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The flattest highways

Started by Max Rockatansky, March 31, 2022, 02:42:05 PM

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thspfc

Texas is flat. In fact, there is more flat land in Texas than any other state. Of course, since Texas is huge, there is plenty of not-flat land. But it is overwhelmingly flat.

Now Texans, we know you love your state, but please don't get into a slapfight of linking GSV images thinking you're going to prove that Texas isn't flat.


ethanhopkin14

Quote from: thspfc on May 25, 2022, 06:06:52 PM
Texas is flat. In fact, there is more flat land in Texas than any other state. Of course, since Texas is huge, there is plenty of not-flat land. But it is overwhelmingly flat.

Now Texans, we know you love your state, but please don't get into a slapfight of linking GSV images thinking you're going to prove that Texas isn't flat.

No google street view, just my left knee that definitely needs surgery soon from all my marathon training runs around town that featured stretches that were nearly vertical plains.  I still don't understand the flat claim.  Even the flatter parts of the state have rolling hills. 

Everyone cracks on the panhandle for being flat, yet it has Palo Duro Canyon, the second largest canyon in the US.
South Texas comes the closest to being flat, but even that has rolling hills. 
Southeast Texas has a reputation of being flat, but again, rolling hills.

There are other states in the country with miles of flatter land and for some reason the stigma sticks to Texas.  I don't understand it.  I have driven many miles in this state and I can't recall a single stretch of road outside the barrier islands that I would even entertain as flat.

Terry Shea

I-80 through The Great Salt Lake Desert has to be the flattest.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Terry Shea on May 27, 2022, 07:50:05 PM
I-80 through The Great Salt Lake Desert has to be the flattest.

The whole backdrop of mountains surrounding a sink the desert breaks the illusion.  Really though, the whole Interstate System is pretty flat on the whole.  There places hitting the 7% maximum gradient aren't exactly the rule. 

dvferyance

The Ohio Turnpkie west of Toledo.

dlsterner

Alligator Alley in Florida maybe?

(disclaimer - have never traveled it - opted to use US 41 instead)

skluth

Quote from: Road Hog on May 24, 2022, 05:45:56 PM
I-55 has got to be the flattest interstate. It parallels the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Louis and then traverses Illinois, which is ... you know ...

The portion in Mississippi that diverts a bit from the river might have a little bit of slope here and there. And I know there are segments in Missouri south of the Cape that have a few rock cuts that aren't completely flat.

I-55 is pretty hilly between St Louis and Benton, MO. But south of Benton there's not another hill until Memphis. The only "hills" are the manmade highway overpasses.

JoePCool14

Wisconsin can be a tricky one. Most of what I've seen in the southern part of the state isn't particularly flat, especially the further west you go. Here's my nominations though for entire highways:

WI-165
WI-129

Yeah, that's all I can muster up.

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thspfc

Quote from: JoePCool14 on May 31, 2022, 08:51:17 PM
Wisconsin can be a tricky one. Most of what I've seen in the southern part of the state isn't particularly flat, especially the further west you go. Here's my nominations though for entire highways:

WI-165
WI-129

Yeah, that's all I can muster up.
It's probably WI-165, and no coincidence that it's right near the IL border.

US 89

Utah 110 is probably the flattest signed state highway in Utah. It's a straight shot along the eastern shore of the Great Salt Lake.

Really though, most urban routes in the west are up there. A lot of people will assume everywhere in the west is hilly simply because the west has bigger mountains, but it turns out the valleys between those ranges are also pretty big...and flat. You just don't think about it because half the time you can see the mountains in the background.

tchafe1978

Quote from: thspfc on May 31, 2022, 11:08:39 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on May 31, 2022, 08:51:17 PM
Wisconsin can be a tricky one. Most of what I've seen in the southern part of the state isn't particularly flat, especially the further west you go. Here's my nominations though for entire highways:

WI-165
WI-129

Yeah, that's all I can muster up.
It's probably WI-165, and no coincidence that it's right near the IL border.

The central part of the state has some flat highways. WI 80 from Necedah to Babcock is flatter than a pancake. WI 173 and WI 54 in the same general vicinity are pretty flat as well.

triplemultiplex

Sometimes I feel like I can see the back of my own head driving on I-39 south of Stevens Point.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

adventurernumber1

For Georgia, I-95 and US 17 probably take the cake, closely paralleling the coast throughout the state in an area that is overwhelmingly flat. The eastern part of I-16 is flat, but the western half or so has near-continuous rolling hills, closer to the Fall Line.
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JREwing78

In Michigan, M-28 along the "Seney Stretch" between M-94 and M-77 is definitely in the running. You literally can lock your steering wheel straight ahead, and not have to move it for 23 miles. The only reason you can't see the other end is the earth's curvature. The MSP patrols this stretch hard; folks regularly hit triple-digit speeds here when it's not snowing.

M-35 between Menominee and Escanaba never gets more than a few feet above lake level and has no appreciable grade, though that one isn't arrow straight like the Seney Stretch.

I-75 in the eastern U.P. is also basically flat aside from the climb out of St. Ignace or Sault Ste. Marie, with just a couple areas in-between that might register as a slight grade. It's as remote an Interstate as you get this side of the Mississippi, which begs you to floor it.

JoePCool14

Quote from: tchafe1978 on June 01, 2022, 12:22:01 AM
The central part of the state has some flat highways. WI 80 from Necedah to Babcock is flatter than a pancake. WI 173 and WI 54 in the same general vicinity are pretty flat as well.

Interesting. I did not know that about WI-80. I've only travelled it from the Illinois border to the Wisconsin River and most of that is anything but flat, so it doesn't qualify for the entire highway being flat.

:) Needs more... :sombrero: Not quite... :bigass: Perfect.
JDOT: We make the world a better place to drive.
Travel Mapping | 60+ Clinches | 260+ Traveled | 8000+ Miles Logged

Crash_It

Quote from: thspfc on May 31, 2022, 11:08:39 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on May 31, 2022, 08:51:17 PM
Wisconsin can be a tricky one. Most of what I've seen in the southern part of the state isn't particularly flat, especially the further west you go. Here's my nominations though for entire highways:

WI-165
WI-129

Yeah, that's all I can muster up.
It's probably WI-165, and no coincidence that it's right near the IL border.

That's not a valid reason because Kenosha CTH WG runs right on the IL/WI border and wasn't flat by any metric as proven by this video I took back in 2017 (probably should refilm this)

https://youtu.be/3E61SC_s60E

Crash_It

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 31, 2022, 02:42:05 PM
In honor of Illinois 1 being an award winning flat highway I thought that I pose a question to the group.  What is the flattest signed highway in your area or state?  Near me there are couple notably flat highway but the winner in California is likely CA 43.  CA 43 essentially compromised of largely rail frontage roads along the BNSF line running east of the Tulare Lake bed.  There are few hills of note and very little terrain variation along CA 43.  Honorable mentions go to CA 137 and CA 45. 

Quote from: SSOWorld on March 31, 2022, 01:54:38 PM


I'd like to know the methodology behind this because looking at Google maps with the terrain layer enabled, you can see several stretches that aren't flat. A more accurate assessment could be made about IL21 through Cook County. It's flat all the way from Lincolnshire till it's end in Niles.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Crash_It on June 01, 2022, 11:39:41 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 31, 2022, 02:42:05 PM
In honor of Illinois 1 being an award winning flat highway I thought that I pose a question to the group.  What is the flattest signed highway in your area or state?  Near me there are couple notably flat highway but the winner in California is likely CA 43.  CA 43 essentially compromised of largely rail frontage roads along the BNSF line running east of the Tulare Lake bed.  There are few hills of note and very little terrain variation along CA 43.  Honorable mentions go to CA 137 and CA 45. 

Quote from: SSOWorld on March 31, 2022, 01:54:38 PM


I'd like to know the methodology behind this because looking at Google maps with the terrain layer enabled, you can see several stretches that aren't flat. A more accurate assessment could be made about IL21 through Cook County. It's flat all the way from Lincolnshire till it's end in Niles.

I consulted Wallethub given it is the only source of absolute fact.

kphoger

IL-1 is my old stomping grounds.  For a period of about 1½ years, I drove part of it pretty much every day.  Ironically, it does have some gently rolling hills.  In fact, when the milo turns color before harvest time, it's a beautiful drive–one of my favorites in the state, probably.  The hills aren't exactly dramatic, nothing to write home about, but, considering that Illinois has so many flat highways, it actually doesn't make much sense to pick IL-1.

Below are some GSV shots just from south of Carmi.  I had seven more, from between Carmi and Lawrenceville, but a browser error made me have to refresh the page, and I lost those links.  It's not worth it to me to try and re-created the links.  (I've never driven IL-1 between Lawrenceville and Chicago.)

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

The trick is that a lot of good candidates are long enough that they end up going through at least one hilly area.  And a lot of the shorter highways are in hillier parts of the state.  Something like IL-165 might fit the bill.
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Crash_It

Quote from: kphoger on June 02, 2022, 09:44:45 AM
IL-1 is my old stomping grounds.  For a period of about 1½ years, I drove part of it pretty much every day.  Ironically, it does have some gently rolling hills.  In fact, when the milo turns color before harvest time, it's a beautiful drive–one of my favorites in the state, probably.  The hills aren't exactly dramatic, nothing to write home about, but, considering that Illinois has so many flat highways, it actually doesn't make much sense to pick IL-1.

Below are some GSV shots just from south of Carmi.  I had seven more, from between Carmi and Lawrenceville, but a browser error made me have to refresh the page, and I lost those links.  It's not worth it to me to try and re-created the links.  (I've never driven IL-1 between Lawrenceville and Chicago.)

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

The trick is that a lot of good candidates are long enough that they end up going through at least one hilly area.  And a lot of the shorter highways are in hillier parts of the state.  Something like IL-165 might fit the bill.

Even north of there is some hilly terrain.. here's one example of just outside of Danville


https://maps.app.goo.gl/ko4aVqtNiPR17FZo8

I would probably award the trophy to Florida Highway A1A as the flattest highway

https://maps.app.goo.gl/rnsMSTzEsRsb25qb6





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