Largest Cities without a freeway connection? or even a 4-lane connection?

[RoadMaster09]

Building off the Interstate discussion, I've decided to take it a step further. Note that this is only in the 48 contiguous states.

What is the largest city in the US where you must, at some point or another, take 2-lane highways to get out of? Also, what is the largest city pair without even a 4-lane highway (of any kind) connecting them? Also expanding, largest city without a freeway connection to the main network? Isolated freeways don't count as part of the network.

[sprjus4]

Lynchburg is the largest city in Virginia without freeway connection to the rest of the system.

Jacksonville is the largest for North Carolina.

They both have 4-lane highway access though.

[RoadMaster09]

In a few other states, the largest - off the top of my head - at least without a connection to the national freeway network:

Alabama - Dothan

Florida - Panama City (Key West next largest, must take a 2 lane highway out)

Georgia - Albany

Louisiana - Houma

Mississippi - Greenville

South Carolina - Myrtle Beach

Tennessee - all decent sized cities (i.e. over 25,000) have connections, not sure then?

In the Southeast at least, I think Key West is the largest that requires a 2-lane highway to connect out. On the Southeast mainland, I can't think of any cities over 25,000 without even a single access out that is all 4 lanes at least.

[RoadMaster09]

In general, I am thinking of places that are either over 25,000, or that are under 25,000 that serve as a regional center.

[sprjus4]

In general, I am thinking of places that are either over 25,000, or that are under 25,000 that serve as a regional center.

Lynchburg, VA has a population of 76,500, and Jacksonville, NC has a population of 72,500. Jacksonville, NC is also home to Camp Lejeune, a major military training facility.

[RoadMaster09]

In general, I am thinking of places that are either over 25,000, or that are under 25,000 that serve as a regional center.

Lynchburg, VA has a population of 76,500, and Jacksonville, NC has a population of 72,500. Jacksonville, NC is also home to Camp Lejeune, a major military training facility.

Indeed, those need to be connected badly. Both are key cities to their regions.

[Roadsguy]

I believe Pennsylvania's largest is Lebanon, with a population of about 25,000, located in a weird place relative to the major Interstates. The Turnpike was put too far to the south to directly serve it and I-81 and I-78 were routed along US 22, which was built to bypass everything on what's now US 422 and 222 between Harrisburg and Allentown, including Lebanon. Every larger town or city is located on a freeway or at least has one four-lane connection.

[sprjus4]

In general, I am thinking of places that are either over 25,000, or that are under 25,000 that serve as a regional center.

Lynchburg, VA has a population of 76,500, and Jacksonville, NC has a population of 72,500. Jacksonville, NC is also home to Camp Lejeune, a major military training facility.

Indeed, those need to be connected badly. Both are key cities to their regions.

Lynchburg, VA would likely come from a US-29 upgrade as US-29 is a major north-south route through the area. Could be an extension of I-785 which is slated to terminate at Danville, VA about 70 miles south of Lynchburg. Would require upgrading the existing freeway grade bypasses to interstate standards, and building new "bypass connectors".

As for Jacksonville, NC, a 16-mile stretch of 2-lane roadway through three towns north of there has projects scheduled to be completed at the end of the year that would bypass the towns with 70 mph freeway, and 4-lane the remainder. That could easily be upgraded to interstate standards down to Jacksonville, NC, and that connects to Future I-42, so could be called I-x42.

[RoadMaster09]

A few others in the Southeast I can think of:

Alabama - Florence

Arkansas - Hot Springs

Georgia - Athens, Rome

Louisiana - New Iberia

Mississippi - Columbus

In Texas, I can think of a bunch: Brownsville-Harlingen-McAllen (probably the largest metro area not in the freeway network), College Station, Del Rio (all 2 lanes!), Lufkin, Nacogdoches, San Angelo, Victoria, and probably others. I know I-69 once completed (as a freeway to those locations continuously in at least one direction) will remove the Rio Grande Valley, Lufkin, Nacogdoches and Victoria from that list though..

[US 89]

The issue here is there are a lot of suburbs which technically don't have a freeway enter their limits, but for all intents and purposes are served by freeways (or four-lane roads) in neighboring cities.

For Utah specifically, the largest urban center without any freeway connections is Logan (pop. 51k, metro 130k), though it is connected to freeways by the four-lane US 91. If suburbs count, we go all the way up to West Jordan, with a population over 112k; although Bangerter Highway has been upgraded to freeway standard through almost all of West Jordan, it does not (yet) connect to any other freeways.

As for four-lane roads: the largest incorporated place in the state that isn't connected to a single four-lane road is Alpine (10k population), but that's just another suburb in the Utah County sprawl. When suburbs are excluded, the winner in that category becomes Vernal (also about 10k, micropolitan area 35k).

[RoadMaster09]

The issue here is there are a lot of suburbs which technically don't have a freeway enter their limits, but for all intents and purposes are served by freeways (or four-lane roads) in neighboring cities.

For Utah specifically, the largest urban center without any freeway connections is Logan (pop. 51k), though it is connected to freeways by the four-lane US 91. If suburbs count, we go all the way up to West Jordan, with a population over 112k; although Bangerter Highway has been upgraded to freeway standard through almost all of West Jordan, it does not (yet) connect to any other freeways.

As for four-lane roads: the largest incorporated place in the state that isn't connected to a single four-lane road is Alpine (10k population), but that's just another suburb in the Utah County sprawl. When suburbs are excluded, the winner in that category becomes Vernal (also about 10k).

I'm not really counting suburbs inside the sprawl, unless the entire metropolitan area is not served. Also I consider it served if the freeway doesn't enter city limits but enters the urban area or is effectively serviced at the fringes.

[sprjus4]

With the exception of a sliver of I-664 in the northeast part of Suffolk, no freeways really connect to Suffolk, VA.

And for a long-distance trip, it's unlikely a traveler would divert over to I-64 to go north or west unless of course being in that northeast sliver. They would use US-58 or US-460 for any long distance trips in any direction.

Suffolk, VA has population 90,000, and its core has no connecting freeways.

Of course, the only gap in preventing this is the limited-access 6-lane high speed expressway between I-64 and the Suffolk Bypass freeway, which has a few at-grade intersections. This is planned to eventually be upgraded to interstate standards which would close this gap, but nonetheless, travel between the cities isn't usually an issue. The expressway acts as a "freeway"  being a 6-lane 60 mph limited-access expressway with heavy amounts of traffic.

[hotdogPi]

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=14911

[thspfc]

For Wisconsin, it might be Whitewater. It was Marshfield before US-10 was widened not long ago.

[Beltway]

Suffolk, VA has population 90,000, and its core has no connecting freeways.
Of course, the only gap in preventing this is the limited-access 6-lane high speed expressway between I-64 and the Suffolk Bypass freeway, which has a few at-grade intersections. This is planned to eventually be upgraded to interstate standards which would close this gap, but nonetheless, travel between the cities isn't usually an issue. The expressway acts as a "freeway"  being a 6-lane 60 mph limited-access expressway with heavy amounts of traffic.

... and with no traffic signals.

Need to keep in mind that Suffolk is an entire 429 square mile county that was incorporated as a city.

Present day Suffolk was formed in 1974 after consolidating with Nansemond County and the towns of Holland and Whaleyville.

The original city of Suffolk was just under 10,000 population before the consolidation, and the city limits would fit entirely within the current Suffolk Bypass.

[ftballfan]

Michigan: Traverse City or Marquette, and no long range plans include a four lane connection to either (even though TC is only ~25 miles from the northern end of the US-131 freeway; Grand Traverse County (the county in which Traverse City is in) is on pace to hit 100k population by 2030 and most of the infrastructure is built for a county of maybe 50k)

[sprjus4]

... and with no traffic signals.
<snip history lesson>

99% of the City of Suffolk present day is not connected to the state's freeway system. It doesn't fully count because of the sliver of I-664, so Lynchburg is still the biggest. But if that sliver of I-664 did not exist, it would not be connected.

I'm not complaining about the connection - it's an easy, 6-lane 60 mph expressway that's limited-access with a couple of at-grade intersections. But it's still technically not linked by a freeway until and if ever the US-58 / US-460 / US-13 Connector is upgraded to a freeway.

[Beltway]

... and with no traffic signals.
<snip history lesson>

99% of the City of Suffolk present day is not connected to the state's freeway system. It doesn't fully count because of the sliver of I-664, so Lynchburg is still the biggest. But if that sliver of I-664 did not exist, it would not be connected.

How much in the highly developed area within 3 miles of I-664?  15 or 20 thousand people?

City of Suffolk present day is still an entire county that was incorporated into a city.

[sprjus4]

How much in the highly developed area within 3 miles of I-664?  15 or 20 thousand people?

City of Suffolk present day is still an entire county that was incorporated into a city.

I'd estimate closer to about 10,000, though I don't have an exact number. It's just neighborhoods in the Harbor View area, and some more spread out development on the US-17 corridor.

A lot of growth has also been happening in "real" Suffolk, especially off of the north side of the US-58 Bypass. A lot of new developments being built up that way, along with new schools, a new hospital was built there about a decade ago.

It's not just North Suffolk.

I'd be curious to see the separate population counts between the "real" Suffolk area, North Suffolk, and the rural areas.

[webny99]

OK, we have definitely done this before. I actually started a variant myself last year:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=23291

[sprjus4]

OK, we have definitely done this before. I actually started a variant myself last year:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=23291

Freeway connection has not been done IIRC. Most of these cities have four-lane access, but not freeway access to the rest of the network.

[hotdogPi]

OK, we have definitely done this before. I actually started a variant myself last year:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=23291

Freeway connection has not been done IIRC. Most of these cities have four-lane access, but not freeway access to the rest of the network.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=11189

[sprjus4]

OK, we have definitely done this before. I actually started a variant myself last year:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=23291

Freeway connection has not been done IIRC. Most of these cities have four-lane access, but not freeway access to the rest of the network.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=11189

Is that having no freeway at all, or no freeway connection to the rest of the system?

Because most of these cities have local freeways but when you leave the city / metro area, you have to take arterial roads to the interstate.

[webny99]

OK, we have definitely done this before. I actually started a variant myself last year:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=23291

Freeway connection has not been done IIRC. Most of these cities have four-lane access, but not freeway access to the rest of the network.

From the OP, a variant of the question I asked in the thread linked:

What is the largest city in the US where you must, at some point or another, take 2-lane highways to get out of?

[sprjus4]

^

Also expanding, largest city without a freeway connection to the main network? Isolated freeways don't count as part of the network.