Favorite Types of Highways to drive on

[US 41]

I actually like the narrow 2 lane highways the best (ex: SR 42, SR 43, SR 157, SR 159, and SR 234 in Indiana). They typically have 55 mph speed limits and it feels like you are going a lot faster then you really are since they are narrow and typically have some fun curves. I like toll roads with neat bridges and tunnels, but try to avoid them if they don't have one of those two features. Dirt / gravel / county roads are my least favorite to drive on because of potholes and gravel roads make your car dirty. I typically like driving on 4 lane highways in rural areas (interstate or not). In big cities I really like interstates, especially at night when they are all lit up. Also some of the interchanges in big cities are pretty impressive.

[cjk374]

I also picked narrow 2-lane roads.  Whether they be old alignments of major routes or just a backwoods drive, 2-lane roads are where I wanna drive as much as possible.  I also like dirt roads and county roads.  I'm not so worried about the car getting dirty because that's just a normal part of the car's life cycle.   Those old dirt roads have their own story to tell...I find it an exciting adventure to try to figure out that story.

[CtrlAltDel]

Above all, I have to say that I like roads that don't have too many other people on them.

Past that, I'd say I'd prefer roads that are long, where I feel I can drive and drive and drive. (You know how people say I-70 in Kansas is boring. I love it.)

Past that I hate being stuck behind slower people.

Usually, I get most of these things from the interstate or 4 lane roads, but in the west, 2 lanes is enough.

[corco]

Really depends on what my objective is, but generally on leisure roadtrips I try to keep to the narrow two-laners as much as possible.

[roadman65]

A highway without traffic lights .

To be serious, one that has traffic lights timed to work together on arterials for the most minimum slowdowns.  Also for engineers to learn lessons from past mistakes and try to make better intersections from occurring developments to not have to rely on demand signal installations over the sprawl traffic growth period.

[AsphaltPlanet]

All of them

[SSOWorld]

Anything with views.  The boring stretches I'll take to complete routes, but I'll do anything to get back to Colorado (I-70 anyone?)

Top favorite - Trail Ridge Rd at RMNP.  Where else can you drive amongst the clouds (other than Pike's Peak)?

[vdeane]

I'm going to go with interstates overall, but it really depends on the road, scenery, and traffic.

[pumpkineater2]

For me, Interstates are most certainly my favorite roads to drive on. I like to go long distances at high speeds without stopping for a really long time.

[AplikowskiTheMinnesotan]

It would have to be either Interstates because of the speed, or two-lane roads because of the lesser amounts of traffic and peaceful scenery they provide (particularly in the Great Plains ).

[KG909]

Probably divided highway both controlled and non-controlled and preferably in the California desert. But with the exception of CA 177, I really want to drive down that highway going 125 mph.

[Pete from Boston]

Complicated, narrow, preferably pre-Interstate urban elevated or depressed viaducts.

[Gnutella]

Toll roads.

I know that the money they get from me won't end up being spent six states away.

[1995hoo]

I'm going to go with interstates overall, but it really depends on the road, scenery, and traffic.

Pretty much this. I do like two-lane roads with shoulders, especially when slower traffic can use the shoulder to help faster traffic pass (as is common in parts of Canada and Mexico). But in general, most of the two-lane roads I use with any frequency don't have shoulders and the volume of traffic has made it more difficult to pass on those roads than it was even 15 years ago, so I don't enjoy the back roads as much as I used to when I'm actually trying to get somewhere by a particular time (as opposed to when I'm just driving for the sake of it).

I did not vote in the poll, however.

[sipes23]

Above all, I have to say that I like roads that don't have too many other people on them.

This.

On a side note, I prefer non-interstates and would never drive on the interstate if it weren't for two things.

1. My wife. She gets car sick easily, which is further complicated with not enjoying the "journey" part of travel. She's about the destination.

2. The traffic/distance calculus of the Chicago area.

[NE2]

You forgot separate-right-of-way bike paths.

[1995hoo]

You forgot separate-right-of-way bike paths.

I rather doubt Mehak Chopra posts on this forum.

(She was given six months in jail after pleading guilty to DUI and hit-and-run charges in order to avoid more serious felony charges. Her BAC was measured at 0.192.)

[CNGL-Leudimin]

I don't mind about the width of a road as long as it is in good shape.

[PHLBOS]

Personal suggestion to the above-poll: if it's the OP's intent to include highways that wider than 4 lanes in the above 4-lane categories; then such should be relabeled as 4+ lanes. 

Many of my personal favorite roads/highways to drive on are all wider than 4 lanes.  That said, I don't mind driving on 2-laners along more open, rural stretches... as long as there are some passing zones along the way.

[Zeffy]

If I'm not in a rush, I'll detour to most county roads in New Jersey because they are more peaceful, relaxing, and provide some great scenery in most of the cases. Plus, trucks aren't likely to use them, so the only thing I have to worry about is people who don't do the speed limit (and in some cases, speed traps). (One time, there was a semi truck on CR 514 in Hunterdon County, and I'm so glad there was a passing zone, because I was so close to just going around him anyway on a solid double yellow because the road was NOT build for semi trucks! He couldn't even maintain the speed limit, let alone barely 5 under!)

If I am trying to get somewhere though, nothing beats the excitement of flying down a highway going 70+. I like to mix and match them whenever possible.

My least favorite ones are the major arterials (such as US 1 in New Jersey) that often have a lot of traffic and truck traffic. Nothing pisses me off more than sitting in traffic, or being stuck behind a truck.

[Henry]

It really doesn't matter which road it is as long as it gets me where I want to go. As a kid, I used to like traveling along the narrow 2-lane roads like Route 66, but now I like Interstates better because I've grown accustomed to driving at high speeds over long distances.

[kkt]

I voted "two lanes with shoulders" because I don't like it when there's a just a 10 foot lane and then a cliff.  As long as there's a little shoulder I'm okay.  But actually I like any of those kinds of roads as long as they're not too crowded.

[J N Winkler]

I didn't pick any of the options because it really depends on what I am in the mood to drive.  Basically, the only types of road I consistently avoid are (1) gravel, and (2) paved roads that are clogged with enough stoplights to undermine the desired sense of making progress.

I have been doing a lot more exploring on city streets and paved county roads because of the car I now drive.  City streets are ideal for transmission testing because each stop is an opportunity to observe shift quality as it works up through the gears, and since county roads are still limited to 55 MPH, this keeps RPMs down in top gear, which helps fuel economy and oil consumption.  State highways are still tops for geometry, but county roads often have quite good viewsheds and run past the occasional curiosity.

[Mileage Mike]

I tend to prefer interstates overall because they allow me to cover a long distance in the least amount of time. 

Other types of roads like 2 lanes can be interesting too though depending on how I'm feeling at the time.  In many scenic locations 2 lane roads are your only choice.

[OCGuy81]

Here in southern California, I prefer toll roads simply because they lack traffic that most of the major thoroughfares have.

I head out to Corona and Riverside a lot for work, and being able to take 241 minimizing my time on the 91 is always appreciated!