Counties without federal highways

[roadman65]

Orleans
Yates
Schuyler
Tompkins
Tioga (maybe for now, depending on whether I-86 ends at the county line or the US 220 interchange in PA)
Wayne
Hamilton
Lewis

There's also Monroe, Chemung, Chenango, and Delaware that have Interstates but no US Routes.

Kings, Nassau, Queens, Richmond and Suffolk Counties in New York fit that later description, too.

Wow, of course. Knew I was forgetting some. Statewide, that's 17 of 62 without a US Route.

Think that's got to do with New York not wanting US routes in the first place.  New York City is the largest city in the nation, but sadly only has two US routes enter its limits. Both, too, are N-S odd numbers and no E-W routes, but US 46 almost entering it on the GWB.

That's why both US 46 and 220 end at the state lines and don't go further. Historically US 106 also ended at the state line, and never entered it as well.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MN:
Cook*
Isanti+
Kanabec+
Lake*
Lake of the Woods
Pope
Roseau
Watonwan

*formerly served by US 61
+may have for a very brief time been served by US 65

Counties that just barely get clipped:
Crow Wing (US 169; formerly served properly by US 210 and US 371)
Houston (US 14/61; formerly served properly by US 16)
Sibley (US 169)



Red =never had a US/Interstate route
Pink = no current US/Interstate routes
Gold: currently served

[mgk920]

Here in Wisconsin, I know for certain that Door and Menominee Counties fit that description, but I know that there are others.

Mike

[Rothman]

US counties that do not have any federal highways (Interstates and US Routes).

Calrog, is this you?

My thought too.  There are not federal highways, they are US highways and interstates, built and maintained by the states.  Now, some highways do get federal aid, but they can range from an unmarked highway to an interstate, but they typically are part of the National Highway System (NHS).

I don't understand why it's so hard to stamp out misinformation on how transportation infrastructure is federally-funded.  We just had a thread where asking about "percentages spent" or whatnot when it comes to federal-aid was shown to be a tricky business.

Federal funding is not "typically" spent on the NHS.  Rather, what guides eligibility of funding are routes designated as part of the federal-aid system (FAS), essentially by functional class (a few functional classes are ineligible -- anything deemed "local" and a couple of other ones...too lazy to look it up right now...some sort of collectors for some arbitrary reasons...).  Anyway, a lot of just run-of-the-mill roads are on the FAS.

Then you have to look at the various core flavors of federal funds that can be spent on the FAS: NHP, CMAQ, STBG/STP, and HSIP (Google if you don't know those initialisms; FHWA fact sheets are quite informative).  Eh, throw in the new Carbon Reduction, too...what the heck (unless you're in Florida, where they were the only ones who made the idiotic decision not to accept it).  Although NHP generally is spent on the NHS, even then, states can spend it on off-NHS bridges if their bridges suck (spoilers: They all suck).  So, with NHP only being a portion of the core funding out there and a decent amount of it not being spent on the NHS, that leaves a large amount of core funds which is typically not spent on the NHS.

What makes me groan every time I see yet another misunderstanding about federal funding on here is that it's actually quite easy to look up the federal apportionments, which get you halfway there in understanding federal funding, as do the FHWA fact sheets regarding each fund source.  Instead, it seems people go by some secondary or tertiary source or just what they hear somewhere that gets it wrong (even those out there by "trusted" roadgeeks are horrifically wrong).

And if someone in response to this post says, "I thought NHP/NHS was 90% of federal funding," then we need to revoke their high school diploma and send them back to learn about percentages and why numerators and denominators matter once again.

Anyway, yes "federal highways" is nonsense and Calrog deserved all the derision sent his way.  But, when it comes to how federal-aid is allocated and spent, the eligibility is quite broad, far beyond US and Interstate highways and any route/road designated as part of the NHS.

(And yes, to those in the know, I skipped how STBG-Off-System is for bridges off the federal-aid system to keep things simpler)...

[CoreySamson]

Texas has 17 counties without a US route or interstate, shown by the red counties on the map:

Aransas | Bandera | Bosque | Brazoria | Briscoe | Burleson | Cochran | Delta | Grimes | Hansford | Hutchinson | Jim Hogg | Llano | Loving | Matagorda | McMullen | Winkler

I would like to note that my home county, Brazoria, is the largest county in the US by both land area and population that has never had a US route or interstate running through its borders, which seems to make it pretty special.

[Rothman]

Texas has 17 counties without a US route or interstate, shown by the red counties on the map:

Aransas | Bandera | Bosque | Brazoria | Briscoe | Burleson | Cochran | Delta | Grimes | Hansford | Hutchinson | Jim Hogg | Llano | Loving | Matagorda | McMullen | Winkler

I would like to note that my home county, Brazoria, is the largest county in the US by both land area and population that has never had a US route or interstate running through its borders, which seems to make it pretty special.

Huh.  I thought there would have been more in those smaller counties northwest of Dallas and southeast of Amarillo.

[hbelkins]

The only counties in Kentucky with a federal highway are those that have national park or national forest routes within them. PowerPoint13 is way off base with his definition of "federal" highways.

[roadman65]

The only counties in Kentucky with a federal highway are those that have national park or national forest routes within them. PowerPoint13 is way off base with his definition of "federal" highways.

I think we all know what the OP meant. Yes there are no federal routes, but designations. However, some on AA Roads get technical about things and try to correct grammar and the like.  Yes, he should change route to designation, but it's too late now. This topic progressed already, so be glad it made it several replies later to pick up.

[Dirt Roads]

Four counties in West Virginia without Interstate and U.S. Routes:

• Webster
• Wirt
• Pleasants
• Tyler

[Great Lakes Roads]

Indiana-

No Interstates or US Routes: Blackford, Brown, Fayette, Ohio, Switzerland (5)
1 Interstate but no US Routes: Crawford, Monroe, Pike, Posey (4)
No Interstates but 1 US Route: Carroll, Fulton, Jay, Jefferson, Jennings, Kosciusko, Lawrence, Orange, Owen, Tipton, Union, Wabash, Washington (13)

[vdeane]

NY, interestingly enough, has more counties that have only interstates than only US routes (and by a lot, not just barely).  I feel like it's normally the reverse.

[roadman65]

NY, interestingly enough, has more counties that have only interstates than only US routes (and by a lot, not just barely).  I feel like it's normally the reverse.

That was my point earlier with I-495 on Long Island. It created a scenario where two more counties got to get interstates that had neither US or interstates before. Sure you had Richmond, Kings, and Queens with interstate only before as well as others out there especially along I-86.  NY isn't a very US Route friendly state where others are more welcome to US routes over interstates.

[Rothman]

NY, interestingly enough, has more counties that have only interstates than only US routes (and by a lot, not just barely).  I feel like it's normally the reverse.

Yep, NY's the best.

[tchafe1978]

Here in Wisconsin, I know for certain that Door and Menominee Counties fit that description, but I know that there are others.

Mike

I also found Burnett, Taylor, Kewaunee, Adams, Green, and Green Lake Counties.

[roadman65]

^^^^^

NY, interestingly enough, has more counties that have only interstates than only US routes (and by a lot, not just barely).  I feel like it's normally the reverse.

Yep, NY's the best.

It's also got interstates that replaced state routes over US routes hence I-88 replacing NY 7 and currently I-86 slowly replacing NY 17.

Some may argue that I-90 replaced all of NY 5 despite it being the Thruway first as well.

[kkt]

I think I got all of Washington's counties with no US or Interstate routes:

Kitsap
San Juan
Skamania
Wahkiakum

(ignoring Federally maintained roads like Forest Service roads, roads on military bases)

[LilianaUwU]

US counties that do not have any federal highways (Interstates and US Routes).

Calrog, is this you?

Someone beat me to it, I see. Could you imagine if Poiponen was a Calrog sock all along?

[kkt]

US counties that do not have any federal highways (Interstates and US Routes).

Calrog, is this you?

Someone beat me to it, I see. Could you imagine if Poiponen was a Calrog sock all along?

That would be.... very surprising.  They have pretty different styles.

[wriddle082]

Tennessee has nine counties without US or Interstate highways: Clay, Hancock, Houston, Jackson, Lake, Macon, Meigs, Overton, and Union.  And one county with two interstates and a NPS route but no US routes: Hickman.

[webny99]

NY, interestingly enough, has more counties that have only interstates than only US routes (and by a lot, not just barely).  I feel like it's normally the reverse.

Just thinking this through...

The previous count for interstates only was 9, but I missed Allegany. So that's 10, for a total of 19 counties with no US route.

The count for US routes only with no Interstate is currently 4; Sullivan, Wyoming, St. Lawrence, and Franklin, for a total of 13 counties with no Interstate.


So, if that math is correct, 43 counties have US routes and 49 have interstates.

How many other states are there where that latter number is greater? I can't think of any off hand and it wouldn't shock me if there are none.

[CtrlAltDel]

The only counties in Kentucky with a federal highway are those that have national park or national forest routes within them. PowerPoint13 is way off base with his definition of "federal" highways.

As laid out in the OP, I believe the following counties of Kentucky are those in question:

Adair
Bracken
Breathitt
Cumberland
Elliott
Estill
Knott
Lee
Lewis
Martin
Monroe
Owsley
Perry
Powell
Spencer
Wayne
Wolfe

I admit I may have missed an edge case or two.

Here's a map, showing the cluster mentioned in the OP:

[IowaTraveler]

Here are all of the counties in Iowa that don't have an interstate or US highway:

Appanoose
Butler
Emmet
Guthrie
Keokuk
Marion
Pocahontas
Taylor
Van Buren

In addition, Monona County is the only county in Iowa to have an interstate but not a US highway (although it used to have US 75).

[vdeane]

NY, interestingly enough, has more counties that have only interstates than only US routes (and by a lot, not just barely).  I feel like it's normally the reverse.

That was my point earlier with I-495 on Long Island. It created a scenario where two more counties got to get interstates that had neither US or interstates before. Sure you had Richmond, Kings, and Queens with interstate only before as well as others out there especially along I-86.  NY isn't a very US Route friendly state where others are more welcome to US routes over interstates.

And yet your post never even left Long Island...

[roadman65]

NY, interestingly enough, has more counties that have only interstates than only US routes (and by a lot, not just barely).  I feel like it's normally the reverse.

That was my point earlier with I-495 on Long Island. It created a scenario where two more counties got to get interstates that had neither US or interstates before. Sure you had Richmond, Kings, and Queens with interstate only before as well as others out there especially along I-86.  NY isn't a very US Route friendly state where others are more welcome to US routes over interstates.

And yet your post never even left Long Island...

Doesn't have to, both Nassau and Suffolk counted before circa 1985 as counties without US or interstates as I-495 was originally NY 495.

[vdeane]

NY, interestingly enough, has more counties that have only interstates than only US routes (and by a lot, not just barely).  I feel like it's normally the reverse.

That was my point earlier with I-495 on Long Island. It created a scenario where two more counties got to get interstates that had neither US or interstates before. Sure you had Richmond, Kings, and Queens with interstate only before as well as others out there especially along I-86.  NY isn't a very US Route friendly state where others are more welcome to US routes over interstates.

And yet your post never even left Long Island...

Doesn't have to, both Nassau and Suffolk counted before circa 1985 as counties without US or interstates as I-495 was originally NY 495.

Well, my post was about the whole state, so to say that your post already covered what my post said when your post never left the island is disingenuous.