page_title: Pennsylvania Route 401
section_title: Route description
hierarchical_section_title: Pennsylvania Route 401 / Route description
caption_attribution_description: Westbound Pennsylvania Route 401 (Conestoga Road) past its eastern terminus at U.S. Route 30 (Lancaster Avenue) in East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania
context_page_description: Pennsylvania Route 401 is a 20.2-mile-long east–west state route in Berks and Chester Counties, located in southeast Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at PA 23 in Caernarvon Township, across the county line from Elverson. The eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 30 in East Whiteland Township, a short distance west of Malvern. PA 401 is called Conestoga Road its entire length and runs through rural areas with suburban development toward the eastern part of the route. PA 401 follows a former turnpike chartered in 1809 known as the Little Conestoga Turnpike. PA 401 was designated along Conestoga Road between PA 29 and US 30/PA 1 in 1928. The route was extended west to PA 23 in the 1930s, at which time the entire length was paved.
context_section_description: PA 401 begins at an intersection with PA 23 in Caernarvon Township, Berks County, heading southeast on two-lane undivided Conestoga Road. The route heads into agricultural areas as it crosses into the borough of Elverson in Chester County, where it runs between farmland to the north and rural areas of woods and homes to the south, crossing PA 82. After this junction, the road runs between housing developments to the north and rural areas to the south, crossing into West Nantmeal Township. PA 401 continues into forested areas with some farm fields as it enters East Nantmeal Township and comes to the PA 345 intersection. At this point, the route continues southeast through more woods before heading into farmland and turning south. The road crosses into forests and turns sharply to the east, entering areas of farms with a few residences. Farther east, PA 401 heads into more wooded areas of homes as it crosses into West Vincent Township and reaches the PA 100 junction.
  The route continues southeast past a mix of farms, woods, and housing developments, briefly crossing into Upper Uwchlan Township before heading back into West Vincent Township. The road curves south before continuing southeast into West Pikeland Township, where it crosses Pickering Creek before intersecting PA 113. Past this intersection, PA 401 passes through wooded areas of residential development, passing under the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76). A short distance later, the route comes into Charlestown Township and passes more forested areas of homes before turning east into East Whiteland Township. The route passes more housing developments and crosses Valley Creek before it widens to four lanes at the Phoenixville Pike intersection and reaches the interchange with the US 202 freeway, where it is briefly a divided highway. The route narrows back to a two-lane undivided road past this interchange and crosses the Chester Valley Trail before continuing southeast to the eastern terminus at US 30 in commercial areas.
caption: PA 401 westbound past its eastern terminus at US 30 in East Whiteland Township
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