OVERVIEW: A blend of the past, present and future makes Routes 5 and 20 a truly Authentic American Road. ABOUT 5&20: HOW 5&20 CAME TO BE New York State’s Routes 5 & 20 had their start as foot trails established by Native Americans thousands of years before the American Revolution. In the late 1700s pioneers moving into Central New York, the Finger Lakes Region and the Niagara Frontier widened the footpaths to accommodate their wagons. 19th century turnpike entrepreneurs constructed roads of substance connecting the pioneer villages along the historic corridor. With the advent of the automobile these roads were modernized and took on the current designations of Routes 5 and 20, as part of the great 3,365 mile transcontinental Federal Highway that connected Boston, Massachusetts to Newport, Oregon. New York’s historic and famous east-west corridor has not lost its allure for travelers. return to top