Charles Street (Baltimore)
Charles Street, known for most of its route as Maryland Route 139 (MD 139), runs through Baltimore and the Towson area of Baltimore County. On the north end, it terminates at an intersection with Bellona Avenue near Interstate 695 (I-695). At the south end, it terminates in Federal Hill in Baltimore. Charles Street is one of the major routes through Baltimore, and is a major public transportation corridor. For the one-way portions of Charles Street, the street is functionally complemented by the parallel St. Paul Street, including St. Paul Place and Preston Gardens, Maryland Avenue, Cathedral Street, and Liberty Street.
Maryland Route 139 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Street | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by MDSHA and Baltimore DOT | ||||
| Length | 10.9 mi (17.5 km) MD 139 is 7.89 mi (12.70 km). The unnumbered portion of Charles Street south of US 1 is 3.0 mi (4.8 km). | |||
| Existed | 1927–present | |||
| Tourist routes | Baltimore's Historic Charles Street | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end | Dead end near Wells Street in Baltimore | |||
| North end | Nightlingale Way in Lutherville | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Maryland | |||
| Counties | City of Baltimore, Baltimore | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Though not exactly at the west–east midpoint of the city, Charles Street is the dividing line between the west and east sides of Baltimore. On any street that crosses Charles Street, address numbers start from the unit block on either side, and the streets are identified as either "West" or "East," depending on whether they are to the west or east of Charles.
The west and east designations also apply to streets that do not cross Charles Street, but exist on both sides of it. The entire length of Charles Street is a National Scenic Byway known as Baltimore's Historic Charles Street.