Which Highways in Your State are Most/Likely to be Clinched by Travelers

Started by JayhawkCO, August 19, 2024, 11:32:15 AM

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froggie

Because of the "20 mile rule", I can't think of any good contenders for "most likely" in Vermont (though I might just say screw it to Jayhawk and proclaim I-189 the winner anyway...gets a lot more traffic than VT 26, at least).

For "least likely", I would say the trophy goes to VT 100.  Not only would nobody in their right mind be going from North Adams to Newport in one sitting, but there are large numbers of vastly shorter-and-faster routings to take between the two.  VT 100 isn't even the most direct routing along a number of its segments (including North Adams to Wilmington...much better to take VT 8 and VT 9).


jeffandnicole

Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 21, 2024, 11:52:14 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 21, 2024, 11:07:08 AMDoesn't change my answer about I-85, though.

I-85 definitely seems like the correct answer to me for VA interstates.

I concur. With 2nd being 295.

froggie

Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 21, 2024, 12:49:17 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 21, 2024, 11:52:14 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 21, 2024, 11:07:08 AMDoesn't change my answer about I-85, though.

I-85 definitely seems like the correct answer to me for VA interstates.

I concur. With 2nd being 295.

I would disagree on 295.  Mainly because of the leg west of I-95 that connects to I-64 towards Charlottesville.

hotdogPi

Quote from: froggie on August 21, 2024, 12:47:54 PMBecause of the "20 mile rule", I can't think of any good contenders for "most likely" in Vermont (though I might just say screw it to Jayhawk and proclaim I-189 the winner anyway...gets a lot more traffic than VT 26, at least).

For "least likely", I would say the trophy goes to VT 100.  Not only would nobody in their right mind be going from North Adams to Newport in one sitting, but there are large numbers of vastly shorter-and-faster routings to take between the two.  VT 100 isn't even the most direct routing along a number of its segments (including North Adams to Wilmington...much better to take VT 8 and VT 9).

I essentially got VT 103 (the only reason I don't actually have it is because the GPS saw traffic in Chester and routed us around it). I got the portion of VT 103 east of I-91 because that's how you get to NH 12, as I was continuing in the same general southeast direction.
Clinched

Traveled, plus
US 13, 50
MA 22, 35, 40, 53, 107, 109, 126, 141, 159
NH 27, 78, 111A(E); CA 90; NY 366; GA 42, 140; FL A1A, 7; CT 32, 320; VT 2A, 5A; PA 3, 51, 60, WA 202; QC 162, 165, 263; 🇬🇧A100, A3211, A3213, A3215, A4222; 🇫🇷95 D316

Lowest untraveled: 36

JayhawkCO

Quote from: froggie on August 21, 2024, 12:47:54 PMBecause of the "20 mile rule", I can't think of any good contenders for "most likely" in Vermont (though I might just say screw it to Jayhawk and proclaim I-189 the winner anyway...gets a lot more traffic than VT 26, at least).

I might argue VT102 (43.755 miles)? If you're heading up into Canada from the Littleton area or even to the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters area, unlikely to turn off?

For least likely, as a technicality, VT9 Truck in Brattleboro (3.00 miles)? 95% of the length is a concurrency on I-91, and then there's a little segment off the highway to meet back up with VT9 that very few thru travelers are taking.

roadman65

Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

webny99

Quote from: froggie on August 21, 2024, 12:47:54 PMFor "least likely", I would say the trophy goes to VT 100.  Not only would nobody in their right mind be going from North Adams to Newport in one sitting

In a single sitting, yes. However, VT 100 is the quintessential scenic state route in Vermont, and driving it in entirety is a bucket list item for many people, including non-roadgeeks, due to leaf peeping.

JayhawkCO

Quote from: webny99 on August 21, 2024, 04:50:49 PM
Quote from: froggie on August 21, 2024, 12:47:54 PMFor "least likely", I would say the trophy goes to VT 100.  Not only would nobody in their right mind be going from North Adams to Newport in one sitting

In a single sitting, yes. However, VT 100 is the quintessential Vermont state route and driving it in entirety is a bucket list item for many people, including non-roadgeeks, due to leaf peeping.


And there are plenty of long (by Vermont standards) highways that are equally unlikely to be clinched all at once. That's why I specified taking the shortest one that is unlikely to be clinched, since that's more interesting.

webny99

Quote from: 1995hoo on August 21, 2024, 09:13:42 AMWhile at first blush for Virginia the impulse is to list I-95 as "most likely," I don't think that's probably right. There are too many places where people are quite likely to exit to head to other destinations off I-95;

According to the terms of the OP I actually think passing through a large metro area alone is enough to make a route a poor candidate for "most likely", unless the route specifically exists as a bypass of that metro. The greater extent to which a route exists solely as a "point to point" or a connection between two other major routes, the better fit it is for this exercise.  That makes I-85 a great candidate for Virginia IMO.

JayhawkCO

Quote from: webny99 on August 21, 2024, 04:59:24 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 21, 2024, 09:13:42 AMWhile at first blush for Virginia the impulse is to list I-95 as "most likely," I don't think that's probably right. There are too many places where people are quite likely to exit to head to other destinations off I-95;

According to the terms of the OP I actually think passing through a large metro area alone is enough to make a route a poor candidate for "most likely", unless the route specifically exists as a bypass of that metro.


Agreed. The more population centers it passes through, the more likely it's a "least likely".

vdeane

Quote from: webny99 on August 21, 2024, 04:50:49 PM
Quote from: froggie on August 21, 2024, 12:47:54 PMFor "least likely", I would say the trophy goes to VT 100.  Not only would nobody in their right mind be going from North Adams to Newport in one sitting

In a single sitting, yes. However, VT 100 is the quintessential scenic state route in Vermont, and driving it in entirety is a bucket list item for many people, including non-roadgeeks, due to leaf peeping.

It also has a number of overlaps with more major routes, giving it a similar quality to Truck VT 9.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Dirt Roads

West Virginia has two of them, equally likely and roughly parallel:  I-81 and US-522.  While I would be inclined to add US-340 for the same reason, deep down inside I realize that many of the folks headed to Charles Town stop there and turn around later the same day (with a few hundred dollars extracted from their wallets).

jeffandnicole

Quote from: froggie on August 21, 2024, 12:51:09 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 21, 2024, 12:49:17 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 21, 2024, 11:52:14 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 21, 2024, 11:07:08 AMDoesn't change my answer about I-85, though.

I-85 definitely seems like the correct answer to me for VA interstates.

I concur. With 2nd being 295.

I would disagree on 295.  Mainly because of the leg west of I-95 that connects to I-64 towards Charlottesville.

Oh yeah. Forgot about that.

RZF

My 2 cents on California routes:

The CA 23 freeway portion (yes, I know, not the full route) is certainly a drive-through route for everyone trying to access CA 118 East or US 101 North/South. The CA 23 freeway portion essentially "becomes" the CA 118 freeway anyway. Unless you're a local in a sprawling, quasi-rural part of Thousand Oaks, the CA 23 freeway is easily clinched by drivers.

CA 217 in Santa Barbara/Goleta is another. I'm pretty sure 80-90% of traffic is going to either the airport or UCSB, both right at the end of the route.

Ditto for I-40. There is barely anything between Barstow and Needles. Most CA traffic is going into Arizona or Laughlin.

GaryV

Michigan

Most likely:
  • Interstate - This is hard; most routes bend around somewhere meaning they're not the most direct. I'd go with I-196, but realize that many travelers wouldn't complete the portion east of US-131.
  • US - If not for the 20-mile limit, US-8 in a heartbeat. Not many good candidates - maybe US-141?
  • State - Again, the 20-mile limit hits, else I'd say M-185 (but by bike). Maybe M-14. M-6 just misses the 20 mile mark, but that would also be a contender. Another possibility would be M-22, despite its shape, just for the sightseeing appeal.


Least likely:
  • Interstate - I-96, although as noted in "most likely" there are quite a few candidates because of the lack of direct routes.
  • US - US-41? It bends around so much. Runners up would be US-23 and US-2.
  • State - Any number of routes. Routes that change direction such as M-94 and M-123. Any cross-peninsula routes in the LP, simply because most travelers wouldn't be going e/w on their entirety.

I've probably missed a few candidates in both categories.

7/8

Quote from: GaryV on August 22, 2024, 07:44:08 AMMichigan

Most likely:
  • Interstate - This is hard; most routes bend around somewhere meaning they're not the most direct. I'd go with I-196, but realize that many travelers wouldn't complete the portion east of US-131.
  • US - If not for the 20-mile limit, US-8 in a heartbeat. Not many good candidates - maybe US-141?
  • State - Again, the 20-mile limit hits, else I'd say M-185 (but by bike). Maybe M-14. M-6 just misses the 20 mile mark, but that would also be a contender. Another possibility would be M-22, despite its shape, just for the sightseeing appeal.


Least likely:
  • Interstate - I-96, although as noted in "most likely" there are quite a few candidates because of the lack of direct routes.
  • US - US-41? It bends around so much. Runners up would be US-23 and US-2.
  • State - Any number of routes. Routes that change direction such as M-94 and M-123. Any cross-peninsula routes in the LP, simply because most travelers wouldn't be going e/w on their entirety.

I've probably missed a few candidates in both categories.

In my opinion, I-75 is a better candidate for least likely. It's deviation east to Detroit means that US 23 or I-275 are shorter route options when travelling from the south end of Michigan up to Flint (so who would actually drive the full length in one go unless you're a roadgeek going for a clinch?). Also, I imagine few people will follow the route right up to its end at the Soo border crossing.

elsmere241

Delaware:

Most likely:

US 40 - I actually have done that, there and back, in a single day.  I think it's long enough, not much here comes close to twenty miles.  This will be less likely over time as development continues.


Least likely:

DE 1 - nobody takes it all the way from Fenwick Island to the Christiana Mall.  (Technically, the route is three highways put together.)

US 13 - It goes through too many towns.  Not to mention it isn't signed very well in the city of Wilmington.

mgk920

In Wisconsin, I'm thinking that WI 441 is very unlikely to be driven from end to end in any single trip, even by Appleton area locals.  I-41 is used for that.

Mike

hotdogPi

Quote from: mgk920 on August 22, 2024, 11:42:36 AMIn Wisconsin, I'm thinking that WI 441 is very unlikely to be driven from end to end in any single trip, even by Appleton area locals.  I-41 is used for that.

Mike

Who said anything about a single trip? Most people living on that side of Appleton have probably clinched it via multiple trips.
Clinched

Traveled, plus
US 13, 50
MA 22, 35, 40, 53, 107, 109, 126, 141, 159
NH 27, 78, 111A(E); CA 90; NY 366; GA 42, 140; FL A1A, 7; CT 32, 320; VT 2A, 5A; PA 3, 51, 60, WA 202; QC 162, 165, 263; 🇬🇧A100, A3211, A3213, A3215, A4222; 🇫🇷95 D316

Lowest untraveled: 36

JayhawkCO

Quote from: hotdogPi on August 22, 2024, 11:53:26 AM
Quote from: mgk920 on August 22, 2024, 11:42:36 AMIn Wisconsin, I'm thinking that WI 441 is very unlikely to be driven from end to end in any single trip, even by Appleton area locals.  I-41 is used for that.

Mike

Who said anything about a single trip? Most people living on that side of Appleton have probably clinched it via multiple trips.

Me.

Big John

Quote from: mgk920 on August 22, 2024, 11:42:36 AMIn Wisconsin, I'm thinking that WI 441 is very unlikely to be driven from end to end in any single trip, even by Appleton area locals.  I-41 is used for that.

Mike
I had done that several times when I lived west of Appleton and the Bridgeview interchange was incomplete.

1995hoo

Quote from: hotdogPi on August 22, 2024, 11:53:26 AM
Quote from: mgk920 on August 22, 2024, 11:42:36 AMIn Wisconsin, I'm thinking that WI 441 is very unlikely to be driven from end to end in any single trip, even by Appleton area locals.  I-41 is used for that.

Mike

Who said anything about a single trip? Most people living on that side of Appleton have probably clinched it via multiple trips.

See the original post (both forms of emphasis added):

Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 19, 2024, 11:32:15 AMI had this thought as I was driving out to go camping and when I exited onto CO91 from I-70, I realized that, unless you're just going skiing at Copper Mountain, almost everyone that takes CO91 probably goes all the way to Leadville since there aren't any cities and are very few businesses and/or residences along the way. So, I started thinking about which routes are most likely to be clinched (in one shot) by any traveler that travels on the highway and then the opposite of that as well - which routes are least likely to be traveled straight through by anyone.

....
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

JayhawkCO

Yeah, it's a whole different topic if we're talking about eventually getting clinched. The whole thought that inspired this thread was me exiting onto CO91, knowing that I was taking it from the northern terminus to the southern and then realizing that almost everyone that "starts" CO91 also finishes it, since there is almost nowhere to turn off, there are no cities, and very few business/farms. And the fact that it's not a short highway, I thought that was interesting.

Bitmapped

For West Virginia, with a minimum length of 20 miles, I'd say I-68 and I-81. Lots of people driving through the Eastern Panhandle on I-81. I-68 users are likely either through travels driving the full route to connect to Maryland or Morgantown area locals who've driven to Maryland as well.

US 460 is probably the only US route likely to be fully clinched that is over 20 miles in the state.

West Virginia tends to prefer long state routes with logically independent sections assembled together into a longer number. That means that most routes over 20 miles aren't going to have a lot of complete clinches.

I'd venture WV 2 is most common over time since it connects the cities along the Ohio River. A couple state routes likely also fit into that category because there's not much along the way - WV 17 and WV 23. Some people may have WV 817 just because it used to be US 35.

Dirt Roads

Quote from: Bitmapped on August 24, 2024, 11:46:38 AMUS 460 is probably the only US route likely to be fully clinched that is over 20 miles in the state.

I'd venture WV 2 is most common over time since it connects the cities along the Ohio River. A couple state routes likely also fit into that category because there's not much along the way - WV 17 and WV 23. Some people may have WV 817 just because it used to be US 35.

Why not US-35 (as compared to US-460)?  Seems like most travellers using US-460 are headed from the Great Lakes -to- Blacksburg/Roanoke (moreso, headed directly to Virginia Tech, assuming that college families are considered travellers).  Likewise, there is a fair amount of out-of-state traffic from I-77 that uses US-19/US-460 to bypass Wytheville (although the smart ones head down to the US-52 exit at the base of East River Mountain). 

In comparison, almost all of the out-of-state traffic on US-35 is headed to/from I-64.  With the exception of folks that still want to utilize the truck stops and fast food at the Teays Valley exit (although the smart ones will head down to I-64 and backtrack one exit west, still clinching the route).



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