AARoads Forum

Following from the Interstates thread of the same name ...  Which US highways are of most importance to your state?


For Michigan:

US-23
US-131
US-31
US-10
US-12
US-127
US-2
US-41
US-141
US-24
US-45
US-223
US-8

Massachusetts:

1
20
3
6
44
7
202
5

Stab at Minnesota:

1. US 169
2. US 10
3. US 52
4. US 61
5. US 12
6. US 2
7. US 212
8. US 14
9. US 8
10. US 71
11. US 75
12. US 59
13. (tie) US 65/US 69

Historically 61 and 65 would have been higher before parts of their routes suffered decommissioning within the state.

God dammit, I forgot US 63. I'd probably put that inbetween US 71 and US 75.

Kentucky:

23
127
25E
119
27
150
Southern Alternate 41

The above are pretty much free-standing routes.

68
60
431
31E
31W
460
231
41

With one exception, the above routes are significant only in portions (the exception being 431, which doesn't have a freeway companion). The remaining portions of the rest of them either parallel freeways or don't serve a particularly important corridor.

79
51
421
641

There are really no alternatives to these routes, but they don't serve particularly vital through corridors.

25
42
62
25W

All the above parallel freeways for their entirety, except for 62. It's not the best route between the Mississippi River and Paducah (that's KY 286) and the segment northeast of Versailles is not really that important, except between I-64 and Cynthiana.

Northern Alternate 41
Alternate 60

No need for these routes to be on the US system.

I'd be hard-pressed to do a ranking for West Virginia. I'd think 22 would rank number one, since it's a full freeway for its entire length across the state. Then 35, because it's such a heavily used commercial transportation route. Then the completed part of 48. Other US routes are only significant in portions (19, 33, 50, 52, 119), parallel interstates (11, 40, 60) or are generally just not vital through routes of any consequence (30, 219, 250). I realize that doesn't account for 220, 340 and 522, which do get a decent amount of through traffic, but I'm not really sure where to rank them.

Not really sure about definite rankings for VA, so I'll sort them into tiers.

Tier 1: 29, 58, 460. Cross-state routes that are mostly independent from Interstates.
Tier 2: 1, 11, 60, 301. Cross-state routes that, while still important, have been diminished in importance somewhat by interstates.
Tier 3: 17, 19, 23, 50, 52, 211, 220, 360, 421. Routes that are regionally important, but either only serve a portion of the state or are only important in certain portions.
Tier 4: 15, 21, 33, 250, 258, 340, 501, 522. Serve as "backdoor routes", connecting areas served by other, more major highways.
Tier 5: 11EW, 48, 219, 311. Mostly unimportant stubs necessary for connectivity.

Quote from: Thing 342 on February 06, 2015, 10:03:20 PM
Not really sure about definite rankings for VA, so I'll sort them into tiers.

Tier 1: 29, 58, 460. Cross-state routes that are mostly independent from Interstates.
Tier 2: 1, 11, 60, 301. Cross-state routes that, while still important, have been diminished in importance somewhat by interstates.
Tier 3: 17, 19, 23, 50, 52, 211, 220, 360, 421. Routes that are regionally important, but either only serve a portion of the state or are only important in certain portions.
Tier 4: 15, 21, 33, 250, 258, 340, 501, 522. Serve as "backdoor routes", connecting areas served by other, more major highways.
Tier 5: 11EW, 48, 219, 311. Mostly unimportant stubs necessary for connectivity.

You missed US 13, a very important route for those traveling from Hampton Roads to NYC.

Quote from: Pink Jazz on February 06, 2015, 10:13:35 PM

Quote from: Thing 342 on February 06, 2015, 10:03:20 PM
Not really sure about definite rankings for VA, so I'll sort them into tiers.

Tier 1: 29, 58, 460. Cross-state routes that are mostly independent from Interstates.
Tier 2: 1, 11, 60, 301. Cross-state routes that, while still important, have been diminished in importance somewhat by interstates.
Tier 3: 17, 19, 23, 50, 52, 211, 220, 360, 421. Routes that are regionally important, but either only serve a portion of the state or are only important in certain portions.
Tier 4: 15, 21, 33, 250, 258, 340, 501, 522. Serve as "backdoor routes", connecting areas served by other, more major highways.
Tier 5: 11EW, 48, 219, 311. Mostly unimportant stubs necessary for connectivity.

You missed US 13, a very important route for those traveling from Hampton Roads to NYC.

Crap. I had it in an earlier draft, but deleted it for some reason. Revised list:

Tier 1: 29, 58, 460. Cross-state routes that are mostly independent from Interstates.
Tier 2: 1, 11, 60, 301. Cross-state routes that, while still important, have been diminished in importance somewhat by interstates.
Tier 3: 13, 17, 19, 23, 50, 52, 211, 220, 360, 421. Routes that are regionally important, but either only serve a portion of the state or are only important in certain portions.
Tier 4: 15, 21, 33, 250, 258, 340, 501, 522. Serve as "backdoor routes", connecting areas served by other, more major highways.
Tier 5: 11EW, 48, 219, 311. Mostly unimportant stubs necessary for connectivity.

Quote from: Thing 342 on February 06, 2015, 10:15:44 PM

Crap. I had it in an earlier draft, but deleted it for some reason. Revised list:

Tier 1: 29, 58, 460. Cross-state routes that are mostly independent from Interstates.
Tier 2: 1, 11, 60, 301. Cross-state routes that, while still important, have been diminished in importance somewhat by interstates.
Tier 3: 13, 17, 19, 23, 50, 52, 211, 220, 360, 421. Routes that are regionally important, but either only serve a portion of the state or are only important in certain portions.
Tier 4: 15, 21, 33, 250, 258, 340, 501, 522. Serve as "backdoor routes", connecting areas served by other, more major highways.
Tier 5: 11EW, 48, 219, 311. Mostly unimportant stubs necessary for connectivity.

I would put US 13 in Tier 2, since it is the only major route on the Eastern Shore and is an important connector for Hampton Roads to the Northeast.

CT: 1, 6, 5, 7, 44, 202, 1A
RI: 1, 6, 44, 1A
DE: 13, 40, 113, 202, 301

California...

1st - US 101
2nd - US 50
3rd - US 395
T-4th - US 97, 95, 199, 6

Idahoooo is easy

1. 95 (Idaho's only road, likely the most important road in Idaho as it is the ONLY road, paved or unpaved, that connects northern and southern Idaho)
2. 20
3. 26
4. 93
5. 30
6. 91
7. 195 (very short, but serves an important role)
8. 12
9. 89
10. 2

Montana:
1. 2 (interesting juxtaposition, while 2 is of basically no use for people that live in Idaho beyond being the second fastest way to get from Sandpoint to Spokane, 2 is a very important east-west highway in Montana that is a very long distance from an interstate corridor. In Montana, 2 is still referred to as the Hi-Line, after the rail line that runs across the northern tier of the state)
2. 87 (connects Montana's two largest cities and the Hi-Line)
3. 93
4. 287
5. 12
6. 212
7. 89
8. 191
9. 20
10. 310

My view on Oregon:
US-97
US-26
US-20
US-101
US-30
US-395
US-199
US-197
US-730
US-95 (this one is pretty useless to Oregonians, more useful to ID and NV)

ITD doesn't even consider US 195 to enter Idaho. It's just a pair of ramps.

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394Stab at Minnesota:

1. US 169
2. US 10
3. US 52
4. US 61
5. US 12
6. US 2
7. US 212
8. US 14
9. US 8
10. US 71
11. US 75
12. US 59
13. (tie) US 65/US 69

I'd do something a bit different, including putting 71 higher since it's the longest route in the state:

1) US 10 (historically the busiest route in the state and one of the first to be mostly 4-laned)
2) US 169
3) US 52
4) US 2
5) US 71
6) US 12
7) US 61
8) US 14
9) US 59
10) US 212
11) US 75
12) US 63
13) US 8
14) US 218
15) US 65
16) US 69

You'd also forgotten US 218 on your list.


For Virginia, I'd keep Thing's tier idea, but would change some up:

Tier 1:  13, 15, 23, 29, 58, 460. Cross-state routes that are mostly independent from Interstates.
Tier 2:  1, 11, 17, 50, 60, 301. Cross-state routes that, while still important, have been diminished in importance somewhat by interstates.
Tier 3:  19, 48, 52, 211,219, 220, 360, 421. Routes that are regionally important, but either only serve a portion of the state or are only important in certain portions.
Tier 4:  21, 33, 250, 258, 340, 501, 522. Serve as "backdoor routes", connecting areas served by other, more major highways.
Tier 5: 11EW, 48, 219, 311. Mostly unimportant stubs necessary for connectivity.

The reason I bump most of these up is because they are not just cross-state, but are important for Virginia's connections to adjacent states.

For Vermont:

1) US 7
2) US 4
3) US 2
4) US 302
5) US 5

5 ranks low as it's almost completely redundant to I-91.


For Mississippi:

1) US 78
2) US 49 (with 49W)
3) US 61
4) US 82
5) US 45 (with ALT 45)
6) US 84
7) US 278 (was lower before its 1998 extension)
8) US 72
9) US 98
10) US 90 (mostly redundant to I-10)
11) US 49E (less important than 49W)
12) US 51 (redundant to I-55)
13) US 80 (redundant to I-20)
14) US 11 (redundant to I-59)
15) US 425 (redundant period in Mississippi)

I think US 49 is more valuable than 78 in Mississippi. Also, even though 90 is redundant to I-10, I'd put them second, due to the traffic it generates.

Washington:  101, 12, 2, 395, 97, 195, 730
Alaska:
Hawaii: 

New Hampshire:

3, 302, 202, 4, 1, 2

Rationale mostly based on what they serve and importance to longer distance travel (for trucking, hence why 302 and 202 as high as they are). 2 is barely there, despite carrying a lot of traffic between Vermont and Maine.

In Texas, it's something like the following:

59
75
290
281
183
287
83
84
90
80
77
67
87
380
377
54

The rest are markedly less important.

In WV, I would say, that first you have the Appalachian Corridors, which carry US numbers (50, 48, 19, 119, 460) and the other major roads (35 and 22).  The rest, including the non-corridor parts of those routes, are of no more significance or greater quality than a state route.

New York:

9 — Important in Westchester, surprisingly less so in the mid-Hudson Valley, big in the Capital District on up. GW Bridge.
11 — Major local route all along I-81, plus across the northern tier.
1 — Heavy local traffic on the Westchester shore, not to mention the GW Bridge.
20 — Vast extent, but avoids cities between Albany and Buffalo. Several redundant routes, including NY 5 for local traffic.
9W — Perhaps more important than 9 through the lower Hudson Valley, but spans less of the state overall.
6 — Local traffic in populous exurban areas, and the Bear Mountain Bridge.
15 — Part of an important corridor from Rochester/Buffalo to the interior mid-Atlantic.
202 — Similar to 6, but with a little less reach.
62 — Substantial between Buffalo and Niagara, a bit superfluous elsewhere.
219 — Not without merit, but feels kind of like a road to nowhere.
44 — A little aimless, but does have an important Hudson River crossing.
4 — Of some importance along the mid-upper Hudson, more so locally in Renssalaer County.
209 — Important, but to a very specific corridor.
20A — A road I actually like quite well, but it's largely remote.
2 — A way into Vermont; a crossing of Lake Champlain.
220 — Uhh...yeah.

I could be convinced to re-order this somewhat. BUS routes (62, 219) are excluded.

Pennsylvania

1. U.S. 30
2. U.S. 22
3. U.S. 322
4. U.S. 222
5. U.S. 422 (east)
6. U.S. 422 (west)
7. U.S. 202
8. U.S. 15
9. U.S. 219
10. U.S. 119
11. U.S. 6
12. U.S. 40
13. U.S. 209
14. U.S. 62
15. U.S. 522
16. U.S. 220
17. U.S. 1
18. U.S. 19
19. U.S. 11
20. U.S. 20
21. U.S. 13
22. U.S. 224
23. U.S. 206


Georgia

1. U.S. 19
2. U.S. 78
3. U.S. 23
4. U.S. 129
5. U.S. 441
6. U.S. 82
7. U.S. 84
8. U.S. 27
9. U.S. 341
10 U.S. 76
11. U.S. 280
12. U.S. 319
13. U.S. 301
14. U.S. 411
15. U.S. 221
16. U.S. 80
17. U.S. 25
18. U.S. 29
19. U.S. 278
20. U.S. 378
21. U.S. 123
22. U.S. 41
23. U.S. 17
24. U.S. 11


NOTE: Routes that have been functionally replaced for their entire lengths are shaded in RED.

Hmm... this is going to be a tricky one...

New Jersey:

1. US 1
This was a hard one, but the fact that US 1 runs with the Turnpike and I-95 near the George Washington Bridge makes it a no-brainer. It serves large amounts of areas directly, connecting Trenton all the way to New York, while still hitting Newark and New Brunswick in between.
2. US 202
I'm going to give 202 the benefit of the number two spot. As a principal route throughout the state, it connects many of the smaller towns to some of the more populated areas (such as Morristown), and also serves as a corridor connecting eastern Pennsylvania to New York State.
3. US 9
This is so high because of the shore traffic. Whenever people are going down the Jersey Shore, US 9 and the Garden State Parkway both explode in traffic volumes. Plus, US 9 runs concurrent with some of the Parkway as well, so I'm going to give US 9 the number three spot.
4. US 206
I hate this route, honestly, but it's extremely important. Thanks to the botched Somerset Freeway, 206 is the main corridor through "central" Jersey (apparently Central Jersey is a made-up thing; I don't think it is), connecting lots of small and large communities. It allows people from the Burlington / Atlantic County area to reach Trenton and the more rural-y parts of New Jersey (Sussex, Hunterdon, Warren Counties). Just look at the traffic volumes and you'll see how important this route is. You'll also see why a 2-lane bypass in Hillsborough is just a waste of money.
5. US 22
22 is a major corridor throughout central and northeastern New Jersey - connecting a lot of small towns to some of the big areas (such as Newark and Jersey City). It also provides access to Newark Liberty International Airport, so just by that alone, it's decently important.
6. US 46
In the western parts of the state, US 46 isn't too important. As you head east into the more urban parts of New Jersey, it changes dramatically.
7. US 30
Good connector route between Camden and Philadelphia and Atlantic City.
8. US 130
US 130 serves a lot of smaller towns in both Central and South Jersey, but it's importance is higher near the Deptford area, where it joins I-295 and continues south towards the Delaware border.
9. US 40
While it does provide a connection between Wilmington, Delaware and Atlantic City, there's not many large communities it serves in New Jersey.
10. US 322

Quote from: KEK Inc. on February 07, 2015, 07:50:16 AM
Alaska:
Hawaii: 

Rest of the world:

Alaska would have had US 97 if it got signed.

Alabama's tough, since interstate routes handle most of the traffic.  Here goes:

1.  US 231
2.  US 280
3.  US 331
4.  US 72
5.  US 431
6.  US 278
7.  US 80
8.  US 82

Most insignificant US routes in Alabama:

1.  US 29
2.  US 411
3.  US 43
4.  US 84

Formerly significant, now lost in the interstate shuffle:

1.  US 31
2.  US 78
3.  US 11

Barely in the state, do they really count?:

1.  US 90
2.  US 98
3.  US 45

My stab at Nebraska
1. US 81
2. US 275
3. US 77
4. US 20
5. US 30
6. US 6
7. US 281
8. US 34
9. US 83
10. US 385
11. US 136
12. US 26
13. US 183
14. US 283
15. US 73
16. US 159
17. US 138

Quote from: KEK Inc. on February 07, 2015, 07:50:16 AM
Washington:  101, 12, 2, 395, 97, 195, 730
Alaska:
Hawaii: 

Interesting- I would have done the same order generally, but put US 101 after US 395. My reasoning for that is that 101 doesn't have the same draw in Washington as it does  in Oregon and California- folks generally don't drive up and down the length of the coast because the views just aren't there- they drive east/west from I-5 to their destination without spending much time on 101.

The exception to that is obviously the Olympic Peninsula, and 101 certainly is important there since it's the only highway, so I agree it's definitely an important route, but the very most important route? I have a hard time with that one. 395 beats for me because the Tri-Cities to Spokane connector is sooo visibly important. 97 goes just below 101 for me because while 97 north of I-90 serves more population than US 101 on the Olympic Peninsula, there are other roads- if US 97 was eliminated from the map, it would suck, but there would still be other ways to access those areas.

I'd also be tempted to move 2 lower. It does traverse the width of the state, but without ever being truly important. I-90 is generally close enough to serve much of the same purpose (90 to 97 being the fastest route to Wenatchee for everybody south of about Shoreline), and then SR 28 goes through the areas in the east-central part of the state that actually have population. There aren't too many reasons to drive US 2 across the state unless you're just trying to drive US 2 across the state.

I think I'd rank as follows, now that I think about it:
1. 12
2. 395
3. 101
4. 97
5. 2
6. 195
7. 730

KEK is a Twilight fan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forks,_Washington). Point and laugh.

US-101 is important for logging.  US-2 gets a lot of traffic in snohomish county and Stevens pass is popular in the winter. 


iPhone

Quote from: KEK Inc. on February 08, 2015, 01:35:59 PM
US-101 is important for logging.  US-2 gets a lot of traffic in snohomish county and Stevens pass is popular in the winter. 


iPhone

The logging argument could just as easily be made for 97 and 395- those areas are logging central, especially since those areas aren't as hampered by pesky National Parks.

Agreed for sure that the important part of 2 is from Everett to the top of Stevens Pass, but...I dunno- that's not very much distance over the course of the whole route. Whereas the others have more statewide relevance, 2's relevance is pretty localized, which for me knocks it down. There's very few point A to point B routings within the state that result in driving on US 2 (basically north of Shoreline to Stevens Pass, Leavenworth, or Wenatchee and south of Shoreline to Stevens Pass) for any significant distance. While Stevens Pass is certainly important, there's many other popular ski areas in Washington so I don't know that "access to a ski area" is something that would render a route significantly more important.

Even a route like US-730, which I wouldn't argue is more important than 2 and agree with your placement at the bottom of the list, has a good chunk of statewide relevance- traffic headed from Pullman/Clarkston/Walla Walla would use it to get to Portland and Vancouver WA, which makes it an important regional connector- moreso than 2 is. 730 serves a lot fewer people and is quite short, which knocks it down and 2 up the list for me, but that's kind of where I'm coming from.

Not sure how I would rank Arizona's U.S. routes, although the top two are probably US 60 and US 93.

Leavenworth is also a popular tourist destination, and I've used 2 instead of I-90 from the Gorge Amphitheater to get home in Seattle due to traffic.

US-101 has tourist destinations such as the coast, Long Beach, and of course the Olympics.

I live in Seattle near NE 75th St. and if the drive might involve weekday traffic between 7 AM and 7 PM I'd usually be better off taking SR 522 up to US 2 rather than through downtown Seattle.

Us-101
US-50

Us-395
US-6

Important US Routes in California

But there are defunct US routes in California such as 99, 66, 91, 40, 80.

Quote from: bing101 on February 12, 2015, 06:36:07 PM
Us-101
US-50

Us-395
US-6

Important US Routes in California

But there are defunct US routes in California such as 99, 66, 91, 40, 80.

199?  97?

Quote from: kkt on February 12, 2015, 06:44:01 PM

Quote from: bing101 on February 12, 2015, 06:36:07 PM
Us-101
US-50

Us-395
US-6

Important US Routes in California

But there are defunct US routes in California such as 99, 66, 91, 40, 80.

199?  97?

And 95

I'm going to take a shot for Arkansas:
US 65
US 67
US 71
US 62
US 63
US 64
US 70
US 82
US 61
US 79
US 167
US 270
US 412
US 165
US 49
US 278
US 425
US 371
US 271
US 59 the "leach" since it runs concurrent with another US highway for the entire length

I'm going to do all of New England, combined (no alternates):

US 1
US 6
US 2
US 44
US 3
US 7
US 4
US 20
US 202
US 302
US 5
US 201

(I did not include US 9 because destinations starting and ending in New England but passing through New York will often use either NY 22 or I-87, but rarely US 9.)

South Dakota: For residents
US 14
US 12
US 212
US 18
US 83
US 281
US 81 (would be higher, but I-29 happened)
US 385
US 16 (same here, but I-90 happened)
US 14A
US 16A
US 85

For tourists:
Tie: US 385/16/16A
US 14A and the Exit 17 to Deadwood portion of US 85






Everything else

Quote from: Zeffy on February 07, 2015, 12:00:49 PM
Hmm... this is going to be a tricky one...

New Jersey:

1. US 1
This was a hard one, but the fact that US 1 runs with the Turnpike and I-95 near the George Washington Bridge makes it a no-brainer. It serves large amounts of areas directly, connecting Trenton all the way to New York, while still hitting Newark and New Brunswick in between.
2. US 202
I'm going to give 202 the benefit of the number two spot. As a principal route throughout the state, it connects many of the smaller towns to some of the more populated areas (such as Morristown), and also serves as a corridor connecting eastern Pennsylvania to New York State.
3. US 9
This is so high because of the shore traffic. Whenever people are going down the Jersey Shore, US 9 and the Garden State Parkway both explode in traffic volumes. Plus, US 9 runs concurrent with some of the Parkway as well, so I'm going to give US 9 the number three spot.
4. US 206
I hate this route, honestly, but it's extremely important. Thanks to the botched Somerset Freeway, 206 is the main corridor through "central" Jersey (apparently Central Jersey is a made-up thing; I don't think it is), connecting lots of small and large communities. It allows people from the Burlington / Atlantic County area to reach Trenton and the more rural-y parts of New Jersey (Sussex, Hunterdon, Warren Counties). Just look at the traffic volumes and you'll see how important this route is. You'll also see why a 2-lane bypass in Hillsborough is just a waste of money.
5. US 22
22 is a major corridor throughout central and northeastern New Jersey - connecting a lot of small towns to some of the big areas (such as Newark and Jersey City). It also provides access to Newark Liberty International Airport, so just by that alone, it's decently important.
6. US 46
In the western parts of the state, US 46 isn't too important. As you head east into the more urban parts of New Jersey, it changes dramatically.
7. US 30
Good connector route between Camden and Philadelphia and Atlantic City.
8. US 130
US 130 serves a lot of smaller towns in both Central and South Jersey, but it's importance is higher near the Deptford area, where it joins I-295 and continues south towards the Delaware border.
9. US 40
While it does provide a connection between Wilmington, Delaware and Atlantic City, there's not many large communities it serves in New Jersey.
10. US 322

I'd put US 322 above US 40 - it serves two colleges (Rowan University and Atlantic Cape Community College), is a major commuter bridge in the Philly area (and unlike 40, isn't multiplexed with an interstate for said bridge), and is a major route for ACE shunpiking (NJ 73 to 322 for AC and south). US 40... well, it goes through Millmay (which is a joke even to its own residents).

US 130 is very significant north of where it diverges from I-295.

i'm going to say both of us are suffering from familiarity bias; you have all the south jersey routes at the bottom of the list, whereas I'd throw 22 and 46 much closer to the bottom (22 follows I-78 for its entire length, moving through traffic off of it, while 46 parallels I-80 in its eastern half).

US 40 should stay dead last, though. it's a 2-lane rural highway through "pretty much Alabama" (http://i.imgur.com/Pwnf4.jpg).

Quote from: 1 on February 12, 2015, 09:08:03 PM
I'm going to do all of New England, combined (no alternates):

US 1
US 6
US 2
US 44
US 3
US 7
US 4
US 20
US 202
US 302
US 5
US 201

(I did not include US 9 because destinations starting and ending in New England but passing through New York will often use either NY 22 or I-87, but rarely US 9.)

I thought you didn't include US 9 because it doesn't run through any of the 6 New England states.

Quote from: corco on February 07, 2015, 01:32:58 AM
Idahoooo is easy

1. 95 (Idaho's only road, likely the most important road in Idaho as it is the ONLY road, paved or unpaved, that connects northern and southern Idaho)
....

It's an honorary part of Canada?

---

Quote from: froggie on February 07, 2015, 07:15:38 AM
....

For Virginia, I'd keep Thing's tier idea, but would change some up:

Tier 1:  13, 15, 23, 29, 58, 460. Cross-state routes that are mostly independent from Interstates.
Tier 2:  1, 11, 17, 50, 60, 301. Cross-state routes that, while still important, have been diminished in importance somewhat by interstates.
Tier 3:  19, 48, 52, 211,219, 220, 360, 421. Routes that are regionally important, but either only serve a portion of the state or are only important in certain portions.
Tier 4:  21, 33, 250, 258, 340, 501, 522. Serve as "backdoor routes", connecting areas served by other, more major highways.
Tier 5: 11EW, 48, 219, 311. Mostly unimportant stubs necessary for connectivity.

The reason I bump most of these up is because they are not just cross-state, but are important for Virginia's connections to adjacent states.

I think I agree with all this except I might bump 48 down to "Tier 4" because the Virginia portion is in no way comparable to West Virginia's portion and a surprising number of people have no idea it's an option. I'm always surprised at how many people I know continue to use US-50, or even I-70 and I-68 to Cumberland, to go from the DC area to West Virginia's Canaan Valley (US-48 is much faster). I think they just don't know about Route 48 because there's nothing in Virginia to clue you in to it being a good option. If more people knew about the option, I'd certainly agree it is a road that should be higher in the pecking order.

I'd probably bump US 19 up in Virginia. With the exception of the US 11 concurrency, which is parallel to I-81, US 19 is entirely four lanes and pretty much built to the same standards as the four-lane US 23, 58, Alt. 58 and 460 in that region of the state. It's certainly deserving of a higher ranking than US 52, which is paralleled entirely by I-77.

US highway ranking in Illinois outside of the Chicago area in downstate Illinois.

US 67, which isn’t paralleled by any interstates through most it’s 213 mile length in IL from Alton to Rock Island.

US 20, especially west of Rockford

US 50, which isn’t paralleled by any interstates west of the St Louis area

US 24, which isn't paralleled by any interstates

US 34, especially west of Galesburg

US 51 south of Bloomington

US 30

US 45

US 52

US 54

I’d say these are the least important US highways in Illinois since these, with the exception of US 60 and 62, are entirely paralleled by interstates

US 6, paralleled by I-80

US 40, paralleled by I-70

US 150, paralleled by I-74

US 60, which is in Illinois for less than a mile and concurrent with US 62

US 62, which is in Illinois for less than a mile and concurrent with US 60

Importance of US highways in the Chicago area

US 20
US 12
US 14
US 41
US 45
US 34
US 30
US 52
US 6

Nevada (leaving out the alternate routes):


US 95 - longest highway in the state, major freeway in Las Vegas, and main north/south route in state (including main connection between biggest population centers in the state)

US 395 - main route connecting population centers in western part of state

US 93 - second longest highway in the state, major freeways in Las Vegas (although overlapped), but comprises the Vegas/Phoenix connection, only other statewide north-south corridor

US 50 - main east-west corridor in central Nevada, main connection to Lake Tahoe, tourism via "The Loneliest Road"

US 6 - most sparsely traveled US route in the state (except on the overlaps)

Quote from: myosh_tino on February 07, 2015, 01:29:24 AM
California...

1st - US 101
2nd - US 50
3rd - US 395
T-4th - US 97, 95, 199, 6

I would flip US-50 and US-395. 

Indiana:

1) US 31 - the northern half is the primary route between Indy and SB with no companion interstate (yet)
2) US 30 - connects NWI with Fort Wayne and serves many secondary cities (Plymouth, Warsaw, etc.) in between
3) US 41 - connects NWI with Terre Haute and Evansville
4) US 50 - primary E/W route in mid-southern part of the state
5) US 20 - very heavily traveled but also closely paralleled by I-80/90
6) US 231 - primary N/S route in SW part of state
7) US 24 - Fort Wayne to Logansport section very important
8) US 421 - primary route from Madison to I-74@Greensburg
9) US 150 - lots of vacation traffic between Louisville area and French Lick area
10) US 36 - Doesn't hit many big cities but crosses the entire state and not paralleled closely by an interstate
11) US 6 - Crosses entire state but closely paralleled by more heavily traveled US 20 and US 30
12) US 35 - Mostly relevant between Kokomo and Michigan City
13) US 33 - Elkhart-Fort Wayne connection
14) US 27 - Fort Wayne-Richmond connection
15) US 52 - paralleled mostly by I-65 and I-74
16) US 40 - very historic, but paralleled by I-70
17) US 136 - paralleled by I-74
18) US 12 - not very long and paralleled by I-94
19) US 224 - not very long and doesn't serve any significant cities
20) US 131 - don't blink or you'll miss it

Maryland:

50
301
29
1
15
340
40
13
113
219
220
522
222
11


iPhone

I'm not as familiar with US routes, but I'd imagine the top three in South Carolina would be US 17, US 1 and US 176.

Over half of US 1's mileage in South Carolina has been usurped by I-20 (and US 176 to a lesser extent by I-26), so I wouldn't put it in the top three there.  I agree with US 17.  I'd add US 52, US 25, US 278, and US 76 to round out a "top five".

I will add to lyons Illinois list His top ones (67,34,20,30,50 and 51) all have some 4 lane study . He missed US 136 not one of the big ones but above the  parallel ones
BTW Illinois 116 used to be US 124 hardly a major . For some reason Illinois was not big on 3 digit US routes

Here's WI's analysis high to low:
41 (at least until it's Interstate buddy comes online)
10
53
2
151
141
8
63
14
61
18
45
12 (about half alongside freeway)
51 (nearly all alongside an Interstate south of Wausau)

I think it would be hard to judge the importance of Kansas' U.S. routes. U.S. 40, 50 and 81 have had their importance diminished in part by interstates. The interstates link Wichita to both Topeka and Kansas City. Before I-35 and I-335 existed, no one U.S. highway did that and the ones that did were fairly indirect.

50 and 54 would be the most important in my mind. Then 69. Beyond that, I don't know if any one is more important than any other.

Quote from: empirestate on February 07, 2015, 10:55:40 AM
New York:

9 — Important in Westchester, surprisingly less so in the mid-Hudson Valley, big in the Capital District on up. GW Bridge.
11 — Major local route all along I-81, plus across the northern tier.
1 — Heavy local traffic on the Westchester shore, not to mention the GW Bridge.
20 — Vast extent, but avoids cities between Albany and Buffalo. Several redundant routes, including NY 5 for local traffic.
9W — Perhaps more important than 9 through the lower Hudson Valley, but spans less of the state overall.
6 — Local traffic in populous exurban areas, and the Bear Mountain Bridge.
15 — Part of an important corridor from Rochester/Buffalo to the interior mid-Atlantic.
202 — Similar to 6, but with a little less reach.
62 — Substantial between Buffalo and Niagara, a bit superfluous elsewhere.
219 — Not without merit, but feels kind of like a road to nowhere.
44 — A little aimless, but does have an important Hudson River crossing.
4 — Of some importance along the mid-upper Hudson, more so locally in Renssalaer County.
209 — Important, but to a very specific corridor.
20A — A road I actually like quite well, but it's largely remote.
2 — A way into Vermont; a crossing of Lake Champlain.
220 — Uhh...yeah.

I could be convinced to re-order this somewhat. BUS routes (62, 219) are excluded.

At this point, I'd knock US 15 to the bottom as most signage pertaining to it in New York has been replaced with I-99 shields. I agree with the top 4 and the order is really a matter of preference. US 4 is pretty important north of NY 149, as it is the main connection between Vermont and the non-New England states. You'd be surprised at how much usage that short stretch of roadway gets. 62 is pretty redundant (and, for most purposes, bypassed), so I'd knock it down a bit. 44 spends most of its time with NY 55, possibly meriting a demotion.

2 and 220 are barely in the state long enough to warrant a mention, but 2 is the more important of them. 20A should be a state route at this point to discourage the truck traffic.

US-101
US-395
US-50

Historically,

US-99 was arguably more important than US-101.

Quote from: Quillz on March 03, 2015, 10:32:13 PM
US-101
US-395
US-50

Historically,

US-99 was arguably more important than US-101.

What about US 6, US 97, US 199 and US 95?

Quote from: cl94 on March 03, 2015, 10:19:02 PM
At this point, I'd knock US 15 to the bottom as most signage pertaining to it in New York has been replaced with I-99 shields. I agree with the top 4 and the order is really a matter of preference. US 4 is pretty important north of NY 149, as it is the main connection between Vermont and the non-New England states. You'd be surprised at how much usage that short stretch of roadway gets. 62 is pretty redundant (and, for most purposes, bypassed), so I'd knock it down a bit. 44 spends most of its time with NY 55, possibly meriting a demotion.

2 and 220 are barely in the state long enough to warrant a mention, but 2 is the more important of them. 20A should be a state route at this point to discourage the truck traffic.

But you'd knock 15 even below them? Or did you only mean toward the bottom?

Regardless of which, it looks like you've given a little more weight than I to the routes' prominence, as exemplified, perhaps by signage. As long as US 15 still exists on the corridor, I rank it the same, whether it's mostly overshadowed by I-99 or not. Similarly, NY 17 is still a tremendously important route, even though quite a lot of it is co-signed with I-86. When it gets truncated, then it will stop being such an important route, but for now, it's still designated for over 400 miles. In fact, you may say that the addition of I-86 (or I-99) to the corridor adds to the route's importance rather than diminishes it–and perhaps the same can be said for US 44: it's obviously an important enough corridor that not only was US 44 assigned to it, but NY 55 as well.

But yeah, I could definitely see US 4 being higher and 62 a little lower. As for 20A, the fact that there is so much commercial traffic suggests maybe I've ranked it too low...

Here's my stab at Louisiana. I'd welcome some feedback. Certain ones I could move up and down the list depending on our views of importance. Especially the ones that parallel interstates. (80,61,51,11)

90 - Busiest corridor whether between Lafayette and New Iberia or the Westbank and it's being turned into freeway. Major hurricane evac route
190 - Opelousas to Baton Rouge is heavily traveled, it is the back up route for I-10 swamp bridge. Also BR and suburbs and Northshore region heavily uses 190
61 - It's paralleled by interstate, but it is a major highway in BR and NO and is still used heavily as an I-10 secondary route and for refineries
165 - Largely traveled between SW-NE corridor. Now that it is mostly 4 laned it serves that traffic better.
167 - Similar to 165 in that is is mostly 4 laned and stretches north-south across the state, but from Alexandria to Lafayette it is largely covered by I-49
425 - Bad number, but fairly important corridor. From Monroe northward it's the way to AR and Little Rock. South, it's the way to Baton Rouge via Natchez, MS
171 - North South connector for Western LA, connects mostly smaller cities, but reaches into Shreveport and Lake Charles. Also serves Fort Polk
84 - Mainly connects smaller towns through the center of Louisiana. Crosses into TX and MS. I'd think Mansfield, Winnfield, and Ferriday/Vidalia use it most
71 - Has lost a lot of significance since I-49, although it serves towns on the east side of Red River. Still a major highway in Alexandria and Shreveport/Bossier
80 - A very important historical highway largely in I-20's shadow. Still a busy street in parts of Bossier City, Monroe/West Monroe, and smaller cities
79 - THE way from Shreveport to Houston and serves a lot of truck traffic from I-20 to TX state line. Less traveled from Minden northeast to El Dorado and AR
51 - Largely shadowed by I-55 but important to Hammond and Ponchatoula region
65 - I'd put this lightly traveled highway further down, but many from central LA use it as the fastest way to I-20 traveling to Mississippi or Memphis
371 - a convoluted route, esp. from Coushatta back to I-49, but also the highway as a whole does not serve much purpose. There are many alternatives to US 71
11 - shortest of US routes in Louisiana, shadowed by I-59 and I-10, but a useful street for Slidell
63 - Completely duplexed with US 167 and useless to Louisiana.

Quote from: national highway 1 on March 04, 2015, 12:00:40 AM

Quote from: Quillz on March 03, 2015, 10:32:13 PM
US-101
US-395
US-50

Historically,

US-99 was arguably more important than US-101.

What about US 6, US 97, US 199 and US 95?

Where would I rank them in importance?

Presently, probably would do something like: 95, 97, 6, 199. Historically, probably put 6 ahead of 95, as well as 91, 80, 70, 60 and 40.

Quote from: Quillz on March 03, 2015, 10:32:13 PM
Historically, US-99 was arguably more important than US-101.

I don't think it's even arguable than US-99 was more important...

For Connecticut:

US 1: Follows the I-95 corridor and passes through most of the largest cities.
US 6: Follows the I-84 corridor and is important in Danbury and Hartford.
US 5: Follows the I-91 corridor and is important in New Haven and Hartford.
US 44: Is mostly by itself throughout the state, is important in the Hartford area.
US 7: Connects Norwalk and southern CT to Danbury and the small towns north of there. It's mostly a rural road except for the section between Norwalk and New Milford.
US 202: Mostly a rural road and is usually cosigned with another route for most of it's length.

Here 's  a stab  at New Mexico's US Highways hierarchy:
1. US 550  heavily traveled  route between  the Four Corners and  the big cities in NM
2. US 84/285, Santa Fe' connection  to Los Alamos  & the North
3. US 70, four lane most of the way across southern NM
4. US 54, El Paso  connector  to the Texas Panhandle & the Midwest
5. US  491, aka the devils highway  old US 666
6. US 285  major north - south connector  for the east side of the state
7.  US 64/87,  now four lane  all the way  to the Texas border, used mostly  as a route from  Dallas to Denver, seldom see any NM  cars on this  highway
8.  US 62/180,  used  by the oil  trucks  mostly
9.  US 60, pre-interstate  route to Phoenix
10.  US  380
11.  US 180
12.  US 56/412
  And, that's the way  I see it.  Questions, disputes?

Here's the list for Utah:

US-89
US-6
US-40
US-191
US-91
US-50
US-189
US-89A

Maine:

1) US 1
2) US 1
3) US 1
4) US 202
5) US 2
6) US 302
7) US 201 (only useful when travelling to Quebec City)

Quote from: xotoxi on March 05, 2015, 03:21:13 PM
Maine:

1) US 1
2) US 1
3) US 1
4) US 202
5) US 2
6) US 302
7) US 201 (only useful when travelling to Quebec City)

2 goes above 202. (202 is almost always overlapped with something else.)

Quote from: 1 on March 05, 2015, 03:25:07 PM

Quote from: xotoxi on March 05, 2015, 03:21:13 PM
Maine:

1) US 1
2) US 1
3) US 1
4) US 202
5) US 2
6) US 302
7) US 201 (only useful when travelling to Quebec City)

2 goes above 202. (202 is almost always overlapped with something else.)

I'm still of the mindset that overlapping indicates greater importance, not lesser. If the highway is so unimportant, why is it followed by so many routes? (The GW Bridge is overlapped by I-95, US 1 and US 9, all of which are pretty darn important.)

Quote from: 1 on March 05, 2015, 03:25:07 PM

Quote from: xotoxi on March 05, 2015, 03:21:13 PM
Maine:

1) US 1
2) US 1
3) US 1
4) US 202
5) US 2
6) US 302
7) US 201 (only useful when travelling to Quebec City)

2 goes above 202. (202 is almost always overlapped with something else.)

Good point...however I was more thinking of these in terms of amount of travel on them.

And if you went by density of travel, I think 302 would move up to the second place after 1.

I can think of 6 US highways in CA, a state more known for its interstates and CA route freeways (some were former US routes 40, 66, 60, 70, 80, 91 and 99, along with pikes 299, 399 and 466).

1. US 101 (most famous, predominantly a freeway, ends in L.A.)
2. US 50 (goes to Sacramento VA and Carson City NV, state capitals).
3. US 6 (a small part, enters NV).
4. US 395 (eastern Sierras, 2 parts in CA, NV in between-Reno).
5. US 95 (along the Colorado River, AZ stateline).
and 6. US 97 (from non-freeway 101 to the OR border).

Florida:
1.  US 301 (Provides a direct, fairly fast route from Jacksonville to the Tampa Bay area, bypassing Orlando.)
2.  US 27 (An important trucking route right down the center of the peninsula to Miami.)
3.  US 1 (This was once the king of US highways.  It's still a major thoroughfare for all coastal towns from Jax to Key West.)
4.  US 441 (Another key interior highway.  A major street through the Orlando area and south Florida.)
5.  US 41 (From Tampa to Naples, this is the west coast equivalent of US 1.  Also serves as the most enjoyable route across the Everglades.)
6.  US 17 (Serves many cities and towns in the interior of the peninsula.  Bonus points for several scenic stretches.)
7.  US 98 (If I'm not mistaken this is the longest highway in the state.  Provides lovely scenery along the Panhandle.  Eventually slashes across the state to its terminus in WPB.)
8.  US 90 (Connects Jax to Pensacola.  Sure it's largely paralleled by I-10, but it is Main Street for many cities and towns.)
9.  US 231 (Panama City is the largest FL city without an interstate.  US 231 serves as its lifeline to points north.)
10. US 19 (Is largely multiplexed with others mentioned above, but from Spring Hill south, it is a major road.  Plus it was the original Sunshine Skyway.)

Honorable Mention: US 92 (Sure it parallels I-4 for most of its length and is multiplexed with 17 for over 80 miles, but it's a major route in Daytona, Orlando, and Tampa Bay.)

Man, do I miss those colored signs!

Quote from: roadman on February 10, 2017, 12:23:58 PM

Quote from: SectorZ on February 07, 2015, 08:46:01 AM
New Hampshire:

3, 302, 202, 4, 1, 2

Rationale mostly based on what they serve and importance to longer distance travel (for trucking, hence why 302 and 202 as high as they are). 2 is barely there, despite carrying a lot of traffic between Vermont and Maine.

Bumped this because the subject was mentioned in another thread.  Based on your rationale, I'd add 101, if only for the Manchester to Hampton portion.

The lists are for US routes only. NH 101 isn't a US route.

There's not very many in Washington.

2
101
395
195
97
197
730

Maryland:

50
301
1
13
40
29
219
113
15
340
220
222
11
522

Quote from: TXtoNJ on February 07, 2015, 09:23:16 AM
In Texas, it's something like the following:

59
75
290
281
183
287
83
84
90
80
77
67
87
380
377
54

The rest are markedly less important.

57 lol
181!

I've ranked these based on the degree of utilization by thru traffic, not necessarily passive traffic using them after exiting an interstate to get to a local business.

CT:
6
44
7
5
1
202

MA:
20
1
3
6
7
5
44

RI:
1/6/44 (a three-way tie)
202

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on February 10, 2017, 06:49:13 PM
I've ranked these based on the degree of utilization by thru traffic, not necessarily passive traffic using them after exiting an interstate to get to a local business.

CT:
6
44
7
5
1
202

MA:
20
1
3
6
7
5
44

RI:
1/6/44 (a three-way tie)
202

US 202 goes through Massachusetts. On the other hand, it does NOT go through Rhode Island.

I did not see anyone ranking them for Ohio yet, so here's my take.

23
35
30
33
42
6
22
50
68
20
40
62
36
52
127
224
250
27
24
422
322
223

I chose to rank 20 and 40 are ranked lower than one might think because, in both cases, there is a close parallel Interstate that renders them somewhat obsolete (though not as obsolete as 21 and 25 which have gone away completely!!

Quote from: kkt on February 10, 2017, 01:46:33 PM
There's not very many in Washington.

2
101
395
195
97
197
730

730 is definitely more important than 197 - at least for me - I find myself driving 730 on purpose nearly annually. It's the fastest route from a lot of places to Portland - which I guess may not be that important for Washington.

In Montana:
2
12
93
212
87
287
89
191
20
310

Idaho
95
20
26
93
30 (focusing on its unique sections - if you count where it is concurrent with interstate, it rises probably to the top of the list)
2
91
195 (short but important)
12
89

My thoughts on Pennsylvania. This is tricky, because most of the US Routes are in the northern part of the state, but the major population centers are in the south.

1. US 30
2. US 15
3. US 220
4. US 22
5. US 322
6. US 522
7. US 6
8. US 222
9. US 422 (east)
10. US 219
11. US 119
12. US 422 (west)
13. US 1
14. US 13
15. US 62
16. US 40
17. US 202
18. US 11
19. US 19
20. US 20
21. US 6N
22. US 224
23. US 209
24. US 206

Quote from: DandyDan on February 08, 2015, 02:25:32 AM
My stab at Nebraska
1. US 81
2. US 275
3. US 77
4. US 20
5. US 30
6. US 6
7. US 281
8. US 34
9. US 83
10. US 385
11. US 136
12. US 26
13. US 183
14. US 283
15. US 73
16. US 159
17. US 138

I'm not seeing US 75 on your list.

---

For Missouri, I'm going to try the tiered approach

Tier 1
US 60
US 36
US 50
US 63 (tempted to demote to Tier 2)
US 61 (due to the Avenue of the Saints section; debating on putting it into a lower tier due to paralleling I-55 south of St. Louis)
US 67

Tier 2
US 24 (redundant to US 36)
US 54
US 65 (doesn't really seem important enough north of Springfield to warrant being in Tier 1)
US 136

Tier 3
US 59 (very close to Tier 4)
US 71
US 160
US 169
US 412

Tier 4
US 40
US 56
US 62 (redundant to US 60 and US 412, along with having a decent length multiplex with US 61 in Missouri)
US 69
US 275
US 166
US 400

Here is my attempt at Arizona:

1. US 60
2. US 93
3. US 89
4. US 180
5. US 191
6. US 70
7. US 95
8. US 89A
9. US 160
10. US 163
11. US 64

Got it pretty easy out here in CA:  only 7 to rank!  Here goes (w/brief [at least for me] rationale):

1.  US 101: Self-explanatory; by far the longest, interregional, serves several metro areas + significant tourist attractions.
T2.  US 395:  Also interregional, major bidirectional connector to populated part of NV, "back door" to recreational destinations.  Equal ranking to next entry, IMO.
T2.  US 50:  Major outlet to NV; major route to Tahoe recreational area, major Sacramento-area arterial.  Although much shorter than 395, its traffic volume alone puts it in a tie with that route.
4.  US 97:  While in-state mileage is short, it is major route from CA to interior Northwest and Northern Rockies; heavy commercial usage.
5.  US 95:  A few decades ago, this would have ranked last or next to last of the post-1964 "remainders"; now, with more & more traffic heading to Colorado River destinations for recreation or even residence, its importance has grown.
6.  US 199:  Still the major commercial outlet from the northern coast to Oregon and the I-5 corridor.
7.  US 6:  Not much traffic; no major out-of-state destinations until the lower Wasatch Valley, which is easier reached by almost any other route!

Quote from: corco on February 08, 2015, 02:39:34 PM
The logging argument could just as easily be made for 97 and 395- those areas are logging central, especially since those areas aren't as hampered by pesky National Parks.

Logging in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia is another reason why U.S. 48 (ADHS Corridor H) should be completed.  The tractor-trailer combinations that carry the massive loads of wood to market would be much better served with the four-lane ADHS corridor.

Quote from: Laura on February 27, 2015, 11:44:14 AM
Maryland:

50
301
29
1
15
340
40
13
113
219
220
522
222
11

This is pretty darned good from 2015.  Comments regarding Alternates and Business routes:

I would add the eastern Alternate U.S. 40, and put it above U.S. 40 on the list (the part of U.S. 40 that is paralleled by the Alternate is mostly "in the  middle of nowhere," and Alternate U.S. 40 was the original U.S. 40,  and serves as the "main highway" for several towns and municipalities in Frederick and Washington Counties).

Similarly, western Alternate U.S. 40 (Keysers Ridge to Cumberland) is the original U.S. 40, and is important to the communities served by it.

I would also add Alternate U.S. 1 in Prince George's County.   Where it runs down Bladensburg Road, it's a pretty important  connection between Maryland and the District of Columbia (even though D.C. does not bother to sign Alternate U.S. 1, with one or two exceptions).

I would not bother with the bannered Business routes in Salisbury (13 and 50), nor Business U.S. 1 in Bel Air, nor truck U.S. 40 in Baltimore City, nor Scenic U.S. 40 between Hancock and Cumberland.

Quote from: cabiness42 on February 26, 2015, 12:21:00 PM
Indiana:

1) US 31 - the northern half is the primary route between Indy and SB with no companion interstate (yet)
2) US 30 - connects NWI with Fort Wayne and serves many secondary cities (Plymouth, Warsaw, etc.) in between
3) US 41 - connects NWI with Terre Haute and Evansville
4) US 50 - primary E/W route in mid-southern part of the state
5) US 20 - very heavily traveled but also closely paralleled by I-80/90
6) US 231 - primary N/S route in SW part of state
7) US 24 - Fort Wayne to Logansport section very important
8) US 421 - primary route from Madison to I-74@Greensburg
9) US 150 - lots of vacation traffic between Louisville area and French Lick area
10) US 36 - Doesn't hit many big cities but crosses the entire state and not paralleled closely by an interstate
11) US 6 - Crosses entire state but closely paralleled by more heavily traveled US 20 and US 30
12) US 35 - Mostly relevant between Kokomo and Michigan City
13) US 33 - Elkhart-Fort Wayne connection
14) US 27 - Fort Wayne-Richmond connection
15) US 52 - paralleled mostly by I-65 and I-74
16) US 40 - very historic, but paralleled by I-70
17) US 136 - paralleled by I-74
18) US 12 - not very long and paralleled by I-94
19) US 224 - not very long and doesn't serve any significant cities
20) US 131 - don't blink or you'll miss it

Nice list. I would argue the order just a bit.  IMO, US 41 should be #1, with US 30 a very close second..both ahead of US 31. US 41 and US 30 are primary routes across the entire state, linking NWI with Evansville and Ft. Wayne respectively. I would also consider giving both 24 and 50 nods above 31 for the same reasons, but the traffic counts on those aren't nearly as high. US 31 is a primary route between Indy and South Bend, but a secondary route for the southern half between Indy and Louisville. 41 and 30 should get the nods because they are primary for the entire length they are in Indiana.

I would also place US 27 up quite a bit higher. A lot of traffic between Ft. Wayne, Richmond and Cincinnati use this route still. US 40 should always get honorary status due to it's significance. Still a wonderful route between Terre Haute and Richmond, with a lot of relics lining it. US 150 should be near the bottom. The route between New Albany and Shoals could be replaced with a decent state route, and the rest of it through Indiana is completely worthless, multiplexing with US 50 and 41.

Here's my take on PA - and I'll steal the tier idea from earlier:

Tier 1 - significant freeway length and/or serves major cities/towns:  22, 202, 15, 422 east, 1, 30, 322, 222
Tier 2 - freeway length minimal but still serves some important towns:  422 west, 6, 219, 119, 522, 209, 220, 40, 62
Tier 3 - least significant (mainly parallel to interstate, or small distance):  11, 19, 20, 13, 6N, 224, 206

Quote from: Revive 755 on February 11, 2017, 12:03:00 AM

Quote from: DandyDan on February 08, 2015, 02:25:32 AM
My stab at Nebraska
1. US 81
2. US 275
3. US 77
4. US 20
5. US 30
6. US 6
7. US 281
8. US 34
9. US 83
10. US 385
11. US 136
12. US 26
13. US 183
14. US 283
15. US 73
16. US 159
17. US 138

I'm not seeing US 75 on your list.

---

After 2 years, during which I moved to northern Iowa, it's nice to know someone is reading carefully.  It may be US 75 is most important, being it serves Omaha.  OTOH it is a minor road north of Omaha.  US 6 may deserve to rank higher because it serves Omaha and Lincoln. The problem with ranking Nebraska is that every highway which has an important section also has a less important section.

I'll do the tiers for New York. Because two long routes in particular have very distinct halves, I split them:

Tier 1: The major routes serving a significant amount of long-distance traffic or a significant length is limited access. These tend to be the only major roads in an area or contain major river/mountain crossings. 4, 6, 9 south of Albany, 11 north of Watertown, 15, 20, 219

Tier 2: Serve major cities but are generally bypassed by Interstates or are important routes serving a limited area. Many of these are here because there is a "better route". 1, 2, 9 north of Albany, 9W, 11 south of Watertown, 202, 209.

Tier 3: The "why are these even here" highways that are generally superseded by SRs and the like. Some should be demoted to state routes. 20A, 44, 62, 220.

Quote from: cl94 on February 12, 2017, 03:31:54 PM
I'll do the tiers for New York. Because two long routes in particular have very distinct halves, I split them:

Tier 1: The major routes serving a significant amount of long-distance traffic or a significant length is limited access. These tend to be the only major roads in an area or contain major river/mountain crossings. 4, 6, 9 south of Albany, 11 north of Watertown, 15, 20, 219

Tier 2: Serve major cities but are generally bypassed by Interstates or are important routes serving a limited area. Many of these are here because there is a "better route". 1, 2, 9 north of Albany, 9W, 11 south of Watertown, 202, 209.

Tier 3: The "why are these even here" highways that are generally superseded by SRs and the like. Some should be demoted to state routes. 20A, 44, 62, 220.

If US 2 is in Tier 2, I'd put 220 there also. It's quite an important route as you head south into PA, probably more so than 2 is into Vermont.

Quote from: empirestate on February 12, 2017, 07:50:52 PM

Quote from: cl94 on February 12, 2017, 03:31:54 PM
I'll do the tiers for New York. Because two long routes in particular have very distinct halves, I split them:

Tier 1: The major routes serving a significant amount of long-distance traffic or a significant length is limited access. These tend to be the only major roads in an area or contain major river/mountain crossings. 4, 6, 9 south of Albany, 11 north of Watertown, 15, 20, 219

Tier 2: Serve major cities but are generally bypassed by Interstates or are important routes serving a limited area. Many of these are here because there is a "better route". 1, 2, 9 north of Albany, 9W, 11 south of Watertown, 202, 209.

Tier 3: The "why are these even here" highways that are generally superseded by SRs and the like. Some should be demoted to state routes. 20A, 44, 62, 220.

If US 2 is in Tier 2, I'd put 220 there also. It's quite an important route as you head south into PA, probably more so than 2 is into Vermont.

Being as the I-86/NY 17 interchange is in PA, I'd beg to differ. US 220 in New York is little more than a 400-foot stub at this point.

Quote from: tcorlandoinsavannah on March 24, 2015, 08:09:05 PM
Florida:
1.  US 301 (Provides a direct, fairly fast route from Jacksonville to the Tampa Bay area, bypassing Orlando.)
2.  US 27 (An important trucking route right down the center of the peninsula to Miami.)
3.  US 1 (This was once the king of US highways.  It's still a major thoroughfare for all coastal towns from Jax to Key West.)
4.  US 441 (Another key interior highway.  A major street through the Orlando area and south Florida.)
5.  US 41 (From Tampa to Naples, this is the west coast equivalent of US 1.  Also serves as the most enjoyable route across the Everglades.)
6.  US 17 (Serves many cities and towns in the interior of the peninsula.  Bonus points for several scenic stretches.)
7.  US 98 (If I'm not mistaken this is the longest highway in the state.  Provides lovely scenery along the Panhandle.  Eventually slashes across the state to its terminus in WPB.)
8.  US 90 (Connects Jax to Pensacola.  Sure it's largely paralleled by I-10, but it is Main Street for many cities and towns.)
9.  US 231 (Panama City is the largest FL city without an interstate.  US 231 serves as its lifeline to points north.)
10. US 19 (Is largely multiplexed with others mentioned above, but from Spring Hill south, it is a major road.  Plus it was the original Sunshine Skyway.)

Honorable Mention: US 92 (Sure it parallels I-4 for most of its length and is multiplexed with 17 for over 80 miles, but it's a major route in Daytona, Orlando, and Tampa Bay.)

Man, do I miss those colored signs!

Florida has a few segments od us hwys that are not duplicated by interstates..  Your assesment is good

US1 in the keys
US301 fom i10 to Ocala
US231 into Panama City
US27 from i4 south

Honorable mention the 19(98) and 27 corridor between St Pete and Tallahassee, with toll 589

Most of the others are duplicated by interstates. They function as urban arterials or rural roads.

LGMS428

Quote from: cl94 on February 12, 2017, 07:59:04 PM

Quote from: empirestate on February 12, 2017, 07:50:52 PM

Quote from: cl94 on February 12, 2017, 03:31:54 PM
I'll do the tiers for New York. Because two long routes in particular have very distinct halves, I split them:

Tier 1: The major routes serving a significant amount of long-distance traffic or a significant length is limited access. These tend to be the only major roads in an area or contain major river/mountain crossings. 4, 6, 9 south of Albany, 11 north of Watertown, 15, 20, 219

Tier 2: Serve major cities but are generally bypassed by Interstates or are important routes serving a limited area. Many of these are here because there is a "better route". 1, 2, 9 north of Albany, 9W, 11 south of Watertown, 202, 209.

Tier 3: The "why are these even here" highways that are generally superseded by SRs and the like. Some should be demoted to state routes. 20A, 44, 62, 220.

If US 2 is in Tier 2, I'd put 220 there also. It's quite an important route as you head south into PA, probably more so than 2 is into Vermont.

Being as the I-86/NY 17 interchange is in PA, I'd beg to differ. US 220 in New York is little more than a 400-foot stub at this point.

Sure, but then why is US 2 is in Tier 2?

Quote from: empirestate on February 12, 2017, 11:05:35 PM

Quote from: cl94 on February 12, 2017, 07:59:04 PM

Quote from: empirestate on February 12, 2017, 07:50:52 PM

Quote from: cl94 on February 12, 2017, 03:31:54 PM
I'll do the tiers for New York. Because two long routes in particular have very distinct halves, I split them:

Tier 1: The major routes serving a significant amount of long-distance traffic or a significant length is limited access. These tend to be the only major roads in an area or contain major river/mountain crossings. 4, 6, 9 south of Albany, 11 north of Watertown, 15, 20, 219

Tier 2: Serve major cities but are generally bypassed by Interstates or are important routes serving a limited area. Many of these are here because there is a "better route". 1, 2, 9 north of Albany, 9W, 11 south of Watertown, 202, 209.

Tier 3: The "why are these even here" highways that are generally superseded by SRs and the like. Some should be demoted to state routes. 20A, 44, 62, 220.

If US 2 is in Tier 2, I'd put 220 there also. It's quite an important route as you head south into PA, probably more so than 2 is into Vermont.

Being as the I-86/NY 17 interchange is in PA, I'd beg to differ. US 220 in New York is little more than a 400-foot stub at this point.

Sure, but then why is US 2 is in Tier 2?

Because it actually carries traffic in New York and is one of two land crossings north of US 4. That's why. US 220 in New York only carries local traffic.

Quote from: 1 on February 10, 2017, 07:19:38 PM

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on February 10, 2017, 06:49:13 PM
I've ranked these based on the degree of utilization by thru traffic, not necessarily passive traffic using them after exiting an interstate to get to a local business.

CT:
6
44
7
5
1
202

MA:
20
1
3
6
7
5
44

RI:
1/6/44 (a three-way tie)
202

US 202 goes through Massachusetts. On the other hand, it does NOT go through Rhode Island.

My bad. Just a little typo.

For NC:

Once upon a time I would have had US-70 at the top of the list as it bound all the regions of NC to the capital, but I-40 has taken that duty away from it.

SO I'll just go with a top 5:

1) US-64 "From Murphy to Manteo...." as the radio commercial that I had forgotten about from years ago sang (I don't remember what the product/service was that was being advertised now).

2) US-17 THE coastal highway in Eastern NC, so it is a major north south corridor.

3) US-74 Slowly the life is being sucked out of it by I-74 which is showing up in pieces, but it is the only major east-west corridor across the southern part of the state, and as such is Charlotte's only true pathway to the state ports.

4) US-421 The diagonal crossroad of NC. It connects the NW mountain area of the state with the  SE coastal area near Wilmington. I-40 has stolen some of it's thunder, but not nearly as much as what it did to US-70

5) US-70 Still a somewhat important route, especially east of Raleigh-at least until I-42 is completed many many years from now. US-70 is second only to US-64 in distance across the state, and has managed to stay mostly away from it's companion interstates with only brief multiplexes: with I-40 down the Pisgah escarpment between Black Mountain and Old Fort, a short part of I-240 and I-26 in Asheville, and a 3 mile ride down I-40 between exits 306 and 309 SE of Raleigh.

After these you have US-1, which is sandwiched betwen I-85 and I-95 and really not all that important any more, the group of US-x21's in the mountains, and various short snippets of US-25, US-19, US-23 (many of which are all multiplexed with US-74 and US-74 Alt in various sections of the mountains) oh and lets not forget US-13 in the eastern part of the state, too. US-15 and US-29 too (can't believe I forgot these). If I was forced to pick a #6 for my list I'd go with US-158 as it is the way to get across the northern part of the state, at least from Winston Salem to the coast.

Some of most importance:
1.  US 36, alternative to I-70.
2.  US 50, carries traffic from areas south of St Louis to Jefferson City.
3.  US 67, carries traffic from St Louis to Little Rock.
4.  US 60, carries traffic from Cape Girardeau/Sikeston to Springfield/Joplin.

Some of least importance:
1. US 71, just runs with I-49 for most of its time in Missouri.
2. US 160, Just plain barren for miles.
3. US 412, just too short to serve an importance.
4. US 24, 2 lane nothing.

Quote from: Captain Jack on February 11, 2017, 12:21:17 PM

Nice list. I would argue the order just a bit.  IMO, US 41 should be #1, with US 30 a very close second..both ahead of US 31. US 41 and US 30 are primary routes across the entire state, linking NWI with Evansville and Ft. Wayne respectively. I would also consider giving both 24 and 50 nods above 31 for the same reasons, but the traffic counts on those aren't nearly as high. US 31 is a primary route between Indy and South Bend, but a secondary route for the southern half between Indy and Louisville. 41 and 30 should get the nods because they are primary for the entire length they are in Indiana.

I would also place US 27 up quite a bit higher. A lot of traffic between Ft. Wayne, Richmond and Cincinnati use this route still. US 40 should always get honorary status due to it's significance. Still a wonderful route between Terre Haute and Richmond, with a lot of relics lining it. US 150 should be near the bottom. The route between New Albany and Shoals could be replaced with a decent state route, and the rest of it through Indiana is completely worthless, multiplexing with US 50 and 41.

Even though only half of US 31 is a primary route, I have it #1 due to the immense volume of traffic.  Anytime I've ever driven the northern half of 41, it's been pretty light traffic (not to mention that IN 63 is a better route than 41 for part of the way).  30 might have an argument due to the Valpo-Ft Wayne connection.  Definitely can't see having 31 any farther down than 2nd.

I could see dropping 150 down a few notches, but a lot of people from Louisville/Southern Indiana visit French Lick so I wouldn't put it too low.

My stab at Connecticut: (in descending importance)

Tier 1
U.S. 6
U.S. 1

Tier 2
U.S. 5
U.S. 202
U.S. 44
U.S. 1A (Stonington)

Quote from: TravelingBethelite on February 15, 2017, 12:44:21 PM
My stab at Connecticut: (in descending importance)

Tier 1
U.S. 6
U.S. 1

Tier 2
U.S. 5
U.S. 202
U.S. 44
U.S. 1A (Stonington)

You forgot US 7, which I would put first or second.

Quote from: jwolfer on February 12, 2017, 09:08:42 PM

Quote from: tcorlandoinsavannah on March 24, 2015, 08:09:05 PM
Florida:
1.  US 301 (Provides a direct, fairly fast route from Jacksonville to the Tampa Bay area, bypassing Orlando.)
2.  US 27 (An important trucking route right down the center of the peninsula to Miami.)
3.  US 1 (This was once the king of US highways.  It's still a major thoroughfare for all coastal towns from Jax to Key West.)
4.  US 441 (Another key interior highway.  A major street through the Orlando area and south Florida.)
5.  US 41 (From Tampa to Naples, this is the west coast equivalent of US 1.  Also serves as the most enjoyable route across the Everglades.)
6.  US 17 (Serves many cities and towns in the interior of the peninsula.  Bonus points for several scenic stretches.)
7.  US 98 (If I'm not mistaken this is the longest highway in the state.  Provides lovely scenery along the Panhandle.  Eventually slashes across the state to its terminus in WPB.)
8.  US 90 (Connects Jax to Pensacola.  Sure it's largely paralleled by I-10, but it is Main Street for many cities and towns.)
9.  US 231 (Panama City is the largest FL city without an interstate.  US 231 serves as its lifeline to points north.)
10. US 19 (Is largely multiplexed with others mentioned above, but from Spring Hill south, it is a major road.  Plus it was the original Sunshine Skyway.)

Honorable Mention: US 92 (Sure it parallels I-4 for most of its length and is multiplexed with 17 for over 80 miles, but it's a major route in Daytona, Orlando, and Tampa Bay.)

Man, do I miss those colored signs!

Florida has a few segments od us hwys that are not duplicated by interstates..  Your assesment is good

US1 in the keys
US301 fom i10 to Ocala
US231 into Panama City
US27 from i4 south

Honorable mention the 19(98) and 27 corridor between St Pete and Tallahassee, with toll 589

Most of the others are duplicated by interstates. They function as urban arterials or rural roads.

LGMS428

From a historical perspective: US 1 would be first, since the east coast was populated before the west coast (so I'd put US 41 second), and then the center; US 27 (which came about later). Since US 1 and US 41 have really been supplanted by I-95 and I-75, US 27 as a more important route to the area they serve. And they're still important routes; traffic and businesses have never been lacking along the Dixie Highway and Tamiami Trail corridors, except through the Everglades/Preserves.

Much of the towns and communities along US 27 in Florida evolved independently of any interstate route, although there has been recent growth around the corridor between I-4 and I-75 (north towards Ocala). So I feel it's "more important" than US 301, since it's longer, although south of Sebring, it really doesn't serve much of anything fro 150 miles until approaching Hialeah and ending in Miami.

US Routes rarely multiplex with Interstates in Florida, they sort of act as support. Of course, that's easy to do when there's few terrain difficulties (Former US 94 as the big exception) and ROW was cheap 70-100 years ago.

US 92 is the one hardly anyone would notice if it disappeared; although, outside of larger cities, much of it has avoided much change over the years (Daytona, between Lakeland and Tampa). But where it winds its way though larger cities, it winds up multiplexed with US 17 or US 441 in the greater Orlando area, or forgotten by I-4.

Quote from: cl94 on February 15, 2017, 03:09:53 PM

Quote from: TravelingBethelite on February 15, 2017, 12:44:21 PM
My stab at Connecticut: (in descending importance)

Tier 1
U.S. 6
U.S. 1

Tier 2
U.S. 5
U.S. 202
U.S. 44
U.S. 1A (Stonington)

You forgot US 7, which I would put first or second.

Whoops!

QuoteTier 1
U.S. 6
U.S. 1
U.S. 7

Tier 2
U.S. 5
U.S. 202
U.S. 44
U.S. 1A (Stonington)

Quote from: TravelingBethelite on February 15, 2017, 12:44:21 PM
My stab at Connecticut: (in descending importance)

Tier 1
U.S. 6
U.S. 1

Tier 2
U.S. 5
U.S. 202
U.S. 44
U.S. 1A (Stonington)

US 7?

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on February 15, 2017, 09:37:43 PM

Quote from: TravelingBethelite on February 15, 2017, 12:44:21 PM
My stab at Connecticut: (in descending importance)

Tier 1
U.S. 6
U.S. 1

Tier 2
U.S. 5
U.S. 202
U.S. 44
U.S. 1A (Stonington)

US 7?

Look at my reply, #99. I corrected it.

Since nobody has mentioned it yet, here's my attempt at Iowa:

• US 20 - the state's most important east-west corridor aside from I-80, in the process of becoming four lanes (mostly) from border to border
• US 218 - makes up large chunks of the Avenue of the Saints, even if it has been overshadowed by I-380 between Waterloo and Cedar Rapids (and follows I-380 between CR and I-80)
• US 151 - important four-lane corridor connecting Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, and Wisconsin
• US 61 - important four-lane corridor connecting the Quad Cities, Dubuque, and Wisconsin; south of Davenport it runs relatively close to the Avenue of the Saints but there are still long-term plans to four-lane the segment between Muscatine and Burlington
• US 30 - would rank higher if not for its proximity to I-80
• US 63 - most significant from Waterloo northward and Oskaloosa southward; IA 14, 330, and 163 overshadow the stretch in between
• US 34 - mostly serves smaller communities west of Ottumwa, but is part of the Des Moines-Burlington expressway east of there
• US 71 - north-south corridor that is far from any Interstate but its largest cities (Spencer, Storm Lake, and Carroll) barely have over 10,000 people
• US 18 - part of the Avenue of the Saints between Clear Lake and Charles City, but aside from Mason City it mostly serves smaller communities in north Iowa
• US 52 - points for scenery through the Driftless Area of northeast Iowa, but is mostly two lanes outside of Dubuque; overshadowed by US 61 south of there
• US 169 - Fort Dodge is by far the largest city but loses significance south of I-80, running relatively close to I-35
• US 75 - four lanes between Sioux City and Le Mars, but sandwiched between I-29 in South Dakota and the four-lane IA 60 north of there
• US 59 - serves cities of less than 10,000 (Denison is the largest) in western Iowa
• US 67 - again, points for scenery for mostly running along the Mississippi, but mostly overshadowed by US 61
• US 65 - mostly overshadowed by I-35, despite the freeway bypass around Des Moines
• US 6 - overshadowed by I-80
• US 69 - overshadowed by I-35
• US 275 - overshadowed by I-29; sometimes gets mis-signed as IA 275
• US 136 - entirely within Keokuk
• US 77 - ends as soon as it crosses into Sioux City