What’s The Most Common Street Name In America?

[Scott5114]

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/whats-the-most-common-street-name-in-america/

[02 Park Ave]

I would have thought that it would beHigh Street and it didn't even make the list.

[Pete from Boston]

The discussion about presidents makes it sound odd that Jackson and Johnson are third and fourth in presidential street names, ahead of Jefferson.  I find it odd that the author wouldn't realize that other than presidential honoring, these are more common names than Lincoln, Jefferson, or even Washington, weighing them heavier on the list than presidentiality alone would cause. 

[TEG24601]

I would have thought that it would beHigh Street and it didn't even make the list.

Maybe in the UK, since it is their equivalent to "Main Street".  I just love how so many cities have replaced First with Front, Shore, Main, or some other name.

[briantroutman]

I'm genuinely surprised that "Martin Luther King"  isn't anywhere on that list.

[The Nature Boy]

"Martin Luther King" seems to be common in areas with high African American populations. Since they're only 13% of the population, those areas aren't as numerous as you might think.

[cpzilliacus]

I'm genuinely surprised that "Martin Luther King"  isn't anywhere on that list.

Compared to George Washington (and Washington, D.C. for streets and roads in Maryland and Virginia not terribly far from there), the opportunity to name streets for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is relatively short, presumably only starting after his assassination in 1968.

[cpzilliacus]

I would have thought "tree" streets like Maple, Oak and Chestnut would have ranked higher. 

Then there's Broad streets and Broadways, common in some places.

[Mr. Matté]

Hollywood Boulevard

[TEG24601]

I would have thought "tree" streets like Maple, Oak and Chestnut would have ranked higher. 

Then there's Broad streets and Broadways, common in some places.

With Broadway, some highly traveled street that breaks the grid, see Seattle, Portland, and NYC.

[jeffandnicole]

There was an article (study, data, etc) a little while ago that talked about the reasons why 2nd street is more popular than 1st street.  Why someone from the Pew organization didn't already know this is a little surprising.

Philly is a bit unusual in that their main street - Broad Street - is actually 14th Street, since the street numbers start near (but not at) the Delaware River.  And they still don't have a 1st Street anyway, which is actually known as Front Street...which doesn't really front anything nowadays.  Columbus Blvd (aka Delaware Ave) is between Front Street and the Delaware River, which I am going to guess didn't exist when the numbered streets were created.

[cpzilliacus]

With Broadway, some highly traveled street that breaks the grid, see Seattle, Portland, and NYC.

Richmond, Virginia has East and especially West Broad Street, one of the "main drags" in town, which is part of the "diagonal"-looking street grid system (that does not N-S/E-W).  Parts of Broad Street are U.S. 33 and U.S. 250, but I defer to Virginia experts like Takumi and MapMikey regarding the specifics.

Falls Church, Virginia also has East Broad Street and West Broad Street (all of both is Va. 7). The grid in Falls Church does not run N-S/E-W either.

[Eth]

I note this interesting pattern:

8th: 5,524 (-853 from 7th)
9th: 4,908 (-616 from 8th)
10th: 4,371 (-537 from 9th)
11th: 3,778 (-593)
12th: 3,446 (-332)
13th: 2,977 (-469)
14th: 2,851 (-126)
15th: 2,557 (-294)

As one would expect, the numbered streets sort of gradually taper off, but the pattern gets a little wonky in the vicinity of 13th - there are slightly fewer 13th Streets than one might otherwise expect (say, about 150 or so). Perhaps this is a result of some cities superstitiously opting to skip that number in their street grid (see, for example, Santa Monica, CA).

[cpzilliacus]

As one would expect, the numbered streets sort of gradually taper off, but the pattern gets a little wonky in the vicinity of 13th - there are slightly fewer 13th Streets than one might otherwise expect (say, about 150 or so). Perhaps this is a result of some cities superstitiously opting to skip that number in their street grid (see, for example, Santa Monica, CA).

The District of Columbia has 13th Street, N.E.; 13th Street, N.W.; 13th Street, S.E. and 13th Street, S.W. (albeit 13th Street, S.W. is only a block long).

[6a]

Philly is a bit unusual in that their main street - Broad Street - is actually 14th Street, since the street numbers start near (but not at) the Delaware River.  And they still don't have a 1st Street anyway, which is actually known as Front Street...which doesn't really front anything nowadays.  Columbus Blvd (aka Delaware Ave) is between Front Street and the Delaware River, which I am going to guess didn't exist when the numbered streets were created.

Yeah, that sounds like here. Our numbered streets actually seem sensible; 2nd comes after High (hello, England) but the numbered avenues start a little over a mile from Broad. Actually, our avenues really take a local to figure out when they do hit High since damn near none of them line up

Edit: here you go,

[GCrites]

I tell outsiders that trusting the grid system for navigational purposes in Columbus is folly.

[cl94]

I guess Niagara Falls, NY is one of the few cities that didn't rename their First Street. Numbering starts 2 blocks from the Falls and increases eastward. Gets up to 104th near Love Canal.

The next city to the south (Buffalo) has a small numbered area on the west side, starting at 4th Street just NE of I-190 and increasing to 7th. Obviously, the numbering is useless for navigation, but then again, you'll get hopelessly lost in that city if you aren't on one of the 10 major streets radiating from downtown.

[1995hoo]

As one would expect, the numbered streets sort of gradually taper off, but the pattern gets a little wonky in the vicinity of 13th - there are slightly fewer 13th Streets than one might otherwise expect (say, about 150 or so). Perhaps this is a result of some cities superstitiously opting to skip that number in their street grid (see, for example, Santa Monica, CA).

The District of Columbia has 13th Street, N.E.; 13th Street, N.W.; 13th Street, S.E. and 13th Street, S.W. (albeit 13th Street, S.W. is only a block long).

Plus 13-1/2 Street NW. It gets less use since the Reagan Building opened, but it used to be a vital road because you can't go left from WB Pennsylvania to SB 14th, so instead you went left onto 13-1/2 and hooked around on D.

[TheStranger]

San Francisco has a First Street, a Main Street, and a Broadway (the first two in the South of Market grid)...and none of those three are particularly important compared to other streets in the city (i.e. Geary, Market, Mission, 3rd Street, 19th Avenue, and Van Ness Avenue).

Main Street also was actually named for a person, as opposed to designating a specific major thoroughfare:
http://mountainviewpeople.blogspot.com/2007/09/charles-main-1817-1906.html

[Henry]

How sad it is to know that of all the 50 states, only "Washington" is on that list. Then again, it's also named after a city and a president, so the point is rather moot.

[vtk]

Philly is a bit unusual in that their main street - Broad Street - is actually 14th Street, since the street numbers start near (but not at) the Delaware River.  And they still don't have a 1st Street anyway, which is actually known as Front Street...which doesn't really front anything nowadays.  Columbus Blvd (aka Delaware Ave) is between Front Street and the Delaware River, which I am going to guess didn't exist when the numbered streets were created.

Yeah, that sounds like here. Our numbered streets actually seem sensible; 2nd comes after High (hello, England)

Actually, 2nd St is west of High. And I think High street is so named because it's at the top of the hill one climbs when walking east from the Scioto, rather than the English tradition.

[6a]

Philly is a bit unusual in that their main street - Broad Street - is actually 14th Street, since the street numbers start near (but not at) the Delaware River.  And they still don't have a 1st Street anyway, which is actually known as Front Street...which doesn't really front anything nowadays.  Columbus Blvd (aka Delaware Ave) is between Front Street and the Delaware River, which I am going to guess didn't exist when the numbered streets were created.

Yeah, that sounds like here. Our numbered streets actually seem sensible; 2nd comes after High (hello, England)

Actually, 2nd St is west of High. And I think High street is so named because it's at the top of the hill one climbs when walking east from the Scioto, rather than the English tradition.

...and I drive by that all the time, too, oops.

No, I know the reason for our High St. I just thought it fitting that it is indeed our main drag.

[GCrites]

But it's a two-lane main drag -- which is strange for a city this size.

[NE2]

But it's a two-lane main drag -- which is strange for a city this size.

Boston's historical main drag is Washington Street, which has zero (public) lanes through Downtown Crossing.

[vtk]

But it's a two-lane main drag -- which is strange for a city this size.

Depends on which section you're looking at.  But I'm sure any section that currently has only one lane in each direction, had more travel lanes at some point in the past.