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[mgk920]

A recent video clip from Big Rig Steve where he drove part of US 730 between the Tri Cities of Washington and I-84 in Oregon brought an interesting question to my mind - what are currently the shortest signed US highways?  Also, what were the shortest historic US highways?  (Former US 110 in Wisconsin has to be at or near the top of that list.)

Mike

[jp the roadgeek]

US 46 75.34 miles.

[Max Rockatansky]

Here you go:

http://www.usends.com/30-39/630/630.html

Some of the shorter routes that come to kind today mostly exist because they traverse multiple states or straddle state lines (US 46 comes to mind in that instance).  Some of the more notable I can think of from modern times include:

US 199:  80 miles
US 163:  64.6 miles
US 195:  94 miles
US 46:  75.3 miles
US 192:  75.5 miles
US 57:  98 miles
US 130:  83.5 miles
US 113:  74.8 miles

Basically I tried to keep it under 100 miles and just stuff that popped into my head. 

[NE2]

You can sort this table by length: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Numbered_Highways
US 730 42
US 266 43
US 223 59
US 211 61
US 197 64
US 138 72
US 113 73
US 46 75
US 123 75
US 192 75

[CNGL-Leudimin]

A recent video clip from Big Rig Steve where he drove part of US 730 between the Tri Cities of Washington and I-84 in Oregon brought an interesting question to my mind - what are currently the shortest signed US highways?  Also, what were the shortest historic US highways?  (Former US 110 in Wisconsin has to be at or near the top of that list.)

I also watched him as he drove on US 730, the shortest current US highway. The shortest US highway ever was another child of US 30, US 630 near Weiser ID, at 3.4 miles (5.5 km) according to Google Maps. It is now Spur US 95 (which Google Maps incorrectly shows as Bus US 95). Interestingly enough, despite being the shortest route ever it was in compliance with AASHTO guidelines as it crossed into OR.

[usends]

You can sort this table by length: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Numbered_Highways
US 730 42
US 266 43
US 223 59
US 211 61
US 197 64
US 138 72
US 113 73
US 46 75
US 123 75
US 192 75

So that answers the question about current US routes.  As far as historic routes, there were several that were shorter than the existing US 730, including the one mentioned in the OP:
US 630: 3 (although this was probably never signposted; see https://www.usends.com/1926-almost-routes.html )
US 530: 25
US 320: 26
US 650: 27
US 110: 30
US 189: 30
US 118: 35
US 102: 36
US 154: 36
US 430: 37
US 230: 40
US 420: 41
US 331: 45
US 295: 45
US 730: 47
(Mileages are maximum historic extents, as listed on the now-defunct us-highways.com)

[edited to add note about US 630]

[Max Rockatansky]

You can sort this table by length: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Numbered_Highways
US 730 42
US 266 43
US 223 59
US 211 61
US 197 64
US 138 72
US 113 73
US 46 75
US 123 75
US 192 75

So that answers the question about current US routes.  As far as historic routes, there were several that were shorter than the existing US 730, including the one mentioned in the OP:
US 630: 3
US 530: 25
US 320: 26
US 650: 27
US 110: 30
US 189: 30
US 118: 35
US 102: 36
US 154: 36
US 430: 37
US 230: 40
US 420: 41
US 331: 45
US 295: 45
US 730: 47
(Mileages are maximum historic extents, as listed on the now-defunct us-highways.com)

Ironically that's where I was trying to go since I knew he had the figures but the website wasn't working.   So I just grabbed US 630 off USends since I knew you had a map.  Lol

[NE2]

Interestingly enough, despite being the shortest route ever it was in compliance with AASHTO guidelines as it was created in 1926 before there were any length guidelines.

Fixed for you.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

No, it wasn't. Apparently it was originally US 30N. Then it was replaced by a useless overlap of US 630 and Spur US 95 when US 95 was extended South. So US 630 may have never beer signed on the field. IIRC that was what I read at usends.com.

[NE2]

No, it wasn't. Apparently it was originally US 30N. Then it was replaced by a useless overlap of US 630 and Spur US 95 when US 95 was extended South. So US 630 may have never beer signed on the field. IIRC that was what I read at usends.com.

No, it was. The original 1926 system had US 630. By the time of the 1927 log, it was US 30N. Any maps after that showing US 630 either were outdated or reflected signage that had not been changed yet.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

I was partially mistaken . Apparently it was the other way round: in 1926 it was only US 30N, by 1927 it had been overlaid by both US 630 and US 95. In 1933 US 630 was removed. They should have removed US 30N instead, it would have been nice to see US 630 surviving up to today, as it would be in compliance of AASHTO guidelines (But I think they would have decommisioned anyway once US 30 was moved to I-84).

[NE2]

I was partially mistaken . Apparently it was the other way round: in 1926 it was only US 30N, by 1927 it had been overlaid by both US 630 and US 95.

No, you're still wrong. US 630 was on the 1926 plan: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/1926us.jpg

[CobaltYoshi27]

The shortest 2-digit US route is 46, at 75.34 miles long.

[usends]

So by now, it's pretty common knowledge that US 730 is currently the shortest US route, and that US 630 was never posted in the field, so US 530 was the shortest historically.
But I recently realized that, for a significant time period in between US 530 and US 730, it was actually US 154 that was the shortest US route.
Also, for a few years between the time US 48(i) was decommissioned and US 46 was created, US 94 was the shortest two-digit US route.
Full article, with more fun facts

[SEWIGuy]

This is great.  Thanks for the link to the blog.