Longest "Continuously Posted" Distance Sign

[michravera]

I searched the boards for this topic and it doesn't seem to come up in any of the searches, so, at the risk of having the thread merged or closed, I ask this question: What road posts the most distant city more or less continuously?

For our purposes "more or less continuously" will mean "appears on at least 36% of all distance signs showing two or more cities after that point and does not skip a whole state, province, or country through which the road passes whose centerline distance is more than 50 km.  So, it's OK, if, for instance, "Minneapolis" is continuously alternated with "St. Paul"; and it's OK, if a road just nicks some state, province, or country and that state, province, or country, never posts a distance to it, but not OK, for instance, if Texas and New Mexico more or less continuously post the distance to Los Angeles, but Arizona doesn't until just before the border. That 36% has to be like 9 out of EVERY 25 or something like that.

Roads in sparsely settled areas are of minor interest. So, "Top of the World" highways and such may technically win, but are only of minor interest. I am particularly interested in places outside of North America, even if sparsely settled,  like North Africa, Australia, and India, so don't be shy!

[GaryV]

Probably not the longest anywhere, but in MI I-75 is posted for nearly 200 miles with Saginaw sb and Mackinac Bridge nb.

[westerninterloper]

Chicago is regularly posted on I-80/90 from Cleveland, for example, about 340 miles.

[Flint1979]

Probably not the longest anywhere, but in MI I-75 is posted for nearly 200 miles with Saginaw sb and Mackinac Bridge nb.

The Mackinac Bridge is posted as far south as MM 119 at 222 miles. It's the same sign that has Saginaw 33 miles and Bay City 46 miles. I wonder how far south it's posted on US-127.

On the opposite end Saginaw's first mention is 185 miles on the same sign with Indian River 25 miles and Gaylord 55 miles.

[csw]

Chicago is also frequently posted on I-57 northbound as far as the Missouri bootheel, maybe even farther. Distances up to 400 miles. Going in the other direction, signs for Memphis also go over 400 miles if my memory is correct. Chicago is also commonly posted along US 41 northbound starting in Evansville.

The first mileage sign for US 60 westbound in Missouri contains "Springfield 255", and Springfield is consistently posted along the route. Joplin is a regular along I-44 WB starting in St. Louis, distances over 250 miles.

Along I-40, Albuquerque is pretty consistent starting from Amarillo (over 200 miles) in the east and Flagstaff (over 300 miles) in the west.

I think the longest distance I have a photo of is 390 miles to New York City along I-80 in eastern Ohio.

[bassoon1986]

El Paso is the main city signed west of San Antonio on I-10 west. There's a lot of I-10 construction on street view but this is furthest distance I could find. It's likely there are some closer to the loop in San Antonio.


iPhone

[webny99]

New York City is consistently posted on the eastbound (and eventually southbound) NY State Thruway starting at the Pennsylvania state line. That's 496 miles away if you take the Thruway the whole way.

Obviously, the shortest route to New York City from there would actually be I-86/NY 17. Taking the Thruway adds an extra 80 miles and 1 to 1-1/2 hours. But, the Thruway mileage is still posted along the entire route, despite the fact that it's completely irrelevant information until you're east of Utica.

[Roadgeekteen]

For some reason, Limon, CO, is posted on distance signs in Kansas stretching back several thousand miles. Near the west, it starts to alternate with Denver.

[DJ Particle]

So the signs on either side of US-6 don't count     Got it!

[GaryV]

... in Kansas stretching back several thousand miles...

Kansas isn't thousands of miles long - it only seems like it is.   

[JayhawkCO]

For some reason, Limon, CO, is posted on distance signs in Kansas stretching back several thousand miles. Near the west, it starts to alternate with Denver.

I think you meant hundreds.  That drive on I-70 is long, but not that long. 

Chris

[Roadgeekteen]

... in Kansas stretching back several thousand miles...

Kansas isn't thousands of miles long - it only seems like it is.   

Yikes the plains really do mess up your mind

[-- US 175 --]

Along I-40, Albuquerque is pretty consistent starting from Amarillo (over 200 miles) in the east

I thought it was more like 300, but the Googler says 288.  Up until about 20-25 years ago (not sure exactly when), the next control city on I-40 from Amarillo was Tucumcari.  It was weird seeing Albuquerque on the WB BGSes the last time I was up that way.

[michravera]

... in Kansas stretching back several thousand miles...

Kansas isn't thousands of miles long - it only seems like it is.   

Yikes the plains really do mess up your mind

My own response is that Portland shows up on I-5 at the Sacramento-San Joaqiun county line at something like 632 miles, but, since I don't regularly go much north of Sacramento on I-5, I don't know how consistently Portland is posted on distance signs. I, for instance, don't know, if there are ANY distance signs (with 2 or more cities on them) between that sign and Sacramento. The control city on I-5 from downtown Sacramento, is Redding or Red Bluff. Portland isn't mentioned at on WB US-50/I-305 at I-5 at all.

[hbelkins]

Chicago is also frequently posted on I-57 northbound as far as the Missouri bootheel, maybe even farther. Distances up to 400 miles. Going in the other direction, signs for Memphis also go over 400 miles if my memory is correct. Chicago is also commonly posted along US 41 northbound starting in Evansville.

The first mileage sign for US 60 westbound in Missouri contains "Springfield 255", and Springfield is consistently posted along the route. Joplin is a regular along I-44 WB starting in St. Louis, distances over 250 miles.

Along I-40, Albuquerque is pretty consistent starting from Amarillo (over 200 miles) in the east and Flagstaff (over 300 miles) in the west.

I think the longest distance I have a photo of is 390 miles to New York City along I-80 in eastern Ohio.

I don't recall Chicago being posted on US 41 north of I-64 but south of I-70. Terre Haute, yes, and even Vincennes.

[csw]

I don't recall Chicago being posted on US 41 north of I-64 but south of I-70. Terre Haute, yes, and even Vincennes.

This is the sign I was thinking of - it's just north of the I-64/US 41 interchange. But looking at some of my other photos, Chicago doesn't seem to appear again until north of I-74 or even Attica. So it doesn't really fit the thread after all.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

... in Kansas stretching back several thousand miles...

Kansas isn't thousands of miles long - it only seems like it is.   

Yikes the plains really do mess up your mind

It's really not that bad. I found Bristol to Nashville to be a lot more frustrating for a relatively comparable distance. .

[MikieTimT]

... in Kansas stretching back several thousand miles...

Kansas isn't thousands of miles long - it only seems like it is.   

Yikes the plains really do mess up your mind

It's really not that bad. I found Bristol to Nashville to be a lot more frustrating for a relatively comparable distance. .

I-81 frustrates most people, as does I-40 across TN.

[US 89]

The farthest distance I've ever personally seen on a mileage sign is the 551 miles to Reno from Summit Park, Utah on I-80. With a few exceptions, Reno is more or less continuously posted on distance signs throughout Utah (haven't been westbound on I-80 in Nevada recently enough to remember what signage is like there).

[Rothman]

There used to be a 781 mile to San Francisco mileage sign on I-80.

[Kniwt]

My own response is that Portland shows up on I-5 at the Sacramento-San Joaqiun county line at something like 632 miles.

628 miles, posted just north of the CA 12 interchange. Photo from 2005 at the AARoads I-5 page, but Street View confirms it's still there as of 2019:

[Revive 755]

Joplin is a regular along I-44 WB starting in St. Louis, distances over 250 miles.

I haven't driven most of I-44 between St. Louis and Springfield for a few years, but on the last trip I don't recall Joplin showing up that much - mainly Springfield and other intermediate towns (such as Cuba and Rolla).  Even Tulsa - used as the main control city at I-55 and I-270 - is (was?) sparing used.

[Kniwt]

I'm also reminded of this sign that I posted in the forum back in 2011. Spring 1983, I-40 westbound at the TX/NM line. It's long gone now, alas.



(The original photo I posted is also long gone, thanks to dead websites. I just found the original SX-70 print and rescanned it, but nine more years haven't been kind to it.)

[Roadgeekteen]

I'm also reminded of this sign that I posted in the forum back in 2011. Spring 1983, I-40 westbound at the TX/NM line. It's long gone now, alas.



(The original photo I posted is also long gone, thanks to dead websites. I just found the original SX-70 print and rescanned it, but nine more years haven't been kind to it.)

I'm not sure if LA is continuously posted past that.

[michravera]

There used to be a 781 mile to San Francisco mileage sign on I-80.

I can completely believe you. But, we don't, for the purposes of this thread, care about *a* 781 mile sign anymore than we care about a Capetown distance sign in Rabat. There are plenty of one-off or novelty signs that indicate vast distances. We are looking for "continuously posted."