Deceptively large states

[Jmiles32]

A level of boredness may also have something to do with making some states feel deceptively large. For example thanks to long travels on I-80 in Pennslyvania and I-86 in New York (roads I found extremely boring and couldn't wait to get off of), those states now seem huge to me.

[Road Hog]

Arkansas isn't that big of a state, but many of the major roads cross the state diagonally, and not always in a straight line. The distance between Gravette in the NW corner to Eudora in the SE is 373 miles. The other diagonal, from Fouke (near Texarkana) to Piggott is 342 miles.

[Duke87]

A lot of foreign visitors to New York City try and go to Niagara Falls on the same trip, not realizing it's a 7+ hour drive each way. It takes less time to drive from Buffalo to Chicago than it does to drive from Buffalo to the eastern end of Long Island. I-90 across the state is a 6 hour drive if you're lucky (often longer), as it's 386 miles. And because of its size, there is no defined New York culture (or anything close to it).

There's two things at play here. One is that foreigners routinely underestimate the size of the United States as a whole. Someone I knew from another forum once told a story about being in Los Angeles with a friend from England, and said friend thought it was a totally reasonable suggestion to take a day trip to the Grand Canyon (~480 miles away). Same mental logic going on there - two things both in the same corner of the country must be pretty close together, right? Nope!

The other is that New York is less geographically compact than most states. It's 332 miles from NYC to Canada along I-87, but most of the state is significantly thinner than that along the N-S axis (I-81 is only 182 miles, I-/NY 390 + I-99 via I-86 is only 119 miles). Downstate and Long Island also form a very long and very thin tail for the state - Montauk is over 100 miles from Manhattan and nearly 200 miles (driving distance) from Poughkeepsie. But at the same time, Long Island doesn't get much more than 20 miles wide and most of it is thinner than that.

[jwolfer]

Maine is also near all the small New England and other Northeast states like NJ, DE and MD..

Maine, New York and Pennsylvania are gigantic compared to other states in the Northeast corner of the US

Z981

[bing101]

In the east, Michigan, and New York are the big ones.

Living in New York most of my life, I've heard quite a few things from visitors. A lot of foreign visitors to New York City try and go to Niagara Falls on the same trip, not realizing it's a 7+ hour drive each way. It takes less time to drive from Buffalo to Chicago than it does to drive from Buffalo to the eastern end of Long Island. I-90 across the state is a 6 hour drive if you're lucky (often longer), as it's 386 miles. And because of its size, there is no defined New York culture (or anything close to it).

Dang I had no idea that New York City to Buffalo driving distance is equal to the driving distance of I-5 from Sacramento to Los Angeles.

[Flint1979]

Michigan.  Always amazes outsiders that it takes longer to go from Houghton to Detroit than from Atlanta to Detroit.  Like Florida, one can easily spend an entire day inside the state and still not quite get through it, from Luna Pier to Ironwood.

Atlanta is about 170 miles farther to Detroit than Detroit is to Houghton, takes about 2 hours longer though since Detroit to Atlanta is all Interstate and Detroit to Houghton is only Interstate for about half the trip.

[US 89]

Utah is also bigger than a lot of people think it is. Tourists come to Salt Lake City with the idea of going to the southern Utah parks, and then they are surprised when it's a 4+ hour drive to get to them. In most cases, it turns out that Las Vegas is closer to the parks. I-15 through Utah is 401 miles, but most of it is 80 mph, so you could probably do it in a little more than 5 hours if you never stop and there isn't any Wasatch Front traffic.

[Flint1979]

In the east, Michigan, and New York are the big ones.

Living in New York most of my life, I've heard quite a few things from visitors. A lot of foreign visitors to New York City try and go to Niagara Falls on the same trip, not realizing it's a 7+ hour drive each way. It takes less time to drive from Buffalo to Chicago than it does to drive from Buffalo to the eastern end of Long Island. I-90 across the state is a 6 hour drive if you're lucky (often longer), as it's 386 miles. And because of its size, there is no defined New York culture (or anything close to it).

Time wise Buffalo to Chicago is about a half hour longer but it's about 40 miles shorter than Buffalo to Montauk.

[bing101]

California could fit some states.

Example Rhode Island is the same size as Sacramento County,

New Jersey is the same size as the San Francisco Bay Area.

[Beltway]

I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.

Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).

Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.

[oscar]

Texas and Alaska for me.

Alaska's not that "deceptive", but the distance between its southwestern and southeastern corners (about 2270 miles) is longer than the straight-line distance between the Pacific coast in San Diego and the Atlantic coast in Jacksonville. What's more, Alaska used to be divided into four time zones like the lower 48, though it's now down to two (Alaska and Aleutians -- almost nobody lives in the latter time zone).

Hawaii includes a lot of small islands northwest of Niihau (westernmost "major island"), making that state much wider (about 1500 miles from end to end) than you'd guess from the map. Like Alaska's Aleutian time zone, few people west of Niihau, especially since Midway Island is not part of the state of Hawaii.

[1995hoo]

I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.

Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).

Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.

Indeed the former point is one reason why my wife and I haven't used the I-81 to I-26 route to Florida. She wouldn't be too happy about still being in Virginia after that much time! (I have not been through Bristol since 1997, when I took that route to Montgomery, where I was working for the summer.)

[Beltway]

I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.

Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).
Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.

Indeed the former point is one reason why my wife and I haven't used the I-81 to I-26 route to Florida. She wouldn't be too happy about still being in Virginia after that much time! (I have not been through Bristol since 1997, when I took that route to Montgomery, where I was working for the summer.)

What part of Florida?  About the only place that would be logical for I-81 use, is Pensacola.  For I-75 and I-95 destinations that would be far out of the way.

[Flint1979]

I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.

Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).

Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.

Indeed the former point is one reason why my wife and I haven't used the I-81 to I-26 route to Florida. She wouldn't be too happy about still being in Virginia after that much time! (I have not been through Bristol since 1997, when I took that route to Montgomery, where I was working for the summer.)

I think I-81 would take you pretty much out of the way, wouldn't I-95 be a more direct route to Florida?

[SD Mapman]

A level of boredness may also have something to do with making some states feel deceptively large. For example thanks to long travels on I-80 in Pennslyvania and I-86 in New York (roads I found extremely boring and couldn't wait to get off of), those states now seem huge to me.

For me, that's Iowa. I-29 has only 151 miles in Iowa but it feels so much longer because it's so boring.

Kind of on the opposite end, I've found that South Dakota is deceptively small for me (probably cause I've been almost everywhere in the state); when I cross the Big Sewer on I-29 I always think I'm almost home... even though it's about 7 and a half hours back to my side of the state...

[jp the roadgeek]

I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.

Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).

Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.

Indeed the former point is one reason why my wife and I haven't used the I-81 to I-26 route to Florida. She wouldn't be too happy about still being in Virginia after that much time! (I have not been through Bristol since 1997, when I took that route to Montgomery, where I was working for the summer.)

I think I-81 would take you pretty much out of the way, wouldn't I-95 be a more direct route to Florida?

Many people like to avoid the big cities and the traffic on I-95 and take 81 to 77 to 26 to hit I-95 in South Carolina.  If you were going to Pensacola, you'd jump from 77 onto 85 to 65 and go down through Alabama.

[1995hoo]

I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.

Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).

Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.

Indeed the former point is one reason why my wife and I haven't used the I-81 to I-26 route to Florida. She wouldn't be too happy about still being in Virginia after that much time! (I have not been through Bristol since 1997, when I took that route to Montgomery, where I was working for the summer.)

I think I-81 would take you pretty much out of the way, wouldn't I-95 be a more direct route to Florida?

Of course it would, but we've been down I-95 many times and there's nothing new to see that way. I-26 north of Asheville is supposed to be pretty scenic, from what I've heard, so I'd like to go that way sometime, but as you and Beltway note, it's way out of the way, plus my wife wouldn't be happy about still being in Virginia after five and a half hours unless we were headed to Cumberland Gap or somewhere in Tennessee. Our more typical alternate to I-95 is US-29 down to Greensboro, and then south of there it varies depending on the time of day (if it's late, lodging options will factor into the route), what roads I feel like using, and where we're going in Florida.

[cpzilliacus]

Maine.  It is the 2nd longest stretch of I-95 in a single state at 303 miles, and is the 2nd longest single state stretch of US 1 at 526 miles, only 19 miles less than that of Florida's.  It is 382 miles from Kittery at the southwestern tip to Madawaska near the northeast curve.  That is longer than a trip from NYC to Montreal or Pittsburgh.

Gets even bigger if you want to loop around through New Brunswick and Quebec to reach Estcourt Station (the northernmost tip of Maine and of New England).  Only reachable from "inside" Maine by way of private logging roads.

EDIT:  Now seems that those logging roads now show up in Google (this is a recent change).

[gilpdawg]

The most significant example that comes to my mind right now is the state of Florida. After just looking it up on Google Maps Directions, it sounds like it would take around 12 hours to drive from Pensacola, FL to Key West, FL. Looking at Florida on a map, it is a pretty big state, but driving between those two cities makes current perceptions now seem deceptive. 

Agreed with Florida. People come to Miami on vacation and think it's a quick day trip to Disney World

Z981

I went to Destin, like, a week after Irma. People were like, why would you go there when they just had a hurricane? And I'm like, um, all they got was rain. It's a long way away.


iPad

[adventurernumber1]

I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.

Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).

Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.

Indeed the former point is one reason why my wife and I haven't used the I-81 to I-26 route to Florida. She wouldn't be too happy about still being in Virginia after that much time! (I have not been through Bristol since 1997, when I took that route to Montgomery, where I was working for the summer.)

I think I-81 would take you pretty much out of the way, wouldn't I-95 be a more direct route to Florida?

Of course it would, but we've been down I-95 many times and there's nothing new to see that way. I-26 north of Asheville is supposed to be pretty scenic, from what I've heard, so I'd like to go that way sometime, but as you and Beltway note, it's way out of the way, plus my wife wouldn't be happy about still being in Virginia after five and a half hours unless we were headed to Cumberland Gap or somewhere in Tennessee. Our more typical alternate to I-95 is US-29 down to Greensboro, and then south of there it varies depending on the time of day (if it's late, lodging options will factor into the route), what roads I feel like using, and where we're going in Florida.

I will say that Interstate 26 in much of North Carolina and Tennessee is incredibly scenic. It is absolutely, unbelievably beautiful through those mountains, especially near the NC/TN border. I definitely don't blame you if you would like to try it sometime, despite it being a good bit out of the way.

[ftballfan]

Georgia doesn't look that big, but I-75 spends over 350 miles in GA

[vdeane]

The other is that New York is less geographically compact than most states. It's 332 miles from NYC to Canada along I-87, but most of the state is significantly thinner than that along the N-S axis (I-81 is only 182 miles, I-/NY 390 + I-99 via I-86 is only 119 miles). Downstate and Long Island also form a very long and very thin tail for the state - Montauk is over 100 miles from Manhattan and nearly 200 miles (driving distance) from Poughkeepsie. But at the same time, Long Island doesn't get much more than 20 miles wide and most of it is thinner than that.

And I-390/NY 390/I-99 isn't even remotely straight.  Drawing a straight line to PA from I-81's northern end is about 160 miles, but doing the same with NY 390 is only 88 miles.  For I-87, it's 295-305 miles.  The time difference in clinching the Northway versus the northern half of I-81 in NY was certainly shocking the first time I experienced it!

[webny99]

A level of boredness may also have something to do with making some states feel deceptively large. For example thanks to long travels on I-80 in Pennslyvania and I-86 in New York (roads I found extremely boring and couldn't wait to get off of), those states now seem huge to me.

While I agree with your point about boredom, there is no comparison between I-80 and I-86 IMO. One's the definition of boring, and the other is quite an interesting drive. Not even an argument to be made that I-86 is boring

The other is that New York is less geographically compact than most states. It's 332 miles from NYC to Canada along I-87, but most of the state is significantly thinner than that along the N-S axis (I-81 is only 182 miles, I-/NY 390 + I-99 via I-86 is only 119 miles). Downstate and Long Island also form a very long and very thin tail for the state - Montauk is over 100 miles from Manhattan and nearly 200 miles (driving distance) from Poughkeepsie. But at the same time, Long Island doesn't get much more than 20 miles wide and most of it is thinner than that.

And I-390/NY 390/I-99 isn't even remotely straight.  Drawing a straight line to PA from I-81's northern end is about 160 miles, but doing the same with NY 390 is only 88 miles.  For I-87, it's 295-305 miles.  The time difference in clinching the Northway versus the northern half of I-81 in NY was certainly shocking the first time I experienced it!

Totally agree that I-390 goes all over the place. And totally agree that the shape of NY lends itself to some interesting discussion here. Long Island alone is deceptively large, and then when you factor in WNY and the North Country, we really are a disjointed state as a whole. Even staying within the state can be challenging, such as when driving between Long Island and WNY.

[Flint1979]

I-87 also drops more south in NY than I-81 does. Where I-87 ends in the Bronx is on the same line as I-81 is halfway between Wilkes-Barre and Harrisburg. I-81 drops into PA about where I-87 is passing Kingston.

[sparker]

I-87 also drops more south in NY than I-81 does. Where I-87 ends in the Bronx is on the same line as I-81 is halfway between Wilkes-Barre and Harrisburg. I-81 drops into PA about where I-87 is passing Kingston.

That difference also applies to the north segments of both routes; the same latitude where I-81 terminates in the Thousand Islands is near exit #32 on I-87; that line extending a bit north of Lake Placid.  I-87 still has some 50+ miles to go until it crosses into Quebec.