Largest (US) Cities Without a US Highway or an Interstate

[kphoger]

The largest town in Kansas without a US or Interstate Highway is Derby, which is the 17th largest town in the state (pop. 23k) and an outer suburb of Wichita.

[roadman65]

About the only sizable city I can think of in TX with neither US nor interstate is College Station.  Pretty much all the bigger metros have 1 of them or both.

Until I-14 gets built which, I believe, is the next phase of that proposed interstate in the Lone Star State.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MN: Andover (29th; has no state-maintained routes at all)

[webny99]

Greece, NY, has a population of 96K and no interstate or US routes. (Is that the current winner?)

Heck, I can find 10+ examples just in my immediate area that are more populous than some of the statewide winners being mentioned on here!

[Flint1979]

The Town of Parker (55k) is the largest in Colorado not served by an Interstate or US highway. The Town is served by CO 83 (Parker Rd) and E-470 Tollway. I-25 is about 5 miles to the west.


Parker is pretty much the southeastern-most suburb of Denver.

I know Parker because of KOA radio's transmitter being located there.

So THAT'S what that really tall tower (near Parker & 20 Mile/Hilltop) is...I've always wondered.

Yeah that's it. I recently pulled KOA 850 in the other night in my driveway in Michigan btw. Super strong station.

[interstate73]

In New Jersey this title appears to go to the 13th largest city, Brick Township down the shore (pop 75k). It does have the Garden State Parkway though. The largest without an interstate, US Highway, or freeway-equivalent seems to be the 34th largest city, Hoboken (pop 50k) right across the Hudson from NYC.

[dvferyance]

The Town of Parker (55k) is the largest in Colorado not served by an Interstate or US highway. The Town is served by CO 83 (Parker Rd) and E-470 Tollway. I-25 is about 5 miles to the west.


Parker is pretty much the southeastern-most suburb of Denver.

Castle Rock isn't a suburb?

[zzcarp]

Castle Rock functions as a bedroom community for Denver, and I would not call it a suburb. There is a lot of open space and farms surrounding it, and there is space between neighboring communities/towns between Castle Rock and Lone Tree/Highlands Ranch.

[kphoger]

I'd call it an exurb of both Denver and Colorado Springs.

[US 89]

Castle Rock functions as a bedroom community for Denver, and I would not call it a suburb. There is a lot of open space and farms surrounding it, and there is space between neighboring communities/towns between Castle Rock and Lone Tree/Highlands Ranch.

Agreed. I've been to Castle Rock a few times (used to have family there), and I don't think it really has much to do with Colorado Springs. It's definitely on its own as a Denver exurb, fairly well separated from the suburban sprawl that starts at Highlands Ranch.

[kphoger]

I've been to Castle Rock a few times (used to have family there), and I don't think it really has much to do with Colorado Springs. It's definitely on its own as a Denver exurb, fairly well separated from the suburban sprawl that starts at Highlands Ranch.

The northern areas of Colorado Springs are reportedly an employment draw.

The growth has been fueled in part by lucrative jobs in the technology, aerospace and telecommunications industries. Residents commute to the Tech Center and Colorado Springs military installations, among others.

[noelbotevera]

Discounting US Business routes, the largest city in PA without any US route/Interstate is State College, sitting at 42k if we're going by strict city limits. Close but no cigar cases exist with Altoona (46k; the US 220 freeway clips the corner at exit 31) and Harrisburg (49k; US 22 clips the corner, and I-81 may enter the city at exit 66).

[kphoger]

Just for fun...

Hawaii:  Hilo, pop. 43k
Alaska:  Juneau, pop. 31k

[Mark68]

Castle Rock functions as a bedroom community for Denver, and I would not call it a suburb. There is a lot of open space and farms surrounding it, and there is space between neighboring communities/towns between Castle Rock and Lone Tree/Highlands Ranch.

Plus, it's more southerly than southeasterly (although--due to annexation and housing development--Hwy 83 brushes a bit of the eastern border of Castle Rock). Suburbia is more-or-less continuous along I-25 from Lone Tree through Castle Pines through Castle Rock, but there are breaks in between towns due to terrain and vegetation (Castle Rock is 1300' higher than Denver!).

[MikeTheActuary]

For Connecticut, I think the "winner" is Glastonbury, population roughly 35k.  It has CT 2, CT 3, CT 17, but no Interstate or US highway passes through the town limits.  I-84, 91, 291, and 384 and US 5, 6, and 44 all pass through adjacent towns.

Glastonbury is a suburb of Hartford.   If you start looking for non-suburbs...you'd have to define what that means.  Every part of CT is included in a CSA/MSA/μSA.

[Some one]

Pearland, Texas and Pasadena, Texas have 122K (2018) and 149K (2010) respectively, with the latter being the 2nd largest city in Harris County and the 17th most populated city in Texas. I-45 indirectly serves those cities but doesn't go anywhere within the city limits.

[planxtymcgillicuddy]

For North Carolina, I would say Greenville at 93K, though I-587 will eventually knock out that problem. Jacksonville, NC would probably be the top candidate

[roadman65]

Discounting US Business routes, the largest city in PA without any US route/Interstate is State College, sitting at 42k if we're going by strict city limits. Close but no cigar cases exist with Altoona (46k; the US 220 freeway clips the corner at exit 31) and Harrisburg (49k; US 22 clips the corner, and I-81 may enter the city at exit 66).

ugh I-99????

[sprjus4]

For North Carolina, I would say Greenville at 93K, though I-587 will eventually knock out that problem. Jacksonville, NC would probably be the top candidate

Greenville - has US-264 and US-13.

Jacksonville - has US-17 and US-258.

[dfwmapper]

About the only sizable city I can think of in TX with neither US nor interstate is College Station.  Pretty much all the bigger metros have 1 of them or both.

Until I-14 gets built which, I believe, is the next phase of that proposed interstate in the Lone Star State.

The real answer for Texas is Pasadena, pop 153,219 (2018 est.), a suburb on the southeast side of Houston. It's served by the Sam Houston Tollway/Beltway 8 and the SH 225 and SH 146 freeways, and NASA Road 1 but no US highways or Interstates. I-45 is a a couple miles southwest, and I-10 is a couple miles north across the ship channel.

The largest city in Texas with no US highways or controlled access highways of any type appears to be Wylie in the NE suburbs of Dallas, pop 51,585 (2018 est.).

[Bruce]

Washington's winner is Auburn (pop. 81,905 as of 2018), which sits a bit east of I-5. It was briefly traversed by US 99 in 1926 before the modern alignment through Federal Way was opened in early 1928.

Sadly I can't list next-door neighbor Kent (pop. 129,618) because they managed to annex their way to a small sliver of I-5 in what is basically East Des Moines.

The second place winner is probably Redmond (pop. 67,678), which only has SR 520 and SR 202 (plus former SR 908 and SR 901). Next door (and next most populous) Sammamish (65,733) has no state highways at all.

[StogieGuy7]

The semantics and mental gymnastics that I see here over a simple question are just astounding!  The "largest US city" without a US Highway or an Interstate isn't some bedroom community of a big city that has multiple interstates.  It's Fresno, CA - which is not directly served by an interstate (I-5 isn't a viable route to anywhere from Fresno or it's immediate surroundings, it's many miles west and runs parallel to CA99) nor is there a US Highway anywhere near Fresno.  And Fresno isn't a suburb of a larger city or part of a larger market; it is it's own little metropolis.  Has it's own TV and radio market, etc.

Fresno (EST population 530,093) is THE quintessential decent-sized city with neither class of highway.

[paulthemapguy]

I read about ten years ago that the answer to this question was Fresno.  I don't think this has changed since then.

What might make this thread more interesting is if we consider what the answer would be in each of the individual 50 states.  I have no idea what the answer in Illinois would be.  There are Interstates and US highways all over the place.  Perhaps Cicero, which barely manages to dodge I-55, US34, and I-290.

[debragga]

The semantics and mental gymnastics that I see here over a simple question are just astounding!  The "largest US city" without a US Highway or an Interstate isn't some bedroom community of a big city that has multiple interstates.  It's Fresno, CA - which is not directly served by an interstate (I-5 isn't a viable route to anywhere from Fresno or it's immediate surroundings, it's many miles west and runs parallel to CA99) nor is there a US Highway anywhere near Fresno.  And Fresno isn't a suburb of a larger city or part of a larger market; it is it's own little metropolis.  Has it's own TV and radio market, etc.

Fresno (EST population 530,093) is THE quintessential decent-sized city with neither class of highway.

I meant city in the incorporated sense, not necessarily a big city. Chill.

I read about ten years ago that the answer to this question was Fresno.  I don't think this has changed since then.

What might make this thread more interesting is if we consider what the answer would be in each of the individual 50 states.  I have no idea what the answer in Illinois would be.  There are Interstates and US highways all over the place.  Perhaps Cicero, which barely manages to dodge I-55, US34, and I-290.

I like this idea. The thread has sort of already become this, let's keep it up.

[Konza]

The semantics and mental gymnastics that I see here over a simple question are just astounding!  The "largest US city" without a US Highway or an Interstate isn't some bedroom community of a big city that has multiple interstates.  It's Fresno, CA - which is not directly served by an interstate (I-5 isn't a viable route to anywhere from Fresno or it's immediate surroundings, it's many miles west and runs parallel to CA99) nor is there a US Highway anywhere near Fresno.  And Fresno isn't a suburb of a larger city or part of a larger market; it is it's own little metropolis.  Has it's own TV and radio market, etc.

Fresno (EST population 530,093) is THE quintessential decent-sized city with neither class of highway.

If the question were about Interstate Highways, Fresno would be the answer.

Fresno is on CA 99, which is the decommissioned US 99.  While not necessarily how the question was exactly worded, I think I'd include decommissioned routes as if they were still active.  The biggest reason most of them were decommissioned was because the new Interstate system had supplanted them.

I'd also be wary of including suburbs on this list.  Yes, there are some large suburbs that are not on either a US or Interstate route.  Phoenix has a handful of them.  But it's quite easy to get to the Phoenix area on the Interstate system, and the area is well served by limited access highways.