Indirect U.S. Routes

[NE2]

Well this really shits in my Wheaties: The message exceeds the maximum allowed length (20000 characters).

So 1-59 are in the first post and 60-101 are below.

60
*Vaughn-Clovis-Amarillo: 54-66
This was created ca. 1932, when 60 was extended west from Amarillo to replace parts of 366 and 70. The result was 60 and 70 bumping at Clovis.
*Paducah-Owensboro-Louisville: 62-31W
60 has always followed the Ohio here. 62 was created as a direct route across central Kentucky ca. 1930.

160
*Walsenburg-Trinidad-Winfield-Pittsburg: CO 10-50-400
US 160 was extended west from Trinidad ca. 1934. But even in those days before 400, 160 was still longer than the Trinidad-Pittsburg alternate via Dodge City and then 154-54-69.
*Springfield-Branson-Poplar Bluff: 60
160 was extended east from Springfield ca. 1954.

460
*Mt. Sterling-Roanoke-Lynchburg: 60-501
460 came west into Kentucky ca. 1947. Interestingly, both this part of 501 and 460 from Lynchburg east to Burkeville were part of original 60.
*Salyersville-Paintsville-Prestonsburg: KY 114
It's not clear when KY 114 was paved, but it was by the mid-1950s.

61
*Laplace-Baton Rouge-Memphis: 51
51 and 61 have existed here since 1926, with 51 following the shorter route through central Mississippi, and 61 along the river.
*Keokuk-Davenport-La Crosse-St. Paul: 218-63-52 (of course you can also bypass Keokuk)
Again, 61 follows the Mississippi River. 63 was extended through this area ca. 1934, completing the shortcut.
*La Crosse-St. Paul-Duluth: 53
53 and 61 have followed their current routes here since 1926.
*south of Hastings: MN 316
This right-angle turn has always existed. MN 316 came much later.

62
*Lawton-Anadarko-Chickasha: 277
277 got first choice of routing here when it was created ca. 1930. 62 was created soon after and got the longer route through Anadarko.
*Oklahoma City-Paducah-Columbus: 66-40
The ca. 1932 extension of 62 northeast from Maysville took it on the rest of a big curve to Columbus, where it met the more direct 66-40 route.
*Springdale-Rogers-Alpena: 412
Arkansas finished paving AR 68 in the late 1950s, but never moved US 62 onto this more direct route. Instead it became part of the new US 412 ca. 1989.
*Corning-Piggott-Sikeston: 67-60
62 was created ca. 1930, when 60 had already taken the best route here. Perhaps there were plans for a bridge at Dorena-Hickman.
*Versailles-Georgetown-Cynthiana-Old Washington: 60-68
And again 62 got sloppy seconds.
*Columbus-Youngstown-Buffalo: 23-42-20
Here too, 62 came through the area later, with some major stairstepping contrasting with the straight diagonals of 42 and 20.

63
*El Dorado-Memphis-Hardy: 167
63's ca. 1999 extension created a big right angle at Memphis. But on both sides it evens out into a north-south alignment at roughly the same longitude, so a cutoff would solve the indirectness.
*Ottumwa-Oskaloosa-Waterloo: IA 21
When US 63 came through this area ca. 1934, there was no direct IA 21 (parts were present as an unpaved road). The route was finally completed in the early 1980s. See also unbuilt IA 402.

64
*Bloomfield-Boise City-Tulsa-Warner: 550-85-66-266
64 was an original 1926 route east of Raton, but the extension west past Bloomfield didn't come until ca. 1974. However, it had gone down to Santa Fe since ca. 1932 (replacing 485), making 66-266 still a better route to Warner. The indirectness is in part due to the mountains in New Mexico and in part due to stairstepping in Oklahoma.
*Guymon-Alva-Enid: 412
As with Arkansas and 62, Oklahoma had a better alignment for 64 (also paved since the late 1950s), but didn't make it a U.S. Route until 412 was extended ca. 1994.
*Murphy-Rutherfordton-Morganton: 19-70
64 was the first route directly east from Chattanooga, coming through ca. 1933. The direct route from Murphy east to Rutherfordton was about the same length as using 19 to Asheville and 74 (now 74A) back down to 64 at Bat Cave, but 64 was sent back northeast from Rutherfordton, making 19-70 by far the best route to Morganton.
*Morganton-Lenoir-Statesville: 70
64 originally overlapped 70 here, but was moved onto its own (longer) alignment ca. 1990. Interestingly, east of Statesville, 64 is the shorter route (due to 70 going north to serve all the big cities).

264
*Zebulon-Belhaven-Manns Harbor (entire nonredundant route): 64
264 has been a longer southern loop off 64 since the loop was completed ca. 1951.

165
*Bastrop-McGehee-Little Rock: 425-65
*Dumas-Stuttgart-Little Rock: 65
The ca. 1982 extension of 165 to Little Rock took it along an indirect route, not only in that it was heading northeast and now turned northwest, but also in that the extension itself was indirect from the pivot at McGehee.

466
*Barstow-Las Vegas-Kingman: 66
466 was created ca. 1934 as a longer alternate to 66 through Las Vegas (plus the piece west of Barstow).

666
*Sanders-Gallup-Monticello: 191
666 had gone from Gallup north to Cortez since 1926, and ca. 1938 it was extended south to Douglas. It was only with the ca. 1970 extension to Monticello, replacing part of 160, that 666 got its indirect routing, but 191 did not cut through northeastern Arizona on a newly-improved cutoff until ca. 1982. Then ca. 1992 191 replaced 666 to the south, giving the direct route one number.

67 sort of pivots at St. Louis but there's no obvious single cutoff. This came about ca. 1930 when 67 was extended to Rock Island.

68
*Paducah-Glasgow-Maysville-Xenia: 62-31W-42
68 has crossed Kentucky since 1926, and it was even less direct at first, turning north from Glasgow (?) along current 31E to Bardstown and then southeast on 150 to Perryville. The Glasgow-Perryville cutoff was added in the 1940s or early 1950s, but a larger flaw was present thanks to the ca. 1930 creation of 62, a shorter route between Paducah and Maysville (though 62 had its own problems east of Versailles). The ca. 1933 extension of 68 north to Toledo made an indirect routing much worse.

69
*Beaumont-Denison-Kansas City: 96-59-71 (yes, you can bypass Texarkana to the west)
69 was extended south from Kansas City ca. 1935, but it combined two separate corridors: former 73E and 73 to Atoka and a new route from Denison to Port Arthur (which was 271 southeast of Tyler). (Incidentally, Denison-Port Arthur would have been an early opportunity for Oklahoma to get Ada-Stroud added to the system, with the former Denison-Madill cutoff where Lake Texoma is now.)

169
*Kansas City-St. Joseph-Mankato-Minneapolis: 69-65
169 was created ca. 1930 to fit between 65/69 and 71.
*Minneapolis-Grand Rapids-Virginia: 61-MN 33-53
When it was created ca. 1930, 169 extended north to International Falls on current 53 (which was a paved state route from Duluth). 53 replaced 169 north of Virginia ca. 1934. Incidentally, MN 6 would have been an about-equal cutoff to International Falls, but was not paved until later.

70
*San Bernardino-Las Cruces-Memphis: 66-266-64
70 originally ended at Holbrook, but was rerouted ca. 1932 to El Paso and ca. 1934 to Socal. In the early days of 66 curving through central New Mexico, 70 might have been more comparable in length.
*Portales-Clovis-Muleshoe: NM 202-FM 1760
This cuts off the bump with 60 at Clovis formed ca. 1932. The cutoff came along much later.
*Lexington-Greensboro-Raleigh: 64
70 was first through this area, serving the major cities. 64 came through ca. 1933 and took a shorter but less populated route.

71 has some long cutoffs that end up using 169 to Grand Rapids and then MN 38-MN 6. In the early days when 71 first ran here, current MN 6 was unpaved.

271
*Tyler-Mt. Pleasant-Paris: 69-TX 37-TX 154-TX 19
271 was extended through Tyler ca. 1930; this alternate was not yet paved.
*Tyler-Gladewater-Gilmer: TX 155
Neither was this.
*Antlers-Clayton Lake-Clayton: OK 2
This cutoff wasn't a state highway until the late 1950s.
*Poteau-Panama-Fort Smith: OK 112
271 here dates to 1926; 112 came in the mid-1950s.

371
*Coushatta-Magnolia-De Queen (entire route): 71
*Minden-Springhill-Magnolia: LA 159-AR 19 (also a cutoff for 79!)
371 was created ca. 1994 as a whole new route.

73
*Atoka-Kansas City-Sioux City (entire historic route): 75
73 was created in 1926, presumably serving as a loop off 75 to Kansas City. (Note that 73W bypassed Kansas City through Lawrence.)

76
*Chattanooga-Dalton-Hiawassee: 64-NC 69-GA 17
76 was extended west to Chattanooga ca. 1932. 64 came by ca. 1933, and it appears that the connection across the state line was also there by then.

277
*Carrizo Springs-Del Rio-Abilene: 83
277 was extended from Del Rio to Carrizo Springs ca. 1952.

377
*Junction-Mason-Brady: 83-190
This segment of 377 formerly carried both 183 and 283 until ca. 1951. The 190 part of the cutoff became FM 42 in 1949 and US 190 in 1977.

178
*Pickens-Anderson-Greenwood: SC 8-123-25
178 was extended north from Anderson ca. 1937, creating a pivot there.

278
*McGehee-Greenville-Clarksdale: future I-69 (without this cutoff, the whole extension is indirect)
*Tupelo-Amory-Hamilton: 78
278 was extended west from Amory ca. 1998, creating both of these.

79
*Minden-Homer-Magnolia: LA 159-AR 19 (also a cutoff for 371!)
79 was created ca. 1935. This cutoff also seems to have been present, but may not have been a good road.

80
*Gila Bend-Phoenix-Tucson: AZ 84
*Benson-Douglas-Lordsburg: AZ 86-NM 14
These two bumps in 80's routing existed since 1926. Arizona soon built cutoffs, which later became I-10's alignment.
*Las Cruces-Midland-Weatherford: 82-NM 529-180
180 was created ca. 1944 between El Paso and Weatherford, cutting off part of 80. The west part of this more direct cutoff became 82 ca. 1961 (it was already an improved road). NM 529 came later, but other connections were available.
*Geneva-Macon-Danville: GA 96-GA 358
Macon was bypassed by SR 96 in the late 1950s.

180
*Springerville-El Paso-Snyder: 60-380-66-84
This was created ca. 1961 when 180 was extended northwest from El Paso to replace 260.

280
*Columbus-Americus-Blitchton (entire original route): 80
280 was created ca. 1931 as a longer loop off 80.

81
*Manvel-Hamilton-Joilette: ND 44
81 has gone through Hamilton since 1926; the more direct ND 44 (which I-29 follows) was improved later.

281
*Brownsville-McAllen-Alice: 77-TX 141
281 was extended to Brownsville ca. 1934, replacing 96 south of Alice. 77 came down ca. 1945 (though the road was already paved).
*Churchs Ferry-Rocklake-Dunseith: 2-ND 3
281 was extended north from Rocklake in the 1940s and rerouted west to the Dunseith crossing in the 1960s. Both alignments stairstep, but 2 is at a slight angle.

83
*Brownsville-Laredo-Abilene: 281-87-283-84
83 was extended into Texas ca. 1931, deliberately curving east at Laredo to follow the Rio Grande to Brownsville.

183
*Vernon-Clinton-Woodward: 283-OK 6-OK 34
183 was extended south through Oklahoma ca. 1940. The cutoff on 34 existed but was a worse quality road.
*Woodward-Buffalo-Coldwater: OK 34-KS 1
This was also created ca. 1940, but the cutoff was not built until the mid-1950s.
*Bassett-Long Pine-Springview: NE 7
83 originally followed this corridor (since ca. 1931), and in fact used the current NE 7. This became 183 ca. 1944. As the area roads were improved, the route through Ainsworth was paved first, so 183 was moved to it, probably in the late 1960s.

84
*Santa Rosa-Waco-Waycross: 66-287-82
*Abilene-Brownwood-Waco: 80-TX 6
84 was extended from Dothan across Texas ca. 1934 and into New Mexico ca. 1938, with a marked pivot in central Texas that caused both of these.

85
*El Paso-Albuquerque-Las Vegas: 54-NM 219-84
85 (and I-25) takes a longer route through central New Mexico to serve Albuquerque and the Santa Fe Trail. When 54 was extended to El Paso ca. 1935 it formed a suitable cutoff.

285
*Vaughn-Santa Fe-Denver: 54-NM 219-84-85
285 has gone this way since it was created ca. 1936.
*Alamosa-Monte Vista-Salida: CO 17
285 has followed this route since it was created ca. 1936, but the cutoff was not paved for some time afterwards.

385
*Fort Stockton-McCamey-Odessa: TX 18-80
385 was created ca. 1958 on its current alignment. Both routes were available, but it took the longer one through McCamey.
*Lamar-Burlington-Sidney: 287-CO 59-36-CO 63-138-CO 113-NE 19
This part of 385 was also formed ca. 1958. Apparently there was a gap in SH 59, however.

87
*Cuero-San Antonio-Amarillo: 183-84-83-287
87 was extended into Texas ca. 1934, replacing 385 north of San Antonio.
*Grass Range-Great Falls-Havre: MT 19-191-MT 66-2
A ca. 1949 extension from Great Falls to Havre produced this strange pivot. (Until ca. 1934, 87 continued northwest from Great Falls to Piegan.) However, back in those days, there was no improved road north of Grass Range.
*Billings-Grass Range-Moore: MT 3
This was part of US 87E from 1926, and was initially a better road than MT 3.

89
*Phoenix-Wickenburg-Prescott-Flagstaff: AZ 69-AZ 79
US 89 was designated here in 1926. SR 79 apparently didn't exist until the 1950s, when it was being planned as the I-17 alignment. (SR 69 already provided a shorter route to Prescott.)
*Logan-Yellowstone-Choteau: 91-287
89 was extended north from Utah ca. 1934, taking a longer route through Yellowstone compared to 91 to the west.
*Yellowstone-Great Falls-Choteau: 287
287 was designated here ca. 1965 on roads that had been paved since the 1930s.

189
*Evanston-Kemmerer-Hoback Junction: WY 89-UT 16-UT 30-WY 89-ID 61-89
189 was created here ca. 1939. Both routes were available, but the longer one was chosen. (But what about Alpine to Hoback Junction? A 1937 map shows no road there, and 89 off to the east on 189.)

90
*Van Horn-Del Rio-Houston: 80-290 (both the original route to San Antonio and the realignment to Houston)
90 and 290 were both created in 1926, taking different routes through west Texas. 290 was realigned through Austin to Houston ca. 1934.
*Lake Charles-Morgan City-Slidell: 165-190 (of course, I-10 now makes the cutoff shorter)
190 was extended through this area ca. 1935 after the Krotz Springs Bridge opened in 1933.

190
*Temple-Milano-Hearne: TX 53-FM 485
US 190 used FM 485 between Cameron and Hearne from ca. 1935 until 1976, when it was moved to a longer route via Milano.
*Bryan-Madisonville-Huntsville: TX 30
US 190 has gone via Madisonville since ca. 1935, but SH 30 didn't exist west of Roans Prairie to Bryan-College Station until 1961.
*DeRidder-Kinder-Elton: LA 26 OR Merryville-DeRidder-Longville: LA 110
This jog in 190 has existed since it was extended ca. 1935.

91
*Idaho Falls-Butte-Helena: 20-ID 87-MT 87-287
91 came through here first in 1926. It was a while before the road over Raynolds Pass (SH 87) was improved.

191
*Price-Rock Springs-West Yellowstone: 6-91-20 (this includes former 191)
In 1926, 191 initially went from Idaho Falls to West Yellowstone. It was later extended north, and ca. 1981 the south end was cut back to West Yellowstone (the original segment had become part of 20). Soon after, 191 was extended south through Yellowstone, replacing 187 and part of 163, with new alignment along the way. But it was more direct to go through Salt Lake City and up the old alignment.
*Yellowstone-Bozeman-Livingston: 89
191 was extended north to Bozeman ca. 1934. An extension ca. 1963 took it east on 10, crossing 89 at Livingston before turning north at Big Timber. Still, sticking with 191 was a better route for through traffic, as it avoided the main part of Yellowstone, until 191 was rerouted through Yellowstone ca. 1982.

93
*Crystal Springs-Pioche-Ely: NV 318
93 has followed the alignment through Pioche since its extension ca. 1932. The cutoff was not improved until later.

95
*Yuma-Las Vegas-Hawthorne: 80-99-395-6-NV 360
95 was extended to Blythe ca. 1938 and past Yuma ca. 1961. From Blythe, 95 through Las Vegas is slightly shorter than going west to San Bernardino, but from Yuma the San Berdoo route is shorter.
*Las Vegas-Fallon-Cranbrook: 93
The ca. 1938 extension created this situation, where 93 is a shorter route if continuing into Canada.

195
*Lewiston-Spokane-Sandpoint (entire former route): 95
195 was created in 1926 as a loop off 95 through Spokane.

395
*through Susanville: CR A3
This sharp turn has been present on 395 since it was extended to San Diego ca. 1934. The cutoff was paved by the 1950s.

197
*Shaniko Junction-The Dalles-Maryhill (entire former route): 97
197 was created ca. 1952 as a western loop off 97 to cross the Columbia on a new bridge (rather than the ferry on US 97).

98
*Panama City-Apalachicola-Newport: 231-FL 20-FL 267
98 was extended ca. 1952 to follow the Gulf coast; cutting across the center of the Panhandle is shorter.
*Okeechobee-Belle Glade-West Palm Beach: FL 710
Until a few years ago, US 98 used SR 700. This was initially intended as a temporary alignment, presumably with SR 710 as the final routing. But it was never moved.

101
*Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo-San Francisco-Astoria-Olympia: 99
*Aberdeen-Forks-Port Angeles-Olympia: 12-410
The loop around the Olympic Peninsula has existed since 1926.
*Astoria-Ilwaco-Naselle: WA 401-830
SR 401 did not provide a through route from Astoria until the 1950s or 60s.

[NE2]

I wonder how the very first US60 (1931 extension to LA) compares to its contemporary 66, which went in a sideways S in New Mexico, hitting Las Vegas, Santa Fe, and Los Lunas.

With a rough calculation on the Goog I get 1238 miles via 66 and 1136 via 60. But that's probably weighted in favor of 60 because of non-freeway realignments over the years.

[NE2]

History all done.

[hbelkins]

Interesting point about US 460 and KY 114. When 460 was extended into Kentucky, it ran across what was then, and what is now, KY 40 from Paintsville to Salyersville. The existing alignment of 460 was built in the mid-1970s. When it opened, the KY 40 designation was re-applied to that route.

[pj3970]

Springfield.

did they actually intersect?

I thought 66 followed what is now Business Loop 44, and 60 followed 413 and Secondary D.  they get close (about 1-2 miles) but together?

They did intersect in Springfield...that intersection was the western terminus of US 60 in 1926

[NE2]

Springfield.

did they actually intersect?

I thought 66 followed what is now Business Loop 44, and 60 followed 413 and Secondary D.  they get close (about 1-2 miles) but together?

They did intersect in Springfield...that intersection was the western terminus of US 60 in 1926

After the extension there was an overlap for a while: http://www.cosmos-monitor.com/mo/map1937/sw-corner.html
The diagonal to Billings was built in the 1940s.

[NE2]

If following US 98, it's .3 mile shorter to take CR 541/CR 41 between Brooksville and Dade City. I only mention this because the control city for CR 541 is Dade City, signed from US 98 south. Silly sods.

[bugo]

59
*Laredo-Tenaha-Winnipeg (entire route): 81
This was created when 59 and 96 swapped ca. 1939.
*Nacogdoches-Texarkana-Heavener: 259 (all of 259)

259 ends near Page, not Heavener.

59 was created ca. 1934 with this alignment. The future 259 did not exist until ca. 1960, and became 259 ca. 1963. Interestingly, there were plans to realign 59 onto a cutoff like this: http://www.txdot.gov/tpp/hwy/us/us0059.htm

The AR 41/TX 8 corridor bypasses Texarkana and shaves several miles from the US 59 route.  This highway should be signed as US 359 or Alternate US 59.

[NE2]

If following US 98, it's .3 mile shorter to take CR 541/CR 41 between Brooksville and Dade City. I only mention this because the control city for CR 541 is Dade City, signed from US 98 south. Silly sods.

A similar case: on US 441 northbound in St. Cloud, signs say to use CR 15 to reach Orlando. This is about a mile longer but probably significantly faster than South OBT.

[US71]

271
*Tyler-Mt. Pleasant-Paris: 69-TX 37-TX 154-TX 19
271 was extended through Tyler ca. 1930; this alternate was not yet paved.
*Tyler-Gladewater-Gilmer: TX 155
Neither was this.
*Antlers-Clayton Lake-Clayton: OK 2
This cutoff wasn't a state highway until the late 1950s.
*Poteau-Panama-Fort Smith: OK 112
271 here dates to 1926; 112 came in the mid-1950s.

Bugo and I have been debating for years whether 271 ever crossed back into Arkansas near Mena. Some maps indicate yes, others indicate no. If it did, it only lasted a couple years.

[TheStranger]

Between Los Olivos and Santa Barbara, Route 154 is shorter than US 101 by 13 miles.

[bugo]

There is no question that it dipped back into Arkansas to end somewhere around Mena, even though the exact terminus is unknown.

[NE2]

If following US 98, it's .3 mile shorter to take CR 541/CR 41 between Brooksville and Dade City. I only mention this because the control city for CR 541 is Dade City, signed from US 98 south. Silly sods.

A similar case: on US 441 northbound in St. Cloud, signs say to use CR 15 to reach Orlando. This is about a mile longer but probably significantly faster than South OBT.

Two more that are definitely shorter: westbound on US 190 at Heidenheimer, FM 93 is signed as the route to Belton, and in both directions FM 2095 is signed as the route between Cameron and Hearne.