To clarify, I'm talking about situations where not using a freeway is the fastest route.
Although I expect less populated states to have a lot more impressive distances, you can cross the entirety of NJ west to east just by using NJ 38, CR 644, NJ 70, NJ 37, and NJ 35. That's 66 miles:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Riverton,+New+Jersey/Island+Beach+State+Park
Similarly, but a bit further south NJ 49, CR 670, and NJ 47:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Pennsville+Township,+New+Jersey/Cape+May+Airport,+507+Terminal+Dr+%23102,+Rio+Grande,+NJ+08242
In northeastern Massachusetts, MA 114 is best from Salem to Lawrence (for some, but not all, start and end points), about 20 miles. Almost any other 20-mile route in the area (considering southern New Hampshire outside the area) will involve a freeway.
In Virginia, South Boston to Culpeper is 164 miles by US 360, county roads, US 522. It is a little faster then via US 29, which has some freeway stretches.
Not "my area" exactly, but I've been there a lot -- Canada's Yukon and the Northwest Territories have nothing resembling a freeway, so it's easy to come up with four-digit distances. For example, Fort Smith NT to Inuvik NT is about 1965 miles (including a lot of non-freeway and sometimes unpaved highways in the Yukon and northern British Columbia). The extension of NT 8 from Inuvik to the Arctic coast at Tuktoyaktuk will extend that distance to well over 2000 miles.
More in "my area" you can drive from my home in Arlington into West Virginia, and most or all the way across West Virginia into Ohio, using US 50 (with US 29 to bypass the parts of US 50 with scattered interchanges). But you'd probably save time (depending on how badly FUBAR'd I-66 is that day) to take the Interstate and pick up US 50 in Fair Oaks VA.
I can make it 520 miles before even intersecting a freeway: Stateline, NV to Cedar City, UT (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Stateline,+NV/Cedar+City,+UT).
Anything involving US 50 puts me on freeway in Carson City for a short distance (soon to be a bit longer), and while I could go straight though Cedar City some distance farther, at some point I'm going to be routed north or south and onto I-15, or down through Las Vegas.
Quote from: bzakharin on February 05, 2017, 12:50:36 PM
To clarify, I'm talking about situations where not using a freeway is the fastest route.
Although I expect less populated states to have a lot more impressive distances, you can cross the entirety of NJ west to east just by using NJ 38, CR 644, NJ 70, NJ 37, and NJ 35. That's 66 miles:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Riverton,+New+Jersey/Island+Beach+State+Park
Similarly, but a bit further south NJ 49, CR 670, and NJ 47:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Pennsville+Township,+New+Jersey/Cape+May+Airport,+507+Terminal+Dr+%23102,+Rio+Grande,+NJ+08242
The ground rules require some clarification.
I have driven from Manteca, CA to Las Vegas, NV without even *SEEING* a freeway until in the shadows of Las Vegas (something around 700 km). I had, of course, just turned off of CASR-99.
I have driven from Sly Park, CA (where the US-50 freeway ends for good) to Las Vegas, NV without ever even having a freeway *AVAILABLE* until the shadows of Las Vegas (about 750 km).
I haven't driven the whole distance of them myself, but I suspect that you can take US-6 from its west end in Eastern California or US-50 from just outside of Carson City and not have a freeway available until you are almost to or well inside Colorado. If you had started in Manteca on CASR-120 near CASR-99 and gone through Yosemite and then caught US-6, you can easily get over 1000 km. I might be missing the US-50/I-70 junction.
CASR-82 "El Camino Real" runs almost 80 km (50mi) not only as non-freeway, but without extensive distances without traffic signals. If I remember right, the only freeway it crosses in the northern 40 miles is CASR-92 (CASR-84 isn't freeway there, if I remember right).
If you have the patience for it, I suspect tthat you could drive all of the way around San Framcisco Bay without ever driving on a freeway, but you would necessarily cross some.
In many places in the Bay Area and Southern California, the old boulevards and roads that were used in the pre-freeway era are viable short commute alternatives to the freeways. Stevens Creek, Milpitas, Warm Srings, Fremont, International, Sepulveda, Hollywood, etc.
Jacksonville to Miami is pretty direct routing and with some days perhaps paster than i95 using a combo of us17, SR 19 and us27
LGMS428
Quote from: jwolfer on February 05, 2017, 03:58:31 PM
Jacksonville to Miami is pretty direct routing and with some days perhaps paster than i95 using a combo of us17, SR 19 and us27
LGMS428
When I lived in East Orlando I often took the following route to get to Miami which was actually substantially shorter than the Turnpike and about even time wise:
- FL/CR 15
- US 441
- FL 715
- FL 80
- US 27
This could be even extended via FL 997 and U.S. 1 to get to Key West. Usually the Turnpike Extension was pretty fluid southbound but backed up to Bird Road most weekdays northbound. Usually FL 997 was slightly faster given that it kept you moving at least coming home from Key West.
Edit:
I couldn't make a presentable map on my phone earlier....370 miles:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Wawa,+6500+S+Semoran+Blvd,+Orlando,+FL+32822/Holopaw,+Saint+Cloud,+FL/Pahokee,+FL/Whitehead+Street,+Key+West,+FL/@25.6365098,-81.0255478,9z/data=!4m31!4m30!1m5!1m1!1s0x88e7636c31cc6cc3:0x9156fac38af6bb3a!2m2!1d-81.3109837!2d28.4695329!1m5!1m1!1s0x88ddec1f61dbb001:0x7de9006b9d8ae909!2m2!1d-81.07613!2d28.135847!1m10!1m1!1s0x88d94a0426b6b867:0x37685c52b68fd3fb!2m2!1d-80.665335!2d26.8200607!3m4!1m2!1d-80.4800839!2d25.727355!3s0x88d9953451535e07:0xc8727d638a3e7d62!1m5!1m1!1s0x88d1b6e84f4d1dbf:0x6dca1d383e3e8686!2m2!1d-81.802068!2d24.5526952!3e0?hl=en
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on February 05, 2017, 04:06:22 PM
Quote from: jwolfer on February 05, 2017, 03:58:31 PM
Jacksonville to Miami is pretty direct routing and with some days perhaps paster than i95 using a combo of us17, SR 19 and us27
LGMS428
When I lived in East Orlando I often took the following route to get to Miami which was actually substantially shorter than the Turnpike and about even time wise:
- FL/CR 15
- US 441
- FL 716
- FL 80
- US 27
This could be even extended via FL 997 and U.S. 1 to get to Key West. Usually the Turnpike Extension was pretty fluid southbound but backed up to Bird Road most weekdays northbound. Usually FL 997 was slightly faster given that it kept you moving at least coming home from Key West.
Before Clermont got built up us27 was an excellent alternate to 95/FLTP/75
LGMS428
Quote from: michravera on February 05, 2017, 03:55:22 PM
Quote from: bzakharin on February 05, 2017, 12:50:36 PM
To clarify, I'm talking about situations where not using a freeway is the fastest route.
Although I expect less populated states to have a lot more impressive distances, you can cross the entirety of NJ west to east just by using NJ 38, CR 644, NJ 70, NJ 37, and NJ 35. That's 66 miles:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Riverton,+New+Jersey/Island+Beach+State+Park
Similarly, but a bit further south NJ 49, CR 670, and NJ 47:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Pennsville+Township,+New+Jersey/Cape+May+Airport,+507+Terminal+Dr+%23102,+Rio+Grande,+NJ+08242
The ground rules require some clarification.
I have driven from Manteca, CA to Las Vegas, NV without even *SEEING* a freeway until in the shadows of Las Vegas (something around 700 km). I had, of course, just turned off of CASR-99.
I have driven from Sly Park, CA (where the US-50 freeway ends for good) to Las Vegas, NV without ever even having a freeway *AVAILABLE* until the shadows of Las Vegas (about 750 km).
I haven't driven the whole distance of them myself, but I suspect that you can take US-6 from its west end in Eastern California or US-50 from just outside of Carson City and not have a freeway available until you are almost to or well inside Colorado. If you had started in Manteca on CASR-120 near CASR-99 and gone through Yosemite and then caught US-6, you can easily get over 1000 km. I might be missing the US-50/I-70 junction.
CASR-82 "El Camino Real" runs almost 80 km (50mi) not only as non-freeway, but without extensive distances without traffic signals. If I remember right, the only freeway it crosses in the northern 40 miles is CASR-92 (CASR-84 isn't freeway there, if I remember right).
If you have the patience for it, I suspect tthat you could drive all of the way around San Framcisco Bay without ever driving on a freeway, but you would necessarily cross some.
In many places in the Bay Area and Southern California, the old boulevards and roads that were used in the pre-freeway era are viable short commute alternatives to the freeways. Stevens Creek, Milpitas, Warm Srings, Fremont, International, Sepulveda, Hollywood, etc.
It's not really about seeing a freeway. Nor is it about the possibility of travelling between two points without a freeway (that's almost always possible). It's about when the quickest trip between two points does not involve a freeway.
I've also never driven either of the routes I mentioned in their entirety. The longest I've personally driven without entering a freeway is 23 miles, from home to exit 31 on the Atlantic City Expressway, mostly via NJ 73.
Quote from: jwolfer on February 05, 2017, 04:09:07 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on February 05, 2017, 04:06:22 PM
Quote from: jwolfer on February 05, 2017, 03:58:31 PM
Jacksonville to Miami is pretty direct routing and with some days perhaps paster than i95 using a combo of us17, SR 19 and us27
LGMS428
When I lived in East Orlando I often took the following route to get to Miami which was actually substantially shorter than the Turnpike and about even time wise:
- FL/CR 15
- US 441
- FL 716
- FL 80
- US 27
This could be even extended via FL 997 and U.S. 1 to get to Key West. Usually the Turnpike Extension was pretty fluid southbound but backed up to Bird Road most weekdays northbound. Usually FL 997 was slightly faster given that it kept you moving at least coming home from Key West.
Before Clermont got built up us27 was an excellent alternate to 95/FLTP/75
LGMS428
Still is from Orlando if you can tolerate the tourist brigade descending on Disney all at once on I-4 for a couple miles.
"My area" is Harford County, Maryland, which is just northeast of Baltimore, which is filled with freeways. But I-95 is the only true freeway within Harford County, and it passes some miles south of county seat Bel Air. I'm north of Bel Air, and it's about a 15-mile drive to my exit off I-95 (exit 74, Maryland Route 152). I'm a bit further from I-83, and the exit I usually take off I-83 is Pennsylvania exit 4 in Shrewsbury.
If I lived in Southern Maryland or most of the Eastern Shore, I wouldn't have a choice but to not use freeways.
Greenfield, MA. 75 miles from my apartment in Troy with zero limited-access segments. If I-88 was ever completed across Vermont, that would likely be faster.
If we don't count super-2s as "freeways", Woodstock, VT is 110 miles. A good portion of this was the planned route of I-92.
When I lived in Helena, the fastest summer route to Sidney - 441 miles - did not involve any freeway mileage.
Similarly, I'd bet the US 2 corridor generally takes the cake. The fastest route from Bonners Ferry, Idaho to Bemidji, Minnesota - a distance of 1,443 miles - does not involve any freeway.
From Boise, the greatest distance is probably north - it's 379 off-freeway miles to Coeur d'Alene, and that's the fastest way to get up there in the summer.
Playing around with google maps directions, the farthest place I could find from my hometown where the top suggested route did not include any freeways was 153 miles (Bellevue, OH to Stockport, OH)
Are there any situations like this one (https://www.google.es/maps/dir/Ateca,+Zaragoza/Calatayud,+Zaragoza/@41.3307095,-1.7870277,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0xd5b819fb1f7dca3:0xa315e1ff5a98a14c!2m2!1d-1.7952762!2d41.3296158!1m5!1m1!1s0xd5b8f354129566d:0x634a2ef98b744830!2m2!1d-1.6468455!2d41.3531678)? :sombrero:
Quote from: cl94If we don't count super-2s as "freeways", Woodstock, VT is 110 miles. A good portion of this was the planned route of I-92.
Except that US 7 is a 4-lane freeway for just over one exit north of Bennington, so this one wouldn't count anyway...
When do we cross the line from expressway to freeway?
I've driven from Bishop, CA to Cedar City, UT 404 miles and from Bishop, CA to Twin Falls, ID 537 miles without a freeway and definitely the most direct route.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 05, 2017, 07:05:20 PM
When do we cross the line from expressway to freeway?
I'd say anything that sustained grade separation with limited access for a sustained period of time. The Florida route I offered up from Orlando to Miami/Key West has a couple expressway ramps but those roads definitely what anyone would define as a freeway. On U.S. 27 approaching I-75 there is a divide in the road and a full ramp but at grade intersections immediately in both directions. U.S. 1 on the 18 mile stretch of the Overseas Highway is a divided two-lane with some ramps but there are far more at grade intersections....I wouldn't even really call it a "super two" because it is a wretched design. Even further down on Boca Chica Key there is a full four lane divide and a ramp but at grade intersections immediately on either direction of travel. i guess the question is what does the OP consider to be sustained enough access control to make that leap from expressway to freeway?
Wow the longest drive without a Freeway I been to was on Big Island Hawaii via a tour bus ride due to the fact that they have no interstates. Also Maui tour due to no freeway.
Well since Manitoba has no freeways (at least in my mind), the fastest route anywhere doesn't have a freeway. I can't realistically go farther west than Alberta (all major routes have freeways) and farther northeast than Rivière-Chalifour Quebec while staying on provincially maintained roads (QC 167).
Here are a few examples of trips I could make over 1000 km (620 mi) without coming into contact with a freeway. In fact, for most of the following trips, the fastest route is two-lane highway (and for the first one I've been told gravel road).
https://goo.gl/maps/kwqh7VbmzZH2
https://goo.gl/maps/fAGqx3gWrhG2
https://goo.gl/maps/c5wvQZMBbM12
https://goo.gl/maps/RNyh8UCrEwF2
The farthest overall realistically is probably close to 2200 km (1370 mi).
Of course, the closest freeway is not even in the country (I-29).
Cooked this one up from near my old house in Scottsdale, AZ to Denver, CO along familiar work territory for me...approximately 770-780 miles and probably just not much variance with Interstate travel in real world time:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Sundown+Plaza,+Scottsdale,+AZ+85254/Winslow,+AZ/Denver,+CO/@34.066383,-111.38215,10z/data=!4m22!4m21!1m5!1m1!1s0x872b74ecbc305a1d:0xf5e27a803d7839de!2m2!1d-111.9272838!2d33.5839777!1m5!1m1!1s0x872e420b60a443b7:0xc1c851aff51726e8!2m2!1d-110.6973571!2d35.0241873!1m5!1m1!1s0x876b80aa231f17cf:0x118ef4f8278a36d6!2m2!1d-104.990251!2d39.7392358!2m1!1b1!3e0?hl=en
Probably says something about where I live that I can only get to Chualar, 24 miles away, by surface roads, and I believe that's the farthest. We have so many freeway stubs around us.
On a typical trip from my hometown in the Central UP, I can go about 3-3.5 hours to the east/southeast before I end up on I-75 north of St. Ignace, and it's probably about the same to the west before I hit the US 53 freeway near Superior. I think the US 141 and US 41 freeway segments in WI are maybe a bit closer, but if I'm angling southwesterly out of the UP in WI, I may not see a freeway for over 4 hours (US 53 north of Eau Claire) or use one until I hit I-35 at the western end of US 8, 6 hours after I left home.
Several years back when I was still living in Redlands, I took an out-of-the-way routing to visit a friend in the Spokane area in order to clinch some previously untraveled routes. A couple of the segments involved very long stretches without even the hint of a freeway: Baker, CA to Carlin, NV (CA 127/NV 373, US 95, US 6, NV 376, US 50, NV 278; the trip meter showed a tad under 480 miles). After jogging over on I-80 and overnighting in Elko, I continued north via NV 225, ID 51, ID 78, and ID 45 to Nampa (IIRC, about 250-odd miles), where I crossed I-84 and headed toward Eagle. The next segment was freeway-free: ID 55, US 95, US 195, and WA 23 (my friend lived on a ranch on WA 28 south of Davenport), about another 350 miles or so before I crossed I-90. Had to lay over in Lewiston (US 95 in Idaho is a bit exhausting!). But those three segments are, in my recollection, the longest I've driven in the last couple of decades without encountering freeways.
I mentioned in another thread my 1999 journey from Anaheim (SoCal) to Redwood Estates (Santa Cruz mountains) without using a yard of freeway (although crossing several!). During times of traffic or construction (I-580, I'm looking at you!) I've often used alternate routes to get in & out of the Bay Area; one of my favorites from San Jose over to the San Joaquin Valley involves surface streets through Milpitas and Fremont, Niles Canyon, Pleasanton-Sunol Road, Stanley Blvd. in the Livermore area, and finally old US 50, the Altamont Pass Road, which deposits me near Mountain Home (NW of Tracy), where I can head SE into Tracy or N to Discovery Bay; this composite routing is somewhat fun because, as a railfan, it largely follows the old WP main line. But these, and other non-freeway localized alternatives, involve merely avoiding the freeways that are there, not traversing areas devoid of freeway facilities (which is ostensibly the raison d'etre of the OP).
Not exactly sure what we're going for here, but I can pretty much travel anywhere in my general area without using a freeway.
For example, the shortest route to Lexington does not involve either I-75 or the Mountain Parkway.
Quote from: hbelkins on February 06, 2017, 11:00:36 AM
Not exactly sure what we're going for here, but I can pretty much travel anywhere in my general area without using a freeway.
For example, the shortest route to Lexington does not involve either I-75 or the Mountain Parkway.
The OP
is somewhat vague regarding just where this thread is intended to go, but as for myself, I tried to cover as many bases as possible with the various interpretations:
(a) distance without physically encountering a freeway facility: the Baker, CA to Carlin, NV segment of my 2005 trip to the Spokane area; (b) trips originating locally without freeway usage; (c) long-distance trips deliberately avoiding freeway travel: my 1999 Anaheim-Redwood Estates trip, recounted in another thread last year. The last of these was a bit tricky due to Caltrans' (and their predecessor agency's) penchant for laying freeways atop the original roads in mountainous or other difficult terrain. The idea for the trip was hatched during a discussion with a few friends with extensive CA road experience about just that phenomenon.
I think the intent is going from Point A to Point B without getting onto a freeway (crossing one without getting on is okay), where the non-freeway route is the best route. You do not need to have traveled the route yourself.
Quote from: 1 on February 06, 2017, 03:54:36 PM
I think the intent is going from Point A to Point B without getting onto a freeway (crossing one without getting on is okay), where the non-freeway route is the best route. You do not need to have traveled the route yourself.
In that case, CA 20 from US 101 north of Ukiah east to Grass Valley would certainly qualify -- not a bit of freeway on that stretch of highway -- and it
is the direct route from one CA sub-region to the other.
If you allow backroads and obscure 2 lane signed routes, I can get all the way across the country on them.
If you allow horse amputation, a horse can have no legs.
I grew up right where I-88, I-290, and I-294 all intersect, and so the answer there is "pretty much nowhere" unless there's traffic (which is almost all the time), when the answer is "pretty much everywhere."
Joking aside, using Google Maps, I find that the most distant location I can get to where it doesn't say to get on a freeway is about 6 miles.
In addition, there are places where getting on the freeway is pretty much required to go anywhere out of town, like Vail CO. So, that's an example of the exact opposite of what the OP is asking for. There was a thread on it. I can't find it.
Quote from: noelbotevera on February 06, 2017, 05:43:44 PM
If you allow backroads and obscure 2 lane signed routes, I can get all the way across the country on them.
I believe that the OP is asking for situations where the fastest or otherwise most feasible route would not use a freeway, not whether it's simply possible to avoid them if you'd like to.
In which case, literally nowhere. Aside from going up to State College (fastest is US 30-US 522-US 22-PA 26, but even then is about the same time as I-81-US 322 thanks to taking breaks), and going to PA Turnpike Exit 161, that's about as far as I can go where the freeway takes longer.
It is possible to get across the Mexican border from San Diego without using a freeway (taking SR 94 to SR 188, or taking SR 78 into Imperial County, then SR 86 to SR 111).
That might get you into Panama.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on February 06, 2017, 06:53:48 PM
Quote from: noelbotevera on February 06, 2017, 05:43:44 PM
If you allow backroads and obscure 2 lane signed routes, I can get all the way across the country on them.
I believe that the OP is asking for situations where the fastest or otherwise most feasible route would not use a freeway, not whether it's simply possible to avoid them if you'd like to.
That's the way I interpreted it. 1. Put the town where you live at one end of the directions on Google Maps. 2. Figure out the most distant town that, when you put it in the other end of the directions, Google Maps gives you a "Fastest Route" that doesn't route you on to any freeway.
In my case, I live in Stateline, NV. There's some little burg on US 89 east of Zion National Park, named Glendale. GMaps gives me a route 574 miles in length from Stateline to Glendale that passes straight through Cedar City, UT without asking me to get on I-15.
But if I put in Kanab, UT, a bit south of Glendale on US 89, at the far end, GMaps routes me through Mesquite, NV and St. George, UT on I-15. And if I put in Panguitch, UT, GMaps sends me through Carson City, which disqualifies me, and also onto I-15 for a few miles south of Beaver, UT. I'm not going to try to figure out the exact point on US 89 that gives me the greatest distance from Stateline, but it's pretty clear that for any point north, east or south of the general Glendale area, GMaps will want to put me on a freeway, so I'm going to say my answer is 574 miles.
I once lived in Portsmouth VA and occasionally had to spend the week at the Navy Yard in DC. If I got done on a Friday afternoon, it was as quick and a whole lot less aggravating to take MD 5, US 301, and US 17 to Tidewater than drive I-95 and I-64 home. I could spend 2-3 hours just getting to Fredericksburg on 95. After the second time I decided to try 301/17 and never used the interstate out of DC at rush hour again.
I also like to travel back roads. Some good non-interstates that go a long distance include US 58, OH 32, and KY 80/Cumberland Parkway. And the old US 66 between Kingman AZ and Barstow CA is awesome and almost as quick as the interstate.
I can get almost 9 miles! Of course, I live near several freeways.
From NE Seattle to Coulee City, WA, WA 522 to WA 9 to US 2 to Coulee City,
From NE Seattle to Coulee City, WA, WA 522 to WA 9 to US 2 to Coulee City, 200 miles
Quote from: gonealookin on February 06, 2017, 09:30:05 PM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on February 06, 2017, 06:53:48 PM
Quote from: noelbotevera on February 06, 2017, 05:43:44 PM
If you allow backroads and obscure 2 lane signed routes, I can get all the way across the country on them.
I believe that the OP is asking for situations where the fastest or otherwise most feasible route would not use a freeway, not whether it's simply possible to avoid them if you'd like to.
That's the way I interpreted it. 1. Put the town where you live at one end of the directions on Google Maps. 2. Figure out the most distant town that, when you put it in the other end of the directions, Google Maps gives you a "Fastest Route" that doesn't route you on to any freeway.
In my case, I live in Stateline, NV. There's some little burg on US 89 east of Zion National Park, named Glendale. GMaps gives me a route 574 miles in length from Stateline to Glendale that passes straight through Cedar City, UT without asking me to get on I-15.
But if I put in Kanab, UT, a bit south of Glendale on US 89, at the far end, GMaps routes me through Mesquite, NV and St. George, UT on I-15. And if I put in Panguitch, UT, GMaps sends me through Carson City, which disqualifies me, and also onto I-15 for a few miles south of Beaver, UT. I'm not going to try to figure out the exact point on US 89 that gives me the greatest distance from Stateline, but it's pretty clear that for any point north, east or south of the general Glendale area, GMaps will want to put me on a freeway, so I'm going to say my answer is 574 miles.
It looks like you can go all of the way along US-50 back to Sly Park Rd. without getting routed onto a freeway on your way to Glendale, UT. Call it 1007 km (626 mi). It looks like it is a full 75 minutes and 80 km shorter than the route that uses I-15. If you try to go to Page, AZ, yahoo maps sends you onto I-15.
Again speaking of routes numbered 20, one can take the shortest feasible route from Newport, OR clear across the state via US 20 Newport-Corvallis, OR 34 Corvallis-Lebanon, US 20 Lebanon-Sisters, OR 126 Sisters-Prineville, US 26 Prineville-Vale, US 20/26 Vale-OR 201, and OR 201 north & east to I-84 near Ontario. Not a bit of freeway along that route (although the OR 34 segment has been improved to divided status); totaling 418 miles. Hardly a mileage record, but the fully cross-state aspect gives it some significance, IMO.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on February 06, 2017, 06:53:48 PM
I grew up right where I-88, I-290, and I-294 all intersect, and so the answer there is "pretty much nowhere" unless there's traffic (which is almost all the time), when the answer is "pretty much everywhere."
Joking aside, using Google Maps, I find that the most distant location I can get to where it doesn't say to get on a freeway is about 6 miles.
In addition, there are places where getting on the freeway is pretty much required to go anywhere out of town, like Vail CO. So, that's an example of the exact opposite of what the OP is asking for. There was a thread on it. I can't find it.
Quote from: noelbotevera on February 06, 2017, 05:43:44 PM
If you allow backroads and obscure 2 lane signed routes, I can get all the way across the country on them.
I believe that the OP is asking for situations where the fastest or otherwise most feasible route would not use a freeway, not whether it's simply possible to avoid them if you'd like to.
When I lived in Schaumburg in the 80's it was often quicker to use IL-72 to get to my dad's office in Rosemont than it would have been to take the tollway.
Quote from: corco on February 05, 2017, 05:49:07 PM
Similarly, I'd bet the US 2 corridor generally takes the cake. The fastest route from Bonners Ferry, Idaho to Bemidji, Minnesota - a distance of 1,443 miles - does not involve any freeway
Good one, but not quite. It looks like 2 is briefly a freeway in Minot.
Quote from: jaehak on February 08, 2017, 11:10:05 AM
Good one, but not quite. It looks like 2 is briefly a freeway in Minot.
There is a stretch of just under 2 miles with grade separation, but most of the highway in Minot has grade-level intersections. Whether or not that section of grade separation by itself constitutes a freeway has been the subject of much digital ink being spilled on these forums.
Not very far. If you want to go to Wilmington NC from my area, you might think you wouldn't be on a freeway, but parts of US 74 are I-74 on the way there. The fastest way to get to any major destination around me is a freeway (possibly tollway soon), we're surrounded by them.
Quote from: skluth on February 07, 2017, 12:02:37 AM
I once lived in Portsmouth VA and occasionally had to spend the week at the Navy Yard in DC. If I got done on a Friday afternoon, it was as quick and a whole lot less aggravating to take MD 5, US 301, and US 17 to Tidewater than drive I-95 and I-64 home. I could spend 2-3 hours just getting to Fredericksburg on 95. After the second time I decided to try 301/17 and never used the interstate out of DC at rush hour again.
I also like to travel back roads. Some good non-interstates that go a long distance include US 58, OH 32, and KY 80/Cumberland Parkway. And the old US 66 between Kingman AZ and Barstow CA is awesome and almost as quick as the interstate.
It seems to me that the backroads are even less crowded thanks to GPS. It keeps everone on the interstates unless there is no other option
LGMS428
Quote from: jwolfer on February 13, 2017, 12:13:34 AM
Quote from: skluth on February 07, 2017, 12:02:37 AM
I once lived in Portsmouth VA and occasionally had to spend the week at the Navy Yard in DC. If I got done on a Friday afternoon, it was as quick and a whole lot less aggravating to take MD 5, US 301, and US 17 to Tidewater than drive I-95 and I-64 home. I could spend 2-3 hours just getting to Fredericksburg on 95. After the second time I decided to try 301/17 and never used the interstate out of DC at rush hour again.
I also like to travel back roads. Some good non-interstates that go a long distance include US 58, OH 32, and KY 80/Cumberland Parkway. And the old US 66 between Kingman AZ and Barstow CA is awesome and almost as quick as the interstate.
It seems to me that the backroads are even less crowded thanks to GPS. It keeps everone on the interstates unless there is no other option
LGMS428
Especially in the case of Old US 66 in California. There has been many a time I've driven it from Ludlow all the way to US 95 and never encountered another car.
I have taken us17 in Southeast GA instead of 95 on Thanksgiving weekend traffic days. Outside of small towns virtually no traffic. Back in the day, my dad or me (at 10 years old) would have had the atlas out to avoid traffic.
Also my parents drove in the days before interstates being complete... So they knew what roads were replaced by interstate. I remember having to exit i95 and us 17 or 301 at places
LGMS428
The farthest I can find is Blue Mountain Ski Resort near Collingwood, ON (149 km, 2h 7min), which makes me a bit sad as a skier :-/. The Conestoga Parkway ruined some options for going farther north (such as Manitoulin Island).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ER2K-ERLlk
The Road to Hana in Maui, The Hawaii Belt road on Big Island they are the only times that I took a drive without seeing a freeway.
http://www.hawaiihighways.com/big_island.htm
http://www.hawaiihighways.com/maui-part2.htm
http://www.hawaiihighways.com/maui.htm
Newfane, VT, to Crown Point, NY, via VT 30, VT/NY 149, NY 22, Washington CR 12, back to NY 22, and NY 9N (100 miles). Points north/west of there, Google suggests US 4 west of Rutland.
Southampton NJ to Cape May NJ, US 206-US30-CR559-NJ50-US9-cape may. Approx the same time as taking the parkway and the ACE
Quote from: SteveG1988 on March 13, 2017, 10:27:12 PM
Southampton NJ to Cape May NJ, US 206-US30-CR559-NJ50-US9-cape may. Approx the same time as taking the parkway and the ACE
Google says 21 minutes longer, mostly US 9 VS Parkway
Quote from: bzakharin on March 14, 2017, 06:00:10 PM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on March 13, 2017, 10:27:12 PM
Southampton NJ to Cape May NJ, US 206-US30-CR559-NJ50-US9-cape may. Approx the same time as taking the parkway and the ACE
Google says 21 minutes longer, mostly US 9 VS Parkway
All depends on the day. Some days it is faster, other days it is not. It's a crap shoot.
From Bend, Oregon where I now live, I can take US 20 East to US 395 South, and drive about 350 miles before 395 enters Nevada and becomes a freeway north of Reno.
Second place would be US 20 East to Ontario, Oregon where it meets I-84. It's about 250 miles.
Quote from: michravera on February 05, 2017, 03:55:22 PM
CASR-82 "El Camino Real" runs almost 80 km (50mi) not only as non-freeway, but without extensive distances without traffic signals. If I remember right, the only freeway it crosses in the northern 40 miles is CASR-92 (CASR-84 isn't freeway there, if I remember right).
There's also I-380 in San Bruno, about 7 miles north of Route 92.