AARoads Forum

If you had to pick one road in your state that best represents everything about your state as you drive its length, what would it be? I have a few thoughts:

NJ: US 9. It starts at the shore, with tastes of the Pine Barrens as it winds north, then cuts inland to Freehold as it starts into mall country and the southern development. Finally, after crossing a tall bridge, it descends into the semi-urban madness of the north. It's 2 lanes, 4 lanes, 6 lanes, frontage roads, divided, undivided, city street, elevated, depressed, and takes both a ferry and a bridge. All that's missing is farmland, but my other choice, US 206, lacked too much of the east side of NJ.

NY: NY 22. No one route can really represent all of a three-pronged state. With its original routing, NY 22 started in Manhattan along Park Avenue, heading toward suburban Westchester County. Picking up the current route, it gets urban again on a small scale in White Plains, then heads on up through forests, mountains, and farms, before the big one, the Adirondacks. There's an impressive variety of urban, rural, flat, and mountainous for something that stays east of the Hudson the entire time.

RI: RI 2. It starts at the shore, goes inland through the uninhabited bits, and ends in the big city. That's the entire state in a nutshell.

MA: MA 140. It keeps going on, and on, and on, and you've seen more than half the state by accident once you're done with it.

VT: VT 100. There are really only three choices here. US 7 is overused, and US 5 stays too close to the river.

NH: US 3. The backbone of the state.

ID: US 95 goes from the barren desert to the potato fields to the mountains/canyons/rivers that make Idaho magical to the wheat fields of the palouse to the forests of the panhandle. For a state with an odd shape, this route really hits it all.

As you may have noticed by my avatar, I'm a fan of US 421 in NC. It starts near the coast in Wilmington and crosses into Tennessee high in the mountains. You pass through the small towns and tobacco fields of the coastal plain, two large cities in the Piedmont-Triad, and get to see some breathtaking mountain views while still making a very manageable climb in the Appalachians. It changes quality many times.

DE: I hate to say US 13, but there's no other route that hits up the cities in the north and the farms in the south.

I'm nominating US 60 for Virginia, because it goes through all types of terrain and population levels. I could also make a case for US 58, but 60 is historically more important.

Florida: US 27 gets into the Panhandle, passes Disney and the Everglades, and ends in Miami.
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US 27 is an excellent choice.  Only one part of US 27 is missing from the whole state and that would be best covered by US 1, the Overseas Highway through the Florida Keys.

MD: US 40, since it goes through everything from mountains to rural areas to cities like Frederick and Baltimore, and still manages a nice jog beside the Bay.

Oklahoma: Oddly enough, I-44.  It goes through Tulsa, OKC, and Lawton.  It also goes through some really boring rural areas.  The OK 66/US 277 combo would be a good alternate but isn't a single route number.  OK 3 is long but doesn't really go through enough scenic areas and doesn't go through enough urban areas other than OKC.

Arkansas: US 67, US 71, US 65, US 64, and US 62 are all good contenders.

Texas: US 90.  It covers swamps, forests, big cities, the Hill Country, desert, and mountains.  One end sees hurricanes, and the other end sees snowstorms.  I-10 does all that, too, and goes a bit farther, but quintessential Texas is high speeds on very lonely two-lane roads, so I'd say US 90 wins.

QuoteVT: VT 100. There are really only three choices here. US 7 is overused, and US 5 stays too close to the river.

There's more than 3 choices.  Arguments could also be made for VT 15, US 4, or US 2 (strongest IMO).

For Minnesota, I'd have to say US 169.  Farms, lakes, taconite mining, forest, and the Twin Cities.  Historically, US 61 would have been a better fit, but since it was truncated to Wyoming, MN 20 years ago...

CA 1: It goes through SoCal surf towns, rugged shoreline, strawberry and lettuce fields, more rugged shoreline, San Francisco, and redwoods. Very easily one of the most beautiful (yet potentially dangerous) drives in the Golden State.

Unless someone chimes in with a better route, I think Indiana's most quintessential highway has yet to be built, it'd be I-69. Starting with a crossing over the Ohio River over what I presume would be a nice-looking bridge the highway passes near the third largest city in Evansville and goes through the rolling plains of the southwestern part of the state before crossing into the hills of Greene and Monroe Counties, connecting with a major state university and continuing north to the state capital in Indianapolis. From there it passes through the till plains of the central part of the state and connects with the second largest city in Fort Wayne before traveling north into the natural lakes part of the state giving a preview of what lies ahead in Michigan. It will be the longest highway and is certainly the most talked about in the state. The only thing it doesn't do is touch NW Indiana (a region all its own) and Downtown Indianapolis.

Quote from: tdindy88 on September 19, 2013, 02:17:31 AM
Unless someone chimes in with a better route, I think Indiana's most quintessential highway has yet to be built, it'd be I-69. Starting with a crossing over the Ohio River over what I presume would be a nice-looking bridge the highway passes near the third largest city in Evansville and goes through the rolling plains of the southwestern part of the state before crossing into the hills of Greene and Monroe Counties, connecting with a major state university and continuing north to the state capital in Indianapolis. From there it passes through the till plains of the central part of the state and connects with the second largest city in Fort Wayne before traveling north into the natural lakes part of the state giving a preview of what lies ahead in Michigan. It will be the longest highway and is certainly the most talked about in the state. The only thing it doesn't do is touch NW Indiana (a region all its own) and Downtown Indianapolis.

Except for serving Evansville and maybe hitting the lakes, doesn't SR 37 do all that?

Although as most people know, it is a fairly boring way to travel across the state, for Nebraska it's probably I-80. I-80 is the state's Main Street as it goes through or near most of the state's largest cities. If not for the fact that it is discontinuous between Lincoln and Grand Island, NE 2 would probably be the best way to see the state from the SE to the NW, especially in terms of scenery.

It is arguable if NE 2 really has a gap in it.  Last time I was up there, there was a sign pointing NE 2 onto EB I-80.  I just consider it a single highway that is not signed in places.

In all honesty, I-90 represents a lot of Washington: it begins at the home of Seattle sports, CenturyLink Field and Safeco Field, and then travels on floating bridges from Seattle to Mercer Island and onwards to Bellevue, featuring a lot of lid parks. From there, it travels into the mighty Cascade Range, which opens up to the semi-arid plains of Eastern Washington. I-90 crosses the mighty Columbia downstream from one of its many hydroelectric dams and has a rest stop near one of the largest wind farms in the state. I-90 then keeps heading east, passing through the small towns and larger cities of the NW Inland Empire until it crosses over into Idaho.

You have: Seattle in all its glory, feats of bridge engineering, natural beauty in the Cascades, Washington's sources of electricity, Washington's breadbasket, and the cities on the eastern fringe of it all.

Quote from: NE2 on September 19, 2013, 02:37:46 AM
Except for serving Evansville and maybe hitting the lakes, doesn't SR 37 do all that?

SR 37 wouldn't be a bad choice either.

Quote from: NE2 on September 19, 2013, 02:37:46 AM

Quote from: tdindy88 on September 19, 2013, 02:17:31 AM
Unless someone chimes in with a better route, I think Indiana's most quintessential highway has yet to be built, it'd be I-69. Starting with a crossing over the Ohio River over what I presume would be a nice-looking bridge the highway passes near the third largest city in Evansville and goes through the rolling plains of the southwestern part of the state before crossing into the hills of Greene and Monroe Counties, connecting with a major state university and continuing north to the state capital in Indianapolis. From there it passes through the till plains of the central part of the state and connects with the second largest city in Fort Wayne before traveling north into the natural lakes part of the state giving a preview of what lies ahead in Michigan. It will be the longest highway and is certainly the most talked about in the state. The only thing it doesn't do is touch NW Indiana (a region all its own) and Downtown Indianapolis.

Except for serving Evansville and maybe hitting the lakes, doesn't SR 37 do all that?

SR 37 is also discontinuous with a big gap between the north side of Fort Wayne and the south side of Marion, and does not end at an Ohio River bridge. Furthermore, more of it could be decommissioned. I would say SR 37 was the US 66 of the state at one point, but no more. Finally, the part north of Indy was not part of the historic SR 37 route.

I would say that the Borman/I-94 is the most infamous, but a case could be made for I-65 being the most iconic as much as I-69. I-65 hits the two largest metro areas going near the main icons of the state (IMS, downtown Indy, steel mills, the Lake Michigan dunes, tons of corn fields, architecture of Columbus, and of course scenes of John Mellencamp's small town video), and is currently the longest Interstate.

Quote from: Bruce on September 19, 2013, 03:43:55 AM
In all honesty, I-90 represents a lot of Washington.

I can't disagree, but since none of the examples in the original post were freeways, I'll nominate US 2. Has more or less everything you'll find on I-90 with the exception of Lake Washington, and of the good noon-freeway candidates, it's the only one to serve the Puget Sound metro area. (If this were pre-1969, US 410 might have been a good candidate.)

For Alaska, AK 1 is the obvious choice.  The state's longest numbered route, starts off in the Alaska interior, heading through mountains and past a large glacier, then through the heart of the Anchorage metro area, around scenic Turnagain Arm, then ending in the Kenai Peninsula.  The road itself varies from twisty two-lane to six-lane freeway.

Hawaii is harder, since no highway serves more than one of the state's major islands.  My pick would be the Kamehameha Highway (part or all of HI 83, HI 80, and HI 99) on Oahu, looping around the east coast starting at Kaneohe, past the surf spots on the North Shore, then cutting through the old red-dirt pineapple fields in the center of the island, before passing a lot of military bases at its end near Pearl Harbor.  Interstate H-1 would not be a bad pick either, linking downtown Honolulu to the rapidly-growing "second city" of Kapolei in the southwest corner of Oahu, with a shrinking rural area between Kapolei and Pearl Harbor.  In the other islands, HI 360 on Maui (the most interesting part of the Hana Highway) seems the most distinctively Hawaiian, with over 600 hairpin curves and four dozen one-lane bridges through the lush tropical foliage and past many waterfalls of Maui's north shore, evoking the old days when east Maui was heavily agricultural (an irrigation canal runs along part of the highway) and the road was traveled mainly by ox carts. 

Quote from: Steve on September 18, 2013, 10:34:51 PM

MA: MA 140. It keeps going on, and on, and on, and you've seen more than half the state by accident once you're done with it.

That seems good:

Urban area of Worcester
Rural areas in other spots
Long route
Partial freeway near Rhode Island

Although MA 2 is also good:

Long route
Sometimes a freeway, sometimes not
Goes into Boston
Goes into Lexington and Concord, so it has the historical part of Massachusetts
Rural on the west side, urban on the east side

Another good choice for Virginia is US 460 which does what US 60 does plus reaches into the southwest corner.

Two other good choices for NC would be US 70 and US 74.  Of these I'd say US 70 is better because it still goes through a number of towns/cities while US 74 is almost done doing that...

Current SC routes that might be good are I-26, US 76, and SC 9.  The best route though was current SC 2 before it was heavily truncated in 1947...ran from Charleston to Orangeburg, Columbia, Greenville, then west via Clemson and Walhalla to Georgia at SC's northwest corner...

Mapmikey

Illinois: I-57.  It's the only road that goes from urban Chicago through rural Illinois, across the outwash plains, the Shawnee Hills, and on down to Cairo.

Michigan: I-75 comes the closest as no other route is in both the LP and the UP.  Even then, it misses the western UP.

Michigan: Roosevelt International Highway. Mostly followed US 2 across the UP and US 23-10 to Detroit.

For PA: US 322, it gives you a rather solid taste of the state, cities, towns, countryside, pennsultucky, it's all there. Runners up for me would be US30, but that doesn't give you the rural mountain region, and the road that defines PA is not really good for a taste of the state, the turnpike

Delaware: US13, practically a whtiman's sampler of a road, you get all three counties, and the various regions in one drive.

I might vote for US-64 for North Carolina. Crosses in from Tennessee, runs through the highly rural mountainous areas out west, passes through the more heavily populated Raleigh area, and ultimately ends near Nags Head at the Outer Banks. It has a bit of everything. I remember well the first time I saw the sign at the state line crossing from Tennessee that said 564 miles to Manteo. North Carolina doesn't necessarily seem that big because it's easy to forget how long it is from west to east.

Tennessee: State Route 1, Memphis to Bristol via Nashville-Murfreesboro-Knoxville.

QC 132, QC 138. Both start in the SW corner of the province in sparse farmland, cross most of the major metro areas (except Jonquière, Gatineau and Sherbrooke) on each side of the St. Lawrence River, then go into various and very different rural areas until they reach the gulf's more rugged landscape. Country to city to sea.

Ontario: Take any TCH route from Ottawa or Toronto. Between those cities and Québec, take old 2 or old 17.

Louisiana:

I'd say LA 1. The longest highway in the state by far and it's the main street for many major and minor towns north to south. The only drawback is that it doesn't show off New Orleans, but it does pass close enough to Baton Rouge to see the state capitol and the Mississippi River Bridges.

If you are looking for a highway with diversity that does go through New Orleans, then US 90 would be my next choice. And the Biz route shows off the Huey P. Long bridge there

Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on September 19, 2013, 10:24:32 AM
QC 132, QC 138. Both start in the SW corner of the province in sparse farmland, cross most of the major metro areas (except Jonquière, Gatineau and Sherbrooke) on each side of the St. Lawrence River, then go into various and very different rural areas until they reach the gulf's more rugged landscape. Country to city to sea.

Ontario: Take any TCH route from Ottawa or Toronto. Between those cities and Québec, take old 2 or old 17.

I'd say ON-11 might be a good candidate for Ontario.  From Toronto north around the Big Lakes to Thunder Bay and west toward Manitoba.

Indeed. ON 11 is part of the TCH.

For Kansas, I'd say either 1-35 (you see farmland, the Flint Hills, Wichita, KC Area), or I-70 (major cities, less scenery, more focus on farmland/high plains).

As much as I dislike interstates for scenery, these do show Kansas relatively well.

ICTRds

Quote from: bugo on September 19, 2013, 03:36:05 AM
It is arguable if NE 2 really has a gap in it.

Must. Resist. Temptation.  :-D

For Kentucky, it's US 60. Comes in out in the Jackson Purchase area, goes through the Pennyrile and Knobs area, through Louisville and Bluegrass Country, back through the Knobs and exits crossing a river at a bridge just a mile or so upstream of the river it crossed coming into the state.

Second place would be KY 80. Jackson Purchase, Land Between the Lakes, the Pennyrile, cave country and the Appalachian Mountains.

West Virginia? I'd nominate US 33.

For Colorado it should be I-70. It provides a good sampler of state geography, starting with the Utah desert in the west, gradually climbing up through the Rocky Mountains with two 10,000+ foot summits, then slicing through a large part of the Denver metro area and finally crossing the high plains of eastern Colorado.

Minnesota's most typical road is probably MN-23. It begins in an area representative of the prairie of eastern South Dakota, angles through the corn belt then into the forest and Canadian Shield area. It ends at Duluth.

I'm struggling to identify an archetypical road for New Mexico. You could identify I-25 and/or the old U.S. 85 alignments as the historic "El Camino Real", but you spend a lot of time along the Rio Grande and miss a lot of typical state geography.

Quote from: hbelkins on September 19, 2013, 12:59:55 PM

Quote from: bugo on September 19, 2013, 03:36:05 AM
It is arguable if NE 2 really has a gap in it.

Must. Resist. Temptation.  :-D

:rofl:

For Wisconsin:
I nominate I-94: Cuts through most of the major urban areas (Milwaukee, Madison) in addition to a lot of farm land and picturesque landscape (Wisconsin Rver, The Dells, Tomah, Eau Claire).

Runners up: US 151, US 51, US 12

Since I don't think anybody offered an Oregon example, I'd put forth US 26.  It's not an interstate, but does have a freeway section.  It connects the coast, Coast Range, Willamette Valley/Portland, Mt Hood/Cascades, central Oregon high desert, Blue Mountains, and the Snake River area. 

US 20 is similar, but it doesn't hit the major metro area of Portland, and on the whole Us 26 is a more scenic cross-state drive. 

The original US 30 would've probably been a better choice since it includes nearly everything US 26 sees plus the Columbia River Gorge, but I ruled it out because I-84 has obscured most of its old routing.

Quote from: Steve on September 18, 2013, 10:34:51 PM
NY: NY 22. No one route can really represent all of a three-pronged state. With its original routing, NY 22 started in Manhattan along Park Avenue, heading toward suburban Westchester County. Picking up the current route, it gets urban again on a small scale in White Plains, then heads on up through forests, mountains, and farms, before the big one, the Adirondacks. There's an impressive variety of urban, rural, flat, and mountainous for something that stays east of the Hudson the entire time.

Agreed.  Another possibility would be NY 5, which does east/west through upstate.  Also, US 9 goes through the same general areas as NY 22, but I think it hits more of the cities.

Also, if we treat Long Island as a separate entity, since its road network is fairly disjoint from the rest of the state, the quintessential route would be either NY 25 or NY 27.

Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on September 19, 2013, 01:28:35 PM
For Colorado it should be I-70. It provides a good sampler of state geography, starting with the Utah desert in the west, gradually climbing up through the Rocky Mountains with two 10,000+ foot summits, then slicing through a large part of the Denver metro area and finally crossing the high plains of eastern Colorado.

Minnesota's most typical road is probably MN-23. It begins in an area representative of the prairie of eastern South Dakota, angles through the corn belt then into the forest and Canadian Shield area. It ends at Duluth.

I'm struggling to identify an archetypical road for New Mexico. You could identify I-25 and/or the old U.S. 85 alignments as the historic "El Camino Real", but you spend a lot of time along the Rio Grande and miss a lot of typical state geography.

New Mexico is a really hard state to pin- I've seen a good chunk of the state (certainly every geographic region but the Taos area), but when somebody asks me to "picture New Mexico" I come up blank. I'd agree that I-25 is probably closest to being something...but it still misses the mark.

Quote from: bugo on September 18, 2013, 11:41:38 PM
Oklahoma: Oddly enough, I-44.  It goes through Tulsa, OKC, and Lawton.  It also goes through some really boring rural areas.  The OK 66/US 277 combo would be a good alternate but isn't a single route number.  OK 3 is long but doesn't really go through enough scenic areas and doesn't go through enough urban areas other than OKC.

OK 3, however, passes through mountainous SE Oklahoma which is an environment that I-44 doesn't even come close to. 3 also hits the panhandle, which more of a Great Plains environment than I-44 does. If only 3 extended west over OK 325 instead of heading north to CO, you could also get the more desert-like environment of western Cimarron County, which would make it unquestionably the quintessential highway of Oklahoma.

Quote from: SteveG1988 on September 19, 2013, 09:09:20 AM
For PA: US 322, it gives you a rather solid taste of the state, cities, towns, countryside, pennsultucky, it's all there. Runners up for me would be US30, but that doesn't give you the rural mountain region, and the road that defines PA is not really good for a taste of the state, the turnpike

For PA, I'd rate US 322 a good close second, but I'd have to go us 30 for PA, because it goes through the two biggest cities in Phila and Pgh, it does go through the southern mountains, and since it's the Lincoln Highway, I think it does represent the history of PA quite well.  And..it goes through the highly-loved Breezewood..........

Quote from: jemacedo9 on September 19, 2013, 08:00:03 PM

Quote from: SteveG1988 on September 19, 2013, 09:09:20 AM
For PA: US 322, it gives you a rather solid taste of the state, cities, towns, countryside, pennsultucky, it's all there. Runners up for me would be US30, but that doesn't give you the rural mountain region, and the road that defines PA is not really good for a taste of the state, the turnpike

For PA, I'd rate US 322 a good close second, but I'd have to go us 30 for PA, because it goes through the two biggest cities in Phila and Pgh, it does go through the southern mountains, and since it's the Lincoln Highway, I think it does represent the history of PA quite well.  And..it goes through the highly-loved Breezewood..........

I was thinking US30, but 322 gives you more of the state imho

For Delaware, I'd go with DE 1. It crosses the state N-S, starting in the Beaches and passes through most of the major cities (Beaches, Milford, Dover, Smyrna, Newark, comes close to Wilmington)

Quote from: WichitaRoads on September 19, 2013, 12:51:42 PM
For Kansas, I'd say either 1-35 (you see farmland, the Flint Hills, Wichita, KC Area), or I-70 (major cities, less scenery, more focus on farmland/high plains).

As much as I dislike interstates for scenery, these do show Kansas relatively well.

ICTRds

Both are good choices, but I'm inclined to nominate US 50.  It has a bunch of Western Kansas rural stuff that I've never seen, it has Super 2 Expressway and true expressway portions, it has roundabouts, it has the Flint Hills, it has commercial strips, it has Downtown Emporia, and it has the freeway portions: I-35 and I-435.  And I think it's safe to say it has the greatest variation in width out of any route in Kansas: two lanes at its narrowest to eight through lanes plus six C/D lanes at its widest!  Blink and you'll miss the signs that tell you where it exits NB I-35 and WB I-435, though.

Might be interesting to see how many pre-1926 state highway 1s are decent contenders.
Florida: 1 ran the length of the Panhandle to Jax, but ended there and didn't serve the peninsula.
New Jersey: 1 connected Jersey City to Trenton, but 2 continued south to Camden.

After some deliberation, I think I've settled on US 23 for Georgia. You get the mountains in the northern part of the state, then working down into suburbia (like it or not, a major part of the state), a bit of the city of Atlanta, then continuing down to Macon and onward into the flatter southern part of the state, ending up fairly close to the coast before crossing into Florida. (Honorable mentions would probably be US 19 and US 41 - 41, in my mind, suffers a bit mostly because it's in the shadow of I-75 for almost its entire route.)

Quote from: NE2 on September 19, 2013, 10:49:50 PM
Might be interesting to see how many pre-1926 state highway 1s are decent contenders.

In Georgia's case, SR 1 is still there, also carrying the routing of US 27. It really doesn't serve any major cities other than Columbus, and lacks the geographical variety of other options further east.

Quote from: NE2 on September 19, 2013, 10:49:50 PM
Might be interesting to see how many pre-1926 state highway 1s are decent contenders.
Florida: 1 ran the length of the Panhandle to Jax, but ended there and didn't serve the peninsula.
New Jersey: 1 connected Jersey City to Trenton, but 2 continued south to Camden.

NE 1 and NJ 1 are both approximately the same as what's now US 1.

Quote from: Steve on September 20, 2013, 12:31:41 AM
NE 1 and NJ 1 are both approximately the same as what's now US 1.

Very approximately in the case of New Jersey - it went south on US 130 from New Brunswick to Robbinsville before turning west on NJ 33.

NY 1 and VA 1 are also now US 1. PA 1 was the Lincoln Highway, now US 1 northeast of Philly.

I would go with 537 for NJ.  Starts off in downtown Camden, continues through a few neighborhoods of Camden before entering Suburban Cherry Hill.  Than after moorstown it is primarley farmland until Mt. Holly.  It ends by the shore in Wall. 

Quote from: stridentweasel on September 19, 2013, 10:26:30 PM

Quote from: WichitaRoads on September 19, 2013, 12:51:42 PM
For Kansas, I'd say either 1-35 (you see farmland, the Flint Hills, Wichita, KC Area), or I-70 (major cities, less scenery, more focus on farmland/high plains).

As much as I dislike interstates for scenery, these do show Kansas relatively well.

ICTRds

Both are good choices, but I'm inclined to nominate US 50.  It has a bunch of Western Kansas rural stuff that I've never seen, it has Super 2 Expressway and true expressway portions, it has roundabouts, it has the Flint Hills, it has commercial strips, it has Downtown Emporia, and it has the freeway portions: I-35 and I-435.  And I think it's safe to say it has the greatest variation in width out of any route in Kansas: two lanes at its narrowest to eight through lanes plus six C/D lanes at its widest!  Blink and you'll miss the signs that tell you where it exits NB I-35 and WB I-435, though.

I'll tip my hat to you on that, good sir! U.S. 50 does a pretty good job for sure. The only thing that either of our routes don't capture would be the SE region of Kansas... the Osage Questas and the bit o' the Ozarks that we have. Maybe we should throw in I-66*... er, I mean, U.S. 400... especially since it runs along 54 AND 50... just avoids KC Area altogether, though. And, this also from the guy who says Screw 400 :D

*Hope springs eternal... someday... maybe... before I'm dead.

ICTRds

Quote from: corco on September 19, 2013, 07:39:44 PM

Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on September 19, 2013, 01:28:35 PM

I'm struggling to identify an archetypical road for New Mexico. You could identify I-25 and/or the old U.S. 85 alignments as the historic "El Camino Real", but you spend a lot of time along the Rio Grande and miss a lot of typical state geography.

New Mexico is a really hard state to pin- I've seen a good chunk of the state (certainly every geographic region but the Taos area), but when somebody asks me to "picture New Mexico" I come up blank. I'd agree that I-25 is probably closest to being something...but it still misses the mark.

Thinking about it more, I nominate U.S. 70 for New Mexico. It catches the southern desert but also goes over the Sacramento Mountains near Ruidodo at a pretty good elevation, so you get the mountains as well. Finally, it picks up a representative portion of the eastern plains.

For Arizona, I go with U.S. 60. Desert, city, and finally a good dose of mountains.

Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on September 20, 2013, 02:44:17 PM

Quote from: corco on September 19, 2013, 07:39:44 PM

Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on September 19, 2013, 01:28:35 PM

I'm struggling to identify an archetypical road for New Mexico. You could identify I-25 and/or the old U.S. 85 alignments as the historic "El Camino Real", but you spend a lot of time along the Rio Grande and miss a lot of typical state geography.

New Mexico is a really hard state to pin- I've seen a good chunk of the state (certainly every geographic region but the Taos area), but when somebody asks me to "picture New Mexico" I come up blank. I'd agree that I-25 is probably closest to being something...but it still misses the mark.

Thinking about it more, I nominate U.S. 70 for New Mexico. It catches the southern desert but also goes over the Sacramento Mountains near Ruidodo at a pretty good elevation, so you get the mountains as well. Finally, it picks up a representative portion of the eastern plains.

For Arizona, I go with U.S. 60. Desert, city, and finally a good dose of mountains.

AZ 87  Picacho at I-10 to Second Mesa At US 164
Farm Land: Coolidge, Gila River Indian Community, Chandler, Mesa, Salt River Pima Indian Community
Desert: Ft Mcdowell Indian Community
Desert to  Ponderosa Pine Forest: Tonto National Forest
Ponderosa Pine Forest: Payson (over the Mogollon Rim) Pine/Strawberry
High Desert: Winslow, Navajo Nation, Hopi Indian Community

US 191 Arizona's only Numbered North-South Border To Border Highway
Douglas International Border Crossing to the Utah State Line in The Navajo Nation.

Quote from: Steve on September 18, 2013, 10:34:51 PM


MA: MA 140. It keeps going on, and on, and on, and you've seen more than half the state by accident once you're done with it.

I would say MA 2. It starts in Boston...goes through the tony historic towns like Lexington and Concord...then hits the old mill towns of Fitchburg and Leominster...and then becomes a country road through the rural northern part of the state...before finally becoming the old Mohawk Trail as it winds its way through the Berkshires.

Route 28 is probably a close second.

I'd have to agree on MA 2.  It's missing the Cape, and doesn't even quite get to the shore at all, but I think having Boston/Cambridge, crossing the 128 and 495 corridors, hitting the small cities across the middle of the state, then crossing the Berkshires on into Williamstown then Petersburg Pass wins out.  I guess you could make similar arguments for MA 9 or US 20, but you don't get as spectacular a ride through the Berkshires.

For New York, I'd pick US 9 over NY 22 because you get right into Albany, while NY 22 bypasses the Capital Region off to the east.  Unfortunately, neither gets out onto Long Island or out west to the Finger Lakes, Great Lakes, and Niagara Falls.

I'd nominate US-89 for Utah: Enters in the Canyon Country part of the state, passes through numerous valleys, serves Manti and then the entire Wasatch Front, then serves the Cache Valley, Logan Canyon, and finally Bear Lake while leaving Utah.

You could also make a case for I-15: Begins at St. George, passes through Cedar City, runs along the western side of the state's mountain backbone and passes through the eastern edge of the Great Basin, serves the entire Wasatch Front, and leaves the state while following the western edge of different mountain ranges.

Actually, while US-89 doesn't serve the west desert (I can't blame it) :P, it would be the best, as there are a lot of places that I-15 doesn't serve.

Quote from: Jim on September 20, 2013, 07:28:43 PM
For New York, I'd pick US 9 over NY 22 because you get right into Albany, while NY 22 bypasses the Capital Region off to the east.  Unfortunately, neither gets out onto Long Island or out west to the Finger Lakes, Great Lakes, and Niagara Falls.

Nothing does.  If you define Long Island geographically to include Queens and Brooklyn, all roads except I-278 that leave the island end within a couple of miles of the bridge.  I-278 is contained entirely within New York City, so it's hardly representative of the state as a whole.

CT: The Merritt Parkway (CT-15) is probably your best bet with either US 1, 5, 6 or 7 the honorable mentions.

Quote from: NE2 on September 19, 2013, 10:49:50 PM
Might be interesting to see how many pre-1926 state highway 1s are decent contenders.

Quick map of these:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F62QXar3.png&hash=bbf88efe5b0da71e0808df4d32dba8ed9f81b3e3)

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 19, 2013, 07:45:18 PM

Quote from: bugo on September 18, 2013, 11:41:38 PM
Oklahoma: Oddly enough, I-44.  It goes through Tulsa, OKC, and Lawton.  It also goes through some really boring rural areas.  The OK 66/US 277 combo would be a good alternate but isn't a single route number.  OK 3 is long but doesn't really go through enough scenic areas and doesn't go through enough urban areas other than OKC.

OK 3, however, passes through mountainous SE Oklahoma which is an environment that I-44 doesn't even come close to. 3 also hits the panhandle, which more of a Great Plains environment than I-44 does. If only 3 extended west over OK 325 instead of heading north to CO, you could also get the more desert-like environment of western Cimarron County, which would make it unquestionably the quintessential highway of Oklahoma.

OK 3 doesn't really go through the mountains.  It skirts the Ouachita foothills west of Broken Bow, but the real mountains are to the north along OK 1 and US 259.

US 400 is cool.  It provided me with one of my favorite road enthusiast moments: seeing a green sign with 2 shields off of I-44, when I was expecting just a US 166 sign.  The duplex with US 50 is silly, however.

QuoteQuick map of these:

Your MS 1 is a bit off, as MS 1 has always been along the Mississippi River.  As best as I could find in my research during my Mississippi days, the US routes in Mississippi actually pre-date the state highway system.

Quote from: froggie on September 21, 2013, 01:03:37 AM
Your MS 1 is a bit off, as MS 1 has always been along the Mississippi River.  As best as I could find in my research during my Mississippi days, the US routes in Mississippi actually pre-date the state highway system.

The legislature defined state highways in 1924 (http://books.google.com/books?id=cBJGAQAAIAAJ&q=%22that+a+system+of+state+highways%22) (and amended them at least through 1928). They were presumably not signed. (Neither were Kentucky, California, Oregon, and perhaps others on the map.)

Quote1. From the Mississippi-Tennessee state line near Horn Lake via Hernando, Senatobia, Como, Sardis, Batesville, a point near Pope, Grenada, a point near Durant, Canton, Jackson, Hazlehurst, Brookhaven, a point near Summit and McComb, to the Mississippi-Louisiana state line near Osyka.

Quote from: huskeroadgeek on September 19, 2013, 03:23:09 AM
Although as most people know, it is a fairly boring way to travel across the state, for Nebraska it's probably I-80. I-80 is the state's Main Street as it goes through or near most of the state's largest cities. If not for the fact that it is discontinuous between Lincoln and Grand Island, NE 2 would probably be the best way to see the state from the SE to the NW, especially in terms of scenery.

Although I think I-80 and NE 2 are good choices in their own ways, I myself would suggest NE 92.  It goes border to border, goes through Omaha, the Great Plains, the Sand Hills, passes by Chimney Rock and has many crossings of the (North) Platte River.

I'm not sure anyone suggested one for Iowa, but the leading contenders are US 6 and US 30.

My route for Alabama would be US 431 from Tennessee to Dothan.  US 431 sees the mountains in Huntsville, Guntersville, Gadsden, and Anniston.  It sees the beautiful lakes of Lake Guntersville, Lake Wedowee, and Lake Eufaula.  It also has great scenery through Guntersville, Anniston, and Eufaula.  You get a taste of all of Alabama from the mountains in the north to the wiregrass in the south.

For New Hampshire, US 3 would be good (it was already mentioned).

If a state route had to be chosen, it would be NH 16.

It starts in Portsmouth, which is one of the bigger cities, and it is by the ocean.
Then it goes north and eventually into the White Mountains.

Quote from: wxfree on September 18, 2013, 11:51:23 PM
Texas: US 90.  It covers swamps, forests, big cities, the Hill Country, desert, and mountains.  One end sees hurricanes, and the other end sees snowstorms.  I-10 does all that, too, and goes a bit farther, but quintessential Texas is high speeds on very lonely two-lane roads, so I'd say US 90 wins.

I'd probably have to agree with you, although I also put forth US 67 - mountains, desert, hill country, plains, prairie, piney woods; very lonely and rural to urban to "Texan-towns-that-time-forgot" - as a contender. Then there's also historic US 81, which served as the dividing line between east - coastal plains, swamps, piney woods, prairie - and west - desert, mountains, hill country and the llano estacado, the high plains.

For  New Mexico:  My  humble  opinion  would  be  US  64,  it  goes  the  entire  length  of  the  state,  from Arizona  to  the  Oklahoma  border.  It goes   over  high country  grasslands,  the  scenic  Cimarron Canyon.    mountain  passes  that  are  often  closed  in  the  winter  and  then thru the  much  photographed Shiprock  area  on  the  Navajo Nation.  US  64  has  no  major  cities  to   slow  traffic  on  its  way   across  the  northern    top  of  the  state.   The  only  small  metro  areas  would  be  Farmington  ,Taos  (heavy  tourist  traffic)  and  Raton.

For Ohio: I'd nominate Route 50, starting from Indiana it dives into Downtown Cincinnati then goes through the farms and the Appalachian foothills, as well as the center of several small towns (Chillicothe for example.) Route 50 hardly becomes a freeway/expressway (except through Cincinnati, Chillicothe and Athens.)

For WV: I think the West Virginia Turnpike probably shows off some of the best portions of the state.

SR-135 through brown county Indiana.

I do agree on I-57 with Brandon, but I think another route would be US-20. Similar where you go from urban Chicagoland, pass through forest preserves, out into the heart of the IL cornbelt, somewhat urban again with the Rockford and Freeport bypasses, and then the rolling hills of NW IL. That route is one of my all-time favorites to drive

Quote from: DaBigE on September 19, 2013, 01:39:46 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on September 19, 2013, 12:59:55 PM

Quote from: bugo on September 19, 2013, 03:36:05 AM
It is arguable if NE 2 really has a gap in it.

Must. Resist. Temptation.  :-D

:rofl:

For Wisconsin:
I nominate I-94: Cuts through most of the major urban areas (Milwaukee, Madison) in addition to a lot of farm land and picturesque landscape (Wisconsin Rver, The Dells, Tomah, Eau Claire).

Runners up: US 151, US 51, US 12

I-94 is a good one, but I would also include WI 13, especially with its original southern part included.

Mike

Quote from: 1 on September 19, 2013, 06:44:02 AM

Quote from: Steve on September 18, 2013, 10:34:51 PM

MA: MA 140. It keeps going on, and on, and on, and you've seen more than half the state by accident once you're done with it.

That seems good:

Urban area of Worcester
Rural areas in other spots
Long route
Partial freeway near Rhode Island

Although MA 2 is also good:

Long route
Sometimes a freeway, sometimes not
Goes into Boston
Goes into Lexington and Concord, so it has the historical part of Massachusetts
Rural on the west side, urban on the east side

I like MA 9 for similar reasons. MA 2 has more of a taste of the Berkshires, but less of the quintessential New England small town collegiate atmosphere that MA 9 has in Northampton and Amherst (though MA 2 does run through Cambridge right past Harvard). And MA 9 also gives you the small industrial city experience in Worcester.

Actually, I'd nominate 2A instead. Stay off the highways to get a real taste of what a place has to offer.

Quote from: wphiii on September 23, 2013, 05:51:57 PM

Actually, I'd nominate 2A instead. Stay off the highways to get a real taste of what a place has to offer.

2A is split into two parts though.

Quote from: 1 on September 23, 2013, 06:37:42 PM

Quote from: wphiii on September 23, 2013, 05:51:57 PM

Actually, I'd nominate 2A instead. Stay off the highways to get a real taste of what a place has to offer.

2A is split into two parts though.

True, I was thinking like, 2A where applicable and 2 for the rest, so it would be totally continuous. Though I guess that'd sort of be cheating.

For my own state of PA, I've gotta give my vote to U.S. 30 over 322. I don't know who said U.S. 30 doesn't really go through the mountains, because it goes right through the heart of the "ridge and valley" Appalachians. It also goes straight through the state's two biggest urban centers, and it's just dripping with both colonial and Civil War history, and on up into the 20th Century (it's the Lincoln Highway!).

Quote from: spmkam on September 20, 2013, 09:58:48 PM
CT: The Merritt Parkway (CT-15) is probably your best bet with either US 1, 5, 6 or 7 the honorable mentions.

Agreed, assuming you're including the full length of CT 15 and not just Merritt Parkway in Fairfield County.  It covers the New York suburbs, New Haven, and Hartford, and I can't think of anything else that does.

Another honorable mention in my opinion would be CT 10.

Quote from: dgolub on September 19, 2013, 07:23:13 PM

Quote from: Steve on September 18, 2013, 10:34:51 PM
NY: NY 22. No one route can really represent all of a three-pronged state. With its original routing, NY 22 started in Manhattan along Park Avenue, heading toward suburban Westchester County. Picking up the current route, it gets urban again on a small scale in White Plains, then heads on up through forests, mountains, and farms, before the big one, the Adirondacks. There's an impressive variety of urban, rural, flat, and mountainous for something that stays east of the Hudson the entire time.

Agreed.  Another possibility would be NY 5, which does east/west through upstate.

One could make an argument for US 20 and NY 17, too.

Quote from: WNYroadgeek on September 23, 2013, 09:21:31 PM

Quote from: dgolub on September 19, 2013, 07:23:13 PM

Quote from: Steve on September 18, 2013, 10:34:51 PM
NY: NY 22. No one route can really represent all of a three-pronged state. With its original routing, NY 22 started in Manhattan along Park Avenue, heading toward suburban Westchester County. Picking up the current route, it gets urban again on a small scale in White Plains, then heads on up through forests, mountains, and farms, before the big one, the Adirondacks. There's an impressive variety of urban, rural, flat, and mountainous for something that stays east of the Hudson the entire time.

Agreed.  Another possibility would be NY 5, which does east/west through upstate.

One could make an argument for US 20 and NY 17, too.

I can't think of a better choice than NY 22 (I'm discounting US 9 because it's not a NY route, even though that's not strictly a criterion), but it does seem an oversight to pick a route that doesn't encounter the Erie Canal. Still, NY 22 does interact with the Champlain Canal, and nothing that excludes NYC would be any more appropriate either. I wouldn't consider NY 17, fond though I am of it, because it is too rural and remote, overall, to represent the state well.

NY 5 is the only serious contender to NY 22; if we could allow it, the two combined would be about as quintessential as any route in any state nationwide.

(Weirdly, if we do allow US routes, I'd take NY 5 over US 20 because 5 is more urban, but I'd take NY 22 over US 9 because 22 is less so. Hmm...)

Quote from: empirestate on September 24, 2013, 01:03:18 AM
(Weirdly, if we do allow US routes, I'd take NY 5 over US 20 because 5 is more urban, but I'd take NY 22 over US 9 because 22 is less so. Hmm...)

Why is that?  I think I'm inclined toward US 9 over NY 22 at this point because NY 22 doesn't hit any major cities at all, other than I suppose White Plains if that counts.  Also, US 9 goes through Washington Heights and Inwood in Manhattan and Riverdale in the Bronx, so you get some of New York City, where as NY 22 ends just over the Bronx-Westchester border.

Quote from: tdindy88 on September 19, 2013, 02:17:31 AM
Unless someone chimes in with a better route, I think Indiana's most quintessential highway has yet to be built, it'd be I-69. Starting with a crossing over the Ohio River over what I presume would be a nice-looking bridge the highway passes near the third largest city in Evansville and goes through the rolling plains of the southwestern part of the state before crossing into the hills of Greene and Monroe Counties, connecting with a major state university and continuing north to the state capital in Indianapolis. From there it passes through the till plains of the central part of the state and connects with the second largest city in Fort Wayne before traveling north into the natural lakes part of the state giving a preview of what lies ahead in Michigan. It will be the longest highway and is certainly the most talked about in the state. The only thing it doesn't do is touch NW Indiana (a region all its own) and Downtown Indianapolis.

If I'm not restricted to a route that carries a single number, I would choose the original routing of the Michigan Road.  It runs from the Ohio River to Lake Michigan.  You get the historic, Southern Indiana small town in Madison, the big city in Indianapolis, and also the state's most well-known university in South Bend.

Quote from: dgolub on September 24, 2013, 08:36:37 AM

Quote from: empirestate on September 24, 2013, 01:03:18 AM
(Weirdly, if we do allow US routes, I'd take NY 5 over US 20 because 5 is more urban, but I'd take NY 22 over US 9 because 22 is less so. Hmm...)

Why is that?  I think I'm inclined toward US 9 over NY 22 at this point because NY 22 doesn't hit any major cities at all, other than I suppose White Plains if that counts.  Also, US 9 goes through Washington Heights and Inwood in Manhattan and Riverdale in the Bronx, so you get some of New York City, where as NY 22 ends just over the Bronx-Westchester border.

Not sure. Perhaps I'm making an excuse to discount US routes, or perhaps it's because I have written about NY 22 (but then I've also written about US 20).

Quote from: cabiness42 on September 24, 2013, 08:53:42 AM

Quote from: tdindy88 on September 19, 2013, 02:17:31 AM
Unless someone chimes in with a better route, I think Indiana's most quintessential highway has yet to be built, it'd be I-69. Starting with a crossing over the Ohio River over what I presume would be a nice-looking bridge the highway passes near the third largest city in Evansville and goes through the rolling plains of the southwestern part of the state before crossing into the hills of Greene and Monroe Counties, connecting with a major state university and continuing north to the state capital in Indianapolis. From there it passes through the till plains of the central part of the state and connects with the second largest city in Fort Wayne before traveling north into the natural lakes part of the state giving a preview of what lies ahead in Michigan. It will be the longest highway and is certainly the most talked about in the state. The only thing it doesn't do is touch NW Indiana (a region all its own) and Downtown Indianapolis.

If I'm not restricted to a route that carries a single number, I would choose the original routing of the Michigan Road.  It runs from the Ohio River to Lake Michigan.  You get the historic, Southern Indiana small town in Madison, the big city in Indianapolis, and also the state's most well-known university in South Bend.

I was under the impression that Michigan Road in northern Indiana largely followed the route of current US 421, from Indianapolis to Michigan City. Did it really make a detour to South Bend? Is there any chance you confusing it with Dixie Highway?

Quote from: NE2 on September 20, 2013, 10:42:57 PM

Quote from: NE2 on September 19, 2013, 10:49:50 PM
Might be interesting to see how many pre-1926 state highway 1s are decent contenders.

Quick map of these:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F62QXar3.png&hash=bbf88efe5b0da71e0808df4d32dba8ed9f81b3e3)

The pre-1955 LA 1 is probably closer to the "quintessential" highway than current LA 1, as it served New Orleans and followed the river road for a good distance, while also traversing the far southern, central and northern portions of the state, including the swamps, the sugarcane corridor, and the upland pine hills region. Still, as an earlier post noted, current LA 1 is a good candidate for the quintessential Louisiana roadway.

Quote from: theline on September 24, 2013, 09:44:08 PM
I was under the impression that Michigan Road in northern Indiana largely followed the route of current US 421, from Indianapolis to Michigan City. Did it really make a detour to South Bend? Is there any chance you confusing it with Dixie Highway?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Road
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hystericalmark/4873264360

Quote from: theline on September 24, 2013, 09:44:08 PM

Quote from: cabiness42 on September 24, 2013, 08:53:42 AM

Quote from: tdindy88 on September 19, 2013, 02:17:31 AM
Unless someone chimes in with a better route, I think Indiana's most quintessential highway has yet to be built, it'd be I-69. Starting with a crossing over the Ohio River over what I presume would be a nice-looking bridge the highway passes near the third largest city in Evansville and goes through the rolling plains of the southwestern part of the state before crossing into the hills of Greene and Monroe Counties, connecting with a major state university and continuing north to the state capital in Indianapolis. From there it passes through the till plains of the central part of the state and connects with the second largest city in Fort Wayne before traveling north into the natural lakes part of the state giving a preview of what lies ahead in Michigan. It will be the longest highway and is certainly the most talked about in the state. The only thing it doesn't do is touch NW Indiana (a region all its own) and Downtown Indianapolis.

If I'm not restricted to a route that carries a single number, I would choose the original routing of the Michigan Road.  It runs from the Ohio River to Lake Michigan.  You get the historic, Southern Indiana small town in Madison, the big city in Indianapolis, and also the state's most well-known university in South Bend.

I was under the impression that Michigan Road in northern Indiana largely followed the route of current US 421, from Indianapolis to Michigan City. Did it really make a detour to South Bend? Is there any chance you confusing it with Dixie Highway?

No, from Indy the Michigan road ran up to Logansport on what is now US 421 and SR 29, and then to Rochester on what is now SR 25, and then to South Bend on what was the original alignment of US 31.  Then from South Bend it went to Michigan City.  The Dixie Highway came later and used the US 31 portion of the Michigan Road.

Thanks to both NE2 and cabiness for the education. By "original route" I had no idea we were talking about the 1830s. The Wikipedia article provides the reason for the detour through South Bend, to avoid the Kankakee River swamp. Good stuff.

Someone suggested US 50 for Ohio.  I disagree, because it completely misses the flat and coastal parts in the north of the state.  My original thought was I-70 or US 40, (or original OH 1), but they don't come much closer to the Erie Coast.  The second OH 1 (early 60's) gets coastal Clevelandland, but I'm not sure the flatness between Springfield and Columbus is enough to represent the epic flatness of north central and northwestern Ohio.  OH 4 definitely covers plenty of flat terrain, but still gets some hills as well as city and densely settled "rural" territory in southwestern Ohio, plus it meets both the Ohio River and Lake Erie.  I think OH 4 slightly edges out either OH 1 for the title of "quintessential" Ohio road.

Quote from: vtk on September 25, 2013, 07:29:25 PM
Someone suggested US 50 for Ohio.  I disagree, because it completely misses the flat and coastal parts in the north of the state.  My original thought was I-70 or US 40, (or original OH 1), but they don't come much closer to the Erie Coast.  The second OH 1 (early 60's) gets coastal Clevelandland, but I'm not sure the flatness between Springfield and Columbus is enough to represent the epic flatness of north central and northwestern Ohio.  OH 4 definitely covers plenty of flat terrain, but still gets some hills as well as city and densely settled "rural" territory in southwestern Ohio, plus it meets both the Ohio River and Lake Erie.  I think OH 4 slightly edges out either OH 1 for the title of "quintessential" Ohio road.

Why wouldn't US 23 work?

Quote from: hbelkins on September 25, 2013, 08:13:25 PM

Quote from: vtk on September 25, 2013, 07:29:25 PM
Someone suggested US 50 for Ohio.  I disagree, because it completely misses the flat and coastal parts in the north of the state.  My original thought was I-70 or US 40, (or original OH 1), but they don't come much closer to the Erie Coast.  The second OH 1 (early 60's) gets coastal Clevelandland, but I'm not sure the flatness between Springfield and Columbus is enough to represent the epic flatness of north central and northwestern Ohio.  OH 4 definitely covers plenty of flat terrain, but still gets some hills as well as city and densely settled "rural" territory in southwestern Ohio, plus it meets both the Ohio River and Lake Erie.  I think OH 4 slightly edges out either OH 1 for the title of "quintessential" Ohio road.

Why wouldn't US 23 work?

It almost does.  But I'd say it doesn't come close enough to Lake Erie.

Quote from: vtk on September 25, 2013, 09:36:54 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on September 25, 2013, 08:13:25 PM

Quote from: vtk on September 25, 2013, 07:29:25 PM
Someone suggested US 50 for Ohio.  I disagree, because it completely misses the flat and coastal parts in the north of the state.  My original thought was I-70 or US 40, (or original OH 1), but they don't come much closer to the Erie Coast.  The second OH 1 (early 60's) gets coastal Clevelandland, but I'm not sure the flatness between Springfield and Columbus is enough to represent the epic flatness of north central and northwestern Ohio.  OH 4 definitely covers plenty of flat terrain, but still gets some hills as well as city and densely settled "rural" territory in southwestern Ohio, plus it meets both the Ohio River and Lake Erie.  I think OH 4 slightly edges out either OH 1 for the title of "quintessential" Ohio road.

Why wouldn't US 23 work?

It almost does.  But I'd say it doesn't come close enough to Lake Erie.

OH 4 is a good shout, but what about U.S. 42? Seems to get all of the geographic and urban scale of environments, and I like that it also gets Cleveland.

Quote from: wphiii on September 26, 2013, 11:57:53 AM
OH 4 is a good shout, but what about U.S. 42? Seems to get all of the geographic and urban scale of environments, and I like that it also gets Cleveland.

US 42 is the winner in my book. You get the big river and the big lake, two of the biggest three cities, and varied geography.

Why US 42 rather than SR 3?

Maine: US 1. If it had to be a state route, ME 11.
Rhode Island: Maybe 114.

Mexican states:

Chihuahua: 45, since it connects Ciudad Juárez with Chihuahua.
Baja California: 1.

Quote from: NE2 on September 26, 2013, 03:34:49 PM
Why US 42 rather than SR 3?

Because I didn't realize OH 3 ran all the way to Cincinnati until about 2 minutes ago.

Upon further review I do like it more because it actually goes right through Columbus.

Ah, but Ohio 3 doesn't (quite) make it to Cleveland. It ends in Parma, according to Ohio Highway Ends (http://www.state-ends.com/ohio/oh/3/). As a admirer of all things Cleveland, that offends me.

Quote from: theline on September 26, 2013, 08:58:42 PM
Ah, but Ohio 3 doesn't (quite) make it to Cleveland. It ends in Parma, according to Ohio Highway Ends (http://www.state-ends.com/ohio/oh/3/). As a admirer of all things Cleveland, that offends me.

I seem to recall a story in recent years, in which someone discovered that OH 3 officially runs all the way to the "square" where a bunch of routes converge downtown, but the signs didn't indicate this.  After a newspaper brought publicity to the discrepancy, ODOT actually changed the signs to show OH 3 all the way up.  It's possible the Ohio Highway Ends site is out of date on the matter.

Quote from: theline on September 26, 2013, 08:58:42 PMAs a admirer of all things Cleveland, that offends me.

Then this will really offend you.

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/sports/201310/worst-sports-franchises-teams-of-all-time

Quote from: vtk on September 26, 2013, 09:03:07 PM

Quote from: theline on September 26, 2013, 08:58:42 PM
Ah, but Ohio 3 doesn't (quite) make it to Cleveland. It ends in Parma, according to Ohio Highway Ends (http://www.state-ends.com/ohio/oh/3/). As a admirer of all things Cleveland, that offends me.

I seem to recall a story in recent years, in which someone discovered that OH 3 officially runs all the way to the "square" where a bunch of routes converge downtown, but the signs didn't indicate this.  After a newspaper brought publicity to the discrepancy, ODOT actually changed the signs to show OH 3 all the way up.  It's possible the Ohio Highway Ends site is out of date on the matter.

This would make sense, as both Wiki and Google Maps seem to indicate that it ends at Public Square.

Quote from: WikipediaState Route 3 ends in Cleveland at Public Square, with the last several miles multiplexed with U.S. Route 42 from Parma.

Quote from: hbelkins on September 26, 2013, 10:13:33 PM

Quote from: theline on September 26, 2013, 08:58:42 PMAs a admirer of all things Cleveland, that offends me.

Then this will really offend you.

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/sports/201310/worst-sports-franchises-teams-of-all-time

Fortunately, I don't consider GQ as an authority on sports. Otherwise, I would be offended.

CO: I-70 does a good job of covering the whole cross-section of the state, from plains to Denver Metro to mountains to Glenwood Canyon to Grand Junction and the desert west of there. For a non-Interstate alternative, I submit US 50, which runs parallel to, but well south of I-70 for most of its length, from the Arkansas River Valley to Pueblo, past the Royal Gorge, over Monarch Pass, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison to join I-70 in Grand Jct.

US 285 would be a good north-south route, from Denver southwest into the foothills, South Park, and the San Luis Valley into New Mexico (would be a good candidate for NM, as well, as it alternates between valley, mountain, and canyon from the CO border, past Taos, to Santa Fe).

Quote from: theline on September 27, 2013, 02:12:39 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on September 26, 2013, 10:13:33 PM

Quote from: theline on September 26, 2013, 08:58:42 PMAs a admirer of all things Cleveland, that offends me.

Then this will really offend you.

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/sports/201310/worst-sports-franchises-teams-of-all-time

Fortunately, I don't consider GQ as an authority on sports. Otherwise, I would be offended.

What about this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzgAjjuqZM

As someone who is originally from Cleveland, I'm not easily offended.

Most Clevelanders I know find the "tourism videos" hilarious.

Quote from: Takumi on September 18, 2013, 10:50:16 PM
I'm nominating US 60 for Virginia, because it goes through all types of terrain and population levels. I could also make a case for US 58, but 60 is historically more important.

I realize U.S. 1 does not come close to the mountains of Virginia, but it does run through the most-populous part of the Commonwealth, which U.S. 58, U.S. 60 and U.S. 460 do not.

Quote from: kj3400 on September 18, 2013, 10:57:28 PM
MD: US 40, since it goes through everything from mountains to rural areas to cities like Frederick and Baltimore, and still manages a nice jog beside the Bay.

Maryland is tough, because "obvious" choices like U.S. 1, I-95 and U.S. 301 do not come close to the mountainous parts of the state. 

U.S. 50 runs through the D.C. suburbs and past Annapolis (but does not come close to Baltimore City) and a long run across the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, and thanks to its discontinuous section in southern Garrett County, also covers the mountainous part of the state (indeed, I believe the highest  point on the Maryland numbered highway network is U.S. 50 crossing the crest of Backbone Mountain (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=redhouse+md&ll=39.301428,-79.415274&spn=0.019959,0.038581&hnear=Redhouse&t=p&z=15&layer=c&cbll=39.301426,-79.415146&panoid=zsupZMH9HhdRNGb1rrp5jg&cbp=12,297.68,,0,3.08) and the Eastern Continental Divide). 

Quote from: cpzilliacus on October 03, 2013, 08:11:00 PM

Quote from: kj3400 on September 18, 2013, 10:57:28 PM
MD: US 40, since it goes through everything from mountains to rural areas to cities like Frederick and Baltimore, and still manages a nice jog beside the Bay.

Maryland is tough, because "obvious" choices like U.S. 1, I-95 and U.S. 301 do not come close to the mountainous parts of the state. 

U.S. 50 runs through the D.C. suburbs and past Annapolis (but does not come close to Baltimore City) and a long run across the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, and thanks to its discontinuous section in southern Garrett County, also covers the mountainous part of the state (indeed, I believe the highest  point on the Maryland numbered highway network is U.S. 50 crossing the crest of Backbone Mountain (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=redhouse+md&ll=39.301428,-79.415274&spn=0.019959,0.038581&hnear=Redhouse&t=p&z=15&layer=c&cbll=39.301426,-79.415146&panoid=zsupZMH9HhdRNGb1rrp5jg&cbp=12,297.68,,0,3.08) and the Eastern Continental Divide). 

I suppose there's always US 50 too, that was my second choice.

Quote from: Kacie Jane on September 19, 2013, 05:41:38 AM

Quote from: Bruce on September 19, 2013, 03:43:55 AM
In all honesty, I-90 represents a lot of Washington.

I can't disagree, but since none of the examples in the original post were freeways, I'll nominate US 2. Has more or less everything you'll find on I-90 with the exception of Lake Washington, and of the good noon-freeway candidates, it's the only one to serve the Puget Sound metro area. (If this were pre-1969, US 410 might have been a good candidate.)

These are reasonable choices, however I would choose WA 20.  Semi-desert, fields, and mountains, like US 2.  Smaller cities.  Salt water, ferryboat.  Dams, our water and power.  A short stretch of expressway.

Quote from: cpzilliacus on October 03, 2013, 08:11:00 PM

Quote from: kj3400 on September 18, 2013, 10:57:28 PM
MD: US 40, since it goes through everything from mountains to rural areas to cities like Frederick and Baltimore, and still manages a nice jog beside the Bay.

Maryland is tough, because "obvious" choices like U.S. 1, I-95 and U.S. 301 do not come close to the mountainous parts of the state. 

U.S. 50 runs through the D.C. suburbs and past Annapolis (but does not come close to Baltimore City) and a long run across the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, and thanks to its discontinuous section in southern Garrett County, also covers the mountainous part of the state (indeed, I believe the highest  point on the Maryland numbered highway network is U.S. 50 crossing the crest of Backbone Mountain (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=redhouse+md&ll=39.301428,-79.415274&spn=0.019959,0.038581&hnear=Redhouse&t=p&z=15&layer=c&cbll=39.301426,-79.415146&panoid=zsupZMH9HhdRNGb1rrp5jg&cbp=12,297.68,,0,3.08) and the Eastern Continental Divide).

What was wrong with U.S. 40, in your view?

Quote from: kkt on October 03, 2013, 10:57:59 PM

Quote from: Kacie Jane on September 19, 2013, 05:41:38 AM

Quote from: Bruce on September 19, 2013, 03:43:55 AM
In all honesty, I-90 represents a lot of Washington.

I can't disagree, but since none of the examples in the original post were freeways, I'll nominate US 2. Has more or less everything you'll find on I-90 with the exception of Lake Washington, and of the good noon-freeway candidates, it's the only one to serve the Puget Sound metro area. (If this were pre-1969, US 410 might have been a good candidate.)

These are reasonable choices, however I would choose WA 20.  Semi-desert, fields, and mountains, like US 2.  Smaller cities.  Salt water, ferryboat.  Dams, our water and power.  A short stretch of expressway.

I don't know... Personally, I'd require any answer to this question to serve at least one of the state's major cities.  Not necessarily the most major, but as much as I love SR 20, none of the towns along that route would make the grade for me.

I-90 for South Dakota. You see the Hills, the barren nothingness of central West River, and the flatlands. (a case could be made for SD 44 too)

I kinda like US 14 as a "quintessential option" for South Dakota.  Covers much of what I-90 does (heck, the western 112 miles are concurrent with I-90), plus goes through DeSmet (popularized by a certain author 80 years ago).

Forgot about that! More ideas could be SD 34 and SD 20...

Quote from: CentralCAroadgeek on September 19, 2013, 12:31:57 AM
CA 1: It goes through SoCal surf towns, rugged shoreline, strawberry and lettuce fields, more rugged shoreline, San Francisco, and redwoods. Very easily one of the most beautiful (yet potentially dangerous) drives in the Golden State.

California is difficult to sum up in a single road.  CA 1 is a great road, and does cover several important aspects of the state, but it leaves out any of the alpine areas or high mountain passes, and it leaves out the desert in the southern inland part of the state.

I was thinking of I-80.  Even though it's a less pleasant road to drive, at least it has a high mountain section, does cover forestland and cropland and hills and major metropolitan areas.  It reaches salt water, and it has a great bridge.  Still no desert, though.

Quote from: froggie on October 10, 2013, 12:07:21 AM
I kinda like US 14 as a "quintessential option" for South Dakota.  Covers much of what I-90 does (heck, the western 112 miles are concurrent with I-90), plus goes through DeSmet (popularized by a certain author 80 years ago).

I would go with US-16.  it covers the Black Hills more accurately.  that said, it is tough to drive all of 16 - 14 is easier to follow these days, so I would agree it's a perfectly cromulent choice.

Quote from: froggie on October 10, 2013, 12:07:21 AM
I kinda like US 14 as a "quintessential option" for South Dakota.  Covers much of what I-90 does (heck, the western 112 miles are concurrent with I-90), plus goes through DeSmet (popularized by a certain author 80 years ago).

Mrs. theline would vote for US 14. We had to go through DeSmet when we toured SD nearly 3 decades ago, because of her lifelong devotion to that same author. Thanks for the mention of that--it brought back some good memories.

Quote from: wphiii on October 08, 2013, 11:25:50 AM

Quote from: cpzilliacus on October 03, 2013, 08:11:00 PM

Quote from: kj3400 on September 18, 2013, 10:57:28 PM
MD: US 40, since it goes through everything from mountains to rural areas to cities like Frederick and Baltimore, and still manages a nice jog beside the Bay.

Maryland is tough, because "obvious" choices like U.S. 1, I-95 and U.S. 301 do not come close to the mountainous parts of the state. 

U.S. 50 runs through the D.C. suburbs and past Annapolis (but does not come close to Baltimore City) and a long run across the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, and thanks to its discontinuous section in southern Garrett County, also covers the mountainous part of the state (indeed, I believe the highest  point on the Maryland numbered highway network is U.S. 50 crossing the crest of Backbone Mountain (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=redhouse+md&ll=39.301428,-79.415274&spn=0.019959,0.038581&hnear=Redhouse&t=p&z=15&layer=c&cbll=39.301426,-79.415146&panoid=zsupZMH9HhdRNGb1rrp5jg&cbp=12,297.68,,0,3.08) and the Eastern Continental Divide).

What was wrong with U.S. 40, in your view?

Except for Frederick County, it does not traverse the D.C. suburbs.

Quote from: kkt on October 10, 2013, 01:02:42 PM

Quote from: CentralCAroadgeek on September 19, 2013, 12:31:57 AM
CA 1: It goes through SoCal surf towns, rugged shoreline, strawberry and lettuce fields, more rugged shoreline, San Francisco, and redwoods. Very easily one of the most beautiful (yet potentially dangerous) drives in the Golden State.

California is difficult to sum up in a single road.  CA 1 is a great road, and does cover several important aspects of the state, but it leaves out any of the alpine areas or high mountain passes, and it leaves out the desert in the southern inland part of the state.

I was thinking of I-80.  Even though it's a less pleasant road to drive, at least it has a high mountain section, does cover forestland and cropland and hills and major metropolitan areas.  It reaches salt water, and it has a great bridge.  Still no desert, though.

I think it would be hard for all the larger states to be summed up in one road, particularly California with the sheer diversity of topography. If I had to choose I would say the coastline figures more prominently in most peoples' minds than the desert or mountains.

That said, I would nominate U.S. 101:
-Downtown Los Angeles
-Four-Level Interchange
-Hollywood
-San Fernando Valley
-Ventura County Coast
-Santa Barbara
-Central Coast Wine Country
-Salinas Valley/Steinbeck Country
-Silicon Valley
-San Francisco
-Golden Gate Bridge
-Redwood Country

For many of the "iconic" areas US-101 misses (Central Valley, Napa Valley, Big Sur coast) there are good substitutes (Salinas Valley, Central Coast, Ventura and Humboldt coasts). It has historical merit as the primary path of El Camino Real. Plus, the road itself gives you everything from rural two-lane highway to major urban freeway. No deserts or alpine terrain, but other than that I think it covers quite a bit.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 10, 2013, 01:28:03 PM
I would go with US-16.  it covers the Black Hills more accurately.  that said, it is tough to drive all of 16 - 14 is easier to follow these days, so I would agree it's a perfectly cromulent choice.

It can't be US 16, that highway doesn't go anywhere east of Rapid City. My vote for South Dakota would have to be Interstate 90. Despite it not getting as much of the Black Hills as US 16 does, it covers both them and the flatter terrain of East River, as well as hitting the state's two largest cities, something US 14 doesn't do (you have to know that Sioux Falls is absolutely nothing like the rest of South Dakota for this to make sense).

In North Dakota, there isn't much of a discrepancy in terrain anywhere except a few small, low mountain ranges here and there, and the one highway that captures all of the terrain is Interstate 94, which also passes by the state's largest city, and the capital, as well as what is arguably North Dakota's most popular tourist destination, Medora. This would make it my vote for the quintessential highway of North Dakota

In Minnesota, I have to agree with MN 23, although I have to wonder whether or not that counts because, remember, it passes through Wisconsin.

Quote from: TCN7JM on October 11, 2013, 07:31:31 PM

Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 10, 2013, 01:28:03 PM
I would go with US-16.  it covers the Black Hills more accurately.  that said, it is tough to drive all of 16 - 14 is easier to follow these days, so I would agree it's a perfectly cromulent choice.

It can't be US 16, that highway doesn't go anywhere east of Rapid City. My vote for South Dakota would have to be Interstate 90. Despite it not getting as much of the Black Hills as US 16 does, it covers both them and the flatter terrain of East River, as well as hitting the state's two largest cities, something US 14 doesn't do (you have to know that Sioux Falls is absolutely nothing like the rest of South Dakota for this to make sense).

In North Dakota, there isn't much of a discrepancy in terrain anywhere except a few small, low mountain ranges here and there, and the one highway that captures all of the terrain is Interstate 94, which also passes by the state's largest city, and the capital, as well as what is arguably North Dakota's most popular tourist destination, Medora. This would make it my vote for the quintessential highway of North Dakota

In Minnesota, I have to agree with MN 23, although I have to wonder whether or not that counts because, remember, it passes through Wisconsin.

For the sake of discussion, US 14 goes through the state's largest university. I agree with everything else. How is it hard to drive 16?

Quote from: SD Mapman on October 11, 2013, 08:08:57 PM
For the sake of discussion, US 14 goes through the state's largest university.

I did consider that, but then I realized the highway doesn't actually touch the campus, and it really just passes by a bunch of fast food restaurants (conveniently, I was up there earlier today).

Quote from: TCN7JM on October 11, 2013, 08:12:40 PM

Quote from: SD Mapman on October 11, 2013, 08:08:57 PM
For the sake of discussion, US 14 goes through the state's largest university. I agree with everything else. How is it hard to drive 16?

I did consider that, but then I realized the highway doesn't actually touch the campus, and it really just passes by a bunch of fast food restaurants (conveniently, I was up there earlier today).

It's two blocks south...

Must have been USD and SD 50 Business that I'm thinking of.

For Nevada, I would pick US 50, as I think it is one of the more diverse highways in the state.

It hits one of the major cities (Carson City, state capital). It has significant 2-lane sections like most of the state's routes, but also 4-lane sections and a short freeway section overlap also. It is part of two separate sections of state scenic byways, with traversing mountains and valleys with forested sections and arid deserts. US 50 has historical significance as a major section of the Lincoln Highway across the state, later comprising much of one of Nevada's first state highways (old SR 2). It may be "the Loneliest Road in America", but it has it's share of heavily traveled sections and desolation.

A previous post suggested U.S. 431 for Alabama, and while that's a good choice, there are two that I think might be as good, if not better.  U.S. 11 enters the state from Mississippi east of Meridian, and gives travelers the opportunity to see the northern edges of the state's historic Black Belt as well as Birmingham and two of larger mid-tier cities in the state: Tuscaloosa and Gadsden.  NE of Gadsden/Attalla, U.S. 11 travels through the foothills of the Appalachians through some very scenic vistas.  And while in Tuscaloosa, one can see the campus of the University of Alabama, visit the Paul Bryant Museum (spoken by an Auburn fan, BTW) and sample some of the best ribs you'll find anywhere at Dreamland.   While in Birmingham, one can visit the world-famous Civil Rights Institute.  Don't forget that in the pre-Interstate days, U.S. 11 was an important route nationally, as it extends from near New Orleans to border between New York and Quebec.  Of course U.S. 11 in Alabama has long-since been supplanted by I-59.

The quintessential main street of Alabama, though, is U.S. 31.  Its historic terminus was west of downtown Mobile, but today it begins about 15 miles east of downtown Mobile in Spanish Fort.  Today, U.S. 31 passes through both Montgomery (the first capital of the Confederacy, as well as the home of Rosa Parks and the historic Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King once pastored) and Birmingham, and comes within 20 miles of Huntsville.  Again, U.S. 31 offers a wide-ranging variety views along its 370 miles in the state.  While I-65 cuts a significant amount of distance and time off of one's travels, taking U.S. 31 is truly a trip through yesteryear. 

For Pennsylvania, it's U.S. 30 easily.

U.S. 30 starts in the west not far from the Ohio River, and passes near Pittsburgh International Airport before merging with U.S. 22. Those two highways both merge with I-376 soon thereafter, and all three pass through the Fort Pitt Tunnel and over the Fort Pitt Bridge for a spectacular entrance into downtown Pittsburgh.

East of Pittsburgh, U.S. 30 breaks away from I-376 and U.S. 22, and passes near the downtrodden Monongahela River Valley and what's left of the industry there. After that, it passes by Greensburg, the county seat of Westmoreland County, and Latrobe, where Rolling Rock used to be brewed, and where the Pittsburgh Steelers still have their training camp every summer at St. Vincent College.

After Latrobe, U.S. 30 enters the Laurel Highlands, passing by Idlewild Park and the small town of Ligonier before traversing much more difficult terrain, and entering a much more thinly-populated area of the state. It passes very close to the Flight 93 National Memorial, and also functions as an alternative to the Pennsylvania Turnpike between Bedford and Breezewood.

After passing through the infamous Breezewood, it traverses several ridges and valleys, and passes through McConnellsburg and Chambersburg en route to Gettysburg, home of the most visited, and arguably the most significant, Civil War battlefield in the United States.

Past Gettysburg, U.S. 30 enters York and passes by Harley-Davidson's busiest plant. Soon thereafter, it crosses the Susquehanna River and passes through Lancaster, the epicenter of Pennsylvania Dutch country. The towns of Strasburg and Intercourse are nearby as well.

As it leaves Pennsylvania Dutch country, U.S. 30 enters Chester County, which has the highest median household income of any county in Pennsylvania, and one of the 20 highest median household incomes of any county in the United States. It passes through or near nouveau riche enclaves like Downingtown, Glenmoore, Exton and West Chester, and then becomes the main route through the filthy rich "Main Line" suburbs before entering the city of Philadelphia.

Once it crosses the city limits, U.S. 30 suddenly enters the ghettos of West Philadelphia before briefly merging with I-76, and then I-676 through Center City. At that point it passes just south of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and just north of Philadelphia's "Chinatown" and the Pennsylvania Convention Center before arriving at historic Franklin Square. U.S. 30 then ends in the east by crossing the Delaware River on the Ben Franklin Bridge into New Jersey.

Along the way, U.S. 30 passes through the following county seats: Pittsburgh (Allegheny), Greensburg (Westmoreland), Bedford (Bedford), McConnellsburg (Fulton), Chambersburg (Franklin), Gettysburg (Adams), York (York), Lancaster (Lancaster), West Chester (Chester) and Philadelphia (Philadelphia).

I think US-30 would get my vote for PA as well. 

Quote from: Mr_Northside on November 21, 2013, 08:43:44 PM
I think US-30 would get my vote for PA as well. 

And yet US 30 is the least drivable road, end to end, in the state. US 6 isn't as representative, but I'd rather drive the original US 22 (much of which is a separate road now).

I don't know if any other Arkansans have weighed in, but for this state, I'd have to say US-65 or US-71. 

US-65 runs from the delta-proper, through the Capital City, on up into the Boston Mountains and Ozark National Forest.

US-71 runs up the western edge of the state, through the Ouachita Mountains, through one of the largest metropolitan areas (Fort Smith) up into the Boston Mountains through the Northwest Arkansas Metro area.  You can also see into Razorback Stadium as you crest the top of the hill at Exit 58 on I-540/US-71.

Honorable Mention: US-67 and AR-7

Quote from: wxfree on September 18, 2013, 11:51:23 PM
Texas: US 90.  It covers swamps, forests, big cities, the Hill Country, desert, and mountains.  One end sees hurricanes, and the other end sees snowstorms.  I-10 does all that, too, and goes a bit farther, but quintessential Texas is high speeds on very lonely two-lane roads, so I'd say US 90 wins.

Or at north to south, US 83. Not exactly a lonely road in a lot of places, but it covers the Panhandle to the Rio Grande.

Also, IMO, 90 misses the Hill Country by 10 miles or so. You can see the Balcones Escarpment, but the road itself is in some pretty flat terrain.

Quote from: djlynch on November 27, 2013, 12:12:37 AM

Quote from: wxfree on September 18, 2013, 11:51:23 PM
Texas: US 90.  It covers swamps, forests, big cities, the Hill Country, desert, and mountains.  One end sees hurricanes, and the other end sees snowstorms.  I-10 does all that, too, and goes a bit farther, but quintessential Texas is high speeds on very lonely two-lane roads, so I'd say US 90 wins.

Or at north to south, US 83. Not exactly a lonely road in a lot of places, but it covers the Panhandle to the Rio Grande.

Also, IMO, 90 misses the Hill Country by 10 miles or so. You can see the Balcones Escarpment, but the road itself is in some pretty flat terrain.

Hmm, US 83 is a good contender but it misses some of the eastern geography. I like US 281 for the coast, the Rio Grande valley, the Hill Country, and the central prairie. US 83, however, runs through desert, mountain and high plains that US 281 is too far east for. I'd agree, too, that US 90 doesn't quite catch the Hill Country.

To be completely honest, it'd probably be impossible for single road to capture everything Texas has to offer unless someone were to build a loop route around the entire state or something.

Quote from: TCN7JM on January 08, 2014, 08:02:07 AM
To be completely honest, it'd probably be impossible for single road to capture everything Texas has to offer unless someone were to build a loop route around the entire state or something.

I think we would need at least two. I'd go with US-83 and US-80 (non-truncated).