Is your state a "freeway" state or a "4 lane expressway" state? Or a mix?

[Roadgeekteen]

Vermont might as well be neither...the tiny bits that exist outside Rutland and Bennington are peanuts.

Vermont is a super 2 state

[DandyDan]

Iowa is primarily a 4 lane expressway state, but there are some sections of non-interstate freeway as well.

[doorknob60]

Idaho leans more on the freeway side. Though outside of the Interstates, there is very little of either. Most of the state/US highways are just fine as 2 laners, with passing lanes as needed. Or a 4-5 lane surface highway if it's higher traffic closer to a city (eg. US-30 east of Twin Falls or ID-44 near Eagle/Star).

On the freeway side you're looking at US-20 from Idaho Falls to St Anthony or US-95 from Hayden to Athol, unambiguous 70 MPH freeways of a pretty good length. ID-16 is currently under construction in the Star/Nampa/Meridian area, and when complete will be a full freeway.

The only 4 lane expressway that fits the bill (not a suburban divided stroad with lights every mile) I can think of is US-95 from Moscow past Lewiston to the US-12 split, which has grade separation at the major junctions, but some at grade intersections. But notably ITD recently build an interchange near the Clearwater Casino there to remove an at grade intersection.

[Tom958]

Georgia: I wouldn't call a highway an expressway if it doesn't at least have limited access, i.e., no driveways. Georgia has too many four-lane highways due to GRIP-- the Governor's Road Improvement Program-- having been underway for nearly fifty years. Most are free-access highways, usually preexisting two-lane highways that were dualized, though there are a few short freeway bypasses. Most of GA 400 is an APD highway built as a freeway, and what's now I-985 was built and originally signed as GA 365, possibly because it was designed as I-85 before, per the legend, 85 was rerouted at the behest of Governor Ernest Vandiver.

GA 316-- most of it, anyway-- is Georgia's most significant at-grade expressway, with no driveways but initially only one interchange. As you likely know, it's being converted into a freeway, though I think there are segments for which freeway conversion hasn't yet been specifically programmed.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Illinois is more of an expressway state than a freeway state.

Michigan is more of a freeway state than an expressway state.

[roadman65]

Florida is a freeway state. Very few expressway grade roads.

Most non interstate freeways are tolled except the ones in Jacksonville and the exceptions like SR 826 and the new US 301 Alternate freeway in Starke.

[hbelkins]

This whole topic reminds me of one of the many times I incurred the wrath of Randy Hersh on MTR.

I was pondering my county-collecting trip through NYC and posted about potential routes in an attempt to seek advice on the best one to take. I referred to four-lane limited-access routes as "freeways" and was immediately jumped on by Randy the Racist, who proceeded to inform me that NYC doesn't have freeways, it has expressways, and thus I'm a dumb hillbilly, among other assorted insults.

As far as Kentucky goes, Billy Riddle summed us up pretty well. We have the expansive network of limited-access parkways, with a handful of surface arterial four-lane routes connecting county seats or other areas (US 23 and US 25E through eastern Kentucky, KY 80 between Hazard and Prestonsburg and also between Bowling Green and Mayfield, US 60 between Lexington and Frankfort, and US 45 between Paducah and Mayfield being the most prominent.)

Of note, the original Jefferson Freeway was conceived as a state route (KY 841). After the route was completed, most of it was signed as I-265 and the name changed to the Gene Snyder Freeway. It and the US 60 bypass of Owensboro are the only two non-interstate or parkway full freeways in the state. That, of course, does not count New Circle Road (KY 4) in Lexington, which was built as a surface expressway on the northeast side and a full freeway everywhere else on the northwest, west, southwest, south, and southeast sides.

[froggie]

Vermont might as well be neither...the tiny bits that exist outside Rutland and Bennington are peanuts.

Vermont is a super 2 state

Only in 2 counties...so I wouldn't even call it that.

[interstatefan990]

Don't forget NY-13/34 outside of Ithaca.

I'm pretty sure most of us consider the portion betweey Dey and Warren to be a freeway, and there isn't much four lane divided highway outside of that.  It quickly becomes a two-lane road east of Warren and south of Dey there's one more light before it becomes a pair of one-way streets.

Well, I was being a bit loose with it because the user I quoted was citing some of those same very short segments of road that barely qualify, like the 5 miles of NY-17 through Hale Eddy that has at-grade intersections and then goes back to being a freeway. But I do consider that portion of NY-13/34 to be an expressway. I guess it depends on how you define the term.

[wriddle082]

As far as Kentucky goes, Billy Riddle summed us up pretty well. We have the expansive network of limited-access parkways, with a handful of surface arterial four-lane routes connecting county seats or other areas (US 23 and US 25E through eastern Kentucky, KY 80 between Hazard and Prestonsburg and also between Bowling Green and Mayfield, US 60 between Lexington and Frankfort, and US 45 between Paducah and Mayfield being the most prominent.)

Of note, the original Jefferson Freeway was conceived as a state route (KY 841). After the route was completed, most of it was signed as I-265 and the name changed to the Gene Snyder Freeway. It and the US 60 bypass of Owensboro are the only two non-interstate or parkway full freeways in the state. That, of course, does not count New Circle Road (KY 4) in Lexington, which was built as a surface expressway on the northeast side and a full freeway everywhere else on the northwest, west, southwest, south, and southeast sides.

Between the time that either the Jefferson/Gene Snyder Freeway or the Pikeville Cut-Through opened in the mid-80's and the long-delayed Pennyrile Parkway (now I-169) southern extension was finally finished in 2011, no other full freeways were built in KY.  Only four lane arterials/expressways opened up in that timeframe.

[webny99]

Don't forget NY-13/34 outside of Ithaca.

I'm pretty sure most of us consider the portion betweey Dey and Warren to be a freeway, and there isn't much four lane divided highway outside of that.  It quickly becomes a two-lane road east of Warren and south of Dey there's one more light before it becomes a pair of one-way streets.

Well, I was being a bit loose with it because the user I quoted was citing some of those same very short segments of road that barely qualify, like the 5 miles of NY-17 through Hale Eddy that has at-grade intersections and then goes back to being a freeway. But I do consider that portion of NY-13/34 to be an expressway. I guess it depends on how you define the term.

The NY 17 gap was the shortest one on my list, and I almost left it off for that reason. The "expressway" portion of NY 481 is a similar length at about 6 miles, and the other three sections I mentioned are all 10+ miles.

[Road Hog]

Arkansas is a crazy-quilt mix. In the beginning they were all about (mostly) interstating US 67-167, never mind the former at-grade crossings at Coffelt Crossing and "the beanfield" (where the current I-440 intersects I-57).

In more recent years they've twinned a lot of US highways, such as US 65 from Pine Bluff to Lake Village (although it's still undivided through Dumas) and the US 64 Vilonia bypass. A lot of existing rural highway is still 5-lane with a center turn lane, if even that.

[sprjus4]

Florida is a freeway state. Very few expressway grade roads.

I can think of significant mileage of four lane divided highway.

US-29, FL-85, US-331, FL-79, US-98, US-27, US-319, US-19, all on the panhandle alone. US-19/US-98 is a 4 lane corridor connecting the panhandle to Tampa.

US-301 is a major highway that probably should be a freeway connecting Jacksonville with I-75 to Tampa.

US-17 and US-27 have significant 4 lane sections through the middle of the state, SR-60 connecting the Turnpike to Vero Beach, etc.

These are just some examples that come to mind. There's certainly more.

Florida does use freeways near urban areas, often tolled, but four lane divided highways dominate in rural areas (the major exception being the Florida Turnpike) outside of the interstate system.

[Rick Powell]

Most non interstate freeways are tolled except...

In other words, a freeway that isn't free.

[hobsini2]

Wisconsin certainly has a mix of both. And the state does distinguish between the two on the state highway maps. And some segments they still have as a regular 4 lane divided highway. Only listing what Wisconsin officially declares them on the map.

Freeways:
US 10 - Wood/Portage Co Line to I-39/US 51 north of Stevens Point
US 10 - Wis 161 Nelsonville to west of Portage/Waupaca Co Line
US 10 - Wis 49 NORTH/54 WEST Waupaca to Wis 22 NORTH/54 EAST Waupaca
US 10 - Wis 49 SOUTH/96  west of Fremont to Wis 441 NORTH Appleton
US 12 - I-90/94 Lake Delton to south of Baraboo
US 12 - Hwy K Middleton to I-39/90 Madison
US 12 - Wis 67 Elkhorn to Hwy H Genoa City
US 14 - US 12/18/151 Madison to Wis 138 Oregon
US 45 - I-41 Oshkosh to US 10 WEST Readfield
US 51 - I-39/Wis 29 Wausau to Hwy K Merrill
US 51 - Hwy S south of Tomahawk to Lincoln/Oneida Co Line
US 53 - I-90 La Crosse to Wis 35 NORTH Holmen
US 53 - Eau Claire to Barron/Washburn Co Line
US 151 - IA/WI LIne to south of Dickeyville
US 151 - Hwy D Platteville to Wis 126 Belmont
US 151 - Mineral Point Bypass
US 151 - Dodgeville Bypass
US 151/18 - Mt Horeb Bypass
US 151/18 - Hwy G Verona to McKee Rd Madison
US 151 - I-39/90/94 Madison to Wis 73 Columbus
US 151 - Beaver Dam Bypass
US 151 - Waupun Bypass
Wis 11 - Monroe Bypass
Wis 16 - Wis 67 SOUTH Oconomowoc to I-94 Waukesha
Wis 23 - Wis 32 Sheboygan Falls to east of I-43 Sheboygan
Wis 26 - Hwy Y Janesville to Hwy N Milton
Wis 26 - Bus 26 Ft Atkinson to Bus 26 Jefferson
Wis 26 - Bus 26 Watertown to Wis 16 EAST Watertown
Wis 29 - Hwy T west of Chippewa Falls to Wis 27 Cadott
Wis 29 - Abbotsford Bypass
Wis 29 - Hwy O west of Wausau to Hwy Q Ringle
Wis 30 - US 151 Madison to I-39/90/94 Madison
Wis 54/57 - I-43 Green Bay to Wis 54 & Wis 57 split
Wis 64 - MN/WI Line to Wis 35 NORTH Somerset
Wis 119 - I-41/94 Milwaukee to Mitchell Airport
Wis 145 - I-41/US 45 Milwaukee to Wis 181 Milwaukee
Wis 172 - I-41 Green Bay to I-43 Green Bay
Wis 441 - I-41/US 10 WEST Neenah to I-41 Appleton


Expressway:
US 10 - Wis 13 SOUTH Marshfield to Wood/Portage Co Line
US 10 - Hwy J east of Stevens Point to Wis 161 Nelsonville
US 10 - west of Portage/Waupaca Co Line to Wis 49 NORTH/54 WEST Waupaca
US 10 - Wis 22 NORTH/54 EAST Waupaca to Wis 49 SOUTH/96  west of Fremont
US 12 - south of Baraboo to Hwy Z Prairie du Sac
US 12 - Wis 78 NORTH Sauk City to Hwy K Middleton
US 12 - I-39/90 Madison to Hwy N Cottage Grove
US 41 - US 141 NORTH Abrams to Marinette
US 51 - Hwy K Merrill to Hwy S south of Tomahawk
US 53 - Barron/Washburn Co Line to Superior
US 141 - US 41 NORTH Abrams to Hwy P Beaver
US 151 - south of Dickeyville to Hwy D Platteville
US 151 - Wis 126 Belmont to Hwy O Mineral Point
US 151 - Wis 23 SOUTH Mineral Point to Wis 23 NORTH Dodgeville
US 151/18 - east of Dodgeville to Wis 78 Mt Horeb
US 151/18 - Hwy PD east of Mt Horeb to Hwy G Verona
US 151/18 - McKee Rd Madison to US 12/14 WEST Madison
US 151 - Wis 73 Columbus to Bus 151 Beaver Dam
US 151 - Hwy A Beaver Dam to Hwy M Waupun
US 151 - Wis 26 NORTH to Wis 23 Fond du Lac
Wis 11 - east of Monroe to west of Hwy S Juda
Wis 16 - Oconomowoc Bypass
Wis 23 - east of Fond du Lac to Wis 32 Sheboygan Falls
Wis 26 - Hwy N Milton to Ft Atkinson Bypass
Wis 26 - Jefferson Bypass to Watertown Bypass
Wis 26 - Wis 16 EAST Watertown to Wis 16 WEST/60 Clyman
Wis 29 - I-94 Elk Mound to Hwy T west of Chippewa Falls
Wis 29 - Wis 27 Cadott to west of Abbotsford
Wis 29 - east of Abbotsford to Hwy O west of Wausau
Wis 29 - Hwy Q Ringle to I-41 Green Bay
Wis 35 - Wis 29 River Falls to I-94 Hudson
Wis 36 - Wis 11 WEST Burlington to Wis 100 Franklin
Wis 57 - I-43 Port Washington to Wis 23 Plymouth
Wis 57 - Sheboygan/Manitowoc Co Line to Wis 67 Kiel
Wis 57 - Wis 54 EAST Green Bay to Wis 42 SOUTH south of Sturgeon Bay
Wis 64 - Wis 35 NORTH Somerset to Wis 65 New Richmond

[Big John]

^^ WIS 29 is a freeway front the Brown/Shawano county line to I-41 and is signed at 70 MPH, allowed only on freeways.

[CoreySamson]

When Texas is left to its own devices, I'd say its approach is to build out a highway as a 4-lane expressway and then inevitably upgrade it to a freeway with interchanges and frontage roads later. I'm pretty sure that's how they would have built the interstate system, too, if there weren't federal standards.

[hobsini2]

^^ WIS 29 is a freeway front the Brown/Shawano county line to I-41 and is signed at 70 MPH, allowed only on freeways.

Sorry John. I was going off what was in the 2025-26 issued state map. I believe you though since that's your neck of the woods.

[Road Hog]

When Texas is left to its own devices, I'd say its approach is to build out a highway as a 4-lane expressway and then inevitably upgrade it to a freeway with interchanges and frontage roads later. I'm pretty sure that's how they would have built the interstate system, too, if there weren't federal standards.

In the last 25 years, the opposite has been true. They'll build frontage roads first and then put the main lanes in later (at least in urban/suburban areas).

[paulthemapguy]

Illinois is absolutely a freeway state...but Illinois uses the word "expressway" to describe them. They're freeways, though. There is only one rural expressway in Illinois and we just got it recently. Illinois has more 2dis within its borders than any other state. The state tries to put an Interstate designation on everything.

[Bitmapped]

I also believe that WV-7 from Sabraton -to- Deckers Creek was constructed as an "expressway", but I can't find any records.  I also believe that (then US-21) Grand Central Avenue (now WV-14) between North Parkersburg -through- Vienna was constructed as an original "expressway" but none of it should have ever qualified.

No. WV 7 on its modern alignment through Sabraton was built as two lanes in the 1950s. The part at the I-68 interchange, the only section with four lanes, was built because fill from Corridor E's grade and the footprint of the Exit 4/Sabraton interchange forced the relocation of both WV 7 and Deckers Creek.

The big question is whether the urban sections of US-119 Corridor G from Alum Creek -to- Fort Hill (Southside Charleston) or US-33/US-119 Corridor H just east of I-79 near Weston would still qualify as a modern expressway.  West Virginia (and Virginia, and North Carolina, and Georgia, and Florida) have been quite sloppy about maintaining the "integrity" of what WVDOH calls "Partially Limited Access Highways".  That has more to do with local government and zoning laws, but I believe that some states give their D.O.T. the power to control how much development can impact the traffic flows under "limited access regulations".  There are certainly other sections of West Virginia's newer expressways

They still have controlled access right-of-way. Adjoining property owners don't have direct access to the road itself.

[tman]

Of the midwest states I'm most familiar with, Wisconsin seems closest to a freeway state but still has many stretches of at-grade four-lane across the state - US 151 and WIS 29, etc. But, they sign the end of freeway stretches with twinned large "Cross Traffic Next XX Miles" signs, which point the distance to the next freeway section. They do seem to preferentially bypass towns and provide far more exits for towns (with access control gaps still sometimes found around towns) than Minnesota does. They also post select freeway segments at 70mph.

Minnesota, in contrast, is more willing to route four-lane corridors through towns rather than bypassing them (see MN 60 in Windom/Worthington, US 10 in Wadena/Royalton/Motley, etc). In the MN 60 example, they recently removed two lanes for part of the distance through Windom, creating a new gap in the four-lane corridor, and there are three roundabouts and a traffic light in Worthington. Historically, there have also been traffic signals on 65mph expressways although they seem to be eliminating those (Jordan and south of Shakopee on US 169).

Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska seem to fall between those two states, perhaps with a trend towards the Wisconsin model on newer builds (albeit not with the signage of Wisconsin), such as newer stretches of US 30 in both states. For example, US 36 crosses Missouri with just a few traffic signals in Cameron but otherwise functions more as a high-speed corridor, more in line with the Wisconsin model.

[michravera]

Caltrans defines freeway as anything that is fully limited access.  An expressway has partially limited access features like not having driveways lining up with to the highway.  The number of lanes really doesn't matter.  There are examples of Super Two freeways and Two-Lane expressways in California. 

... and CalTrans build whatever it thinks will do the job. Sometimes they get it right on the first try. Sometimes it takes an upgrade. Sometimes, like in the case of CASR-58, it requires three or four levels of upgrade. 2-lane conventional to 2-lane expressway to 4-lane expressway to 4-lane full freeway. So far, they haven't done any (much) 6-laning, but who is to say that they won't.

[Bickendan]

Washington definitely leans more towards the 4-lane expressway route from what I've seen, though in the Seattle area things look a little bit different. Kind of a mix of both(even around the Vancouver area, heck, even SR 500 still has some RIROs) I'm not really sure, admittedly I'm not as knowledgeable about Washington.

WA 500's RIRO's used to be at-grade intersections.

Oregon is weird, because of their aversion to building freeways they often have a lot of roads that in some areas are way overbuilt(Barbur Blvd from the Ross Island Bridge to around Terwilliger I'd say, it's really just a frontage road of I-5 during that section,

Predates I-5, and there's not much to interact with Barbur because of the terrain. Also, calling it a frontage road is inaccurate; it's a relief route, and only just, as I-5's interchanges between 294 and 299 aren't conducive to easy transfers between the freeway and Barbur and back.

99W farther south in Sherwood as well where it is far more expressway-like despite Sherwood having less traffic than Tigard)

Tigard's built-up, while Sherwood to Newberg had room for a potential limited-access corridor, and does function as the Portland to Lincoln City route.

Don't even get me started on the whole Rogue Valley Expressway situation,

It's not complete, putting it in the same boat as the Sunrise Expressway in Clackamas/Happy Valley.

same with the Salem/MLK Pkwy down in Salem which was PLANNED to be I-305.

Honestly, getting the Salem Parkway as it is is kinda a miracle given the entirety of the Freeway Revolts triggered by the Mt Hood Freeway.

The Portland area also loves their overbuilt stroads

Certainly not the City of Portland, despite its section of Beaverton-Hillsdale, which I'd argue is a product of topography more limiting development.

(Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy, Powell which you could argue until "39th" is a 4-lane expressway

Not really. It's only the railroad underpass at 17th that leads to that illusion, and perhaps the fact that Robert Moses recommended using the Ross Island Bridge (as is) as part of the eastside freeway loop (along 7th)

and it's actually kind of underbuilt in Gresham,

It's not underbuilt in Gresham at all, but within Portland; but that point's moot as ODOT is actively modernizing Powell from 96th to 176th to match the 122nd to 136th section.

TV Hwy/Canyon Rd)

TV Hwy is Hillsboro, Aloha, and Beaverton. Definitely a bit stroady, but the street layout west of the 217 is a bit wonky. As for Canyon Road, given it peels off of the Canyon Road portion of the 26, eh. I can see the argument.

There are some strange oddities, such as US 26 from Gresham to Sandy where it pretty comfortably is a 4-lane expressway, and in a pretty high traffic section with Mt. Hood and all, but you could argue it's more needed in the Portland area. Airport Way as well which is a 4-lane expressway, but other than those two Portland really goes more in a freeway direction and the freeways do what they need to do(US 26 and OR 217 serve a high-traffic route to the West Metro and North Coast, I-205 serves the east metro and bypasses Downtown, I-84 comes in to serve the East Metro, well, from the east, and I-5 and I-405 do their job forming a loop around the river and Downtown)

But does Oregon really go the 4-lane expressway route? I personally don't think so.

Because Eugene is like all freeways.
[/quote]

The examples you missed are McGloughlin between Powell and the 224, and the 224 (aptly named the Milwaukie Expressway) from McGloughlin all the way to the 212, Lombard between roughly 11th and Killingsworth, and the half-example of MLK between Marine Dr and Columbia Blvd. And speaking of Columbia Blvd, I'll allow that one too.

Caltrans defines freeway as anything that is fully limited access.  An expressway has partially limited access features like not having driveways lining up with to the highway.  The number of lanes really doesn't matter.  There are examples of Super Two freeways and Two-Lane expressways in California. 

Don't forget the Super Four on the 101 through the Redwoods!

[SkyPesos]

Illinois is absolutely a freeway state...but Illinois uses the word "expressway" to describe them. They're freeways, though. There is only one rural expressway in Illinois and we just got it recently. Illinois has more 2dis within its borders than any other state. The state tries to put an Interstate designation on everything.

At first glance, I thought Illinois has a decent number of non-interstate freeways or expressways (IL 255, IL 394, parts of US 20, US 51, US 67 to name a few), but then you look at Indiana and Ohio and it doesn't compare. US 23/OH 15 between Columbus and Findlay would be an Interstate, if it was in IL.