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National Boards => General Highway Talk => Topic started by: Sub-Urbanite on March 15, 2016, 04:56:53 PM

Title: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Sub-Urbanite on March 15, 2016, 04:56:53 PM
Riffing off a topic on a "Welcome to Nevada" sign thread, what state has the fewest paved roads crossing its border?

Nevada, by my count, has 45.

Oregon had 56 when I stopped counting (I didn't do the OR/CA border).

California was at 48 (again, didn't do the OR/CA border but all others).

Washington has 47 between Oregon and British Columbia, didn't do Idaho.

I'm guessing the likely remaining candidates are Wyoming and New Mexico. Most of the central and eastern states will have too many farm roads crossing borders.

Anyone want to chime in?

Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Brandon on March 15, 2016, 05:00:01 PM
Hawai'i, with zero.

Yes, I'm being a smartass.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: lordsutch on March 15, 2016, 05:23:46 PM
I'd imagine the winning, non-zero answer would be "Alaska" with, what, 4?
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: cl94 on March 15, 2016, 05:25:30 PM
I don't feel like doing the count, but Maine is probably pretty low due to the nature of its borders (long international border, an ocean, and a river are the vast majority).

Alaska is likely under 5. I think only 3 paved roads cross into Canada, with AK 9 being unpaved on the US side. Might be 4.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Sub-Urbanite on March 15, 2016, 05:33:06 PM
Sorry, goes without saying that Hawaii and Alaska would be the winners of all 50 states. So what about the lower 48?

Maine seems worth tallying. 25 with Canada (per Wikipedia), and I count at least 32 with New Hampshire... so nope, not Maine.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: SD Mapman on March 16, 2016, 12:17:44 AM
I don't know how many SD has (especially East River), but West River only state-maintained roads (for the most part) are paved.

However, I think East River counties' insistence on paving all their important roads might knock SD out of contention.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Brandon on March 16, 2016, 06:48:37 AM
Michigan might be a contender here.  There are only land borders for a part of Indiana, a part of Ohio, and very little of Wisconsin, so those will need to be counted.  However, there are only four paved roads that go to Ontario (three bridges and a tunnel).  Two more are ferries.  If the UP was counted as its own state (Superior), the number would be much lower, with only two such connections on its eastern end.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: pianocello on March 16, 2016, 11:30:08 AM
Quote from: Brandon on March 16, 2016, 06:48:37 AM
Michigan might be a contender here.  There are only land borders for a part of Indiana, a part of Ohio, and very little of Wisconsin, so those will need to be counted.  However, there are only four paved roads that go to Ontario (three bridges and a tunnel).  Two more are ferries.  If the UP was counted as its own state (Superior), the number would be much lower, with only two such connections on its eastern end.

There are at least ten west of I-94 alone: the towns of Michiana and Michiana Shores have several paved neighborhood streets that cross the border.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 16, 2016, 11:51:16 AM
I can think of 39 for Arizona, I'm sure that I'm missing a couple in the Navajo Nation and along the Colorado River around Yuma.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Sub-Urbanite on March 16, 2016, 05:56:57 PM
Arizona, starting at the Colorado River:

Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Sub-Urbanite on March 16, 2016, 06:01:13 PM
Quote from: Brandon on March 16, 2016, 06:48:37 AM
Michigan might be a contender here.  There are only land borders for a part of Indiana, a part of Ohio, and very little of Wisconsin, so those will need to be counted.  However, there are only four paved roads that go to Ontario (three bridges and a tunnel).  Two more are ferries.  If the UP was counted as its own state (Superior), the number would be much lower, with only two such connections on its eastern end.

I can count to 45 just from Lake Erie to US 127.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Sub-Urbanite on March 16, 2016, 06:06:40 PM
For the record, here's my tally on Nevada (which ends up at 50), corrections welcome:

Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: sipes23 on March 17, 2016, 12:28:31 AM
Quote from: cl94 on March 15, 2016, 05:25:30 PM
I don't feel like doing the count, but Maine is probably pretty low due to the nature of its borders (long international border, an ocean, and a river are the vast majority).

Alaska is likely under 5. I think only 3 paved roads cross into Canada, with AK 9 being unpaved on the US side. Might be 4.

Maine is at least at 3 between Acton, ME, and Milton, NH, alone. If I were to put my mind to it, I could probably tote up the paved road crossings between ME and NH that I've used at over 20. So I'd not put Maine on the list.

I wouldn't expect WY to have a huge count, but I can think of 7 paved crossings I've used in just the eastern and southeastern parts of the state.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: oscar on March 17, 2016, 01:00:09 AM
Quote from: cl94 on March 15, 2016, 05:25:30 PM
Alaska is likely under 5. I think only 3 paved roads cross into Canada, with AK 9 being unpaved on the US side. Might be 4.

It's four:

AK 2/YT 1 (Alaska Highway)
AK 7/BC 3 (Haines Highway)
AK 98/BC 2 (Klondike Highway)
unnumbered but paved local road in Hyder AK/BC 37A in Stewart BC

But, as Nick belatedly realized, only the lower 48 counts for this kind of discussion. Other posters have wised up, and explicitly limited their topics to the lower 48 from the outset.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: cl94 on March 17, 2016, 12:11:10 PM
Quote from: oscar on March 17, 2016, 01:00:09 AM
Quote from: cl94 on March 15, 2016, 05:25:30 PM
Alaska is likely under 5. I think only 3 paved roads cross into Canada, with AK 9 being unpaved on the US side. Might be 4.

It's four:

AK 2/YT 1 (Alaska Highway)
AK 7/BC 3 (Haines Highway)
AK 98/BC 2 (Klondike Highway)
unnumbered but paved local road in Hyder AK/BC 37A in Stewart BC

But, as Nick belatedly realized, only the lower 48 counts for this kind of discussion. Other posters have wised up, and explicitly limited their topics to the lower 48 from the outset.

I wasn't sure if Stewart/Hyder was paved
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: bassoon1986 on March 17, 2016, 02:35:51 PM
Louisiana: Wow, I counted 80 for sure paved crossings. Many more that were questionable either because Google Street View doesn't show that road, or it was not a direct crossing. I would have thought we had fewer because of the Mississippi, Pearl, and Sabine Rivers.

With Texas:
LA 82
I-10
LA 12
US 190
LA 8
LA 191
LA 6
US 84
LA 765
LA 172
Keatchie-Marshall Rd
US 79
Elysian Fields Rd.
I-20
US 80
Masters Rd?
Blanchard Latex Rd (Parish Rd. 6)
LA 2
Vivian Airport Rd? (Parish Rd. 154)
Myrtis Texas Line Rd.


with Arkansas:
Browns Cemetery Rd.
Atlanta Mira Rd. at CO Rd. 31
I-49
US 71
LA 3
Bradley Rd.
US 371
Litt Benson Rd.
Spring Branch Rd.
Mimosa Ln.
LA 159
LA 521
US 79
Boilew Rd?
LA 807?
LA 161
Elm, Myrtle, Main, Pine, Plum and Peach Streets in Junction City
Pilgrim's Rest Church Rd
LA 558
LA 550
LA 549
LA 33
LA 142
US 425
LA 591
US 165
LA 17
US 65


with Mississippi:
I-20
US 84
LA 969
US 61
LA 967
LA 19
LA 67
LA 1044
LA 43
LA 441
LA 1053
I-55
US 51
McElveen Rd.
Mc Carter Rd.
LA 450
N Martin Rd.
Mt. Herman Rd.
LA 25
Kirklan Rd.
QD Turnage Rd.
Duncan Rd. 1
Parish Rd. 586
LA 62
Military Rd.
LA 21
Old Columbia Rd.
LA 10
I-59
I-10
US 90
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: froggie on March 17, 2016, 04:35:45 PM
At first I thought Vermont would be fairly low, given a river border on one side, an International border on another, and a large lake along a good chunk of a third.  But I count 60 paved crossings, and that's NOT counting the crossings into Quebec.  Lots of bridges over the Connecticut, plus a number of paved back roads near Bennington.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: cl94 on March 17, 2016, 09:01:51 PM
Quote from: froggie on March 17, 2016, 04:35:45 PM
At first I thought Vermont would be fairly low, given a river border on one side, an International border on another, and a large lake along a good chunk of a third.  But I count 60 paved crossings, and that's NOT counting the crossings into Quebec.  Lots of bridges over the Connecticut, plus a number of paved back roads near Bennington.

There are a surprising amount of paved roads on the NY and MA borders given the rough terrain.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: JCinSummerfield on March 18, 2016, 01:38:28 PM
Quote from: NickCPDX on March 16, 2016, 06:01:13 PM
Quote from: Brandon on March 16, 2016, 06:48:37 AM
Michigan might be a contender here.  There are only land borders for a part of Indiana, a part of Ohio, and very little of Wisconsin, so those will need to be counted.  However, there are only four paved roads that go to Ontario (three bridges and a tunnel).  Two more are ferries.  If the UP was counted as its own state (Superior), the number would be much lower, with only two such connections on its eastern end.

I can count to 45 just from Lake Erie to US 127.

I counted 52 between Lake Erie & US-127.  79 total between MI & OH.  I counted all roads, not just paved roads.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: ET21 on March 19, 2016, 03:22:06 AM
Bit of a stretch, but maybe Florida? Only shares a border with Georgia and a small part of Alabama. The rest of the peninsula is surrounded by water.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 19, 2016, 08:58:10 AM
Quote from: ET21 on March 19, 2016, 03:22:06 AM
Bit of a stretch, but maybe Florida? Only shares a border with Georgia and a small part of Alabama. The rest of the peninsula is surrounded by water.

From Jacksonville west past the Okeefenokee Swamp you're right, there isn't much of anything because of the terrain.  It get's pretty border crossing happy especially when get past I-75 though west towards Pensacola.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Ga293 on March 19, 2016, 01:33:40 PM
What about Utah? The totals listed for Nevada and Arizona put it at 27 paved crossings for the southern and western borders, and I think that's a bit high, a lot of the streets in the Hildale/Colorado City area look to be unpaved. The borders with the other three states are similarly desolate.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: roadman65 on March 26, 2016, 12:51:51 PM
What about New Jersey?  It has the Delaware River separating the border with DE and PA. In fact NJ and DE only have one crossing paved, US 40 and I-295. 

PA has this:

US 322
I-76
I-676/ US 30
Betsy Ross Bridge
NJ to PA 73
NJ to PA 413
The Pa Turnpike
US 1
US 1 Business
Calhoun Street
I-95
Washington's Crossing
NJ to PA 179
US 202
CR 523 to PA 263
NJ 12
Milford
Reigelsville
I-78
Old US 22
US 22
Belvidere
NJ 94 to PA 611
I-80
Dingmans Ferry
US 206

This is where it gets tricky.  Not so much between Orange County, NY and Sussex and Passaic Counties in NJ, but between Bergen and Rockland as both sides of the border between the Ramapo Mountain the Hudson Rive is so suburban with lot of population to get the exact number would require a sit down and examine it all. 

I am guessing that the endless crossing between NJ-NY 17 and US 9W is why no one mentioned it yet.


Edit:  Google is down for me as I tried to go to the NY & NJ land border to count the roads across it and the map is stuck in my home area zoomed in completely.  The search box and even the zoomer and peg man are all gone.  No way am I going to travel 1000 miles in that mode.  I will just wait till Google fixes that.

Second Edit:  68 crossings including the PANYNJ river crossings from CR 521 at Montague to NJ 440 at Perth Amboy.  That leaves this one out, as I never realized this many existed.
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Rothman on March 28, 2016, 09:24:16 AM
I'm just kicking myself for typing "county" instead of "country."
Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Sub-Urbanite on March 28, 2016, 10:50:33 AM
Quote from: Ga293 on March 19, 2016, 01:33:40 PM
What about Utah? The totals listed for Nevada and Arizona put it at 27 paved crossings for the southern and western borders, and I think that's a bit high, a lot of the streets in the Hildale/Colorado City area look to be unpaved. The borders with the other three states are similarly desolate.


After making some corrections in Short Creek (Google's superimposed streets made it look as though unpaved roads were paved), here's where Utah's at:

Title: Re: State with the fewest paved entrances
Post by: Roadgeek2500 on March 29, 2016, 10:14:45 PM
These should be all of the crossings into NJ, from South to North

I-295 (Del Mem.)
US 322 (Com. Barry)
I-76 (Walt Whitman)
I-676/ US 30 (Ben Franklin)
NJ 90 (Betsy Ross)
NJ/PA 73 (Tacony-Palmyra)
NJ/413
Penna Tpk Connector Bridge
US 1
US 1 BUS
Calhoun Street Brg
I-95 (Scudder Falls)
Washington's Crossing
NJ/PA 179
US 202
CR 523 / PA 263
NJ 12
Milford Bridge
Reigelsville Bridge
I-78
Old US 22
US 22
Belvidere Brg.
NJ 94 / PA 611
I-80
Dingmans Ferry Brdg
US 206
CR 16 / CR 521
CR 15 / NJ 23
CR 55 / CR 519
CR 36 / CR-651
NY/NJ 284
NY CR 88 / Unsigned
CR 26 / CR 517
NY/NJ 94
NY CR 21 / Unsigned
NY 210 / CR 511
Unsigned / NJ CR 704
CR 72 / CR 697
I-287
US 202 / CR 507
CR 89 / CR 83
CR 73 / CR 75
NY 45 / CR 73
Garden State Parkway
CR 41 / CR s-94
CR 30 / CR 96
CR 135 / Unsigned
NY 304 / CR 503
CR 23 / CR 99
CR 17
CR 8 / CR-117/110
NY 303 / CR 505
NY 340 / CR 501
Palisades Interstate Parkway
US 9W
I-95 / US 1 (GWB)
NJ/NY 495 (Lincoln Tunnel)
I-78 (Holland Tunnel)
NY/NJ 440 (Bayonne)
Goethals Bridge
Outerbridge Crossing

Jesus Christ this took a while