Maryland Route 273 - Route Description

Route Description

MD 273 begins west of Harrisville at a perpendicular intersection with US 1, which heads south as Conowingo Road and north as the Rising Sun Bypass. The state highway heads south then immediately turns east onto Rising Sun Road. Rising Sun Road to the west of the intersection is signed as MD 273 eastbound from US 1 and is closed to through traffic westbound. MD 273 heads east as a two-lane road through farmland, passing through the hamlet of Harrisville before meeting MD 276 (Jacob Tome Memorial Highway) at a roundabout. The state highway enters the town of Rising Sun, where its name changes to Main Street and the highway intersects the western end of MD 274 (Queen Street). After leaving the town limits, MD 273 becomes Telegraph Road and intersects Sylmar Road and Half Mile Turn, both of which are old alignments of US 1. The state highway passes the Jeremiah Brown House and Mill Site and the Plumpton Park Zoo before crossing North East Creek.

MD 273 continues east through farmland to the community of Calvert, where the highway passes Calvert Manor and intersects MD 272, which heads south as North East Road and north as Chrome Road. An old alignment, Brick Meetinghouse Road, partially parallels the present course to the south, providing access to East Nottingham Friends Meetinghouse. MD 273 crosses Little North East Creek, intersects Blue Ball Road, and meets Little Elk Creek Road, which leads to Little Elk Farm and the historic home Hopewell. The state highway crosses Little Elk Creek just west of Rock United Presbyterian Church as the highway reaches Fair Hill, where the old alignment of Fair Hill Drive parallels MD 273 to the south before the intersection with MD 213, which heads south as Singerly Road and north as Lewisville Road. Beyond MD 213, MD 273 passes through Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, a state park most well known for the Fair Hill Training Center, an equestrian training facility. The state highway passes through a mix of fields and forest, passing under three service bridges. MD 273 parallels an abandoned alignment of Telegraph Road as it crosses Big Elk Creek. The state highway leaves the state park just west of Appleton Road, passing through a mix of farmland and residential subdivisions in Appleton before reaching its eastern terminus at the Delaware state line. The highway continues east as DE 273 (Nottingham Road) into Newark.