US 82 through between Leland and Indianola is about 20 miles or so. There's also another long stretch between Indianola and Greenwood. US 49 from north of US 98 in Hattiesburg goes quite a ways without curves. I also recall I-70 through Indiana being quite straight, though I was not a driver the last time I rode through that part of the country.
Australia motherfucker.
Quote from: NE2 on November 09, 2012, 09:09:40 PM
Australia motherfucker.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyre_Highway
In the U.S., probably I-80 through western Utah, about 44 miles between Blair and Clive. Not only arrow-straight, but also incredibly desolate and boring.
I-5 between CA 99 and CA 152, which is even longer, would be a possibility, though the map indicates some very gentle curves that would make it not completely straight.
I-80 from Grand Island to Lincoln, Nebraska, is near-perfectly straight for over 80 miles.
I-94/US 41 through Racine and Kenosha Counties in Wisconsin for 24 miles.
VA 40 has some straight stretches of a couple miles each in Sussex and Dinwiddie Counties. Not really impressive.
US 460 between Petersburg and Suffolk, VA. Also US 13 on the Eastern Shore has some pretty straight stretches, as do many of the swampy roads in North Carolina, and NC 12 on the Outer Banks.
I can't think of anything here in New England though.
US 61 - 18 miles between LA 939 and the cutoff to LA 3125. Also, US 190 has some straight stretches between LA 413 and LA 1145, along with LA 81 to a curve before LA 1. Aptly named Airline Highway.
25 miles of US 190 and LA 383 from Basile to Kinder.
55 miles of US 165 between I-10 and LA 113. Not perfectly straight, but it has some bows where right of way becomes a factor.
I'm fairly certain the highway pictured in my avatar is perfectly straight. Ironically, however, recent improvements included installing roundabouts in one section, so while the centerline may be straight, driving to Lynden does require some steering.
I-75 through the Everglades is very straight too.
The Turner Turnpike is mostly long straight stretches with few curves.
These are the first two that came in my head. Since I was a kid, every time I thought of "straight highway", OR-138 came to mind, for whatever reason.
OR-138 from US-97 to Crater Lake turnoff (https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=US-97+N%2FThe+Dalles-California+Hwy&daddr=OR-138+W%2FE+Diamond+Lake+Hwy&hl=en&ll=43.060861,-121.938286&spn=0.214971,0.528374&sll=43.060234,-122.093811&sspn=0.107487,0.264187&geocode=FW5dkQIdGBm9-A%3BFWh8kQIdtqe4-A&mra=mift&mrsp=1&sz=13&t=m&z=12): 14.7 miles, one tiny turn, but I've driven it, it's essentially straight the entire way. I find this one surprising due to it being in the mountains and stuff, but still managing to be one of the straightest highways in the entire state. Now that I look at it, US 97 south of 138 is straight for a long time too.
US 20/26 from Caldwell, ID to south of Eagle, ID (https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=43.63533,-116.467094&spn=0.212946,0.528374&t=m&z=12): about 16 miles, just a suburban and rural road through farmland, there's a large grid of straight roads form Caldwell to Boise.
The NJTP south of exit 10 or so is pretty straight. But then again, why do they call them turnpikes when they're generally straight?
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on November 10, 2012, 10:20:22 AM
The NJTP south of exit 10 or so is pretty straight. But then again, why do they call them turnpikes when they're generally straight?
Because back in the early days of roads, the barriers at toll booths were called "pikes". So someone
turned the
pike to let a traveler pass.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on November 10, 2012, 10:20:22 AM
The NJTP south of exit 10 or so is pretty straight. But then again, why do they call them turnpikes when they're generally straight?
Because we drive on parkways and park in driveways. Only kidding, deathtopumpkins answer is the correct one.
The UP in Michigan has a notorious one: the 24-mile Seney Stretch on M-28 between Shingleton and Seney.
http://goo.gl/maps/GM6VL
This one doesn't even have any vertical curvature to speak of, aside from that of the Earth.
How about US 1( and part of US 1 Business) between North Brunswick and Trenton being called the "Straight Turnpike" because it is that from the Brunswick Circle in Lawrence to NJ 91 in North Brunswick. The proper name is Brunswick Turnpike (however businesses use US 1 as street address), but that was a nickname that was even place in parentheses next to the real name on some older maps.
Nova Road (CR 532) in Osceola County, FL has a 13 mile straightaway with a few vertical curves over brooks and drainage ditches. I once did 90 mph back in the mid 1990's as the roadway is not traveled that much. However, with Texas going 85 that number is not that high anymore.
Strangely, the East-West Mainline of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76), correctly known as a freeway with many curves, has a very long and arrow-straight section between Carlisle and the entrance to the Blue Mountain Tunnel.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on November 10, 2012, 11:00:21 AM
Strangely, the East-West Mainline of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76), correctly known as a freeway with many curves, has a very long and arrow-straight section between Carlisle and the entrance to the Blue Mountain Tunnel.
Actually just to the East of Blue Mountain Interchange is the west end of the straightaway.
There is a 64 mile stretch of Iowa 3 with no curves from west of Pocahontas to east of Clarion.
US 27 Alternate in Levy County, FL has only one slight curve between Chiefland and Bronson.
I-95 has many straightaways in Flagler, Volusia, and many other FL roads it is quite common.
US 1 north of St. Augustine as you approach the Nation's Oldest City has a nice long straight line into town. At night you can see the traffic signal just south of the City Gates turn many times before you actually reach it.
Southern Delaware between US 9 and DE/ MD 54 is straight. At night traveling Southbound you can see the DE/ MD 54 signal several minuets before arriving there along with many orientations en route just like in St. Augustine.
US 27 from I-75 northward has three long straightaways in the 40 somewhat miles to South Bay that is worth mentioning as it is most cool to drive despite the lack of scenery.
despite ( I believe I used it right)
The Northeast in general doesn't have too many stretches of road that are long and straight, but there are a few that come to mind...
-NJ 72 in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. It's mostly a flat two-lane highway with a dotted yellow line on 90% of its length, with lots of visibility ahead.
-Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) between exit 201 (Newburg) and I-81 in Carlisle. There is a 12-13 mile section of that road that's straight as a bullet, however, it does have rolling hills.
-There are several very straight sections of the Northeast Extension (I-476) south of Allentown.
Speaking of rolling hills on straight highways, you must see GA 17 north of Wrens, GA. There is one part of roadway that drops in elevation gradually and deep in the middle of a straight path that is long that gives the most wonderful driving experience ever!
(I'm exaggerating a whole lot.)
I-78 from its western merge with US 22 to Hamburg, PA.
Very straight, few curves, all curves are slight, and pretty boring...
Some from northern México:
60.7 miles - Highway 97 (http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Reynosa+-+San+Fernando%2FMexico+97&daddr=Reynosa+-+San+Fernando%2FSan+Fernando+-+Reynosa%2FMexico+97&hl=en&ll=25.948166,-98.87146&spn=3.546057,4.916382&sll=25.155424,-98.191381&sspn=0.027891,0.038409&geocode=FcQvjQEdNGIk-g%3BFQvWfwEdWKIl-g&doflg=ptm&mra=dme&mrsp=1&sz=15&t=p&z=8) heading south from Reynosa, Tamps
42.7 miles - Highway 85 (http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Carretera+Nacional%2FMX-85%2FAv+Reforma&daddr=Carretera+Nacional%2FMX-85&hl=en&ll=26.750516,-99.40979&spn=3.521561,4.916382&sll=26.897272,-99.808044&sspn=0.109919,0.153637&geocode=FbLeogEd_ngR-g%3BFSVYmgEd3-sM-g&doflg=ptm&mra=luc&t=p&z=8) heading south from Nuevo Laredo, Tamps (and, let me tell you, it is one boring highway)
39.4 miles - Highway 57 (http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=San+Luis+Potosi+-+Matehuala&daddr=San+Luis+Potosi+-+Matehuala&hl=en&ll=24.266997,-100.447998&spn=3.595122,4.916382&sll=23.485605,-100.613973&sspn=0.01413,0.019205&geocode=FWL4XQEdURoD-g%3BFTtiZgEdg7kA-g&doflg=ptm&mra=dme&mrsp=1&sz=16&t=p&z=8) heading north from El Huizache, SLP
Quote from: Sanctimoniously on November 09, 2012, 09:22:10 PM
Quote from: NE2 on November 09, 2012, 09:09:40 PM
Australia motherfucker.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyre_Highway
The 90 mile straight on the Eyre Hwy is basically 144km of straight road across the Nullarbor Plain.
The trans Australian railway from Adelaide to Perth runs straight for 478km (297mi) from Ooldea in SA to Loongana WA.
There are several fairly long straight sections of WI 29 in Wisconsin, especially between Wausau and Abbotsford. Very hilly, but also very straight.
Also, WI 173 is arrow straight and dead level for about 20 miles/32 km between WI 80 at Babcock and just north of WI 21 at Valley Junction.
Mike
Quote from: golden eagle on November 09, 2012, 08:57:32 PM
I also recall I-70 through Indiana being quite straight, though I was not a driver the last time I rode through that part of the country.
I-70 in East Central Indiana has some straight sections, but it's "companion" US-40 is straighter. Built mostly along the route of the old National Road, it has an arrow-straight 27 mile stretch from Knightstown to I-465 on the east side of Indy. It went a few miles longer until 40 was rerouted from Washington Street to bypass the city on 465. Another straight stretch of 40 west of Indy is nearly as long.
There are many other examples in Northern Indiana, mostly among east-west routes. (North-south routes most often jog slightly at section lines.) The stretch I travel most often is one of 38 miles, SR-26 from Fairmount to spot west of Russiaville. There are probably longer ones that I've not found yet.
If 2-lane highways count, US-30 has a rather long stretch of straightness in Somerset County (just east of the entrance to the Flight 93 Memorial)
Quote from: Mr_Northside on November 12, 2012, 03:58:21 PM
If 2-lane highways count...
This isn't SkyscraperCity, so yes, they count.
This 23 mile segment of FL 528 is arrow-straight. http://goo.gl/maps/KYHZF
I feel like, compared to all these straight roads, this section of I-84 and US 30 is probably the curviest: http://goo.gl/maps/c78DO
This segment of the PA Turnpike Northeast Extension is rather straight: http://goo.gl/maps/OvzCj
This segment of Route 1 in New Jersey looks arrow-straight: http://goo.gl/maps/RUr0i
US-27 from roughly the Krome Avenue intersection west of the Miami area to a point just south of Lake Okeechobee has minimal curves–basically two or three very minor ones that are similar to I-75 across the Everglades. If I-75 makes this list, then this portion of US-27 (which is a tad under 60 miles) belongs here as well.
Florida State Route 70 has a roughly 44-mile straightaway between Brighton and Arcadia that is interrupted by a small curve to avoid a minor lake just west of US-27.
The Bee Line isn't really long enough to make this list, but the traffic speeds certainly reflect the road's ramrod-straight nature.
Ontario 402 has roughly a 40-mile straightaway (with one minor curve at the western end) east of Sarnia).
Let's steer away from highways that are straight as an arrow except for this one curve in the middle. Lots of highways are straight except for their curves.
What comes close to the Australian example?