Most important "state route nnn" from all 50 US states

[kurumi]

This looks similar to a lot of other threads, but differs from them: for each possible route number, pick a noteworthy state route and explain why it should "represent" that number nationally.

For example, of all the state route 185's, I would nominate Michigan's; M-185 is an island loop, unique for allowing no motor traffic. That would make it the most interesting state route 185 in the US.

For Route 1, I'd look like a homer but would still suggest the Pacific Coast Highway, CA 1.

But what about Route 2, 3, and so on? Here are some of my thoughts. To make it more challenging, let's exclude former US routes (like CA 99): these routes should have been completely or mostly state-designated from day one. Let's also exclude hidden state designations of US or Interstate routes (looking at FL, GA, etc.)

OK 3 - Oklahoma's longest highway at 616 miles, and possibly the longest Route 3 in the US.

UT 12 - an All-American Road; scenic highway; access to multiple national parks and forests

CT 15 - The Merritt Parkway; one of the few roads in the National Register of Historic Places

M-22 (Michigan) - 116 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline; very scenic; also a sports apparel brand

VT 100 - the 216-mile spine of Vermont; access to scenery and skiing

Others:
hi 137
ct/ma/ri 138
tn 155
ct 169
ca 173
mi 185
mt 200
hi 360
fl 9336 (some serious competition for that number :-)

[TheStranger]

To make it more challenging, let's exclude former US routes (like CA 99): these routes should have been completely or mostly state-designated from day one.

Would this disqualify Route 1 as almost all of its SoCal portion is former US 101A?

[hobsini2]

IL 53 because of the way it transitions from 2 lane road to full blown freeway to 4 lane divided highway plus the southern half of it is part of Route 66.

SD 1804 and SD 1806 are the east and west River Roads along the Missouri River.

Here is the list of numbers used for reference:
1 3 12 15 22 53 100 137 138 155 169 173 185 200 360 1804 1806 9336

[Eth]

I would probably submit both 316 and 400 for Georgia. Both are part freeway (and expressway the rest of the way); 400 carries a large amount of traffic, connecting the city of Atlanta with many of the heavily populated northern suburbs, while 316 is a major route between the Atlanta area and Athens. Both do have lengthy concurrencies with US routes (29 and 19, respectively), but even those segments are universally known by the state route number, so I think they still count. (Were it not for that hidden concurrency rule, I'd have probably given 400 to Florida instead.)

[hotdogPi]

Italics = added 20 minutes after original post

VT/NH/ME 9
NY 17
NJ 18
NY 22
WI 29
NJ 42
NJ 55
NH 101
NY 104
MA 128
DC 295
PA 611
VA 90003
VA 90004
VA 90005

Possibly counted:

MA 2
CT/MA/VT 8
CT/MA/NH/VT 12
MA/RI 24
NY 25
NY 27
MA/NH 28 (Pennsylvania might take this one though)
NE 71
NE 92
KS 96
NJ 73
RI 114
MA/NH 125
VA 143
GA 154
GA 166
VA/NC 168
VT 279

[oscar]

Others:
hi 137

HI 137 is a county, not a state, route.  For HI, I'd go with 99 or 83 (parts of Kamehameha Highway on Oahu), though there are other options with unused numbers, including some 4-digit routes with little competition such as 2000 (Big Island), 3400 and 3500 (Maui), and 7012, 7101, 7110, 7310, and 8930 (Oahu).

Since Alaska has only 1-11 and 98, and some of those numbers are already taken, how about 2 (includes the Alaska Highway), 4 (most of the Richardson Highway), or 11 (Dalton Highway)?

[Duke87]

For New York I would have said NY 17 prior to the introduction of I-86, but since the designation is now in the process of being mostly eliminated in favor of the interstate, I don't think it really qualifies anymore. Which leaves the state without a clear winner. Looking at the other longest state highways in New York...

NY 5? It's the state's longest state route, but I-90 runs parallel to it for its entire length, so I wouldn't call it "important".
NY 22? This might be a candidate but it isn't a logical long distance route to a non-roadgeek thanks to I-87.
NY 30? Probably not, it doesn't go to any major cities, although it does serve both the Catskills and the Adirondacks.
NY 28? Same story as NY 30, and it's more roundabout.
NY 3? Nah, it connects Watertown and Plattsburgh but it lives in US 11's shadow as a major east-west route
NY 12? Serves Binghamton, Utica, and Watertown. Might be a candidate.
NY 31? Significant, but it lives in I-90's shadow

Surprisingly, I find myself leaning towards NY 27 as the answer to this question. It runs out to a dead end at the end of Long Island and serves a grand total of four counties (two of which are in NYC), but after NY 17 goes bye bye it will have the longest segment of non-interstate freeway in the state.

[vtk]

OH 7 is a long route following the Ohio River, with several freeway segments. Might it be more important than other state routes 7?

OH 11 is a long-established intercity freeway in northeast Ohio. Might it be more important than other state routes 11?

There's probably tough competition for this number, but how about OH 4?

The following Ohio routes I suggest based on very little research or an assumption of very light competition; challenges are welcome:
13
32
49
104
315
334
562
750
823

[J N Winkler]

Going for another shooting-fish-in-barrel candidate:  NM 6563.  In units of angstroms, the number of this route is the wavelength of the alpha line in the Balmer series and so is a fitting designation for a spur state highway that leads to the National Solar Observatory in Sunspot.

[roadman65]

In Florida all even number routes ending in Zero and SR 44 are important to the state as they serve as trans peninsula routes.

In Louisiana LA 1 is a major route, at its longest, but now in the shadow of I-49 was once even more of a through route than US 71 was according to some old maps I had showing LA before I-49 was built.  I think it had to do with LA 1 serving population centers such as Nachitoches which US 71 from Alexandria to Shreveport bypasses.

VA 168 was major before I-64 was built in the VA Peninsula as it was the through route over US 60 hence why it was always 4 lanes over 2 lane Warwick Boulevard for several years. 

US 19 in WV is a shortcut between I-77 and I-79 despite its speed traps LOL!

[hotdogPi]

In Florida all even number routes ending in Zero and SR 44 are important to the state as they serve as trans peninsula routes.

In Louisiana LA 1 is a major route, at its longest, but now in the shadow of I-49 was once even more of a through route than US 71 was according to some old maps I had showing LA before I-49 was built.  I think it had to do with LA 1 serving population centers such as Nachitoches which US 71 from Alexandria to Shreveport bypasses.

VA 168 was major before I-64 was built in the VA Peninsula as it was the through route over US 60 hence why it was always 4 lanes over 2 lane Warwick Boulevard for several years. 

US 19 in WV is a shortcut between I-77 and I-79 despite its speed traps LOL!

Some of those in Florida might work. Not sure which ones yet.

Even though LA 1 is important, CA 1 is more important.

I mentioned VA 168 already.

US 19 is not a state route

[SD Mapman]

SD 244: Mount Rushmore

[Occidental Tourist]

Can a single state claim multiple numbers?  If so then add CA 49 to California's list. It's the highway that runs through gold mining country.

[hotdogPi]

Looking at New England...

List taken and modified from top 50 routes in New England, state routes only.

MA 1A: Would definitely count if 1A was separate from 1.
MA 2: Has a lot of competition, but it might work.
MA 3: Beaten by OK 3.
CT/MA/VT 8: Already mentioned by me.
VT/NH/ME 9: Already mentioned by me.
CT/MA/NH 10: Not sure what other 10s there are.
VT/NH/ME 11: Maybe, but 11 could also go to Ohio, Alaska, or Hawaii.
CT/MA/NH/VT 12: Already mentioned by me, but it's not the only important 12.
CT 15: Already mentioned in first post.
NH/ME 16: Maybe, maybe not.
MA/RI 24: Already mentioned by me, but it's not the only important 24.
MA/NH 28: Already mentioned by me as a possibility.
NH 101: Already mentioned by me.
MA 128: Already mentioned by me.
CT/RI/MA 138: Already mentioned in first post.
MA 140: If there is no other important 140, then this works.
MA/RI 146: This will probably be one.


MA/NH 125 could also count if there is no competition, as well as a slight chance of MA 213.

[hbelkins]

Not sure Kentucky can claim any spots in this list.

I would have suggested 15, but Connecticut probably wins that one.

One possibility is 9, since that's the number carried on the AA Highway and its Grayson spur.

Another possibility is 80, since it is a major east-west corridor across the southern part of the state.

[empirestate]

NY 104

Disqualified per the ex-US route rule.

For New York I would have said NY 17 prior to the introduction of I-86, but since the designation is now in the process of being mostly eliminated in favor of the interstate, I don't think it really qualifies anymore. Which leaves the state without a clear winner. Looking at the other longest state highways in New York...

NY 5? It's the state's longest state route, but I-90 runs parallel to it for its entire length, so I wouldn't call it "important".
NY 22? This might be a candidate but it isn't a logical long distance route to a non-roadgeek thanks to I-87.
NY 30? Probably not, it doesn't go to any major cities, although it does serve both the Catskills and the Adirondacks.
NY 28? Same story as NY 30, and it's more roundabout.
NY 3? Nah, it connects Watertown and Plattsburgh but it lives in US 11's shadow as a major east-west route
NY 12? Serves Binghamton, Utica, and Watertown. Might be a candidate.
NY 31? Significant, but it lives in I-90's shadow

Surprisingly, I find myself leaning towards NY 27 as the answer to this question. It runs out to a dead end at the end of Long Island and serves a grand total of four counties (two of which are in NYC), but after NY 17 goes bye bye it will have the longest segment of non-interstate freeway in the state.

Why must there be only one answer? If I read this right, all of those could count if they're the most important or noteworthy instances of that number nationwide.

As such, I'd absolutely still count NY 17, impending demise notwithstanding.

NY 5, maybe. It does parallel I-90, but it also directly serves several of the most important cities' downtowns. State-wise, it's probably the single most important mostly-non-freeway state route. Whether it's the most important SR 5 in the nation, I'm not well-versed enough to be sure, but it definitely has a claim.

As for the others in your list, I can say that NY 28 probably doesn't beat PA 28. Others I can't be sure.

[hotdogPi]

Not sure Kentucky can claim any spots in this list.

I would have suggested 15, but Connecticut probably wins that one.

One possibility is 9, since that's the number carried on the AA Highway and its Grayson spur.

Another possibility is 80, since it is a major east-west corridor across the southern part of the state.

What about those that are 4 digits? They have no competition.

[roadman65]

FL 50 FL 60 NY 25 NY 27

NY 5 is far enough away from I-90 to be its own corridor in many places, especially west of Syracuse.  Plus I-90 having limited interchanges as a closed ticket toll road, makes NY 5 more usable to locals in between long stretches of interchanges where close by.

[Duke87]

Why must there be only one answer?

Because I completely misread the OP and thought the question was "what's the most important state highway in each state". Apparently that's not what we're after!

This is actually a tougher question since my level of familiarity with most states outside of the northeast is not up to snuff enough to answer it without doing research.

Still, some are pretty obvious. CA gets 1, hands down. If CT gets any low numbers, it gets 15. And of course, ID/MT/ND/MN 200 (which is noteworthy enough that I know of it even though I've never been to any of those states!).

[vdeane]

Can we give Ontario 401 even though it's not a state?

[DandyDan]

Nebraska might be a candidate for 2, and I have to believe with absolute certainty it has the most important 92 (longest continuous highway in NE) and 370 (most of it is 4 lane divided as it connects Gretna with Bellevue in suburban Omaha).  If nothing else, it has the most important Connecting Link and Spur routes.

[Scott5114]

OK probably wins 51 as well–major cross-state highway, connects Stillwater (major university) to the Interstate system both east and west, major freeway in Tulsa, the state's second-largest city. 

K-10 might be a good candidate for 10. Suburban freeway, helps connect Lawrence (major university) to the Kansas City metro.

I don't think any 13 could compare to MO 13. Long, nearly border-to-border route, forms a major part of the route between Kansas City and Springfield.

[vtk]

Can a single state claim multiple numbers?   

I think so, considering there are many more numbers than states.

Nebraska might be a candidate for 2

Because SPUI?

I don't think any 13 could compare to MO 13. Long, nearly border-to-border route, forms a major part of the route between Kansas City and Springfield.

OH 13 is also nearly border-to-border (actually almost river-to-lake) but it doesn't really help connect anything so big as KC and Springfield – unless you'd consider Mansfield and Charleston comparabl – but then again, that's probably not the preferred route between those points for most people.

[J N Winkler]

K-10 might be a good candidate for 10. Suburban freeway, helps connect Lawrence (major university) to the Kansas City metro.

Much as it pains me to undersell a route in my native state, K-10 has serious competition from M-10 (John C. Lodge Freeway) in Detroit, which is an early example of a major metropolitan freeway and is known partly for the Lodge-Ford (M-10/I-94) interchange, which is a classically pure example of a directional interchange with directional direct connectors and is probably the world's first example of this particular design.

I don't know if K-10 could be promoted on the basis of its being the first example of a freeway stalled for a lengthy period of time by wetlands issues.

[hotdogPi]

Looking at each of the numbers from 1 - 200, and skipping the numbers that probably don't have anything important:

1: CA 1.
2: Could be MA 2, NE 2 (SPUI), or others.
3: OK 3.
4: This would be expected to have lots of competition, but it doesn't. Maybe Alaska can have it, then.
5: NY 5? Does it parallel I-90 too much?
6: Not sure.
7: Probably OH 7.
8: CT/MA/VT 8, mostly for the CT freeway.
9: VT/NH/ME 9, which gives Maine one.
10: K-10 or M-10?
11: Could be VT/NH/ME, South Dakota, Alaska, or Hawaii.
12: Either UT or CT/MA/NH/VT.
13: MO 13.
14: Are there any important 14s? Maybe New York or California?
15: CT 15.
16: NH/ME 16? Is there any competition for it?
17: New York, as long as it still exists.
19: Hawaii could get this one.
20: Utah? South Dakota? Alabama?
21: Wisconsin? Alabama?
22: NY 22 or M-22.
23: MA/NY 23? NJ 23? AR 23?
24: MA/RI 24? NC 24? NJ 24?
25: Probably NY 25.
26: Maybe Wisconsin. Maybe Indiana.
27: Probably NY 27.
28: PA 28? MA/NH 28? M-28? I-366?
29: WI 29.
30: NY 30, assuming no competition.
31: New York?
32: CT/MA/NH 32? NY 32? Any competition?
33: Pennsylvania? Oklahoma? Idaho? Udaho?
34: Idaho? South Dakota?
35: Maybe Wisconsin.
37: Indiana or Illinois.
38: MA/NH 38 assuming no competition.
39: M-39.
41: Maybe California.
42: The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything goes to New Jersey.
44: Florida, probably.
46: IN 46?
47: Illinois?
49: California? Ohio? Indiana? North Carolina? There is competition here.
50: Maybe SD 50, maybe NC 50.
51: PA 51? OK 51?
53: Illinois.
55: New Jersey.
56: Maybe Pennsylvania.
57: Massachusetts, assuming absolutely no competition. WI 57 probably is competition.
58: CA 58.
59: Sweet home Alabama.
61: Pennsylvania or Kentucky.
62: MA 62 or CA 62.
63: Indiana, maybe.
64: WI 64?
65: PA 65?
66: Because of no former US alignments, this goes to Connecticut.
67: Utah, Mississippi, or Indiana.
69: Whichever state gets the most signs stolen.
71: NE 71.
72: M-72. CT 72 is under 5 miles of freeway.
73: New Jersey? Maybe?
75: Idaho, assuming no competition.
76: Virginia?
79: South Dakota, maybe.
80: Maybe KY 80.
82: Oklahoma?
83: Hawaii?
86: California.
87: NC 87, assuming no competition.
88: Massachusetts? Any competition?
90: Could be New Jersey or Kentucky.
92: NE 92.
96: Kansas.
98: Possibility for Alaska.
99: Oklahoma or Hawaii.
100: VT 100.
101: NH 101.
102: Could be Rhode Island, could be Michigan.
103: Another one for Vermont.
104: Since NY 104 used to be US 104, 104 goes to Ohio.
105: Vermont?
108: New Hampshire (and .9 miles of Massachusetts) with no competition.
110: Maybe Massachusetts, except it's shadowed by I-495.
111: Massachusetts-New Hampshire? Are there any other important 111s?
112: NH 112 is very beautiful, but I'm not sure if it's important.
114: Rhode Island, probably. Unless it's MA or KY.
115: South Dakota, assuming no competition.
119: MA/NH/VT, maybe? Does the Vermont part really count?
120: Virginia?
122: MA/RI, maybe.
123: Virginia?
125: MA/NH, assuming no competition.
126: MA/RI, maybe. Or Ohio.
128: Massachusetts, definitely.
138: CT/RI/MA, almost definitely.
139: Maybe New Jersey.
140: Probably Massachusetts.
141: Georgia?
143: Virginia, probably.
150: NC 150 or AL 150.
152: CA 152, maybe. Or maybe OK 152. Or even maybe AL 152.
154: Georgia? Utah?
155: TN 155, maybe.
157: Maybe Alabama.
163: IA 163, assuming no competition.
166: Georgia?
168: Almost definitely Virginia.
169: Connecticut?
172: Wisconsin, maybe.
173: California, maybe.
180: Alabama?
182: Maybe Alabama.
185: M-185
200: ID/MT/ND/MN 200. Definitely.