Seemingly excessive number of exits relative to the size of the town they serve

[kirbykart]

Freeport, ME. From I-295, just two exits southbound, but four exits northbound. Freeport's population is <9,000. Why, you may ask, are there so many exits? L.L. Bean.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeport,_Maine

[Rothman]

Some of us remember when I-95 ended in Freeport.

L.L. Bean's HQ is well-known.

[GaryV]

Mackinaw City MI - 3 exits from I-75, for a population of 700. Complete with a "Next 3 Exits" sign northbound.

[kirbykart]

Some of us remember when I-95 ended in Freeport.

L.L. Bean's HQ is well-known.

Maybe not everywhere... Just wanted to cover my bases.

[KCRoadFan]

Mackinaw City MI - 3 exits from I-75, for a population of 700. Complete with a "Next 3 Exits" sign northbound.

It's a big summer tourist resort town. I'm sure there are many more people who work at the various businesses there, or have summer rental homes or cabins nearby, than actually live there year-round - which is what I believe the population figure refers to.

[wriddle082]

I always thought that Burke County, NC had too many useless I-40 exits.  Their population is now >80k but they have 12 exits.  Whereas neighboring Catawba County has twice the population and only 8 exits on I-40 (but a few more on US 321).  Anyway, NC was at one point known for having what seemed like too many exits in rural areas, at least on their early freeway builds.  But I think they've eliminated some of the more useless ones over the years.

[US 89]

Winnemucca, a town of 7000 people in north-central Nevada, has four exits from I-80.

Also in Nevada, Wells (population 1000) has three exits westbound from I-80, though one of them is a repurposed alignment of old US 40.

[Rothman]

Unadilla, NY

[gonealookin]

San Luis Obispo:  Next 10 Exits on US 101.  Population about 47K.

Exits are:  200A, 200B, 201, 202A, 202B, 203A, 203B, 203C, 203D, 204.  That freeway was built in the 1950s and has maintained the tradition nicely.

[thspfc]

Beaver Dam WI. 16k people and 5.5 interchanges off US-151

[ran4sh]

Columbia SC has "Next 12 Interchanges" signs on I-20. Never mind the size of the city, 12 interchanges seems like a high number of exits for a "next X exits/interchanges" sign regardless.

[Takumi]

I always thought that Burke County, NC had too many useless I-40 exits.  Their population is now >80k but they have 12 exits.  Whereas neighboring Catawba County has twice the population and only 8 exits on I-40 (but a few more on US 321).  Anyway, NC was at one point known for having what seemed like too many exits in rural areas, at least on their early freeway builds.  But I think they've eliminated some of the more useless ones over the years.

I want to say Butner has 3 or 4 exits from I-85. There's not much there other than a prison.

[Bickendan]

San Luis Obispo:  Next 10 Exits on US 101.  Population about 47K.

Exits are:  200A, 200B, 201, 202A, 202B, 203A, 203B, 203C, 203D, 204.  That freeway was built in the 1950s and has maintained the tradition nicely.

Atascadero, just to the north, population about 25k. 9 exits.

[Tom958]

Tifton, GA, seven exits from I-75 in each direction. The Tifton Bypass was designed in the pre-Interstate era. Originally, there were full interchanges at both Second and Eighth Street. During the reconstruction in the eighties, some of the onramps to Second and Eighth Streets were removed, but the offramps remained.

[kirbykart]

Unadilla, NY

I'll have to disagree with you on this one. Unadilla may be a small village, but the two exits don't seem excessive to me. Each interchange provides a more direct access depending where you are coming from. Then you'd think maybe they should each be half interchanges. However, the second interchange EB provides quick access to a KOA Campground I saw near there. And the second interchange WB let's you get straight onto NY 7 West. While two exits is certainly an unusual setup for this small village, I wouldn't call it excessive.
-Kirbykart

[Rothman]

Unadilla, NY

I'll have to disagree with you on this one. Unadilla may be a small village, but the two exits don't seem excessive to me. Each interchange provides a more direct access depending where you are coming from. Then you'd think maybe they should each be half interchanges. However, the second interchange EB provides quick access to a KOA Campground I saw near there. And the second interchange WB let's you get straight onto NY 7 West. While two exits is certainly an unusual setup for this small village, I wouldn't call it excessive.
-Kirbykart

You're right.  Every KOA should have Interstate access.

[kirbykart]

Unadilla, NY

I'll have to disagree with you on this one. Unadilla may be a small village, but the two exits don't seem excessive to me. Each interchange provides a more direct access depending where you are coming from. Then you'd think maybe they should each be half interchanges. However, the second interchange EB provides quick access to a KOA Campground I saw near there. And the second interchange WB let's you get straight onto NY 7 West. While two exits is certainly an unusual setup for this small village, I wouldn't call it excessive.
-Kirbykart

You're right.  Every KOA should have Interstate access.

But seriously, I don't think two exits is excessive for this area.

[kirbykart]

Tifton, GA, seven exits from I-75 in each direction. The Tifton Bypass was designed in the pre-Interstate era. Originally, there were full interchanges at both Second and Eighth Street. During the reconstruction in the eighties, some of the onramps to Second and Eighth Streets were removed, but the offramps remained.

Wow. That looks a comparable size to Watertown, NY. That has 3 exits off I-81. That mess in Tifton, GA, now that's excessive.

[gonealookin]

Winnemucca, a town of 7000 people in north-central Nevada, has four exits from I-80.

In spite of that, Winnemucca manages to omit the obvious one, a direct connection from I-80 to US 95 headed north.  Accessing that highway requires taking either the "Downtown West" or "Downtown East" exit, traveling about a mile along the main street, then turning and finally going under the freeway.

[zachary_amaryllis]

Winnemucca, a town of 7000 people in north-central Nevada, has four exits from I-80.

Also in Nevada, Wells (population 1000) has three exits westbound from I-80, though one of them is a repurposed alignment of old US 40.

The one time I went through NV, I saw this in a few places -- little tiny towns that had a 'west', 'downtown', and 'east' exit. The west and east were ends of I presume the business route, and the 'downtown' was whatever road intersected it. My brain might be foggy, it was like 30 years ago.

[sandwalk]

Along State Route 2 west of Cleveland....

Huron (pop. 6,900) Next 4 Exits https://goo.gl/maps/rGQKt2BUL5NZuc126

Lorain (pop. 65,000) Next 5 Exits https://goo.gl/maps/quhEmVgsJ9tndyrX6

[WillWeaverRVA]

Petersburg, VA (population about 33,000) has 5 exits on I-95 (counting I-85, which gives you access to...) and 2 exits on I-85.

[keithvh]

The one time I went through NV, I saw this in a few places -- little tiny towns that had a 'west', 'downtown', and 'east' exit. The west and east were ends of I presume the business route, and the 'downtown' was whatever road intersected it. My brain might be foggy, it was like 30 years ago.

Yep.  Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Carlin, Elko, Wells.  They all have that 3-exit setup.

[US 89]

This is hardly unique to Nevada, though. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least eight other towns in the west with that exact setup.

[webny99]

Three exits makes intuitive sense to me for any town that was bypassed by a freeway:

1st exit: freeway and old route into town diverge
2nd exit: freeway junction with main perpendicular crossroad
3rd exit: freeway and old route into town rejoin