The Most Boring Stretches of Highway

[RobbieL2415]

I-90 is a genuine snoozefest from Utica to Syracuse and also from Springfield to Worcester.

I-195 (MA) is as generic and rustic of a New England interstate as you can get.

[sparker]

I-15 from Barstow to Baker (CA) traverses some of the least interesting parts of the Mojave Desert; if not for the adjacent UP rail line along about half of the stretch's length, there would be virtually nothing to look at.  Northeast of Baker at least there's some mountains; the downhill run to the state line from Mountain Pass (now there's an original name!) is pretty spectacular.  Unfortunately, SoCal-Vegas journeys must pass through 80 miles of sheer boredom each way (and Victorville-Barstow is hardly any better).

[Max Rockatansky]

I-15 from Barstow to Baker (CA) traverses some of the least interesting parts of the Mojave Desert; if not for the adjacent UP rail line along about half of the stretch's length, there would be virtually nothing to look at.  Northeast of Baker at least there's some mountains; the downhill run to the state line from Mountain Pass (now there's an original name!) is pretty spectacular.  Unfortunately, SoCal-Vegas journeys must pass through 80 miles of sheer boredom each way (and Victorville-Barstow is hardly any better).

That's why I prefer CA 190 or CA 127 when traveling to Vegas.  There was always something interesting about going through the derelict deep parts of the Mojave that had a weird kind of vibe to it.  Back in 2016 I took Garlock Road, Searles Station Cutoff, Trona Road, CA 178, Trona-Wildrose Road, CA 190, CA 127, and State Line to get to Nevada via Death Valley National Park.  That was a way more fun trip taking pictures of those desert roads, mountains, and ghost towns than the San Diego 500 on I-15.

[index]

US 74 from Anson County to New Hanover County, NC is pretty boring. You go through the Carolina sandhills and coastal plain, all of which are pretty boring stretches, mostly flat, of longleaf pines. Some of the counties US 74 goes through on its way there, such as Robeson and Scotland, also have pretty run down areas. The only interesting part of it seems to be when you actually reach Wilmington.

[bugo]

I-15 from Barstow to Baker (CA) traverses some of the least interesting parts of the Mojave Desert; if not for the adjacent UP rail line along about half of the stretch's length, there would be virtually nothing to look at.  Northeast of Baker at least there's some mountains; the downhill run to the state line from Mountain Pass (now there's an original name!) is pretty spectacular.  Unfortunately, SoCal-Vegas journeys must pass through 80 miles of sheer boredom each way (and Victorville-Barstow is hardly any better).

That's why I prefer CA 190 or CA 127 when traveling to Vegas.  There was always something interesting about going through the derelict deep parts of the Mojave that had a weird kind of vibe to it.  Back in 2016 I took Garlock Road, Searles Station Cutoff, Trona Road, CA 178, Trona-Wildrose Road, CA 190, CA 127, and State Line to get to Nevada via Death Valley National Park.  That was a way more fun trip taking pictures of those desert roads, mountains, and ghost towns than the San Diego 500 on I-15.

That sounds way, way out of the way.

[Aaron Camp]

The stretch of US-136 between Fisher and Heyworth in Illinois does not go through many towns, appears to be either completely straight or very close to it, doesn't have a lot of traffic, and doesn't appear to have a considerable amount of elevation change.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

In Minnesota, pretty much everything south or west of the Mississippi goes on this list.

[swhuck]

I-11 north of Vegas will make this list the second it is built.

[thenetwork]

Pretty much any Arizona highway East of US-89 and North of I-40 -- might be exciting to drive the first time, with the Indian Reservations and unique rock formations for those who have never seen them, but to drive those highways for the 3rd time or more gets very boring.  Two-lane roads, 50-100 miles between cities and services and a surprising amount of littler on the side of the roads.

[Max Rockatansky]

Pretty much any Arizona highway East of US-89 and North of I-40 -- might be exciting to drive the first time, with the Indian Reservations and unique rock formations for those who have never seen them, but to drive those highways for the 3rd time or more gets very boring.  Two-lane roads, 50-100 miles between cities and services and a surprising amount of littler on the side of the roads.

I never understood the huge attraction that compels people to say AZ 98 is one of the most scenic state routes in Arizona.  Its not "bad" but it doesn't stand up to the likes of AZ 260, AZ 89A, US 191 over the Coronado Trail, and many more that I could spend a whole post typing about.  US 160 is insufferably boring and even US 163 goes way down hill after crossing the state line from Utah.  Pretty much all the reservations in Arizona have the same issue with litter on the side of the road.  San Carlos is the worst on US 70, the shoulders actually sparkle in the sun from all the broken glass.

[oscar]

Surprised nobody in this six-year-old thread has mentioned the "Alligator Alley" section of I-75 in Florida between Naples and US 27 west of Fort Lauderdale (which I drove today, not for the first time). In its 78 miles between exits 23 (US 27) and 101 (easternmost Naples exit), only two exits open to the general public, some rest/recreational areas, and toll plazas at both ends. Lots of trees lining the road, some waterways, and fences and underpasses to keep endangered/threatened species from becoming roadkill. Not as unremittingly bleak as some other highways I've driven (I-5 through California's Central Valley, AB 35 between High Level and the NT border, almost all of MB 6), but still rather mind-numbing.

[US 89]

Pretty much any Arizona highway East of US-89 and North of I-40 -- might be exciting to drive the first time, with the Indian Reservations and unique rock formations for those who have never seen them, but to drive those highways for the 3rd time or more gets very boring.  Two-lane roads, 50-100 miles between cities and services and a surprising amount of littler on the side of the roads.

I never understood the huge attraction that compels people to say AZ 98 is one of the most scenic state routes in Arizona.  Its not "bad" but it doesn't stand up to the likes of AZ 260, AZ 89A, US 191 over the Coronado Trail, and many more that I could spend a whole post typing about.  US 160 is insufferably boring and even US 163 goes way down hill after crossing the state line from Utah.  Pretty much all the reservations in Arizona have the same issue with litter on the side of the road.  San Carlos is the worst on US 70, the shoulders actually sparkle in the sun from all the broken glass.

The most littered road I've ever been on was US 160 in Colorado, between US 491 and the Four Corners. There were tons of beer bottles and Coke cans on the shoulders, and even some in the middle of the road.

[formulanone]

Surprised nobody in this six-year-old thread has mentioned the "Alligator Alley" section of I-75 in Florida between Naples and US 27 west of Fort Lauderdale (which I drove today, not for the first time). In its 78 miles between exits 23 (US 27) and 101 (easternmost Naples exit), only two exits open to the general public, some rest/recreational areas, and toll plazas at both ends. Lots of trees lining the road, some waterways, and fences and underpasses to keep endangered/threatened species from becoming roadkill. Not as unremittingly bleak as some other highways I've driven (I-5 through California's Central Valley, AB 35 between High Level and the NT border, almost all of MB 6), but still rather mind-numbing.

A fellow from Sheffield, England told me it reminded him of a cartoon where the background scenery repeats itself.

The solitude away from the big city is neat, but it's not exactly exciting. The first half is lined with invasive pepper bushes that aren't much to write home about, but the tree islands and strands west of Exit 49 make it a bit more enjoyable.

It also used to be a speeder's haven, but FHP and the Miccosukee Police have put the kibosh on that for the past decade.

[jbnv]

A few weeks ago I bought a new vehicle in Pensacola, which is only a few hours from my home via I-10 and I-12. By the time I got to Mobile I was already starting to get tired of the trip. Mississippi dragged on forever, and the fairly short portion of I-12 wasn't much more sufferable.

There are probably several factors at work here. Buying a new car is a workout unto itself. And I've driven that stretch so many times it's old hat to me. The high points are the swamp in southeast Mississippi, the Mobile skyline, the Mobile tunnel, and Mobile Bay. Other than those features, it's a whole lot of trees and traffic.

[Max Rockatansky]

Surprised nobody in this six-year-old thread has mentioned the "Alligator Alley" section of I-75 in Florida between Naples and US 27 west of Fort Lauderdale (which I drove today, not for the first time). In its 78 miles between exits 23 (US 27) and 101 (easternmost Naples exit), only two exits open to the general public, some rest/recreational areas, and toll plazas at both ends. Lots of trees lining the road, some waterways, and fences and underpasses to keep endangered/threatened species from becoming roadkill. Not as unremittingly bleak as some other highways I've driven (I-5 through California's Central Valley, AB 35 between High Level and the NT border, almost all of MB 6), but still rather mind-numbing.

A fellow from Sheffield, England told me it reminded him of a cartoon where the background scenery repeats itself.

The solitude away from the big city is neat, but it's not exactly exciting. The first half is lined with invasive pepper bushes that aren't much to write home about, but the tree islands and strands west of Exit 49 make it a bit more enjoyable.

It also used to be a speeder's haven, but FHP and the Miccosukee Police have put the kibosh on that for the past decade.

Probably the most interesting part of Alligator Alley is seeing how it lines up on both ends with FL 84 which it used to be part of.  Really if you aren't going 80 or higher through there you'll get run over by through traffic. 

[mrcmc888]

I-90 through South Dakota is filled with absolutely nothing but fields and the occasional high wind.  There's a reason the speed limit is set so high because basically everyone driving through there are tourists wanting to get to Yellowstone as fast as possible or long-distance truckers.  It's mind-numbing to be on that road for just a few hours let alone having to pass through the entire state to get to the far more interesting Montana or Wyoming.

The Balt-Wash Parkway is probably the most boring way to connect two major cities that you've ever seen.  There's barely any semblance of life along it other than greenspace and commuters hurrying to the city/back to the suburbs.

[MNHighwayMan]

In Minnesota, pretty much everything south or west of the Mississippi goes on this list.

That kind of ignores the whole lakes region in west central Minnesota (Alexandria - Fergus Falls - Detroit Lakes - Wadena). Some nice, decently twisty roads that go past lake shores in that area. There's also one of my favorite oddball drives, north of that area: MN-113 between US-71 and US-59. So twisty and fun to drive.

I suspect you didn't mean it this way, but if I take your statement literally, you're also excluding all the really beautiful drives that wind through the Driftless Area in SE Minnesota.

[Bickendan]

I-90 through South Dakota is filled with absolutely nothing but fields and the occasional high wind.  There's a reason the speed limit is set so high because basically everyone driving through there are tourists wanting to get to Yellowstone as fast as possible or long-distance truckers.  It's mind-numbing to be on that road for just a few hours let alone having to pass through the entire state to get to the far more interesting Montana or Wyoming.

The Balt-Wash Parkway is probably the most boring way to connect two major cities that you've ever seen.  There's barely any semblance of life along it other than greenspace and commuters hurrying to the city/back to the suburbs.

I dunno... the signs for Wall Drug break the monotony

[bugo]

I have only been on I-29 in South Dakota (boring drive) so I don't know what I-90 is like, but I-94 in neighboring North Dakota gets more and more interesting the further west you go. It is incredibly boring near Fargo but once it gets out of the Red River of the North valley the terrain gets more and more rugged.

I-20 in Mississippi is awful. Nothing but flatlands with pine trees.

I-16 in Georgia is uninteresting until you start getting close to Savannah and start seeing palm trees.

[adventurernumber1]

I-90 through South Dakota is filled with absolutely nothing but fields and the occasional high wind.  There's a reason the speed limit is set so high because basically everyone driving through there are tourists wanting to get to Yellowstone as fast as possible or long-distance truckers.  It's mind-numbing to be on that road for just a few hours let alone having to pass through the entire state to get to the far more interesting Montana or Wyoming.

The Balt-Wash Parkway is probably the most boring way to connect two major cities that you've ever seen.  There's barely any semblance of life along it other than greenspace and commuters hurrying to the city/back to the suburbs.

However, I'd say Interstate 90 in the far western part of South Dakota is very interesting. Of course, I'm not speaking for the entire state, but I found I-90 in the western part of the state very intriguing with the mountains, hills, terrain, and such. I'd say this goes on possibly for just a little while east of Rapid City. Any trace of this kind of scenery probably disappears by the time you cross the Missouri River (going east). Here is an example of what I'm talking about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1u6iTGF7PE

[SectorZ]

I-90 through South Dakota is filled with absolutely nothing but fields and the occasional high wind.  There's a reason the speed limit is set so high because basically everyone driving through there are tourists wanting to get to Yellowstone as fast as possible or long-distance truckers.  It's mind-numbing to be on that road for just a few hours let alone having to pass through the entire state to get to the far more interesting Montana or Wyoming.

The Balt-Wash Parkway is probably the most boring way to connect two major cities that you've ever seen.  There's barely any semblance of life along it other than greenspace and commuters hurrying to the city/back to the suburbs.

However, I'd say Interstate 90 in the far western part of South Dakota is very interesting. Of course, I'm not speaking for the entire state, but I found I-90 in the western part of the state very intriguing with the mountains, hills, terrain, and such. I'd say this goes on possibly for just a little while east of Rapid City. Any trace of this kind of scenery probably disappears by the time you cross the Missouri River (going east). Here is an example of what I'm talking about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1u6iTGF7PE

So weird to see mere traffic cones separating the sides where it's down to one lane each way. In New England they'd have jersey barriers (k-rails for you west coasters) there.

[Super Mateo]

US 52 from Lebanon, IN to US 41 (Skipping the Lafayette area) is nothing as far as the eye can see. 

I took that route at first, then tried I-65 last week as one leg of my trip from Illinois to North Carolina.  Not only is I-65 even more boring from Lebanon to Merrillville (with nearly nothing that is worth looking at), but it's also full of traffic and construction areas where no work is actually being done.  It's back to US 41/52 to go around it next time.

Thank God the West Virginia Turnpike was along the way to make up for it.  100 miles of great scenery with low traffic.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Now I've been aboard Big Rig Steve's truck for a while, I-80 in Nebraska. Now that is boring.

[adwerkema]

Heading from Great Sand Dunes NP back to MI, my family and I drove almost the entire stretch of Colorado State Highway 10. 60+ miles of straight nothingness except for the occasional massive pothole. I believe there was only one intersection with a paved road for those 60 miles. I suppose a similar thing could be said for the entirety of US-350.

[Flint1979]

Heading from Great Sand Dunes NP back to MI, my family and I drove almost the entire stretch of Colorado State Highway 10. 60+ miles of straight nothingness except for the occasional massive pothole. I believe there was only one intersection with a paved road for those 60 miles. I suppose a similar thing could be said for the entirety of US-350.

Pretty much any road with the same scenery over and over.