Limon should be a control city

[HighwayStar]

New York City and London are both far more important than either of them, but neither is on I-90 so they can't be control cities. Likewise with Rochester, its not really on I-90, so it does not qualify.

This isn't even comparable... I-90 is over a hundred miles from NYC. The city limits of Rochester are only around a mile off of I-90...

But the city limits are well outside of the urbanized area.

[sprjus4]

New York City and London are both far more important than either of them, but neither is on I-90 so they can't be control cities. Likewise with Rochester, its not really on I-90, so it does not qualify.

This isn't even comparable... I-90 is over a hundred miles from NYC. The city limits of Rochester are only around a mile off of I-90...

But the city limits are well outside of the urbanized area.

So? What's your argument here? I-90 does not provide access to/from Rochester? Sure 

[roadman65]

New York City and London are both far more important than either of them, but neither is on I-90 so they can't be control cities. Likewise with Rochester, its not really on I-90, so it does not qualify.

This isn't even comparable... I-90 is over a hundred miles from NYC. The city limits of Rochester are only around a mile off of I-90...

But the city limits are well outside of the urbanized area.

So? What's your argument here? I-90 does not provide access to/from Rochester? Sure 

It appears that Kentucky uses Ashland on I-64 as a control city. Yet Ashland is several miles from the freeway in a north direction similar to Rochester from I-90 in MN.

Savannah, GA on I-95 was the same until the City annexed rural parts of Chatham County, GA post development where the interstate signed with Savannah being ten miles to the east of it Is now within it.

[Roadgeekteen]

Can I-80 not use Chicago as a control city?

[sprjus4]

New York City and London are both far more important than either of them, but neither is on I-90 so they can't be control cities. Likewise with Rochester, its not really on I-90, so it does not qualify.

This isn't even comparable... I-90 is over a hundred miles from NYC. The city limits of Rochester are only around a mile off of I-90...

But the city limits are well outside of the urbanized area.

So? What's your argument here? I-90 does not provide access to/from Rochester? Sure 

It appears that Kentucky uses Ashland on I-64 as a control city. Yet Ashland is several miles from the freeway in a north direction similar to Rochester from I-90 in MN.

Savannah, GA on I-95 was the same until the City annexed rural parts of Chatham County, GA post development where the interstate signed with Savannah being ten miles to the east of it Is now within it.

The same applies to Fayetteville, NC along I-95... it doesn't pass through that control city directly. But it sure is the best option between Florence and Rocky Mount - which I-95 doesn't directly pass through either!

I think the highways are strategically designed in this regard... they get close enough to the cities to provide access via other highways, but themselves avoid the city core / urban freeway aspect, prioritizing long haul traffic.

[roadman65]

New York City and London are both far more important than either of them, but neither is on I-90 so they can't be control cities. Likewise with Rochester, its not really on I-90, so it does not qualify.

This isn't even comparable... I-90 is over a hundred miles from NYC. The city limits of Rochester are only around a mile off of I-90...

But the city limits are well outside of the urbanized area.

So? What's your argument here? I-90 does not provide access to/from Rochester? Sure 

It appears that Kentucky uses Ashland on I-64 as a control city. Yet Ashland is several miles from the freeway in a north direction similar to Rochester from I-90 in MN.

Savannah, GA on I-95 was the same until the City annexed rural parts of Chatham County, GA post development where the interstate signed with Savannah being ten miles to the east of it Is now within it.

The same applies to Fayetteville, NC along I-95… it doesn’t pass through that control city directly. But it sure is the best option between Florence and Rocky Mount - which I-95 doesn’t directly pass through either!

I think the highways are strategically designed in this regard… they get close enough to the cities to provide access via other highways, but themselves avoid the city core / urban freeway aspect, prioritizing long haul traffic.

Funny thing about I-95 and Fayetteville. The reason why the bypass was completed last on the interstate was that the city originally wanted I-95 to go through it and not skirt it. Therefore the City held up the state in litigation holding back construction as business owners feared the loss of revenue that would later be lost if the through traffic got rerouted.

[SEWIGuy]

Can I-80 not use Chicago as a control city?

Right. The highway doesn't have to physically enter the city.  I-90 serves Rochester. I-80 serves Chicago.

[JayhawkCO]

City limits in the US are pretty random in terms of what they include or don't. The city limits of Dallas for example run through mostly established neighborhoods often 10 miles+ inside the edge of the greater urban area. Smaller towns often have city limits that extend into virtually nothing. For this reason, city limits are not a very good test for these purposes.

I consider the "grid test" a bit more telling. Take Rapid City, or Sioux Falls, or Albert Lea. All have at least one exit that goes to a city street which is part of the town grid. It also works for Austin MN. But for Rochester, the exits go to other US highways that eventually enter Rochester proper, none of the exits interface with Rochester streets.

So, the fact that I-70 has an exit for Cooks Lane, which serves the West Hills neighborhood of Baltimore.......

Is not sufficient for a city of that size, as shown by the fact that the route as designed had service to much more of the city. With a town the size of Albert Lea or even Rapid City/Sioux Falls, that exit is still quite close to city center and meaningfully serves the city as a whole. That does not scale to a large city like Baltimore, DC, Dallas, etc.

So, to recap, if an interstate has an exit for a street that enters the city limits, it can be a control city. Except for Baltimore. Just cuz. K.

[skluth]

Can I-80 not use Chicago as a control city?

Right. The highway doesn't have to physically enter the city.  I-90 serves Rochester. I-80 serves Chicago.

It's interesting (at least to me) that I-90 serves both Rochester NY and MN without entering either city. 

Also, if Tomah can be a control city in Wisconsin, Albert Lea is large enough to be a control city.

[SEWIGuy]

Can I-80 not use Chicago as a control city?

Right. The highway doesn't have to physically enter the city.  I-90 serves Rochester. I-80 serves Chicago.

It's interesting (at least to me) that I-90 serves both Rochester NY and MN without entering either city. 

Also, if Tomah can be a control city in Wisconsin, Albert Lea is large enough to be a control city.

Tomah isn't an official control city according to AASHTO.

https://traffic.transportation.org/interstate-control-cities/

[JayhawkCO]

Can I-80 not use Chicago as a control city?

Right. The highway doesn't have to physically enter the city.  I-90 serves Rochester. I-80 serves Chicago.

It's interesting (at least to me) that I-90 serves both Rochester NY and MN without entering either city. 

Also, if Tomah can be a control city in Wisconsin, Albert Lea is large enough to be a control city.

I don't like Tomah either. West of Wisconsin Dells it should be alternating Eau Claire/La Crosse. Tomah is 20 something miles away from a much more important town. The only thing that Tomah has is a junction. A junction and regional importance can be a justification for a control city, but Tomah is certainly not that.

[jeffandnicole]

Can I-80 not use Chicago as a control city?

Right. The highway doesn't have to physically enter the city.  I-90 serves Rochester. I-80 serves Chicago.

It's interesting (at least to me) that I-90 serves both Rochester NY and MN without entering either city. 

Also, if Tomah can be a control city in Wisconsin, Albert Lea is large enough to be a control city.

Tomah isn't an official control city according to AASHTO.

https://traffic.transportation.org/interstate-control-cities/

I would imagine this list isn't an exhaustive list. Using 76 as an example, the easternmost control city is Philadelphia, yet I-76 enters New Jersey.

[SEWIGuy]

Can I-80 not use Chicago as a control city?

Right. The highway doesn't have to physically enter the city.  I-90 serves Rochester. I-80 serves Chicago.

It's interesting (at least to me) that I-90 serves both Rochester NY and MN without entering either city. 

Also, if Tomah can be a control city in Wisconsin, Albert Lea is large enough to be a control city.

Tomah isn't an official control city according to AASHTO.

https://traffic.transportation.org/interstate-control-cities/

I would imagine this list isn't an exhaustive list. Using 76 as an example, the easternmost control city is Philadelphia, yet I-76 enters New Jersey.

I also think its not how states actually sign everything. I was looking at a couple of exits between the Dells and Tomah, and they have directional signage for Madison (ignoring the Dells) and Tomah.

[JayhawkCO]

I would imagine this list isn't an exhaustive list. Using 76 as an example, the easternmost control city is Philadelphia, yet I-76 enters New Jersey.

As I remember, there isn't a control city for I-76 East once you hit Philly city limits, right? Other than Walt Whitman Bridge.

[MATraveler128]

I would imagine this list isn't an exhaustive list. Using 76 as an example, the easternmost control city is Philadelphia, yet I-76 enters New Jersey.

As I remember, there isn't a control city for I-76 East once you hit Philly city limits, right? Other than Walt Whitman Bridge.

For the most part yes, but there are also some signs that read "Central Phila"

[kalvado]

City limits in the US are pretty random in terms of what they include or don't. The city limits of Dallas for example run through mostly established neighborhoods often 10 miles+ inside the edge of the greater urban area. Smaller towns often have city limits that extend into virtually nothing. For this reason, city limits are not a very good test for these purposes.

I consider the "grid test" a bit more telling. Take Rapid City, or Sioux Falls, or Albert Lea. All have at least one exit that goes to a city street which is part of the town grid. It also works for Austin MN. But for Rochester, the exits go to other US highways that eventually enter Rochester proper, none of the exits interface with Rochester streets.

So, the fact that I-70 has an exit for Cooks Lane, which serves the West Hills neighborhood of Baltimore.......

Is not sufficient for a city of that size, as shown by the fact that the route as designed had service to much more of the city. With a town the size of Albert Lea or even Rapid City/Sioux Falls, that exit is still quite close to city center and meaningfully serves the city as a whole. That does not scale to a large city like Baltimore, DC, Dallas, etc.

So, to recap, if an interstate has an exit for a street that enters the city limits, it can be a control city. Except for Baltimore. Just cuz. K.

Whatever it worth... I-87 has a control city of Montreal - even though I-87 doesn't enter not only Montreal city limits, but  neither Quebec province nor Canada... 

[JayhawkCO]

Whatever it worth... I-87 has a control city of Montreal - even though I-87 doesn't enter not only Montreal city limits, but  neither Quebec province nor Canada...

And it 100% makes sense.

[vdeane]

Whatever it worth... I-87 has a control city of Montreal - even though I-87 doesn't enter not only Montreal city limits, but  neither Quebec province nor Canada... 

A-15 does, and I see that situation as being similar to when a state route crosses into another state and changes number.  Should NY 7 not have Bennington as a control city?

[Flint1979]

I'm pretty sure the city limits of Rochester extend that far south so the airport can be included in the city limits. Pretty much the same as Flint, MI having the city limits stretch out to include Bishop Airport on the other side of I-75. That's the only point I-75 even enters Flint proper is at the Bristol Road interchange, outside of that it's Flint Township to the north and Mundy Township to the south.

[hbelkins]

No one has mentioned that I-80 doesn't go to NYC, yet has a control city of NYC?

[Flint1979]

No one has mentioned that I-80 doesn't go to NYC, yet has a control city of NYC?

I-80 ends in the NYC Metro area though and is reached via a short trip along another highway.

[Flint1979]

City limits in the US are pretty random in terms of what they include or don't. The city limits of Dallas for example run through mostly established neighborhoods often 10 miles+ inside the edge of the greater urban area. Smaller towns often have city limits that extend into virtually nothing. For this reason, city limits are not a very good test for these purposes.

I consider the "grid test" a bit more telling. Take Rapid City, or Sioux Falls, or Albert Lea. All have at least one exit that goes to a city street which is part of the town grid. It also works for Austin MN. But for Rochester, the exits go to other US highways that eventually enter Rochester proper, none of the exits interface with Rochester streets.

So, the fact that I-70 has an exit for Cooks Lane, which serves the West Hills neighborhood of Baltimore.......

Is not sufficient for a city of that size, as shown by the fact that the route as designed had service to much more of the city. With a town the size of Albert Lea or even Rapid City/Sioux Falls, that exit is still quite close to city center and meaningfully serves the city as a whole. That does not scale to a large city like Baltimore, DC, Dallas, etc.

So, to recap, if an interstate has an exit for a street that enters the city limits, it can be a control city. Except for Baltimore. Just cuz. K.

Whatever it worth... I-87 has a control city of Montreal - even though I-87 doesn't enter not only Montreal city limits, but  neither Quebec province nor Canada...

But it is going in that direction and can be reached via the same highway just with a different route number.

[LilianaUwU]

Whatever it worth... I-87 has a control city of Montreal - even though I-87 doesn't enter not only Montreal city limits, but  neither Quebec province nor Canada...

It would if FritzOwl had any influence on the Canadian highway system.

[kalvado]

Whatever it worth... I-87 has a control city of Montreal - even though I-87 doesn't enter not only Montreal city limits, but  neither Quebec province nor Canada... 

A-15 does, and I see that situation as being similar to when a state route crosses into another state and changes number.  Should NY 7 not have Bennington as a control city?

Since this is about being pedantic, rather than practical...
Is there a difference between Rochester NY being reachable from I-90 via I-390/490 and Montreal being reachable from I-87 via A-15?
I would say that both can be used for practical navigation. Some people seem a little too puristic about it.

[Roadgeekteen]

Not to mention the famous example of Los Angeles on I-40.