VA 13 appears
1936 Official

VA 13 duplex with US 60 1936 Powhatan County

VA 13 separate from US 60 Note the 0.22 mile distance between two new accesses (not present today) 1958 Powhatan County

Improvements:  Fully paved upon designation; no multilane segments
Posted:  Fully posted;
Multiplexes:  None
Legislative names:  None
Other names: Old Buckingham Rd
Scenic Byway:  No segments
Comment: VA 13 has been a violation of the numbering system from the beginning. My speculation is that since the state routes were to remain posted for a while after the 1933 great renumbering, they just left the VA 13 postings up and took US 60 postings down. However, since 284 had been assigned to the projects for new construction bypassing current VA 13, I don't understand why today's VA 13 isn't VA 284.
I believe VA 13 is the longest state route in Virginia without a stoplight.
This should probably be renumbered to VA 300 and change 300 to 300Y.

Route 13: Tappahannock, Richmond, Midlothian, Powhatan, Cumberland, Farmville, Lynchburg, "then with routes 10 and 14" The route 10 duplex was Farmville to Lynchburg, while the route 14 duplex was defined: "...Lynchburg, Natural Bridge, Lexington, Clifton Forge, Covington, White Sulphur"

VA 13 Cumberland to Tappahannock via Richmond
1922 Auto Trails

VA 13 with VA 10 from Lynchburg
1922 Auto Trails

VA 13 with VA 14 from West Virginia to Lynchburg
1922 Auto Trails

In March 1924 (CTB), VA 13 was extended east from Tappahannock through Warsaw to VA 371 (current US 360) Callao. Around 1925, VA 13 was removed from today's SR 606/629 through Old Church in eastern Hanover County and placed on today's US 360. About 1926, VA 13 was rerouted in Richmond to use Roanoke Ave, Semmes Ave and the 9th St bridge instead of Midlothian to Hull St. In May 1926 (CTB), VA 13 west was altered at Cumberland CH. Instead of heading south to Farmville (became VA 133), it instead replaced VA 322 and added some new mileage which headed west in 3 segments: 1. Cumberland CH west to Dilwyn, then to Sprouse Corner, then 5 miles west of Buckingham CH 2. James River to 10 miles west of Amherst 3. Buena Vista west to VA 14 (now SR 699) McCormicks Gate

VA 13 extended to Callao 1926 Official

VA 13 extended west to Buena Vista
1926 Official

In March 1927 (CTB), both the Buckingham and Amherst pieces were extended west 4 miles each.
In 1927, VA 13 was placed on the new bridge over the Rappahannock River and removed from Main St in Tappahannock.
In Aug 1928 (CTB), the Amherst piece was extended to 4.6 miles west of Rockbridge County line (current SR 631/733 jct north of Buena Vista); also, the Buckingham segment was extended west to the James River (connecting the Buckingham and Amherst segments).
About 1929, VA 13 was removed from SR 621/622 through Minor and the Millers Tavern loop in Essex County and placed on today's US 360; also VA 13 was removed from VA 37 (now VA 3) and CR 3 (now SR 620 Richmond Hill Rd from Warsaw and Totuskey Bridge and instead placed on today's US 360 and SR 698 due east out of Warsaw; also VA 13 was removed from SR 681 Totuskey Church Rd, SR 607/617 at Totuskey; SR 600/616 at Luttrellville and instead put on today's US 360.

VA 13 via VA 37 and Totuskey 1928 Official

VA 13 direct to Callao 1930 Official

In 1930, VA 13 west was truncated to southern Buena Vista at what is now the intersection of US 501 and 10th St. The old route across Maury River to McCormicks gate became part of VA 14 (now SR 745/608). It is confusing what VA 13's status in Rockbridge County was - the 4.6 mile segment was never extended to Buena Vista in the CTB and is shown as CR 1 on the 1932 Rockbridge County map. This same map also shows VA 14 as discontinuous as the current US 60 bridge over Maury River hadn't been built yet. So VA 13 may or may not have run from 10th St north to central Buena Vista.
Also in 1930, VA 13 was rerouted away from Dillwyn and instead went directly from Cumberland CH to Sprouse Corner. This left behind CR 106 (now SR 629) along with the US 15/VA 32 duplex south to Sprouses.

VA 13 via US 15 an d Dillwyn 1928 Official

VA 13 direct to Sprouses 1930 Official

Also around 1931, VA 13 was removed from SR 698 and SR 1003 in Tappahannock and placed on modern US 17-360. About 1932, VA 13 was removed from today's SR 686 "Old 13" south of Oronoco and put onto today's US 60. About 1932, VA 13 was placed on modern US 60 in Eastern Amherst county leaving beind today's SR 659 plus a pile of dirt roads including one still labeled as "Old 13" and likely the loops at Amherst Wayside. It appears VA 13 used SR 607 in Buckingham County up until 1932 where it was placed on today's US 60. Also around 1932, VA 13 was removed from today's SR 742 west of Cumberland CH. By 1932, VA 13 was removed from Old Buckingham Rd east of Midlothian leaving behind CR 250 (now SR 673) and VA 418-Y. In late 1932-early 1933, VA 13 west's end was moved to Beech and Park in Buena Vista and around that time was also rerouted to use today's US 60 east out of Buena Vista, leaving behind today's SR 631/733 plus forest service road 76 over the mountain back to US 60 near Oronoco. Additionally, it appears VA 13 was removed from today's SR 616/689 west of Amherst CH.

VA 13 using today's SR 659 Depot St in Amherst 1932 Amherst County

Original VA 13 configuration at Buena Vista 1928 Official

VA 13 over the mountain from Amherst 1929 Official

VA 14 replaces some (all?) of VA 13 in Buena Vista 1930 Official

VA 13 and VA 14 discontinuous in Buena Vista area? 1932 Rockbridge County

In July 1933, VA 13 was renumbered as US 60 from Buena Vista to Richmond and US 360 from Richmond to Callao. Today it is still US 60 except SR 1119 Monitor Rd in Amherst CH; SR 717 at Bent Creek; all of today's VA 13; SR 653, 679, 678, 676 and 675 loops in eastern Powhatan Co; US 250 Broad St. It is still US 360 except in 21st and Mosby Sts in Richmond; US 360 Bus in Mechanicsville; SRs 661/662 in Central Garage; SR 677 at St Stephens Church; SR 691 west of Brays Fork; SR 649 in Warsaw; SR 697 Indian Field. The forest service road from Blue Ridge Pkwy west to SR 733 is barricaded but the other direction to US 60 can still be driven in its unpaved glory.

Old 13 eastbound from Blue Ridge Pkwy photo by Mapmikey 10/21/08

VA 13 #3: In 1938, a separate VA 13 was created as a US highway extension. It initially ran only from the Little Creek ferry landing south to US 460 (now US 13). This was a replacement of VA 165.
In 1939, VA 13 was extended southwest with US 460 to Norfolk, then south with VA 27 through South Norfolk, then replaced VA 299 west along Military Hwy to end at US 58-460 Bowers Hill.
In 1942 VA 13 may have become technically discontinuous - the June 1942 CTB has VA 13 on Military Hwy (not yet completed) and the 1942 Norfolk County Map shows VA 13Y on Princess Anne Rd (now VA 166) in Norfolk and no VA 13 multiplexes through Norfolk and South Norfolk (became part of US 460), but labels VA 13 on Military Hwy from Bainbridge Blvd westward. Note that Military Hwy from Bainbridge Blvd east to around Campostella Rd (then VA 226) was referred to in project documents as VA 336.
Around 1943, VA 13 was eliminated when US 13 was extended over the Chesapeake Bay ferry and down Diamond Springs Rd (now VA 166) and today's Northampton Blvd, then (no longer connects to) today's VA 165Y and VA 165 northwest to today's US 13/VA 165-166 jct. then all the way around Military Hwy to Bowers Hill.

VA 13 #3 appears 1938-39 Official

VA 13 extended through Norfolk and So. Norfolk to Bowers Hill 1940 Official

VA 13Y #1: Appears explicitly in the June 1942 CTB as the piece of Military Hwy in the project stage between Northampton Blvd and Little Creek Rd. This was added to the state highway system in March 1942 (CTB)
In a 1943 AASHO request to extend US 13 across the ferry to Little Creek, VA 13Y was proposed to become VA 351Y instead.
However, when Military Hwy actually opened on this stretch in late 1943 it was signed as part of VA 165.

VA 13Y #1 being proposed to become VA 351Y
1943 Request to AASHO

VA 13Y #2: Appears on the 1942 Norfolk County Map as a renumbering of part of VA 13, running from US 13/VA 165 southwest to US 58 in Norfolk.
In March 1956 (CTB), VA 13Y was renumbered as part of VA 166.
For some reason both posted VA 13Y routes are shown as US 13Y routes on officials from 1952-54.
VA 13Y #3: Appeared about 1943 as a renumbering of part of US 460 from US 13 (now VA 166) Diamond Springs Rd northeast to US 60 using Shell Rd and Pleasant House Rd.
In March 1956 (CTB), VA 13Y was renumbered as part of VA 166. Today most of VA 13Y #1 is not primary routing, as Shell Rd. was bypassed by Northampton Blvd. in 1964. However, Northampton Blvd.'s bridge of Lake Smith may have been on VA 13Y's alignment. Today's VA 225 altered the track of the Shell Rd. to Pleasant House Rd connection. Pleasant House Rd is known today because it is still posted as SR 651 at US 60, 50 years after SRs were removed from the Tidewater area.

Both VA 13Y routes 1944 Official

Both VA 13Y routes become VA 166 1944 Official

VA 13 ALT: Appears in some CTB Minutes in 1931 and 1932 as the proposed new construction between Cumberland and Powhatan. When the projects were actually let for this corridor, they were assigned as VA 284. By the time this was completed, US 60 was placed on it.