# Ohio State Route 53

State Route 53 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of Ohio (physically northeast-southwest). Its southern terminus is at the beginning of the U.S. 68/S.R. 67 concurrency in Kenton, Ohio, and its northern terminus is on Catawba Island in Ottawa County, north of Port Clinton.

## Route description

From Kenton, State Route 53 moves northeast to Forest, then continues eastward to Upper Sandusky. It then moves north through the small towns of Tymochtee and McCutchenville before entering Tiffin. The route then moves due north to Fremont, where it joins a four-route bypass around the city with U.S. Routes 6 and 20 and State Route 19. From its northern bypass interchange, it continues on a northeast heading, following the northern coastline of Sandusky Bay to Port Clinton, where it joins State Route 2 on a bypass around that city. From its eastern bypass interchange, State Route 53 heads north onto Catawba Island.

## History

State Route 53 was an original state highway which stretched from the Ohio River at Higginsport to Port Clinton. The route followed that of current State Route 221 to Georgetown, then followed the route currently followed by U.S. Route 68 to Kenton, then along its current route into Port Clinton. The route entered Port Clinton and truncated at State Route 163.
Before the Fremont bypass was certified, State Route 53 was routed along the Sandusky River through Old Fort into Fremont.
In 1929, State Route 53 was routed through the town of St. Martin, a town it originally bypassed. This reroute was reversed in 1931 and is now State Route 251.
In 1933, State Route 53's southern terminus was moved to Kenton when U.S. Route 68 was certified.
In 1946, State Route 53's northern terminus was extended to Catawba Island. It shared a route with State Route 163 for approximately five miles, then split north to the island. This route was formerly the southern portion of State Route 357.
In 1969, State Route 53 was routed along the State Route 2 bypass with an interchange approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) south of its split with State Route 163.

## Major junctions

| County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
| Hardin | Kenton | 0.00 | 0.00 | | US 68 (Fontaine Street / South Detroit Street) / SR 67 (Espy Street) | |
| Hardin | Kenton | 0.10 | 0.16 | | SR 31 south (Main Street) / Espy Street | Southern end of SR 31 concurrency |
| Hardin | Kenton | 0.48 | 0.77 | | SR 309 (Franklin Street) | |
| Hardin | Kenton | 0.55 | 0.89 | | SR 67 (Columbus Street) | |
| Hardin | Kenton | 0.63 | 1.01 | | SR 31 north (Carroll Street) | Northern end of SR 31 concurrency |
| Hardin | Patterson | 10.78 | 17.35 | | SR 81 west (Main Street) | Eastern terminus of SR 81 |
| Hardin | Forest | 12.39 | 19.94 | | SR 37 north (Lima Street) | Southern end of SR 37 concurrency |
| Wyandot | Jackson Township | 13.73 | 22.10 | | SR 37 south / Township Highway 84 – Marseilles | Northern end of SR 37 concurrency |
| Wyandot | Jackson–Mifflin township line | 17.30 | 27.84 | | SR 293 north / CR 95 – Kirby | Southern terminus of SR 293 |
| Wyandot | Upper Sandusky | 25.36 | 40.81 | | SR 67 south (Marseilles Avenue) / Spring Street | Southern end of SR 67 concurrency |
| Wyandot | Upper Sandusky | 26.01 | 41.86 | | SR 199 north (Wyandot Avenue) / 8th Street | Southern end of SR 199 concurrency |
| Wyandot | Upper Sandusky | 26.17 | 42.12 | | SR 199 south (Sandusky Avenue) / Wyandot Avenue | Northern end of SR 199 concurrency |
| Wyandot | Upper Sandusky–Crane Township municipal line | 28.20– 28.38 | 45.38– 45.67 | | US 23 / US 30 | Interchange |
| Wyandot | Upper Sandusky–Crane Township municipal line | 28.54 | 45.93 | | SR 67 north / CR 47 – Sycamore | Northern end of SR 67 concurrency |
| Wyandot | Tymochtee Township | 34.04 | 54.78 | | SR 103 west – Carey | Southern end of SR 103 concurrency |
| Wyandot | Tymochtee Township | 34.59 | 55.67 | | SR 103 east – Sycamore | Northern end of SR 103 concurrency |
| Wyandot | Tymochtee Township | 37.63 | 60.56 | | SR 587 north / CR 35 (Perry Street) – New Riegel | Southern terminus of SR 587 |
| Seneca | Hopewell Township | 45.61 | 73.40 | | US 224 – Napoleon, Mogadore, Seneca County Airport | |
| Seneca | Tiffin | 47.00 | 75.64 | | SR 18 east / SR 100 east (West Market Street) | Western terminus of SR 103; southern end of SR 103 westbound concurrency |
| Seneca | Tiffin | 47.11 | 75.82 | | SR 18 west (West Perry Street) / SR 100 west | Northern end of SR 103 westbound concurrency |
| Seneca | Tiffin | 47.96 | 77.18 | | SR 100 south (North Washington Street) | Northern terminus of SR 100 |
| Sandusky | Ballville Township | 59.55 | 95.84 | | SR 12 west / CR 201 (Hurdic Road) – Bettsville, Fostoria | Eastern terminus of SR 12 |
| Sandusky | Ballville–Sandusky township line | 63.05 | 101.47 | | SR 611 west / CR 611 (Hayes Avenue) – Toledo | Southern end of SR 611 concurrency |
| Sandusky | Sandusky Township | 64.67– 65.12 | 104.08– 104.80 | 98 | US 20 west / CR 20 (West State Street) – Fremont, Perrysburg | Interchange; southern end of US 20 concurrency |
| Sandusky | Sandusky Township | | | Southern end of freeway | Southern end of freeway | Southern end of freeway |
| Sandusky | Fremont | 66.23– 66.38 | 106.59– 106.83 | 94 | SR 19 north (Oak Harbor Road) – Oak Harbor | Southern end of SR 19 concurrency |
| Sandusky | Fremont | 66.88– 67.92 | 107.63– 109.31 | 101 | US 20 east / SR 19 south / SR 611 east / Rawson Avenue – Norwalk, Youngstown | Northern end of US 20 / SR 622 / SR 19 concurrencies |
| Sandusky | Fremont | | | Northern end of freeway | Northern end of freeway | Northern end of freeway |
| Sandusky | Rice Township | 70.07– 70.21 | 112.77– 112.99 | | I-80 / Ohio Turnpike – Toledo, Youngstown | Exit 91 (Ohio Turnpike) |
| Sandusky | Rice Township | 73.70 | 118.61 | | SR 523 west / Marsh Road | Eastern terminus of SR 523 |
| Ottawa | Bay Township | 80.01– 80.27 | 128.76– 129.18 | 117 | I-90 west / SR 2 west (Fremont Road) / LECT / CR 52 – Elgin | Southern end of I-90 / SR 2 concurrency |
| Ottawa | Bay Township | | | Southern end of freeway | Southern end of freeway | Southern end of freeway |
| Ottawa | Portage Township | 83.81– 84.30 | 134.88– 135.67 | 121A–B | SR 2C to US 6 / SR 163 – Oak Harbor, Port Clinton, Bay View | |
| Ottawa | Portage Township | 86.19– 86.69 | 138.71– 139.51 | 124 | I-90 east / SR 2 east / LECT – Sandusky, Cleveland | Northern end of I-90 / SR 2 concurrency |
| Ottawa | Portage Township | | | Northern end of freeway | Northern end of freeway | Northern end of freeway |
| Ottawa | Portage Township | 87.82 | 141.33 | | US 6 / SR 163 – Oak Harbor, Port Clinton, Bay View | |
| Ottawa | Catawba Island Township | 92.75 | 149.27 | | East Water Street / Miller Boat Line – South Bass Island | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Tolled |||||||