The Most Boring Stretches of Highway

[jon daly]

I-81 through PA can be a real bore. The traffic helps break things up, but it's mostly farmland and flat fields until you reach Harrisburg. Then, more farmland and fields...real exciting, isn't it? To be honest, I've never been north of I-78, so maybe there might be interesting stuff.

I-78 was my initial consideration, but the hectic drive and substandard design on the western half (west of Allentown/exit 51) helps keeps things interesting. At least it's something to get the blood pumping.

My wife and I took a trip to Gettysburg late last month. They might be ugly, but the large distribution centers off of I-78 in the Lehigh Valley kept things interesting.

[kkt]

I-90 is a genuine snoozefest from Seattle to Chicago and also from Chicago to Boston.

FTFY 

I-90 is actually pretty damn scenic in Idaho and a good chunk of Montana. 

Also some interesting cityscape from Seattle to North Bend, gorgeous mountains from North Bend to the Columbia River. 

[dmr37]

I-80/*90 Cheyenne east to, well, at least Erie.

Drive Over country

[roadfro]

I-80 East of Reno to the Utah state line

But the 30-40 miles of straight interstate through the Bonneville Salt Flats (between Nevada state line and Salt Lake City) isn't boring? Okay...

[steveutz87]

Worst in Virginia is I-64 between Charlottesville and Richmond.
I-64 between I-295 and Newport News  I-85 between Petersburg and NC.
I-95 between Ashland and Fredericksburg
US-522 between Powhatan and Front Royal
US-460 between Crewe and Petersburg
US-60 between Powhatan and Amherst


SM-G930V

[adwerkema]

US-522 between Powhatan and Front Royal

I've always been fond of US-522 in Virginia. Provides more hills and curves than roads in Western Michigan 

[freebrickproductions]

Worst in Virginia is I-64 between Charlottesville and Richmond.
I-64 between I-295 and Newport News  I-85 between Petersburg and NC.
I-95 between Ashland and Fredericksburg
US-522 between Powhatan and Front Royal
US-460 between Crewe and Petersburg
US-60 between Powhatan and Amherst

Don't forget I-81 through pretty much the entire state. Doesn't help that it got around almost all of the cities, and thus almost all of the interesting sights that would be along it.

[vdeane]

I didn't find I-81 in VA to be particularly boring (well, except for the northern part), especially through the mountains.  Just because it's rural doesn't mean it's boring.

I-81 in TN on the other hand...

[Flint1979]

I didn't find I-81 in VA to be particularly boring (well, except for the northern part), especially through the mountains.  Just because it's rural doesn't mean it's boring.

I-81 in TN on the other hand...

I agree it depends on the landscape. Now flat farm land and nothing else is boring I see that all the time here in Michigan. I find some rural areas to be pretty interesting especially if it's a different landscape. The part of Michigan I live in around Saginaw has lots of repeative farm land.

[Aaron Camp]

I-74 in western Indiana is rather dull.

[freebrickproductions]

I didn't find I-81 in VA to be particularly boring (well, except for the northern part), especially through the mountains.  Just because it's rural doesn't mean it's boring.

I-81 in TN on the other hand...

I agree it depends on the landscape. Now flat farm land and nothing else is boring I see that all the time here in Michigan. I find some rural areas to be pretty interesting especially if it's a different landscape. The part of Michigan I live in around Saginaw has lots of repeative farm land.

I find even mountainous highway terrain, unless it's a very winding road and fun to drive and/or offers amazing views off of it, to be rather boring, as I already get a lot of that in my area.

[Max Rockatansky]

I had to think really hard about what the most boring highway in California was, my conclusion was CA 43.  CA 43 generally is a two-lane roadway with virtually no scenery aside from the BNSF rails and the Allensworth ghost town.  Most days the views of the Sierras to the east are either obstructed by dust or Tule Fog.  Granted, I really enjoy 43 because of the rails and generally peaceful nature compared to 99 or I-5.  I just couldn't think of another highway aside from short Signed County Routes that had so little variance in terrain or environment.  Too bad Tulare Lake is long gone, a shore line drive between 198 and 46 would have been nice.

[Hurricane Rex]

Really late to this but here are my votes:
Name a non-urban interstate in Illinois, particularly I-57 (I have a family connection on I-39 so for that along it motivates me].

I-90 from George to Sprague Lake
US 20 from Bend to 30 miles east of Burns, was worse with 55 than 65.
Upper Lostine Road, one of the bumpiest 1 lane and busy forest roads I've been on. Got the shock absorbers destroyed here. Took an hour to go a mile (6 miles long).
OR 99E south of Albany, made worse by the double nickel but not as bad as US 20.
I-84 east of Boise (have not been past 10 miles east of Boise)
I-5 from Coburg to Albany, Keizer to Aurora, from the Cowlitz river to mp 97, made worse by slow speed limits, particularly in Oregon

LG-TP260

[adwerkema]

I-5 from Coburg to Albany, Keizer to Aurora, from the Cowlitz river to mp 97, made worse by slow speed limits, particularly in Oregon

I resonate with this. Especially the Coburg to Albany segment. 30 miles without a single curve.

[Flint1979]

I didn't find I-81 in VA to be particularly boring (well, except for the northern part), especially through the mountains.  Just because it's rural doesn't mean it's boring.

I-81 in TN on the other hand...

I agree it depends on the landscape. Now flat farm land and nothing else is boring I see that all the time here in Michigan. I find some rural areas to be pretty interesting especially if it's a different landscape. The part of Michigan I live in around Saginaw has lots of repeative farm land.

I find even mountainous highway terrain, unless it's a very winding road and fun to drive and/or offers amazing views off of it, to be rather boring, as I already get a lot of that in my area.

Boring to me is seeing the same thing over and over without any change at all. I haven't found any stretch of I-75 in my area to be above boring to say the least. I can name every exit on I-75 from Houghton Lake to Detroit a stretch of almost 200 miles with 67 exits between the two now that I find boring. Any other Interstate in Michigan I only know some of the exits unless it's a 3-di and I know all of them. I gathered all this information from my experience driving it and I've clinched I-75 so it's now going to be even more boring ugh.

[kphoger]

Name a non-urban interstate in Illinois

I-64.  Or just shoot me now.

[Flint1979]

Really late to this but here are my votes:
Name a non-urban interstate in Illinois, particularly I-57 (I have a family connection on I-39 so for that along it motivates me].

I-90 from George to Sprague Lake
US 20 from Bend to 30 miles east of Burns, was worse with 55 than 65.
Upper Lostine Road, one of the bumpiest 1 lane and busy forest roads I've been on. Got the shock absorbers destroyed here. Took an hour to go a mile (6 miles long).
OR 99E south of Albany, made worse by the double nickel but not as bad as US 20.
I-84 east of Boise (have not been past 10 miles east of Boise)
I-5 from Coburg to Albany, Keizer to Aurora, from the Cowlitz river to mp 97, made worse by slow speed limits, particularly in Oregon

LG-TP260

For a non-urban Interstate in Illinois I select I-180.

[architect77]

NC beachgoers have always remarked about one flat and straight section of US70 north of New Bern as being so boring that falling asleep at the wheel is a real possibility.

Even a transplant from another state commented on City-Data.com that that 15 mile stretch was scary because it seemed so deserted and isolated from where anyone lives.

Of course, the continuous trees merely hide the small towns, home and people that blanket the state every ten miles in any direction.


So that is a noted stretch that elicits feelings in people whether native to NC or not.


The whining about the never-ending monotony is hilarious since it lasts for all of 15 minutes from beginning to end.


They'd wouldn't be able to handle the drive to California where boring stretches last from sunrise to sunset to traverse.

[madbengalsfan85]

I-74 from Indy to Peoria is basically hell on earth

[Skye]

I-65 from Indy to Gary is one I've traveled multiple times.  Also I-80 through pretty much all of Pennsylvania.  There are no cities, exits are 10-15 miles apart with amenities at every other exit at best.  When you get to Ohio, if you get off the expressway in the Youngstown area you'll see signs that say "I-80 East to New York", because there's nothing in between Ohio and New York on I-80.

[swhuck]

Boring Interstates in no particular order:
I-37 (all)
I-10 from Indio to Buckeye
I-70 from Denver to about Topeka
I-5 in Central California from about Wheeler Ridge to Red Bluff
I-35 south of San Antonio, plus the entire Kansas Turnpike section
I-90 east of the Cascades to Spokane
I-20 west of Odessa
I-95 north of Bangor gets a special mention because, although it's pretty, there are probably more moose than cars on it.
I-40 from Albuquerque to Amarillo
I-69 and suffixed routes south of Houston will make this list as soon as they're built.

Special schizophrenic award to I-70, which is awesome at the ends and brutal in the middle.

[formulanone]

I-5 from Coburg to Albany, Keizer to Aurora, from the Cowlitz river to mp 97, made worse by slow speed limits, particularly in Oregon

I resonate with this. Especially the Coburg to Albany segment. 30 miles without a single curve.

Reminded me of the desolate mid-section of Florida's Turnpike (MM 152 - 240), but with actual hills and scenery in the background. Like I-95 in North Carolina, it's as if they intentionally laid it out in the dullest scenery they could find.

[Flint1979]

I-65 from Indy to Gary is one I've traveled multiple times.  Also I-80 through pretty much all of Pennsylvania.  There are no cities, exits are 10-15 miles apart with amenities at every other exit at best.  When you get to Ohio, if you get off the expressway in the Youngstown area you'll see signs that say "I-80 East to New York", because there's nothing in between Ohio and New York on I-80.

WB I-80 in New Jersey uses Delaware Water Gap and Stroudsburg, PA as control cities. I think EB I-80 in Ohio could at least use these as well or at least just Delaware Water Gap.

[webny99]

Wow, didn't realize this would be a 2-year bump, I thought I remembered this thread being active much more recently.
But anyways, I nominate I-64 between Williamsburg and Richmond, VA, as the most boring stretch of highway I've ever driven.

[texaskdog]

I hope I go to heaven.  If I go to hell I'll have to drive I-39 in to work to I-180 to that factory.  My vacations will be limited to I-238, I-99, Breezewood, Nebraska, west Iowa, North Oklahoma, west Kansas....