Using the word "the" before a highway number

[golden eagle]

I guess this is mainly a Southern California thing. Instead of say I-5 or I-405, I usually heard "the 5", "the 405", "the 805", etc. Is this common practice anywhere else.

[dfwmapper]

The Phoenix area, directly inherited from SoCal.

[sammi]

Here in my area I commonly hear (and say myself) "the 401", "the 404", "the QEW", etc. Maybe only for the 400 series highways though; Highway 7 is never "the 7".

[pumpkineater2]

In the phoenix area, I usually only say/hear "the" when referring to loop 101,202, and 303. When referring to interstates, or US routes, I typically say/hear "I-10", or "US 60"

I think it sounds wrong to say "the" when talking about an interstate; the prefix for interstates is I. No need for this "the" business, but that's just me.

[KEK Inc.]

I think people migrating from Southern California are going to Seattle looking for water.  I'm starting to hear 'the' being used up here.

[SignGeek101]

Here in my area I commonly hear (and say myself) "the 401", "the 404", "the QEW", etc. Maybe only for the 400 series highways though; Highway 7 is never "the 7".

When I used to live in Hamilton, everyone called the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway "the Linc".  Take "the Linc" west to the "4 oh 3" east until you hit the "4 oh 1".

[admtrap]

It's one of the few truly distinctive aspects of the Los Angeles regional dialect.  As such it shows up in places with a lot of former Angelinos (Phoenix, Seattle, Las Vegas, perhaps Denver?). 

The first moment I realized it was non-standard English was when I moved to Virginia, and I referred to a place "on the way to the 64."  Other Angelinos immediately understood I meant the nearby Interstate 64, while non-Angelinos had to think about it.

Within California but outside the LA metro area, it's a very strong north-south divide.  If you use "the," you're identifying with Los Angeles, and are therefore to be scorned.  If you don't, you are identifying with the San Francisco Bay area... and are therefore to be doubly scorned.

[roadman65]

I hear the for FL 417 on some traffic reports.  You will here something like "an accident on the 417" or "traffic slow on the 408" however I-4 is I-4 and FL 436 is four thirty six.

[1995hoo]

There is one person on this forum who says "the I-95," "the I-87," etc., and purported to "correct" me one time when I did not use the word "the" in a sentence along the lines of, "I-95 is backed up for ten miles from I-495 to Woodbridge." This person claimed it should have been "The I-95 is backed up ... from the I-495 to Woodbridge." I believe that poster lives somewhere in New York State. I've never heard anyone else use "the" before "I-xx" except where grammar requires it (an example might be "allegedly the I-95 interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be constructed before the Second Coming").

I don't understand the need for "the" either in addition to or in place of "I-," or for that matter any other route indicator. The route number should be sufficient on its own because the context of giving directions or describing roads makes it clear enough. "Take northbound 495 to 270, follow it to where it ends, and continue straight onto 15 until you see the exit for Gettysburg." I don't understand why anyone would feel the need to use "the." (With that said, I use "I-" or "US-" or whatever when I give directions because I figure it helps prompt the other person to look for a particular route marker.)

The exception to the route number being enough would, of course, be where the same number is used twice in close proximity. The infamous sign near Clear Spring, Maryland, distinguishing between MD-68 and I-68 would be a fine example of a situation where "Take 70 west to 68" is insufficient. But the use of "the" wouldn't make anything clearer.

[hotdogPi]

There is one person on this forum who says "the I-95," "the I-87," etc., and purported to "correct" me one time when I did not use the word "the" in a sentence along the lines of, "I-95 is backed up for ten miles from I-495 to Woodbridge." This person claimed it should have been "The I-95 is backed up ... from the I-495 to Woodbridge." I believe that poster lives somewhere in New York State.

Ontario uses it, and New York borders Ontario (across rivers with several toll bridges). Depending on where exactly he lives, it might be normal to use it there.

[1995hoo]

There is one person on this forum who says "the I-95," "the I-87," etc., and purported to "correct" me one time when I did not use the word "the" in a sentence along the lines of, "I-95 is backed up for ten miles from I-495 to Woodbridge." This person claimed it should have been "The I-95 is backed up ... from the I-495 to Woodbridge." I believe that poster lives somewhere in New York State.

Ontario uses it, and New York borders Ontario (across rivers with several toll bridges). Depending on where exactly he lives, it might be normal to use it there.

But does Ontario use it before another sort of route designator? That was what I was noting–instead of the style "the 401" that is used in Ontario or parts of California, this poster would say "the I-95." So instead of "take the 95 to the 87," which already sounds wrong to me, this poster would say "take the I-95 to the I-87." I don't understand that to be a common style in Ontario or anywhere.

[Pete from Boston]

There is one person on this forum who says "the I-95," "the I-87," etc., and purported to "correct" me one time when I did not use the word "the" in a sentence along the lines of, "I-95 is backed up for ten miles from I-495 to Woodbridge." This person claimed it should have been "The I-95 is backed up ... from the I-495 to Woodbridge." I believe that poster lives somewhere in New York State.

Ontario uses it, and New York borders Ontario (across rivers with several toll bridges). Depending on where exactly he lives, it might be normal to use it there.

I have heard people from Western New York do this, come to think of it.  But out here in the coastal Northeast, it's "Route xx" or just the number, or even the road's name instead of either.  In the last case "the" is used, as in "the Deegan," "the Southeast Expressway."  I think I've only heard non-native English speakers not say "the" with names of this type, though I have seen them written online in otherwise proper prose without "the," which of course reads terribly.

[1995hoo]

I can think of situations where leaving out "the" with that sort of road name sounds better. Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn is a good example. You don't say "take the Ocean Parkway to Foster Avenue," for example. In that case it's more in the nature of a street name. I guess it has to do with how the road functions. Around the corner from my neighborhood there's a street called "Kingstowne Village Parkway" that never gets a "the," but about a mile and a half or so to the west there's a road that's always called "the Franconia—Springfield Parkway" ("the" is never omitted). I'd be hard-pressed to come up with any logic beyond "I know it when I see it," but I suppose maybe there's something to the idea of whether the road functions as a regular street versus whether it functions more in the nature of a higher-speed highway. (I suppose this really is sort of illogical when you get right down to it. Why should "Lake Village Drive" be any different from "George Washington Memorial Parkway" in whether you preface it with "the"? But it is different.)

I've heard XM traffic reporters omitting "the" when it's needed and inserting it when it's not. For example, "I-95 is slow from Occoquan River Bridge [should have a 'the' before the bridge's name] to the Triangle [should not have a 'the' because it's the name of a town]." In this case I think it's simply poor training when it comes to reading text off a screen. As you say, it's very jarring when you hear it misused.

[Zeffy]

There is one person on this forum who says "the I-95," "the I-87," etc., and purported to "correct" me one time when I did not use the word "the" in a sentence along the lines of, "I-95 is backed up for ten miles from I-495 to Woodbridge." This person claimed it should have been "The I-95 is backed up ... from the I-495 to Woodbridge." I believe that poster lives somewhere in New York State.

They reside in New Jersey.

I have heard people from Western New York do this, come to think of it.  But out here in the coastal Northeast, it's "Route xx" or just the number, or even the road's name instead of either.  In the last case "the" is used, as in "the Deegan," "the Southeast Expressway."  I think I've only heard non-native English speakers not say "the" with names of this type, though I have seen them written online in otherwise proper prose without "the," which of course reads terribly.

In New Jersey, you have the Turnpike, the Parkway, and, to some extent, the Expressway (evidently what they call the Atlantic City Expressway). Everything else is Route XX or just the numbers itself. Then in New York City, you have the B.Q.E., the Van Wyck, etc. Interestingly enough, I've heard people say "Take Long Island Expressway to.." without using the.

Do people in Pennsylvania call I-76 the Schuylkill (or as they like to refer to it - the Surekill  )?

[02 Park Ave]

Regarding, "I-95 is slow from Occoquan River Bridge [should have a 'the' before the bridge's name] to the Triangle [should not have a 'the' because it's the name of a town].",  here's another correction.  It should be "The I-95".

[1995hoo]

Regarding, "I-95 is slow from Occoquan River Bridge [should have a 'the' before the bridge's name] to the Triangle [should not have a 'the' because it's the name of a town].",  here's another correction.  It should be "The I-95".

Why? There is no reason for "the" there. Your comment is not a "correction."

[jeffandnicole]

Regarding, "I-95 is slow from Occoquan River Bridge [should have a 'the' before the bridge's name] to the Triangle [should not have a 'the' because it's the name of a town].",  here's another correction.  It should be "The I-95".

No, there is no "The". Especially from Jersey, where have you ever seen "The" used in front of a route number?

[02 Park Ave]

Well, if they had said "The Shirley Highway ..." would there have been a problem?

[jeffandnicole]

Read it out: 

"The Interstate 95 is slow..."

"Interstate 95 is slow..."

You are referring to Interstate 95, which is the entire subject.  By adding The, you change the subject to just 95, with Interstate being an adjective.

Thus, "I-95 is slow" is the proper way to say the highway designation.

[02 Park Ave]

I've always heard "the" before interstate highway designations, but only then.  I heard it on KYW this morning when they reported on lane realignments,

For state and county highways, its "Route 70" or just "561".

[Pete from Boston]

In New Jersey, you have the Turnpike, the Parkway, and, to some extent in South Jersey, the Expressway (evidently what they call the Atlantic City Expressway).

FTFY.  People in North Jersey, for reasons made obvious by looking at a map, have very little to do with the Atlantic City Expressway.  There's little enough familiarity that you don't really have a shorthand for it up there.  But this is digression.

[odditude]

more simply, in the greater Philly area, you only use "the" with a named highway. It's either "76" or "the Schuylkill," "676" or "the Vine," "276" or "the (PA) Turnpike," "476" or "the Blue Route" or "the NE Extension." the only partial exception is 42 - it's either "42" or "the 42 Freeway" (never just "the 42"). There's 95, 295, 195, and 55, and then the Turnpike, the Expressway, and the Parkway.

[golden eagle]

One thing I don't get is why I-10 in Los Angeles is sometimes referred to as "the 10 Freeway". It's more convenient to say I-10.

[roadman65]

Got a better question why does Texas add an "H" to all interstate routes?  Why can't I-30 be used instead of IH 30?  Why add an extra letter?

Also, did not Ohio used to at one time add an "R" to interstate route designations just as Texas did for their respected interstates?

Personally I would rather use the "the" than call a road IH or IR or do as us New Jerseyans do and just say "ROUTE."

[briantroutman]

One thing I don't get is why I-10 in Los Angeles is sometimes referred to as "the 10 Freeway". It's more convenient to say I-10.

I theorize that it's rooted in the fact that, unlike many parts of the country, all (or nearly all) LA freeways are named, the names actually appear on many guide signs, and people in LA have historically referred to most freeways by their name in speech–"the Hollywood Freeway"  and "the Harbor Freeway"  and so on.

But in the cases where one route number follows the same named freeway for most or all of its length, such as with I-405, the full title "the San Diego Freeway"  would get shortened to "the 405 Freeway"  and further to just "the 405" .

Also as people commute further over multiple named freeways, it becomes easier to say "the 101 Freeway"  or "the 101"  instead of "the Hollywood Freeway to the Ventura Freeway..." .

A lot of newer names haven't really stuck ("the Glenn Anderson Freeway" , "the Artesia Freeway" ), so those went straight to being "the 105"  and "the 91" .