State Capitals Without Interstate Highways

[empirestate]

Bigger question is does I-65 serve Chicago?  It terminates in another state, yet in its metro area.   I-80 does not enter New York, but is three miles from it another state.  The same situation exists for both interstates.

I would say that both do, and even I-684 in New York State does serve NYC in my opinion.

I think you're absolutely right, although I myself would say that both don't. I'd actually be quicker to give I-684 to NYC than I-80, or I-65 to Chicago.

So far, I think I've identified several rules that seem to unconsciously guide my assessment of whether a city is "on" an Interstate. It is, if:

-the Interstate enters the city limits. (Any cases where this isn't a shoe-in? Perhaps I-95 in Washington, if you discount its beltway relationship?)
-the Interstate passes outside the city, but has direct highway connections to it across an area of primarily unbroken development that isn't assignable to another core city (e.g. I-95, Trenton)
-the Interstate passes outside the city, but interacts with it in a geographically intimate fashion, such as a circumferential highway or a spur leading directly away from the city (e.g. I-95, Boston)
-the Interstate is not absent from the state in which the city is located
-the Interstate serves a geographic function relative to the city that isn't more directly served by another Interstate (the straw by which I cling to I-80, not-Chicago)

None of these is necessarily a qualifier or disqualifier by itself, but weighted together seem to justify all of my "know it when I see it" instincts on the question. What rules have others found (and which might we ultimately agree on, if there's any hope of that)?

(P.S. This thread probably deserves to be split off...but renaming it doesn't seem to have the power.   )

[NE2]

-the Interstate enters the city limits. (Any cases where this isn't a shoe-in? Perhaps I-95 in Washington, if you discount its beltway relationship?)

Suffolk, VA is a good example. I-664 clips the corner of the consolidated city-county but is far from the actual Suffolk center.

[empirestate]

Yes, quite so. I would not be inclined to say I-664 serves Suffolk at all.


iPhone

[froggie]

Even though it has two interchanges in Suffolk?  At US 17/VA 164 and at VA 135...the latter serving Suffolk's branch of Tidewater Community College.

[NE2]

Right on cue, Mr. Missing the Point.

[02 Park Ave]

Only MSA's should be considered.  City limits are archaic now, unless you are an elected official in that city.

[Brandon]

Only MSA's should be considered.  City limits are archaic now, unless you are an elected official in that city.

Depends.  The municipality can always annex its way out to the interstate if it has not been hemmed in by other municipalities.  I wouldn't call them archaic at all.

[NE2]

Only MSA's should be considered.  City limits are archaic now, unless you are an elected official in that city.

MSAs are determined by county lines, which are worse than city limits. Does I-195 serve Boston? Does US 95 serve San Bernardino?

[empirestate]

Even though it has two interchanges in Suffolk?  At US 17/VA 164 and at VA 135...the latter serving Suffolk's branch of Tidewater Community College.

Not at first glance, no, from my perspective as a non-resident and according to my personal set of guidelines (remember that that's what this is in reference to). If I lived in the area I might well feel differently.

[amroad17]

From that part of Suffolk, you are around 12 or 13 miles from the downtown area of the city.  In fact, from the area of the two exits mentioned, you are closer to downtown Portsmouth (at 6 miles) than you are to downtown Suffolk.  The thing is that when the cities and counties merged in the 1960's (and Suffolk in 1974), these cities have become huge in terms of area.  So, even though the two exits mentioned are in the city of Suffolk borders, they do not really serve Suffolk.  They actually serve the people in Portsmouth and Chesapeake.