Towns you avoid?

[planxtymcgillicuddy]

What are some towns you try to avoid in your travels, whether it be for speed traps/price gouging/being too touristy or otherwise?

[1995hoo]

Ridgeland, South Carolina. If I must go through there on I-95, I set the cruise control at 68 mph just before I hit the town limits.

[Max Rockatansky]

I try to avoid Los Banos, Casa de Fruita, and Hollister as much as possible when I go to Monterey.  Those three communities serve the Central Valley crossing the Pacheco Pass corridor via CA 152 and CA 156.  Usually I opt for the slower on paper County Route J1 or CA 198. 

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I don't know if there's a specific place I refuse to go through or will go out of my way to bypass, but places I try not to go or try not to stop include:

Rochester, MN - dingy, drab city
St. Cloud - overgrown small town that's turned into retail chain hell
Hudson/Menomonie/Eau Claire, WI - ex-friend's stomping grounds

I wouldn't have much of a use for any of the towns between Duluth and Grand Marais, buf I cant bypass those on MN 61.

[Big John]

Rosendale WI - notorious speed trap

[Tonytone]

ELKTON, MD.

I got my first & only speeding ticket from a speed trap there.


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[dvferyance]

Used to avoid Waukesha but that is nearly impossible now. Given so many people I know live there and it is the only suburb in metro Milwaukee with a riverwalk. The city I can and will avoid now is Greenwood Indiana just south of Indianapolis. If I am ever passing through on I-65 and need to exit it won't be there. Learned about the speed trap that town is.

[Kniwt]

The twin towns of Hildale UT and Colorado City AZ, collectively known as "Short Creek," were notorious for being home to the polygamist FLDS sect. Visitors were viewed with deep suspicion, often followed by marked or unmarked vehicles until they left. AZ 389 / UT 59 passes through the area with 50mph/40mph speed limits that were very strictly enforced.

In recent years, however, with the FLDS's loss of prominence and elected offices, the area has become somewhat more welcoming, although the massive houses, many under perpetual construction, are still quite the sight. There's even a Subway now.

A few weeks ago, I spent a day bicycling around the area and had no difficulties. That's something I wouldn't have even remotely considered a few years ago.

[wanderer2575]

Obligatory mention:  I'll drive through Breezewood PA because there usually is no reasonable alternative (time is usually a factor for me when I drive out that way), but I won't drop a penny there.  Screw 'em all.  I'd pay inflated prices at a service plaza first.

[hobsini2]

There used to be a rule of thumb for bad speed traps in the Chicago area. If Springs (Western Sprs, Willow Sprs) or Park (Oak Park, Villa Park, etc) was in the name, you got to go 1 under the speed limit.

[STLmapboy]

Not a town per se, but there are some really crappy parts of North St Louis that my dad avoids like the plague. We once got some rocks thrown at our car by some kids in Jennings.

[webny99]

Rochester, MN - dingy, drab city

Granted, it was night when I went through, but it didn't seem dingy and drab beyond what you'd expect because of the presence of the clinic.

I actually thought the US 52 freeway was impressive, maybe even one of my favorites: wide, smooth, well-lit, good signage, and reasonable speed limit.

[M3100]

Like stlmapboy said, not so much towns as areas to avoid.  In the Los Angeles area, the section of Alameda Street between I-10 and I-105.  At some stoplights, squeegee men are out and about (they skipped me last time I went through, thankfully). Further south, near California SR 91, they actually had squeegee women too.

Also, there is an interchange I avoid when congested: North I-405 to South I-110.  There is not enough merge room onto I-110.

Back before it was rebuilt, I avoided the California East SR 91 to California East SR 60/South I-215 in Riverside for the same reason - not enough merge room.  It was majorly rebuilt several years ago and handles the traffic volume much better now.

[webny99]

Avoid because of traffic or general annoyance:
Fairport, NY - take I-490 or Turk Hill Road wherever possible. NY 250 is a true dictionary-style slog.
Lockport, NY - take NY 104 instead of NY 31
Oswego, NY - take NY 3 instead of NY 104
South Williamsport/Lewisburg, PA - take I-180/PA 147 instead of US 15
Apple Valley, MN - take I-35 instead of MN 77

Wish I could avoid, but there's no good alternative:
Watkins Glen, NY; DuBois, PA; Shamokin Dam, PA.


Avoid because they're just not good areas:
Tonawandas, much of Niagara Falls, northeastern Rochester city.

[STLmapboy]

The twin towns of Hildale UT and Colorado City AZ, collectively known as "Short Creek," were notorious for being home to the polygamist FLDS sect. Visitors were viewed with deep suspicion, often followed by marked or unmarked vehicles until they left. AZ 389 / UT 59 passes through the area with 50mph/40mph speed limits that were very strictly enforced.

In recent years, however, with the FLDS's loss of prominence and elected offices, the area has become somewhat more welcoming, although the massive houses, many under perpetual construction, are still quite the sight. There's even a Subway now.

A few weeks ago, I spent a day bicycling around the area and had no difficulties. That's something I wouldn't have even remotely considered a few years ago.

I drove though there a year ago headed to Vegas from the Grand Canyon and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Nothing to indicate it was once home of a cult-like group of rapey fundamentalists. Maybe that's where the "Merry Wives Cafe" in the middle of Hilldale comes from 

[tdindy88]

Used to avoid Waukesha but that is nearly impossible now. Given so many people I know live there and it is the only suburb in metro Milwaukee with a riverwalk. The city I can and will avoid now is Greenwood Indiana just south of Indianapolis. If I am ever passing through on I-65 and need to exit it won't be there. Learned about the speed trap that town is.

You must have passed through at the wrong time because locally Greenwood is not really known as a speed trap. While going the speed limit is generally done on the local roads along the interstate I do 70-80 on a regular basis and so does everyone else. Believe me, it isn't that much of a speed trap.

Now, up north in Carmel and Westfield along the new US 31 freeway, whole different story. It's one of the few highways you do want to watch your speed. Same with I-69 through Bloomington. For some reason if a highway is improved it brings the local police out a whole lot more. Carmel recently was mentioned as a city that like to pull over more people "who weren't from Carmel" more often.

As far as actual cities to avoid in Indiana, the number one spot goes to an obvious choice: Gary. It's run-down reputation is well earned. At least Detroit is a city that has some promise, Gary really isn't. And while many would say the whole of Lake County could be avoided, nearby cities such as Hammond, East Chicago and Whiting aren't all too bad, but Gary...yeah there's no reason to be there.

[jp the roadgeek]

ELKTON, MD.

I got my first & only speeding ticket from a speed trap there.


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Let me guess: the bottom of the hill on MD 277 where it drops from 50 to 25 in about 100 feet?

[Road Hog]

There is one A-hole cop in a particular North Texas town who knows my car by sight and always gives me a hard time. But I also know his shift schedule.

[Tonytone]

ELKTON, MD.

I got my first & only speeding ticket from a speed trap there.


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Let me guess: the bottom of the hill on MD 277 where it drops from 50 to 25 in about 100 feet?

I love that road. /S All the state troopers live in that new Pettinaro community.

But its the two lane road by the crossroads church.

They were doing a speed trap on the curve on the road. You couldn't see them until you saw a guy standing in the road waving traffic, with a radar gun in hand. It was appleton road.


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[sprjus4]

Emporia, VA along US-58.

Don't necessarily try to avoid it, besides occasionally taking US-17 / US-64 when heading to I-95, though will always set the cruise at 60 mph (speed limit) through there and always slow to 45 mph or below approaching I-95.

[1995hoo]

Obligatory mention:  I'll drive through Breezewood PA because there usually is no reasonable alternative (time is usually a factor for me when I drive out that way), but I won't drop a penny there.  Screw 'em all.  I'd pay inflated prices at a service plaza first.

Depending on where you're going to and from, the new US-219 south of Somerset could be a good alternative to going through Breezewood. Other forum users have spoken highly of it. I haven't used it yet, but I plan to do so in October on a drive that would traditionally have taken us through Breezewood.

[hbelkins]

Cincinnati, because traffic on I-75 is usually awful, especially around the Norwood Lateral toward the split.

I'll cross the river at Maysville and take backroads to Dayton to avoid that mess.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Rochester, MN - dingy, drab city

Granted, it was night when I went through, but it didn't seem dingy and drab beyond what you'd expect because of the presence of the clinic.

I actually thought the US 52 freeway was impressive, maybe even one of my favorites: wide, smooth, well-lit, good signage, and reasonable speed limit.

There is a lot of Rochester away from the freeway, you know...

That said, this assertion was based on when I was a kid so that Mayo money has probably done something to make it better.

[webny99]

There is a lot of Rochester away from the freeway, you know...

Of course. I wouldn't have commented if all I had done was pass through on US 52. We did a fuel stop IIRC and drove around a bit in the downtown/clinic area, probably spent about 15-20 minutes off the highway. Not a huge sample, but enough to form an impression.

[kphoger]

Fort Worth.

Because of common traffic jams on I-35W, I now go to Mexico by way of a completely different route south of OKC, crossing the border at Del Rio instead of Laredo.  I haven't driven through Fort Worth since 2014.