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[Max Rockatansky]

Seldom Seen Road southeast of Moab, UT.  Seems the area has an affinity for humorously names roads given some of the other examples upthread. 

[SSR_317]

Call me crazy but I've always found Illinois street in Newberg, OR to be funny considering we are 1704 miles from Illinois as the crow flies to ORD.

Okay, you're crazy.

It is very common for at least one or two cities in most states to have a grouping of roads named after states. In Tacoma, there's a large grouping of streets of I-5/exit 132, including Montana Ave, Oregon Ave, Arizona Ave, California Ave, and Idaho St.

Many people know that most of the streets in Indianapolis' Mile Square (our central business district) are named after states, but many are not aware that two - Capitol Ave and Senate Ave - were originally named after southern states but got rechristened during the Civil War. However, not all such streets had their names changed, as Louisiana St, Virginia Ave, Georgia St, Kentucky Ave, and Alabama St all kept their names. Guess the powers that be back then just didn't want the two roadways that form the eastern and western borders of the Indiana State House to have names of rebel states (Mississippi St and Tennessee St, I believe). There once were streets named for North Carolina and South Carolina in the Mile Square as well, but those bordered Pogue's Run and were obliterated when that stream got buried in a tunnel as part of a project to elevate the railroad tracks through downtown Indy near the turn of the 20th Century.

Also, streets at the outer borders of the Mile Square are named for their relative position: North St, South St, East St, and West St. Which, of course, leads to addressing like East North St, West South St, South West St, et cetera. Still not as confusing as places like Salt Lake City though.

[US 89]

Also, streets at the outer borders of the Mile Square are named for their relative position: North St, South St, East St, and West St. Which, of course, leads to addressing like East North St, West South St, South West St, et cetera. Still not as confusing as places like Salt Lake City though.

That is exactly how the roads surrounding Temple Square in Salt Lake City are named, but with the word “Temple” as in “South Temple”. However, the road that would be East Temple is called Main Street.

Of course, Salt Lake also has the grid coordinate system. That takes some getting used to, but once you figure it out it’s actually very helpful in getting around, and you even find yourself asking the grid coordinate of named streets (for example, Redwood Rd is 1700 West).

[SSR_317]

Also, streets at the outer borders of the Mile Square are named for their relative position: North St, South St, East St, and West St. Which, of course, leads to addressing like East North St, West South St, South West St, et cetera. Still not as confusing as places like Salt Lake City though.

That is exactly how the roads surrounding Temple Square in Salt Lake City are named, but with the word “Temple” as in “South Temple”. However, the road that would be East Temple is called Main Street.

Of course, Salt Lake also has the grid coordinate system. That takes some getting used to, but once you figure it out it’s actually very helpful in getting around, and you even find yourself asking the grid coordinate of named streets (for example, Redwood Rd is 1700 West).

Agreed, but having 4 separate "4th Street"s can be baffling to those not familiar with that system.

[US 89]

Also, streets at the outer borders of the Mile Square are named for their relative position: North St, South St, East St, and West St. Which, of course, leads to addressing like East North St, West South St, South West St, et cetera. Still not as confusing as places like Salt Lake City though.

That is exactly how the roads surrounding Temple Square in Salt Lake City are named, but with the word “Temple” as in “South Temple”. However, the road that would be East Temple is called Main Street.

Of course, Salt Lake also has the grid coordinate system. That takes some getting used to, but once you figure it out it’s actually very helpful in getting around, and you even find yourself asking the grid coordinate of named streets (for example, Redwood Rd is 1700 West).

Agreed, but having 4 separate "4th Street"s can be baffling to those not familiar with that system.

That’s true. However, none of those roads are actually named “4th Street”. The names of those roads are 400 South, 400 West, etc., and locals refer to them as “4th South” etc. It’s pretty unusual to not specify which “4th” you’re referring to. The exception is for major roads a bit farther away from the city center, because those numbers are less likely to be duplicated. For example, if someone says something is on 33rd, they’re likely referring to 3300 South, the major arterial. There may be a 3300 East or 3300 West somewhere, but those aren’t major streets. If they were referring to one of those, they would have specified.

Really, it isn’t any different from cities with a “4th St” and a “4th Ave” that intersect.

[SSR_317]

Also, streets at the outer borders of the Mile Square are named for their relative position: North St, South St, East St, and West St. Which, of course, leads to addressing like East North St, West South St, South West St, et cetera. Still not as confusing as places like Salt Lake City though.

That is exactly how the roads surrounding Temple Square in Salt Lake City are named, but with the word “Temple” as in “South Temple”. However, the road that would be East Temple is called Main Street.

Of course, Salt Lake also has the grid coordinate system. That takes some getting used to, but once you figure it out it’s actually very helpful in getting around, and you even find yourself asking the grid coordinate of named streets (for example, Redwood Rd is 1700 West).

Agreed, but having 4 separate "4th Street"s can be baffling to those not familiar with that system.

That’s true. However, none of those roads are actually named “4th Street”. The names of those roads are 400 South, 400 West, etc., and locals refer to them as “4th South” etc. It’s pretty unusual to not specify which “4th” you’re referring to. The exception is for major roads a bit farther away from the city center, because those numbers are less likely to be duplicated. For example, if someone says something is on 33rd, they’re likely referring to 3300 South, the major arterial. There may be a 3300 East or 3300 West somewhere, but those aren’t major streets. If they were referring to one of those, they would have specified.

Really, it isn’t any different from cities with a “4th St” and a “4th Ave” that intersect.

Ture. I was looking at an old RMcN road atlas (which DID show a "4th St", probably long-since corrected), since it's been awhile since I've been to Utah's capitol city. But my point was more about someone who is unfamiliar with the area.

[oscar]

Complicating things for the Salt Lake City (and other similar) street grid systems is that not all the numbers end in 00. Some minor streets have numbers ending in 20, 25, 50, or even 35 (like I've seen in multiple visits to SLC and its suburbs). Those don't lend themselves to shorthands like 4th Street, etc. But some "in-between" streets get non-numeric names instead of numbers.

Yeah, it's an unusual system, but I got used to it quickly and find it very helpful.

[Rothman]

I love it when Utahns move east and are totally lost without the Mormon Grid (or the Wasatch on the east and the Oquirrh on the west, for that matter).  The Mormon coordinate system is ridiculously simple and makes sense...but seeing them unable to navigate away from it makes me reluctant to recommend it in other areas.

[roadfro]

That’s true. However, none of those roads are actually named “4th Street”. The names of those roads are 400 South, 400 West, etc., and locals refer to them as “4th South” etc. It’s pretty unusual to not specify which “4th” you’re referring to. The exception is for major roads a bit farther away from the city center, because those numbers are less likely to be duplicated. For example, if someone says something is on 33rd, they’re likely referring to 3300 South, the major arterial. There may be a 3300 East or 3300 West somewhere, but those aren’t major streets. If they were referring to one of those, they would have specified.

Really, it isn’t any different from cities with a “4th St” and a “4th Ave” that intersect.

The concept is similar, but the Utah grid system is further complicated by potentially having the equivalent of two 4th Streets and two 4th Avenues, which can result in up to four separate intersections of "4th & 4th". But in such a scenario, I imagine there'd be some kind of qualifier for distinguishing beyond the origin, such as the east-west roads being called "4th St North" vs "4th St South" or "4th St NW"/"4th St NE" vs "4th St SW"/"4th St SE".

So it can still be confusing to those unfamiliar with the system without further clarification. You'd have to specify something like "Let's meet at the Taco Bell on 4th North & 4th West".

But I agree that once you get used to a road naming/grid system arranged in such a manner, it'd be the easiest thing in the world to navigate.

[oscar]

That’s true. However, none of those roads are actually named “4th Street”. The names of those roads are 400 South, 400 West, etc., and locals refer to them as “4th South” etc. It’s pretty unusual to not specify which “4th” you’re referring to. The exception is for major roads a bit farther away from the city center, because those numbers are less likely to be duplicated. For example, if someone says something is on 33rd, they’re likely referring to 3300 South, the major arterial. There may be a 3300 East or 3300 West somewhere, but those aren’t major streets. If they were referring to one of those, they would have specified.

Really, it isn’t any different from cities with a “4th St” and a “4th Ave” that intersect.

The concept is similar, but the Utah grid system is further complicated by potentially having the equivalent of two 4th Streets and two 4th Avenues, which can result in up to four separate intersections of "4th & 4th". But in such a scenario, I imagine there'd be some kind of qualifier for distinguishing beyond the origin, such as the east-west roads being called "4th St North" vs "4th St South" or "4th St NW"/"4th St NE" vs "4th St SW"/"4th St SE".

So it can still be confusing to those unfamiliar with the system without further clarification. You'd have to specify something like "Let's meet at the Taco Bell on 4th North & 4th West".

Or use that corner's street address: 400 North 400 West. Other street addresses use that format, too (the ones not on corners use the street they're on, and the "house number" along that block, such as 1494 South 730 West).

[ErmineNotyours]

Once I saw this name for a waterfall, I had to see it in person.  As a bonus, it has a street with the name too.  The falls isn't much.  It's just a trickle of water [chortle].

Makapipi Road, Hanna Highway, Maui by Arthur Allen, on Flickr

Google Street View

And in my own home town of Renton, Washington, there's a street named Shattuck.  Once regulations required all bus stops to be verbally announced by the bus's automation, this street name was included in the announcement, causing me to think every time, "Heh, heh.  Heh, heh.  SHE said..."

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm sure Kitchen Dick Road has been mentioned several times already but why not a photo:

IMG_6158 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[jakeroot]

I'm sure Kitchen Dick Road has been mentioned several times already but why not a photo:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/898/42266889462_3db6b3a313_h.jpg

That photo wasn't too far from Kitchen Dick's junction with Woodcock Road: https://goo.gl/o7p8pf

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm sure Kitchen Dick Road has been mentioned several times already but why not a photo:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/898/42266889462_3db6b3a313_h.jpg

That photo wasn't too far from Kitchen Dick's junction with Woodcock Road: https://goo.gl/o7p8pf

Indeed, total missed opportunity.   I barely remembered Kitchen Dick was there as I was rolling into Port Angeles.  My significant other actually wanted to stop to get photos with the street blade, I regret not doing it now. 

[kphoger]

Kitchen Dick

I assume this refers to someone who investigates culinary crimes.

[Max Rockatansky]

Kitchen Dick

I assume this refers to someone who investigates culinary crimes.

But what about Woodcock?   Maybe a wooden chicken brought to life to help investigate kitchen based culinary crimes?

[cjk374]

Kitchen Dick

I assume this refers to someone who investigates culinary crimes. 

The crime: using mayo to make tater salad instead of mustard.

[Max Rockatansky]

Kitchen Dick

I assume this refers to someone who investigates culinary crimes. 

The crime: using mayo to make tater salad instead of mustard.

Turns out the naming convention of "Kitchen Dick and Woodcock" is actually incredibly mundane:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=22935.msg2330734#new

[J Route Z]

Google Maps makes this fun.

Are you sure? I see no way to make this fun.

Dude stop trolling and being a stick in the mud.

[paulthemapguy]

What in the hell is this street name supposed to be referencing?  Is this a rapper's name??  Found in Carson, WA.


bladePZ by Paul Drives, on Flickr

[empirestate]

Google Maps makes this fun.

Are you sure? I see no way to make this fun.

Dude stop trolling and being a stick in the mud.

Whew, glad you nipped that one in the bud!

[Max Rockatansky]

Google Maps makes this fun.

Are you sure? I see no way to make this fun.

Dude stop trolling and being a stick in the mud.

Whew, glad you nipped that one in the bud!

Over a year after the fact no less. 

[tckma]

Turning down Vegan Road seems like it would be a huge missed steak.

[inkyatari]

Turning down Vegan Road seems like it would be a huge missed steak.

And boom goes the dynamite.

[Max Rockatansky]

Inyo/Butte was on Freewayjim the other day...guess I have more photos to take in Bakersfield after all.