Highways on Jeopardy!

[NWI_Irish96]

Board member Ken Jennings delivered this clue for Final Jeopardy today:



Only one of the three got it correct. The other two named the state with the second most mileage.

[US 89]

I figured I had a 50/50 shot. I guessed right.

[Dough4872]

Roadgeeks should have an easy time getting this answer.

[tmoore952]

^Same here (same as the post that says "50/50").

This hasn't aired in my city yet (show is just starting as I write this). My wife always watches; I rarely get to. I'll ask when I get home.

[LilianaUwU]

What is Texas?

[hotdogPi]

How were you able to see the episode several hours early?

[SEWIGuy]

How were you able to see the episode several hours early?

It's syndicated so it depends on who owns the rights in the various local markets.

[BrianP]

I got it right by focusing in on the last part. 

[CtrlAltDel]

I got it right by focusing in on the last part.

That didn't help me too much, since there is one Interstate in each of the two states that are considerably longer than the others. I guessed by surmising how much more or less Interstate mileage would reflect differences in terrain between the two states.

[Henry]

It figures: I-10 in "Texas" is 880 miles long, and so I'm betting that the other two players who answered wrong said "California", based on I-5 almost being 800 miles long. It certainly looks like it could have that many miles of freeways, but all those state routes would cut back the Interstate mileage by a considerably large amount. The top five state segments in the Interstate system are:

I-10 TX: 881 miles
I-5 CA: 797 miles
I-20 TX: 636 miles
I-90 MT: 552 miles
I-35 TX: 504 miles

[TheHighwayMan3561]

How were you able to see the episode several hours early?

It's syndicated so it depends on who owns the rights in the various local markets.

Someone did a fun table of where/when it airs across the country. With limited exception it airs in the afternoon in Central markets.

https://jeopardy.mattcarberry.com/stations.html

[NWI_Irish96]

How were you able to see the episode several hours early?

It airs in most markets between 6-8 pm, but in Chicago it airs at 3:30. I think there are some places that air it as early as 9 am.

[NWI_Irish96]

I got it right by focusing in on the last part.

That didn't help me too much, since there is one Interstate in each of the two states that are considerably longer than the others. I guessed by surmising how much more or less Interstate mileage would reflect differences in terrain between the two states.

Both have a very long side, allowing I-10 and I-80 to be very long, but Texas' N-S interstates are much longer than California's E-W interstates.

[Jim]

So according to TM, Texas has over 3500 miles of interstates.  Yes, that's more than 3200, but a lot more than 3200.

[1995hoo]

So according to TM, Texas has over 3500 miles of interstates.  Yes, that's more than 3200, but a lot more than 3200.

We don't know when the clue was written. Don't forget that Hollywood has been dealing with a writers' strike. Jeopardy announced that they were going to be re-using older clues for the "Champions' Wildcard" tournaments in order to allow them to record new episodes during the writers' strike when they weren't getting new clues. So maybe that particular clue was written prior to the designation of routes like the assorted I-69s, I-2, etc.

Edited to add: I went to Travel Mapping and added up the mileage listed for I-2, I-14, the various I-69s, and the two I-69 3dis. Total came to 246.13 miles. Subtracting that from the 3526.78 total listed mileage yields 3280.65. So depending on the clue was written, "more than 3,200" wouldn't have been an unreasonable way to write it.

[Rothman]

It'd be helpful if FHWA did a better job updating its log of Interstate highways...

[achilles765]

I did see this. And I knew it immediately.
I watch everyday because I'm actively trying to become a contestant. Have a final mock game audition on November 14 *fingers crossed*

[NWI_Irish96]

I did see this. And I knew it immediately.
I watch everyday because I'm actively trying to become a contestant. Have a final mock game audition on November 14 *fingers crossed*

I just don't care enough about literature, mythology or film to commit enough to memory in those categories to succeed on the show.

[CtrlAltDel]

I did see this. And I knew it immediately.
I watch everyday because I'm actively trying to become a contestant. Have a final mock game audition on November 14 *fingers crossed*

Break a leg!

[CtrlAltDel]

Both have a very long side, allowing I-10 and I-80 to be very long, but Texas' N-S interstates are much longer than California's E-W interstates.

I-80 isn't all that long in California. Was this a brain fart for I-5?

[NWI_Irish96]

Both have a very long side, allowing I-10 and I-80 to be very long, but Texas' N-S interstates are much longer than California's E-W interstates.

I-80 isn't all that long in California. Was this a brain fart for I-5?

Yes.

[tmoore952]

How were you able to see the episode several hours early?

It's syndicated so it depends on who owns the rights in the various local markets.

I was already aware of the differences in airing times.  Due to someone from an "early" market posting about it at the time, I knew that Amy Schneider (a 40x champion from a couple years ago) was going to lose that evening. I did not tell my wife beforehand but I did watch to see how it unfolded.

I forgot to ask my wife about the final question last night.

My wife attempted to get on the show about 30 years ago but failed. We would do well if we could combine our brains. Unfortunately, as I age, I have more of those moments where I can't remember the right answer in time.

[SectorZ]

I know I don't shut up about roads when my wife guesses right as fast as I do.

[triplemultiplex]

The second part of the question where one route accounts for a quarter of the mileage; I wonder how long it will take for that to no longer be true?  Gotta be getting close with every new spate of I-69 shields posted in the field.

[paulthemapguy]

I was like 80% sure it was Texas.  California might give Texas more of a run for its money if US101 became an Interstate.