List of reference routes in New York
Route Length ( mi ) Length ( km ) From Via To
980B 0.35 0.56 US 9 Main Street ( SH 8141 ) in Valatie NY 203
980C 0.31 0.50 US 20 Wye connection ( SH 615 ) in New Lebanon NY 22
980D 0.22 0.35 NY 22 Albany Street ( SH 8514 ) in Canaan Massachusetts state line ( becomes Route 102 )
980E 0.16 0.26 NY 71 Wye connection ( SH 1780 ) in Hillsdale NY 22
980F 0.30 0.48 NY 22 Old Route 22 ( SH 5347 ) in Copake NY 344
980G 0.71 1.14 NY 22 Old Route 22 ( SH 5460 ) in Washington NY 343
980J 1.67 2.69 Beacon city line Fishkill Avenue ( SH 567 ) in Fishkill NY 52 at I-84 exit 12
980P 2.12 3.41 NY 52 at I-84 exit 8 in Newburgh South Street Arterial ( SH 8408 and SH 61007 ) Liberty Street in Newburgh
980T 4.06 6.53 US 9W in New Windsor Old Route 9W , River Road , Water Street , North Street , and Plank Road ( SH 415 , SH 1808 , SH 85002 , and SH 9525 ) US 9W / NY 32 in Newburgh
980U 1.29 2.08 US 9W Main Street ( SH 8078 ) in Highlands NY 218
980W 0.64 1.03 NY 218 West Point Highway ( SH 9115 ) in Highlands U.S. Military Academy
981B 0.28 0.45 I-684 at I-84 exit 20 SH 5203 in Southeast NY 22
981F 0.48 0.77 US 202 West Side Avenue ( SH 1660 ) in Haverstraw US 9W
981G 0.33 0.53 NY 17 Seven Lakes Road ( SH 49001 and SH 63010 ) in Sloatsburg Seven Lakes Parkway
981H 0.11 0.18 NY 340 Highland Avenue ( SH 1697 ) in Orangetown US 9W
981J 0.16 0.26 NY 340 Highland Avenue ( SH 8250 ) in Orangetown US 9W
981K 0.58 0.93 Hurley Avenue in Kingston Washington Avenue ( SH 62021 and SH 5173 ) NY 28 in Ulster
981L 0.21 0.34 Van Steenberg Lane Reservoir Road ( SH 118 ) in Olive NY 28
981M 1.18 1.90 NY 983F at Kingston city line Albany Avenue ( SH 5000 ) in Ulster US 9W
981P South Street US 202 ? NY 35 Bear Mountain State Parkway Crompond Road Taconic State Parkway
Region 8
Region 8 primarily covers the Middle and Lower Hudson Valley . The counties comprising this region are Columbia , Dutchess , Orange , Putnam , Rockland , Ulster , and Westchester .
A reference route is an unsigned highway assigned by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to roads that possess a signed name (mainly parkways), that NYSDOT has determined are too minor to have a signed touring route number, or are former touring routes that are still state-maintained. The majority of reference routes are owned by the state of New York and maintained by NYSDOT; however, some exceptions exist. The reference route designations are normally posted on reference markers, small green signs located every tenth-mile on the side of the road, though a few exceptions exist to this practice as well. Reference route numbers are always three digit numbers in the 900s with a single alphabetic suffix. The designations are largely assigned in numerical and alphabetical order within a region, and designations are not reused once they are removed. Certain letters are avoided, such as 
and I (used to indicate Interstate Highways and potential confusion with the number 1), N (used for institutional roads), O (potential confusion with the number 0), R (used for reservation roads), S (potential confusion with the number 5), X (a designation sometimes used in region 10), and Y and Z (at the end of alphabet and not used). Q and U are not currently being assigned due to confusion in the past. Designations are assigned as follows: