Counties without federal highways

[kphoger]

The only counties in Kentucky with a federal highway are those that have national park or national forest routes within them.

Now I'm curious to know how many counties do have federal highways!

[mgk920]

The following counties in NY have no federal routes.
...

Tioga (maybe for now, depending on whether I-86 ends at the county line or the US 220 interchange in PA)

Upon closer inspection, is there a debate on this? The two most logical temporary termini for I-86 would be (1) the US 220 interchange and (2) the NY/PA line just west of there, both of which would mean a short section of I-86 currently exists in Tioga County. Google actually labels I-86 as ending at the eastern end of the segment in PA, which would be a third option. But most importantly for this discussion, there's literally a mainline I-86 shield in Tioga County, and signage on US 220 includes I-86 WB but only NY 17 EB, so I am strongly inclined to count it as having an Interstate.

Adding Tioga to NY's list of counties with an interstate but no US route (thus adding to the buffer for both "most in the nation" and "most relative to US-route only counties") would be a nice bonus.

I don't know about the others in the peanut gallery, but I do consider US 220 to be fully present in Tioga, County, New York and I-86 to be fully present in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.  There are signs on I-86 where the highway crosses the NY-PA state line there and I also did a 'Highway Feature Of the Week' feature on it, complete with a detailed USGS map, a couple of decades ago.

Mike

[roadman65]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC and VA count as a Federal Highway? It's not maintained by the states, but by the National Park Service.


Does the Blue Ridge Parkway enter NC or VA Counties without US or Interstate routes?

[Brandon]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC and VA count as a Federal Highway? It's not maintained by the states, but by the National Park Service.

I would think so as the National Park Service is a part of the Department of the Interior, a part of the federal government.

[vdeane]

The following counties in NY have no federal routes.
...

Tioga (maybe for now, depending on whether I-86 ends at the county line or the US 220 interchange in PA)

Upon closer inspection, is there a debate on this? The two most logical temporary termini for I-86 would be (1) the US 220 interchange and (2) the NY/PA line just west of there, both of which would mean a short section of I-86 currently exists in Tioga County. Google actually labels I-86 as ending at the eastern end of the segment in PA, which would be a third option. But most importantly for this discussion, there's literally a mainline I-86 shield in Tioga County, and signage on US 220 includes I-86 WB but only NY 17 EB, so I am strongly inclined to count it as having an Interstate.

Adding Tioga to NY's list of counties with an interstate but no US route (thus adding to the buffer for both "most in the nation" and "most relative to US-route only counties") would be a nice bonus.

I don't know about the others in the peanut gallery, but I do consider US 220 to be fully present in Tioga, County, New York and I-86 to be fully present in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.  There are signs on I-86 where the highway crosses the NY-PA state line there and I also did a 'Highway Feature Of the Week' feature on it, complete with a detailed USGS map, a couple of decades ago.

Mike

I believe I-86 officially ends at the Chemung/Tioga line, but given signage most people consider it to end at US 220 as far as I'm aware.  As for US 220, it was officially truncated to the NY/PA line a few years ago.  Given that the road the north side of the NY 17 interchange is right on the state line, I-86 and US 220 effectively end at each other right now.

[DTComposer]

Without fact checking, counties in California with no Interstates or US routes:
Alpine
Amador
Butte
Calaveras
Lake
Madera
Mariposa
Napa
Plumas
Santa Cruz
Sutter
Toulumne
Trinity
Tulare
Yuba

It's interesting to see that most of these counties are in the sparsely populated Sierra Nevada. Santa Cruz is the only coastal county not served by US 101 or I-5.

I-80 nicks the southeast corner of Napa County for a mile or so.

[kphoger]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway enter NC or VA Counties without US or Interstate routes?

That's an interesting question, and not one I know how to easily answer.  Some others on here seem to be better at that kind of thing.  But, if it does pass through such a county, then said county would be one that doesn't have any "federal highway" (in quotes) but does have a federal highway (without quotes).

[NWI_Irish96]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway enter NC or VA Counties without US or Interstate routes?

That's an interesting question, and not one I know how to easily answer.  Some others on here seem to be better at that kind of thing.  But, if it does pass through such a county, then said county would be one that doesn't have any "federal highway" (in quotes) but does have a federal highway (without quotes).

Opening up a bigger can of worms here, Interstates and US routes aren't technically federal highways, they're state highways using a federal numbering system.

[kphoger]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway enter NC or VA Counties without US or Interstate routes?

That's an interesting question, and not one I know how to easily answer.  Some others on here seem to be better at that kind of thing.  But, if it does pass through such a county, then said county would be one that doesn't have any "federal highway" (in quotes) but does have a federal highway (without quotes).

Opening up a bigger can of worms here, Interstates and US routes aren't technically federal highways, they're state highways using a federal numbering system.

No, that's the can that has already been opened.  Our point is that some highways are truly federal.  The Blue Ridge Parkway is maintained by the NPS, not the states of North Carolina and Virginia.

[kkt]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway enter NC or VA Counties without US or Interstate routes?

That's an interesting question, and not one I know how to easily answer.  Some others on here seem to be better at that kind of thing.  But, if it does pass through such a county, then said county would be one that doesn't have any "federal highway" (in quotes) but does have a federal highway (without quotes).

Opening up a bigger can of worms here, Interstates and US routes aren't technically federal highways, they're state highways using a federal numbering system.

This was pointed out at the beginning of the thread, I think.  And yes, they're state highways, but the state couldn't just decide to close them for no reason without consulting any national body.

[Konza]

All of Arizona's fifteen counties are entered by either an Interstate or US route.

I-10 goes through five counties in southern and central Arizona.  Four of these counties were served by US 80 before it was decommissioned, and US 60 still enters the other.

I-40 goes through the four counties that border Utah to the north, plus Yavapai County (as did US 66).

Yuma County is traversed by I-8 (and US 95), and Santa Cruz County by I-19 (and the former southernmost extent of US 89).

The remaining three counties, Gila, Graham, and Greenlee, are all traversed by at least US 70.

[webny99]

All of Arizona's fifteen counties are entered by either an Interstate or US route.

I-10 goes through five counties in southern and central Arizona.  Four of these counties were served by US 80 before it was decommissioned, and US 60 still enters the other.

I-40 goes through the five counties that border Utah to the north (as did US 66)

Yuma County is traversed by I-8 (and US 95), and Santa Cruz County by I-19 (and the former southernmost extent of US 89).

The remaining three counties, Gila, Graham, and Greenlee, are all traversed by at least US 70.

Based on that, the last three are the only ones with no Interstate.

Are there any with no current US route? At a quick glance, maybe just Pima?

[kkt]

I'm still kind of surprised to find that Kitsap County, Washington, has no US routes.  It has two major military installions:  Puget Sound Naval Shipyard which had important roles from the Philippine–American War through Vietnam, and Submarine Base Bangor, which had important role supporting submarines in WW II to a Trident base today.

[debragga]

Does the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC and VA count as a Federal Highway? It's not maintained by the states, but by the National Park Service.


Does the Blue Ridge Parkway enter NC or VA Counties without US or Interstate routes?

I'm wondering the same about the Natchez Trace Parkway in MS/AL/TN

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm surprised this thread has survived the Calrog backlash intact.

[webny99]

At the opposite end of this discussion, every county in South Carolina is served by at least two US highways.

I couldn't believe this when I read it. It looks like Abbeville County (US 178) and Union County (US 176) have only one US route each, but this is still surprisingly close to true.

[Konza]

Are there any with no current US route? At a quick glance, maybe just Pima?

Santa Cruz as well.

US routes in Arizona, by county, with decommissioned or downgraded to state routes in (parentheses):

Apache:  60, 64, (66), 160, 180, 191 (previously 666 south of I-40)
Cochise: (80), 191 (previously 666)
Coconimo:  (66), 89, 89A, 180
Gila:  60, 70
Graham:  70, 191 (previously 666)
Greenlee:  70, 191 (previously 666)
La Paz:  60, (70), 95
Maricopa:  60, (70), (80), (89), 93
Mohave:  (66), 93, (466)
Navajo:  60, (66), 160, 163, 180
Pima:  (80), (89)
Pinal:  60, (70), (80), (89)
Santa Cruz:  (89)
Yavapai:  (66), (89), (89A), 93
Yuma:  (80), 95

[TBKS1]

Cleburne, Izard and Stone counties in Arkansas do not have any interstate highways or US routes. I'm pretty sure those are the only ones in Arkansas.

[Road Hog]

Cleburne, Izard and Stone counties in Arkansas do not have any interstate highways or US routes. I'm pretty sure those are the only ones in Arkansas.

Yell and Perry also. US 71 just nicks a corner of Logan County and US 65 likewise in Newton County, or else those would be included too.

[Poiponen13]

What are the states where every county is served by at least one interstate / US Route? How many such states are there?

[freebrickproductions]

What are the states where every county is served by at least one interstate / US Route? How many such states are there?

Looks like it's AZ, CT, DE, NH, NV, and SC. So, six total.

[webny99]

What are the states where every county is served by at least one interstate / US Route? How many such states are there?

Looks like it's AZ, CT, DE, NH, NV, and SC. So, six total.

Also Wyoming for 7 total.

NC and OK are so close, with just one county each with neither.

[TBKS1]

Cleburne, Izard and Stone counties in Arkansas do not have any interstate highways or US routes. I'm pretty sure those are the only ones in Arkansas.

Yell and Perry also. US 71 just nicks a corner of Logan County and US 65 likewise in Newton County, or else those would be included too.

I forgot they didn't either, I guess I thought they had one this whole time.

[freebrickproductions]

What are the states where every county is served by at least one interstate / US Route? How many such states are there?

Looks like it's AZ, CT, DE, NH, NV, and SC. So, six total.

Also Wyoming for 7 total.

NC and OK are so close, with just one county each with neither.

Ah, apparently I'd missed that. Still, 7/50 is probably a lot lower than most people realize!

[MikieTimT]

Cleburne, Izard and Stone counties in Arkansas do not have any interstate highways or US routes. I'm pretty sure those are the only ones in Arkansas.

Yell and Perry also. US 71 just nicks a corner of Logan County and US 65 likewise in Newton County, or else those would be included too.

All counties I actually prefer driving in, mainly due to mountainous scenery and lack of traffic.  I'm not enough of a hermit to want to actually live in any of them, though.  You'd need to want to live the homesteader lifestyle as there's not much in the way of opportunity for gainful employment in any of them.

I was actually born in Logan County, and lived very near to US-71 off AR-23 straddling the Logan/Scott County line for the first 7 years of my life.  Timber, cattle, and chickens were how we made a living back then.  Not much of one, though, as my Dad had to go run the ValMac/TastyBird/Tyson plant in Waldron so we could pay the mortgage on the chicken houses back in the early 80's when an ARM would absolutely murder your ability to financially survive, which we didn't and they divorced.