Longest routes following a continous named waterway

[roadman65]

I got to thinking about US 9W between Fort Lee, NJ and Albany, NY where it closely follows the Hudson River.  In fact I think that at most the US route deviates is 8 miles from the shore of that particular waterway north of Catskill.  Even US 51 and US 61, following the Mississippi River for hundreds of miles breaks away for several miles and even over 20 of those miles in Mississippi in several places.  US 9, along the east side of the Hudson is way more than eight miles in quite a few places for several miles.

US 101 in Oregon follows the Pacific real close with a couple of segments deviating for a considerable difference in only one place that is between Oretown and Lillamook.  That place appears to be more than 8 miles only for only a 20 mile segment.  Of course US 101 in Oregon is much longer than US 9W is in New York, however you cannot say that the mighty Pacific Ocean is a named waterway as it a large geographic body of water covering our Earth.

Even in Michigan M25 runs a close distance from Lake Huron, but that is also a large body of water, though not as large as the four oceans of the world, but still not a long running waterway as a river.

WV 2 and OH 7 do follow the Ohio River, but they do break away at points with distances of farther away from the Ohio than US 9W at is farthest point from the Hudson it deviates, and the other places I do not feel is the lengthy a close journey as US 9W from Fort Lee to Albany or is it?

What do you feel is the longest continuous route along the river that stays within 8 miles of it?

[SteveG1988]

NJ 35 does venture away from the ocean, but runs along it for at least 85% of the route.

[KEVIN_224]

US Route 5 isn't that far from the Connecticut River from about Wethersfield, CT (as part of the Berlin Turnpike with CT Route 15) up to a few miles north of White River Junction, VT.

[froggie]

Never heard of the Great River Road?  Or the Pacific Coast Highway?

[Mapmikey]

US 52 from I-64 Kenova, WV to downtown Cincinnati is around 167 miles along the Ohio River.
OH 7 from US 52 to US 30 (has a max distance from Ohio River of 6 miles in one small section) is around 237 miles
US 30 along the Columbia River is about 265 miles

[Kacie Jane]

Never heard of the Great River Road?  Or the Pacific Coast Highway?

I'm guessing Great River Road wouldn't count because it's not a single numbered route, it's more just a tourist designation.

For your second one, CA 1 should count, but he seems to be making an odd distinction between "body of water" (like the Pacific Ocean) and a waterway like a river.

[hotdogPi]

How long is QC 132's qualifying segment?

[SignGeek101]

How long is QC 132's qualifying segment?

I'd guess 1200 km (745 mi).

[ModernDayWarrior]

Missouri Route 94 stays very close to the Missouri River for basically its entire route (134 miles, according to Wiki).

[Jardine]

I-29 roughly follows the Missouri River from Kansas City to the Vermilion exit in South Dakota.  Around Atchison it gets quite a ways from the river though.

I-80 in Nebraska follows the Platte River a loooong way too.

[mgk920]

US 61 hangs pretty closely to the Mississippi River on nearly its entire length.

Mike

[national highway 1]

FL A1A follows the Indian River and the Gulf Stream for a considerable distance.

[Rothman]

NY 5, Mohawk River

[froggie]

I'm guessing Great River Road wouldn't count because it's not a single numbered route, it's more just a tourist designation.

These days, the Great River Road is more like a signed named route than a "tourist designation".

[jwolfer]

FL A1A follows the Indian River and the Gulf Stream for a considerable distance.

a1a is in several seperated segments. The part from Daytona Beach Shores to Fernandina Beach is longest section. It's never very far from the Atlantic even uses a ferry over St John's River

[dgolub]

US 11 follows the Susquehanna River for about 125 miles in Pennsylvania.

[cl94]

US 20 along Lake Erie between Cleveland and Orchard Park.

I-70 along the Eagle and Colorado Rivers for over 1/3 of its length in Colorado.

I-80 in Nebraska follows the Platte River a loooong way too.

US 30 follows it across most of the width of the state.

[roadman65]

Interesting that we have a good discussion going here.  I know that there are a lot out there, and the I-70 one in Colorado might be the best candidate for a fronting roadway of a riverbank as if memory serves me correctly it stays within a quarter mile of the waterway the whole entire time it runs with it.

[kkt]

I-80 in Nevada follows the Humbolt River from Wells to Humbolt Lake.

I-5 in California follows the Sacramento River from Sacramento to Mt. Shasta, and the Willamette from Eugene to Portland.

CA 99 follows the San Joaquin River from Fresno to Sacramento.

[cl94]

Interesting that we have a good discussion going here.  I know that there are a lot out there, and the I-70 one in Colorado might be the best candidate for a fronting roadway of a riverbank as if memory serves me correctly it stays within a quarter mile of the waterway the whole entire time it runs with it.

If not that close, it doesn't venture much further except near and within Utah. It follows a creek/river continuously from Eisenhower Tunnel to Cisco. That's over 200 miles and the clear winner for a freeway with a single number.

[webfil]

How long is QC 132's qualifying segment?

I'd guess 1200 km (745 mi).

138 is 1420 km (883 mi.), but the 8-mile rule is stretched to the max at some places (Ormstown, Notre-Dame-des-Monts).

[JustDrive]

I-80 in Nevada follows the Humbolt River from Wells to Humbolt Lake.

I-5 in California follows the Sacramento River from Sacramento to Mt. Shasta, and the Willamette from Eugene to Portland.

CA 99 follows the San Joaquin River from Fresno to Sacramento.

99 crosses the San Joaquin River north of Fresno, but it stays pretty far to the east. For example, where CA 152 crosses the river, 99 is about 30 miles east.

US 101 roughly follows the Salinas River between Paso Robles and Soledad (the river moves pretty far west before emptying into Monterey Bay).

[steviep24]

NY 31 which runs near the Erie Canal for most of it's 208 mile length.

[Pete from Boston]

US Route 5 isn't that far from the Connecticut River from about Wethersfield, CT (as part of the Berlin Turnpike with CT Route 15) up to a few miles north of White River Junction, VT.

Almost to St. Johnsbury, in fact.  Over 200 miles.

[Brandon]

I'm guessing Great River Road wouldn't count because it's not a single numbered route, it's more just a tourist designation.

These days, the Great River Road is more like a signed named route than a "tourist designation".

As is the "Illinois River Road" for that matter.