Route vs. Highway vs. Other

[AsphaltPlanet]

I am looking to start a list of what a state or provincial highway is commonly referred to in everyday parlance.

For example, a highway in Ontario would be colloquially called Highway X, as in Highway 7 or Highway 401
In Michigan, it seems that state routes are generally referred to as M-X, as in M-6 or M-53.

How 'bout some others?

[NE2]

US 422: Hershey Highway.

No, not really, but pooing is cool.

[corco]

here's maybe a starting point. It seems to be a regional thing- coastal and northeast states like "route", inland states "highway" with some exceptions. This would be more based on official parlance rather than everyday usage though.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=360.0

[hotdogPi]

In northeast Massachusetts, it's usually "Route 114" or just "114".

Everyone calls 95/128 "Route 128" or just "128" (and even where it's not 128, people sometimes still call it that).

Some route numbers get used more than others. For example, in my experience, 114 and 125 are referred almost exclusively by number, but some others (like 129) are usually referred to by the name of the street.

Freeways always use route numbers if they are outside of 128 (213, never the Loop Connector), but in Boston, things are way different.

New Hampshire, just across the border, seems to use route numbers a lot more often than Massachusetts does. This may be because not all of the numbered routes have street names.

[hobsini2]

Illinois is Route. Wisconsin is Highway or Trunk Highway.

[1995hoo]

I live in Virginia and in my experience most people, when speaking, omit any designation and just use the number (e.g., "Take 29 to Warrenton and then 211 to Sperryville."). If they must use something, it would be "Route." In the case of written directions it varies.

"Highway" is a generic term referring to what the MUTCD and its adherents call a "freeway" (example: "I was tired of taking the highway to Annapolis so I took Central Avenue instead."). "Highway" followed by a number is a western thing in my mind.

I don't think there's a lot of rhyme or reason as to what roads are called by number and what ones are called by name, but if you live around here for a while you just kind of pick up on which ones are referred to in which way.

[SP Cook]

In WV, most people would say "route" as "take route 2 to route 1".  Minority would say "West Virginia (or whatever) " as "take West Virginia 1 into Kentucky and then Kentucky 2 to town".  "Highway" would be a generic common noun as "Bob is still out on the highway".

[briantroutman]

PA
With the exception of roads that have an alternate name (Northeast Extension, Parkway East, Blue Route, Turnpike) nearly everything is "Route XX" –sometimes even Interstates. Some people will say "I"   or "Interstate"  for Interstates, but I've probably heard "Route 80"  nearly as often. Using the number only is occasional, although that is more common for concurrencies, like 11/15 or 22/322 . Except roadgeeks, you never hear "US" , "PA" , or "SR" . And just about never "Highway XX" .

CA
Southern–Almost everything is "The XX"  or the name of the road if it has one. I don't think I've ever heard anyone in Southern California say "Route XX"  or "Interstate XX" , ever. I've heard "Highway XX"  used a few times, usually in connection with a US or CA route in a rural area.

Bay Area–Usually just the number itself ("take 101 south to 280..." ). In my experience, most freeway names are not used; the occasional exception to this would be I-880 ("The Nimitz" , although "880"  is common, too), as well as bridges and tunnels, and certain features (like the "MacArthur Maze" ).

I did have a co-worker (a native Californian who grew up in LA and has resided in the Bay Area for decades) once say that someone couldn't make a meeting because he was "stuck in traffic on I-4" , which prompted me to ask "He's in Orlando?"  But then I found out he meant CA 4 near Pittsburg. I have no idea where he came up with that–I'll have to assume it was a fluke.

[Jim]

In the Albany, NY area, all state and U.S. highways are "Route" -- you'll hear "Route 5" or "Route 20", but rarely "New York 5", "State Route/Highway 5" or "U.S. 20".  One oddball is "Alternate 7", the freeway connector from Latham to Troy.  We have "The Thruway", "The Northway", "I-90" (usually used in reference to the free part from Thruway Exit 24 to Thruway Exit B1).  Then the 3di's are just "787" and "890".

In the Berkshires of MA, I also found the "Route" form to be the most common - used for state ("Route 2") and U.S. ("Route 7"), and of course I-90 is "The Mass Pike".

[hotdogPi]

In the Albany, NY area, all state and U.S. highways are "Route" -- you'll hear "Route 5" or "Route 20", but rarely "New York 5", "State Route/Highway 5" or "U.S. 20".  One oddball is "Alternate 7", the freeway connector from Latham to Troy.  We have "The Thruway", "The Northway", "I-90" (usually used in reference to the free part from Thruway Exit 24 to Thruway Exit B1).  Then the 3di's are just "787" and "890".

In the Berkshires of MA, I also found the "Route" form to be the most common - used for state ("Route 2") and U.S. ("Route 7"), and of course I-90 is "The Mass Pike".

Do they ever say just the number?

[froggie]

I live in Virginia and in my experience most people, when speaking, omit any designation and just use the number (e.g., "Take 29 to Warrenton and then 211 to Sperryville."). If they must use something, it would be "Route." In the case of written directions it varies.

Not all is the same even within a state, however.  Get out of Northern Virginia and they're slightly more apt to use "Route".  Plus there are some counties along the North Carolina border that use "Highway" for the primary routes (as North Carolina does).

"Highway" is a generic term referring to what the MUTCD and its adherents call a "freeway" (example: "I was tired of taking the highway to Annapolis so I took Central Avenue instead."). "Highway" followed by a number is a western thing in my mind.

Highway-followed-by-a-number is not just a "western thing", but also a "southeastern thing", at least in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

[empirestate]

In the Albany, NY area, all state and U.S. highways are "Route" -- you'll hear "Route 5" or "Route 20", but rarely "New York 5", "State Route/Highway 5" or "U.S. 20".  One oddball is "Alternate 7", the freeway connector from Latham to Troy.  We have "The Thruway", "The Northway", "I-90" (usually used in reference to the free part from Thruway Exit 24 to Thruway Exit B1).  Then the 3di's are just "787" and "890".

In the Berkshires of MA, I also found the "Route" form to be the most common - used for state ("Route 2") and U.S. ("Route 7"), and of course I-90 is "The Mass Pike".

Do they ever say just the number?

In Western NY, that's typical. You'll hear route if anything, but most often just the number, even for Interstates.

[hbelkins]

Do they ever say just the number?

I do quite often. "Go to Jackson, then take 15 through Hazard to Whitesburg, then stay straight on 119 until you get to 23, then take 23 south up the mountain into Virginia..."

[Jim]

In the Albany, NY area, all state and U.S. highways are "Route" -- you'll hear "Route 5" or "Route 20", but rarely "New York 5", "State Route/Highway 5" or "U.S. 20".  One oddball is "Alternate 7", the freeway connector from Latham to Troy.  We have "The Thruway", "The Northway", "I-90" (usually used in reference to the free part from Thruway Exit 24 to Thruway Exit B1).  Then the 3di's are just "787" and "890".

In the Berkshires of MA, I also found the "Route" form to be the most common - used for state ("Route 2") and U.S. ("Route 7"), and of course I-90 is "The Mass Pike".

Do they ever say just the number?

Speaking specifically about the Albany area, I'd say yes, at times.  But my experience is that the number-only seems to be most common for 787 and 890.  If I said  "take 5 to Schenectady" or "take Route 5 to Schenectady" neither would get me a "you aren't from around here, are you?" look, but "take State Highway 5 to Schenectady" or even "Take New York 5 to Schenectady" would.

[Alex4897]

I occaisionally add "Route" before single digit routes, otherwise it's just the number.  I know I tend to say "Route 1" more often than not, but other single digit ones are less predictable.  Could just be me though.

[1995hoo]

....

"Highway" is a generic term referring to what the MUTCD and its adherents call a "freeway" (example: "I was tired of taking the highway to Annapolis so I took Central Avenue instead."). "Highway" followed by a number is a western thing in my mind.

Highway-followed-by-a-number is not just a "western thing", but also a "southeastern thing", at least in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

As I said, in my mind it's a western thing because everyone I've ever met who talks that way is from out west somewhere. Your comment doesn't change my opinion.



Regarding Jim's comment about usages that get you looked at strangely, I remember back when I was a Boy Scout and some guy's father gave directions to a camping trip that included a reference to "IH-95." Everyone had the same reaction: "WTF is 'IH'???"

[wxfree]

In Texas, "highway" for state highways is used pretty much exclusively.  A "route" is how you get somewhere, not a particular road.  Sometimes you hear a highway number by itself, but "Highway 123" is most common by far.  I once heard someone use "the," saying "the I-35," but that, of course, was only once.  Plus, it was in Austin, so it doesn't really count, anyway.

[cwf1701]

In Metro Detroit, we say M-xx for our state highway, US-xx for the US routes, I-xx for interstate and will only say the number by itself if describing a junction in the Mile roads. i might say "8 and Gratiot" or "Woodward and 10" for example. If the place is on the Mile road itself, we would say "its on 9 Mile".

[corco]

Yeah, going by what I actually hear people say- Idaho and Montana tend to just say the number, with I- for interstates and "highway" if clarity is needed.

[Duke87]

Within New York City, everything is identified by name, never by number. Limited access roadways are collectively known as "highways".

[jeffandnicole]

In NJ, if they're not saying "Route XX", then they're saying the street name or nickname:  Black Horse Pike, White Horse Pike, North-South Freeway, etc.

[dgolub]

In the Northeast, you say either Route X or just X.  In New York State, the terms "state route" and "state highway" are not synonymous.  A state highway number is an internal number used by the NYSDOT that the general public has no knowledge of.

[PHLBOS]

PA
With the exception of roads that have an alternate name (Northeast Extension, Parkway East, Blue Route, Turnpike) nearly everything is "Route XX" –sometimes even Interstates. Some people will say "I"   or "Interstate"  for Interstates, but I've probably heard "Route 80"  nearly as often. Using the number only is occasional, although that is more common for concurrencies, like 11/15 or 22/322 . Except roadgeeks, you never hear "US" , "PA" , or "SR" . And just about never "Highway XX" .

To add, for non-expressway routes; most refer to them by their actual street names rather than the route number. 

Examples:

1. Most refer to the Philly portions of US 1 as City & Roosevelt Avenues.
2. Most refer to the Bucks & Delaware County (outside of Chester) segmenst of US 13 as Bristol & Chester Pikes.
3. Most refer to PA 3 between 69th St. in Upper Darby to just outside of West Chester as West Chester Pike.

[Buck87]

In north central Ohio it's mainly just "X" or "route X" for state and US routes

Non turnpike interstates are mostly just "X" or sometimes "I-X"
The Ohio Turnpike is always "The Turnpike".....never 80 or 90 (or 76)

[bing101]

PA
With the exception of roads that have an alternate name (Northeast Extension, Parkway East, Blue Route, Turnpike) nearly everything is "Route XX" –sometimes even Interstates. Some people will say "I"   or "Interstate"  for Interstates, but I've probably heard "Route 80"  nearly as often. Using the number only is occasional, although that is more common for concurrencies, like 11/15 or 22/322 . Except roadgeeks, you never hear "US" , "PA" , or "SR" . And just about never "Highway XX" .

CA
Southern–Almost everything is "The XX"  or the name of the road if it has one. I don't think I've ever heard anyone in Southern California say "Route XX"  or "Interstate XX" , ever. I've heard "Highway XX"  used a few times, usually in connection with a US or CA route in a rural area.

Bay Area–Usually just the number itself ("take 101 south to 280..." ). In my experience, most freeway names are not used; the occasional exception to this would be I-880 ("The Nimitz" , although "880"  is common, too), as well as bridges and tunnels, and certain features (like the "MacArthur Maze" ).

I did have a co-worker (a native Californian who grew up in LA and has resided in the Bay Area for decades) once say that someone couldn't make a meeting because he was "stuck in traffic on I-4" , which prompted me to ask "He's in Orlando?"  But then I found out he meant CA 4 near Pittsburg. I have no idea where he came up with that–I'll have to assume it was a fluke.

I noticed in LA its 118 Freeway, or 5 Freeway the way LA Residents say it. But on TV and Radio Traffic reports reports they will say "Santa Ana Freeway", "Simi Valley Freeway" aka President Reagan Freeway to mean 5 freeway and CA-118 Freeway.