Biggest claim to fame: control city.

[cpzilliacus]

Gibson Island, Maryland, which is the control city at several points along Md. 100.

[swbrotha100]

Globe, AZ. Seen driving on US 60 eastbound in the Phoenix area. It's the western end of US 70.

[dfwmapper]

Globe's biggest claim to fame is the mining industry centered there.

[SSOWorld]

I-24 NB in Illinois

Interstate 57 (Spelled out!)

NOTE: In KY - at least from Paducah, it's listed as St Louis.

Same token - I-255 (St Louis metro)
Interstate 270

One could wonder about Wis Dells on I-90 NB, but given that's a major tourist stop, it's justified.

[kphoger]

One could wonder about Wis Dells on I-90 NB, but given that's a major tourist stop, it's justified.

Yeah, I'd say the Dells' biggest claim to fame is not a highway sign.

[xotoxi]

How about Everywhere-South-of-Maine, USA

[kphoger]

Nope.  I bet residents of Maine are familiar with the other 47 states for reasons other than a highway sign.

[thenetwork]

[/quote]

That sign is interesting in the fact that this sign possesses an exit arrow, yet there is no "exit" nor an exit lane for what looks to be at least another 1/2 mile.  Ditch the exit arrow and add either an actual distance to the actual "exit" or a KEEP RIGHT/NEXT EXIT.

[The Nature Boy]

That sign is interesting in the fact that this sign possesses an exit arrow, yet there is no "exit" nor an exit lane for what looks to be at least another 1/2 mile.  Ditch the exit arrow and add either an actual distance to the actual "exit" or a KEEP RIGHT/NEXT EXIT.
[/quote]

And use Portsmouth and Boston as control cities there.

Damn

[Zzonkmiles]

Fort Chiswell, Virginia for I-77 north. Plus a long time ago, Elkin, NC:

I was just about to post Elkin too, but I checked all the earlier pages of this thread to make sure it wasn't already mentioned. And sure enough.

But FWIW, Elkin is still the control city for I-77 north of I-40. I personally think they should list Charleston, WV instead.

I suppose I'd also add Florence, SC to the list simply because it's the largest city I-95 passes through or near between Savannah and Richmond.

[The Nature Boy]

South Carolina really lost out on I-95 routing, didn't they?

[xotoxi]

Houlton

[hbelkins]

But FWIW, Elkin is still the control city for I-77 north of I-40. I personally think they should list Charleston, WV instead.

Is Charleston posted at the split of I-81 south and I-77 north? I can't remember.

Even if Charleston is posted in North Carolina or Virginia, once I-77 gets to West Virginia it's going to play third fiddle to Bluefield and Beckley.

[Zzonkmiles]

But FWIW, Elkin is still the control city for I-77 north of I-40. I personally think they should list Charleston, WV instead.

Is Charleston posted at the split of I-81 south and I-77 north? I can't remember.

Even if Charleston is posted in North Carolina or Virginia, once I-77 gets to West Virginia it's going to play third fiddle to Bluefield and Beckley.

I seem to remember Charlotte being posted as the control city for I-77 south at the I-81 split. And I remember Beckley being posted for I-77 north of that split. Charlotte might even be posted at the I-77/64 split as well. I remember this because I saw "Charlotte N.C." on a sign bridge.

[cl94]

Houlton

[img snipped]

What else are they supposed to use north of Bangor? Woodstock? (the end of NB 95 and smaller than Houlton.) Fredericton? (a good 110 km or so into Canada via NB 2.) Moncton or Halifax? (both quite a ways away.) MaineDOT doesn't have much of a choice and it's probably better to use a US destination rather than a city in Canada that isn't directly accessible.

Using "Montreal" (as on I-87) is one thing because it's a huge city whose metro area begins less than 50 km north of the border. Granted, I always thought that Saratoga or Glens Falls/Lake George should have been a control (or more prominent secondary) south of the respective cities/towns because of the tourist draw, but the logic makes sense.

[Pete from Boston]

Houlton

[img snipped]

What else are they supposed to use north of Bangor? Woodstock? (the end of NB 95 and smaller than Houlton.) Fredericton? (a good 110 km or so into Canada via NB 2.) Moncton or Halifax? (both quite a ways away.) MaineDOT doesn't have much of a choice and it's probably better to use a US destination rather than a city in Canada that isn't directly accessible.

Keep in mind of the point of the thread is not "Are these good choices for control cities?" but "Are these better known for being a control city than for anything else?"

I think Houlton might very well be best known for being where 95 goes, so I think it is a pretty good candidate for this thread.

[amroad17]

But FWIW, Elkin is still the control city for I-77 north of I-40. I personally think they should list Charleston, WV instead.

Is Charleston posted at the split of I-81 south and I-77 north? I can't remember.

Even if Charleston is posted in North Carolina or Virginia, once I-77 gets to West Virginia it's going to play third fiddle to Bluefield and Beckley.

I seem to remember Charlotte being posted as the control city for I-77 south at the I-81 split. And I remember Beckley being posted for I-77 north of that split. Charlotte might even be posted at the I-77/64 split as well. I remember this because I saw "Charlotte N.C." on a sign bridge.

It was when I drove through there in August 2012.  It is (was) at the gore point along with Bluefield listed above it.  However, the post-interchange mileage signs list local point first, Bluefield second, and Beckley third for I-77 from I-81 north to the VA/WV line.  Charleston is not listed until after Exit 1 in WV (98 miles).  Charlotte is the control point for I-77 south of I-81.

[discochris]

Albert Lea MN and Tomah WI come to mind.

Albert Lea has been a pet peeve of mine for years, even before I knew what a control city was.
It should be Des Moines, but Minnesota is extremely provincial about their control city signs.

Another annoying one is westbound 94 leaving the Twin Cities. It should say Fargo. Instead it says St. Cloud.  Even worse, westbound from St. Cloud says Moorhead, rather than Fargo.  Moorhead, MN is a city of about 30,000 across the river from Fargo, ND. Fargo is around 110,000 people. That, is provincial.

Interesting one is westbound 94 out of Bismarck. Signage is Billings - 415 miles away, but there's so little in between...

[J Route Z]

Houlton

For a split second that looked like Iunno (like I dunno) 

[SignGeek101]

Houlton

I'm pretty sure that's there because its a border town. They could have easily put "Woodstock NB" or "Canada" (not a fan of it, but it's done quite a bit).

[Brandon]

I-24 NB in Illinois

Interstate 57 (Spelled out!)

NOTE: In KY - at least from Paducah, it's listed as St Louis.

Same token - I-255 (St Louis metro)
Interstate 270

One could wonder about Wis Dells on I-90 NB, but given that's a major tourist stop, it's justified.

I-180 gets Hennepin and Interstate 80.

[roadman65]

Mahwah, NJ has become famous on highway signs since I-287 connected to I-87.  True NJDOT also assigned it to NJ 4 signage for NJ 17 as well, but that was around the same time as  287 opened as before it previously used "Suffern."  Also to mention most side roads (unless NJDOT updated them as well) along NJ 17 still use "Suffern" up to Franklin Turnpike in Ramsey where  after that going NB "NY Thruway" is control city from there to the NY Border.

[Molandfreak]

Albert Lea MN and Tomah WI come to mind.

Albert Lea has been a pet peeve of mine for years, even before I knew what a control city was.
It should be Des Moines, but Minnesota is extremely provincial about their control city signs.

Albert Lea is rarely a useful control point from the north anyway. To get to Sioux Falls, take 169/60/90. To get to Rochester, take 52. To get to Austin, take 218.

[route17fan]

This may not count - as it is at an airport, but I have always loved having two interstates with a control point...of a Cell Phone Lot! 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.998686,-82.897969,3a,18.7y,72.94h,89.06t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sgGHcNobaAjhFzdSg-XGGaw!2e0

[achilles765]

McComb, MS.

In regards to Effingham, maybe it's a control city due to being at the interchange of two interstates. Even with that in mind, Memphis and Chicago are still the primary control cities on I-57.

Heh. I grew up around McComb, MS. And I agree.