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Most Isolated Major US City?

Started by webny99, December 09, 2024, 10:07:52 PM

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What is the most isolated major city/metro area in the 48 contiguous US states?

Spokane, WA
0 (0%)
Boise, ID
13 (32.5%)
Salt Lake City, UT
5 (12.5%)
Denver, CO
2 (5%)
Albuquerque, NM
3 (7.5%)
El Paso, TX
9 (22.5%)
Other (specify below)
8 (20%)

Total Members Voted: 40

JayhawkCO

Quote from: ZLoth on December 11, 2024, 10:01:33 AMI would look at Billings as a getaway destination though.

Why if I may ask?


Max Rockatansky

One of the few places you can get a normally priced hotel within day trip distance of Yellowstone. 

JayhawkCO

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 11, 2024, 11:32:20 AMOne of the few places you can get a normally priced hotel within day trip distance of Yellowstone. 

I guess. Billings isn't much of a tourist town was my point.



Side note, I'm currently writing a Python script that will determine how far the closest city is to another that has at least half its population. The data set that I found with both location (latitude/longitude) and population is a few years old, but should suffice for the purposes of this thread.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: JayhawkCO on December 11, 2024, 12:33:20 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 11, 2024, 11:32:20 AMOne of the few places you can get a normally priced hotel within day trip distance of Yellowstone. 

I guess. Billings isn't much of a tourist town was my point.



Side note, I'm currently writing a Python script that will determine how far the closest city is to another that has at least half its population. The data set that I found with both location (latitude/longitude) and population is a few years old, but should suffice for the purposes of this thread.

Indeed, which probably explains why hotels like places like Jackson Hole, West Yellowstone and Big Sky are super expensive.

hotdogPi

Quote from: JayhawkCOSide note, I'm currently writing a Python script that will determine how far the closest city is to another that has at least half its population. The data set that I found with both location (latitude/longitude) and population is a few years old, but should suffice for the purposes of this thread.

How are you handling suburbs? If Spokane Valley was just a bit larger, Spokane would register as less than 10 miles.
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

ZLoth

Quote from: JayhawkCO on December 11, 2024, 10:35:38 AM
Quote from: ZLoth on December 11, 2024, 10:01:33 AMI would look at Billings as a getaway destination though.

Why if I may ask?
It looks to be a nice area to explore in the summer.
Don't Drive Distrac... SQUIRREL!

Max Rockatansky

The area yes.  The city not so much.

JayhawkCO

Quote from: hotdogPi on December 11, 2024, 12:37:16 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCOSide note, I'm currently writing a Python script that will determine how far the closest city is to another that has at least half its population. The data set that I found with both location (latitude/longitude) and population is a few years old, but should suffice for the purposes of this thread.

How are you handling suburbs? If Spokane Valley was just a bit larger, Spokane would register as less than 10 miles.

I suppose I can exclude anything that's within 20 miles or so.

JayhawkCO

#58
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 11, 2024, 12:51:01 PMThe area yes.  The city not so much.

Eh, by Montana standards, it's not even a great area. Little Bighorn isn't too far, but it's not that exciting. I'd much rather spend my time in western or central Montana.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: JayhawkCO on December 11, 2024, 12:53:10 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 11, 2024, 12:51:01 PMThe area yes.  The city not so much.

Eh, my Montana standards, it's not even a great area. Little Bighorn isn't too far, but it's not that exciting. I'd much rather spend my time in western or central Montana.

Probably greatly depends on what one would consider reasonable distances to travel to/from a base city during a trip.  I've used Billings for Yellowstone hiking trips a couple times.  All the same I'm probably more willing than most to get up well before sunrise to head out to a trailhead (especially on the likes of US 212).

JayhawkCO

#60
Alright, finally got my data collected. Here are all of the cities, note cities not metro areas, that are at least 175 miles away from a U.S. city that's at least 50% its population, excluding anything that's within 30 miles of it. Obviously the top few are outliers just because they're so large. Distances are great circle distances, not via road.

New York - N/A
Honolulu - 2,394 miles to San Francisco
Anchorage - 1,434 miles to Seattle

Los Angeles - 1,741 miles to Chicago
Chicago - 664 miles to Philadelphia
Jacksonville - 341 miles to Charlotte
Phoenix - 298 miles to San Diego
Minneapolis - 232 miles to Madison
El Paso - 230 miles to Albuquerque
Albuquerque - 230 miles to El Paso
Boise - 229 miles to Kennewick
Atlanta - 215 miles to Nashville
Miami - 204 miles to Orlando
Las Vegas - 199 miles to Riverside
Memphis - 196 miles to Nashville
Nashville - 196 miles to Memphis
St. Louis - 195 miles to Springfield
Boston - 190 miles to New York
Houston - 189 miles to San Antonio
Billings - 178 miles to Great Falls
Rapid City - 175 miles to Casper

JayhawkCO

Here it is by population ranges:

50,000-100,000
Rapid City - 176 miles to Casper
Grand Junction - 162 miles to Farmington
Missoula - 134 miles to Great Falls
Duluth - 124 miles to Blaine
Medford - 119 miles to Springfield

100,000-250,000
Boise - 230 miles to Kennewick
Billings - 178 miles to Great Falls
Sioux Falls - 163 miles to Omaha
Fargo - 155 miles to St. Cloud
Jackson - 141 miles to Baton Rouge

250,000-500,0000
Minneapolis - 233 miles to Madison
Atlanta - 215 miles to Nashville
Miami - 204 miles to Orlando
St. Louis - 195 miles to Springfield
Kansas City - 161 miles to Lincoln

500,000-750,000
El Paso - 230 miles to Albuquerque
Albuquerque - 230 miles to El Paso
Las Vegas - 200 miles to Riverside
Nashville - 196 miles to Memphis
Memphis - 195 miles to Nashville

750,000-1,000,000
Jacksonville - 341 miles to Charlotte
Columbus - 164 miles to Detroit
Indianapolis - 164 miles to Chicago
Charlotte - 130 miles to Raleigh
Austin - 74 miles to San Antonio


vdeane

I ended up voting for Boise.  Sure, the "distance to city at least 50% as large" figure is a mile longer for El Paso, but Albuquerque is larger than Kennewick, and it feels like El Paso has more reasonably direct interstate paths to major cities than Boise does.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

kernals12

Quote from: TheStranger on December 10, 2024, 05:50:51 PMDenver metro is about 580 miles from Kansas City metro, so slightly less  isolated than when measuring towards the Metroplex.  (SLC metro area is a bit over 1.2 million and is about 510 west of Denver)

But Denver has Colorado City to the south and Fort Collins to the North

kernals12

Quote from: Bobby5280 on December 10, 2024, 10:56:18 AMI think the NYC mention was a joke. The cluster of DC, Baltimore, Philadephia, NYC and all the miscellaneous other cities leading up to Boston amounts to the most NOT-isolated region of the 48 states.

Quote from: kernals12I'd say Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is 254 miles from Phoenix and 227 miles from San Bernadino (technically part of the LA megapolis). The Victorville area North of Cajon Pass has a modest cluster of small cities. Boise is a farther distance than that away from the nearest major population centers.


I can't really consider Boise a major city

JayhawkCO

Quote from: kernals12 on December 11, 2024, 08:01:06 PM
Quote from: TheStranger on December 10, 2024, 05:50:51 PMDenver metro is about 580 miles from Kansas City metro, so slightly less  isolated than when measuring towards the Metroplex.  (SLC metro area is a bit over 1.2 million and is about 510 west of Denver)

But Denver has Colorado City to the south and Fort Collins to the North

And Colorado Springs to the South too.

kernals12

Quote from: JayhawkCO on December 11, 2024, 08:14:26 PM
Quote from: kernals12 on December 11, 2024, 08:01:06 PM
Quote from: TheStranger on December 10, 2024, 05:50:51 PMDenver metro is about 580 miles from Kansas City metro, so slightly less  isolated than when measuring towards the Metroplex.  (SLC metro area is a bit over 1.2 million and is about 510 west of Denver)

But Denver has Colorado City to the south and Fort Collins to the North

And Colorado Springs to the South too.

Sorry, typo

JayhawkCO

Quote from: kernals12 on December 11, 2024, 08:40:51 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on December 11, 2024, 08:14:26 PM
Quote from: kernals12 on December 11, 2024, 08:01:06 PM
Quote from: TheStranger on December 10, 2024, 05:50:51 PMDenver metro is about 580 miles from Kansas City metro, so slightly less  isolated than when measuring towards the Metroplex.  (SLC metro area is a bit over 1.2 million and is about 510 west of Denver)

But Denver has Colorado City to the south and Fort Collins to the North

And Colorado Springs to the South too.

Sorry, typo

Technically no, Colorado City is also due south of Denver.

bing101

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elko,_Nevada

Elko, Nevada has gotta be up there for most isolated area in the continental United States.

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: bing101 on December 13, 2024, 12:35:09 AMhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elko,_Nevada

Elko, Nevada has gotta be up there for most isolated area in the continental United States.
Area, maybe. Major city, that's a reeeal stretch...
My username has been outdated since August 2023 but I'm too lazy to change it

Molandfreak

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 05, 2023, 08:24:57 PMAASHTO attributes 28.5% of highway inventory shrink to bad road fan social media posts.

pderocco

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 13, 2024, 12:41:44 AM
Quote from: bing101 on December 13, 2024, 12:35:09 AMhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elko,_Nevada

Elko, Nevada has gotta be up there for most isolated area in the continental United States.
Area, maybe. Major city, that's a reeeal stretch...
On Nevada official road maps from the 50s, they included detail maps for Vegas, Reno, and combined Ely & East Ely. But not Carson City. If they can think Ely's that important, Bing can be forgiven for thinking Elko is.

webny99

This seems like a good time to reference this handy tool (thanks to @hotdogPi for initially sharing this in another thread some time ago).

It obviously can't calculate isolation on a city-to-city level, but you can get a really good idea of the relative isolation of a place by calculating total population within a given radius (just have a km-to-miles converter handy if you, like me, prefer to use miles).

mgk920

Well, the tip of the Keweenaw peninsula in Michigan has been acknowledged in here as the most remote drive distance from the nearest I-route in the contiguous 48 USA states, but there are no major cities anywhere near to there.

  :-P

Mike

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: mgk920 on December 13, 2024, 11:48:59 AMWell, the tip of the Keweenaw peninsula in Michigan has been acknowledged in here as the most remote drive distance from the nearest I-route in the contiguous 48 USA states, but there are no major cities anywhere near to there.

  :-P

Mike
True although isn't US 131 South of Cadillac interstate standard?
My username has been outdated since August 2023 but I'm too lazy to change it



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