Ontario Highway 93 History - The King's Highways of Ontario

King's Highway 93 is a major collector highway which connects the Midland and Penetanguishene area to Barrie. Currently, Highway 93 begins at the Highway 400 Interchange north of Barrie and continues northerly to the Highway 12 Junction in Midland. Highway 93 closely follows the historical route of the Old Penetanguishene Road, which was an early military road constructed between Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe in the early 19th Century. Highway 93 was first established in the late 1930s, when a new highway link was designated between Barrie and Waverley. Originally, the route of Highway 93 began at the Highway 11 Junction at Crown Hill north of Barrie and ended at the Highway 27 Junction in Waverley. The original 28 km route of Highway 93 was first assumed as a new King's Highway by Ontario's Department of Highways on April 13, 1938. The new highway provided a more direct connection beween Highway 11 and Highway 27 North to Midland. In 1982, the section of Highway 27 between Waverley and Penetanguishene was redesignated as Highway 93. The route of Highway 93 remained unchanged until the late 1990s, when roughly 50% of the highway was downloaded. On March 31, 1997, the sections lying north of Highway 12 and south of Highway 400 were downloaded to the County of Simcoe. The downloaded sections of Highway 93 are now known as Simcoe Road 93.

Highway 93 passes through a predominantly rural area along its 24 km route. The only major town located along the highway is Midland, although the highway serves several other small communities. Highway 93 is a two-lane road for its entire length, although passing lanes appear frequently between Waverley and Midland. The downloaded section of Highway 93 between Midland and Penetanguishene is a four-lane undivided highway. Services are available in most communities along Highway 93. The speed limit on Highway 93 is 80 km/h (50 mph), unless posted otherwise. Please visit the Highway 93 Mileage Chart page for a list of mileage reference points along Highway 93.

Winter Driving Tip: Highway 93 is known for poor winter road conditions during snowsqualls. While the highway is seldom closed due to weather conditions, it can be a very unpleasant and treacherous drive during the winter due to blowing and drifting snow. Blowing snow will often result in zero-visibility conditions. The weather conditions on this highway can deteriorate very rapidly when snowsqualls blow in from Georgian Bay. On cold, windy days, it is a good idea to check the Road Closures and Winter Road Conditions pages on the Ministry of Transportation's Website, or verify road conditions by telephone at 1-800-268-4686 before using Highway 93.