What state has the best/most interesting interstates?

[plain]

I've never been out west but here in the east I agree with NY and PA. I would also throw WV in the mix. After all, it is the Mountain State 

It's pretty hard to drive WV's interstates without seeing some kind of scenery. I-77 north of Ripley is probably the state's dullest stretch, which to me is still pretty scenic.

EDIT: Actually, cancel I-77. I-81 is the dullest stretch in WV.

[Roadgeekteen]

I've never been out west but here in the east I agree with NY and PA. I would also throw WV in the mix. After all, it is the Mountain State 

It's pretty hard to drive WV's interstates without seeing some kind of scenery. I-77 north of Ripley is probably the state's dullest stretch, which to me is still pretty scenic.

EDIT: Actually, cancel I-77. I-81 is the dullest stretch in WV.

What about I-70 and I-470?

[plain]

I've never been out west but here in the east I agree with NY and PA. I would also throw WV in the mix. After all, it is the Mountain State 

It's pretty hard to drive WV's interstates without seeing some kind of scenery. I-77 north of Ripley is probably the state's dullest stretch, which to me is still pretty scenic.

EDIT: Actually, cancel I-77. I-81 is the dullest stretch in WV.

What about I-70 and I-470?

I've driven both and they're definitely more scenic than I-81.

[Roadgeekteen]

How are Alaska's paper interstates?

[JayhawkCO]

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

I-25 around Raton Pass is super pretty.  I-10 between Las Cruces and El Paso I remember being nice.  The rest is pretty desolate.

Chris

[thspfc]

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

I-25 around Raton Pass is super pretty.  I-10 between Las Cruces and El Paso I remember being nice.  The rest is pretty desolate.

Chris

What about I-40 east of Albuquerque?

[Scott5114]

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

New Mexico signage is a joke that makes OkDOT look competent.

[webny99]

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

New Mexico signage is a joke that makes OkDOT look competent.

That I knew... and obviously that affects the quality of the overall experience, but I was thinking more in terms of the scenery.

I-25 around Raton Pass is super pretty.

Yeah, that does look like a nice drive. Added to my bucket list! 

[US 89]

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

I-25 around Raton Pass is super pretty.  I-10 between Las Cruces and El Paso I remember being nice.  The rest is pretty desolate.

Chris

What about I-40 east of Albuquerque?

Surprisingly cool at night is I-40 west of Albuquerque. Relatively boring drive otherwise, but at night driving east you can see the city light ahead gradually get brighter and brighter...but you don't see the city itself, until you crest a hill near the west Central Ave intersection. One of the coolest interstate approaches to a city I know of.

[ilpt4u]

Surprisingly cool at night is I-40 west of Albuquerque. Relatively boring drive otherwise, but at night driving east you can see the city light ahead gradually get brighter and brighter...but you don't see the city itself, until you crest a hill near the west Central Ave intersection. One of the coolest interstate approaches to a city I know of.

Better than Pittsburgh? From the south in the Fort Pitt Tunnel or from the north on I-279?

[US 89]

Surprisingly cool at night is I-40 west of Albuquerque. Relatively boring drive otherwise, but at night driving east you can see the city light ahead gradually get brighter and brighter...but you don't see the city itself, until you crest a hill near the west Central Ave intersection. One of the coolest interstate approaches to a city I know of.

Better than Pittsburgh? From the south in the Fort Pitt Tunnel or from the north on I-279?

disclaimer: I have never been to Pittsburgh. Perhaps I should have specified approaches I've actually done.

[ilpt4u]

Surprisingly cool at night is I-40 west of Albuquerque. Relatively boring drive otherwise, but at night driving east you can see the city light ahead gradually get brighter and brighter...but you don't see the city itself, until you crest a hill near the west Central Ave intersection. One of the coolest interstate approaches to a city I know of.

Better than Pittsburgh? From the south in the Fort Pitt Tunnel or from the north on I-279?

disclaimer: I have never been to Pittsburgh. Perhaps I should have specified approaches I've actually done.

I've never done Albuquerque. I am curious, now

[Henry]

I'll join the consensus on AZ, with the mountains up north and the desert down south, and both meeting in the middle. For that matter, I-17 covers both terrains pretty well.

[JayhawkCO]

Surprisingly cool at night is I-40 west of Albuquerque. Relatively boring drive otherwise, but at night driving east you can see the city light ahead gradually get brighter and brighter...but you don't see the city itself, until you crest a hill near the west Central Ave intersection. One of the coolest interstate approaches to a city I know of.

Better than Pittsburgh? From the south in the Fort Pitt Tunnel or from the north on I-279?

disclaimer: I have never been to Pittsburgh. Perhaps I should have specified approaches I've actually done.

I've never done Albuquerque. I am curious, now

My other favorite city approach (especially at night) is I-80 heading west into Salt Lake City.  Windy mountain roads and then all of a sudden it opens up and you see the whole valley.

Chris

[US 89]

Surprisingly cool at night is I-40 west of Albuquerque. Relatively boring drive otherwise, but at night driving east you can see the city light ahead gradually get brighter and brighter...but you don't see the city itself, until you crest a hill near the west Central Ave intersection. One of the coolest interstate approaches to a city I know of.

Better than Pittsburgh? From the south in the Fort Pitt Tunnel or from the north on I-279?

disclaimer: I have never been to Pittsburgh. Perhaps I should have specified approaches I've actually done.

I've never done Albuquerque. I am curious, now

My other favorite city approach (especially at night) is I-80 heading west into Salt Lake City.  Windy mountain roads and then all of a sudden it opens up and you see the whole valley.

Absolutely. Of course I'm biased since I grew up in Salt Lake, but I think that's my all time favorite. I-70 into Denver also comes to mind, but it just doesn't have the same effect as 80 into SLC in my opinion.

[dkblake]

Surprisingly cool at night is I-40 west of Albuquerque. Relatively boring drive otherwise, but at night driving east you can see the city light ahead gradually get brighter and brighter...but you don't see the city itself, until you crest a hill near the west Central Ave intersection. One of the coolest interstate approaches to a city I know of.

Better than Pittsburgh? From the south in the Fort Pitt Tunnel or from the north on I-279?

Seeing Pittsburgh jump out of nowhere in front of my eyes after exiting the Fort Pitt Tunnel for the first time is definitely my favorite Interstate driving memory.

I'm going to second Arizona, especially I-17, though I find the Ohio interstates (aside from I-90 through Cleveland) easiest for driving. VT and NH are fine- the scenery is beautiful, sure, but they're not exactly flat pedal to the medal roads.

[ilpt4u]

Surprisingly cool at night is I-40 west of Albuquerque. Relatively boring drive otherwise, but at night driving east you can see the city light ahead gradually get brighter and brighter...but you don't see the city itself, until you crest a hill near the west Central Ave intersection. One of the coolest interstate approaches to a city I know of.

Better than Pittsburgh? From the south in the Fort Pitt Tunnel or from the north on I-279?

Seeing Pittsburgh jump out of nowhere in front of my eyes after exiting the Fort Pitt Tunnel for the first time is definitely my favorite Interstate driving memory.

I did it the first few time coming down I-279 off the PA Turnpike, and while you are driving thru the northern Pittsburgh suburban area, due to the hilly/mountainy terrain all around the freeway, you appear to be driving in a remote mountain valley. Then you reach the BGS for the Downtown Pittsburgh interstate junctions, while it still looks like you are in a remote mountain valley. Then you bend around one of those large hills, and Downtown Pittsburgh is just a few miles ahead of you, seemingly out of nowhere

The Fort Pitt Tunnel exit is cool, too. But the experience on a surface freeway like I-279 and getting a similar effect is pretty cool, at least this flat-lander thinks, anyway

The approach from I-70->I-79->I-376 to get to the Fort Pitt Tunnel, feels like a much more suburban/built-up area, approaching Downtown from the south. I felt like driving it, that it built up more like a standard city - from rural to exurbs to suburbs to the city - just have the Fort Pitt Tunnel as the last piece to dump you into downtown

[Flint1979]

How are Alaska's paper interstates?

Because they are all unsigned and not generally referred to by their highway numbers. They are also not constructed to Interstate standards and are basically the same thing as a rural two lane undivided State or US highway. Some of them are built to Interstate standards though like around Anchorage and Fairbanks.

[kphoger]

How are Alaska's paper interstates?

Because they are all unsigned and not generally referred to by their highway numbers. They are also not constructed to Interstate standards and are basically the same thing as a rural two lane undivided State or US highway. Some of them are built to Interstate standards though like around Anchorage and Fairbanks.

But that doesn't really answer the question.  How are they?  Are they good?  Are they interesting?

[JayhawkCO]

How are Alaska's paper interstates?

Because they are all unsigned and not generally referred to by their highway numbers. They are also not constructed to Interstate standards and are basically the same thing as a rural two lane undivided State or US highway. Some of them are built to Interstate standards though like around Anchorage and Fairbanks.

But that doesn't really answer the question.  How are they?  Are they good?  Are they interesting?

I'm sure Oscar will be around to answer more definitively, but as someone who knows far too much about Alaskan, Yukon, NWT, etc. roads despite never having been there, the most exciting state highways in Alaska are not the ones that have been selected for the paper interstates.  That said, I'd guess on average Alaska would rank in the top 10 states for sure, if nothing else because you're far less likely to see a moose or a grizzly on any other state's interstates.  The views on those roads just aren't quite what they are on the Seward Highway, etc.

Chris

Chris

[kphoger]

... the most exciting state highways in Alaska are not the ones that have been selected for the paper interstates ... The views on those roads just aren't quite what they are on the Seward Highway, etc.

That was my suspicion.

[dfilpus]

I'm sure Oscar will be around to answer more definitively, but as someone who knows far too much about Alaskan, Yukon, NWT, etc. roads despite never having been there, the most exciting state highways in Alaska are not the ones that have been selected for the paper interstates.  That said, I'd guess on average Alaska would rank in the top 10 states for sure, if nothing else because you're far less likely to see a moose or a grizzly on any other state's interstates.  The views on those roads just aren't quite what they are on the Seward Highway, etc.

The Seward Highway from Anchorage to the Sterling Highway split is one of the paper interstates (iI-A3). Running along the Turnagain Arm, it is a most impressive drive. We drove it as the tide was going out and saw dozens of Bald Eagles sitting along the beaches hunting for food. This segment of the highway was as interesting as the segment from Sterling to Seward, which is not a paper interstate.

[bing101]

Hawaii has scenic interstates in Oahu.

[kphoger]

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.

Hawaii has scenic interstates in Oahu.

[thenetwork]

Another interesting interstate approach is SB I-15 heading into Vegas.  Again, driving through rolling desert, cresting a hill and then all of a sudden a sea of neon and high-rise buildings out of nowhere.  The NB I-15 approach into Sin City isn't as exciting as you can see it coming for miilles.