What is the most important us highway?

[Roadgeekteen]

US 1 maybe?

[hotdogPi]

US 1 maybe?

US 1 closely parallels an Interstate for much of its length. I was thinking US 101, which is partially a freeway.

[NE2]

The one to Banville.

[Brandon]

US 1 maybe?

What does US-1 do that I-95 doesn't?

US-101 might be a better answer.

[Quillz]

The answer would probably be a US route that hasn't yet seen major replacement by interstate highways. Off hand, some include US-101, US-95, US-89, and US-395. I'm sure there are quite a few more, as well. Of the ones I listed, I'd have to say US-101. Hasn't been replaced by I-5, is a major freeway in its own right through Los Angeles, is a major street through San Francisco, and travels through some of the more populated coastal cities north of the Bay Area, like Eureka, Lincoln City, Astoria, etc.

[ilpt4u]

The answer would probably be a US route that hasn't yet seen major replacement by interstate highways.

US 41 still serves some places well that don't have an actual Interstate -- tho the "promotion" to Interstate 41 in WI takes down that non-interstate mileage. I-69 in KY isn't helping either

US 20 is split pretty well between I-80 and I-90 from Rockford, IL westward into the Great Plains states -- not exactly a population center, but does serve E-W connectivity in a bit of an Interstate void area

US 30 across OH and IN someday might make a bid to become an extended I-76, but at the moment, it is a pretty decently traveled corridor, and some parts are Freeway upgraded

US 31 North of Indy is an area void of Interstates, and US 31 fills that void

[The Nature Boy]

I'll nominate US 2 for northern New England, it's the primary east-west route since there's no interstate highway through there.

[nexus73]

Funny to see 101 mentioned even though it is my "home" highway and my favorite.  I figured the most important would be a coast to coast route like US 20 or 30.  101 does have a lot to offer though although 2017's offerings in NorCal consist of lots of road damage being repaired.  That won't be done by the time the next rainy season begins so it may be a while for clear sailing on the Pacific Coast!

Rick

[Quillz]

I figured the most important would be a coast to coast route like US 20 or 30.

This would have been true historically, but in a modern context, not so much. US-20 has been largely replaced by I-90, and US-30 has a similar fate. In Oregon, for example, US-30 is almost unnecessary east of Portland, since it mainly serves just as short business loops for I-84.

[nexus73]

I figured the most important would be a coast to coast route like US 20 or 30.

This would have been true historically, but in a modern context, not so much. US-20 has been largely replaced by I-90, and US-30 has a similar fate. In Oregon, for example, US-30 is almost unnecessary east of Portland, since it mainly serves just as short business loops for I-84.

I-90 replaced US 10.  US 20 has no parallel Interstate in Oregon.  This US highway sits in between two widely separated Interstates (80 and 90) and serves more rural areas all the way to Chicago from eastern Idaho to the Windy City.  East of there you are right about US 20 being very close to I-90 though.  For the western US, 20 is still a key route.

US 30 runs so close to Interstates 84 and 80 for the most part that it is not so important in these times, so I'll agree to agree with you there!

Rick   

[Brandon]

I would say that the most important current US highway is one that goes to a lot of big places that the interstates don't necessarily connect.  Prior to the interstate system, I would've said various ones such as US-30, US-66, and others.  There are a number of US highways that really haven't been supplanted by interstates, but how important are they?  I mean, US-2 is fairly independent throughout its entire length, but the biggest places it connects are Grand Forks and Duluth, then Spokane and Everett.

US-101 connects the Bay Area with LA and everything in between on the California coast totally independent of I-5.  Then it goes north and connects coastal cities on the far side of a mountain range from I-5.

US-395 does connect a lot of places independent of I-5 and I-15; however, the places are smaller than US-101.  US-395 connects LA with Reno (and the east side of the Sierras), the Tri-Cities, and Spokane.

US-95, while independent of the interstates, is pretty desolate outside of Las Vegas and a few other places (mostly north).

US-20 west of Rockford, IL isn't a bad choice either.  East of Rockford, it's all parallel to an interstate somewhere.  Iowa even goes so far as to treat it as a freeway in many places.

US-131, while small, is treated as a freeway over much of its length by MDOT (same foes for US-127 and US-23 in the same state).

I'd say a combination of freeway length, cities served, and independence from interstates should be the factors.  Thus, again, my nominee is US-101.  Much of it in California is freeway-grade (especially from LA to the Bay Area), it connects some very big areas, and it is fully independent of I-5.

[Chris19001]

I would argue for US-1 to be high on the list as well.
My definition of "important" has no disqualification for being paralleled by an interstate.  If we were talking freight corridors, I'd answer differently, but US-1 goes through a TON of significant towns and cities along the east coast and garners the associated local or regional traffic.  It was formed onto some of the earliest roads in the country and still local carries traffic into town centers along the whole coast.

[Brandon]

I would argue for US-1 to be high on the list as well.
My definition of "important" has no disqualification for being paralleled by an interstate.  If we were talking freight corridors, I'd answer differently, but US-1 goes through a TON of significant towns and cities along the east coast and garners the associated local or regional traffic.  It was formed onto some of the earliest roads in the country and still local carries traffic into town centers along the whole coast.

True, but the function of US-1 has been supplanted by I-95 for most of its length.  Pre-1956, it should be high on the list.  With I-95 there, I don't agree.

[bzakharin]

How about US 202 for the Northeast? Not too many freeway segments, but relatively few Interstate parallels and does connect Wilmington, Philly and NYC suburbs, Springfield, MA, Concord, NH, and points in Maine.

[hotdogPi]

How about US 202 for the Northeast? Not too many freeway segments, but relatively few Interstate parallels and does connect Wilmington, Philly and NYC suburbs, Springfield, MA, Concord, NH, and points in Maine.

US 202 is zigzaggy and multiplexes with way too many routes. Especially in Maine.

[paulthemapguy]

I'd like to nominate US50.  It's nearly coast-to-coast, and it almost never has an Interstate parallel to it.  It does its own thing and isn't rendered redundant by an Interstate overlapping its corridor.

[ilpt4u]

I'd like to nominate US50.  It's nearly coast-to-coast, and it almost never has an Interstate parallel to it.  It does its own thing and isn't rendered redundant by an Interstate overlapping its corridor.

US 50 in IL still bothers me - the 2nd carriageway for a divided highway, maybe even freeway, is built in many pieces across the state, including over and under passes, and it is sitting there abandoned and rotting. Other pieces are missing, so the 2nd carriageway isn't complete, but the ROW is all there

[Quillz]

I'd like to nominate US50.  It's nearly coast-to-coast, and it almost never has an Interstate parallel to it.  It does its own thing and isn't rendered redundant by an Interstate overlapping its corridor.

Roughly half of the route through California was obsoleted by I-80, which is why US-50 doesn't reach the Bay Area anymore. But otherwise, I kind of agree with this. East of Sacramento, it serves an important corridor south of I-80 and is basically the best way into Lake Tahoe, as it hits the main city (South Lake Tahoe) and I-80 is too far north of it. It's also the infamous "Loneliest Highway in America" through Nevada, which has originally a backhanded compliment but has since become something of a tourist destination in of itself (along with the Extraterrestrial Highway).

[Flint1979]

I would say that the most important current US highway is one that goes to a lot of big places that the interstates don't necessarily connect.  Prior to the interstate system, I would've said various ones such as US-30, US-66, and others.  There are a number of US highways that really haven't been supplanted by interstates, but how important are they?  I mean, US-2 is fairly independent throughout its entire length, but the biggest places it connects are Grand Forks and Duluth, then Spokane and Everett.

US-101 connects the Bay Area with LA and everything in between on the California coast totally independent of I-5.  Then it goes north and connects coastal cities on the far side of a mountain range from I-5.

US-395 does connect a lot of places independent of I-5 and I-15; however, the places are smaller than US-101.  US-395 connects LA with Reno (and the east side of the Sierras), the Tri-Cities, and Spokane.

US-95, while independent of the interstates, is pretty desolate outside of Las Vegas and a few other places (mostly north).

US-20 west of Rockford, IL isn't a bad choice either.  East of Rockford, it's all parallel to an interstate somewhere.  Iowa even goes so far as to treat it as a freeway in many places.

US-131, while small, is treated as a freeway over much of its length by MDOT (same foes for US-127 and US-23 in the same state).

I'd say a combination of freeway length, cities served, and independence from interstates should be the factors.  Thus, again, my nominee is US-101.  Much of it in California is freeway-grade (especially from LA to the Bay Area), it connects some very big areas, and it is fully independent of I-5.

In Michigan, I think that every US highway in the Lower Peninsula is a freeway at some point or another. None in the Upper Peninsula are that I know of anyway. But US 10, 12, 23, 31, 127, 131 and 223 have freeway portions at some point or another. The only Lower Peninsula US highway that isn't is US 24.

[doorknob60]

While I think I agree with US-101 being #1, what about US-287? It serves as a major link between Dallas/Fort Worth and Denver, and also a shorter but still well traveled link between Fort Collins and Laramie. I am going through plans in my head of a potential trip to Texas, and I just realized I would probably spend a huge amount of that time on US-287, which I think is pretty cool (though routing down US-191 and US-550 to I-40 in NM is about the same distance, and would win out for at least one way of the trip, though that routing still involves long segments of US-287).

Going off similar logic, US-93 is a contender, being the primary link between Phoenix and Las Vegas, though that is a shorter distance than Denver to DFW, and the rest of the US-93 corridor is arguably less important. But worth noting. I mean, there's a reason they want to turn it into I-11.

[bugo]

266 or 730

[bing101]

US-101 in the Bay Area because of Silicon Valley VC's and tech industries in the area.


US-50 in the Sacramento area due to exits going directly to California state agencies in Downtown Sacramento.

[bugo]

US 75 is a contender. It used to go through Houston but it still goes to Dallas, the northern Texas suburbs, through Tulsa, Topeka, Omaha, Sioux City and Moorhead, MN which is in the Fargo metro area. Most of it is quite independent of parallel interstates.

[Quillz]

US-97 is another contender. It serves an important corridor through Oregon, and hasn't been relegated by interstate highways for nearly its entire length. It transitions directly into BC-97, which is the longest state/provincial highway in North America, and from there goes into Alaska. From what I've read, the Oregon alignment was once proposed to be part of an extended I-82, but nothing came of these plans.

[Max Rockatansky]

US 101 by far, especially considering it is at minimum an expressway that is the most direct route between Los Angeles and San Francisco....no traffic lights either.