So, one thing I've been curious about from time to time - what, exactly, does the Postal Service use (or prefer), in terms of the syntax or phrasing of the "street name," when it comes to sending mail to addresses along numbered US and state highways that otherwise have no street name assigned to them?
Is the "street name" normally "Route XX" or "Highway XX," or is it "US Route XX" or "State Route XX" or "[State Name] Highway XX" ? (In these examples, the "XX" is a placeholder for the highway number.) Are there any national standards of any sort, or does it differ based on regional, state, and local conventions? I'm guessing it's probably the latter.
I'm looking forward to seeing who can chime in on this!
I have sent mail to nnnn Hwy 54 and it was delivered OK.
I used to live on US 421, and I actually had to call the post office because i was unsure what to put as my address for packages to be delivered.
It was "1790 US Hwy 421 N"
but i bet it just has to do with what the road is called locally, and town/city limits. I previously lived about a 1/4 mile towards town from there, and the address was "1550 W King St" .
In my experience, the USPS generally follows local custom.
In Martin County N.C. it is US Highway 64 for the street addresses East of Williamston.
Official addresses around here are for "Highway 165" and sometimes South can follow it. But I'm sure "US 165" would get it here just fine, too. I would prefer the correct highway type before the number.
iPhone
In Washington, if the road doesn't have another name, it is referred to as SR-XXX or US-XXX. All the address numbers are based on the mile markers as well. When there is a concurrency, it is based on whichever road has dominance, and that is usually the lower numbered one, but in a few cases it is the one that was there first. However, some jurisdictions have named the highways something different, I'm looking at Mukilteo Speedway (SR-525) in Mukilteo. There the addresses are based on the road name, and the city addressing schema. There are also sections of SR-99 (formerly US-99) that are named HWY-99. These are addressed as either HWY-99 or SR-99, and the addresses are based on mileage, however, the same road (in Everett) changes its name to Evergreen Way, and addressing changes and postal addresses are on Evergreen Way. The confusing thing is sections of former US-99 that are not currently state highways are often named HWY-99 (Olympia and Vancouver do this), and those addresses are on HWY-99, and are based on city/county numbering. Other former sections are named "Old Highway 99" or "Old Pacific Highway", and use local numbering.
One of the museums I belong to is at:
5848 State Highway 12
Suisun City, CA
I'm not sure about Fallbrook, CA, though where "Old Highway 395" [decommissioned segment of US 395] parallels I-15. "Old Highway 395" may be the actual street name.
Quote from: TEG24601 on July 04, 2020, 02:38:30 PM
In Washington, if the road doesn't have another name, it is referred to as SR-XXX or US-XXX. All the address numbers are based on the mile markers as well. When there is a concurrency, it is based on whichever road has dominance, and that is usually the lower numbered one, but in a few cases it is the one that was there first. However, some jurisdictions have named the highways something different, I'm looking at Mukilteo Speedway (SR-525) in Mukilteo. There the addresses are based on the road name, and the city addressing schema. There are also sections of SR-99 (formerly US-99) that are named HWY-99. These are addressed as either HWY-99 or SR-99, and the addresses are based on mileage, however, the same road (in Everett) changes its name to Evergreen Way, and addressing changes and postal addresses are on Evergreen Way. The confusing thing is sections of former US-99 that are not currently state highways are often named HWY-99 (Olympia and Vancouver do this), and those addresses are on HWY-99, and are based on city/county numbering. Other former sections are named "Old Highway 99" or "Old Pacific Highway", and use local numbering.
In O'Fallon, IL (in the St. Louis "Metro East" suburbs), there's a road named "US 50" or "Highway 50" even though it's not officially part of US 50, which runs along I-64. Here's a map: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.5831229,-89.9272817,15z
(My question: Why not call a spade a spade and route US 50 along that road through town, or otherwise just call it "Old US 50" or something like that?)
Quote from: froggie on July 04, 2020, 10:32:35 AM
In my experience, the USPS generally follows local custom.
And not just necessarily local custom, but the official local name for the road as designated by the 911 authority or similar agency.
In my county, the numbered state routes have mail delivery addresses as "Hwy XX" or "Hwy XX (direction)" depending on the route, emanating from the county seat or divergences from concurrencies. Two routes go in either direction from town, so they're designated east, west, north, and south. In the case of KY 708, it has a concurrency with KY 52 so it's divided into Hwy 708 North and Hwy 708 South.
In other counties, numbered routes have local names. The road between Beattyville and Jackson is KY 52. In Lee County, it's Hwy 52 East for mail delivery; for Breathitt County, it's Beattyville Road.
There may still be some counties that use RR or HCR numbers for their home delivery addresses. (Note that in my county, we have rural delivery only and don't have home delivery in town.)
The best are official USPS addresses for Interstate Highway addresses. Only because I work in telecom, have I seen Interstate Highway addresses. Generally to have Internet or Phone hooked up to an Electronic Billboard on the roadside. Also for things like Payphones or Courtesy phones or Internet at Rest Areas, and Phone/Internet lines at Weigh Stations
In the Branson area, I've seen secondary state highways (the lettered ones) addressed by the post office as "State Highway F", for example.
Quote from: ilpt4u on July 04, 2020, 05:08:02 PM
The best are official USPS addresses for Interstate Highway addresses. Only because I work in telecom, have I seen Interstate Highway addresses. Generally to have Internet or Phone hooked up to an Electronic Billboard on the roadside. Also for things like Payphones or Courtesy phones or Internet at Rest Areas, and Phone/Internet lines at Weigh Stations
Addresses on interstate highways are fairly common in Texas, IIRC, where the frontage roads often don't have any other name.
My favorite example of an address using a numbered highway is actually a highway that hasn't existed in decades!
Before I-84 (and before I-86 before that!), CT 15 extended to the MA line (and became MA 15). Part of the old road is still there, serving a few homes and business off of Exit 1, and it still carries the street name "Route 15", a designation it has not carried since 1980!
Quote from: KCRoadFan on July 04, 2020, 03:02:54 PM
Quote from: TEG24601 on July 04, 2020, 02:38:30 PM
In Washington, if the road doesn't have another name, it is referred to as SR-XXX or US-XXX. All the address numbers are based on the mile markers as well. When there is a concurrency, it is based on whichever road has dominance, and that is usually the lower numbered one, but in a few cases it is the one that was there first. However, some jurisdictions have named the highways something different, I'm looking at Mukilteo Speedway (SR-525) in Mukilteo. There the addresses are based on the road name, and the city addressing schema. There are also sections of SR-99 (formerly US-99) that are named HWY-99. These are addressed as either HWY-99 or SR-99, and the addresses are based on mileage, however, the same road (in Everett) changes its name to Evergreen Way, and addressing changes and postal addresses are on Evergreen Way. The confusing thing is sections of former US-99 that are not currently state highways are often named HWY-99 (Olympia and Vancouver do this), and those addresses are on HWY-99, and are based on city/county numbering. Other former sections are named "Old Highway 99" or "Old Pacific Highway", and use local numbering.
In O'Fallon, IL (in the St. Louis "Metro East" suburbs), there's a road named "US 50" or "Highway 50" even though it's not officially part of US 50, which runs along I-64. Here's a map: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.5831229,-89.9272817,15z (https://www.google.com/maps/@38.5831229,-89.9272817,15z)
(My question: Why not call a spade a spade and route US 50 along that road through town, or otherwise just call it "Old US 50" or something like that?)
That would seem logical. However, in some cases you might end up with a situation like Delphi, IN. SR 25 ran into down on what is now called "Samuel Milroy Rd." which prior to the completion of "The Hoosier Heartland Highway" for SR 25, was called "Old 25". Then when the HHH was completed, the old route of SR 25 that was being partially bypassed was named "Old State Rd. 25" and both it and "Old 25" co-existed for several years, until "Old 25" was renamed. Now, a lot of people refer to Main St. as "Old 25" since it did used to be 25, but so did Samuel Milroy, Monroe St., and according to some people, Stoney Creek Rd. I'm sometimes amazed at how many time the 4 highways that travel through this town of ~5,000 have changed.
In Minnesota most rural addresses are "1234 E Highway 61, Anytown, MN 54321" or "12345 County Road 666, Anytown, MN 54321" .
Florida Example:
The Overseas Highway From Key West address use the Mile Marker
MM 29.xx US 1 Marathon, FL
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on July 06, 2020, 01:41:35 PM
Quote from: ilpt4u on July 04, 2020, 05:08:02 PM
The best are official USPS addresses for Interstate Highway addresses. Only because I work in telecom, have I seen Interstate Highway addresses. Generally to have Internet or Phone hooked up to an Electronic Billboard on the roadside. Also for things like Payphones or Courtesy phones or Internet at Rest Areas, and Phone/Internet lines at Weigh Stations
Addresses on interstate highways are fairly common in Texas, IIRC, where the frontage roads often don't have any other name.
My favorite example of an address using a numbered highway is actually a highway that hasn't existed in decades!
Before I-84 (and before I-86 before that!), CT 15 extended to the MA line (and became MA 15). Part of the old road is still there, serving a few homes and business off of Exit 1, and it still carries the street name "Route 15", a designation it has not carried since 1980!
Go to the Pilot Station off of I-84 Exit 1 (soon to be Exit 3) and the receipt you get has a Route 15 address on it.
I remember old street blades in the Wallingford, CT area that used to say "Route 68" for a portion of CT 68. This was back after they had moved the road to the current 4 lane alignment from the old Barnes Rd. The Barnes Rd name has since been transferred to the newer roadway, and the old road is now called Barnes Park Rd North.