Virginia State Route 7

Virginia State Route 7 (VA 7) is a major primary state highway and busy commuter route in Northern Virginia, United States. It travels southeast from Downtown Winchester to Washington Street (SR 400) in Downtown Alexandria. Its route largely parallels those of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail and the Potomac River. Between its western terminus and I-395, SR 7 is part of the National Highway System. In 1968, the Virginia State Highway Commission designated the road as the "Harry Flood Byrd Highway" between Alexandria and Winchester to commemorate Harry F. Byrd Sr. (1887–1966).

SR 7 begins downtown in the independent city of Winchester, as East Piccadilly Street at an intersection of Cameron Street (Route 11/Route 522), and it continues through the east end of the city, along North East Lane, National Avenue, and finally Berryville Avenue. SR 7 exits the city into surrounding Frederick County, where its name changes to Berryville Pike and it becomes a four-lane highway. SR 7 continues across the overpass of I-81 and then into Clarke County.

SR 7 enters Clarke County from Frederick County, crossing Opequon Creek, and continues towards the town of Berryville. Business SR 7 splits off just west of Berryville and passes through the town, while the main route bypasses the town to the north. Both routes cross Route 340, and Business SR 7 rejoins SR 7 just east of the town. SR 7 crosses the Shenandoah River and its name changes to the Harry Flood Byrd Highway. SR 7 crosses the Loudoun–Clarke county line and the Appalachian Trail at the summit of Snickers Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

SR 7 descends out of the Blue Ridge Mountains and enters the rural western area of Loudoun County as Leesburg Pike at Snickers Gap. It intersects the northern end of the Snickersville Turnpike, and then it passes just north of the village of Bluemont (formerly Snickersville). Next SR 7 curves just south of Jefferson County, West Virginia.

SR 7 becomes a divided, limited-access highway with a speed limit of 55 mph (89 km/h) just west of Round Hill, where another Business SR 7 splits off to serve the towns of Round Hill, Purcellville, and Hamilton, while the main road runs outside of the towns as a bypass. Business SR 7 rejoins the main road at the interchange with SR 9 in Paeonian Springs.

SR 7 continues towards the well-developed eastern half of Loudoun County as a four-lane divided highway with some at-grade intersections, and it passes through Clarke's Gap in Catoctin Mountain. Another Business SR 7 splits off on the western side of Leesburg, the county seat of Loudoun County. The main road continues as the Leesburg Bypass, and merges with the bypass of Route 15 around the southern side of Leesburg, while the business route passes through town as Market Street. SR 7 Business intersects with King Street (Business Route 15) by the county courthouse in the center of Leesburg.

The Virginia Department of Transportation has plans to widen the section of SR 7 between SR 9 and East Market Street. However, due to highway budget restrictions, this project was put on hold in June 2008. In December 2014, construction began on the widening of this section of SR 7. In addition to widening Westbound SR 7 from two to three lanes, the median was modified to limit left turns into and out of Roxbury Hall Road, Leeland Orchard Road, White Gate Place, and Beechnut Place. In addition to the work on SR 7, roundabouts were installed at the interchange between SR 7 and SR 9. The southern roundabout combined the separate intersections of the on and off ramps from SR 7 and Colonial Highway/Dry Mill Road into one.

The SR 7 bypass crosses the Washington & Old Dominion Trail just before the US 15 bypass splits off from SR 7 in eastern Leesburg, and then SR 7 Bus. rejoins the main highway near the same location. SR 7 continues on through the eastern half of Leesburg, with six lanes. It crosses Goose Creek and passes through Ashburn.