Connections between state capitals and other large cities in the state

[lepidopteran]

*Ohio: Columbus-Toledo (close fourth) includes mostly-expressway US 23/SR 15

For the record, Ohio had been trying to build an Interstate between Toledo and Columbus: I-73, with an I-75 multiplex north of Findlay.  I think the governor said something about building more overpasses on the US-23/OH-15 route.  Indeed, there are two relatively new 3-tiered interchanges (sort of "middle-of-nowhere" in appearance IMHO) at both ends of US-23's multiplex with US-30 around Upper Sandusky, though this could be just as much toward the freeway-ization of US-30 across the state.

The major block preventing a full freeway connection between the two cities is the stretch of US-23 between Delaware and Worthington.  There is simply too much development along that corridor, and as we speak the US-23/I-270 interchange is being downgraded (discussed on another thread) from a full cloverleaf to a signalized parclo.  An underpass is being built below the first intersection north of there, though, but it's still a long way to Delaware.   There was a plan at one time to build an almost-lateral connector between I-71 and US-23 just south of Alum Creek Lake, but again, with the development in the area, that ship has sailed.

[bugo]

*Missouri: Jefferson City-Kansas City includes expressway US 63; Jefferson City-St. Louis includes expressway US 54; Jefferson City-Springfield includes expressway US 54 and mostly-expressway Route 5

There is no good way to get from northwestern Missouri to southeastern Missouri.  All the routes are either two lanes in places or go way out of the way.

[NE2]

There is no good reason to get from northwestern Missouri to southeastern Missouri.

Fixed for you.

The all-Interstate distance (or the mostly-four-lane distance via Springfield) is 25% greater than the straight line distance. This is better than the about 40% you'd get by taking two sides of the triangle. What do you want, a road radiating out from every city, every 10 degrees?

[hotdogPi]

What do you want, a road radiating out from every city, every 10 degrees?

This happens in Boston.

1A, 107, 1, 28, 93, 38, 3, 2A, 2, 20, 90, 30, 9, VFW/1, 28, 93/3

[Scott5114]

There is no good reason to get from northwestern Missouri to southeastern Missouri.

Fixed for you.

Your fix sucks–there's plenty of reason to do that. Kansas City—Memphis, for example?

[NE2]

Your fix sucks–there's plenty of reason to do that. Kansas City—Memphis, for example?

Why would you go through southeastern Missouri? 49-7-13-60-63 is much more direct.

[golden eagle]

If going by the three largest non-suburban cities in a state, then Hattiesburg would be in third place. There is no freeway that goes directly from Jackson to Hattiesburg.

[NE2]

If going by the three largest non-suburban cities in a state, then Hattiesburg would be in third place. There is no freeway that goes directly from Jackson to Hattiesburg.

I listed Jackson-Gulfport, which goes right past Hattiesburg.

[Takumi]

Richmond-Roanoke could also be done 360-460. More direct to Burkeville but probably slower given the development in Chesterfield County these days.

[NE2]

Richmond-Roanoke could also be done 360-460.

Yeah, that's what I meant. 460 from Petersburg is no shorter than I-64 to I-81.

[dlainhart]

In New York, strictly speaking I-95 goes through Manhattan, but in practice you have to travel a substantial distance on NY 9A, the FDR Drive, or the local streets to get to an interstate taking you to any other city in the state if you're coming from Midtown.

The City of Greater New York is the largest non-capital city in New York State and the largest city in New York State. It is connected directly to the capital via I-87, which becomes the New York State Thruway at the Yonkers/Bronx border, as well as to the other two largest (also non-capital) cities in New York, Buffalo and Rochester (the latter via I-490 or I-390). Going down the line of largest cities, you have Yonkers next (already covered) and Syracuse (which is on the freeway between Albany and Rochester).

You have to go down to the fifthteenth largest city, Rome, to find one that isn't serviced by an Interstate, and that's pushing it. Long Beach in Nassau County, the next one down, might count given the commute time (and that lame toll bridge), but really, Ithaca (#20) is the biggest.

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

Connections between Baton Rouge and other large cities in Louisiana:

1) New Orleans - I-10
2) Baton Rouge - natch
3) Shreveport - I-10 to I-49 (US 190 to I-49 is shorter, but time savings is marginal)
4) Metairie - I-10 (Metairie is not really a city, just a massive patch of unincorporated suburbia)
5) Lafayette - I-10
6) Lake Charles - I-10
7) Kenner - I-10 (see a pattern?)
8) Bossier City - I-10 to I-49 to I-20 (to center of city; there are shorter cutoffs leading to the Barksdale area that require departing the interstate)
9) Monroe - I-110 to US 61 to US 425 to I-20 (involves going through MS! - there are routes that stay entirely in La. [LA 15] but they are slower and less direct)
10) Alexandria - I-10 to I-49 (try LA 1 for the scenic route)
11) Houma - either LA 1 to LA 20 to LA 24 or I-10 to LA 22 to LA 70 to LA 70 Spur to LA 1 to LA 20 to LA 24 (either way takes way too long)

From there on we only have suburbs of larger cities or smaller regional centers to work with.

[hotdogPi]

For Massachusetts:

1) Boston - 
2) Worcester - I-90
3) Springfield - I-90
4) Lowell - US 3
5) New Bedford - MA 24 to MA 140
6) Brockton - MA 24
7) Lynn - US 1 to MA 1A or 107 (depending on location)
8) Fall River - MA 24
9) Lawrence - I-93 to I-495
10) Framingham - I-90

For New Hampshire:

1) Manchester - I-93
2) Nashua - Everett Turnpike
3) Concord - Everett Turnpike to US 3 to MA 62 jk, 
4) Derry - I-93
5) Dover - US 4
6) Rochester - US 202
7) Salem - I-93

[JustDrive]

In California, Sacramento to:

Los Angeles: I-5
San Diego: I-5
San Jose: I-80, I-680
San Francisco: I-80
Fresno: CA 99
Long Beach: I-5, I-710
Oakland: I-80, I-880
Bakersfield: CA 99
Anaheim: I-5
Santa Ana: I-5
Riverside: I-5, CA 60
Stockton: I-5 or CA 99
Chula Vista: I-5
Fremont: I-80, I-680
Irvine: I-5
San Bernardino: I-5, I-10 (or I-210, CA 210)
Modesto: CA 99
Oxnard: I-5, CA 126, CA 118, CA 232
Fontana: I-5, I-210, CA 210
Moreno Valley: I-5, CA 60

[Captain Jack]

There is no good reason to get from northwestern Missouri to southeastern Missouri.

Fixed for you.

Your fix sucks–there's plenty of reason to do that. Kansas City—Memphis, for example?

I would say 71/49/540 and I-40 is a pretty good choice, and getting better.

[NE2]

I would say 71/49/540 and I-40 is a pretty good choice, and getting better.

You would.

[empirestate]

The City of Greater New York

The who?

[SidS1045]

For Massachusetts:

1) Boston - 
2) Worcester - I-90
3) Springfield - I-90

I-90 will not get you into either Worcester or Springfield without connecting to another road.  Worcester should read "I-90 to I-290, MA-12 or MA-146."  Springfield is "I-90 to US-5, I-291 or I-91."

[doorknob60]

For Oregon, I'll arbitrarily choose to list all cities >= 20,000 people (according to Wikipedia), ignoring cities like Gresham, Springfield, Beaverton, etc., which are basically suburbs. If I omitted a city that you feel isn't a suburb, too bad

Portland: I-5
Eugene: I-5
Salem: capital
Bend: OR-22 and US-20
Medford: I-5 (TIL Bend is now larger than Medford, according to Wikipedia at least)
Corvallis: I-5 and US-20/OR-34
Albany: I-5
Grants Pass: I-5
McMinnville: OR-22 and OR-99W
Redmond: OR-22, US-20 and OR-126
Woodburn: I-5 (How the hell is Woodburn this big? I thought it was just a factory outlet mall and fast food; it's density is 4x what K-Falls is, wow...)
Newberg: I-5 and OR-219
Roseburg: I-5
Klamath Falls: I-5, OR-58 and US-97
Ashland: I-5

Notice a trend here? Yeah, it's pretty clear which highway Oregon's population is centered around. And interestingly enough, none of these involved I-84 (though not surprising).

[roadman]

Did you forget Boston - Lowell by US 3? Or did you consider Lowell a suburb?

Boston-Lowell can also be accessed by I-93/I-495.  Although it's a longer distance (but could be shorter time based on time of day), that qualifies as an "all-Interstate" routing - at least until you get to the Lowell Connector.