paved by 1952. One Rand McNally map lists CR 50 as continuing north past CR 20 and CR 18, ending at Alma Street. | ||||||||||
| Old Hwy 114, Malden Road, Malden Sideroad | CR 34 | CR 46 | NaNurl=https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/42.0388948,-82.645024/42.2942077,-82.6253421/@42.1661786,-82.8320719,11z/am=t/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e0 | Maidstone, Tecumseh, Lakeshore | Originally Highway 3B from 1931 to 1938. Became Highway 98A in 1938, and then finally, Highway 114 in 1954. Turned back in 1970. Still signed as "Old HWY 114" and "Malden Road"--> | Lauzon Parkway | Windsor city limit | CR 42/CR 17 Intersection | Windsor, Tecumseh | Originally was a spur of CR 17 (Lauzon Road), now a separate county road in its own right. Now under the jurisdiction of the City of Windsor. | ||||
| Former Route | ||||||||||||||
Windsor Suburban Roads were a special designation given to certain county roads in Essex County that were close to the City of Windsor. The following roads had part or all of their routes listed as "Windsor Suburban Roads":
The roads were managed by the "Windsor Suburban Roads Commission" until 1998, when Windsor became a single-tier municipality. The Suburban Roads reverted to Essex County.
