Route vs. Highway vs. Other

[bing101]

Well in Orange County aka O.C in California some people will say 22 Freeway but traffic reporters will say Garden Grove Freeway.

I noticed on AAroads for I-10 in LA County its named Christopher Columbus Highway but Locals simply call it "The 10" or Santa Monica Freeway and San Bernardino Freeway.

[formulanone]

Do they ever say just the number?

That's common almost everywhere I go. I'll ask what's a good lunch/dinner spot, and listen to the directions (even though I could look it up myself).

[US81]

I hear different things in different parts of Texas, but in general I agree with wxfree: A "route" is only how you navigate to your destination.

Interstates are usually "I-xx", occasionally "Interstate xx" or just "the interstate" but seldom if ever, "highway" unless a US or state highway existed prior which became multiplexed with the Interstate. Thus, I-30/20 west from Ft. Worth is still sometimes referred to as "the Weatherford highway" because of its prior existence as US 80-180.

I hear about equal parts the number with or without the "Highway" title, as in: "Take 290 west from Houston to Austin" or "Highway 87 goes from San Antonio to the Panhandle." [There is a mix in many settings but I think it might be slightly more rural/older/west TX speakers who use the term "Highway xx" and slightly more urban/younger speakers who just say the number. This is purely a guess; I have not studied this.]  I hear both state and US routes referred to as "highways" but not usually FM/RM or county roads.

Back in the pre-internet days when historical maps could be difficult to find, I loved to hear the locals call a county or FM/RM road a "highway", because usually it was an old alignment of a US or state highway. "The 'old Grandview highway' runs up to Alvarado" suggests an old alignment of US 81.

[Kacie Jane]

In Washington -- Western Washington at least -- it's pretty much never Route, usually Highway, but sometimes, particularly on traffic/news reports, SR (actually pronounced like that, "ess arr").  I suppose on occasion they'll say "state route", but still never just route, and I feel like the abbreviation is more common.

(US Routes are either "US" or "Highway". I-5 and 405 always get I or Interstate, while 90 will sometimes get the "Highway" treatment.)

[bing101]

Well in Sacramento and Solano Counties we tend to say I for Interstate routes like I-505 Freeway, I-80 Freeway and I-5 Roadgeeks in the Sacramento area will ID the west end of US-50 as Cap City Freeway AKA Business 80 and I-305. But Non-roadgeeks in Sacramento will never say I-305 Freeway or CA-51.

[wxfree]

"The 'old Grandview highway' runs up to Alvarado"

I like that road.  When I'm in that area, I'm usually going from past Grandview to past Alvarado, and stay on the Interstate, but when my turn is in either town or between, I'll take County Road 401.

When giving directions, saying just the numbers is common, so as to avoid saying "highway" repeatedly, except with Interstates; I usually hear the one-syllable "I" prefix (too often referring to "I-75" north of Dallas).  When someone is just referring to a highway, people are more likely to say "highway."

I remember hearing FM/RM roads called "highway," mostly by older people, but not as much any more.  Younger people seem to be more lazy with their words and more likely to say just the number, for any kind of road.  Actually, younger people I hear are more likely not to know road numbers and navigate by landmark (or, too often, GPS).  Actually, most of the younger people I know are more likely not to go anywhere out of town where they'd need to know road numbers.

My first post was limited to state highways, and "highway" is also used for US highways, but FM/RM are often called by just their number.  I say "FM" or "RM" and say "FM" if I don't know which it is.  Among others I hear, second in frequency is "Farm Road."  I'd say "FM" or "RM" is least frequent.

[bzakharin]

Another perspective from NJ, we say "Route" if we don't just say the number. Omitting "Route" is more likely the longer the number is to say (three syllables or three digits is a rule of thumb dividing point, so "17", but "Route 10". This is for state and US routes that aren't otherwise named. If they do have a name, it depends on the route (and sometimes part of the route if it has multiple names in didfferent places). I've never heard anyway refer to routes 38 or 70 (Caigns Ave. and Marlton Pike) by name, even though the names are signed at all signalized intersections, but Route 30 seems to always be referred to by name whether it's "Admiral Wilson Blvd." or "White Horse Pike". Sometimes both are acceptable, so route 27 in Edison is also "Lincoln Highway" and both names are used, though the number is more common.

As for interstates, nearly all of them omitting the prefix is always an option. I- is the default prefix, but "route" is an alternative for some (80 most commonly). While most interstates in NJ have official names, nobody knows them. The only exception is the Turnpike and its extensions, for which no one ever uses the route numbers where they exist.

From what I hear of eastern Pennsylvania, it's pretty much the same thing, except most interstates and US route freeways in the Philadelphia area have names people actually use (except I-95). This doesn't seem to hold further north. Except the Northeast Extension, all interstates are just numbers.

Edit: Incidentally, KYW, the main news radio station in Philadelphia does a fairly good job of calling out route numbers in addition to names, eve if they're not used. That helps non-locals immensely. NYC traffic reports, on the other hand, never do this. Good luck if you don't know that I-95 is the Cross-Bronx (and which portion of 95 that is).

[bzakharin]

Well in Sacramento and Solano Counties we tend to say I for Interstate routes like I-505 Freeway, I-80 Freeway and I-5 Roadgeeks in the Sacramento area will ID the west end of US-50 as Cap City Freeway AKA Business 80 and I-305. But Non-roadgeeks in Sacramento will never say I-305 Freeway or CA-51.

This is interesting. Do they always append "freeway" at the end? How widespread is that elsewhere in the US? The only similar thing I hear here in NJ is the 42 freeway, and even then only in traffic reports. That's done to distinguish it from the non-freeway portion of the same route (that portion, incidentally, is never called 42. It's one of the 4 routes that carry the non-freeway Black Horse Pike, and that designation is what's used for its entire length). I assume that those interstates don't have any non-freeway segments.

[TEG24601]

In Indiana, they are legally State Roads, but are usually just called by their number.  US Routes are also called by number and so are Interstates.  The exceptions are if someone is trying to make the distinction between the Interstate and another type of road.


In Washington, legally they are State Routes, but are often called Highways or simply by the number.  US highways and Interstates are also legally State Routes of the same number, and are sometimes signed as such (the US 12 overpass over I-5 South of Centralia/Chehalis says SR-12).  Emphases is put on saying that the route is a US Highway or Interstate.  It is always I-5 or US 2, never 5 or 2.  Some people, myself included, will say SR.  This is a habit I picked up living in and around Portland to differentiate between types of roads.


Oregon is a bit strange, they have both Oregon Routes (OR) and State Highways (SH).  The two systems do different things.  The ORs are the signed routes, the SHs are the roads under the control of ODOT.  Some California transplants say "The-XX" but usually you hear simply the number for ORs, US-XX for the US Routes, and I-X for the Interstates.

[SD Mapman]

Yeah, going by what I actually hear people say- Idaho and Montana tend to just say the number, with I- for interstates and "highway" if clarity is needed.

Same in SD, as far as I can tell. Some people say just I- for interstates and just the number for everything else. (one of my pet peeves)

[Zeffy]

This is interesting. Do they always append "freeway" at the end? How widespread is that elsewhere in the US? The only similar thing I hear here in NJ is the 42 freeway, and even then only in traffic reports.

I've heard usage of 'Route 29 Freeway' and 'Route 440 Freeway' as well as just the 29 freeway (the section near Trenton).

As for the whole route vs. highway thing, around where I am, everyone (the general public that is), refers to any numbered route as just the number. No US, no I-, no Route, whatever. If I wanted to say I was on NJ 28, I would just say 'I'm coming down 28'. When journalists and news reporters mention any numbered route, they usually just called it 'Route XX' (I.E. Route 78). The NJTP and the GSP are known as the 'Turnpike' and 'Parkway' respectively. (Not sure about the ACX)

I assume people don't care what type of road it is, just that is has a number. And that is what people like to remember it by - it's number. Even though I personally will address most roads by the type of road they are...

[KEK Inc.]

In Washington -- Western Washington at least -- it's pretty much never Route, usually Highway, but sometimes, particularly on traffic/news reports, SR (actually pronounced like that, "ess arr").  I suppose on occasion they'll say "state route", but still never just route, and I feel like the abbreviation is more common.

(US Routes are either "US" or "Highway". I-5 and 405 always get I or Interstate, while 90 will sometimes get the "Highway" treatment.)

In Vancouver, it's always called 'ess-arr', and I hear it all the time in Seattle referring to SR-520. 

[bing101]

This is interesting. Do they always append "freeway" at the end? How widespread is that elsewhere in the US? The only similar thing I hear here in NJ is the 42 freeway, and even then only in traffic reports.

I've heard usage of 'Route 29 Freeway' and 'Route 440 Freeway' as well as just the 29 freeway (the section near Trenton).

As for the whole route vs. highway thing, around where I am, everyone (the general public that is), refers to any numbered route as just the number. No US, no I-, no Route, whatever. If I wanted to say I was on NJ 28, I would just say 'I'm coming down 28'. When journalists and news reporters mention any numbered route, they usually just called it 'Route XX' (I.E. Route 78). The NJTP and the GSP are known as the 'Turnpike' and 'Parkway' respectively. (Not sure about the ACX)

I assume people don't care what type of road it is, just that is has a number. And that is what people like to remember it by - it's number. Even though I personally will address most roads by the type of road they are...

Well As Far as I know LA Residents will say 110 Freeway but traffic reporters in LA will say Harbor or Pasadena Freeway aka Arroyo Seco Parkway. Its more of a Los Angeles thing. 5 Freeway in San Fernando Valley is called Golden State Freeway but 5 Freeway in Downtown LA to OC is Santa Ana Freeway

[empirestate]

A lot of the old guidebooks, WPA and the like, referred to state routes simply as "State xx". I wonder if that was actually common practice at the time (1920s-30s), or just a generic format they used across all states?

[bing101]

A lot of the old guidebooks, WPA and the like, referred to state routes simply as "State xx". I wonder if that was actually common practice at the time (1920s-30s), or just a generic format they used across all states?

I know in Santa Clara, CA County routes are never referred to by Route number like Santa Clara County Route GX,
They are known by their expressway name Such as Capitol Expressway, Montague, Oregon, San Tomas, Foothill, Central, Almaden. But some parts of the country may call this County Route XX.

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

In Louisiana interstates are referred to as "I-xx", US routes are usually called "US xx" or sometimes "highway xx", and state routes are usually called "highway xx" unless there is a locally used name that is more familiar (e.g. Airline Highway, Pontchartrain Expressway). Sometimes you hear "LA xx" in reference to state highways. You almost never hear "route" except in other contexts: as a path to your destination, or in connection to parades ("parade route").

[txstateends]

On Wikipedia, the US roads pages were mostly labeled as 'highways', but some editor a while back couldn't stand it anymore and made them all 'routes'.  You still see the occasional 'highway' reference in a sentence about a US road, but the pages themselves have the 'route' label.

(A little jarring and irritating for me as some areas would not use 'route' (Route 287 in Fort Worth or Amarillo?  Route 75 in Dallas?) to refer to a US road -- one famous exception would have to be Route 66, of course.)

[PColumbus73]

In SC, US and state routes are referred to at highways. I prefer calling them routes like in Ohio, so I have to train myself that it is Route 17, not Highway 17.

[Alps]

This is interesting. Do they always append "freeway" at the end? How widespread is that elsewhere in the US? The only similar thing I hear here in NJ is the 42 freeway, and even then only in traffic reports.

I've heard usage of 'Route 29 Freeway' and 'Route 440 Freeway' as well as just the 29 freeway (the section near Trenton).

As for the whole route vs. highway thing, around where I am, everyone (the general public that is), refers to any numbered route as just the number. No US, no I-, no Route, whatever. If I wanted to say I was on NJ 28, I would just say 'I'm coming down 28'. When journalists and news reporters mention any numbered route, they usually just called it 'Route XX' (I.E. Route 78). The NJTP and the GSP are known as the 'Turnpike' and 'Parkway' respectively. (Not sure about the ACX)

I assume people don't care what type of road it is, just that is has a number. And that is what people like to remember it by - it's number. Even though I personally will address most roads by the type of road they are...

You also had Route 1 Freeway in Trenton. In NJ, it seems to be isolated to whenever a parallel freeway route is built next to a long-established non freeway route and takes its number. I-295 started life as the Route 130 Freeway, but once it changed numbers, that terminology died.

[jeffandnicole]

This is interesting. Do they always append "freeway" at the end? How widespread is that elsewhere in the US? The only similar thing I hear here in NJ is the 42 freeway, and even then only in traffic reports.

...The NJTP and the GSP are known as the 'Turnpike' and 'Parkway' respectively. (Not sure about the ACX)...

More often than not, they'll say the 'Atlantic City Expressway', especially when talking about an incident on the expressway, which is fairly rare.  If they simply say 'Expressway', they are probably talking about issues on Route 42 ("42 is slow from the Expressway to 295", for example)

[bzakharin]

If they simply say 'Expressway', they are probably talking about issues on Route 42 ("42 is slow from the Expressway to 295", for example)

Well, yes, only because 42 happens to only touch one expressway. I'm sure the same could happen if let's say the Blue Route had issues near the Schuylkill Expressway (though the latter has the benefit of being shortened to just "Schuylkill"). I wonder why the ACE (and nobody shortens it to that in speech either) isn't just called the "Expressway". It's not because it's a general term as it's really not in these parts. Maybe because most people who use it also deal with Philadelphia's expressways at least occasionally. Then again, there are other parkways even within NJ (The Palisades Parkway would be the most prominent one, but there are others), never mind New York City which a lot of the Parkway's users are dealing with regularly as well.

Back on topic, I wonder why a place like the Philadelphia / NJ / NYC area, where neither "expressway" nor "freeway" are used by the public, has so many roads with "Expressway" in their names (the ones with "Freeway" in their names, like the Trenton Freeway are not used), and has (non-standard?) signage in various places proclaiming "Freeway Ends". And who nicknamed the 42 freeway and why that name stuck (as opposed to the 42 highway or expressway or whatever).

[theline]

In north central Ohio it's mainly just "X" or "route X" for state and US routes

Non turnpike interstates are mostly just "X" or sometimes "I-X"
The Ohio Turnpike is always "The Turnpike".....never 80 or 90 (or 76)

The usage is very similar in northern Indiana, not surprisingly. Most numbered highways are referred to commonly by the number alone. If further clarity is needed, "state route" or "US" is added, but I rarely hear "US route" used. So one would say "state route 23" or "US 31."

The Indiana Toll Road is generally called just the "toll road" here. Like in Ohio, it's never called "I-80" or "I-90." In fact, you can tell if an ad was written by an outsider, if they say the business is "off I-80."

In Indiana, a highway that bypasses a city is usually referred to as "the bypass," rather than by the highway number. In the South Bend-Elkhart area, the St. Joseph Valley Parkway, which carries two US highways and one state highway along various parts, is just called "the bypass." Parts of the parkway, before completion, officially carried the name Bypass US-31 and Bypass US-20, but that was many years ago.

[myosh_tino]

A lot of the old guidebooks, WPA and the like, referred to state routes simply as "State xx". I wonder if that was actually common practice at the time (1920s-30s), or just a generic format they used across all states?

I know in Santa Clara, CA County routes are never referred to by Route number like Santa Clara County Route GX,
They are known by their expressway name Such as Capitol Expressway, Montague, Oregon, San Tomas, Foothill, Central, Almaden. But some parts of the country may call this County Route XX.

County routes are signed to some extent but nearly everyone in California refers to these roads by the road name rather than the county route number.  If the county route numbers were to disappear, I don't think anyone would notice...

[bzakharin]

A lot of the old guidebooks, WPA and the like, referred to state routes simply as "State xx". I wonder if that was actually common practice at the time (1920s-30s), or just a generic format they used across all states?

I know in Santa Clara, CA County routes are never referred to by Route number like Santa Clara County Route GX,
They are known by their expressway name Such as Capitol Expressway, Montague, Oregon, San Tomas, Foothill, Central, Almaden. But some parts of the country may call this County Route XX.

County routes are signed to some extent but nearly everyone in California refers to these roads by the road name rather than the county route number.  If the county route numbers were to disappear, I don't think anyone would notice...

The same is true in NJ. I remember when they started signing county route numbers at all signalized intersections in my area. I had no idea up until that point that my neighborhood was bound by county routes on three sides (the fourth is a state route I did know about). To this day, I can count the number of county routes whose location I'm sure of on two hands. Google Maps also doesn't know about a large percentage of NJ county routes. Some are even marked in two different locations without any clue of how the two segments are connected. Bing is a bit better about this. Of course, since nobody cares, this isn't a huge problem for most regular users.

[jeffandnicole]

If they simply say 'Expressway', they are probably talking about issues on Route 42 ("42 is slow from the Expressway to 295", for example)

...And who nicknamed the 42 freeway and why that name stuck (as opposed to the 42 highway or expressway or whatever).

It may be a shorter name than it's true nickname: The North-South Freeway, which is now replaced with 42 Freeway.  That name has gotten lost over time though.  A few of the reporters that have been in the area a long time will refer to it as that on occasion.  The AC Expressway even has a sign for it, although they abbreviated North-South ("Philadelphia via N.S. Freeway (up arrow)").

I-76 in NJ is also known as Route 42, so the traffic reports will say something like "42 Freeway slow from the base of the Walt Whitman to 55", or even "The 42 Freeway is slow from midspan of the Walt Whitman to 295", even though the entire length of the congested roadway is I-76 territory.