In a 1964 letter to AASHO (back when Oklahoma was still trying to get US 377 extended into their state), the DOT wrote that Ada (pop. 14k) claimed to be the largest city in the U.S. that was not on a US numbered highway. I seriously doubt that was true, not even close. But it's an interesting question: since 1960 was essentially the pinnacle of the US route system, what were the largest cities at that time that were not served by a US route? Don't say "Fresno"; remember we're using 1960 census data here, which was prior to the time California (or any other state) had started decommissioning US routes. (I see Utica NY had over 100k at the time, but cities in New York might have to be in a separate category, since the US route network in that state was less dense than everywhere else.)
Lawrence, Massachusetts? (71k but dropping at the time)
EDIT: Brockton is larger (barely), but it was also growing unlike Lawrence
Bloomington, IN (~31k population in the 1960s)...
Quote from: Great Lakes Roads on March 12, 2024, 10:21:33 PM
Bloomington, IN (~31k population in the 1960s)...
Bloomington has never had a US (non-Interstate) numbered highway. It's always been the largest city in Indiana, not including Indy and Chicago suburbs, to have never had one.
I'm a Bloomington native, and never understood why a decent-sized city with the state's major university located there never had one. It did have a leg of the old Dixie Highway prior to highway numbering, but that's as close as they ever got.
If we're using a strict definition of "US Highway within the city limits": Hayward, California had a population of 72,700 in the 1960 Census. US 50 passed through the adjacent unincorporated area of Castro Valley but just missed the northern city limit of Hayward.
Looking through the list of cities in the LA area that exceeded 72K in the 1960 Census, I can't find any that qualify, because LA sure had a lot of US Highways back then.
Quote from: gonealookin on March 12, 2024, 11:52:20 PM
If we're using a strict definition of "US Highway within the city limits": Hayward, California had a population of 72,700 in the 1960 Census. US 50 passed through the adjacent unincorporated area of Castro Valley but just missed the northern city limit of Hayward.
Interestingly, Hayward did have a US route in the past, possibly two: US 48 and US 101E. (Though both were gone by 1938)
Honolulu. Hawaii just received statehood.
Quote from: Big John on March 13, 2024, 04:08:02 AM
Honolulu. Hawaii just received statehood.
Alaska and Hawaii have never had them.