Most Boring Drive Between Two Major Cities?

[TheStranger]

Though the Metro Manila Skyway offers a varied, intriguing drive from Makati to Manila to Caloocan, the expressways that lead into it are not fun (and I have driven the full lengths of both)

- the Skyway section south of Makati is dead-on straight with only one curve before Alabang.  Especially fatiguing northbound even though only about 10 miles long, due to a near total lack of signage and exits and curves.

- SLEX and STAR Tollway from Alabang to the port city of Batangas is painfully devoid of curves as well, overloaded with traffic (and some construction due to widening projects), and just seems to go on and on until you finally reach the Batangas metro area.  The eventual SLEX extension southeast of Carmona will be going through much different terrain, though it's nowhere close to opening yet.

- Heading north of Caloocan, NLEX may only be about 50 miles long, but past Valenzuela it strays very far from all the communities it serves (especially at its northern terminus near Angeles), so there's never a sense of leaving farmland with the possible exception of the San Fernando exit.  While there's a view of Mt. Arayat towards the northern part of the highway, overall the expressway feels quite isolated and repetitive.  Also almost completely lacking in curves.

[JayhawkCO]

55 and 57 through Illinois caould be the definition of Illinois... Flat.

I-39 is one of the most boring drives known to man.

Outside of Chicago-St. Louis, none of those are between large cities.

[webny99]

I-81 heading south is another extremely boring road for me, especially in PA.  I've only been on this section as a passenger.  Growing up, I never realized how far apart Syracuse, Cortland, and Binghamton were.  It's gotten better as I've gotten older and more familiar with that section, but it's still pretty boring.  Once you get to the PA line, I've always thought "Oh, not too far until Clarks Summit", but I never realized that it's another 40 minutes away.

Meanwhile, when starting from Syracuse, I find the section in PA seems relatively short. It is more boring than the NY section overall, but you're already 2/3 of the way to Scranton by the time you get to the PA line.

South of Scranton/Wilkes Barre to Harrisburg is even worse.  It's just hills with nothing, or hills with lights off in the distance at night.  I much prefer US 15 through the mountains south of Corning to central PA, and US 11/15 from there along the Susquehanna River to Harrisburg.

I've only been on a small part of I-81 between Scranton and Harrisburg, but I think hills with lights in the distance is usually a good vibe.  I will never pass up a chance to agree regarding US 15 though, it is a great route from Corning south to Williamsport.

[Rothman]

11/15 south of I-80?  There's good reason the CSVT is being built. The stretch through Shamokin Dam and Selinsgrove is miserable.

[cl94]

I have a few contenders.

I-71. The entire darn thing apart from right around the Spence Bridge.

CA 99 and I-5 between Bakersfield and Sacramento, including Fresno and Stockton. For a state with some of the most interesting scenery in the country, the Central Valley isn't.

I-90 between Syracuse and Chicagoland, with the exception of downtown Cleveland, including Rochester, Buffalo, Erie, and Toledo.

I-70 between Columbus and St Louis. Yawn.

I-10 east of Mobile. The Florida panhandle is dull as can be.

[webny99]

11/15 south of I-80?  There's good reason the CSVT is being built. The stretch through Shamokin Dam and Selinsgrove is miserable.

No doubt about that, but it is a decently high quality and scenic road between Selinsgrove and Harrisburg... the type of road I wish we had more of in NY instead of two-lane slogs.

[kirbykart]

From a trip in the Midwest two years ago I agree with a lot of these but I'm surprised that two weren't mentioned:
 
 I-71 from Cleveland to Columbus
 and I-65 from Indianapolis to Chicago

I thought both of those, especially 71, were extremely boring.

[Max Rockatansky]

My wife had one for the Big Island.  She made a comment yesterday that HI 190 between Kona and Waimea was the "most boring drive ever."  The scenery isn't bad, but I guess the dry conditions and slow 50 MPH speed limit got to her.

[kernals12]

I'd say any place where the view is blocked by trees most of the way (i.e. Boston to New York, Atlanta to Charlotte).

[roadman65]

Wilmington to Clayton on I-40 in North Carolina. Yawn.

[Rothman]

I'd say any place where the view is blocked by trees most of the way (i.e. Boston to New York, Atlanta to Charlotte).

K12 always with the lukewarm take.  (Boston to NYC?  Boring?)

[pderocco]

I'd say any place where the view is blocked by trees most of the way (i.e. Boston to New York, Atlanta to Charlotte).

K12 always with the lukewarm take.  (Boston to NYC?  Boring?)

Kind of depends on the route you take. I-95 has plenty of "stuff" on it, but none of it is beautiful. I always preferred Mass Pike, I-84, Merritt Pkwy, Hutchinson River Pkwy.

[Rothman]

I'd say any place where the view is blocked by trees most of the way (i.e. Boston to New York, Atlanta to Charlotte).

K12 always with the lukewarm take.  (Boston to NYC?  Boring?)

Kind of depends on the route you take. I-95 has plenty of "stuff" on it, but none of it is beautiful. I always preferred Mass Pike, I-84, Merritt Pkwy, Hutchinson River Pkwy.

Merritt is anything but boring.  It's our no-speed-limit Autobahn.

[freebrickproductions]

I was about to ask why no-one's brought-up the snoozefest that is I-81 across Tennessee/Virginia yet, but it turns-out that none of the cities it passes between on this stretch (save for Knoxville if we want to count that) is above 100k.

[elsmere241]

I was about to ask why no-one's brought-up the snoozefest that is I-81 across Tennessee/Virginia yet, but it turns-out that none of the cities it passes between on this stretch (save for Knoxville if we want to count that) is above 100k.

The trucks on I-81 make the trip very interesting.

[webny99]

I was about to ask why no-one's brought-up the snoozefest that is I-81 across Tennessee/Virginia yet, but it turns-out that none of the cities it passes between on this stretch (save for Knoxville if we want to count that) is above 100k.

Nor are Harrisburg, Scranton, or Binghamton, so I was thinking you'd have to go Knoxville-Syracuse, which is almost 800 miles and a roughly 12-hour trip. It's a rather boring trip overall but definitely not in contention for "most boring".

However, if you want to get really technical, Roanoke, VA had a 2020 census population of 100,011, so you could also break it up there... though that doesn't change the equation much IMO.

[hbelkins]

I think I-81 from its southern terminus to Binghamton is a beautiful drive. Sure, it's a long way, and the truck traffic is aggravating, but scenery is nothing to sneeze at.

[pderocco]

I think I-81 from its southern terminus to Binghamton is a beautiful drive. Sure, it's a long way, and the truck traffic is aggravating, but scenery is nothing to sneeze at.

Chacun à son goût. I drove most of that about a year ago, and it was pleasant, but there was no variety on it. I felt the same when I started out on the Blue Ridge Pkwy, which I bailed from because it all looked the same. That's the problem with lots of trees.

[RobbieL2415]

I-91 from Springfield to New Haven is pretty boring, pretty... generic.

I-95 from New Haven to Providence is also pretty bland.

[epzik8]

I think I-81 from its southern terminus to Binghamton is a beautiful drive. Sure, it's a long way, and the truck traffic is aggravating, but scenery is nothing to sneeze at.

Some of the most gorgeous Interstate mountain views I've laid my eyes upon have been on I-81 essentially the whole length of Virginia, and I-81 from Harrisburg to Hazleton give or take.

[StogieGuy7]

Since Chicago-St. Louis is well represented here, I'd have to then say Chicago-Indianapolis, followed by Chicago-Detroit. It's just all pool-table flat with ag fields and dull-looking trees.

[ztonyg]

I'd nominate US 93 between Phoenix and Las Vegas. Especially the portion of US 93 between Kingman, AZ and Las Vegas.

[US 89]

Anyone say SLC to Boise?

Tremonton to I-82 is pretty boring.

I actually quite like the stretch of I-84 from Tremonton to I-86 (maybe that's what you meant, not 82?). Probably my favorite stretch of the Boise to SLC drive. It's more desolate than the rest of the drive (including less traffic), and there's some mountains/hills to keep it interesting. Not my favorite stretch of highway overall, by any means, but it's at least average. I can see why some people wouldn't like it though.

That said, part of the drive is quite boring. From I-86 to Bliss (past Burley, Twin Falls, and Jerome) is all pretty boring. Just farmland the whole way, and not close enough to the mountains to have any good views in the distance. The traffic is also a bit heavier (by Idaho standards) in this stretch, and lately there's been some road work too. Bliss to Mountain Home is alright. But Mountain Home to Boise is dreadful.

As a whole, definitely pretty boring by western standards, though I'd take it over stuff like I-5 in the CA Central Valley.

Late reply here, but I need to agree that I really like I-84 between Burley and Tremonton. The rolling hills look especially gorgeous in spring when everything is green.

The part of 84 in Idaho that parallels US 30 is considerably less interesting. I haven't been west of Bliss in years, so I won't comment on that section, but Bliss to Burley is nothing but flat farm fields. South of Tremonton on 15 is not too bad, especially north of Ogden once you're out of any traffic. I will say though that of all the highways through the Wasatch Front, SLC to Ogden is probably my favorite segment to drive (at least when there isn't a bunch of construction).

[US 89]

I'd nominate US 93 between Phoenix and Las Vegas. Especially the portion of US 93 between Kingman, AZ and Las Vegas.

The area around Hoover Dam is awesome and makes up for anything else on that segment in my opinion.

[Max Rockatansky]

Railroad Pass has some nice views of Las Vegas Valley also.