Biggest claim to fame: control city.

[bassoon1986]

The former Van Horn destination on I-10 in Texas would qualify. Now signs just say El Paso and San Antonio which is all that most anyone would know of western Texas anyway.

[Perfxion]

I-69 with Cleveland.

[ChoralScholar]

Blytheville, AR on I-55... although now that I think of it, I'm not sure you see that on I-55 signs anywhere but Memphis at the I-40/I-55 junction.

[hm insulators]

Ojai (pronounced OH-hi), California, a little town north of Ventura.

[Henry]

Albert Lea should be Des Moines on I-35.

I disagree, though I agree with the principle. Owatonna should be added as a control city. Most destinations to the west on 90 are much better served via U.S. 169-MN 60, and most destinations to the east are much better served via U.S. 52, so vice-versa could be said about Albert Lea as a control city on I-90, but instead of removing Albert Lea, I would make Worthington and Rochester control cities as well.

Pretty much any place where two Interstates meet/split off each other should be used as control cities, no matter how small they are. Statesville, NC, Meridian, MS and Cove Fort, UT come to mind.

[amroad17]

^Also Carlisle, PA, Ft. Chiswell, VA, Lodi, OH, and Corning, NY.

[Mr_Northside]

Corning glass might be a bigger claim to fame for Corning, NY. 

[RG407]

Until about 15-20 years ago, north of Orlando the control city for Florida's Turnpike was Wildwood, which is the town nearest to the turnpike's northern terminus at I-75.  Nowadays it's Ocala, the next control city along I-75.

[jwolfer]

Lake City, Florida - just because it's a few miles southeast of the intersection between I-10 and I-75.

Agreed with this for sure.. I was just thinking this the other day

[Ned Weasel]

How about Salina, Kansas?  Except for having one of Kansas State University's satellite campuses, about the only thing it's known for is being the junction of I-70 and I-135, and being a control city on both of those Interstates.

Frankly, I kind of like the idea of cities at Interstate junctions being used as control cities, regardless of how populous those cities are.  It brings consistency to idea of associating cities with their Interstate junctions as a means of geographical reference.

But what about Hays, Kansas?

[J N Winkler]

Foreign example (came to mind after going through a stack of Trafikverket/Vägverket sign drawings):  Växjö.

[agentsteel53]

But what about Hays, Kansas?

what about it?  there's an awesome old sign for CITY US 40 at the split between the old bypass and the city route.  apart from that... are you saying it should not be a control city because there aren't two interstates there? 

[Ned Weasel]

But what about Hays, Kansas?

what about it?  there's an awesome old sign for CITY US 40 at the split between the old bypass and the city route.  apart from that... are you saying it should not be a control city because there aren't two interstates there? 

I'm not saying it shouldn't, but it seems to be a prime example of a city that isn't known for much else, except for those who are familiar with Fort Hays State University.  I suspect its reason for being a control city is largely that KDOT wanted something in Kansas to be a control city on I-70 between Denver and Salina, so Hays was the best candidate.

[Ga293]

In the same vein, Limon "How much further to Denver, already?" Colorado would qualify.

[The High Plains Traveler]

Hays still gets mention on eastbound onramps for I-70 in western Kansas. Prior to entering Kansas, in Colorado, Salina gets a lot of mention on distance signs. Westbound in Kansas, Denver is replacing Limon, but that latter town still has some signage at onramps.

[thenetwork]

In the same vein, Limon "How much further to Denver, already?" Colorado would qualify.

Limon is a noteworthy city, if only because for westbound traffic this is the turning-off point for those looking to reach Colorado Springs and points south via US-24 to I-25 without having to go into Metro Denver. 

[mcdonaat]

Opelousas - my biggest pet peeve. The only instance of I-49 between Exit 90 (Airbase Road, the start of using Opelousas as a control city) and US 190 using anything BUT Opelousas is Lafayette, at the US 167/LA 28 interchange. Pull through signage uses Lafayette and JUST I-49 South, although in about 200 feet, it hooks up with US 167 South. Lafayette seems like a much more logical choice, since Opelousas being a control city would be like having I-20 traffic between Monroe and Shreveport, and using Ruston or Minden.

Opelousas used to have one of two Yoo-hoo plants in the country, but that has since closed. Opelousas is home to the US 190 turnoff, but anyone using that shortcut never even makes it to the city of Opelousas - you're an exit shy.

Now, if only we can get Bay St Louis replaced with Gulfport or Biloxi (major resort towns for Mississippi, and Louisiana too), or Mobile...

[Gnutella]

Maybe there should be two control cities listed in some instances. Like I-79 NB in Charleston, WV could have Clarksburg and Pittsburgh as its control cities, and Morgantown could have Washington PA and Pittsburgh as its.

I-70 in Kansas could have Salina/Denver, Hays/Denver, etc. heading westbound, and Hays/Kansas City, Topeka/Kansas City, etc. heading eastbound. I-80 in Pennsylvania could have State College/New York, Williamsport/New York, etc. heading eastbound, and State College/Cleveland, Sharon/Cleveland, etc. heading westbound.

Basically, I think there should be at least one major city as a control city.

[roadman65]

What is interesting is Opelousas is used on I-10 for I-49 North, but yet at US 165 several miles to the west on I-10 Alexandria is being used, the city that would best qualify being the next large city along I-49 north of Lafayette.

Then go to Lake Charles and Shreveport is used for NB US 171 another point further along I-49.

LADOTD likes to be like PennDOT and use the next sequential city rather than large destination on guide signs for interstates, except in Shreveport where "Dallas" is used over the many other small towns that are before that city that normally LADOTD likes to use on its own highways pull through and ramp signs elsewhere.

Oh yes, to mention my city that I think is a claim to fame is "Benson" along I-95 in NC.  If it were not for I-40 being built, it never would have been mentioned as that is the place closest to the I-95 and I-40 junction.

[renegade]

Mackinac Bridge in northern Michigan. For the most part, St Ignace and Mackinaw City are not used as control cities.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I-95 south in Maine: Kittery. It's as if they were determined not to put a non-Maine destination.

I-35E northbound in MN has Forest Lake on a couple entrance ramp signs instead of Duluth. Forest Lake technically isn't even where I-35E merges with 35W; that's Columbus.

[SP Cook]

Clarksburg, WV
Fairmont, WV
Parkersburg, WV
Cambridge, OH
Washington, PA

[1995hoo]

Mackinac Bridge in northern Michigan. For the most part, St Ignace and Mackinaw City are not used as control cities.

I can't imagine being a control city is the bridge's "biggest" claim to fame. I knew of the bridge long before I knew of it being mentioned on highway signs. Part of that was that as a kid I had a beer mug with a picture of that bridge, but still, that bridge is a well-known landmark.

[PHLBOS]

I-95 south in Maine: Kittery. It's as if they were determined not to put a non-Maine destination.

??? Most (but not all) of the I-95 South signage north of Kittery do list Boston as well.  The reasoning for using Kittery, at least early on (prior to the outlet stores coming on the scene), were due to:

1.  It's the southernmost town in Maine prior to the state line; similar applies towards why Salisbury & Attleboro are signed I-95 destinations in MA.

2.  The southern terminus of the tolled Maine Turnpike is located in Kittery.

[Ned Weasel]

Maybe there should be two control cities listed in some instances. Like I-79 NB in Charleston, WV could have Clarksburg and Pittsburgh as its control cities, and Morgantown could have Washington PA and Pittsburgh as its.

I-70 in Kansas could have Salina/Denver, Hays/Denver, etc. heading westbound, and Hays/Kansas City, Topeka/Kansas City, etc. heading eastbound. I-80 in Pennsylvania could have State College/New York, Williamsport/New York, etc. heading eastbound, and State College/Cleveland, Sharon/Cleveland, etc. heading westbound.

Basically, I think there should be at least one major city as a control city.

One control city is enough.  As it is, many signs try to squeeze in what are arguably too many destinations.  And a control city can't be a major city until the term "major city" is defined.

I suppose one might argue that the use of Hays, Kansas as a control city is of little help to most motorists, but it's ultimately the driver's responsibility to have a sense of geography, even if it requires looking at a map of Kansas.