Daily conversation: What is the worst possible answer?

[kphoger]

9/8/2025

Why are interstates ending in 0 or 5 normally longer than others?

Because they're the easiest numbers to express using tally marks.

I think this is needed.

[Big John]

9/8/2025

Why are interstates ending in 0 or 5 normally longer than others?

the align with the speed limits.

[Henry]

9/8/2025

Why are interstates ending in 0 or 5 normally longer than others?

Originally, they wanted all the routes to stretch all over the country, like the US routes were doing at the time, but then decided to cut back on a lot of mileage so that those with numbers divisible by 5 could be the dominant ones.

[kphoger]

9/8/2025

Why are interstates ending in 0 or 5 normally longer than others?

It's a relic of the system's having been created in BASIC.

[Max Rockatansky]

9/8/2025

Why are interstates ending in 0 or 5 normally longer than others?

So a TikTok video creator could wow the normals with Interstate factoids in 2024. 

[pderocco]

They originally planned a bunch of cross-country routes, and numbered them 1 to 9 from south to north. Then, they realized they really ought to have a bunch of Mexico or Gulf to Canada routes, and numbered them 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, up to 9.5. Eventually, they were so in love with the idea of Interstate Highways that they decided to create a whole slew of other shorter routes. Then someone finally came up with the bright idea of multiplying all the route numbers by 10 to get rid of all those decimal points.

[freebrickproductions]

9-9-25: Where is the steepest grade on an Interstate or US Route located?

[xonhulu]

9-9-25: Where is the steepest grade on an Interstate or US Route located?

On all the vertical overhead & roadside signs.

[Big John]

9-9-25: Where is the steepest grade on an Interstate or US Route located?

Somewhere in Illinois.