Road trips "within" a state that take you out of state

[webny99]

As noted, for Buffalo, and in fact all of Western NY, the fastest route to NYC is through NJ and PA.

On more of a micro-level, the fastest route from Rockland County to Manhattan is also through New Jersey, typically using the Palisades.

[debragga]

The fastest route from Amarillo to El Paso is 90% in New Mexico. If you start anywhere north of Lamesa you'll probably end up cutting through New Mexico, too.

[SteveG1988]

Wheeling WV to Wardensville WV, near the VA/WV state line. 210 miles via 70 to PA, 79 to WV, 68 to MD, MD42 to US219, MD 135 to MD 560, to US50, back into WV on WV42, then US48, to Finally end up in wardensville WV.

[dlsterner]

If you live in Omaha NE and want to drive to the airport (Eppley Airfield, likewise in NE), your drive might very well take you through Iowa.

[DJ Particle]

As noted, for Buffalo, and in fact all of Western NY, the fastest route to NYC is through NJ and PA.

Faster than I-86 (incl. Future I-86) to I-87?

[jp the roadgeek]

Per Google Maps, the quickest way to get from Little Compton, RI to Westerly, RI is to head north on RI 77 and to get on RI/MA 24 to I-195 back into RI to I-95 South into CT and take Exit 92 to CT 49 to CT 2 and follow local roads back into RI once again.

And any trip to and from Fishers Island, NY from any point in NY state requires taking a ferry from New London, CT.

[vdeane]

As noted, for Buffalo, and in fact all of Western NY, the fastest route to NYC is through NJ and PA.

Faster than I-86 (incl. Future I-86) to I-87?

Yep.  It's worth noting that even for the eastern parts of the state, routes to most (everywhere that isn't the Bronx or part of Queens) portions of NYC go through NJ.  George Washington Bridge or the tunnels is generally faster than going around on the Tappan Zee.    For I-81 west, it will still route through PA and NJ to go to Long Island, but north of NYC will use NY 17.

[theline]

Many commuters in the Cincinnati area who live in the Anderson Township area (Ohio) and points east routinely drive through Kentucky to get to downtown Cincinnati, via I-275 and I-471.  It is much faster and shorter than staying on the Ohio side of the river.

You beat me to it, frankenroad. I was reading through the posts in this thread chronologically. I was two posts before yours when I thought of Anderson Township. My brother used to live in Anderson Township. During a visit years ago, he took me on the 275/471 route to get us to what is now called the Cincinnati Museum Center, though I think it might have had a different name back then.

[stwoodbury]

Traveling from Coeur d'Alene or Sandpoint, Idaho to Eastern Idaho (Idaho Falls or Pocatello) means driving through Montana.

Also many people drive through Washington and Oregon when going from Coeur d'Alene to Boise following I-90 to US 395 to I-82 and I-84 instead of the more direct but slower US 95. It's 75 miles longer according to google maps but it's all interstate standard roads with 70 mph limits.


iPhone

[DandyDan]

The Google Maps suggested route for the trip between South Sioux City and Omaha, Nebraska is mostly I-29 in Iowa.

Something I experienced last week is the fact that from Red Wing, MN to Cottage Grove, MN, it is probably more optimal to take US 63, WI 35 and US 10 through Wisconsin than to follow US 61 and MN 316 on Minnesota.

[US 89]

Getting to Evanston, Wyoming from anywhere in the state along or west of the US/WYO 89 corridor will briefly take you into Utah.

Evanston is even the first control city listed for WYO 89 from US 30 westbound, even though the vast majority of traffic making this turn is probably going to Logan:

[thenetwork]

Going from Grand Junction, CO to Cortez, CO (both cities about 20-30 miles east of the Utah border), the recommended and quickest route is to take I-70 West to US-191 in Utah, then US-191 South through Moab to US-491 (Old 666) in Monticello, then US-491 back into Colorado to Cortez.

Out of the appx. 225 mile trip, only about a third of that mileage is in Colorado.

[stwoodbury]

Another one: the fastest route from Vancouver, WA to Pasco or Spokane is I-84 in Oregon.


iPad

[jp the roadgeek]

A trip from Estcourt Station to pretty much anywhere in Maine will take you into Quebec and New Brunswick to cross the Clair-Fort Kent Bridge into Fort Kent. 

[hbelkins]

Someone mentioned a West Virginia routing earlier. The obvious one here is someone in the Eastern Panhandle needing to go to Charleston. The former best routing would involve I-68 across Maryland, but now it might be just as good to drop into Virginia and take US 48. It's doubtful anyone in Charles Town wants to take WV 9, WV 29, US 50, WV 90, US 219, US 48 and I-79 just to stay in-state.

[sbeaver44]

Someone mentioned a West Virginia routing earlier. The obvious one here is someone in the Eastern Panhandle needing to go to Charleston. The former best routing would involve I-68 across Maryland, but now it might be just as good to drop into Virginia and take US 48. It's doubtful anyone in Charles Town wants to take WV 9, WV 29, US 50, WV 90, US 219, US 48 and I-79 just to stay in-state.

In 2010, we did a just-for-the-hell-of-it Morgantown to Harper's Ferry, purposefully staying in WV.  It was scenic, but definitely long.

US 119>US 50>WV 24>US 219>WV 90>US 50>WV 93/former WV 972 to US 220 because of a detour on US 50>US 50>WV 29>WV 9>US 340

[cwf1701]

And if you go from Chattanooga to Memphis TN, US-72 goes thru Alabama and Mississippi to reach Memphis. Nashville to Chattanooga Via I-24 takes you into GA.

[JCinSummerfield]

I haven't checked it to be certain, but I imagine anybody living in Berrien Springs, Michigan that wanted to travel to Iron Mountain, Michigan, would be better off going through Indiana, Illinois & Wisconsin.

[kphoger]

To get from Nogales (Sonora) to San Luis Río Colorado (Sonora), it's about 20 miles shorter to go through Arizona.  Google Maps suggests you'd save more than an hour going through Arizona, too;  if you believe Google Maps about that, I have some nearby oceanfront property to sell you.

[noelbotevera]

This is for a more general area, but it's possible in PA thanks to that notch including Erie.

It's faster to use the Southern Tier Expressway/NY 17 and I-81 southward to Scranton, than to stay in PA and do I-79 -> I-80 -> I-81. To expand this idea, it's faster to go through New York if you're traveling from Erie to anywhere north of I-80 and east of I-81 (in other words, nowhere except the Delaware Water Gap). Why would you do that? I have no clue.

[bulldog1979]

I haven't checked it to be certain, but I imagine anybody living in Berrien Springs, Michigan that wanted to travel to Iron Mountain, Michigan, would be better off going through Indiana, Illinois & Wisconsin.

If they were in Iron Mountain and wanted to go to Crystal Falls or Iron River, it's faster to follow US 2/US 141 through Florence County, Wisconsin.

[DandyDan]

If you live in Omaha NE and want to drive to the airport (Eppley Airfield, likewise in NE), your drive might very well take you through Iowa.

This is true if you live south or west of downtown Omaha, but not if you live in the northern part of Omaha.

Conversely, going from Carter Lake to anywhere else in Iowa makes you have to go through Nebraska and twice if it takes you to downtown Omaha.

[webny99]

To get from Nogales (Sonora) to San Luis Río Colorado (Sonora), it's about 20 miles shorter to go through Arizona.  Google Maps suggests you'd save more than an hour going through Arizona, too;  if you believe Google Maps about that, I have some nearby oceanfront property to sell you.

My guess would be that you could easily spend more time than Google's estimate for the entire trip, just at the border crossings alone.

[StogieGuy7]

To get from communities like Hinsdale or Claremont, NH to Hanover/Lebanon, NH - the quickest route would be to cross into Vermont and take I-91 north before crossing back into New Hampshire when you reach the appropriate exit.  I suppose that would count.  Yes, you can stay east of the river but it will take longer on the 2-lane road that is NH 12A. 

[paulthemapguy]

US199 adds a couple of unique situations.  To get from Crescent City to anywhere along I-5 north of Redding, one would use US199 passing through Grants Pass, Oregon.  On the other hand, a trip from Grants Pass or Medford, Oregon, to coastal Brookings/Harbor, Oregon would take you on US199 through the Crescent City area.

Another one I encountered on a road trip was Hood River to Astoria, OR.  Google suggested we cross into Washington on I-205, then cross back south into Oregon at Longview, WA.