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. These designations are not signed like other highways on normal reassurance marker road signs for drivers to see clearly, with four exceptions.

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 "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), "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: The first digit is 9, distinguishing the number as a reference route designation. The second digit corresponds to the NYSDOT region number the route is in, with regions 10 and 11 using the digit 0. The third digit is 6 for collector/distributor roads along limited access highways, 7–9 for parkways, and 0–5 for all other roads.

An older system of reference route numbering used numbers ranging from 800 to 999 without an alphabetic suffix. Some reference markers with these older numbers still exist, even though these reference routes have new numbers. Every road maintained by NYSDOT also has a state highway (SH) number, used in state laws.For example, from 15 NYCRR 2042.01 City of Schenectady: "State Street, Route 5, SH 9213, at its intersection with Washington Avenue."

Region 1 NYSDOT Region 1 primarily covers the Capital District, Saratoga–Champlain and Upper Hudson Valley areas. The counties comprising this region are Albany, Essex, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, and Washington.

Route Length(mi) Length(km) From Via To Notes 910A NY 32 (Elm Avenue) Feura Bush and Glenmont roads (SH 367) in Bethlehem NY 144 (River Road) Former routing of NY 32 910B NY 5 (Central Avenue) Wolf Road (SH 69-1) in Colonie Albany CR 151 (Albany Shaker Road), To NY 155/Albany International Airport, and I-87 exits 3&4 910C Albany city line Broadway (SH 977) in Menands NY 32 (Wolfert Avenue) Former routing of NY 32 910D NY 155 (Karner Road) in Albany Washington Avenue Extension (SH 67-15) I-90 eastbound Exit 2 in Albany Extended from Fuller Road when that intersection was rebuilt as an interchange 910E NY 85 / NY 140 New Scotland Road (SH 5237) in Bethlehem Albany city line Former number; still shown in the 2017 route log; former routing of NY 85 910F US 20 (Western Avenue) in Guilderland Fuller Road Alternate (SH 59-8 and SH 57-12) I-87 / I-90 in Albany 910G Albany CR 354 / CR 362 Potter Hollow Road (SH 364) in Rensselaerville NY 81 at NY 145 910H NY 143 Beckman Road in Westerlo NY 32 Former number 910J NY 443 Thacher Park Road (SH 5501) in Berne NY 157A 910K I-87 exit 29 Blue Ridge Road (SH 8535) in North Hudson US 9 910L NY 9N / NY 22 Bridge Road (SH 1796 and SH 9527) in Crown Point Crown Point Bridge at Vermont state line (became Vermont Route 17) Former number; formerly NY 903; now NY 185 910M John Brown's Grave John Brown Road (SH 1945) in North Elba NY 73 910P US 9W US 9W north ramps (SH 8482) in Catskill NY 23 910U NY 385 Mansion Street Extension (SH 5198) in Coxsackie US 9W Former routing of US 9W 911E NY 32 (Highland Avenue) Lower Warren Street (SH 656) in Queensbury NY 254 (Quaker Road) 911F Nott Street in Schenectady Erie Boulevard and Freemans Bridge Road (SH 82-20 and SH 1172) NY 50 in Glenville 911G NY 146 / NY 914T Union Street (SH 1) in Niskayuna NY 7 Formerly NY 950; former routing of NY 7 911H NY 7 (Curry Road) Altamont Avenue (SH 577B) in Rotterdam Schenectady city line Formerly NY 951; former routing of NY 7 911P I-87 exit 8 Crescent Road (SH 9385) in Halfmoon US 9 Formerly NY 819; previously NY 819 went from CR 47 in Rome via Rabbitt and Old Floyd roads to NY 365 in Floyd 911T Pierce Road Ushers Road (SH 9386) in Clifton Park US 9 Formerly NY 822 911U I-87 exit 11 in Malta Round Lake Road (SH 9387) US 9 in Round Lake Former number; Formerly NY 823 911V Austin Acres Road Mohican Trail (SH 613) in Catskill I-87 / Thruway exit 21 Continues in both directions as Greene CR 23B 912C NY 156 Main Street (one block of SH 849) in Altamont NY 146 912E NY 85A Wye connection (SH 8461) in New Scotland NY 155 Eliminated due to construction of a roundabout 912F US 9 / US 20 Miller Road (SH 9394) in Schodack Reno Road Serves I-90 exit 10 912G US 20 (Madison Avenue) Grand Street (SH 67-1) in Albany Market Street 912M I-87 / Thruway in Coeymans Berkshire Connector (SH 56004, SH 56070, SH 56003, and SH 56001) I-90 in Schodack Maintained by the New York State Thruway Authority 912Q I-87 exit 22 Ramp connection (SH 63-6) in Lake George NY 9N Connects I-87 with US 9 and NY 9N 912S US 9W (McCarty Avenue) Ramp connection (SH 62-4 and SH 62-3) in Albany I-787 exit 1 912T NY 373 Wye connection (SH 1946) in Chesterfield US 9 912V NY 146 Wye connection (SH 5721) in Clifton Park NY 146A Eliminated in 2019 due to construction of a roundabout 912W NY 337 (Campbell Road) at I-890 exit 2 Rice Road (SH 641 and SH 1853) in Rotterdam I-890 exit 4 Former extension of NY 5S 913B NY 85 Wye connection (SH 1280) in Westerlo NY 143 913C NY 157 Wye connection (SH 8244) in New Scotland NY 85 913D NY 157 Wye connection (SH 5724) in Berne NY 157A 913E NY 156 Wye connection (SH 978) in Knox NY 157 913G NY 7 at I-890 exit 9 Curry Road (SH 9371) in Guilderland East of I-890 913H US 9W / NY 32 Wye connection (SH 5499) in Bethlehem NY 32 913J NY 32 Wye connection (SH 9101) in Bethlehem US 9W 913M NY 30 Wye connection (SH 789) in Duanesburg NY 159 913P NY 9P Wye connection (SH 1528) in Stillwater NY 423 Wye replaced by T-intersection before March 2022 Google Maps, , March 2022 913Q Mount Van Hoevenberg Bobsled Run Road (SH 67-17) in North Elba NY 73 913T NY 32 Ramp connection (SH 68-2) in Menands I-787 exit 6 913V Empire State Plaza South Mall Arterial (SH 74-1, SH 67-2, and SH 67-12) in Albany US 20 914A NY 22 Moses Road and Main Street (SH 5478) in Petersburg NY 2 Two connecting roads; former routing of NY 2 914B NY 337 (Campbell Road) at I-890 exit 2 Campbell Road Extension (SH 70-4) in Rotterdam Old Rice Road 914C Washington Avenue Ring Road ramps (SH 63-13) in Albany Washington Avenue Former number; still shown in the 2017 route log. 914D NY 915D (Broadway) at I-890 exit 5 Broadway (SH 53-7) in Schenectady Millard Street and Edison Avenue 914E Millard Street Veeder Avenue (SH 63-6) in Schenectady NY 5 (State Street) 914F US 20 Wye connection (SH 439) in Nassau NY 66914HNew York State Department of Transportation, Official Description of Designated Qualifying and Access Highways in New York State, October 2020I-787/NY 7SH 69-6Arch StreetFormer number; now NY 787 914T NY 5 Balltown Road (SH 9420) in Niskayuna NY 146 / NY 911G Reference markers show NY 546 914V NY 50 in Glenville Glenridge Road (SH 9421 and SH 9459) NY 146 in Clifton Park 915B Hudson Avenue in Green Island Green Island Bridge (SH 75-77) US 4 in Troy 915C US 4 / NY 32 (Hudson Avenue) in Stillwater Stillwater Bridge (SH 1791) Rensselaer CR 125 at Canal Road in Schaghticoke Former routing of NY 67 915D NY 914D (Broadway) at I-890 exit 5 Broadway (SH 89-2) in Schenectady Weaver Street 915E NY 151 3rd Avenue Extension (SH 5533) in East Greenbush US 4 Former routing of NY 43 915F I-87 exit 27 Vanderwalker Road (SH 65-10) in Schroon US 9 915G NY 7 Bennington Bypass in Hoosick Vermont state line (becomes Vermont Route 279) 915H I-87 New York State Thruway (SH 53002) in Albany I-90 Maintained by the New York State Thruway Authority 915J NY 911U near I-87 exit 11 in Malta Round Lake Bypass (SH 9387 and SH 2006-3) US 9 / NY 67 in Round Lake Opened 2009 915K US 9 / NY 22 Connector highway in Chesterfield I-87 exit 33 Assigned between 2007 and 2009 915L NY 85 Maher Road (SH 64-13) in Bethlehem NY 910E Former number; assigned between 2009 and 2012; still shown in the 2017 route log; former routing of NY 85 915M Schenectady CR 69 at Tower Avenue Chrisler Avenue (SH 60-9) in Rotterdam I-890 / NY 7 Assigned between 2009 and 2012 915P I-87 in Warrensburg I-87 exit 24 Warren CR 10 (Schroon River Road) in Warrensburg 915QUS 20SH 78-3 in DuanesburgNY 7I-88 exit 24 connection 917A US 9 Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway (SH 66-1) in Lake George Prospect Mountain Maintained by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Region 2 Region 2 primarily covers the Central, Mohawk Valley, and south-central Adirondack areas of New York. The counties comprising this region are Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison, Montgomery, and Oneida.