New York State Route 446 (NY 446) is a state highway in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. The highway extends for on a northeast–southwest alignment from an intersection with NY 16 north of the hamlet of Hinsdale to a junction with NY 305 in the village of Cuba. It parallels the Southern Tier Expressway (NY 17 and Interstate 86 or I-86) very closely for its entire length. NY 446 was originally designated as part of Route 4, an unsigned legislative route, in 1908. The Hinsdale–Cuba highway received its first posted designation in 1924 when it was included as part of NY 17. It was renumbered twice, becoming part of NY 63 in 1930 and NY 408 in the 1940s, before gaining its current designation on July 1, 1974. Route description NY 446 begins at an intersection with NY 16 in the Hinsdale hamlet of Maplehurst, located a quarter-mile (0.40 km) north of exit 27 on the Southern Tier Expressway (I-86 and NY 17) and roughly north of the larger community of Hinsdale. The route heads northeast through the town of Hinsdale along the base of a valley surrounding Oil Creek. While NY 446 follows the north bank of the creek, the Southern Tier Expressway and the adjacent Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad (WNYP) run along the southern bank. Near the Cattaraugus–Allegany county line, Route 446, Oil Creek, and the WNYP all turn east toward Cuba; however, the expressway continues on a northeasterly alignment to bypass the village to the north. Upon entering Allegany County, NY 446 passes under the Southern Tier Expressway and becomes known as Water Street as it enters Cuba from the west upon traversing Oil Creek. The route continues eastward for three blocks to NY 305 (Genesee Street), where both Water Street and NY 446 terminate approximately a quarter-mile (0.40 km) south of exit 28 on the Southern Tier Expressway. History All of modern NY 446 was originally designated as part of Route 4, a cross-state unsigned legislative route defined by the New York State Legislature in 1908. Route 4 continued south from Hinsdale on what is now NY 16 and east from the village of Cuba on County Route 20. The legislative route system was replaced by the modern state route system in 1924, at which time most of Route 4 was designated NY 17, including from Hinsdale to Cuba.