is the case in some rural areas. History of the 500-series { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Bergen County 200 Series County Routes.map", } The precursor to the 500 series was a group of three roads in Bergen County which received the numbers 200, 201, and 203 in the late 1930s. 200 ran from Oakland to Alpine; 201 ran from Ridgewood to Alpine; and 203 ran from Weehawken to Alpine. US 202 runs through Bergen County, thus the planners skipped this number. In February 1942, a group of civil defense routes was assigned with numbers in the 500s in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. These roads were designed as through routes for civilian use in case the state highway system was needed by the military during World War II operations. These routes were numbered in relation to existing routes. For example, Civil Route 501 ran parallel to US 1 and Civil Route 532 was an extension of NY 32 into New Jersey. The current series of roads in the 500s was established by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) in 1952. Some of the roads had spurs or alternate routes established; about one-third of these survive today even though such designations were eliminated from the primary state system in the 1953 New Jersey State Highway renumbering. (The others have become 600-series county routes as described below.) Other county routes Though historically many counties had their own numbering systems, today most counties in New Jersey follow the 500-series county routes with their own county routes numbered otherwise, typically in the 600-series. Only two counties – Bergen County and Monmouth County – have not adopted 600-series numbers. Ocean County also has a number of minor one- and two-digit routes in addition to their 600-series routes. While the majority of New Jersey's counties put signs on their 600 (or secondary) routes, Hudson County apparently doesn't sign any of them, and Ocean County has chosen to sporadically sign them. The only 600 signage to appear in Ocean County has been put up as a result of recent construction projects, which can cause confusion for those not familiar with the area. In some counties, the 600-series numbers can break into the 700s and even 800s. Atlantic, Camden, Cumberland, Hudson, Hunterdon, Gloucester, and Passaic Counties continue past the 600-series into routes beginning with 7, and Middlesex County includes one route in the 800s, even