Limon

[Flint1979]

Problem solved. Don't you dare use it westbound unless it's with Denver. Eastbound is fine as there is nothing out there in the plains.

But Limon makes more sense as a westbound control city. That's where WB traffic peels away on US 24 from I-70 for Colorado Springs, which is a major Colorado metro area (city population about half a million) even if not as much as Denver. My own travels west on I-70 usually take me to Colorado Springs or other southern Colorado destinations, rather than Denver. Seeing Limon on a BGS reassures Colorado Springs-bound WB travelers, after the intense boredom of western Kansas and far eastern Colorado, that they haven't missed their turn from I-70.

That's like saying Findlay should be signed as a primary control city in Toledo over Dayton on I-75 SB because OH 15 breaks off here for traffic heading towards Columbus.

ODOT doesn't use a control city at all for exit 156 going southbound but exit 157 which is OH-12 has Columbus Grove as a control city. Northbound the control city is Carey which is a small town where US-23 and OH-15 intersect. If you are coming from downtown Toledo it wouldn't be much more time to just jump on I-280 to OH-420 to US-20/23 to US-23 to Fostoria. I'd jump off at that point though and take OH-18 to OH-587 to OH-53 back to US-23 north of Upper Sandusky, saves you a few miles and minutes to do that. I'm a master at shortcutting and shunpiking.

[Scott5114]

As I said before in the other thread, I think people need to actually visit this area, or at least spend a good amount of time trolling around on Google Maps, before forming an opinion on it. This is an area where it's an hour's drive between McDonald'ses.



Looking at it on a map, it is very easy to see the towns along the route and make assumptions that they're like towns in other states where there's likely to be a gas station or fast food joint or something. They aren't. I went through Grinnell because it was the cheapest way to grab Sherman County (and I got to clinch a K-route for the trouble), and it's basically a big honking grain elevator, a grade school, some houses, and pretty much nothing else.

Limon/Kansas City or Limon/Kansas

Problem solved. Don't you dare use it westbound unless it's with Denver. Eastbound is fine as there is nothing out there in the plains.

What's your justification for skipping over a state capital with 126,000 people in there?

[hotdogPi]

This is an area where it's an hour's drive between McDonald'ses.

Can't find it on a forum search or even a site:aaroads Google search, but I remember someone saying that on the Northway, you can easily find a local sub/pizza place or a Dunkin, but McDonalds and their competitors are spaced farther apart. How far is it between any restaurants, even local ones?

[Scott5114]

This is an area where it's an hour's drive between McDonald'ses.

Can't find it on a forum search or even a site:aaroads Google search, but I remember someone saying that on the Northway, you can easily find a local sub/pizza place or a Dunkin, but McDonalds and their competitors are spaced farther apart. How far is it between any restaurants, even local ones?

It looks like some of the towns do have local restaurants. Quinter, for example, has the Center Pivot Restaurant & Brewery (if that's not a High Plains restaurant name I don't know what is), Melanie's Kitchen Asian Cuisine, and Farm House Cooking & Catering (which seems to correspond to a metal garage building, so it may just be a crank entry). However, all three of those are shown as closed today, probably because it's Sunday, so the whole town of Quinter would be of no help to someone passing through today. Also, none of these restaurants have paid for a blue service sign, so you just have to see them on Google Maps (which isn't much of an option if you're driving alone), or spend the time to get off and drive around town, to know they're there.

[SkyPesos]

Kind of wondering, does South Dakota list Pierre as a control city on I-90 between Rapid City and Sioux Falls? I know it's a bit out of the way from I-90, but 1) it's a capital, and 2) only sizable city between Rapid City and Sioux Falls (unlike I-70 and Jeff City, where there's Columbia nearby).

[Roadgeekteen]

As I said before in the other thread, I think people need to actually visit this area, or at least spend a good amount of time trolling around on Google Maps, before forming an opinion on it. This is an area where it's an hour's drive between McDonald'ses.



Looking at it on a map, it is very easy to see the towns along the route and make assumptions that they're like towns in other states where there's likely to be a gas station or fast food joint or something. They aren't. I went through Grinnell because it was the cheapest way to grab Sherman County (and I got to clinch a K-route for the trouble), and it's basically a big honking grain elevator, a grade school, some houses, and pretty much nothing else.

Limon/Kansas City or Limon/Kansas

Problem solved. Don't you dare use it westbound unless it's with Denver. Eastbound is fine as there is nothing out there in the plains.

What's your justification for skipping over a state capital with 126,000 people in there?

Eh Topeka could work to

[US 89]

This is an area where it's an hour's drive between McDonald'ses.

Funny you mention this. The first time I ever went to this area I was driving up from Amarillo to Limon. I'm from the west, so I'm used to the wide open, empty expanses and huge distances between towns - and even I was struck that there was no McDonalds in the 140-mile, 2.5-hour stretch between Dalhart and Lamar.

[Flint1979]

I'm down to make Goodland the next control city on EB I-70 after Limon. Just give it a city close to the border. Actually Goodland has more to offer than Limon and I have been trolling Google Maps around this area looking at the area and Limon is a good choice for a control city actually and I support Goodland too.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Kind of wondering, does South Dakota list Pierre as a control city on I-90 between Rapid City and Sioux Falls? I know it's a bit out of the way from I-90, but 1) it's a capital, and 2) only sizable city between Rapid City and Sioux Falls (unlike I-70 and Jeff City, where there's Columbia nearby).

To answer that question, no, South Dakota doesn't list Pierre as a control city on I-90 because it's too far away from the interstate. They go for Rapid City WB and Sioux Falls EB as control cities.

This is an area where it's an hour's drive between McDonald'ses.

Funny you mention this. The first time I ever went to this area I was driving up from Amarillo to Limon. I'm from the west, so I'm used to the wide open, empty expanses and huge distances between towns - and even I was struck that there was no McDonalds in the 140-mile, 2.5-hour stretch between Dalhart and Lamar.

There's a long stretch in South Dakota without a McDonald's insight. From Rapid City heading EB, the next one is in Chamberlain, a 203 miles (2 hrs 45 mins) drive.

[hbelkins]

Topeka makes perfect sense as a control city. It has a 3DI bypass and is also a major intersection of I-70 and the Kansas Turnpike.

As for signing other state capitals, Frankfort is an afterthought on I-64 in Kentucky. It's listed in Lexington only because the signs at the I-64/I-75 interchanges list not only the control city, but the next local destination (Frankfort, Georgetown, Winchester, Richmond) while there's scant mention of Frankfort in Louisville, and really none on I-64 eastbound until you get past Shelbyville.

[JayhawkCO]

I'm down to make Goodland the next control city on EB I-70 after Limon. Just give it a city close to the border. Actually Goodland has more to offer than Limon and I have been trolling Google Maps around this area looking at the area and Limon is a good choice for a control city actually and I support Goodland too.

I'll take Colby in both directions.

[zachary_amaryllis]

I'm down to make Goodland the next control city on EB I-70 after Limon. Just give it a city close to the border. Actually Goodland has more to offer than Limon and I have been trolling Google Maps around this area looking at the area and Limon is a good choice for a control city actually and I support Goodland too.

I'll take Colby in both directions.

maybe this is something that's been mentioned before somewhere but i'm too lazy to look it up. but.....

... why not have 2 control cities -- a local (er) smallish one, and a bigger one. eb out of denver it could be limon -- goodland (or something), eb from kansas it could be limon - denver.

lol this is probably the most attention limon, co ever got

[Roadgeekteen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo-M-QiEvM0&t=1s

He hates Limon, it's a running joke on his channel.

[paulthemapguy]

When it comes to signs for westbound I-70 in Kansas, I'd even prefer "Colorado" used as a control city over Limon.  It's like having "Pulleys Mill" as a control city along I-24 west of Paducah. No one. is going there.

[NWI_Irish96]

I look at control cities from a practical standpoint. If I'm getting on an interstate, I want to know the best place within the next couple hours to find gas, restaurant, and hotel. Limon seems to fit that definition. East of the Mississippi, you're unlikely to ever need to use someplace as small as Limon, but out west it works.

A larger/better known city like Kansas City is too far to be practical, but if it's signed in addition to Limon (as opposed to instead of Limon) that's fine.

[Scott5114]

When it comes to signs for westbound I-70 in Kansas, I'd even prefer "Colorado" used as a control city over Limon.  It's like having "Pulleys Mill" as a control city along I-24 west of Paducah. No one. is going there.

Maybe you could put "America" to guarantee that the control city matches where 100% of people are going.

[JayhawkCO]

When it comes to signs for westbound I-70 in Kansas, I'd even prefer "Colorado" used as a control city over Limon.  It's like having "Pulleys Mill" as a control city along I-24 west of Paducah. No one. is going there.

Maybe you could put "America" to guarantee that the control city matches where 100% of people are going.

What if I'm driving to Canada or Mexico though?

[kirbykart]

Dumb question, but how do you even pronounce this name? I'm going back and forth between an authentic Spanish pronunciation, and "LIME-in".

[thspfc]

I believe the argument for Limon being a primary cross-country Interstate control city is that it feels bigger than its population, and has a major junction and stuff?


In the Limon """metro area""" I count 10 fast food restaurants, 8 hotels, 2 truck stops, an airport you might be able to crash-land a helicopter on, and the junctions of I-70, US-287, and US-24.

In Kansas City metro area I count at least 200 hotels, at least 30 truck stops, probably 500 fast food restaurants, a top 50 largest airport in the US, and the junctions of I-70, I-35, I-29, I-49, US-69, US-169, US-71, US-50, US-40, US-24, and probably others I'm missing. Oh, and 1,276 times more people.

Once again, it's not a question of whether a place deserves to be a control city. It's a question of whether it's the best fit control city for the route. And even though Kansas City is a lot further away, I don't understand how one could say with a straight face that Limon is a better fit because it's a major junction or whatever, while ignoring that KC is like 50x the highway junction that Limon is.

I will bet money that at least 70% of cross-country travelers through Denver have no idea what or where Limon is. If the vast majority of the people the signs aim to educate are clueless, then the signs are unhelpful. Real life is not AARoads. Normal travelers don't care about or remember nowhere towns they pass through on I-70.

[NWI_Irish96]

I don't understand how one could say with a straight face that Limon is a better fit because it's a major junction or whatever, while ignoring that KC is like 50x the highway junction that Limon is.

I can say it with a straight face because I can get to Limon before I need gas/food/hotel and I can't get to KC.

[Roadgeekteen]

When it comes to signs for westbound I-70 in Kansas, I'd even prefer "Colorado" used as a control city over Limon.  It's like having "Pulleys Mill" as a control city along I-24 west of Paducah. No one. is going there.

Why sign Colorado when Denver exists? Way more 70 west traffic is going to the Denver area than to Colorado Springs via US 24.

[JayhawkCO]

Dumb question, but how do you even pronounce this name? I'm going back and forth between an authentic Spanish pronunciation, and "LIME-in".

The latter.

[Scott5114]

When it comes to signs for westbound I-70 in Kansas, I'd even prefer "Colorado" used as a control city over Limon.  It's like having "Pulleys Mill" as a control city along I-24 west of Paducah. No one. is going there.

Maybe you could put "America" to guarantee that the control city matches where 100% of people are going.

What if I'm driving to Canada or Mexico though?

Damn, you got me. Better make it "Earth".

[thspfc]

I don't understand how one could say with a straight face that Limon is a better fit because it's a major junction or whatever, while ignoring that KC is like 50x the highway junction that Limon is.

I can say it with a straight face because I can get to Limon before I need gas/food/hotel and I can't get to KC.

Why does that matter? How does putting Limon on a sign help you find gas/food/hotels as a traveler on I-70 in Denver?

Are there not like 30 other places to stop for gas/food/hotel between Denver and KC?

Limon is also only 90 miles away from Denver. How does "Limon" tell you that gas/food/hotels are 90 miles away (which, they aren't; by your logic Aurora should be signed along I-70 EB in Denver. Or even every exit that has those things).

If you want to say that KC is too far, that's at least a valid point. I disagree because I think more than one factor should be considered in posting control cities. But saying that Limon should be a control city because it has gas, food, and hotels is nonsense because KC has all of those things 50 times over.

[paulthemapguy]

When it comes to signs for westbound I-70 in Kansas, I'd even prefer "Colorado" used as a control city over Limon.  It's like having "Pulleys Mill" as a control city along I-24 west of Paducah. No one. is going there.

Maybe you could put "America" to guarantee that the control city matches where 100% of people are going.

What if I'm driving to Canada or Mexico though?

Damn, you got me. Better make it "Earth".

Not sure why you had to berate me for my response. It made enough sense. It wouldn't be the first time a state has been used on a control city to give people a general idea where said direction of a highway is headed.