We've talked a lot about the biggest cities without a 3DI, but what about the opposite -- what are the smallest cities served by a 3DI.
In fairness, this is a more subjective listing which should only include cities primarily served by the Interstate. For example, I-635 passes through the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs (pop. 25,024), however it's clearly not the primary city served by the freeway since I-635 is clearly a part of the DFW Metroplex's network.
Given those parameters, here are the smallest cities I've found served by 3DIs:
- I-395: Bangor, ME: 32,673
- I-393: Concord, NH: 42,419
- I-110, Biloxi, MS: 44,820
I've got you beat.
I-180, Hennepin, Illinois: 757.
Quote from: mwb1848 on December 14, 2015, 02:07:45 PM
- I-395: Bangor, ME: 32,673
- I-393: Concord, NH: 42,419
- I-110, Biloxi, MS: 44,820
While none of those would qualify as large cities under anyone's definition, they're not shockingly small to be served by a three-digit Interstate, either. There are several more in that 30-40K league: I-172 (Quincy, IL), I-180, (Williamsport, PA), I-381 (Bristol, VA), I-781 (Watertown, NY), I-795 (Goldsboro, NC)
Lake Chareles, LA - I-210
Gadsen, AL - I-759
Quote from: Brandon on December 14, 2015, 02:09:29 PM
I've got you beat.
I-180, Hennepin, Illinois: 757.
If you count that as a city in any sense. It's legally a village and is not an urbanized area.
You can add I-115 in Butte, MT to the 30K group: it's population in the 2010 Census was 34,200.
I-495 (MA) has several cities/towns in its path with under 10000 people.
I-535 in Superior, WI: 27,300. Some might argue that Duluth is the primary city served by 535 but it really has little to no use for traffic within Duluth.
Quote from: NE2 on December 14, 2015, 03:21:27 PM
Quote from: Brandon on December 14, 2015, 02:09:29 PM
I've got you beat.
I-180, Hennepin, Illinois: 757.
If you count that as a city in any sense. It's legally a village and is not an urbanized area.
It's a municipality, and that's all that really counts here. The only distinction between cities and villages in Illinois is governmental. One (cities) is divided into wards or districts, the other (villages) is not. That's how you get cities as small as Dallas City (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_City,_Illinois) (945) and villages as large as Arlington Heights (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_Heights,_Illinois) (75,101).
Quote from: Brandon on December 14, 2015, 04:14:28 PM
It's a municipality, and that's all that really counts here.
Why does it count? Because you can't accept an Interstate that doesn't serve any cities?
Quote from: US 41 on December 14, 2015, 03:13:28 PM
Lake Chareles, LA - I-210
Gadsen, AL - I-759
Lake Charles is probably the largest one listed in this thread so far (about 75,000), but small enough that it hasn't gained an inset in any Rand McNally, yet.
Jonesboro, AR is of a similar size and may have I-555 shields soon.
How about I-470 and Wheeling, WV (pop. 28,486)?
I-781 doesn't serve Watertown. It technically serves the Fort Drum area (~17K), which has 10,000 less than Watertown including all military personnel.
Nobody mentioned I-587 yet. Kingston is 24K. Neither of these really has a metro area.
Quote from: cl94 on December 14, 2015, 06:02:52 PM
I-781 doesn't serve Watertown.
I-781 serves as a bypass of Watertown.
Quote from: NE2 on December 14, 2015, 06:06:40 PM
Quote from: cl94 on December 14, 2015, 06:02:52 PM
I-781 doesn't serve Watertown.
I-781 serves as a bypass of Watertown.
Not really. It was built to bypass NY 342. It's a bypass of a bypass.
I-195in NJ serves no city as its a spur into a region. Belmar is a borough, though you can say it serves that and depending on how you look at it, that alone could be a city as far as this topic goes.
I-195 in Maine enters Saco (<19,000) and Old Orchard Beach (<9,000).
Quote from: NE2 on December 14, 2015, 04:56:12 PM
Quote from: Brandon on December 14, 2015, 04:14:28 PM
It's a municipality, and that's all that really counts here.
Why does it count? Because you can't accept an Interstate that doesn't serve any cities?
Because there is no size difference legislatively in this state between cities and villages. It's a governmental difference. You can't accept that?
I-495 New York outside of Queens County on Long Island serves no cities (The only cities on Long Island are Glen Cove and Long Beach both in Nassau County) but a lot of towns and villages.
Quote from: Brandon on December 14, 2015, 06:48:40 PM
Because there is no size difference legislatively in this state between cities and villages. It's a governmental difference. You can't accept that?
Reread the first post. We're being subjective.
It's tricky to say an even numbered 3di serves any city, as most of them are designed to go around a city, and just happens to pass thru various municipalities of various sizes. In many cases, these municipalities grew because of the highway going thru it.
Odd number 3dis though tend to lead people to a destination at its terminus, and often were built because there was already a reason to get people there.
Quote from: mapman1071 on December 14, 2015, 07:09:03 PM
I-495 New York outside of Queens County on Long Island serves no cities (The only cities on Long Island are Glen Cove and Long Beach both in Nassau County) but a lot of towns and villages.
Well, yeah, any one-city Interstate serves no cities if you exclude the one it serves. ;-)
iPhone
Quote from: empirestate on December 14, 2015, 08:18:03 PM
Quote from: mapman1071 on December 14, 2015, 07:09:03 PM
I-495 New York outside of Queens County on Long Island serves no cities (The only cities on Long Island are Glen Cove and Long Beach both in Nassau County) but a lot of towns and villages.
Well, yeah, any one-city Interstate serves no cities if you exclude the one it serves. ;-)
iPhone
No cities, but that's more of New York not having many "cities". New York has villages that have over 30,000 people and cities with well under 10,000. In many cases, there is little benefit in being a "city" as everything here is incorporated. If the Town of Hempstead was a city, it would be the 16th largest in the country, just behind Columbus. Riverhead is relatively small, but the LIE west of Brookhaven (all but 15 miles) is one of the most densely-populated regions in the United States.
Quote from: Brandon on December 14, 2015, 06:48:40 PM
Because there is no size difference legislatively in this state between cities and villages. It's a governmental difference. You can't accept that?
Precisely. That is how it is here. "City" in New York only means that it is not part of a town.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 14, 2015, 07:48:34 PM
It's tricky to say an even numbered 3di serves any city, as most of them are designed to go around a city, and just happens to pass thru various municipalities of various sizes.
That's a technicality, like saying Frankfort, Ky. is not served by I-64 merely because it does not enter the city limits. You can't make the logical argument that I-275 doesn't serve Cincinnati, or I-675 doesn't serve Dayton.
Quote from: cl94 on December 14, 2015, 08:40:19 PM
Quote from: empirestate on December 14, 2015, 08:18:03 PM
Quote from: mapman1071 on December 14, 2015, 07:09:03 PM
I-495 New York outside of Queens County on Long Island serves no cities (The only cities on Long Island are Glen Cove and Long Beach both in Nassau County) but a lot of towns and villages.
Well, yeah, any one-city Interstate serves no cities if you exclude the one it serves. ;-)
iPhone
No cities, but that's more of New York not having many "cities". New York has villages that have over 30,000 people and cities with well under 10,000. In many cases, there is little benefit in being a "city" as everything here is incorporated. If the Town of Hempstead was a city, it would be the 16th largest in the country, just behind Columbus. Riverhead is relatively small, but the LIE west of Brookhaven (all but 15 miles) is one of the most densely-populated regions in the United States.
But that's neither here nor there. NYC is clearly the primary city served by I-495, so any cities that may or may not be nearby are explicitly excluded from the question.
iPhone
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on December 14, 2015, 04:09:39 PM
I-535 in Superior, WI: 27,300. Some might argue that Duluth is the primary city served by 535 but it really has little to no use for traffic within Duluth.
I agree. I-535 is more about getting people from Superior to Duluth and back rather than the other way around.
Used to commute across the Blatnik every day myself.
Quote from: mwb1848 on December 14, 2015, 02:07:45 PM
We've talked a lot about the biggest cities without a 3DI, but what about the opposite -- what are the smallest cities served by a 3DI.
In fairness, this is a more subjective listing which should only include cities primarily served by the Interstate. For example, I-635 passes through the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs (pop. 25,024), however it's clearly not the primary city served by the freeway since I-635 is clearly a part of the DFW Metroplex's network.
Given those parameters, here are the smallest cities I've found served by 3DIs:
- I-395: Bangor, ME: 32,673
- I-393: Concord, NH: 42,419
- I-110, Biloxi, MS: 44,820
Until the Louisville East End bridge is finished and the IN and KY segments of I-265 are connected to form a single interstate, the IN portion of I-265 primarily serves New Albany, pop. 36,372
Annapolis, MD: I-595 (unsigned)
Greenville, SC: I-185 and I-385
Spartanburg, SC: I-585
Bristol, TN/VA: I-381
Cheyenne, WY: I-180*
It's hard to believe that no one has mentioned I-155 serving Dyersburg, TN, pop. 17,002.
I think I got everyone beat: Bureau Junction Illinois, served by I-180 at an astounding 368 people.
Butte, MT, (pop. 34,000) is served by I-115.
Kingston, NY I 587
Quote from: noelbotevera on December 15, 2015, 08:14:55 PM
I think I got everyone beat: Bureau Junction Illinois, served by I-180 at an astounding 368 people.
I'm pretty sure that's not the "principal" "city" on "I"-1"80".
What "city" does I-172 serve in Illinois? I'm guessing Quincy.
I-795 Goldsboro, NC. Pop. ~36,000
Quote from: US 41 on December 14, 2015, 03:13:28 PM
Lake Charles, LA - I-210
I-510, which serves Chalmette, LA in a bit of an I-535 situation (starts in New Orleans but doesn't really serve it as much as existing to funnel traffic to/from Chalmette) has that beat, with Chalmette only having 16,751 people as of 2010.
Quote from: Zeffy on December 15, 2015, 10:33:21 PM
What "city" does I-172 serve in Illinois? I'm guessing Quincy.
I-172 (formerly, and now becomes IL-336) serves Quincy.
How about the Tri-Cities, served by I-182? (Richland, Pasco, Kennewick)
Quote from: Brandon on December 16, 2015, 06:29:02 AM
Quote from: Zeffy on December 15, 2015, 10:33:21 PM
What "city" does I-172 serve in Illinois? I'm guessing Quincy.
I-172 (formerly, and now becomes IL-336) serves Quincy.
Are they getting rid of I-172?
Quote from: mvak36 on December 16, 2015, 12:26:17 PM
Quote from: Brandon on December 16, 2015, 06:29:02 AM
Quote from: Zeffy on December 15, 2015, 10:33:21 PM
What "city" does I-172 serve in Illinois? I'm guessing Quincy.
I-172 (formerly, and now becomes IL-336) serves Quincy.
Are they getting rid of I-172?
yeah, formerly is inaccurate. The truth behind it (from the other wiki) is that the Interstate ends where it will always end - IDOT is using IL-336 as the prime route # for any expansion beyond that.
Quote from: SSOWorld on December 16, 2015, 01:12:08 PM
yeah, formerly is inaccurate. The truth behind it (from the other wiki) is that the Interstate ends where it will always end - IDOT is using IL-336 as the prime route # for any expansion beyond that.
Ok, thanks. There's probably no plan to extend the interstate is there? It doesn't sound like it from what I've seen previously. Just stuff about the 336 extension.
At this point IDOT is doing nothing outside what current projects they are working on. The politicians handcuffed them and put the Kalash on any new development.
Quote from: SSOWorld on December 16, 2015, 01:12:08 PM
Quote from: mvak36 on December 16, 2015, 12:26:17 PM
Quote from: Brandon on December 16, 2015, 06:29:02 AM
Quote from: Zeffy on December 15, 2015, 10:33:21 PM
What "city" does I-172 serve in Illinois? I'm guessing Quincy.
I-172 (formerly, and now becomes IL-336) serves Quincy.
Are they getting rid of I-172?
yeah, formerly is inaccurate. The truth behind it (from the other wiki) is that the Interstate ends where it will always end - IDOT is using IL-336 as the prime route # for any expansion beyond that.
Not inaccurate at all. I-172 was originally built as IL-336. The freeway portion was given the I-number, and as it becomes a divided highway at US-24, it becomes IL-336.
Williamsport, Pennsylvania is about 29,000 population, and is the "north" terminus of I-180.
The east end of I-393 (which serves Concord, but you enter onto I-393 in Concord) is Pembroke, NH, which has a population of 7,115.
I-335 wasn't built specifically for traffic headed to Emporia so much as traffic passing through it, but it's signed as a guide city and only has 24,000.
I'm surprised I-176 hasn't been mentioned yet. It connects tiny Morgantown, PA (pop of 826) at the PA Turnpike with even tinier Ridgewood (which is barely a village in Cumru Twp.).
And yes I know I-176 is signed as the route to Reading but it ends before getting there and you need to take US 422 to get there.
Quote from: ekt8750 on December 17, 2015, 11:32:51 AM
I'm surprised I-176 hasn't been mentioned yet. It connects tiny Morgantown, PA (pop of 826) at the PA Turnpike with even tinier Ridgewood (which is barely a village in Cumru Twp.).
And yes I know I-176 is signed as the route to Reading but it ends before getting there and you need to take US 422 to get there.
Well, that's probably why it hasn't been mentioned; most people probably consider Reading as the city primarily served by I-176.
I think we've often found an important distinction needing to be drawn between serving a place and simply being located in it; certainly, I can remember a pretty long thread some time ago about that very subject. To me, a road can serve a city within ever entering its municipal boundary, as I-40 unquestionably does with Little Rock, or I-495 with Boston, and I'm quite confident the same interpretation is intended for the purpose of this thread.
I think we're getting into hair splitting territory. I-176 ends in a suburb of Reading. Further, Reading is just a mile away via freeway.
My understanding of the spirit of the thread was that the OP was looking for the smallest maximum city size for a given three-digit Interstate.
Thus, if imaginary road I-403 went predominantly through sub-1000 population villages but also one city over 100,000, it would rank fairly low on this list. But if its largest city or town had a population of 2000, then it would be an excellent candidate.
Of course, I could be way off base, and the question could be "What is the smallest city with a three-digit Interstate in it?" But the former, to me, is the more interesting question, and the one I answered.
Personally, I would base "smallest cities" on metro area served. In the I-176 example, If the city of Reading had never existed and Cumru Township was a rural outpost in a largely uninhabited portion of Berks County, I don't think anyone here would argue that I-176 would have been built. Without question, I-176 exists to serve Reading, even if it does not actually cross the city's borders.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on December 17, 2015, 04:44:56 PM
My understanding of the spirit of the thread was that the OP was looking for the smallest maximum city size for a given three-digit Interstate.
That's a succinct way of putting it. And I also don't believe the spirit of the thread was to limit the answer only to municipalities specifically called cities, but rather to include any like municipality, or even an unincorporated settlement, if such constitutes the largest place served by the route. It's likely that it didn't even occur to the OP that this might not be a so-called "city" (like Hennepin, IL, to my mind still the clear winner).
Quote from: Darkchylde on December 15, 2015, 11:07:46 PM
Quote from: US 41 on December 14, 2015, 03:13:28 PM
Lake Charles, LA - I-210
I-510, which serves Chalmette, LA in a bit of an I-535 situation (starts in New Orleans but doesn't really serve it as much as existing to funnel traffic to/from Chalmette) has that beat, with Chalmette only having 16,751 people as of 2010.
One of the control cities for I-310 is Boutte, an unincorporated area of just over 3000. Houma was later added as a control.
As stated before, I-115 in Butte and this "pseudo" I-315 in Great Falls. I call I-315 a pseudo short 3DI interstate because there are no signs with I-315 on them. It's a short chute just off I-15 at exit 278. There is an exit 0 that connects 14th Street SW but once you approach 6th Street SW and Fox Farm Road, it defaults as I-15 Business.
How about South Sioux City, NE for I-129? Only 13,353 people. Dakota City, on the south side of I-129, only has 1,919.
Quote from: DandyDan on December 21, 2015, 08:17:30 AM
How about South Sioux City, NE for I-129? Only 13,353 people. Dakota City, on the south side of I-129, only has 1,919.
Yeah, but Sioux City has over 80,000. Still a small-ish city to have its own 3di, but not at the extreme end.
I-395 in CT/MA's biggest city is Norwich, which has 40,000 people. Otherwise, most of the towns along it are tiny. I-380 in PA really doesn't serve a city; it just acts as a connection between I-80 and I-81/I-84.
I would argue that I-380 serves Scranton.
I-395 arguably serves Worcester (the only reason it doesn't actually enter it is that the Masspike was built to bypass Worcester inside of along Route 9 through downtown, putting the Pike's Worcester interchange south of the city).
Quote from: NE2 on December 21, 2015, 02:51:05 PM
I-395 arguably serves Worcester (the only reason it doesn't actually enter it is that the Masspike was built to bypass Worcester inside of along Route 9 through downtown, putting the Pike's Worcester interchange south of the city).
Agree. It's effectively a southern extension of I-290.
Quote from: hbelkins on December 21, 2015, 02:37:24 PM
I would argue that I-380 serves Scranton.
Agree. The interchange is 2 miles from the city line.
I-270 in St Louis serves Des Peres (8,466), Kirkwood (27,540), Green Park (2,622), Moline Acres (2,422), Town & Country (10,860), and Edwardsville (24,293).
Quote from: wolfiefrick on December 24, 2015, 03:39:04 PM
I-270 in St Louis serves Des Peres (8,466), Kirkwood (27,540), Green Park (2,622), Moline Acres (2,422), Town & Country (10,860), and Edwardsville (24,293).
...and St. Louis (319,294).
Should have been more clear. I-270 does not ever enter the city of St. Louis, it only stays in St. Louis county and serves the cities i mentioned. The population of the St. Louis metro area is somewhere from 3 to 4 million.
iPhone
But isn't that missing the point of the thread? The loop was obviously built because the city of St. Louis exists.
I-270 actually does pass through the far northern tip of the St. Louis city limits on the north side right after crossing the Mississippi River.
Exactly; I don't think there's any plausible argument that I-270 doesn't serve St. Louis, whether or not it enters the city limits. So you would definitely need to count it against the "smallest largest city" criterion.