Pennsylvania Route 68 (PA 68) is a east–west state highway located in western Pennsylvania in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at the Ohio state line west of Glasgow, where PA 68 continues into Ohio as State Route 39 (SR 39). The eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 322 (US 322) in Clarion. The route runs southwest-northeast across Beaver, Butler, Armstrong, and Clarion counties. PA 68 follows the Ohio River between the Ohio border and Beaver, where it crosses the Beaver River into Rochester and heads northeast away from the Ohio River. The route runs through rural areas to Butler County, where it intersects Interstate 79 (I-79) in Zelienople before serving Evans City and Butler. PA 68 passes through a section of Armstrong County before crossing the Allegheny River into Clarion County. Here, the route passes through Rimersburg and Sligo before it has an interchange with I-80 and continues to its terminus in Clarion.
PA 68 was originally designated in 1927 to run from the Ohio border northeast to Clarion before continuing to US 6/US 120 in Kane. The route was extended northwest to PA 59 in Kinzua in 1935. The full length of the route was paved by 1940. The northern terminus was again moved to Kane in 1961, with PA 321 replacing most of the route north of there and the former northern terminus inundated by the Allegheny Reservoir. The north end of PA 68 was cut back to its current location in 1970, with the road between Clarion and Kane becoming part of PA 66.
Route description
Beaver County
PA 68 begins at the Ohio border in the borough of Ohioville in Beaver County, where the road continues west into that state as SR 39. From the state line, the route heads east-northeast on two-lane undivided Midland Road, passing between wooded areas to the north and Norfolk Southern's Cleveland Line to the south with industrial areas and the Ohio River farther south. The road crosses the Little Beaver Creek into the borough of Glasgow and passes north of residential areas. PA 68 heads back into Ohioville and runs east through forested areas immediately to the north of the railroad tracks and the Ohio River. The road curves east-southeast and enters the borough of Midland, becoming Midland Avenue and passing homes. The route comes to an intersection with PA 168, where that route turns southeast to form a concurrency with PA 68, running through residential areas before heading through the commercial downtown of Midland. The road heads into industrial areas and becomes Midland Beaver Road, with PA 168 splitting to the south at an interchange to cross the Ohio River on the Shippingport Bridge.
Past this, PA 68 continues northeast through more forests with the Norfolk Southern line and the river to the southeast. The road heads into residential areas with some industry, heading farther from the railroad line and the Ohio River. The route curves east past more homes, crossing over the Norfolk Southern line as it continues into more wooded areas. PA 68 turns northeast and runs between the railroad tracks to the northwest and the Ohio River to the southeast, crossing into Vanport Township and entering industrial areas as State Street. The road passes over the railroad tracks and runs past more commercial establishments before widening into a four-lane divided highway and coming to an interchange with I-376. After this interchange, the route becomes a two-lane undivided road again and continues through residential areas with some businesses. PA 68 becomes the border between Vanport Township to the north and the borough of Beaver to the south, where the name becomes 3rd Street. The road fully enters Beaver and runs through the commercial downtown. The route heads past homes before passing under CSX's Pittsburgh Subdivision railroad line and crossing into the borough of Bridgewater, where it reaches an interchange with PA 51. At this point, PA 68 heads east to form a concurrency with PA 51 on a four-lane divided highway, crossing the Beaver River into the borough of Rochester.