Current VA 40 appears, from Woolwine to Keysville
1933 Official

VA 40 extended from Keysville to Claremont
Oct 1934 Official

VA 40 with 301 duplex and big dip 1934 Official

VA 40 straightened out 1936 Official

Sometime after 1936, VA 40 was removed from Main St in Brookneal.
In Feb 1937 (CTB), VA 40 was rebuilt in the Cody area, leaving behind SR 668 and abandoned routing.

VA 40 original Cody route 1936 Halifax County

VA 40 straightened out. 1940 Halifax County

In Sept 1938 (CTB), VA 40 swapped routes with SR 753 in Rocky Mount. The old route used Hatcher St/Dent St/College St/Franklin St/High St. Now VA 40 used Franklin St all the way to today's US 220 Business as it does now.

VA 40 original Rocky Mount routing 1936 Franklin County

VA 40 current Rocky Mount routing 1958 Franklin County

In Oct 1938 (CTB), VA 40 was removed from Ragsdale St in McKenney which became SR 713 (now SR 1001). This also eliminated a brief duplex with US 1. In July 1940 (CTB), VA 40 was removed from SR 792 near Union Hall. In Sept 1940 (CTB), VA 40 was placed on new construction east off VA 35 leaving behind more SR 634. In May 1943 (CTB), VA 40 was removed from SR 805 Nolens Hill Rd in Ferrum. In April 1947 (CTB), VA 40 was put on a newly built 2-mile section to go around Fort Pickett on the north side east of Blackstone. In March 1950 (CTB), VA 40 was removed from SR 703 and a bit of VA 47 east of Charlotte CH. VA 40 looping over 1949 Official VA 40 straight in 1951 Official

VA 40 original McKenney routing 1936 Dinwiddie County

In April 1951 (CTB), VA 40 east was truncated to VA 10 Spring Grove, leaving behind SR 646.
In Sept 1957 (CTB), VA 40 was removed from T1012 in Phenix.
Also about 1957, VA 40 was removed from Old Court St in Victoria.
In April 1958 (CTB), VA 40 was removed from SR 775 Neblett Field Rd south of Victoria.
In March 1966 (CTB), VA 40 was rebuilt from Keysville west 5 miles, leaving behind some abandoned segments.
In July 1966 (CTB), VA 40 was given its nominal bypass of Ferrum leaving behind SR 915, a bit of SR 623, and SR 805 Fieldcrest Rd.
In Feb 1973 (CTB), VA 40 was removed from SR 614 Sunnyside Rd west out of McKenney.
In April 1974 (CTB), VA 40 was removed from SR 606 Beaver Dam Rd east of Waverly.
In May 1981 (CTB), VA 40 was removed from a bit of SR 736 west of Kenbridge.
Also around 1981, VA 40 was given a bypass of Stony Creek as part of its intersection with the newly arriving I-95, leaving behind VA 40 Business and F317.
Improvements:  Upon designation VA 40 was paved from Rocky Mount to Keysville
In 1934, VA 40 was paved on its eastern extension from Keysville to McKenney and from Stony Creek to Claremont.
In 1936, VA 40 was paved from Ferrum to Rocky Mount; Stony Creek west to the Dinwiddie Line.
In 1938, VA 40 was paved from McKenney to the Sussex Line.
Between 1942-44, VA 40 was paved from Ferrum west to SR 605.
VA 40 became fully paved in 1949 when the unpaved portion from Woolwine to SR 605 was paved.
VA 40 is multilane only from US 220 to VA 122. Official maps say this happened in 2002 but it might be older than that.
Posted:  Fully posted; last cutout I was aware of was in Blackstone, removed sometime after 1992.
Multiplexes:  US 220 Bus (0.03 mi)
US 501 (1.82 mi)
VA 47 (0.10 mi)
US 15 Bus, US 360 Bus (0.56 mi)
VA 49 (3.39 mi)
US 460 Bus (0.59 mi)
Truck Route: There is a signed VA 40 TRUCK in Victoria using Railroad Ave and Tidewater Ave. The point is to avoid a tight turn onto VA 40-49 Court St.
Legislative names:  W. Hank Norton Highway, Patrick/Franklin line to Rocky Mount (since 3-28-94); Patrick Henry Highway, Brookneal to Keysville (2-18-28 designation predates VA 40)
Sheriff W. Shively Memorial Bridge over RR in Ferrum (4-25-68); Stanhope Hurt Bridge over Pigg River (3-27-40); Millard B. Rice Jr Memorial Bridge over Cub Creek in Phenix (12-17-98)
Other names:  Charity Hwy (Patrick Co); Franklin St (Franklin Co); Main St/Pell Ave (Rocky Mount); Gretna Rd (Pittsylvania Co); Valden Dr (Gretna); Stage Coach Rd (Halifax Co); Lusardi Dr (Brookneal); Wickliffe Ave (Campbell Co); Main St (Phenix); David Bruce Ave (Charlotte CH); George Washingtn Hwy (Charlotte Co e of VA 47); Church St/McDonald Rd (Keysville); Lunenburg Hwy Charlotte Co e of US 15-360 Bus); Lunenburg County Rd (Lunenburg Co w of VA 49); Courthouse Rd (VA 49 dup); Court St/Main St (Victoria); K-V Rd (Victoria to Kenbridge); Main St/Broad St (Kenbridge); Kenbridge Rd (Nottoway Co e of Kenbridge); Main St/Dinwiddie Ave (Blackstone); Darvills Rd Blackstone to SR 644); Old Cryors Rd (SR 644 to SR 610); McKenney Hwy (Dinwiddie Co e of SR 610); Doyle Blvd (McKenney); Sussex Dr (Sussex Co); Main St (Waverly); Martin Luther King Hwy (Surry Co)
Scenic Byway:  Campbell SR 600 to Charlotte CH (sometime after 2003).
Comment: VA 40 is currently the longest state route in Virginia.
VA 40 west of Ferrum is not recommended for trucks. Although there is not much elevation change on its way over to Woolwine, there are numerous sharp curves and few straight stretches. There are a few wooden bridges used by VA 40 out this way though they do have a layer of pavement over them.
The 1939 VDOT report on primary system development had recommended that VA 40 be decommissioned from VA 8 to then-VA 109 and also from Waverly to Spring Grove.

VA 40 #1: Appeared in June 1923 (CTB) as a renumbering of VA 12-X from VA 10 High St Portsmouth south via Courth Ave/4th (now Port Centre Pkwy); Lincoln St; Deep Creek Blvd; today's US 17 Bus; US 17 or in some places a converted bike path along the Dismal Swamp Canal to the North Carolina State Line to connect with NC 341. In late 1926, US 17 was added to the entirety of VA 40. By 1928, VA 40 was removed from Lincoln/Deep Creek Blvd and instead used today's Portsmouth Blvd to today's VA 141 southwest to current US 17 down to today's US 13-460 where it reconnected with the old Deep Creek Blvd routing. About 1932, VA 40 was moved from 4th/Court to current VA 337 Elm south to today's US 17. In July 1933, VA 40 was dropped from US 17. Note that VA 40 used the now-bypassed Fenway Ave and Old George Washington Highway between I-64 and US 13-460 Military Hwy.

Original VA 40 1924 Official

VA 40 original Portsmouth routing 1923 Auto Trails

VA 40 rerouted off Lincoln/Deep Creek Blvd 1931 Official

VA 40 rerouted onto Elm 1932 Official

VA 40 #2: The 1933 draft route log had VA 40 running from US 221 Burkeville (really) southwest to Danville via Keysville and Halifax, then southeast into NC. This would've replaced US 501 Burkeville to Halifax; VA 12 Halifax to Danville; VA 301 Danville to NC.
This was part of Virginia's wish to eliminate US 501 in Virginia.
Instead, what happened in July 1933 was Burkeville to Danville became US 360 (though VDOH actually requested US 33) and Danville to NC became VA 86.

VA 40 running Burkeville to Danville and NC
1933 draft route log