What's the highest number you've seen on "NEXT [number of] EXITS" freeway signs?

[ran4sh]

This gets me wondering if the biggest cities don't need these signs, but "second cities" and suburbs need them for recognition.

That's very true.  Also consider that very large cities are often so large that they may be informally known as something else in the regions that are outside of Downtown.

Let's take Los Angeles, for instance.  The actual city of Los Angeles is very big.  Most people don't view areas like Woodland Hills, Sun Valley, Eagle Rock, or San Pedro as being part of Los Angeles, since they are somewhat suburban or have a unique feel, yet are all technically part of the city of Los Angeles.  This may be part of the reason why the signing practice in CA will have the control city present on BGS for larger cities until you are very close to Downtown, especially Dist. 7 where L.A. is located.

Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles - very urban - yet with its unique identity due to movies and TV.  Here is a sign for the next 7 exits:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1222206,-118.3408442,3a,75y,154.09h,85.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sanoYauDBrvPry0VDnI_iRg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192


Along US 101, the L.A. City limit is here at the western edge of the San Fernando Valley:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1578045,-118.6414881,3a,75y,82.32h,78.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sHYCOC0uJrGDaQGmJ3ghhtw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

And the road stays entirely within city limits for the next 29 miles until its terminus at the East LA Interchange.  By my count there are 40 more exits in Los Angeles (including several intersecting freeways).  This isn't really relevant or interesting to anyone.  If you are unfamiliar with L.A. and think, if there are 40 exits, maybe I'll just take any of them and get to Los Angeles, but you'll likely just get lost in the San Fernando Valley.  The city is simply too big for a next X exit signs to be helpful.

CA does tend to use this for the smaller cities and the signs are helpful.

I tend to agree that it's not useful if it's a route like US 101 that's going to end in the urban area, and even for the traffic continuing through, it isn't obvious what route they would continue on. But if it were a thru route, like I-5, then having "Next X exits" even if the number is large, gives motorists an indication that the urbanized/developed area will last that long before the route returns to rural conditions. This is helpful if, for example, you want to stop for motorist services before you reach a traffic jam, or something like that.

[ran4sh]

This gets me wondering if the biggest cities don't need these signs, but "second cities" and suburbs need them for recognition.

Road signs are not for recognition, they exist to communicate important messages to drivers that only have limited time to read the sign. A suburb that wants recognition needs to do it in some way other than using road signs. E.g. media, etc

[roadman65]

On I-95 in Port St. Lucie, Florida has Next 5 exits followed by Next 3 exits after the second exits are reached to remind motorists in case they don't know how many of the five they surpassed.

[andrepoiy]

[image snipped]

Taking the thread title and the first post literally, this likely wins at 124,000.

I don't think this post got enough recognition. Well done.

Well, yea...but:

Seems like an old sign (old Mississauga logo). Where was/is this located?

[formulanone]

[image snipped]

Taking the thread title and the first post literally, this likely wins at 124,000.

I don't think this post got enough recognition. Well done.

Well, yea...but:

Seems like an old sign (old Mississauga logo). Where was/is this located?

ON 403 East, April 2016

[ran4sh]

On I-95 in Port St. Lucie, Florida has Next 5 exits followed by Next 3 exits after the second exits are reached to remind motorists in case they don't know how many of the five they surpassed.

Another interesting Next X Exits case I have found is that of Bristol VA/TN along I-81 as signed by VA - Southbound it says Next 6 exits, which includes exits in TN and/or for Bristol TN. I don't remember if TN posts a northbound sign, but VA's sign shortly after the state line says Next 4 exits

[chrisg69911]

Not next x exits, but a sequence exit guide with four exits on it.
https://goo.gl/maps/RHYoWaR17CUjAoLt6
This is a rarity for most exits on that type of sign.

I never understood why 7 has a bigger shield than 21 even 21 is the bigger highway.