State Highway Numbering Patterns

Started by Zeffy, September 07, 2014, 11:31:34 PM

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Pink Jazz

#25
Sorry to bump an old thread, but I am currently in Puerto Rico, and here is Puerto Rico's system:

       
  • Sub-100 routes are usually the most critical routes on the main island, although this is not always the case.
  • 1xx routes are found all over the main island and are usually secondary routes.
  • 2xx routes were once only used for the main routes on the outlying islands of Culebra and Vieques, however, in recent years DTOP has used 2xx numbers on the main island as an alternative to 1xx, since 2xx numbers were underutilized.
  • 3xx is used in the southwestern part of the main island.
  • 4xx is used in the northwestern part of the main island.
  • 5xx is used in the south-central part of the main island.
  • 6xx is used in the north-central part of the main island.
  • 7xx is used in the southeastern part of the main island.
  • 8xx is used in the San Juan metropolitan area.
  • 9xx is used in the eastern part of the main island and two routes in Vieques (995 and 997).

4-digit routes are spurs from their parent route.  There are also "Ramal" routes with the suffix "R" which are similar in function to Business routes (older signage uses a "RAMAL" banner instead of a suffix).


Darkchylde

Quote from: jbnv on September 13, 2014, 12:30:10 PM
Don't bother asking about Louisiana. There is evidence of loose patterning, but the idea of conformity vanished when major routes got 3xxx numbers.  :rolleyes:

The lowest-numbered routes there tend to go with odds N-S and evens E-W, with smaller numbers starting in the north and west. Southeast Louisiana has its own subcluster of these using the next lowest numbers after the more statewide system. Overall these are/were assigned with numbers 1-25. Less important primary routes not adhering to the main grid follow, up to 191.

Your 300-series and above routes tend to be secondary routes clustered in certain areas, to a point. Some of the higher-digit 3dlas and the 4dlas were tertiary farm-to-market type routes and also tend to be clustered.

Of course, yeah, it all went out the window when the 3xxx series was commissioned. From what I hear, these were supposed to be internal designations, used until more suitable numbers were designated - but for whatever reason, they were signed, and they can be any class of route, be it primary, secondary, or tertiary/farm-to-market.

US 89

For Utah, there isn't really any organization except for a few clusters, some of which date back from the 1920s. Also, numbers from 281 to 320 are reserved for state parks and universities.

NE2

pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

fillup420

#29
Quote from: WashuOtaku on September 13, 2014, 09:40:53 AM
When North Carolina first started their state number system, it was very uniformed.  But after a decade or two they said "f*ck it, let's make meth," which is what we have today.   :sombrero:

Yeah, the original system made a lot of sense. Main routes were 2-digit-end-in-zero (NC 10). Child routes had the "ones digit" changed (NC 19), children of the child routes had an extra "ones digit" added (NC 194). After a while and a few renumberings to accommodate US routes and interstates, the numbering just became sporadic.

Rover_0

Quote from: roadguy2 on June 11, 2017, 09:59:08 PM
For Utah, there isn't really any organization except for a few clusters, some of which date back from the 1920s. Also, numbers from 281 to 320 are reserved for state parks and universities.
Pretty much. There's no real pattern within the clusters themselves, but a lot of these cluster kind of correspond to a certain part of the state.

To wit, SRs 7-19 (12, 14, 17, 18 and historically 11, 15, and 19) tend to be in the southwest corner and Routes 20-29 are a little to the north in the center of the state (20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 28, and 29). Routes 30-39 are generally further north still, 40-49 are generally more in eastern Utah, and so forth. There are exceptions, particularly SRs 13, 23, and 26 in northern Utah, but clustering is common.

When a number is assigned to a road, you can bet on it carrying similar digits to another existing route in the area as well (like UT-67 being near UT-68). If there is more than 1 new route assigned in roughly the same area, expect the same (like UT-131 and UT-135, just assigned this year).

XT1585

Fixing erroneous shields, one at a time...

formulanone

#31
Alabama used most low numbers under 20 as principal routes (many are now hidden US Route numbers). "AL 1" follows US 431, "AL 2" follows US 72,  "AL 3" follows US 31, "AL 4" follows US 78...the even-numbered hidden routes tend to increase as you head down the state. The rest is usually in the order in which they were created, so there's no real grid nor pattern. Some numbers get used elsewhere after decommissioning, and some old alignments have started getting 3xx numbers. There's also few unsigned 3xx routes which are recent additions. In short, there's not a lot of organization.

Florida has a pretty good grid system, considering there's about 700 numbered routes, once downgraded secondary routes are taken into account. The odd-numbered routes from 1-99 start with "1" to the east, and are distributed to 99 as you continue west across the Panhandle...rather obvious if you travel along I-10. Many of the x5 roads became secret numbers for US Routes (not sure if that was intentionally planned). The even numbers run east-west, and start low (2) along the Panhandle, and increase to 94 as you drive south. Usually, they span more than one county.

The x0 routes are generally span the width of the state, and provide a general "band" for the three-digit numbers. For example, the 4xx routes usually appear between FL 40 and FL 50; 6xx routes typically appear between FL 60 and FL 70. Several of the x00 routes are diagonal routes, although many are now mostly overlaid by US Routes (400, 500, 600, 700). The odd three-digits also tend to increase in number as you head west; x0y, x1y, x2y would typically be found on the Atlantic side, and x7y, x8y, x9y would likely to be found closer to the Gulf of Mexico. Numbers also typically increase you move south towards the next band of numbers; although the three-digits sometimes are assigned a bit more scattered...perhaps this is to prevent confusion?

The County Road system usually follows the old Secondary State Road system, and they usually follow the even/odd numbering scheme. Most are in pretty good shape, maintenance-wise. A few of the suffixed numbers seem to do their own thing, but they're usually little spur/alternate routes. Some counties take it a step further, and have four-digit routes which typically use the same band pattern as the three-digit routes. This also allows for some CR 0xxx routes...

The 30s is where things get a little weird...there's no SR 32-34-36-38, and I guess they were just saving them for future use. But there's many 3xx roads all over the north-central part of the state and some in the Panhandle. There's some 7xx roads (727, 742, 749, 751) scattered around the Panhandle instead the Lake Okeechobee area (perhaps the huge lake freed up a lot of numbers). Why is 112 down in Miami, when many other numbers were available? How did 800 wind up on a short east-west road? What does A1A really mean? It's not a perfect system, but 95% is quite intuitive and organized.

US 89

Quote from: Rover_0 on June 13, 2017, 07:47:45 PM
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 11, 2017, 09:59:08 PM
For Utah, there isn't really any organization except for a few clusters, some of which date back from the 1920s. Also, numbers from 281 to 320 are reserved for state parks and universities.
Pretty much. There's no real pattern within the clusters themselves, but a lot of these cluster kind of correspond to a certain part of the state.

To wit, SRs 7-19 (12, 14, 17, 18 and historically 11, 15, and 19) tend to be in the southwest corner and Routes 20-29 are a little to the north in the center of the state (20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 28, and 29). Routes 30-39 are generally further north still, 40-49 are generally more in eastern Utah, and so forth. There are exceptions, particularly SRs 13, 23, and 26 in northern Utah, but clustering is common.

When a number is assigned to a road, you can bet on it carrying similar digits to another existing route in the area as well (like UT-67 being near UT-68). If there is more than 1 new route assigned in roughly the same area, expect the same (like UT-131 and UT-135, just assigned this year).

XT1585

The problem with that is that it often gets confusing. I remember being lost up by Pineview Reservoir in the pre-smartphone days. We knew we had to go to SR-167, but we didn't remember the number exactly, we just had a vague idea. It didn't help that all the route numbers near there were very similar to each other (158, 162, 165, 166, etc.)

Rover_0

Quote from: roadguy2 on June 13, 2017, 10:10:52 PM
Quote from: Rover_0 on June 13, 2017, 07:47:45 PM
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 11, 2017, 09:59:08 PM
For Utah, there isn't really any organization except for a few clusters, some of which date back from the 1920s. Also, numbers from 281 to 320 are reserved for state parks and universities.
Pretty much. There's no real pattern within the clusters themselves, but a lot of these cluster kind of correspond to a certain part of the state.

To wit, SRs 7-19 (12, 14, 17, 18 and historically 11, 15, and 19) tend to be in the southwest corner and Routes 20-29 are a little to the north in the center of the state (20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 28, and 29). Routes 30-39 are generally further north still, 40-49 are generally more in eastern Utah, and so forth. There are exceptions, particularly SRs 13, 23, and 26 in northern Utah, but clustering is common.

When a number is assigned to a road, you can bet on it carrying similar digits to another existing route in the area as well (like UT-67 being near UT-68). If there is more than 1 new route assigned in roughly the same area, expect the same (like UT-131 and UT-135, just assigned this year).

XT1585

The problem with that is that it often gets confusing. I remember being lost up by Pineview Reservoir in the pre-smartphone days. We knew we had to go to SR-167, but we didn't remember the number exactly, we just had a vague idea. It didn't help that all the route numbers near there were very similar to each other (158, 162, 165, 166, etc.)
Actually, 162 isn't there; it runs from US-191 at Bluff to the Colorado State line via Montezuma Creek and Aneth. The 162 you're referring to is an old state route that was apparently a continuation of UT-165 south from Paradise to about Eden or thereabouts.

XT1585

Fixing erroneous shields, one at a time...

US 89

Quote from: Rover_0 on June 14, 2017, 12:26:10 AM
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 13, 2017, 10:10:52 PM
Quote from: Rover_0 on June 13, 2017, 07:47:45 PM
Quote from: roadguy2 on June 11, 2017, 09:59:08 PM
For Utah, there isn't really any organization except for a few clusters, some of which date back from the 1920s. Also, numbers from 281 to 320 are reserved for state parks and universities.
Pretty much. There's no real pattern within the clusters themselves, but a lot of these cluster kind of correspond to a certain part of the state.

To wit, SRs 7-19 (12, 14, 17, 18 and historically 11, 15, and 19) tend to be in the southwest corner and Routes 20-29 are a little to the north in the center of the state (20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 28, and 29). Routes 30-39 are generally further north still, 40-49 are generally more in eastern Utah, and so forth. There are exceptions, particularly SRs 13, 23, and 26 in northern Utah, but clustering is common.

When a number is assigned to a road, you can bet on it carrying similar digits to another existing route in the area as well (like UT-67 being near UT-68). If there is more than 1 new route assigned in roughly the same area, expect the same (like UT-131 and UT-135, just assigned this year).

XT1585

The problem with that is that it often gets confusing. I remember being lost up by Pineview Reservoir in the pre-smartphone days. We knew we had to go to SR-167, but we didn't remember the number exactly, we just had a vague idea. It didn't help that all the route numbers near there were very similar to each other (158, 162, 165, 166, etc.)
Actually, 162 isn't there; it runs from US-191 at Bluff to the Colorado State line via Montezuma Creek and Aneth. The 162 you're referring to is an old state route that was apparently a continuation of UT-165 south from Paradise to about Eden or thereabouts.

XT1585

Well, it was a long time ago...my point is that having a bunch of highways with very similar numbers all right next to each other may be a source of confusion.

jbnv

Quote from: Darkchylde on June 11, 2017, 08:00:36 PM
Your ...

I love it when people explain to me things I already know because I live there:rolleyes:
🆕 Louisiana Highways on Twitter | Yes, I like Clearview. Deal with it. | Redos: US | La. | Route Challenge

roadman65

Quote from: formulanone on June 13, 2017, 09:42:28 PM
Alabama used most low numbers under 20 as principal routes (many are now hidden US Route numbers). "AL 1" follows US 431, "AL 2" follows US 72,  "AL 3" follows US 31, "AL 4" follows US 78...the even-numbered hidden routes tend to increase as you head down the state. The rest is usually in the order in which they were created, so there's no real grid nor pattern. Some numbers get used elsewhere after decommissioning, and some old alignments have started getting 3xx numbers. There's also few unsigned 3xx routes which are recent additions. In short, there's not a lot of organization.

Florida has a pretty good grid system, considering there's about 700 numbered routes, once downgraded secondary routes are taken into account. The odd-numbered routes from 1-99 start with "1" to the east, and are distributed to 99 as you continue west across the Panhandle...rather obvious if you travel along I-10. Many of the x5 roads became secret numbers for US Routes (not sure if that was intentionally planned). The even numbers run east-west, and start low (2) along the Panhandle, and increase to 94 as you drive south. Usually, they span more than one county.

The x0 routes are generally span the width of the state, and provide a general "band" for the three-digit numbers. For example, the 4xx routes usually appear between FL 40 and FL 50; 6xx routes typically appear between FL 60 and FL 70. Several of the x00 routes are diagonal routes, although many are now mostly overlaid by US Routes (400, 500, 600, 700). The odd three-digits also tend to increase in number as you head west; x0y, x1y, x2y would typically be found on the Atlantic side, and x7y, x8y, x9y would likely to be found closer to the Gulf of Mexico. Numbers also typically increase you move south towards the next band of numbers; although the three-digits sometimes are assigned a bit more scattered...perhaps this is to prevent confusion?

The County Road system usually follows the old Secondary State Road system, and they usually follow the even/odd numbering scheme. Most are in pretty good shape, maintenance-wise. A few of the suffixed numbers seem to do their own thing, but they're usually little spur/alternate routes. Some counties take it a step further, and have four-digit routes which typically use the same band pattern as the three-digit routes. This also allows for some CR 0xxx routes...

The 30s is where things get a little weird...there's no SR 32-34-36-38, and I guess they were just saving them for future use. But there's many 3xx roads all over the north-central part of the state and some in the Panhandle. There's some 7xx roads (727, 742, 749, 751) scattered around the Panhandle instead the Lake Okeechobee area (perhaps the huge lake freed up a lot of numbers). Why is 112 down in Miami, when many other numbers were available? How did 800 wind up on a short east-west road? What does A1A really mean? It's not a perfect system, but 95% is quite intuitive and organized.

I never realized that the xxx numbers use the E-W x0 number first digit to get their first digit.  That is why most 400 series routes are above SR 50.  However, SR 434, 435, and 436 dip to the south side with SR 435 being totally south of SR 50 from Pine Hills into Lockheed- Martin, as that was created for the original Lockheed employees to get to and from work.  Yes, Pine Hills was a bedroom community for the plant workers at that time.  If you live in Orlando now you would know why I say that.  But, anyway that was after rules for numbering got broken.

Plus 434 and 436 and even a small part of 423 were later extended to head south of FL 50, but with the first two were all both north of 50.  Then 423 was assigned to John Young Parkway's first segment after SR 438 was rerouted onto the Princeton Extension as it used to use most of JYP and was the original number for Lee Road.

Then you have Tampa too that does have Spruce Street north of SR 60 with a 600 series number.  I do not know the history of that one, but I imagine it has to do with the Tampa Airport as that designation connects US 92 to the airport and of course I-275 was built as I-4 in the early to mid 1960's.  However, it still is a major airport user route for locals to avoid messing with the already overcrowded freeway, so post interstate it has a valuable function for a state route.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

machias

Quote from: vdeane on September 09, 2014, 01:16:53 PM
Quote from: dgolub on September 08, 2014, 07:56:10 PM
New York generally uses two-digit numbers for longer routes and three-digit number for shorter routes within a particular area of the state.  Certain regions have three-digit numbers in a particular range.  For example, Long Island originally had everything from NY 101 to NY 115, although three of those were decommissioned:

NY 103 - Atlantic Avenue
NY 104 - Rockaway Boulevard and Rockaway Turnpike (currently Nassau CR 257)
NY 113 - Quogue-Riverhead Road (currently Suffolk CR 104)
NY 115 - Wantagh Avenue (currently Nassau CR 189)

It's likely that Westchester once had everything from NY 116 to NY 141.  It's known that Mamaroneck Avenue was once NY 126, but I can't say for certain about the other missing numbers.  Routes that don't fit in the range (e.g. NY 135, NY 347, and NY 454 on Long Island) are in many cases roads that were constructed at a later date and got assigned some number that was not already taken--or some number that had been decommissioned elsewhere, as in the case of the current NY 113 and NY 115 in Poughkeepsie.
I believe NY adopted a system where 2dny routes would be primary routes across the state (even N-S, odd E-W) with 3dny routes being more minor ones assigned by a clustering system.  Of course, there are about a billion exceptions, and it's been ignored since the initial numbering in the early 30s.  Before then, there was a small system of 2dny routes in the late 20s that went by the wayside when the US highways were designated.  Yep, NY established a system only to have to scrap it a couple years later when the US highways came in.  That might be why NY has never cared much for US routes and didn't care to renumber anything other than NY 87 (to NY 812) for the interstates.

EDIT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1930_state_highway_renumbering_(New_York)

There's a little bit of a "right to left" with the NY route numbers in the teens, and then 17 along the bottom and 18 across the "top" of western NY. 

I've never been able to figure out why NY Route 179 is so far out of the cluster of numbers in the central part of the state.

NE2

Quote from: upstatenyroads on June 15, 2017, 12:52:42 PM
I've never been able to figure out why NY Route 179 is so far out of the cluster of numbers in the central part of the state.
Because the original 179 connected Chaumont to Depauville?
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

machias

Quote from: NE2 on June 15, 2017, 07:07:32 PM
Quote from: upstatenyroads on June 15, 2017, 12:52:42 PM
I've never been able to figure out why NY Route 179 is so far out of the cluster of numbers in the central part of the state.
Because the original 179 connected Chaumont to Depauville?

Well now that makes perfect sense. Thanks for the enlightenment. :)

SFalcon71

Willing to bet Ohio doesn't have a system. Usually odd numbers run north/south, and even east/west. Of course, this isn't always the case:

--OH-60 runs North-South predominately for it's duration
--OH-4 runs North-South (although it does hook south-west/north-east for an extended period)
--OH-113 is an east-west route almost it's whole duration.
--OH-547 is signed East-West

They don't follow (at least, where I live) the numbering system for interstates at all:

--OH-269 does not connect with OH-69 (OH-69 does not exist anymore, but even when it did, not even close)
--OH-547 does not even come close to OH-47


Quillz

Prior to 1964, California had a somewhat ordered system where lower numbers were found in the major metropolitan areas, and route numbers generally increased south to north (in Central/NorCal), north to south (in SoCal) and west to east. Every other set of pairs (i.e. 2 + 3, 4 + 5) alternated between SoCal and Central/NorCal. The original routes from 1934 still reflect this pattern today.

After the '64 renumbering, any sense of order was lost, and today route numbers are basically just assigned in sequential order as needed.

dvferyance

Quote from: SFalcon71 on July 31, 2017, 07:01:45 AM
Willing to bet Ohio doesn't have a system. Usually odd numbers run north/south, and even east/west. Of course, this isn't always the case:

--OH-60 runs North-South predominately for it's duration
--OH-4 runs North-South (although it does hook south-west/north-east for an extended period)
--OH-113 is an east-west route almost it's whole duration.
--OH-547 is signed East-West

They don't follow (at least, where I live) the numbering system for interstates at all:

--OH-269 does not connect with OH-69 (OH-69 does not exist anymore, but even when it did, not even close)
--OH-547 does not even come close to OH-47
Add OH-58 which also runs north-south. No pattern in Wisconsin either. WI-164 runs north-south. WI-32 and WI-38 also run north-south. WI-11 and WI-33 runs east-west. WI-164 is nowhere near WI-64. The only exception to that is WI-120 does come close to meeting WI-20 but I think that is just a coincidence because no where else in the state does that come anywhere close to that happening.

GaryV

Quote from: dvferyance on August 02, 2017, 01:48:30 PMNo pattern in Wisconsin either. ...

As noted in the other thread, both Wisconsin and Michigan numbered their initial highways by length; 10 was the longest.

As new highways were added, they came in sequential order.

dvferyance

Quote from: GaryV on August 02, 2017, 04:58:50 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on August 02, 2017, 01:48:30 PMNo pattern in Wisconsin either. ...

As noted in the other thread, both Wisconsin and Michigan numbered their initial highways by length; 10 was the longest.

As new highways were added, they came in sequential order.
But that's not the case today. I do notice a pattern in South Dakota's highways. As Hwy 11 runs north and south and the eastern edge of the state and the numbers increase as you head west.

Flint1979

Indiana has there state highways numbered just like the US highways. Even numbers run east-west and odd numbers run north-south. The east-west numbers increase as you go south and the north-south numbers increase as you go west.

In Michigan though there isn't any special pattern. Most of the M-numbered routes lower than 15 are typically located in or around Detroit and Grand Rapids.

ilpt4u

Quote from: Flint1979 on August 09, 2017, 11:29:12 PM
Indiana has there state highways numbered just like the US highways. Even numbers run east-west and odd numbers run north-south.
IN 47 is waiting for you on Line 1...Its not very North-South oriented...Even if it is signed North-South

I feel like IL has a IL Route numbering plan...there seems to be a pattern to it, but I cannot explain it.

I do feel like Single Digit routes are "of importance" -- IL 1, IL 2, IL 3, IL 4, IL 5 (especially before being mostly replaced by I-88), IL 6...tho I'll stop there. IL 7 is an important link in the SW Suburbs, certainly

I feel like IDOT makes an effort to keep Evens East/West and Odds North/South, but it isn't a hard rule. IL 4 is North/South. IL 13 is East/West. IL 17 is East/West, for example

NE2

pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

Flint1979

Quote from: ilpt4u on August 10, 2017, 12:02:09 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 09, 2017, 11:29:12 PM
Indiana has there state highways numbered just like the US highways. Even numbers run east-west and odd numbers run north-south.
IN 47 is waiting for you on Line 1...Its not very North-South oriented...Even if it is signed North-South

I feel like IL has a IL Route numbering plan...there seems to be a pattern to it, but I cannot explain it.

I do feel like Single Digit routes are "of importance" -- IL 1, IL 2, IL 3, IL 4, IL 5 (especially before being mostly replaced by I-88), IL 6...tho I'll stop there. IL 7 is an important link in the SW Suburbs, certainly

I feel like IDOT makes an effort to keep Evens East/West and Odds North/South, but it isn't a hard rule. IL 4 is North/South. IL 13 is East/West. IL 17 is East/West, for example

SR 47 is a diagonal route it's signed north-south even though it runs more east-west. SR 37, SR 56, SR 57, SR 62, and SR 67 are also diagonal routes.



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