State Routes That Visit Every County Seat

[pderocco]

US 380 crosses mostly lined-up square counties with seats near the middle: Plains (Yoakum County), Brownfield (Terry County), Tahoka (Lynn County), Post (Garza County), Jayton (Kent County), Aspermont (Stonewall County), Haskell (Haskell County), Throckmorton (Throckmorton County), Graham (Young County), Jacksboro (Jack County), Decatur (Wise County), Denton (Denton County), McKinney (Collin County), Greenville (Hunt County)
14 counties

Boy you could play a big game of checkers on that part of the state.

[Flint1979]

anywhere near Munising

Ah, I missed that it cut through the corner of Luce County. Sorry.

It's alright I just was looking at the counties it went through and noticed actually Alger County that you didn't mention but it's fine I was just mentioning it. US-41 takes a strange route through the U.P. anyway.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Over here I would need to consider the second-level equivalent to counties, i.e. provinces. However Spanish provinces are in general larger than the average county East of the Mississippi, and thus no routes are known to hit more than three provincial seats in a single community (or in the entire route).

California:

US-101 is the clear winner, going 13 for 13: Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Salinas, San Jose, Redwood City, San Francisco, San Rafael, Santa Rosa, Ukiah, Eureka, and Crescent City. Bonus points for being the longest route in the state (808 miles).

More bonus points in that pre-1964, it was 15 for 15, including Santa Ana and San Diego.

Oops. It enters San Benito county without going through Hollister.

pukes

[pderocco]

Over here I would need to consider the second-level equivalent to counties, i.e. provinces. However Spanish provinces are in general larger than the average county East of the Mississippi, and thus no routes are known to hit more than three provincial seats in a single community (or in the entire route).

I would think provinces would be more analogous to our states. That's certainly the case with Canada.

[epzik8]

MD 2 goes through Prince Frederick (Calvert), Annapolis (Anne Arundel) and also the city of Baltimore.

[freebrickproductions]

Off the top of my head, US 72 here in Alabama passes through every county seat of every county it enters:
Colbert County - Tuscumbia
Lauderdale County - Florence
Limestone County - Athens
Madison County - Huntsville
Jackson County - Scottsboro

AL 35 also passes through both county seats of the two counties it traverses:
Jackson County - Scottsboro
DeKalb County - Fort Payne

AL 24 also serves the county seats of the three counties it serves:
Franklin County - Russellville
Lawrence County - Moulton
Morgan County - Decatur

Also, I'm not entirely sure if this qualifies as St. Clair County has multiple county seats, but AL 34 runs between Talladega County's seat of Talladega and Pell City, which is one of St. Clair County's two county seats. For counties with multiple seats, does the highway have to serve both?

[roadfro]

Nevada's county borders and route numbering system don't lend towards having many routes that serve every county seat in each county the route traverses.

Most state routes lie solely within one county. For those few state routes that do serve more than one county, none serve more than one county seat.

Of the mainline US & Interstate Highways that traverse multiple counties, only one makes the list—it also happens to be the mainline national route with the shortest length of highway of the ones that travel through Nevada.:

US 395
Douglas Co - Minden
Carson City - Carson City (consolidated city/county & state capital)
Washoe Co - Reno

---

For funsies, looking at the hit/miss of county seats for all mainline national highways (including Alt US highways) serving more than one county in Nevada:

I-80
Washoe Co - Reno
Storey Co - MISS: Virginia City
Lyon Co - MISS: Yerington
Churchill Co - MISS: Fallon
Pershing Co - Lovelock
Humboldt Co - Winnemucca
Lander Co - Battle Mountain
Eureka Co - MISS: Eureka
Elko Co - Elko

US 6
Mineral Co - MISS: Hawthorne
Esmeralda Co - MISS: Goldfield
Nye Co - Tonopah
White Pine Co - Ely

US 50
Douglas Co - MISS: Minden
Carson City - Carson City (consolidated city/county & state capital)
Lyon Co - MISS: Yerington
Churchill Co - Fallon
Lander Co - MISS: Battle Mountain
Eureka Co - Eureka
White Pine Co - Ely

US 50 Alt
Lyon Co - MISS: Yerington
Churchill Co - MISS: Fallon

US 93
Clark Co - Las Vegas
Lincoln Co - Pioche
White Pine Co - Ely
Elko Co - MISS: Elko

US 93 Alt
White Pine Co - MISS: Ely
Elko Co - MISS: Elko

US 95
Clark Co - Las Vegas
Nye Co - Tonopah
Esmeralda Co - Goldfield
Mineral Co - Hawthorne
Lyon Co - MISS: Yerington
Churchill Co - Fallon
Pershing Co - Lovelock
Humboldt Co - Winnemucca

US 95 Alt
Mineral Co - MISS: Hawthorne
Lyon Co - Yerington
Churchill Co - MISS: Fallon

US 95 travels over 600 miles in Nevada (including concurrencies), and would have been included on this list were it not for the less than 2.5 miles it travels through the very eastern tip of the oddly-shaped Lyon County.

[bugo]

Not a state highway, but US Highway 71 goes through or serves a bunch of county and parish seats.

In Minnesota, it goes through 12 counties and 10 county seats. Only a short section goes through Itasca County.

In Iowa, it goes through 9 counties and 9 county seats.

In Missouri, it goes through 13 counties and 11 county seats. If you count former Bypass US 71, it goes through 14 county seats (Jackson County has 2 county seats, Kansas City and Independence. US 71 goes through Kansas City, while Bypass US 71 went through Independence).

In Arkansas, it goes through 10 counties and 10 county seats (It barely goes through Logan County, but it doesn't go through either of its county seats, Booneville and Paris. It goes through both county seats of Sebastian County, Fort Smith and Greenwood).

It goes through Bowie County, Texas, but doesn't go through the county seat.

It goes through 12 parishes in Louisiana, only going through 5 parish seats. US 71 used to go through Pointe Coupee, East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge parishes, but it only goes through one parish seat.

I quickly threw this post together, so it might have some errors. If you see an error, let me know and I'll edit my post.

[Flint1979]

I can think of state highways that enter two counties in Michigan and hit both county seats. M-1 hits Detroit and Pontiac and M-84 hits both Saginaw and Bay City are two that I can think of off the top of my head.

[cwf1701]

I can think of state highways that enter two counties in Michigan and hit both county seats. M-1 hits Detroit and Pontiac and M-84 hits both Saginaw and Bay City are two that I can think of off the top of my head.

there is M-3 (Gratiot); Detroit (Wayne) and Mt. Clemens (Macomb)

[DandyDan]

There are two in Iowa that I can see that go through at least two counties. IA 56 goes through West Union (Fayette County) and Elkader (Clayton County). IA 64 begins in Anamosa (Jones County) and passes through Maquoketa (Jackson County).

[jdb1234]

AL 35 also passes through both county seats of the two counties it traverses:
Jackson County - Scottsboro
DeKalb County - Fort Payne

AL 35 also enters Cherokee County but does not serve Centre.

[Flint1979]

I can think of state highways that enter two counties in Michigan and hit both county seats. M-1 hits Detroit and Pontiac and M-84 hits both Saginaw and Bay City are two that I can think of off the top of my head.

there is M-3 (Gratiot); Detroit (Wayne) and Mt. Clemens (Macomb)

M-59 almost does hitting Pontiac and Howell, it comes within a mile or so of Mount Clemens like along Elizabeth Road. If you asked me I'd say it hits all three.

[bassoon1986]

Not a state highway, but US Highway 71 goes through or serves a bunch of county and parish seats.

In Minnesota, it goes through 12 counties and 10 county seats. Only a short section goes through Itasca County.

In Iowa, it goes through 9 counties and 9 county seats.

In Missouri, it goes through 13 counties and 11 county seats. If you count former Bypass US 71, it goes through 14 county seats (Jackson County has 2 county seats, Kansas City and Independence. US 71 goes through Kansas City, while Bypass US 71 went through Independence).

In Arkansas, it goes through 10 counties and 10 county seats (It barely goes through Logan County, but it doesn't go through either of its county seats, Booneville and Paris. It goes through both county seats of Sebastian County, Fort Smith and Greenwood).

It goes through Bowie County, Texas, but doesn't go through the county seat.

It goes through 12 parishes in Louisiana, only going through 5 parish seats. US 71 used to go through Pointe Coupee, East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge parishes, but it only goes through one parish seat.

I quickly threw this post together, so it might have some errors. If you see an error, let me know and I'll edit my post.

71 only goes through 3 parish seats in Louisiana. Shreveport, Coushatta, and Alexandria. I would almost say 4 because it definitely serves Colfax, just doesn't go through the town proper.

[WNYroadgeek]

NY 5 enters 14 counties and passes through the county seat of 12 of them.

Erie County - Buffalo
Genesee County - Batavia
Ontario County - Canandaigua
Seneca County - Waterloo
Cayuga County - Auburn
Onondaga County - Syracuse
Madison County - Wampsville
Oneida County - Utica
Herkimer County - Herkimer
Montgomery County - Fonda
Schenectady County - Schenectady
Albany County - Albany

The exceptions are Chautauqua County (Mayville) and Livingston County (Geneseo), though it does come within 10 miles of both.

[formulanone]

Alabama SR 17 hits up 9 of 10 county seats; it misses Livingston in Sumter County.

[freebrickproductions]

AL 35 also passes through both county seats of the two counties it traverses:
Jackson County - Scottsboro
DeKalb County - Fort Payne

AL 35 also enters Cherokee County but does not serve Centre.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. So I guess the current full list is:
US 72/AL 2, AL 24, and maybe AL 34 (depending on if the fact it only reaches one of the two county seats of St. Clair County counts or not?)?

[kphoger]

Is this unusual?

K-27 starts less than a mile outside of Elkhart, but it hits all six of the other county seats on its way to the Nebraska state line.

[JayhawkCO]

Is this unusual?

K-27 starts less than a mile outside of Elkhart, but it hits all six of the other county seats on its way to the Nebraska state line.

That was actually one of the first highways I thought of and then dismissed it since it missed Elkhart.

[kphoger]

That was actually one of the first highways I thought of and then dismissed it since it missed Elkhart.

My first thought was K-25, but I forgot Oakley and Russell Springs were in the same county and assumed Russell Springs was the county seat.

[GaryV]

M-86 (St Joseph and Branch)

Near misses:

M-55, (Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, misses Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco)

M-72, misses Leelanau, but then hits the rest (Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Oscoda, Alcona)

M-32, (Charlevoix, misses Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena)

[bassoon1986]

US 171 hits all 6 parish seats:
Shreveport (Caddo)
Mansfield (Desoto)
Many (Sabine)
Leesville (Vernon)
DeRidder (Beauregard)
Lake Charles (Calcasieu)

LA 10 hits 7 out of 10
Comes very close to Opelousas.

LA 18 hits 4 out of 5. If St James were the parish seat of St James Parish it would have all 5.


LA 26 hits all 3 (Beauregard, Allen, Jeff Davis) as does LA 39 (Orleans, St Bernard, Plaquemines)

LA 6, LA 82, LA 139 hit their 2