Random facts about interstates and US routes

[Bickendan]

AADT Facts

Lowest (signed, not at a border) 2di: 1,700 in I-84 in Oregon just east of the I-82 intersection

This surprises me, as it suggests there is a higher amount of EB 84 traffic exiting towards 82 WB (and vice versa) - is there really more Tri Cities-PDX traffic than Boise-PDX traffic?

Yeah... I've been trying to verify it since it stood out to me also.  If only Oregon named things internally the same way they do externally.  Still looking at it.

Edit - Yeah, I'm not sure where OR Highway 2 branches off and I-84 becomes OR Highway 6, but looks like I read it wrong.  I'll update.

Chris

Transition point is US 730. ORH 2 leaves I-84/US 30 and follows US 730 to Washington.

[Dirt Roads]

The completion of almost all of I-79 in West Virginia reduced the travel time from Charleston to Morgantown from over 7 hours in 1965 to just a hair over 3 hours in 1977.   Completion of I-79 to connect to I-77 in Charleston in 1979 whacked another 15 minutes off the trip.  This was all in the NMSL days, so nowadays the trek only takes about 2h25min.  The old route using US-119/WV-4, WV-4 and US-19 is roughly parallel to the current path of I-79.  No wonder the State encouraged residents to drive along the sides of uncompleted portions of I-79 to get to Morgantown on gamedays.

[Hobart]

Gonna infodump about Chicago real quick.

Interstate 294, the beloved (sarcasm) Tri-State Tollway by Chicago, is signed North and South, although the stretch of Interstate 94 it bypasses is signed East and West.

Interstate 355 was almost Interstate 455. The feds considered I-355 to be an outer beltway of Chicago with I-55 as its parent, but IDOT considered it a spur to Schaumburg. Nowadays, it wouldn't even be assigned an x55 number.

The Ohio Street exit on the north side is the way it is because it was supposed to be the exit to Interstate 494, a loop which would have run down Lake Shore Drive. It was never built due to low popularity.

Finally, the most interesting quirk

On the stretch of I-80 through Joliet, the speed limit was increased from 45 to 55 near the beginning of the 2010's. Literally no improvements were made to the road to justify the increase in speed limit, they just raised it without doing anything to the road.

[zachary_amaryllis]

Gonna infodump about Chicago real quick.

Interstate 294, the beloved (sarcasm) Tri-State Tollway by Chicago, is signed North and South, although the stretch of Interstate 94 it bypasses is signed East and West.

Interstate 355 was almost Interstate 455. The feds considered I-355 to be an outer beltway of Chicago with I-55 as its parent, but IDOT considered it a spur to Schaumburg. Nowadays, it wouldn't even be assigned an x55 number.

The Ohio Street exit on the north side is the way it is because it was supposed to be the exit to Interstate 494, a loop which would have run down Lake Shore Drive. It was never built due to low popularity.

Finally, the most interesting quirk

On the stretch of I-80 through Joliet, the speed limit was increased from 45 to 55 near the beginning of the 2010's. Literally no improvements were made to the road to justify the increase in speed limit, they just raised it without doing anything to the road.

don't forget the interstate (is it 290?) that goes through a building.

[jbnv]

For a while, Louisiana was one of only a handful of states that had two or more intrastate 2dis (12, 49 which is now truly an interstate).

At the moment, Texas is the king of the intrastate 2dis (2, 14, 27, 37, 45).

[CtrlAltDel]

Interstate 294, the beloved (sarcasm) Tri-State Tollway by Chicago, is signed North and South, although the stretch of Interstate 94 it bypasses is signed East and West.

I think it might actually be sincerely beloved, at least to some extent. It did win the 3DI bracket contest not too long ago, after all.

[hbelkins]

The completion of almost all of I-79 in West Virginia reduced the travel time from Charleston to Morgantown from over 7 hours in 1965 to just a hair over 3 hours in 1977.   Completion of I-79 to connect to I-77 in Charleston in 1979 whacked another 15 minutes off the trip.  This was all in the NMSL days, so nowadays the trek only takes about 2h25min.  The old route using US-119/WV-4, WV-4 and US-19 is roughly parallel to the current path of I-79.  No wonder the State encouraged residents to drive along the sides of uncompleted portions of I-79 to get to Morgantown on gamedays.

I think I read somewhere on here that taking WV 4 all the way (I-79's parallel route) was actually longer than following US 119 to Spencer and then the concurrency with US 33 to Weston to pick up US 19.

[US20IL64]

Gonna infodump about Chicago real quick.

Interstate 294, the beloved (sarcasm) Tri-State Tollway by Chicago, is signed North and South, although the stretch of Interstate 94 it bypasses is signed East and West.

Interstate 355 was almost Interstate 455. The feds considered I-355 to be an outer beltway of Chicago with I-55 as its parent, but IDOT considered it a spur to Schaumburg. Nowadays, it wouldn't even be assigned an x55 number.

The Ohio Street exit on the north side is the way it is because it was supposed to be the exit to Interstate 494, a loop which would have run down Lake Shore Drive. It was never built due to low popularity.

Finally, the most interesting quirk

On the stretch of I-80 through Joliet, the speed limit was increased from 45 to 55 near the beginning of the 2010's. Literally no improvements were made to the road to justify the increase in speed limit, they just raised it without doing anything to the road.

don't forget the interstate (is it 290?) that goes through a building.

The Old Post Office, it was built with the opening for a highway, back in 30's.

[Flint1979]

I-290 ends at the Circle Interchange.

[achilles765]

For a while, Louisiana was one of only a handful of states that had two or more intrastate 2dis (12, 49 which is now truly an interstate).

At the moment, Texas is the king of the intrastate 2dis (2, 14, 27, 37, 45).

I was just looking into that today: which states have the most intrastate routes, and where they are and why.  Even when I-14 becomes truly interstate, we still will be the king since I doubt any of the others will ever be extended...MAYBE I-45 or I-27 but there is nowhere for I-2 or I-37 to go.

[SkyPesos]

All 4 odd divisible by 15 4xx interstate numbers are well known, and can be linked to a specific city or two just by mentioning the interstate:

405 - LA and Seattle
435 - Kansas City
465 - Indianapolis
495 - DC and NYC

[dvferyance]

Tennessee and Georgia are the only 2 states with 3 x5's interstates.
I-55,65 and 75 in Tennessee.
I-75,85 and 95 in Georgia.
Milwaukee is the largest city without an either x0 or x5 interstate.
There are only 5 9xx's I-905, I-910, I-980, I-985 and I-990 and with the exception of I-10 they all have a full set or soon will be.
The lowest exit number on I-17 is 194.

[jbnv]

Tennessee and Georgia are the only 2 states with 3 x5's interstates.
I-55,65 and 75 in Tennessee.
I-75,85 and 95 in Georgia.

Louisiana has four US x1:s 11, 51, 61 and 71.

[Mapmikey]

Tennessee and Georgia are the only 2 states with 3 x5's interstates.
I-55,65 and 75 in Tennessee.
I-75,85 and 95 in Georgia.

Louisiana has four US x1:s 11, 51, 61 and 71.

Tennessee has five:  11, 31, 41, 51 and 61

[Bruce]

All 4 odd divisible by 15 4xx interstate numbers are well known, and can be linked to a specific city or two just by mentioning the interstate:

405 - LA and Seattle
435 - Kansas City
465 - Indianapolis
495 - DC and NYC

Portland also has an I-405.

[SkyPesos]

All 4 odd divisible by 15 4xx interstate numbers are well known, and can be linked to a specific city or two just by mentioning the interstate:

405 - LA and Seattle
435 - Kansas City
465 - Indianapolis
495 - DC and NYC

Portland also has an I-405.

It's not as noteworthy as I-205 in the area, or LA and Seattle's 405. Just like how I didn't include Boston's or Wilmington DE's 495. Very few people would think of Portland over LA or Seattle when I-405 is mentioned.

[US 89]

Tennessee and Georgia are the only 2 states with 3 x5's interstates.
I-55,65 and 75 in Tennessee.
I-75,85 and 95 in Georgia.

Louisiana has four US x1:s 11, 51, 61 and 71.

Tennessee has five:  11, 31, 41, 51 and 61

The equivalent for US x0's appears to be Illinois - US 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60.

[SkyPesos]

Tennessee and Georgia are the only 2 states with 3 x5's interstates.
I-55,65 and 75 in Tennessee.
I-75,85 and 95 in Georgia.

Louisiana has four US x1:s 11, 51, 61 and 71.

Tennessee has five:  11, 31, 41, 51 and 61

The equivalent for US x0's appears to be Illinois - US 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60.

Ohio seems to be the winner for x2s: US 22, 42, 52, 62.
and 2x: US 20, 21 (formerly), 22, 23, 24, 25 (formerly), 27.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Wisconsin was the winner in 1X, with 10, 12, 14, 16, 18.

[SkyPesos]

Wisconsin was the winner in 1X, with 10, 12, 14, 16, 18.

Seems like Virginia have the same number of 1x, except theirs are all odd: 11, 13, 15, 17, 19.

[Hobart]

Tennessee and Georgia are the only 2 states with 3 x5's interstates.
I-55,65 and 75 in Tennessee.
I-75,85 and 95 in Georgia.

Louisiana has four US x1:s 11, 51, 61 and 71.

Tennessee has five:  11, 31, 41, 51 and 61

The equivalent for US x0's appears to be Illinois - US 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60.

I feel like Illinois is kind of pushing it though, considering US 60 literally enters the state for 1,000 feet in Cairo, makes a hard left, and exits again.

[US 89]

Tennessee and Georgia are the only 2 states with 3 x5's interstates.
I-55,65 and 75 in Tennessee.
I-75,85 and 95 in Georgia.

Louisiana has four US x1:s 11, 51, 61 and 71.

Tennessee has five:  11, 31, 41, 51 and 61

The equivalent for US x0's appears to be Illinois - US 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60.

I feel like Illinois is kind of pushing it though, considering US 60 literally enters the state for 1,000 feet in Cairo, makes a hard left, and exits again.

Meh. 60 enters IL. Doesn't matter how long it spends there.

As for interstates, I don't think anything beats Texas and its four I-x0 routes (10, 20, 30, 40).

[hbelkins]

Is West Virginia the smallest state to have four x0's (30, 40, 50, and 60)?

Interesting how the first three are bunched together, then there's a bit of a gap between 50 and 60, and much of the state lies south of 60.

[SkyPesos]

Is West Virginia the smallest state to have four x0's (30, 40, 50, and 60)?

Interesting how the first three are bunched together, then there's a bit of a gap between 50 and 60, and much of the state lies south of 60.

I find the gaps between the x1 US routes interesting too. Going along I-80, there's roughly 130 miles between US 1 and US 11, 290 miles between US 11 and I-77 (former US 21), and 250 miles between US 21 and US 31. The next three are much more closely spaced compared to the previous three, with 65 miles between US 31 and US 41, 85 miles between US 41 and US 51, and 90 miles between US 51 and US 61. In my frequent trips between Cincinnati and St Louis, I thought it was sort of crazy that I can get all the way from 27 to 61 in just a 5 1/2 hour drive, a difference of 34, or 17 potential odd 2dus in between. There's also a bunch of unused or wasted US route numbers between 31 and 61, like 37, 39, 47, 55 and 57 (though I think 421 and 231 are long enough to be US 37 and 39 respectively, but that's fictional).

[kurumi]

Widest spreads in N/S or E/W primary interstate routes in one state:

E/W:
California: 80 - 8 == 72
Illinois: 94 - 24 == 70

N/S:
Texas: 69 - 27 == 42
Missouri: 57 - 29 == 28
Tennessee: 81 - 55 == 26

I might have missed some.