Virginia State Route 263

State Route 263 (SR 263) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Orkney Grade, the state highway runs 12.63 miles (20.33 km) from SR 659 in Orkney Springs east to U.S. Route 11 (US 11) in Mount Jackson. SR 263 connects Mount Jackson with a resort area in the mountains of southwestern Shenandoah County.

State Route 263
Orkney Grade
Route information
Maintained by VDOT
Length	12.83 mi[1] (20.65 km)
Existed	1933–present
Tourist routes	Virginia Byway
Major junctions
West end	SR 659 at Orkney Springs
Major intersections	SR 42 near Mount Clifton
East end	US 11 in Mount Jackson
Location
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Counties	Shenandoah
Highway system
Virginia Routes Interstate US Primary Secondary Byways History HOT lanes
← SR 262 → I-264

SR 263 is a Virginia Byway.

Route description

View east along SR 263 in Orkney Springs

SR 263 begins at the eastern end of Shrine Mont Circle, a loop that is designated SR 659 and serves Shrine Mont, an Episcopal Diocese of Virginia retreat that hosts the annual Shenandoah Valley Music Festival. The state highway heads northeast as a two-lane undivided road from Orkney Springs through a narrow valley between Great North Mountain to the west and Supin Lick Mountain to the east. After passing the Bryce Resort, SR 263 veers southeast and crosses the latter mountain and follows Straight Run through a gap in Timber Ridge to enter the Shenandoah Valley, on the west edge of which the state highway intersects SR 42 (Senedo Road). The state highway passes through Mount Clifton and follows Mill Creek to the town of Mount Jackson, which the highway enters at its underpass of Interstate 81. SR 263 passes under the Chesapeake Western Railway before reaching its eastern terminus at US 11 (Main Street).^[1][2]

SR 263 westbound viewed from I-81

Major intersections

The entire route is in Shenandoah County.

Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Orkney Springs	0.00	0.00	SR 659 (Shrine Mont Circle)	Western terminus
Basye			SR 717 (Alum Springs Road)	former SR 265 north
​	6.49	10.44	SR 42 (Senedo Road) – Woodstock, Harrisonburg
Mount Jackson	12.83	20.65	US 11 (Main Street) – Winchester, Staunton	Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi