Sorry if this has already been done.
What states do you find deceptively large? For me, Pennsylvania and New York come to mind, as does to an extent Connecticut.
I'll give an example: When I took a trip from St. Louis to Wakefield, MA I thought the distance between Utica, NY and Albany was at most, 50 miles. I was wrong. It's more like 100 miles.
I'd say Alaska, only because it usually gets cartographically beat up by being an inset on maps of the United States, off to the left of the west coast (along with Hawaii).
Growing up, we'd drive from the DC area to Pittsburgh, taking I/70I-68 to western PA. I knew Maryland was a relatively small state, but taking 70/68 all the way west across Maryland made it seem like a huge state. Ironically, it's also skinny...in the same region of western Maryland, you can drive from West Virginia to Pennsylania, cutting across Maryland via US-220 (Cumberland) in like 10 minutes.
On US 522, you can cut across in 2-3 minutes. Only 2.17 miles.
The most significant example that comes to my mind right now is the state of Florida. After just looking it up on Google Maps Directions, it sounds like it would take around 12 hours to drive from Pensacola, FL to Key West, FL. Looking at Florida on a map, it is a pretty big state, but driving between those two cities makes current perceptions now seem deceptive. :-o
Massachusetts. It's actually larger than New Jersey in terms of land area.
Texas.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 20, 2018, 05:43:56 PM
The most significant example that comes to my mind right now is the state of Florida. After just looking it up on Google Maps Directions, it sounds like it would take around 12 hours to drive from Pensacola, FL to Key West, FL. Looking at Florida on a map, it is a pretty big state, but driving between those two cities makes current perceptions now seem deceptive. :-o
Agreed with Florida. People come to Miami on vacation and think it's a quick day trip to Disney World
Z981
It's probably mostly states east of the Mississippi that qualify, because of the general (and mostly correct) perception that Western states are comparatively vast.
I don't know how big New York is generally percieved to be, but I can see how a cross-state trip on the thruway could be substantially longer and more boring than expected. FWIW, Georgia is the largest eastern state in land area, beating out NY, PA, and Florida.
To me, Pennsylvania fits this bill. I was on a county-collecting loop the day before the State College meet a few years ago and it took a lot longer than I anticipated.
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on January 20, 2018, 06:04:19 PM
Texas.
If this thread was "Large states" , yes. But "deceptively large" ....I'd have to say no. If anything, Texas's size is probably oversold. This postcard "map" of Texas is probably not that much of an exaggeration of some people's mental maps:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F78.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_kzsx5yDvf81qzbok1o1_1280.jpg&hash=60cb10caec37b3c8ccbc4e2ea57ef4bda0d66674)
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 20, 2018, 05:43:56 PM
The most significant example that comes to my mind right now is the state of Florida.
+1 on Florida. When I moved from SF to Tampa and crossed the Alabama/Florida line on I-10, part of my brain said "
OK, you just have to clear this little stump of a panhandle, turn down I-75, and you're there!" In reality, it was a
long drive.
Quote from: webny99 on January 20, 2018, 06:16:40 PM
It's probably mostly states east of the Mississippi that qualify...
Agreed about this. I think the popular impression is that the western states are huge and the eastern ones tiny. And being able to cross several state lines quickly on trips like Washington to New York or Milwaukee to Kalamazoo makes this seem true. But traverse some of these states the "long way" –New York to Buffalo, Detroit to Marquette–and you're in for a surprisingly long intrastate drive.
In the east, Michigan, and New York are the big ones.
Living in New York most of my life, I've heard quite a few things from visitors. A lot of foreign visitors to New York City try and go to Niagara Falls on the same trip, not realizing it's a 7+ hour drive each way. It takes less time to drive from Buffalo to Chicago than it does to drive from Buffalo to the eastern end of Long Island. I-90 across the state is a 6 hour drive if you're lucky (often longer), as it's 386 miles. And because of its size, there is no defined New York culture (or anything close to it).
I still am amazed that AR is bigger than PA.
Michigan. Always amazes outsiders that it takes longer to go from Houghton to Detroit than from Atlanta to Detroit. Like Florida, one can easily spend an entire day inside the state and still not quite get through it, from Luna Pier to Ironwood.
I always thought it was a long drive across Kentucky and Tennessee.
Cumberland Gap, VA to Chincoteague Island, VA
611 miles and 10 hours driving time
Florida, just look up what a drive from Pensacola to Key West entails mileage wise.
Maine. It is the 2nd longest stretch of I-95 in a single state at 303 miles, and is the 2nd longest single state stretch of US 1 at 526 miles, only 19 miles less than that of Florida's. It is 382 miles from Kittery at the southwestern tip to Madawaska near the northeast curve. That is longer than a trip from NYC to Montreal or Pittsburgh.
Texas is quite huge (https://imgur.com/gallery/hExo7HT).
Texas and Alaska for me.
North Carolina doesn't seem like much, and even going the width of it on I-40 its about 6 hours from New Bern to the TN Border. But I-40 cheats by exiting stage right after getting past Waynesville.
TN state line on US-64 near Wolf Creek to NC-12 intersection on US-64 near Manteo-now that is a ridiculously long trip, about 567 miles according to Google
For me, it was Virginia when I was going up to New Jersey last fall. Of course, I was taking I-81, but still.
Gonna go with Michigan here. The drive from Port Huron to Ironwood via Houghton was longer than I expected.
The drive across Montana along I-94 and I-90, with the detour up to Helena, was mentally shorter; even I-5 from LA to Ashland would be mentally shorter, and that's a longer drive.
Missouri can be if you enter from Iowa north of Rock Port and want to go to St. Louis. I can only imagine what going to Memphis is like from there.
Quote from: Brandon on January 20, 2018, 11:34:55 PM
Michigan. Always amazes outsiders that it takes longer to go from Houghton to Detroit than from Atlanta to Detroit.
Sorry, you're a little off there. Having made both trips several times, it takes a couple hours longer to get to Atlanta.
We live in metro Detroit, and 2 of our kids went to Michigan Tech in Houghton. The deception is that when you get from Detroit to the Mackinac Bridge, you're still not halfway to Houghton.
I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.
A level of boredness may also have something to do with making some states feel deceptively large. For example thanks to long travels on I-80 in Pennslyvania and I-86 in New York (roads I found extremely boring and couldn't wait to get off of), those states now seem huge to me.
Arkansas isn't that big of a state, but many of the major roads cross the state diagonally, and not always in a straight line. The distance between Gravette in the NW corner to Eudora in the SE is 373 miles. The other diagonal, from Fouke (near Texarkana) to Piggott is 342 miles.
Quote from: cl94 on January 20, 2018, 07:03:15 PM
A lot of foreign visitors to New York City try and go to Niagara Falls on the same trip, not realizing it's a 7+ hour drive each way. It takes less time to drive from Buffalo to Chicago than it does to drive from Buffalo to the eastern end of Long Island. I-90 across the state is a 6 hour drive if you're lucky (often longer), as it's 386 miles. And because of its size, there is no defined New York culture (or anything close to it).
There's two things at play here. One is that foreigners routinely underestimate the size of the United States as a whole. Someone I knew from another forum once told a story about being in Los Angeles with a friend from England, and said friend thought it was a totally reasonable suggestion to take a day trip to the Grand Canyon (~480 miles away). Same mental logic going on there - two things both in the same corner of the country must be pretty close together, right? Nope!
The other is that New York is less geographically compact than most states. It's 332 miles from NYC to Canada along I-87, but most of the state is significantly thinner than that along the N-S axis (I-81 is only 182 miles, I-/NY 390 + I-99 via I-86 is only 119 miles). Downstate and Long Island also form a very long and very thin tail for the state - Montauk is over 100 miles from Manhattan and nearly 200 miles (driving distance) from Poughkeepsie. But at the same time, Long Island doesn't get much more than 20 miles wide and most of it is thinner than that.
Maine is also near all the small New England and other Northeast states like NJ, DE and MD..
Maine, New York and Pennsylvania are gigantic compared to other states in the Northeast corner of the US
Z981
Quote from: cl94 on January 20, 2018, 07:03:15 PM
In the east, Michigan, and New York are the big ones.
Living in New York most of my life, I've heard quite a few things from visitors. A lot of foreign visitors to New York City try and go to Niagara Falls on the same trip, not realizing it's a 7+ hour drive each way. It takes less time to drive from Buffalo to Chicago than it does to drive from Buffalo to the eastern end of Long Island. I-90 across the state is a 6 hour drive if you're lucky (often longer), as it's 386 miles. And because of its size, there is no defined New York culture (or anything close to it).
Dang I had no idea that New York City to Buffalo driving distance is equal to the driving distance of I-5 from Sacramento to Los Angeles.
Quote from: Brandon on January 20, 2018, 11:34:55 PM
Michigan. Always amazes outsiders that it takes longer to go from Houghton to Detroit than from Atlanta to Detroit. Like Florida, one can easily spend an entire day inside the state and still not quite get through it, from Luna Pier to Ironwood.
Atlanta is about 170 miles farther to Detroit than Detroit is to Houghton, takes about 2 hours longer though since Detroit to Atlanta is all Interstate and Detroit to Houghton is only Interstate for about half the trip.
Utah is also bigger than a lot of people think it is. Tourists come to Salt Lake City with the idea of going to the southern Utah parks, and then they are surprised when it's a 4+ hour drive to get to them. In most cases, it turns out that Las Vegas is closer to the parks. I-15 through Utah is 401 miles, but most of it is 80 mph, so you could probably do it in a little more than 5 hours if you never stop and there isn't any Wasatch Front traffic.
Quote from: cl94 on January 20, 2018, 07:03:15 PM
In the east, Michigan, and New York are the big ones.
Living in New York most of my life, I've heard quite a few things from visitors. A lot of foreign visitors to New York City try and go to Niagara Falls on the same trip, not realizing it's a 7+ hour drive each way. It takes less time to drive from Buffalo to Chicago than it does to drive from Buffalo to the eastern end of Long Island. I-90 across the state is a 6 hour drive if you're lucky (often longer), as it's 386 miles. And because of its size, there is no defined New York culture (or anything close to it).
Time wise Buffalo to Chicago is about a half hour longer but it's about 40 miles shorter than Buffalo to Montauk.
California could fit some states.
Example Rhode Island is the same size as Sacramento County,
New Jersey is the same size as the San Francisco Bay Area.
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 09:21:37 AM
I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.
Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).
Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.
Quote from: Hurricane Rex on January 21, 2018, 02:37:27 AM
Texas and Alaska for me.
Alaska's not that "deceptive", but the distance between its southwestern and southeastern corners (about 2270 miles) is longer than the straight-line distance between the Pacific coast in San Diego and the Atlantic coast in Jacksonville. What's more, Alaska used to be divided into four time zones like the lower 48, though it's now down to two (Alaska and Aleutians -- almost nobody lives in the latter time zone).
Hawaii includes a lot of small islands northwest of Niihau (westernmost "major island"), making that state much wider (about 1500 miles from end to end) than you'd guess from the map. Like Alaska's Aleutian time zone, few people west of Niihau, especially since Midway Island is not part of the state of Hawaii.
Quote from: Beltway on January 21, 2018, 02:50:36 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 09:21:37 AM
I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.
Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).
Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.
Indeed the former point is one reason why my wife and I haven't used the I-81 to I-26 route to Florida. She wouldn't be too happy about still being in Virginia after that much time! (I have not been through Bristol since 1997, when I took that route to Montgomery, where I was working for the summer.)
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 03:03:57 PM
Quote from: Beltway on January 21, 2018, 02:50:36 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 09:21:37 AM
I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.
Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).
Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.
Indeed the former point is one reason why my wife and I haven't used the I-81 to I-26 route to Florida. She wouldn't be too happy about still being in Virginia after that much time! (I have not been through Bristol since 1997, when I took that route to Montgomery, where I was working for the summer.)
What part of Florida? About the only place that would be logical for I-81 use, is Pensacola. For I-75 and I-95 destinations that would be far out of the way.
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 03:03:57 PM
Quote from: Beltway on January 21, 2018, 02:50:36 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 09:21:37 AM
I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.
Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).
Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.
Indeed the former point is one reason why my wife and I haven't used the I-81 to I-26 route to Florida. She wouldn't be too happy about still being in Virginia after that much time! (I have not been through Bristol since 1997, when I took that route to Montgomery, where I was working for the summer.)
I think I-81 would take you pretty much out of the way, wouldn't I-95 be a more direct route to Florida?
Quote from: Jmiles32 on January 21, 2018, 09:44:56 AM
A level of boredness may also have something to do with making some states feel deceptively large. For example thanks to long travels on I-80 in Pennslyvania and I-86 in New York (roads I found extremely boring and couldn't wait to get off of), those states now seem huge to me.
For me, that's Iowa. I-29 has only 151 miles in Iowa but it feels so much longer because it's so boring.
Kind of on the opposite end, I've found that South Dakota is deceptively small for me (probably cause I've been almost everywhere in the state); when I cross the Big Sewer on I-29 I always think I'm almost home... even though it's about 7 and a half hours back to my side of the state...
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 21, 2018, 03:27:03 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 03:03:57 PM
Quote from: Beltway on January 21, 2018, 02:50:36 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 09:21:37 AM
I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.
Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).
Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.
Indeed the former point is one reason why my wife and I haven't used the I-81 to I-26 route to Florida. She wouldn't be too happy about still being in Virginia after that much time! (I have not been through Bristol since 1997, when I took that route to Montgomery, where I was working for the summer.)
I think I-81 would take you pretty much out of the way, wouldn't I-95 be a more direct route to Florida?
Many people like to avoid the big cities and the traffic on I-95 and take 81 to 77 to 26 to hit I-95 in South Carolina. If you were going to Pensacola, you'd jump from 77 onto 85 to 65 and go down through Alabama.
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 21, 2018, 03:27:03 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 03:03:57 PM
Quote from: Beltway on January 21, 2018, 02:50:36 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 09:21:37 AM
I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.
Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).
Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.
Indeed the former point is one reason why my wife and I haven't used the I-81 to I-26 route to Florida. She wouldn't be too happy about still being in Virginia after that much time! (I have not been through Bristol since 1997, when I took that route to Montgomery, where I was working for the summer.)
I think I-81 would take you pretty much out of the way, wouldn't I-95 be a more direct route to Florida?
Of course it would, but we've been down I-95 many times and there's nothing new to see that way. I-26 north of Asheville is supposed to be pretty scenic, from what I've heard, so I'd like to go that way sometime, but as you and Beltway note, it's way out of the way, plus my wife wouldn't be happy about still being in Virginia after five and a half hours unless we were headed to Cumberland Gap or somewhere in Tennessee. Our more typical alternate to I-95 is US-29 down to Greensboro, and then south of there it varies depending on the time of day (if it's late, lodging options will factor into the route), what roads I feel like using, and where we're going in Florida.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on January 21, 2018, 01:00:58 AM
Maine. It is the 2nd longest stretch of I-95 in a single state at 303 miles, and is the 2nd longest single state stretch of US 1 at 526 miles, only 19 miles less than that of Florida's. It is 382 miles from Kittery at the southwestern tip to Madawaska near the northeast curve. That is longer than a trip from NYC to Montreal or Pittsburgh.
Gets even bigger if you want to loop around through New Brunswick and Quebec to reach Estcourt Station (the northernmost tip of Maine and of New England). Only reachable from "inside" Maine by way of private logging roads.
EDIT: Now seems that those logging roads now show up in Google (this is a recent change).
Quote from: jwolfer on January 20, 2018, 06:07:41 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 20, 2018, 05:43:56 PM
The most significant example that comes to my mind right now is the state of Florida. After just looking it up on Google Maps Directions, it sounds like it would take around 12 hours to drive from Pensacola, FL to Key West, FL. Looking at Florida on a map, it is a pretty big state, but driving between those two cities makes current perceptions now seem deceptive. :-o
Agreed with Florida. People come to Miami on vacation and think it's a quick day trip to Disney World
Z981
I went to Destin, like, a week after Irma. People were like, why would you go there when they just had a hurricane? And I'm like, um, all they got was rain. It's a long way away.
iPad
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 05:01:11 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 21, 2018, 03:27:03 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 03:03:57 PM
Quote from: Beltway on January 21, 2018, 02:50:36 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 21, 2018, 09:21:37 AM
I will echo Virginia. You can cross the northern part from DC or Maryland to West Virginia in about an hour, yet I-81's Virginia portion is over 300 miles and US-58's Virginia portion is around 500 miles.
Alexandria to Bristol is 379 miles and 5:50 hours drive time (all Interstate).
Alexandria to Cumberland Gap is 477 miles and 7:30 hours drive time.
Indeed the former point is one reason why my wife and I haven't used the I-81 to I-26 route to Florida. She wouldn't be too happy about still being in Virginia after that much time! (I have not been through Bristol since 1997, when I took that route to Montgomery, where I was working for the summer.)
I think I-81 would take you pretty much out of the way, wouldn't I-95 be a more direct route to Florida?
Of course it would, but we've been down I-95 many times and there's nothing new to see that way. I-26 north of Asheville is supposed to be pretty scenic, from what I've heard, so I'd like to go that way sometime, but as you and Beltway note, it's way out of the way, plus my wife wouldn't be happy about still being in Virginia after five and a half hours unless we were headed to Cumberland Gap or somewhere in Tennessee. Our more typical alternate to I-95 is US-29 down to Greensboro, and then south of there it varies depending on the time of day (if it's late, lodging options will factor into the route), what roads I feel like using, and where we're going in Florida.
I will say that Interstate 26 in much of North Carolina and Tennessee is
incredibly scenic. It is absolutely, unbelievably beautiful through those mountains, especially near the NC/TN border. I definitely don't blame you if you would like to try it sometime, despite it being a good bit out of the way.
Georgia doesn't look that big, but I-75 spends over 350 miles in GA
Quote from: Duke87 on January 21, 2018, 11:25:03 AM
The other is that New York is less geographically compact than most states. It's 332 miles from NYC to Canada along I-87, but most of the state is significantly thinner than that along the N-S axis (I-81 is only 182 miles, I-/NY 390 + I-99 via I-86 is only 119 miles). Downstate and Long Island also form a very long and very thin tail for the state - Montauk is over 100 miles from Manhattan and nearly 200 miles (driving distance) from Poughkeepsie. But at the same time, Long Island doesn't get much more than 20 miles wide and most of it is thinner than that.
And I-390/NY 390/I-99 isn't even remotely straight. Drawing a straight line to PA from I-81's northern end is about 160 miles, but doing the same with NY 390 is only 88 miles. For I-87, it's 295-305 miles. The time difference in clinching the Northway versus the northern half of I-81 in NY was certainly shocking the first time I experienced it!
Quote from: Jmiles32 on January 21, 2018, 09:44:56 AM
A level of boredness may also have something to do with making some states feel deceptively large. For example thanks to long travels on I-80 in Pennslyvania and I-86 in New York (roads I found extremely boring and couldn't wait to get off of), those states now seem huge to me.
While I agree with your point about boredom, there is no comparison between I-80 and I-86 IMO. One's the definition of boring, and the other is quite an interesting drive. Not even an argument to be made that I-86 is boring :pan:
Quote from: vdeane on January 21, 2018, 07:41:55 PM
Quote from: Duke87 on January 21, 2018, 11:25:03 AM
The other is that New York is less geographically compact than most states. It's 332 miles from NYC to Canada along I-87, but most of the state is significantly thinner than that along the N-S axis (I-81 is only 182 miles, I-/NY 390 + I-99 via I-86 is only 119 miles). Downstate and Long Island also form a very long and very thin tail for the state - Montauk is over 100 miles from Manhattan and nearly 200 miles (driving distance) from Poughkeepsie. But at the same time, Long Island doesn't get much more than 20 miles wide and most of it is thinner than that.
And I-390/NY 390/I-99 isn't even remotely straight. Drawing a straight line to PA from I-81's northern end is about 160 miles, but doing the same with NY 390 is only 88 miles. For I-87, it's 295-305 miles. The time difference in clinching the Northway versus the northern half of I-81 in NY was certainly shocking the first time I experienced it!
Totally agree that I-390 goes all over the place. And totally agree that the shape of NY lends itself to some interesting discussion here. Long Island alone is deceptively large, and then when you factor in WNY and the North Country, we really are a disjointed state as a whole. Even staying
within the state can be challenging, such as when driving between Long Island and WNY.
I-87 also drops more south in NY than I-81 does. Where I-87 ends in the Bronx is on the same line as I-81 is halfway between Wilkes-Barre and Harrisburg. I-81 drops into PA about where I-87 is passing Kingston.
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 21, 2018, 11:02:17 PM
I-87 also drops more south in NY than I-81 does. Where I-87 ends in the Bronx is on the same line as I-81 is halfway between Wilkes-Barre and Harrisburg. I-81 drops into PA about where I-87 is passing Kingston.
That difference also applies to the north segments of both routes; the same latitude where I-81 terminates in the Thousand Islands is near exit #32 on I-87; that line extending a bit north of Lake Placid. I-87 still has some 50+ miles to go until it crosses into Quebec.
Quote from: Road Hog on January 21, 2018, 09:54:32 AM
Arkansas isn't that big of a state, but many of the major roads cross the state diagonally, and not always in a straight line. The distance between Gravette in the NW corner to Eudora in the SE is 373 miles. The other diagonal, from Fouke (near Texarkana) to Piggott is 342 miles.
If we're going to quote diagonals, if one follows the path of Oklahoma's SH-3, which goes from the Colorado border north of Boise City down to the Arkansas border east of Idabel, you're looking at a 615-mile journey.
Of course, nobody but a roadgeek would have any
reason to take SH-3, but it's there if you wanted to.
Quote from: sparker on January 22, 2018, 01:33:20 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 21, 2018, 11:02:17 PM
I-87 also drops more south in NY than I-81 does. Where I-87 ends in the Bronx is on the same line as I-81 is halfway between Wilkes-Barre and Harrisburg. I-81 drops into PA about where I-87 is passing Kingston.
That difference also applies to the north segments of both routes; the same latitude where I-81 terminates in the Thousand Islands is near exit #32 on I-87; that line extending a bit north of Lake Placid. I-87 still has some 50+ miles to go until it crosses into Quebec.
That too.
How about Maryland? It's a pretty long drive from Ocean City out to Appalachia.
Quote from: dgolub on January 22, 2018, 08:28:30 AM
How about Maryland? It's a pretty long drive from Ocean City out to Appalachia.
Pocomoke City, MD to Oakland, MD
324 miles
5:25 hours drive time
Google Maps uses an all-MD routing (US-13, US-50, I-97, MD-100, I-70, I-68, US-219).
I can't see exchanging I-81 for I-95. I-81 is two lanes of congestion with lots of trucks that move slowly on the hills (well, there's a long climbing lane as you approach Christiansburg, that helps a lot). I'm not a fan of I-95 between Washington and Richmond because it's three lanes of heavy traffic, but the micropassing trucks on I-81 aren't fun to deal with.
Quote from: slorydn1 on January 21, 2018, 02:52:12 AM
North Carolina doesn't seem like much, and even going the width of it on I-40 its about 6 hours from New Bern to the TN Border. But I-40 cheats by exiting stage right after getting past Waynesville.
TN state line on US-64 near Wolf Creek to NC-12 intersection on US-64 near Manteo-now that is a ridiculously long trip, about 567 miles according to Google
The sign at the state line says it's 563 miles to Manteo: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.0216575,-84.3173359,3a,75y,144.12h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1spKOba0X-HNrqTrvOXVNhGQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Add in another 85 miles (that will take two and a half hours) if you want to continue from Manteo on down the Outer Banks to Ocracoke.
I-40 across Tennessee was an extremely long drive. I was driving back to NC from Moab, Utah, so Tennessee was the last state to cross. From Memphis to I-81 took almost 7 hours. It wasn't boring, and its quite scenic for parts of it, but damn if that wasn't deceptive then I dont know what is.
Quote from: hbelkins on January 22, 2018, 09:53:26 AM
I can't see exchanging I-81 for I-95. I-81 is two lanes of congestion with lots of trucks that move slowly on the hills (well, there's a long climbing lane as you approach Christiansburg, that helps a lot). I'm not a fan of I-95 between Washington and Richmond because it's three lanes of heavy traffic, but the micropassing trucks on I-81 aren't fun to deal with.
I certainly wouldn't trade I-95 for 100 to 150 extra miles of driving.
Quote from: fillup420 on January 22, 2018, 09:57:34 AM
I-40 across Tennessee was an extremely long drive. I was driving back to NC from Moab, Utah, so Tennessee was the last state to cross. From Memphis to I-81 took almost 7 hours. It wasn't boring, and its quite scenic for parts of it, but damn if that wasn't deceptive then I dont know what is.
Tennessee is a very long state east-west, but not at all north-south, so I bet it was very deceptive driving all the way across it horizontally (east to west). I'd imagine it would be a very similar deceptive experience driving on Interstate 40 through the entirety of North Carolina as well.
Quote from: briantroutman on January 20, 2018, 06:56:11 PM
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on January 20, 2018, 06:04:19 PM
Texas.
If this thread was "Large states" , yes. But "deceptively large" ....I'd have to say no. If anything, Texas's size is probably oversold....
I agree mostly. That said, I run between the big cities in ~central Texas fairly frequently: Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, San Antonio-Austin, occ Corpus Christi or Brownsville-McAllen. When something takes me by ground to El Paso, I am always surprised to re-learn how bloody far it is from the 'rest of Texas.' (El Paso-San Antonio = 550 mi)
*edited to correct formatting error*
Quote from: webny99 on January 20, 2018, 06:16:40 PM
It's probably mostly states east of the Mississippi that qualify, because of the general (and mostly correct) perception that Western states are comparatively vast.
I don't know how big New York is generally percieved to be, but I can see how a cross-state trip on the thruway could be substantially longer and more boring than expected. FWIW, Georgia is the largest eastern state in land area, beating out NY, PA, and Florida.
This was relevant when I posted it in Reply #7, and its still relevant. Very hard to make a case for any western state :pan:
The only state I can say has gotten me repeatedly is Kansas. For some reason it never looks that long E-W on the map.. It doesn't look that big in comparison to its neighbors either, but damn that's a long boring drive on I-70.
Quote from: Chris19001 on January 22, 2018, 01:13:38 PM
The only state I can say has gotten me repeatedly is Kansas. For some reason it never looks that long E-W on the map.. It doesn't look that big in comparison to its neighbors either, but damn that's a long boring drive on I-70.
We just took 287/400 across the state. (Chasing the snow). Oh, it's a horribly long drive
Quote from: hbelkins on January 22, 2018, 09:53:26 AM
I can't see exchanging I-81 for I-95. I-81 is two lanes of congestion with lots of trucks that move slowly on the hills (well, there's a long climbing lane as you approach Christiansburg, that helps a lot). I'm not a fan of I-95 between Washington and Richmond because it's three lanes of heavy traffic, but the micropassing trucks on I-81 aren't fun to deal with.
Yeah, both of those things are why I eventually settled on the I-85 to US 29 to I-66 route from Atlanta to DC. Might add maybe half an hour or so to the trip compared with the other options, but it's much more enjoyable.
I-75 through Kentucky always seems to take forever. It's almost exactly 50% of the trip from Indy to the Smoky Mountains.
Also I-70 across Kansas. bleh.
Quote from: jwolfer on January 21, 2018, 11:49:21 AM
Maine is also near all the small New England and other Northeast states like NJ, DE and MD..
Maine, New York and Pennsylvania are gigantic compared to other states in the Northeast corner of the US
Z981
True about Maine! All of Connecticut could fit inside of Aroostook County, the largest county east of the Mississippi River.
New Jersey is actually deceptively large for its apparent size. I'm from NJ and was surprised you can go for almost 60 miles East-West without leaving it (and I do that every day now). For out-of-staters the exit numbers on the Garden State Parkway sound impossible (it goes to 172). Wildwood is almost as far south as Washington, DC. You can get some of the radio stations from Baltimore/DC there.
Often I have an "inner debate" about what's more boring -- crossing the plains on (take your pick) I-20 through 94 or driving through endless cuts in pine forests (e.g. I-16 in GA, much of I-10 across the FL panhandle). On one hand, you can look out (sometimes seemingly forever!) at the countryside -- but there's little to pique one's interest; on the other, you have nice greenery -- but no notion as to what else is out there. Sometimes when driving through one or the other there's a crazy longing for a stretch of road cluttered with frontage-road businesses, a bunch of interchanges, and even gaudy billboards and other advertising. At least you know you're somewhere!
Quote from: csw on January 22, 2018, 02:28:09 PM
I-75 through Kentucky always seems to take forever. It's almost exactly 50% of the trip from Indy to the Smoky Mountains.
Also I-70 across Kansas. bleh.
I always thought that I-75 through Georgia seemed to take forever. And Florida does take forever pretty much.
Believe me, I know Long Island is deceptively large. Montauk Point is as far east as Watch Hill, RI and Worcester, MA, the NYC/Nassau County line is parallel to the NY 22 corridor just west of the NY border with CT/MA/VT, and the westernmost point of the island at the Verrazano Bridge is west of Downtown Schenectady. When I'm in Riverhead, Hartford FM stations come in better than NYC ones. I live a little southwest of Hartford, and whenever I do a search for locations of a place within 50 miles of me, I get locations in Riverhead and Miller Place because, as the crow flies, they are less than 50 miles away; I just have to backtrack to NYC to get to them, which adds over 100 miles one-way.
If you take all of NY state, the southwest corner of the Southern Tier is west of Toronto, and Montauk Point is on the same longitude as Sherbrooke, Quebec, and about 45 miles west of Quebec City.
Does anybody think that Rhode Island is deceptively large for its size?
Quote from: Beltway on January 22, 2018, 05:14:46 PM
Does anybody think that Rhode Island is deceptively large for its size?
Not really. In fact, I was underwhelmed the time I drove through.
It's pretty common knowledge that you can drive through it in an hour. For those that know that, the range of possible expectations is very narrow.
Quote from: Beltway on January 22, 2018, 05:14:46 PM
Does anybody think that Rhode Island is deceptively large for its size?
I-95 in RI is 44 miles long, which is twice it's length in NY and about 2 1/2 times the length of it in NH. It's about 65 miles driving from the south end of RI 77 in Little Compton to the MA border on South Shore Rd. in Pascoag. If you throw in Block Island, it's 75 road miles from the south end of the island to the same point in Pascoag (about 14 miles of it being by ferry)
Delaware is deceptively long north to south. It's only about 17 miles across if you're going from Elkton, MD across the Delaware Memorial Bridge to Pennsville, NJ. But it's 117 miles from Fenwick Island to the PA border on US 202.
The farthest essentially straight line drive I could find in CT is 145 miles from Byram Point in Greenwich to an eastward border crossing into MA about a mile north of the CT/MA/RI tripoint in Thompson. It's about 120 miles as the crow flies
Per what I've seen on Big Rig Travels, Nebraska. I though there would be more of a valley along the Platte river, but instead it's as flat as possible. It would be too boring for me to drive across NE on I-80.
Quote from: bzakharin on January 22, 2018, 03:51:45 PM
New Jersey is actually deceptively large for its apparent size. I'm from NJ and was surprised you can go for almost 60 miles East-West without leaving it (and I do that every day now). For out-of-staters the exit numbers on the Garden State Parkway sound impossible (it goes to 172). Wildwood is almost as far south as Washington, DC. You can get some of the radio stations from Baltimore/DC there.
Cape May is roughly equal with the National Mall. And a lot of people don't realize that Delaware Water Gap - GW Bridge is nearly 70 miles. Easton-Holland Tunnel is over 60.
I count 23 states so far being "deceptively large." I left out one or two that were mentioned but didn't specifically say they were deceptively large. Wow, we must be stupid people!
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on January 22, 2018, 06:06:19 PM
Per what I've seen on Big Rig Travels, Nebraska. I though there would be more of a valley along the Platte river, but instead it's as flat as possible. It would be too boring for me to drive across NE on I-80.
Much of the Platte's water starts out in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The water there in the mountains is fast flowing, carrying a lot of sediment. When it reaches the plains of Nebraska, it slows down and therefore more of the sediment is deposited. This has created an alluvial plain, which makes the Platte River wide and shallow. It is known as a
braided river (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%ADo_anastomosado), meaning it's more like a network of smaller streams than a single mighty river.
For what it's worth, I agree that Nebraska is a deceptively large state. You might not have thought about it in terms of the north—south direction but, for example, you only pass through one town
between McCook and Valentine (https://goo.gl/maps/gNxdS8nN8Jt) on US-83 (not counting a few tiny towns of less than 400 people each), yet it's a 200-mile drive. It's easy to look at a map and think,
Oh, here's I-80, so we're halfway to South Dakota. Nope!
Quote from: kphoger on January 22, 2018, 07:25:22 PM
It is known as a braided river (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%ADo_anastomosado), meaning it's more like a network of smaller streams than a single mighty river.
Is there a reason you linked to the Spanish Wikipedia page?
Maine is my vote. It's over 360 miles from Kittery to Fort Kent. I-95 on its own manages to squeeze in 305 miles by itself.
Quote from: roadguy2 on January 22, 2018, 07:43:21 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 22, 2018, 07:25:22 PM
It is known as a braided river (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%ADo_anastomosado), meaning it's more like a network of smaller streams than a single mighty river.
Is there a reason you linked to the Spanish Wikipedia page?
Because the person I was responding to is Spanish.
Quote from: kphoger on January 22, 2018, 07:25:22 PM
I count 23 states so far being "deceptively large." I left out one or two that were mentioned but didn't specifically say they were deceptively large. Wow, we must be stupid people!
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on January 22, 2018, 06:06:19 PM
Per what I've seen on Big Rig Travels, Nebraska. I though there would be more of a valley along the Platte river, but instead it's as flat as possible. It would be too boring for me to drive across NE on I-80.
Much of the Platte's water starts out in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The water there in the mountains is fast flowing, carrying a lot of sediment. When it reaches the plains of Nebraska, it slows down and therefore more of the sediment is deposited. This has created an alluvial plain, which makes the Platte River wide and shallow. It is known as a braided river (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%ADo_anastomosado), meaning it's more like a network of smaller streams than a single mighty river.
For what it's worth, I agree that Nebraska is a deceptively large state. You might not have thought about it in terms of the north—south direction but, for example, you only pass through one town between McCook and Valentine (https://goo.gl/maps/gNxdS8nN8Jt) on US-83 (not counting a few tiny towns of less than 400 people each), yet it's a 200-mile drive. It's easy to look at a map and think, Oh, here's I-80, so we're halfway to South Dakota. Nope!
I understand why I-80 was routed along the Platte River for much of Nebraska, but driving it also gives the traveler the impression that Nebraska is flat and boring. That's far from the truth, as the Sand Hills cover much of the state and are rather scenic (in my opinion, at least). The routing of I-80 seems to go out of it's way to avoid as much scenery as possible, but it also serves the various cities and towns that sprung up along the river so it makes total sense.
Quote from: kphoger on January 22, 2018, 07:25:22 PM
I count 23 states so far being "deceptively large." I left out one or two that were mentioned but didn't specifically say they were deceptively large. Wow, we must be stupid people!
Conventional wisdom assumes then, by default, that the other 27 are deceptively small :D No one is going to have perfect perception of states they rarely/never visit, so it should split about 50/50. Generally, eastern states are perceived be smaller, as I've mentioned several times.
QuoteIt's easy to look at a map and think, Oh, here's I-80, so we're halfway to South Dakota. Nope!
I think that has more to do with the position of the I-80 corridor within the state, and less to do with the size of the state.
Quote from: Beltway on January 22, 2018, 05:14:46 PM
Does anybody think that Rhode Island is deceptively large for its size?
I think there's the feeling it should be a 15-20 minute trip, like skirting Delaware via I-95.
Florida is funny because you can hit up both coasts in 2-3 hours: I've personally seen beach sunrises and sunsets in the same day because there aren't too many places in the US you can do that, and it's also really cool because it's emblematic of a great day if you fill it with things to do. And you think, hey...Florida isn't really that big, it almost fits in my backyard. Which makes sense; much of it is geologically only about 10,000 years old.
But then there's stuff like Brevard County taking an hour via I-95, the slog from Pensacola to Jacksonville, or the 5-7 hours from Miami to Jacksonville which you don't really deal with on the rest of the Eastern Seaboard, except for very specialized routes with specific endpoints. (I-80/I-76 in Pennsylvania, I-90 in New York, I-81 in Virginia, might be exceptions, based on traffic.)
What about SC? I-95 is about 16 miles longer there compared to NC.
Quote from: Henry on January 23, 2018, 09:18:43 AM
What about SC? I-95 is about 16 miles longer there compared to NC.
Maybe being a roadgeek influences my knowledge in this case, but I would have expected I-95 to be about equal length in both.
Quote from: Henry on January 23, 2018, 09:18:43 AM
What about SC? I-95 is about 16 miles longer there compared to NC.
I totally agree with this. North Carolina is 60% larger than South Carolina in total, yet 95 just happens to run thru at nearly it's longest North-South point.
It doesn't help that when I do my roadtrips to Florida, I'm in SC on the trip down usually between midnight and 6am. On the way back, it's usually during the day. However, 95 also narrows down to 2 lanes in SC when compared to Georgia's stretch of 95, so traffic can congested a bit more in SC, slowing my return trip down.
Quote from: kphoger on January 22, 2018, 07:25:22 PM
Much of the Platte's water starts out in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The water there in the mountains is fast flowing, carrying a lot of sediment. When it reaches the plains of Nebraska, it slows down and therefore more of the sediment is deposited. This has created an alluvial plain, which makes the Platte River wide and shallow. It is known as a braided river (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%ADo_anastomosado), meaning it's more like a network of smaller streams than a single mighty river.
The Platte River is more anastomosing than just braided. ;)
Quote from: webny99 on January 23, 2018, 09:23:28 AM
Quote from: Henry on January 23, 2018, 09:18:43 AM
What about SC? I-95 is about 16 miles longer there compared to NC.
Maybe being a roadgeek influences my knowledge in this case, but I would have expected I-95 to be about equal length in both.
This might be just my view of the world, but when I'm out on the road, a 16-mile difference doesn't seem like much and doesn't matter much, especially in the context of a longer trip such as crossing both Carolinas on I-95 in one day. If you said I-95 is of "about equal length" in those two states–emphasis on the word "about" for purposes of this discussion–I wouldn't disagree with you.
But in the context of a deceptively large state, the point about South Carolina's I-95 in general is perfectly valid, especially when compared to South Carolina's I-85. I suppose in a sense Georgia is sort of similar, as has been noted above, because I-75 traverses the state at about its longest distance while I-95 goes through at roughly the shortest possible north—south area. If you're used to crossing Georgia on I-95 (or especially I-59 and I-24!), it'll seem like a much smaller state than it is.
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 23, 2018, 10:27:32 AM
Quote from: webny99 on January 23, 2018, 09:23:28 AM
Quote from: Henry on January 23, 2018, 09:18:43 AM
What about SC? I-95 is about 16 miles longer there compared to NC.
Maybe being a roadgeek influences my knowledge in this case, but I would have expected I-95 to be about equal length in both.
This might be just my view of the world, but when I'm out on the road, a 16-mile difference doesn't seem like much and doesn't matter much
That was my point, more or less.
QuoteBut in the context of a deceptively large state, the point about South Carolina's I-95 in general is perfectly valid, especially when compared to South Carolina's I-85. I suppose in a sense Georgia is sort of similar, as has been noted above, because I-75 traverses the state at about its longest distance while I-95 goes through at roughly the shortest possible north—south area. If you're used to crossing Georgia on I-95 (or especially I-59 and I-24!), it'll seem like a much smaller state than it is.
Well, I suppose, but knowing, as a roadgeek, that I-95 goes through a wide cross-section of South Carolina meant in my case that the statistic was not particularly shocking. So while the population at large may be surprised by the distance on I-95 through South Carolina, I don't think I personally would be, as my expectations would probably be higher than average.
Of course, with that said, I'm not at all disputing the potential for South Carolina as a candidate.
Quote from: webny99 on January 23, 2018, 11:42:39 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 23, 2018, 10:27:32 AM
Quote from: webny99 on January 23, 2018, 09:23:28 AM
Quote from: Henry on January 23, 2018, 09:18:43 AM
What about SC? I-95 is about 16 miles longer there compared to NC.
Maybe being a roadgeek influences my knowledge in this case, but I would have expected I-95 to be about equal length in both.
This might be just my view of the world, but when I'm out on the road, a 16-mile difference doesn't seem like much and doesn't matter much
That was my point, more or less.
QuoteBut in the context of a deceptively large state, the point about South Carolina's I-95 in general is perfectly valid, especially when compared to South Carolina's I-85. I suppose in a sense Georgia is sort of similar, as has been noted above, because I-75 traverses the state at about its longest distance while I-95 goes through at roughly the shortest possible north—south area. If you're used to crossing Georgia on I-95 (or especially I-59 and I-24!), it'll seem like a much smaller state than it is.
Well, I suppose, but knowing, as a roadgeek, that I-95 goes through a wide cross-section of South Carolina meant in my case that the statistic was not particularly shocking. So while the population at large may be surprised by the distance on I-95 through South Carolina, I don't think I personally would be, as my expectations would probably be higher than average.
Of course, with that said, I'm not at all disputing the potential for South Carolina as a candidate.
South Carolina on 95 just feels a lot longer than NC.. I think because the road changes charache in NC more.. there are parts that are 1950s interstate with substandard exits spaced too close together.. then the late 60s concrete.. then the more modern Fayetteville bypass..
SC is pretty uniform, with exits farther apart with a long stretch with very little civilization from Florence to Lake Marion.
And driving south there are the advance billboards for South of the Border which offers some diversion and anticipation in NC
Z981
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on January 22, 2018, 08:20:15 PM
I-80 ... gives the traveler the impression that Nebraska is flat and boring.
As does I-70 to Kansas.
Quote from: kphoger on January 23, 2018, 01:12:53 PM
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on January 22, 2018, 08:20:15 PM
I-80 ... gives the traveler the impression that Nebraska is flat and boring.
As does I-70 to Kansas.
Good to know for when I take I-70 across Kansas this summer. If I didn't want the clinch...
Quote from: webny99 on January 23, 2018, 09:23:28 AM
Quote from: Henry on January 23, 2018, 09:18:43 AM
What about SC? I-95 is about 16 miles longer there compared to NC.
Maybe being a roadgeek influences my knowledge in this case, but I would have expected I-95 to be about equal length in both.
I-95 in NC: that's it? (it also seems to miss nearly everything interesting about the state)
I-95 in SC: we're still here?
Quote from: formulanone on January 23, 2018, 01:44:00 PM
Quote from: webny99 on January 23, 2018, 09:23:28 AM
Quote from: Henry on January 23, 2018, 09:18:43 AM
What about SC? I-95 is about 16 miles longer there compared to NC.
Maybe being a roadgeek influences my knowledge in this case, but I would have expected I-95 to be about equal length in both.
I-95 in NC: that's it? (it also seems to miss nearly everything interesting about the state)
I-95 in SC: we're still here?
The real oddity is where does all the traffic go off I-95 once you get to South Carolina? You'd swear you were driving 120 MPH with how many people pile onto I-95 in NC.
Quote from: cl94 on January 23, 2018, 01:17:59 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 23, 2018, 01:12:53 PM
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on January 22, 2018, 08:20:15 PM
I-80 ... gives the traveler the impression that Nebraska is flat and boring.
As does I-70 to Kansas.
Good to know for when I take I-70 across Kansas this summer. If I didn't want the clinch...
Kansas and Nebraska seem like they'd be pretty boring drives. Colorado would be fun because of the mountains though.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 23, 2018, 02:03:12 PM
Quote from: formulanone on January 23, 2018, 01:44:00 PM
Quote from: webny99 on January 23, 2018, 09:23:28 AM
Quote from: Henry on January 23, 2018, 09:18:43 AM
What about SC? I-95 is about 16 miles longer there compared to NC.
Maybe being a roadgeek influences my knowledge in this case, but I would have expected I-95 to be about equal length in both.
I-95 in NC: that's it? (it also seems to miss nearly everything interesting about the state)
I-95 in SC: we're still here?
The real oddity is where does all the traffic go off I-95 once you get to South Carolina? You'd swear you were driving 120 MPH with how many people pile onto I-95 in NC.
Myrtle Beach. Everyone heading there from the north gets off by the 4th exit.
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 23, 2018, 03:17:29 PM
Kansas and Nebraska seem like they'd be pretty boring drives. Colorado would be fun because of the mountains though.
I-35 is beautiful between Emporia and Wichita, especially at the right times of year. Some of the north-south roads in western Kansas are nice too, but hardly anyone outside Kansas has need to drive them, so they go unappreciated.
Iowa: The last time I went across on I-80, the speed limit was 65. Iowa earned the nickname, "The God-forsaken State." It took waay too long to get from the Quads to Omaha.
South Carolina is deceptively large when you look at the distance between say Charleston and Greenville. It's close to 200 miles of hard driving and 4 hours to get between the two cities.
Clemson, which thousands of people take trips to from here on football Saturdays, is over 250 miles from Charleston. It's 4 hours plus with no traffic. On a football Saturday (especially when both South Carolina and Clemson are home) you can add another 30 minutes to an hour to that.
It's closer to Jacksonville from my house than Clemson. The University of Florida in Gainesville is only 60 miles further than Clemson. From Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach it is 288 miles to Clemson.
When people visit coastal South Carolina, a lot of people like to "day trip" from Myrtle Beach to Charleston. They don't realize that it is close to 2 hours down Highway 17 on a good day. I've seen some people think you can see lights in downtown Charleston from Myrtle when it is actually 100 miles away.
Quote from: webny99 on January 22, 2018, 05:29:55 PM
Quote from: Beltway on January 22, 2018, 05:14:46 PM
Does anybody think that Rhode Island is deceptively large for its size?
Not really. In fact, I was underwhelmed the time I drove through.
It's pretty common knowledge that you can drive through it in an hour. For those that know that, the range of possible expectations is very narrow.
Forget an hour. I can get through RI during off-peak times in 40 mins. RI 101 -> US6 -> I-195.
Quote from: cl94 on January 23, 2018, 03:38:23 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 23, 2018, 02:03:12 PM
Quote from: formulanone on January 23, 2018, 01:44:00 PM
Quote from: webny99 on January 23, 2018, 09:23:28 AM
Quote from: Henry on January 23, 2018, 09:18:43 AM
What about SC? I-95 is about 16 miles longer there compared to NC.
Maybe being a roadgeek influences my knowledge in this case, but I would have expected I-95 to be about equal length in both.
I-95 in NC: that's it? (it also seems to miss nearly everything interesting about the state)
I-95 in SC: we're still here?
The real oddity is where does all the traffic go off I-95 once you get to South Carolina? You'd swear you were driving 120 MPH with how many people pile onto I-95 in NC.
Myrtle Beach. Everyone heading there from the north gets off by the 4th exit.
Fayetteville and the military bases contribute to traffic on i95 in southern NC
Z981
Quote from: kphoger on January 23, 2018, 04:42:43 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 23, 2018, 03:17:29 PM
Kansas and Nebraska seem like they'd be pretty boring drives. Colorado would be fun because of the mountains though.
I-35 is beautiful between Emporia and Wichita, especially at the right times of year. Some of the north-south roads in western Kansas are nice too, but hardly anyone outside Kansas has need to drive them, so they go unappreciated.
Quote from: cl94 on January 23, 2018, 01:17:59 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 23, 2018, 01:12:53 PM
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on January 22, 2018, 08:20:15 PM
I-80 ... gives the traveler the impression that Nebraska is flat and boring.
As does I-70 to Kansas.
Good to know for when I take I-70 across Kansas this summer. If I didn't want the clinch...
Some good news is that (at least I thought that) Interstate 70 in Kansas through the Flint Hills is actually quite beautiful. It is probably the most interesting and scenic part of I-70 in the state - though since this is near kphoger's neck of the woods and not mine, he would be the one to clarify whether this is true or not.
Only time I've been to Kansas I came up through Oklahoma and I don't know why but I liked Oklahoma's scenery better for some reason. I-70 west of Salina doesn't look too interesting but east of it looks like it's going some nice scenery.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 23, 2018, 09:05:22 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 23, 2018, 04:42:43 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 23, 2018, 03:17:29 PM
Kansas and Nebraska seem like they'd be pretty boring drives. Colorado would be fun because of the mountains though.
I-35 is beautiful between Emporia and Wichita, especially at the right times of year. Some of the north-south roads in western Kansas are nice too, but hardly anyone outside Kansas has need to drive them, so they go unappreciated.
Quote from: cl94 on January 23, 2018, 01:17:59 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 23, 2018, 01:12:53 PM
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on January 22, 2018, 08:20:15 PM
I-80 ... gives the traveler the impression that Nebraska is flat and boring.
As does I-70 to Kansas.
Good to know for when I take I-70 across Kansas this summer. If I didn't want the clinch...
Some good news is that (at least I thought that) Interstate 70 in Kansas through the Flint Hills is actually quite beautiful. It is probably the most interesting and scenic part of I-70 in the state - though since this is near kphoger's neck of the woods and not mine, he would be the one to clarify whether this is true or not.
It's more the type of "We got things to do l, places to be." So the flatlands of KS are annoying.
I've taken the slog several times and EB (towards home) is worse than WB. Thankfully I've taken the first shift the last few times, so I haven't driven much of the KS slog
When you're hankering for the mountains, Kansas becomes your mortal enemy.
I haven't done I-70 west of Topeka yet, but as a roadgeek, I have a hard time thinking of Kansas as boring because I appreciate how many of the little details KDOT gets right, so it becomes a game of spotting differences in their approach and Oklahoma's lack of one.
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 23, 2018, 09:16:08 PM
Only time I've been to Kansas I came up through Oklahoma and I don't know why but I liked Oklahoma's scenery better for some reason. I-70 west of Salina doesn't look too interesting but east of it looks like it's going some nice scenery.
This is probably because Oklahoma has much more varied geography than Kansas does. Oklahoma is more or less where Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas's geographies all mash into each other (and then throw in a few regions of "mountains" like the Arbuckles, too).
Here's one I think hasn't been mentioned: Illinois. Chicago seems like it should be a day's drive from Oklahoma City, and it can be done, but not without a little more pushing myself a little more than I'd like. Fortunately, when I clinched I-57, there was an overnight stay to break it up.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 23, 2018, 09:05:22 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 23, 2018, 04:42:43 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 23, 2018, 03:17:29 PM
Kansas and Nebraska seem like they'd be pretty boring drives. Colorado would be fun because of the mountains though.
I-35 is beautiful between Emporia and Wichita, especially at the right times of year. Some of the north-south roads in western Kansas are nice too, but hardly anyone outside Kansas has need to drive them, so they go unappreciated.
Quote from: cl94 on January 23, 2018, 01:17:59 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 23, 2018, 01:12:53 PM
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on January 22, 2018, 08:20:15 PM
I-80 ... gives the traveler the impression that Nebraska is flat and boring.
As does I-70 to Kansas.
Good to know for when I take I-70 across Kansas this summer. If I didn't want the clinch...
Some good news is that (at least I thought that) Interstate 70 in Kansas through the Flint Hills is actually quite beautiful. It is probably the most interesting and scenic part of I-70 in the state - though since this is near kphoger's neck of the woods and not mine, he would be the one to clarify whether this is true or not.
Pretty much all of I-70 between Russell (KS) and Limon (CO) is bo-o-o-oring, in my opinion. And that's the impression most people get of Kansas' landscape, because that's what most people are driving. Which is a shame. I grew up in northwestern Kansas, and there is decently pleasant scenery to be found; it's just that none of it is along I-70.
Quote from: csw on January 23, 2018, 11:55:13 PM
When you're hankering for the mountains, Kansas eastern Colorado becomes your mortal enemy.
FTFY.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 22, 2018, 10:38:58 AM
Tennessee is a very long state east-west, but not at all north-south, so I bet it was very deceptive driving all the way across it horizontally (east to west). I'd imagine it would be a very similar deceptive experience driving on Interstate 40 through the entirety of North Carolina as well.
I-40 as well as US 64 and US 74 all make the journey across the width of NC. US 64 is the longest, but it does meander a bit. I can say that I have never driven the full length across the state, even though I was born here.
I think Iowa is larger than some may realize. I thought of it as being similar size to Indiana. It's not it's much larger.
Quote from: dvferyance on January 24, 2018, 06:24:29 PM
I think Iowa is larger than some may realize. I thought of it as being similar size to Indiana. It's not it's much larger.
Iowa's about the same size as Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 24, 2018, 06:28:58 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on January 24, 2018, 06:24:29 PM
I think Iowa is larger than some may realize. I thought of it as being similar size to Indiana. It's not it's much larger.
Iowa's about the same size as Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Kansas and Nebraska are also surprisingly large.
Quote from: roadguy2 on January 24, 2018, 06:50:34 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 24, 2018, 06:28:58 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on January 24, 2018, 06:24:29 PM
I think Iowa is larger than some may realize. I thought of it as being similar size to Indiana. It's not it's much larger.
Iowa's about the same size as Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Kansas and Nebraska are also surprisingly large.
Kansas is bigger than Nebraska and I'm not exactly seeing how. It seems like you could fit Kansas into Nebraska and still have the panhandle of Nebraska left over.
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 24, 2018, 08:46:06 PM
Quote from: roadguy2 on January 24, 2018, 06:50:34 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 24, 2018, 06:28:58 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on January 24, 2018, 06:24:29 PM
I think Iowa is larger than some may realize. I thought of it as being similar size to Indiana. It's not it's much larger.
Iowa's about the same size as Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Kansas and Nebraska are also surprisingly large.
Kansas is bigger than Nebraska and I'm not exactly seeing how. It seems like you could fit Kansas into Nebraska and still have the panhandle of Nebraska left over.
Kansas is at a lower latitude, so the same longitude difference (which isn't quite the case, but it's close enough) means more area.
Quote from: dvferyance on January 24, 2018, 06:24:29 PM
I think Iowa is larger than some may realize. I thought of it as being similar size to Indiana. It's not it's much larger.
Iowa is about the same size as Arkansas and with about the same population. Maybe just a tick bigger on both counts.
But Arkansas' winters are better.
Quote from: Road Hog on January 25, 2018, 12:15:39 AM
Quote from: dvferyance on January 24, 2018, 06:24:29 PM
I think Iowa is larger than some may realize. I thought of it as being similar size to Indiana. It's not it's much larger.
Iowa is about the same size as Arkansas and with about the same population. Maybe just a tick bigger on both counts.
But Arkansas' winters are better.
And the Arkansas scenery (at least where I've been) is much more interesting. Iowa is so boring.
Quote from: SD Mapman on January 25, 2018, 12:27:19 AM
Quote from: Road Hog on January 25, 2018, 12:15:39 AM
Quote from: dvferyance on January 24, 2018, 06:24:29 PM
I think Iowa is larger than some may realize. I thought of it as being similar size to Indiana. It's not it's much larger.
Iowa is about the same size as Arkansas and with about the same population. Maybe just a tick bigger on both counts.
But Arkansas' winters are better.
And the Arkansas scenery (at least where I've been) is much more interesting. Iowa is so boring.
Arkansas has some nice scenery and mountain terrain, especially near Hot Springs and AR 7. Iowa probably would be a strong contender for least interesting state.
I've only been to Iowa twice and both times were in 2008. I remember this city called Ankeny that is just north of Des Moines, before I get there my friend kept telling me that it's some rural town out in the middle of nowhere, then I get there and I'm looking around and I'm thinking what is he talking about? This is just like any other American suburb, but I remember certain areas of Ankeny that were pretty rural in character too but did not think I was in the middle of nowhere only being about 10 miles from downtown Des Moines.
The part of Iowa that I traveled through to get there was on I-80 between the Quad Cities and Des Moines and I thought that it was a very boring drive. Once I put Chicago behind me and kept traveling west it just kept getting more and more boring except for the Quad Cities. I remember the second time I went to Iowa I ended up on perhaps the most useless Interstate of them all, I-180 in Illinois.
Anyone who thinks Iowa is boring should drive in Northeast Iowa, because there is decent scenery there. You gotta love the Driftless Area.
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 25, 2018, 01:33:09 AM
I've only been to Iowa twice and both times were in 2008. I remember this city called Ankeny that is just north of Des Moines, before I get there my friend kept telling me that it's some rural town out in the middle of nowhere, then I get there and I'm looking around and I'm thinking what is he talking about? This is just like any other American suburb, but I remember certain areas of Ankeny that were pretty rural in character too but did not think I was in the middle of nowhere only being about 10 miles from downtown Des Moines.
:-D :-D At anyone calling Ankeny rural. It's as cookie-cutter, boring suburban as one can get in the Des Moines metro. :pan: (Well, maybe not West Des Moines...)
Quote from: DandyDan on January 25, 2018, 07:44:19 AM
Anyone who thinks Iowa is boring should drive in Northeast Iowa, because there is decent scenery there. You gotta love the Driftless Area.
That's just bleed over from Minnesota. :rolleyes: My top five contenders for most boring would be:
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- Nebraska
The real dis-qualifiers for me would be a lack of a major national park, a lack of major out recreational activity, a lack of major city, and a lack of diversity of terrain (such as no little to no mountains or true water access). Highways play a factor too in regards my own interests in history, but in the case of Kansas such a small segment of US Route 66 can't save it. On the flip side some of the more interesting states (for me) I've been to include the following:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Utah
- Washington
- Montana
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on January 25, 2018, 07:47:38 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 25, 2018, 01:33:09 AM
I've only been to Iowa twice and both times were in 2008. I remember this city called Ankeny that is just north of Des Moines, before I get there my friend kept telling me that it's some rural town out in the middle of nowhere, then I get there and I'm looking around and I'm thinking what is he talking about? This is just like any other American suburb, but I remember certain areas of Ankeny that were pretty rural in character too but did not think I was in the middle of nowhere only being about 10 miles from downtown Des Moines.
:-D :-D At anyone calling Ankeny rural. It's as cookie-cutter, boring suburban as one can get in the Des Moines metro. :pan: (Well, maybe not West Des Moines...)
I've never been to Des Moines, but from what I've heard from friends, Ankeny is basically the new, fast growing, Lego-homes suburb of Des Moines. So perhaps it was indeed
more rural in 2008 than it is now, ten years later.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 25, 2018, 09:43:49 AM
Quote from: DandyDan on January 25, 2018, 07:44:19 AM
Anyone who thinks Iowa is boring should drive in Northeast Iowa, because there is decent scenery there. You gotta love the Driftless Area.
That's just bleed over from Minnesota. :rolleyes: My top five contenders for most boring would be:
[list snipped]
You've obviously never been to either of the Dakotas :-D With regards to Iowa, I think it even
looks boring on a map. The road network is so neat and structured and consistent that I have trouble believing there's much variation in the landscape.
[/list]
^^^^
Actually I've been to both Dakotas. The Black Hills are great and I really enjoyed Badlands National Park. I was okay on the Wind and Jewel Caves but Custer State Park with SD 87 is spectacular. You have all the mine country associated with Deadwood and Spearfish Canyon as well. Western North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park is really nice and a great place to go for some hikes in solitude.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 25, 2018, 11:08:58 AM
^^^^
Actually I've been to both Dakotas. The Black Hills are great and I really enjoyed Badlands National Park. I was okay on the Wind and Jewel Caves but Custer State Park with SD 87 is spectacular. You have all the mine country associated with Deadwood and Spearfish Canyon as well. Western North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park is really nice and a great place to go for some hikes in solitude.
Fair enough. I've never been that far west, but I-29 is extremely long, flat, and boring. There is literally
one hill near Grafton, and that's the only variation in landscape in the 150 miles between Fargo and Pembina. I've heard the Badlands are interesting, and of course, Mount Rushmore is a must-see. Both are on my bucket list.
Quote from: webny99 on January 25, 2018, 11:37:59 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 25, 2018, 11:08:58 AM
^^^^
Actually I've been to both Dakotas. The Black Hills are great and I really enjoyed Badlands National Park. I was okay on the Wind and Jewel Caves but Custer State Park with SD 87 is spectacular. You have all the mine country associated with Deadwood and Spearfish Canyon as well. Western North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park is really nice and a great place to go for some hikes in solitude.
Fair enough. I've never been that far west, but I-29 is extremely long, flat, and boring. There is literally one hill near Grafton, and that's the only variation in landscape in the 150 miles between Fargo and Pembina. I've heard the Badlands are interesting, and of course, Mount Rushmore is a must-see. Both are on my bucket list.
South Dakota definitely has more on the western side of the state than North Dakota. I would put Rushmore pretty low on things to see in the Black Hills, fortunately SD 87 has a north terminus near it. Custer State Park really is National Park level quality, there are tons of buffalo wandering about. TR National Park is similar to Badlands but way more colorful and has way more animals. The eastern parts of both Dakotas are extremely bland but the variance on the other side of the state makes it worth it. Oddly Colorado is similar in that's regard in that the eastern part of the state is just vast empty nothingness until the Front Range of the Rockies.
Quote from: webny99 on January 25, 2018, 11:37:59 AM
Fair enough. I've never been that far west, but I-29 is extremely long, flat, and boring.
At least it's
fast. In South Dakota, 80mph speed limit on most parts outside the Sioux Falls metro.
Quote from: oscar on January 25, 2018, 12:06:24 PM
Quote from: webny99 on January 25, 2018, 11:37:59 AM
Fair enough. I've never been that far west, but I-29 is extremely long, flat, and boring.
At least it's fast. 80mph speed limit on most parts outside the Sioux Falls metro.
Whoops. That may be true, but I was talking about ND, which has a 75 mph limit. Fast, but not fast enough :-/
ETA: I see you updated to add "In South Dakota" (which was not in what I quoted). If you update fast enough, it won't say "last edited by...". Yours doesn't, but mine does.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on January 25, 2018, 07:47:38 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 25, 2018, 01:33:09 AM
I've only been to Iowa twice and both times were in 2008. I remember this city called Ankeny that is just north of Des Moines, before I get there my friend kept telling me that it's some rural town out in the middle of nowhere, then I get there and I'm looking around and I'm thinking what is he talking about? This is just like any other American suburb, but I remember certain areas of Ankeny that were pretty rural in character too but did not think I was in the middle of nowhere only being about 10 miles from downtown Des Moines.
:-D :-D At anyone calling Ankeny rural. It's as cookie-cutter, boring suburban as one can get in the Des Moines metro. :pan: (Well, maybe not West Des Moines...)
Yeah I never got the vibe that Ankeny was rural. You're description of it is pretty spot on.
^ From one of my posts upthread:
Quote from: webny99 on January 25, 2018, 10:21:39 AM
I've never been to Des Moines, but from what I've heard from friends, Ankeny is basically the new, fast growing, Lego-homes suburb of Des Moines. So perhaps it was indeed more rural in 2008 than it is now, ten years later.
Interstate 90 through the western part of South Dakota is absolutely beautiful. I was truly mesmerized when I saw it for the first time on CrossCountryRoad's YouTube channel a few years ago (a series of videos showing Interstate 90 Eastbound through the state of South Dakota). South Dakota and Oklahoma (and Texas as well if you count it) are probably the most interesting Great Plains states (due to having their respective large parts of the state that are unbelievably scenic).
Quote from: webny99 on January 25, 2018, 10:21:39 AM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on January 25, 2018, 07:47:38 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 25, 2018, 01:33:09 AM
I've only been to Iowa twice and both times were in 2008. I remember this city called Ankeny that is just north of Des Moines, before I get there my friend kept telling me that it's some rural town out in the middle of nowhere, then I get there and I'm looking around and I'm thinking what is he talking about? This is just like any other American suburb, but I remember certain areas of Ankeny that were pretty rural in character too but did not think I was in the middle of nowhere only being about 10 miles from downtown Des Moines.
:-D :-D At anyone calling Ankeny rural. It's as cookie-cutter, boring suburban as one can get in the Des Moines metro. :pan: (Well, maybe not West Des Moines...)
I've never been to Des Moines, but from what I've heard from friends, Ankeny is basically the new, fast growing, Lego-homes suburb of Des Moines. So perhaps it was indeed more rural in 2008 than it is now, ten years later.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 25, 2018, 09:43:49 AM
Quote from: DandyDan on January 25, 2018, 07:44:19 AM
Anyone who thinks Iowa is boring should drive in Northeast Iowa, because there is decent scenery there. You gotta love the Driftless Area.
That's just bleed over from Minnesota. :rolleyes: My top five contenders for most boring would be:
[list snipped]
You've obviously never been to either of the Dakotas :-D With regards to Iowa, I think it even looks boring on a map. The road network is so neat and structured and consistent that I have trouble believing there's much variation in the landscape.
[/list]
Probably is. But it was pretty developed when I was there 10 years ago. All I remember is eating at this place called Iowa Beef Steakhouse and going bowling. I found Iowa Beef Steakhouse by following US-69 south. And I remember this bell next to the State Capitol.