Longest distance between stoplights

[ftballfan]

What is the longest distance one can think of between stoplights on a two lane highway under a single designation?

The longest in the Lower Peninsula is likely M-37 from US-31 south of Traverse City to the southern junction with M-20 in White Cloud, a distance of roughly 86 miles.

[Takumi]

VA 35 is 49 miles long and has no stoplights at all. I don't know if it has any after it becomes NC 35.

[Alps]

I drove the length of NM 9 without a single stoplight.

[roadfro]

In asking about two-lane highways, I assume we'll neglect short four-lane or wider sections when the highway passes through a small town... With that said, here's some involving Nevada:

• US 93: From I-15 northeast of Las Vegas, NV to US 6/50 in Ely, NV - 220 miles
  
• US 95: From end of divided highway northwest of Las Vegas, NV to SR 359 in Hawthorne, NV - 250 miles
  
• US 95: From I-80 BL in Winnemucca, NV to I-84 southeast of Ontario, OR/Fruitland, ID - 253 miles
  
• US 50: From US 95 in Fallon, NV to US 93 in Ely, NV - 258 miles
  
• US 6: From US 395 in Bishop, CA to US 50/93 in Ely, NV - 283 miles
  

[KEK Inc.]

CA-299 from Redding to Arcata. (~120 miles)
US-26 from OR-6 to US-101.  (~60 miles)
WA-14 from Washougal to White Salmon (~50 miles)
US-97 from Klamath Falls to Sun River  (~120 miles)

Not sure if this counts...  Might as well knock it out since someone is going to say it.
AK-11 from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay (~500 miles)

[dislocatedkid]

In Minnesota, correct me if I'm wrong, but in pretty sure MN-1 from Thief River Falls to Ely (237 mi) has got to be longest section of a single designation w/o any traffic lights.

[1995hoo]

I recall there being no traffic lights nor stop signs on the roughly 166 miles of southbound Ontario 144 between its northern end near Timmins and the Sudbury area. I believe there was also a sign warning of there being no gas for around 90 km at one point.

In the same vein as Alaska, there's a road that runs up into far northern Saskatchewan that has no lights for at least 420 miles. Car and Driver's John Phillips drove a Ford truck up that road a few years ago and wrote an article about it. There are probably no lights for well over 500 miles, but I think the road number changes somewhere near La Ronge.

[agentsteel53]

a lot of those Nevada examples have stop signs.  I remember there being a stop sign on US-95 in Beatty, breaking the continuity of the Las Vegas to Hawthorne route.

I'd like to know the longest one can go without stopping on a non-limited-access road.  some of the other Nevada examples seem to have the right idea, as I think the northern US-95 segment is without any stops.

in California, my first guess would be CA-62 between the last Twenty-Nine Palms access road, and Vidal Junction.  there is a "next services: 100 miles" at that point, which leads to Vidal Junction (a four-way stop with US-95) and then nothing again until just over the Arizona state line.

[NE2]

You can go infinitely far on M-185.

[roadman65]

I do know that back in 2006 you can go NB on US 19 from Perry, FL to Thomasville, GA without stopping at signals or stop signs.  You did have to slow down at where US 19 & 27 split in Capps, FL and the traffic circle in Monticello, FL.  Plus flashing yellows that are not really stop lights, but indeed signals in Monticello, however no stops.  SB does have to stop at US 27 in Capps, though.

US 27 from Pembroke Pines Road in Broward County, FL to FL 80 in South Bay, FL is another long stretch that is over 45 miles.  Not like Nevada, but it is long for the east coast.

US 98 from Port St. Joe, FL to Perry, FL had no stoplights back in the 90s.  It had a flashing corner in Appalachicola, but both ends yellow slowing you down for a turn.

Back in the 70s, US 22 did not have any signals from Paxtonia, PA to Phillipsburg, NJ.  Though, most of this freeway, it still is unusual for a road on the east coast.  Plus from Fredericksburg to Paxtonia where US 22 is independent of I-78 and freeway grade is over 20 plus miles and that is arterial.  Now signals and 40 mile per hour speed zones have been added there as well as a drop for most of what used to be 55 mph to 50 mph.

US 301 has a long stretch from Bowie, MD to Middletown, DE.  Although freeway from Bowie to Queenstown, it is expressway from US 50 to Delaware and two lane from MD Line to Middletown with no stoplights.  Flashing yellows galore (no stop) with now Michigan lefts at many with J turns for many places in Maryland north of US 50.  There was a signal at MD 213, but was made an interchange either in the late 80's or early 90's.

FL 31 between Fort Myers, FL and Arcadia, FL is without signals except at each end.  It is 35 miles and no stop signs.  60 mph is the speed limit except near the terminuses where it drops due to urban like conditions.

[xcellntbuy]

There are a series of traffic lights for US 27 and Griffin Road just to the north of Pines Blvd.  The flashing lights were upgraded several years ago.  Too many crashes.

[roadman65]

There are a series of traffic lights for US 27 and Griffin Road just to the north of Pines Blvd.  The flashing lights were upgraded several years ago.  Too many crashes.

Well, its about time!  I have not been there since 04, but I knew that someday it would be upgraded.  65 mph on US 27 means 75 mph in reality.

[xcellntbuy]

US 27 did not get its reputation as "Bloody 27" for nothing!

Between Pines Blvd. and Griffin Road on US 27 is also the new electronically-variable speed limit zone established when West Broward High School was opened.  The speed limit drops during school arrival and dismissal from 65 mph to 45 mph.

[roadman65]

US 27 did not get its reputation as "Bloody 27" for nothing!

Between Pines Blvd. and Griffin Road on US 27 is also the new electronically-variable speed limit zone established when West Broward High School was opened.  The speed limit drops during school arrival and dismissal from 65 mph to 45 mph.

I thought that was in Polk County.  I knew a pharamedic who worked for Polk County, hundreds of miles north of where you speak, and she referred to it as the Bloody 27.

Interesting that the same nickname is used in another part of the state.  Different folks, different strokes, but same thinking.

[1995hoo]

US 27 did not get its reputation as "Bloody 27" for nothing!

Between Pines Blvd. and Griffin Road on US 27 is also the new electronically-variable speed limit zone established when West Broward High School was opened.  The speed limit drops during school arrival and dismissal from 65 mph to 45 mph.

My brother-in-law lives near there. Every time I go through, the variable limit is posted at 50 mph, even in summer when school is out.

[xcellntbuy]

Next time I travel out that way, I will note any other speed limit changes.

[Mark68]

US 395 from Kramer Jct to Lone Pine, CA.
121 miles

It's actually another 57 miles between the one stoplight in Lone Pine and the first one (at CA 168 W/Line St) in Bishop, so it's 178 miles with one stoplight.

It's also 29 miles from the last stoplight in Adelanto (Chamberlaine Way) to Kramer Jct, so you can go 207 miles from Adelanto to Bishop and come across two stoplights and no stop signs (and two interchanges). Once CA 58 is upgraded to full freeway between Bakersfield and Barstow, it's possible that 207 mile stretch will have one light (or up to 3, depending on whether 395 gets lights installed at the ramps to/from 58).

If heading north on 395, there are six lights in Bishop, then from the last one at Barlow Lane, then another 150 miles to the first light in Gardnerville, NV (Muller Pkwy).

[Brandon]

You can go infinitely far on M-185.

On horseback, or with your goat, but not your car. 

[mjb2002]

South Carolina Route 3, the WORST highway in the Central Savannah River Area, has ZERO stoplights north of Blackville.
South Carolina Route 4 does NOT have a stoplight for 36 miles between Aiken and Neeses.
South Carolina Route 37 does NOT have a stoplight throughout its journey from Barnwell to its northern terminus at SC 39, 10 miles north of Williston.
South Carolina Route 125 have no stoplights south of Beech Island - much of that has to do with Savannah River Site's presence. I believe there were stoplights in Ellenton and Dunbarton before those towns were destroyed to make way for SRS.
SC 362 does NOT have a stoplight at all from Bamberg to Williams.
Post Merge: January 12, 2013, 11:15:21 PM
CORRECTION: SC 125 does have a stoplight at its southern terminus in Allendale. But, none between Beech Island and Allendale.

[doorknob60]

US-97, while not 2 lanes for this entire segment, it still counts, because most of it is. From 3rd St in the south end of Bend to Weed Blvd in Weed is 205 miles. and manages to not have any stoplights or stop signs, despite going through many random towns. There are a few 35 and 25 zones (Dorris...), but no stops.

EDIT: I guess KEK Inc already mentioned this, but it goes more than from Sunriver to Klamath Falls, thanks to the excellent bypass around K Falls (better than Bend's).

EDIT2: Although, there are small sections of four lanes in the bypass around K falls. It's not a full on freeway, but it's not strictly a "2 lane highway." Not sure whether it counts or not. And between Sunriver and Bend it's almost a freeway (and four lanes), so maybe that segment doesn't count either...whatever

[kphoger]

You can go infinitely far on M-185.

On horseback, or with your goat, but not your car. 

It's true, the speed of light is a finite number, and nobody lives forever.  Therefore, even at the fastest speed possible by the laws of physics, there will come an end to your journey.

[roadman65]

US 220 has a long stretch now in PA.  With its freeway from Beford to I-80 and it not having any signals on the two lane road south of Bedford into MD along with its concurrency with I-68, it would be over 100 miles for sure.

I have not been north of I-80 on US 220 yet, so I wonder exactly where US 220's southernmost traffic signal now is located at?  Also, where is MD's northernmost signal?  If I knew where both are, I could figure out how long of a signal free US 220 you would have.

US 15 between the MD/ PA line and Federick, MD is signal free.  Plus there is a long freeway bypass of Gettysburg, PA north of the state line, so both together make a long stretch.

[Mr_Northside]

I have not been north of I-80 on US 220 yet, so I wonder exactly where US 220's southernmost traffic signal now is located at? 

I'm almost positive it's at the intersection with PA-287 between Jersey Shore & Wiliamsport.

[sp_redelectric]

US-26 from OR-6 to US-101.  (~60 miles)

U.S. 26 neither has stop lights at Oregon 6 nor U.S. 101, both are grade-separated interchanges.  So you're actually looking at somewhere on U.S. 101 to downtown Portland, around 80 miles (and 75 of that on 26 alone).

Oregon 6 has just ONE traffic light, at U.S. 101 in Tillamook - and you can continue off the eastern end of 6, onto 26, and go into downtown Portland with only one flashing yellow beacon.

From Libby, MT to Kalispell on U.S. 2 is 88 miles without a traffic light; from Columbia Falls to Browning is 84 miles without a traffic light.  Shelby to Havre is 105 miles and although I haven't personally been out there I don't think there's a single stop light or stop sign that way either.

[amroad17]

Before US 35 was re-routed from Buffalo, WV to I-64, there was a 155 mile gap between stoplights in Beavercreek, OH and in Winfield, WV.