What state has the best/most interesting interstates?

[Roadgeekteen]

Vermont or New Hampshire IMO.

[kphoger]

It's hard to beat Colorado.  But I haven't been to New England since I was a wee tyke.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Montana is pretty cool. 94 goes through a lot of badlands and follows the Yellowstone River. 90 has the bloody history alongside it south of Billings, mountains pretty much all the way west of Billings.

[Max Rockatansky]

California is pretty up there until one gets to the kick-in-the-nuts Central Valley part of I-5.  Utah, Arizona, and Colorado are high on the list too.

[kphoger]

Utah

I would have nominated Utah based on I-70 alone, but I've never driven the Interstates anywhere else in Utah except for the small bit of I-15 south of Cedar City.  In general, though, Utah ranks right up there with Colorado for scenery in my opinion.

[Rothman]

NY.  Great mix of rural and urban.

[JayhawkCO]

Although Colorado is up there, I'd put Utah above us.  I think maybe the best would be Hawaii however.

Chris

[webny99]

NY.  Great mix of rural and urban.

I sense a touch of sarcasm, but we do have several Interstates that are great in the fall, including I-86 and the Northway section of I-87, among others.

[Konza]

I'll nominate Arizona.

Mountains, deserts, and even both at the same time.  Add the Virgin River stretch of I-15 in the NW corner of the state.  Pine forests near Flagstaff.

The completion of I-11 will even enhance this as the current US 93 passes by saguaros and joshua trees.

[BluesHighway]

My biased answer would be Minnesota. It is a biome transition state so you can see the deciduous forest transitions along all of the main interstates, but you also see the open plains on I-90 and the northern coniferous forests on I-35 into Duluth. Unbiased answer is between Montana and Colorado. I think I-70 is the best mountain pass, but eastern Montana's interstates definitely beat Eastern Colorado. Plus I-94 follows a river valley.

[oscar]

Although Colorado is up there, I'd put Utah above us.  I think maybe the best would be Hawaii however.

Hawaii has one really scenic Interstate, Interstate H-3, if you don't count the parts passing by the state prison and a large quarry. The others are pretty ordinary. Utah and Colorado both have Hawaii beat. The long stretch of I-84 in Oregon along the Columbia River, and I-5 near Grants Pass, also rank high with me. I-84 in eastern Oregon, not so much.

[paulthemapguy]

Colorado or Utah, but I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction is my favorite Interstate drive by far.  So I'd probably choose Colorado.

[JayhawkCO]

Although Colorado is up there, I'd put Utah above us.  I think maybe the best would be Hawaii however.

Hawaii has one really scenic Interstate, Interstate H-3, if you don't count the parts passing by the state prison and a large quarry. The others are pretty ordinary. Utah and Colorado both have Hawaii beat. The long stretch of I-84 in Oregon along the Columbia River, and I-5 near Grants Pass, also rank high with me. I-84 in eastern Oregon, not so much.

You would know best.  I think people are rating Colorado so high because of the GJ-Denver stretch of I-70 while ignoring that the rest of I-70, all of I-76, and portions of I-25 aren't exciting.  If we're "rating" the states by the best portion, then I-H3 would get Hawaii near to the top.  If, however, we're including all the interstates in a state, I think Utah overall is better than Colorado.  There isn't really a bit of mileage there that isn't at least somewhat pretty.

Chris

[Roadgeekteen]

Although Colorado is up there, I'd put Utah above us.  I think maybe the best would be Hawaii however.

Hawaii has one really scenic Interstate, Interstate H-3, if you don't count the parts passing by the state prison and a large quarry. The others are pretty ordinary. Utah and Colorado both have Hawaii beat. The long stretch of I-84 in Oregon along the Columbia River, and I-5 near Grants Pass, also rank high with me. I-84 in eastern Oregon, not so much.

You would know best.  I think people are rating Colorado so high because of the GJ-Denver stretch of I-70 while ignoring that the rest of I-70, all of I-76, and portions of I-25 aren't exciting.  If we're "rating" the states by the best portion, then I-H3 would get Hawaii near to the top.  If, however, we're including all the interstates in a state, I think Utah overall is better than Colorado.  There isn't really a bit of mileage there that isn't at least somewhat pretty.

Chris

I-215 in SLC? Never been on it though.

[JayhawkCO]

Although Colorado is up there, I'd put Utah above us.  I think maybe the best would be Hawaii however.

Hawaii has one really scenic Interstate, Interstate H-3, if you don't count the parts passing by the state prison and a large quarry. The others are pretty ordinary. Utah and Colorado both have Hawaii beat. The long stretch of I-84 in Oregon along the Columbia River, and I-5 near Grants Pass, also rank high with me. I-84 in eastern Oregon, not so much.

You would know best.  I think people are rating Colorado so high because of the GJ-Denver stretch of I-70 while ignoring that the rest of I-70, all of I-76, and portions of I-25 aren't exciting.  If we're "rating" the states by the best portion, then I-H3 would get Hawaii near to the top.  If, however, we're including all the interstates in a state, I think Utah overall is better than Colorado.  There isn't really a bit of mileage there that isn't at least somewhat pretty.

Chris

I-215 in SLC? Never been on it though.

Views of the mountains in the distance on the west side and goes right up against the foothills on the east side.  Still, for me being a mountain guy, scenic, especially in comparison to other more "elevationally challenged" areas of the country.

Chris

[CoreySamson]

Of the states I've been to, I'd say California or Arizona.

I rode 8 in San Diego out towards La Mesa once and I remember that was pretty.

Also, I like Arizona's atmosphere.

[thspfc]

Colorado is very polarized. I-70 and I-76 east of Denver are snoozers. The only remotely interesting thing is when the mountains appear on the horizon, but even that gets old quickly. But then you have I-70 west of Denver. I can't comment on I-25, only driven a small portion. But overall I'd say Colorado would rank in the top five.

[sparker]

For sheer scenery -- over much of the routes -- Montana is difficult to beat.  The Yellowstone Valley west of Billings on I-90, I-15 through the canyons either side of Helena, the Clark Fork section of 90 -- even I-94, with a decided lack of "greenery" is interesting in the Yellowstone Valley.  But not too far down the list is Oregon, with I-5 being decidedly scenic except for the Eugene-Albany stretch, and I-84, of course, through the Gorge but also over the Blue Mountains (but do keep an eye on that road!).  Now, I will admit that I-70 from Golden west to Grand Junction pretty much has everything else beat -- but CO's a "one trick pony" in that regard; I-25's sashay through the foothills isn't all that interesting, and everything else east of it (I-70 & 76) fits that category as well.  And I-70's trek through Utah is no slouch, either -- but again, unless you like ultra-flat deserts (I-80's western segment) or a long run through desert and/or semi-arid territory (I-15), that state's also a mixed bag (OK, 80 gets interesting east of SLC, but I-84's main attraction is for rail buffs). 

But in the East, I've always liked I-91 through the Connecticut River valley!

[Rothman]

NY.  Great mix of rural and urban.

I sense a touch of sarcasm, but we do have several Interstates that are great in the fall, including I-86 and the Northway section of I-87, among others.

Thruway west of Utica is very dull.

[roadman65]

Pennsylvania Turnpike is very scenic.  In fact the 36 mile stretch from Somerset to Bedford is so interesting you forget you are on a long exit less stretch.

I-99 is not bad either.  I-80 has its moments, though being a long way from Stroudsburg to Sharon it can be that state's boring alley in some places.

[Ned Weasel]

Pennsylvania Turnpike is very scenic.  In fact the 36 mile stretch from Somerset to Bedford is so interesting you forget you are on a long exit less stretch.

I-99 is not bad either.  I-80 has its moments, though being a long way from Stroudsburg to Sharon it can be that state's boring alley in some places.

I think Pennsylvania also counts for most interesting Interstates because two of them have traffic signals.

[achilles765]

I'm sure I'm biased here but I like my state's interstates (Texas). Especially IH 10. You come in from Louisiana through swampland and petrochemical plants then go through a long and flat stretch before the massiveness of Houston where every major road junction is a massive 5 level stack, then you pass through the widest freeway on earth at up to 24 lanes before settling into the southern hill country. Then you hit San Antonio and from there you watch as the green starts to fade and you slowly enter the desert. Then comes El Paso which is nestled among the mountains.

[thspfc]

Pennsylvania Turnpike is very scenic.  In fact the 36 mile stretch from Somerset to Bedford is so interesting you forget you are on a long exit less stretch.

I-99 is not bad either.  I-80 has its moments, though being a long way from Stroudsburg to Sharon it can be that state's boring alley in some places.

I think Pennsylvania also counts for most interesting Interstates because two of them have traffic signals.

What's the other? I-376?

[hotdogPi]

Pennsylvania Turnpike is very scenic.  In fact the 36 mile stretch from Somerset to Bedford is so interesting you forget you are on a long exit less stretch.

I-99 is not bad either.  I-80 has its moments, though being a long way from Stroudsburg to Sharon it can be that state's boring alley in some places.

I think Pennsylvania also counts for most interesting Interstates because two of them have traffic signals.

What's the other? I-376?

I-676

New Hampshire or Vermont might have the best Interstates. For New Hampshire, I-89 and I-93 are both scenic, and I-293, I-393, and I-95 aren't long enough to subtract much. Vermont is similar, with the entire state being in the mountains.

[webny99]

What about New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment? Haven't seen it mentioned much, positively or negatively, in these threads.