Pennsylvania Route 443 (PA 443) is an east–west state highway in the US state of Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at an intersection with State Route 3009 (SR 3009) at North Front Street on the east bank of the Susquehanna River in the community of Fort Hunter in Middle Paxton Township, just west of an interchange with the U.S. Route 22 (US 22)/US 322 freeway. The eastern terminus is at US 209 in Lehighton. The route runs through rural areas in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians in Dauphin, Lebanon, Schuylkill, and Carbon counties, serving Fort Indiantown Gap, Pine Grove, Schuylkill Haven, Orwigsburg, New Ringgold, and South Tamaqua. PA 443 intersects several major roads, including US 22/US 322 near its western terminus, PA 72 in Union Township, Interstate 81 (I-81) near Pine Grove, PA 61 between Schuylkill Haven and Orwigsburg, and PA 309 in South Tamaqua.
PA 443 was designated in 1928 between PA 43 (Jonestown Road) in Harper Tavern and US 120 (now PA 61) in Schuylkill Haven. PA 925 was designated in 1928 to run between New Ringgold and PA 29 (now PA 309) in South Tamaqua. By 1930, the western terminus of PA 443 was moved to PA 43 west of Jonestown, heading south from Lickdale. In the 1930s, PA 443 was realigned at Green Point to run west to US 11/US 15/US 22/US 322 (North Front Street) on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, with the former alignment between Jonestown and Green Point becoming an extended PA 72, while PA 925 was extended west from New Ringgold to US 122 (now PA 61) west of Orwigsburg. In the 1940s, PA 443 was extended east from Schuylkill Haven to US 209/US 309 in Lehighton, replacing the entirety of PA 925 between Orwigsburg and South Tamaqua. North Front Street at the western terminus became unnumbered in 1977 when US 22/US 322 was shifted to a freeway a short distance to the east.
Route description
Dauphin and Lebanon counties
PA 443 begins at an intersection with SR 3009 (North Front Street) on the east bank of the Susquehanna River in the community of Fort Hunter in Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County, heading northeast on Fishing Creek Valley Road, a two-lane divided highway. Shortly after beginning, the route comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange with the US 22/US 322 freeway and passes over Norfolk Southern's Buffalo Line on a bridge. The road becomes undivided and heads through forested areas with some homes between Blue Mountain to the south and Second Mountain to the north. PA 443 passes to the north of the Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area and continues through the narrow valley with some fields and residences, crossing into West Hanover Township. The route enters East Hanover Township and becomes Mountain Road, turning south to pass through the Manada Gap in Blue Mountain in the community of Manada Gap. The road curves back to the east and runs between forested Blue Mountain to the north and farmland and homes to the south. PA 443 intersects Bow Creek Road, which heads south to provide access to I-81 and becomes PA 743 upon crossing US 22. Past this intersection, the route passes to the north of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course as it continues northeast.
PA 443 crosses into East Hanover Township in Lebanon County and continues through agricultural areas with some homes to the south of Blue Mountain, gaining a second westbound lane past the Pleasant View Road intersection. The road becomes three lanes with two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane at the Mount Laurel Lane/Park Drive intersection and passes through more rural land. The route narrows to two lanes and becomes Clement Avenue, passing to the northwest of Memorial Lake State Park before it enters the grounds of the Fort Indiantown Gap military reservation. PA 443 gains a second westbound lane again and curves east before it turns northwest onto two-lane Asher Miner Road. The road heads into forests within the Indiantown Gap in Blue Mountain and forms the border between East Hanover Township to the west and Union Township to the east before it fully enters Union Township and curves northeast as Moonshine Road, leaving the grounds of the military reservation. The route continues through forests with some fields and residences between Blue Mountain to the southeast and Second Mountain to the northwest. PA 443 reaches the community of Green Point, where it crosses the Appalachian Trail and intersects the northern terminus of PA 72, turning north onto an unnamed road. The road crosses the Appalachian Trail again and forms the northwestern border of Swatara State Park, curving northeast and running through forests with some farmland and residences and passing through the community of Murray.