Most boring county

[CapeCodder]

What would you consider the most boring county to drive through? For me it's Macoupin, Montgomery, and McLean Counties in Illinois. When I was a storm chaser I regarded 55 as a river, because there were very few exits along the interstate in those counties.

[Rothman]

With so many to choose from, this becomes a question of how to compare one boring county to another to choose the more boring one.

Still, one of the few trips I found myself getting bored on took me through Jay County, IN.  I'll go with that one, even though I think I was just having an off day.

[roadman65]

I think this is a broad area as many counties in some way or another qualify.  It would be hard to say for me because every county east of Limon, CO on I-70 is as boring as the other on that stretch.  Then again you have Taylor County, FL which is boring to drive on US 19, 98, and 27 Alternate south of Perry.  US 27 in Broward County, FL as well as Palm Beach and the rural part of Miami-Dade County.

Not being snarky, but just saying to me there are a lot of boring counties that do it for me, and one is just the same as the others.  If it was the county that made the road the most boring I would have to say US 19, US 98, and US 27 Alternate between Cross City, FL and Perry, FL (most of it being Taylor) as I had to fight myself to stay awake as the scenery was nothing but blah.

[Pete from Boston]

How much of a county should one see before concluding it's boring?  Interstates usually provide the least insight into where they pass through, yet account for a high proportion of the miles traveled.

[wphiii]

How much of a county should one see before concluding it's boring?  Interstates usually provide the least insight into where they pass through, yet account for a high proportion of the miles traveled.

Yeah, just about every county in the nation has something worth seeing, whether it's a historic site or a natural landmark or just a really cool courthouse. Obviously if you don't make the effort to find those things, it might come across as boring.

[roadman]

Of the counties I've driven through, I consider most of Champaign County in Illinois to be very boring.

[MikeTheActuary]

Boring, Oregon is in Clackamas County.  Does that count? 

In all seriousness, the most boring county in the US is probably more-or-less square, thinly populated, and located between 95° and 105° West longitude.

Elk County Kansas would perhaps be an example of such a contender county.

[Rothman]

Boring, Oregon is in Clackamas County.  Does that count? 

In all seriousness, the most boring county in the US is probably more-or-less square, thinly populated, and located between 95° and 105° West longitude.

Elk County Kansas would perhaps be an example of such a contender county.

Haven't been to Elk, but on a trip I took along US 54 and US 50 a couple of summers ago, I was actually surprised by how scenic the Flint Hills region of Kansas really is.

[empirestate]

Boring, Oregon is in Clackamas County.  Does that count? 

In all seriousness, the most boring county in the US is probably more-or-less square, thinly populated, and located between 95° and 105° West longitude.

Elk County Kansas would perhaps be an example of such a contender county.

Maybe another way to look at it is, what's the most "run-of-the-mill" country? Imagine you wanted to make a diagram of the "typical" county–you'd probably draw a square with two highways crossing at the center and a dot there where the courthouse town is–what county is most similar to that bare-bones basic version, even if it's not actually a boring place to visit?

[keithvh]

Boring, Oregon is in Clackamas County.  Does that count? 

In all seriousness, the most boring county in the US is probably more-or-less square, thinly populated, and located between 95° and 105° West longitude.

Elk County Kansas would perhaps be an example of such a contender county.

I've been to Elk County, Kansas (multiple times!!) and I would say this is definitely NOT a contender county.

As another poster said, it is in the Flint Hills territory and there is definitely some terrain.

If you look at a map, you see that US-160 does not go straight as it crosses Elk County.  There's a reason it isn't straight.   

[keithvh]

I'm doing my couple-times-annual Cincinnati to Detroit trip tomorrow for Thanksgiving.  That drive is boring, boring, boring.  But I would nominate Shelby County, Ohio as the MOST boring singular county in that trip.  Just flat, no-mans-land between Dayton and Lima.

For that matter, Shelby County, INDIANA is also boring --- the most boring part of the Cincinnati-Indianapolis drive on I-74.  At least there's some terrain down in far Southwest Indiana.  But once you reach Shelby County, it's flat and dull, just waiting for Indianapolis to appear.

So, hmmmmmmmm.  Maybe there is a trend here.  Maybe ALL Shelby Counties are boring.  The other Shelby Counties in America:

(1) Shelby County, Alabama: I've never been there.

(2) Shelby County, Illinois: Kind of non-descript Central Illinois plains.  Yeah, it was boring.

(3) Shelby County, Iowa: I've never been here, but I have been to the county just to the southeast.  Cass County, Iowa, which is among the most boring counties on I-80's treck through Iowa.  So, yeah, I'm going to guess Shelby County, Iowa is boring too.

(4) Shelby County, Kentucky: This is in Bourbon Trail Country!!!!!  Most definitely NOT boring!!!!

(5) Shelby County, Missouri: Part of the US-36 Chicago-Kansas City corridor in Northern Missouri.  Which I found to be a pretty boring corridor.  Yes, this one is boring.

(6) Shelby County, Tennessee: This is where Memphis is, urban county, not really boring.

(7) Shelby County, Texas: I've never been here, this is in Piney Woods land.

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So, my conclusion based on this: the "Shelby Counties" in the midwest/Great Lakes region are the most boring "group of similarly named counties."   

[nexus73]

San Francisco.  Hey, at least the city there is pretty cool...LOL!

I wonder where they have the county fair?  The Cow Palace?

Rick

[SD Mapman]

My vote is for one of those counties in central Nebraska (Arthur County, etc.)

[triplemultiplex]

There's about a thousand-way tie for most boring county in the US in my opinion.

[roadman65]

It all depends on the road.  Interstates do not have things on them, therefore its companion US route may have a lot more to see with less boredom.

Oklahoma is one on the Will Rogers Turnpike. Follow it and its nearly straight up and down with nothing worthwhile to see.  Move over to old US 66 and you will see a lot more than the freeway.  I believe that all counties that the Will Rogers Turnpike transits are also counties that Route 66 goes through as well.

[oscar]

There's about a thousand-way tie for most boring county in the US in my opinion.

As someone who's been to all thousand, this sounds about right. Yeah, sometimes you'll find interesting stuff off the beaten path, but not always.

[Quillz]

The 5 through the various Central Valley counties is pretty dull. Occasionally, the West Side Highway starts to gain a bit of elevation on the foothills to the west, otherwise it's just very boring and usually clogged with big rigs.

[rarnold]

All in the "eye of the beholder." I think driving through urban sprawl to be boring, but I love driving through the open country. Other people would disagree. Some people like putting shields on mile markers, I think it is unnecessary, that is what reassurance markers are for.

[roadman65]

Reassurence shields are for non road geeks as regular shields are only post interchanges, and in some states the interchanges are spread out sparsely.

Yes some urban can be boring, though.  Sometimes the country is better to look at.  Heck the PA Turnpike is better west of Valley Forge than it is east of it due the Philly Sprawl.  I like the land on the PA Turnpike so much as you see farms on hillsides from Valley Forge to New Stanton, the furthest west I have been on that system.

[Pete from Boston]

Reassurence shields are for non road geeks as regular shields are only post interchanges, and in some states the interchanges are spread out sparsely.

Reassurance markers differ from "regular" in what way? I must not qualify as a road geek, since they've saved my ass in a number of unfamiliar cities. 

[silverback1065]

All in the "eye of the beholder." I think driving through urban sprawl to be boring, but I love driving through the open country. Other people would disagree. Some people like putting shields on mile markers, I think it is unnecessary, that is what reassurance markers are for.

Driving through downtowns can be interesting, especially if they look nice and have lots of attractions.

[empirestate]

All in the "eye of the beholder." I think driving through urban sprawl to be boring, but I love driving through the open country. Other people would disagree. Some people like putting shields on mile markers, I think it is unnecessary, that is what reassurance markers are for.

Driving through downtowns can be interesting, especially if they look nice and have lots of attractions.

Or if they look terrible and have lots of decay. (You said "interesting", not "appealing".) :-)

[Scott5114]

Cherry County, Nebraska.

[OCGuy81]

How about Pershing County, NV?  That's pretty rough.

[SD Mapman]

Cherry County, Nebraska.

I'd go with Arthur County, myself. Cherry County at least has a sizeable (for upper Plains states) town.