Most popular street names nationally, and by state

[elsmere241]

There are some interesting patterns here.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2015/03/06/these-are-the-most-popular-street-names-in-every-state/?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

[1995hoo]

In Virginia, the most popular street name, by a nose, is "Lee."  It's unclear what the mythology there is.

I've published the top-ten lists for each state below so you can take a look for more patters. Consider that in Alabama, Mississippi and Virginia, "Jackson"  is in the top-10, but not any other president, not even Washington. In his home state of Illinois, Lincoln makes the top 10, but Washington doesn't.

First thing I thought when I read this was, "That's Stonewall Jackson, you idiot, not Andrew Jackson," especially when you look at US-50 in Virginia, a portion of which is "Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway." President Davis probably has more roads named after him in Virginia, Alabama, and Mississippi than President Jackson does.

I then found other people had pointed this out in the comments, so I didn't bother to mention it, though I decided to mention the second point (in part because I know my use of "President Davis" will rile up some of the commenters there).

[Brian556]

In Florida, Orange and Osceola are very common street names.

[elsmere241]

In Florida, Orange and Osceola are very common street names.

Florida
2nd / Second, 434
6th / Sixth, 426
4th / Fourth, 416
5th / Fifth, 414
1st / First, 413
3rd / Third, 396
7th / Seventh, 394
8th / Eighth, 388
10th / Tenth, 366
9th / Ninth, 365

[NE2]

In Florida, Orange and Osceola are very common street names.

Huh? The only Osceola I can think of is the obvious (Osceola Parkway). There are probably a few minor ones lying around.

[roadman65]

Well outside of the obvious which is Main Street, Broad Street, and Broadway you cannot get much better than that.

Descriptors you can as both Kansas City and Los Angeles have more arterials given Boulevard descriptors.  That is another story.  As where I live there is not one name used more than others.  As NE 2 stated Osceola is not that common for major arterials, but may be common among residential and side roads the most.

[Henry]

Here's what I found for the states I've lived in so far:

California
Park, 367
Oak, 344
Pine, 318
Sunset, 306
Cedar, 303
Willow, 289
1st / First, 271
Cypress, 269
2nd / Second, 266
Redwood, 258

Illinois
Park, 461
Oak, 347
Lincoln, 344
Maple, 321
1st / First, 317
2nd / Second, 315
3rd / Third, 297
Hickory, 297
Walnut, 281
Washington, 275

Washington
3rd / Third, 255
1st / First, 248
2nd / Second, 244
4th / Fourth, 230
Park, 221
5th / Fifth, 219
8th / Eighth, 193
7th / Seventh, 187
6th / Sixth, 177
10th / Tenth, 176

Fourteen states with Park as the most popular street name has to be quite amazing! It makes you wonder if they named a certain car Park Avenue because of its ubiquitous nature.

[empirestate]

I'm actually curious what the most common "unique" names are for all states, like Lee and Lehua are for VA and HI.  In other words, the most common result after excluding those that are prominent nationally like Second or Main.


iPhone

[roadman65]

Genessee for part of Upstate New York is unique.  Even a brewing company named their beer after it. 

[empirestate]

Genessee for part of Upstate New York is unique.  Even a brewing company named their beer after it.

Named itself after it, you mean. (It was later called High Falls Brewing, but was originally Genesee Brewery.)

Good example, though. Erie would be another; some roads named Erie Boulevard are former canal alignments.


iPhone

[Pete from Boston]

We had a thread recently on most common street names nationally.  Pleasant was at or near the top.

[Desert Man]

hhhmmm  ...Palm isn't on the list of 10 most common named streets in CA. Palm trees can be found a many in CA and we can't name a street "Palm". I know of a Palm street in Indio, Palm Drive in Desert Hot Springs and Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City, all in Palm Springs-Palm Desert area (we have towns named 1000 Palms and 29 Palms).

[briantroutman]

I admire the author's curiosity, but I think the result is less than illuminating because all names were considered equally without consideration to their visibility or importance.

I was surprised to see that Market–which is perhaps the quintessential Pennsylvania street name–wasn't on the state's list. But apparently a coalition of unremarkable Maples and Oaks on side streets, sleepy uptown neighborhoods, and characterless subdivisions was enough to keep it off.

About the only name on the state's list which seems characteristically Pennsylvanian is "Ridge" .

[SD Mapman]

I like the block of numerical streets in the upper Midwest-West.