Rural-looking freeways in urban areas

[STLmapboy]

I-280 in California

About as rural as it gets...

Seems pretty rural to me outside the city.

You specified, but RGT didn't.

Not sure what your issue here is. The OP specified "sections of freeway" within an urban area. I-280 is within the San Francisco-Oakland urban area (the section in question does form the boundary of said urban area, but it is still there). There is continuous development less than a quarter-mile to the east of this view. This feel goes on for about 15 miles in a major commute corridor.

I know. I have actually been on I-280 between Daly City and CA 92, so I knew exactly why he mentioned it. But, the point is that the "rural" feeling doesn't apply to the entire route, so it helps to specify which part of the route you're talking about, for those that might be unfamiliar with it. I was trying to have a little humor while making that point, but I guess it didn't translate very well.

Still the same I-280. When he said that, he was obviously referring to those segments.

^See above^

But meanwhile, I'll give you this section of CA-13 in Oakland.

There's a road with very similar character in the Vancouver metro area that I'll have to try to put my finger on.
I might have even thought this was it, if I didn't know this was in California.

BC1/BC99 in North Vancouver? Maybe BC99 in Stanley Park?

Which brings to mind other examples (more farmland, though); BC17, 91, and 99 south of Vancouver.

[kphoger]

Treed-in surroundings

This seems to be the recurring theme for examples posted so far.  Trees block the view of the urban surroundings.

[jmacswimmer]

Treed-in surroundings

This seems to be the recurring theme for examples posted so far.  Trees block the view of the urban surroundings.

Agreed, when I saw this thread I initially thought of parkways for this exact reason.  Someone already mentioned the Merritt Parkway up-thread; I'll throw in the George Washington Memorial Parkway (parts closer to the northern end at I-495), and most of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

To give a non-parkway example, here's I-83 for the first couple miles inside I-695 when heading towards downtown Baltimore.

[sprjus4]

Treed-in surroundings

This seems to be the recurring theme for examples posted so far.  Trees block the view of the urban surroundings.

Agreed, when I saw this thread I initially thought of parkways for this exact reason.  Someone already mentioned the Merritt Parkway up-thread; I'll throw in the George Washington Memorial Parkway (parts closer to the northern end at I-495), and most of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

To give a non-parkway example, here's I-83 for the first couple miles inside I-695 when heading towards downtown Baltimore.

Also in the DC area, I-95 between I-495 and I-695, I-495 / I-95 on the southeastern side of the Beltway, and most of MD-200.

[hbelkins]

The OP noted I-64 in Louisville, which was the first example I thought of when I saw the thread title even before I saw his exhibit.

I'd submit that most of I-265/KY 841 in Jefferson County also qualifies, although there is a decent amount of development north of I-64 and around some of the interchanges. between I-64 and I-65.

[frankenroad]

Cincinnati's topogrpaphy lends itself to a number of these, including

I-74, 8 miles from downtown

I-71 at the Stewart Road exit

[ari-s-drives]

But meanwhile, I'll give you this section of CA-13 in Oakland.

The CA-13 freeway really is pretty when there it's not choked by traffic.

[sparker]

IMO the most rural-looking of Bay freeways would be I-680 between the Sunol Grade east of the CA 238 junction and Bernal Avenue in Livermore.  Looks can be deceiving; there's a lot of higher-end housing tucked away in the hills through which the freeway passes -- but hard to see from a distance, particularly the mansions west of the freeway near the Sunol Blvd. exit (John Madden lives in one of those just west of the country club).

I would add I-680 northbound from Jacklin Road to Mission Boulevard (CA-262). Because the section is higher than the southbound side with a hill directly to the east, all the houses west of the southbound side is not really visible, and no development on the east side.

There's a couple of reasons for that lack of development -- much of the property is still owned by Caltrans as detritus from the long-deleted CA 237 freeway extension that was to angle NE from existing 237 between Zanker and McCarthy, cross I-880 near Scott Creek, and interchange with I-680 via a semidirectional interchange (much of the grading for which is still there).  Otherwise, it's simple topography -- the slope above the NB 680 lanes is too severe for cost-effective development (would require one hell of a lot of terracing).   

[bing101]

IMO the most rural-looking of Bay freeways would be I-680 between the Sunol Grade east of the CA 238 junction and Bernal Avenue in Livermore.  Looks can be deceiving; there's a lot of higher-end housing tucked away in the hills through which the freeway passes -- but hard to see from a distance, particularly the mansions west of the freeway near the Sunol Blvd. exit (John Madden lives in one of those just west of the country club).

Another section of I-680 looks rural though its the 4-lane section between Benicia and Fairfield the north end look rural but its in the middle of suburban sprawl where the Valero Refinery is near I-680 and housing is on the north end near the Cordelia interchange.


I-80 between Vacaville and Davis and I-80 between Davis to West Sacramento looks rural but that is quickly more suburban sprawl where Sacramento and Bay Area commuters are merging in places like Solano County Yolo County.




Temecula has a similar section of I-15 that is rural looking but its in the middle of a merger between IE, OC and San Diego Commuters.

[ibthebigd]

Cincinnati's topogrpaphy lends itself to a number of these, including

I-74, 8 miles from downtown

I-71 at the Stewart Road exit

I-275 from Hebron to I-74

SM-G950U

[webny99]

But meanwhile, I'll give you this section of CA-13 in Oakland.

There's a road with very similar character in the Vancouver metro area that I'll have to try to put my finger on.
I might have even thought this was it, if I didn't know this was in California.

BC1/BC99 in North Vancouver? Maybe BC99 in Stanley Park?

Yep, I think it was this section of BC 1.

99 south of Vancouver.

Indeed. That's one of the best ones yet. I remember being impressed by how remote that road felt for a trip between the suburbs and the airport.

[cl94]

The New York State Thruway has a few of these, including north of the Yonkers tolls in Westchester County and through the Albany Pine Bush in Albany County.

Elsewhere in Westchester County, I-684 is remarkably well-shielded from the suburban sprawl it passes through. Long Island's expressways and parkways generally have too much in the way of lighting to pass as "rural".

[debragga]

US-175 in Dallas
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.740694,-96.7204795,3a,75y,319.48h,85.94t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_52o3mHmuNZ67VV95l1SUQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[ilpt4u]

I have only driven and ridden this route once or twice and I had the feeling both as a passenger and driver, and I just double-checked it on GSV...but I-79->I-279 between the PA Turnpike and Downtown Pittsburgh feels and looks relatively rural. Obviously, if one thinks about it, clearly you are driving thru North Suburban Pittsburgh, but the hilly/mountainy terrain, its almost like you don't see it, until you come around a hill/mountain a few miles from Downtown

Part of the "City with a Front Door"  reputuation for Pittsburgh. I almost think the drive in from the north on 279 is as impessive as the drive in on I-376 from the south thru the Fort Pitt Tunnel for the "front door"  effect

[DandyDan]

I-29 and I-635 in KC

My mental image of the section of I-435 going east from KCI all the way to I-35 is that of actual farmland within the city limits of Kansas City. The first time I ever drove I-435, when I was going to a Royals game driving down from Omaha, I wondered to my buddy who was with me if this was the right road.

[kphoger]

I-29 and I-635 in KC

My mental image of the section of I-435 going east from KCI all the way to I-35 is that of actual farmland within the city limits of Kansas City. The first time I ever drove I-435, when I was going to a Royals game driving down from Omaha, I wondered to my buddy who was with me if this was the right road.

Airports can be like that.

For example, here is Peña Blvd on the way to DIA.  I remember watching cows graze from the taxiway there.

[jmacswimmer]

Airports can be like that.

For example, here is Peña Blvd on the way to DIA.  I remember watching cows graze from the taxiway there.

Indeed, and here is I-195 approaching BWI.

I remember flying into DEN in 2016 and being amazed at how empty the immediate surroundings are - we landed on runway 16L and the final approach was nothing but fields (and another plane approached and landed simultaneously on parallel runway 16R, which was pretty cool).

It's quite the contrast to, say, landing at MDW or BOS where you feel like you're going to clip buildings or land in the water, respectively.

[kphoger]

It's quite the contrast to, say, landing at MDW or BOS where you feel like you're going to clip buildings or land in the water, respectively.

When I was growing up in northwestern Kansas in the 1990s, our church organist at that time had come to this state in a covered wagon when she was a little kid.  To come here, they had left their farm near soon-to-be-constructed Chicago Air Park, later to be renamed Midway International Airport.

[Some one]

SH 288 south of 610 for the most part, though parts of it south of Beltway 8 has seen some development. Though that'll probably change once the toll lanes get completed.

There's also the Fort Bend Toll Road
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.6241122,-95.4874811,3a,75y,113.81h,80.38t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sa1dewaQsudJ7MuU69i5wQg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Da1dewaQsudJ7MuU69i5wQg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D354.6406%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192
and also most of the Hardy Toll Road Airport Connector
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.9570799,-95.3543724,3a,75y,285.55h,97.55t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sUeghJSXZEv6SINJi3gf3xA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DUeghJSXZEv6SINJi3gf3xA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D72.02357%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

[webny99]

When I was growing up in northwestern Kansas in the 1990s, our church organist at that time had come to this state in a covered wagon when she was a little kid.

Covered wagons were obsolete by the 1890's, so she must have been over 100 years old?

[kphoger]

When I was growing up in northwestern Kansas in the 1990s, our church organist at that time had come to this state in a covered wagon when she was a little kid.

Covered wagons were obsolete by the 1890's, so she must have been over 100 years old?

No.  They may have been obsolete by then, but they still existed.  Hers was one of the last wagons to come west, I believe, and I don't think it was necessarily part of a "wagon train".  She died about 15 years ago, I think.  I can't for the life of me remember her name, or else I'd try to hunt down the obit.

[webny99]

Hmm. I feel like heading west in a covered wagon in the 1920's or 30's would be like heading west in a Model T right now.

[kphoger]

Hmm. I feel like heading west in a covered wagon in the 1920's or 30's would be like heading west in a Model T right now.

The Oregon Trail was used into the 1890s.  1920 was only 30 years later.  It's more like heading west in one of these:

[Tom958]

This one in Charlotte amazes me. A mile ahead, the city's skyline bursts into view after one passes through the I-77 interchange.

[crispy93]

Seconded on NY 440, only evidence you're in NYC is the asinine 50 mph speed limit. NYSDOT says this section of NY 27 is in too dense an area to raise the 55 mph limit: https://goo.gl/maps/nSk6XXUxiHbGKiVVA

The Sprain has some ruralesque sections in southern Westchester: https://goo.gl/maps/q3CEpd8c4nY9wCCa7