States you have traveled through, but never made it on an interstate

[roadman65]

I am curious to know if anyone clinched any of the states, but never traveled its interstates.

I did Nebraska on a 01 trip, but only on I-129.  I never did I-80 or I-76 the state's two only2 digit mainline interstates.

I also, did Alabama and Mississippi the first time there in 91 en route from Florida to Louisiana where I did not travel I-10 in going.   Traveling back I did though use I-10.


I am looking mainly for first visits where you entered a state, but never got to drive its interstates when you did.  I counted NE for myself because I-129 from Iowa does not go very far into the state.   Plus it also does not connect to the rest of the state's interstate system either unless its via I-29 itself via Iowa.

[english si]

I had a layover at Detroit Airport. Only time I've been anywhere near Michigan.

Didn't leave the airport though, so kind of a weak clinch!

[vdeane]

Is this "have not traveled on any interstates in state X" or "have not traveled on any 2dis in state X"?  If the latter, you can count Maryland for me (and technically DC as well, though I-66 in the district is a glorified stub and I-95 is only there on the Wilson Bridge); I've only been on US 15, I-270, I-495, and the Clara Barton Parkway.

Regardless, although not a state, Quebec was like this for a few years with me.  I first entered the province in 2009 during a school field trip to Ottawa (we visited the history museum).  I didn't get a chance to go on an Autoroute until 2012.  In the US, New Hampshire and Maine (also in 2009 for some reason) were similar, but in that case it was only a couple days before taking the interstates on the way back.

Possibly Ontario too, but that's really difficult to tell.  The border isn't well marked on the St. Lawrence River.  I've crossed the border there without stopping in Canada (and thus not having to report to customs) countless times.

[dfilpus]

Of the 47 states I have visited, I have not touched the Interstate System in one of them:
Nebraska: Visited Nebraska City via NE 2, on only visit to the state.
I have only driven on 3di's in one: Kansas.

[corco]

Hmm, I don't think I have any.

Arkansas is probably my closest. I've driven about 380 miles in Arkansas and was only on the interstate from I-30 exit 73 to 78 and back, so 10 miles.

Wait...Maine! I drove into Maine at Fryeburg, drove down to Scarborough, and then back up to Fryeburg before heading back into New Hampshire. That didn't involve interstate to my recollection.

[Mr_Northside]

Delaware.

[spmkam]

Michigan is the only one for sure.

[agentsteel53]

for signed interstates... only Alaska.

[getemngo]

Hmm...
1) North Carolina. Got lost with Brian Reynolds in the far northwest corner.
2) Maine. Went to Freeport and back from the family cabin in northern New Hampshire.

It was true of West Virginia the first time I visited (Harpers Ferry), but no longer is.

I had a layover at Detroit Airport. Only time I've been anywhere near Michigan.

Didn't leave the airport though, so kind of a weak clinch!

I know that for the county clinching community, there's a pretty big debate as to whether an airport layover counts.

[hbelkins]

For me, the only states I've been in without being on an interstate are Idaho and Wisconsin. My one passage through the state of Idaho was on US 89. I've been in Wisconsin twice and have never been on an interstate.

My sole foray into Nebraska was south on US 77, then back east into Iowa on I-129, so technically it doesn't count.

For first entries into a state, Mississippi (US 72), Michigan (M-63 and US 12), New Mexico (US 160 and NM 597), Utah (on foot) and Arizona (on foot) are the only ones, but I've subsequently been on interstates in those five states. (Three guesses where and how I entered those two states on foot).

For every other state, to the best of my recollection, I was on an interstate the first time I was there. It's possible that my first trips into Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee as a child didn't involve an interstate, but I doubt it.

I know that for the county clinching community, there's a pretty big debate as to whether an airport layover counts.

Why shouldn't it? Your feet were on the ground in the county.

[1995hoo]

Alaska. If we're counting airports, Utah (I've spent all of 15 minutes in Utah connecting from Vancouver en route to Reagan).

[Big John]

Does the short stretch of US 30 in West Virginia count?

[getemngo]

I know that for the county clinching community, there's a pretty big debate as to whether an airport layover counts.

Why shouldn't it? Your feet were on the ground in the county.

Extra Milers are weird. There are those that say it doesn't count if you cross the line and immediately turn around, those that say you have to physically set foot in the county, and even a few that only count a county if they've visited its seat.

Edit: And to add to Formulanone's post below me, an airport generally doesn't give you a feel for what the area is like.

[formulanone]

Colorado and Arizona, which were just airport layovers. If you want to be precise, I set foot on the concrete ground because there was no jetway for my flight at DEN. So I felt the cool weather (and rain), although it's not exactly what I'd call experiencing the state.

Also, Vermont: Arrived through VT 9 from New York (NY 7), had dinner, and left.

I walked into/around the Oklahoma-Missouri-Arkansas tripoint for my first visit to OK, and arrived into MO by US Route 71. I've subsequently driven on Interstates in both states.

[corco]

As far as first entries into states-

Nevada- flew into Reno, drove to Tahoe in like 1990. That wouldn't have involved an interstate. Didn't get on an interstate in Nevada until 2009 or so around Las Vegas.
Washington- drove from Lewiston ID up to Pullman and back to Moscow ID in about 1998. Finally got on the interstate on a trip to the Tri-Cities in probably 2001.
Wisconsin- drove from Geneva IL to Lake Geneva WI in about 1993. Didn't get on an interstate in Wisconsin until 2007.
West Virginia- drove from Chillicothe Ohio to Huntington in probably 1989, repeated many times never getting on I-64 to my knowledge before getting on the WV turnpike to drive from Ohio to North Carolina in probably 1994.

Oh, I guess I've never been on an interstate in Hawaii either- we connected in Honolulu en route to Maui, so I've never been out of the airport in Oahu.

Why shouldn't it? Your feet were on the ground in the county.

The idea is that you're in a secure transit zone that isn't really even under county jurisdiction. Personally, I don't count it but to each their own. For me that only applies in Minnesota- I've never been to Minnesota but I have connected in the Minneapolis airport many times.

I've connected in the Tokyo airport before, but I don't think it'd be right to say I've been to Japan since I never left the secure transit area. That may be slightly different though, since leaving that secure transit area (clearing passport control, etc) would be more challenging than walking out of the Minneapolis airport.

[akotchi]

For me, Texas was the airport layover (Dallas).

In two other cases, New Mexico and Colorado, I put a hand or foot in each place (Four Corners).

Lastly, visited California (San Francisco), but took transit or walked everywhere.

[doorknob60]

For me, only Wyoming. I've been to Yellowstone, Jackson, and many of the US highways in the area, but never on any of the interstates there.

[Thing 342]

Montana and Idaho (trip to Yellowstone)
Nevada (until recently)
Utah, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Michigan (layovers)

[NE2]

Extra Milers are weird. There are those that say it doesn't count if you cross the line and immediately turn around, those that say you have to physically set foot in the county, and even a few that only count a county if they've visited its seat.

I think it's weirder to cross a county line and turn around. There's no reason to do that except for county counting grinding.

[theline]

Since I'm older than the Interstate System, there are plenty of states that I first entered without riding on an interstate. I know my family took me from Indiana to Mount Rushmore in 1954, which covers Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa (I think). We also drove to Atlantic City several times. The first of those trips that I can remember was in April of 1956, when we took a side trip to DC on the way back. That clinched me Ohio, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and DC. If the Pennsylvania Turnpike was not in the Interstate System yet, I can count PA too.

As for states I've visited and still haven't traveled an interstate, I'd have only Rhode Island (crossed from Westerly to Fall River via Jamestown, before many interstates were built) and Nebraska (I haven't been back since '54).

[hbelkins]

First entrances that I can remember that did involve interstate travel:

Alabama: US 72 (traveled I-565)
Georgia: I-75
Florida: I-75
Illinois: I-24
Missouri: I-70
Kansas: I-670
Colorado: I-70
Nevada: US 93 (traveled I-15)
Wyoming: US 89 (traveled I-90)
South Dakota: I-90
Iowa: I-29
Nebraska: US 77 (traveled I-129)
Pennsylvania: either US 40 or I-70
New York: I-90
Maryland: Former US 48 (traveled I-70)
Delaware: US 13 (traveled I-95/295)
New Jersey: I-295
Vermont: US 7 (traveled I-91)
New Hampshire: NH 9 (traveled I-89)
Maine: ME 4 (traveled I-95)
Massachusetts: I-95 No, wait. Entered on US 7 and drove straight through to Bennington, Vt., where I spent the night and re-entered Massachusetts on I-95 the next day.
Rhode Island: traveled I-95
Arkansas: I-55
Louisiana: I-59
Texas: I-30
Oklahoma: I-40
Connecticut: US 6/202 (traveled I-84)
Minnesota: US 14/61 (traveled I-90)

I'm not sure about North Carolina. My first entrance was probably on US 441/Newfound Gap Road as a kid but I have no real memory of it.

Also, South Carolina. Entered from Georgia on US 25 but I don't remember if any interstate travel was involved.

[J N Winkler]

I don't count airport layovers as a "visit" to a state, so I never say I have been to Georgia even though I have connected through Atlanta Hartsfield.  Among states I have driven in (all 50 plus DC with the exception of HI, WI, LA, AL, GA, and FL), I have traversed some part of the Interstate system.

[yakra]

WW, OH, and IN via US30. I've since clinched I-90, however.
If airport layovers count, then GA and NC.

dfilpus: I bet you've been to Maine May 2007 or later.

[corco]

Extra Milers are weird. There are those that say it doesn't count if you cross the line and immediately turn around, those that say you have to physically set foot in the county, and even a few that only count a county if they've visited its seat.

I think it's weirder to cross a county line and turn around. There's no reason to do that except for county counting grinding.

Agreed

[dfilpus]

dfilpus: I bet you've been to Maine May 2007 or later.

Actually, It was decades before that. We drove on part of the original I-295 to get through downtown Portland. We were following US 1 up the coast and never drove on any part of I-95.