State with the fewest paved entrances

[Sub-Urbanite]

Riffing off a topic on a "Welcome to Nevada" sign thread, what state has the fewest paved roads crossing its border?

Nevada, by my count, has 45.

Oregon had 56 when I stopped counting (I didn't do the OR/CA border).

California was at 48 (again, didn't do the OR/CA border but all others).

Washington has 47 between Oregon and British Columbia, didn't do Idaho.

I'm guessing the likely remaining candidates are Wyoming and New Mexico. Most of the central and eastern states will have too many farm roads crossing borders.

Anyone want to chime in?

[Brandon]

Hawai'i, with zero.

Yes, I'm being a smartass.

[lordsutch]

I'd imagine the winning, non-zero answer would be "Alaska" with, what, 4?

[cl94]

I don't feel like doing the count, but Maine is probably pretty low due to the nature of its borders (long international border, an ocean, and a river are the vast majority).

Alaska is likely under 5. I think only 3 paved roads cross into Canada, with AK 9 being unpaved on the US side. Might be 4.

[Sub-Urbanite]

Sorry, goes without saying that Hawaii and Alaska would be the winners of all 50 states. So what about the lower 48?

Maine seems worth tallying. 25 with Canada (per Wikipedia), and I count at least 32 with New Hampshire... so nope, not Maine.

[SD Mapman]

I don't know how many SD has (especially East River), but West River only state-maintained roads (for the most part) are paved.

However, I think East River counties' insistence on paving all their important roads might knock SD out of contention.

[Brandon]

Michigan might be a contender here.  There are only land borders for a part of Indiana, a part of Ohio, and very little of Wisconsin, so those will need to be counted.  However, there are only four paved roads that go to Ontario (three bridges and a tunnel).  Two more are ferries.  If the UP was counted as its own state (Superior), the number would be much lower, with only two such connections on its eastern end.

[pianocello]

Michigan might be a contender here.  There are only land borders for a part of Indiana, a part of Ohio, and very little of Wisconsin, so those will need to be counted.  However, there are only four paved roads that go to Ontario (three bridges and a tunnel).  Two more are ferries.  If the UP was counted as its own state (Superior), the number would be much lower, with only two such connections on its eastern end.

There are at least ten west of I-94 alone: the towns of Michiana and Michiana Shores have several paved neighborhood streets that cross the border.

[Max Rockatansky]

I can think of 39 for Arizona, I'm sure that I'm missing a couple in the Navajo Nation and along the Colorado River around Yuma.

[Sub-Urbanite]

Arizona, starting at the Colorado River:

• CALIFORNIA - Winterhaven Dr
• I-8
• Quechan Rd
• Laguna Dam Rd
• Hart Mine Rd
• Cibola River Rd
• I-10
• Agnes Wilson Rd
• CA 62
• Parker Dam Rd
• I-40
• Needles Bridge
• NEVADA - Avi Casino Bridge
• NV 163/AZ 68
• US 93
• Hillside Drive
• I-15
• UTAH - US 91
• I-15
• UT59/AZ389
• Willow St
• Richard St
• Lauritzen St
• Central St
• Hildale St
• US 89A
• US 89
• US 163
• US 191
• NEW MEXICO - US 160
• US 64
• IR 13
• IR 12
• IR 12 again
• IR 54
• AZ/NM 264
• NM 118
• I-40
• AZ 61/NM 53
• US 60
• US 180
• AZ/NM 78
• US 70
• I-10
• AZ/NM 80
• SONORA - Douglas
• Naco
• Nogales/19
• Nogales/189
• Sasabe
• Lukeville
• San Luis 195
• San Luis 95

[Sub-Urbanite]

Michigan might be a contender here.  There are only land borders for a part of Indiana, a part of Ohio, and very little of Wisconsin, so those will need to be counted.  However, there are only four paved roads that go to Ontario (three bridges and a tunnel).  Two more are ferries.  If the UP was counted as its own state (Superior), the number would be much lower, with only two such connections on its eastern end.

I can count to 45 just from Lake Erie to US 127.

[Sub-Urbanite]

For the record, here's my tally on Nevada (which ends up at 50), corrections welcome:

• UTAH -NV 233/UT 30
• I-80
• Scobie Dr
• Airport Way/800 South
• Ibapah Rd
• US 50
• NV 487/UT 21
• NV 319/UT 56
• ARIZONA -I-15
• Hillside Dr
• Hoover Dam(technically a dead-end)
• US 93
• NV 163/AZ 68
• Avi Resort Bridge
• CALIFORNIA - Macav Pkwy
• Needles Hwy
• US 95
• Nipton Rd/NV 164
• I-15
• Kingston Rd
• Old Spanish Trail
• CA 178/NV 372
• Bell Vista Rd
• CA 127/NV 373
• Daylight Pass
• Bonnie Claire Rd
• CA/NV 266
• CA 266/NV264
• US 6
• CA 167/NV 359
• CA 182/NV 338
• US 395
• CA/NV 88
• Fredericksburg Rd
• Lake Pkwy East
• US 50
• Lake Pkwy West
• NV 28
• I-80
• Hill Lane
• Henness Pass Rd
• US 395
• Red Rock Road
• Wendel Rd
• Surprise Valley Rd
• OREGON -OR/NV 140
• OR 205/NV 292
• US 95
• IDAHO - ID 51/NV 225
• US 93

[sipes23]

I don't feel like doing the count, but Maine is probably pretty low due to the nature of its borders (long international border, an ocean, and a river are the vast majority).

Alaska is likely under 5. I think only 3 paved roads cross into Canada, with AK 9 being unpaved on the US side. Might be 4.

Maine is at least at 3 between Acton, ME, and Milton, NH, alone. If I were to put my mind to it, I could probably tote up the paved road crossings between ME and NH that I've used at over 20. So I'd not put Maine on the list.

I wouldn't expect WY to have a huge count, but I can think of 7 paved crossings I've used in just the eastern and southeastern parts of the state.

[oscar]

Alaska is likely under 5. I think only 3 paved roads cross into Canada, with AK 9 being unpaved on the US side. Might be 4.

It's four:

AK 2/YT 1 (Alaska Highway)
AK 7/BC 3 (Haines Highway)
AK 98/BC 2 (Klondike Highway)
unnumbered but paved local road in Hyder AK/BC 37A in Stewart BC

But, as Nick belatedly realized, only the lower 48 counts for this kind of discussion. Other posters have wised up, and explicitly limited their topics to the lower 48 from the outset.

[cl94]

Alaska is likely under 5. I think only 3 paved roads cross into Canada, with AK 9 being unpaved on the US side. Might be 4.

It's four:

AK 2/YT 1 (Alaska Highway)
AK 7/BC 3 (Haines Highway)
AK 98/BC 2 (Klondike Highway)
unnumbered but paved local road in Hyder AK/BC 37A in Stewart BC

But, as Nick belatedly realized, only the lower 48 counts for this kind of discussion. Other posters have wised up, and explicitly limited their topics to the lower 48 from the outset.

I wasn't sure if Stewart/Hyder was paved

[bassoon1986]

Louisiana: Wow, I counted 80 for sure paved crossings. Many more that were questionable either because Google Street View doesn't show that road, or it was not a direct crossing. I would have thought we had fewer because of the Mississippi, Pearl, and Sabine Rivers.

With Texas:
LA 82
I-10
LA 12
US 190
LA 8
LA 191
LA 6
US 84
LA 765
LA 172
Keatchie-Marshall Rd
US 79
Elysian Fields Rd.
I-20
US 80
Masters Rd?
Blanchard Latex Rd (Parish Rd. 6)
LA 2
Vivian Airport Rd? (Parish Rd. 154)
Myrtis Texas Line Rd.


with Arkansas:
Browns Cemetery Rd.
Atlanta Mira Rd. at CO Rd. 31
I-49
US 71
LA 3
Bradley Rd.
US 371
Litt Benson Rd.
Spring Branch Rd.
Mimosa Ln.
LA 159
LA 521
US 79
Boilew Rd?
LA 807?
LA 161
Elm, Myrtle, Main, Pine, Plum and Peach Streets in Junction City
Pilgrim's Rest Church Rd
LA 558
LA 550
LA 549
LA 33
LA 142
US 425
LA 591
US 165
LA 17
US 65


with Mississippi:
I-20
US 84
LA 969
US 61
LA 967
LA 19
LA 67
LA 1044
LA 43
LA 441
LA 1053
I-55
US 51
McElveen Rd.
Mc Carter Rd.
LA 450
N Martin Rd.
Mt. Herman Rd.
LA 25
Kirklan Rd.
QD Turnage Rd.
Duncan Rd. 1
Parish Rd. 586
LA 62
Military Rd.
LA 21
Old Columbia Rd.
LA 10
I-59
I-10
US 90

[froggie]

At first I thought Vermont would be fairly low, given a river border on one side, an International border on another, and a large lake along a good chunk of a third.  But I count 60 paved crossings, and that's NOT counting the crossings into Quebec.  Lots of bridges over the Connecticut, plus a number of paved back roads near Bennington.

[cl94]

At first I thought Vermont would be fairly low, given a river border on one side, an International border on another, and a large lake along a good chunk of a third.  But I count 60 paved crossings, and that's NOT counting the crossings into Quebec.  Lots of bridges over the Connecticut, plus a number of paved back roads near Bennington.

There are a surprising amount of paved roads on the NY and MA borders given the rough terrain.

[JCinSummerfield]

Michigan might be a contender here.  There are only land borders for a part of Indiana, a part of Ohio, and very little of Wisconsin, so those will need to be counted.  However, there are only four paved roads that go to Ontario (three bridges and a tunnel).  Two more are ferries.  If the UP was counted as its own state (Superior), the number would be much lower, with only two such connections on its eastern end.

I can count to 45 just from Lake Erie to US 127.

I counted 52 between Lake Erie & US-127.  79 total between MI & OH.  I counted all roads, not just paved roads.

[ET21]

Bit of a stretch, but maybe Florida? Only shares a border with Georgia and a small part of Alabama. The rest of the peninsula is surrounded by water.

[Max Rockatansky]

Bit of a stretch, but maybe Florida? Only shares a border with Georgia and a small part of Alabama. The rest of the peninsula is surrounded by water.

From Jacksonville west past the Okeefenokee Swamp you're right, there isn't much of anything because of the terrain.  It get's pretty border crossing happy especially when get past I-75 though west towards Pensacola.

[Ga293]

What about Utah? The totals listed for Nevada and Arizona put it at 27 paved crossings for the southern and western borders, and I think that's a bit high, a lot of the streets in the Hildale/Colorado City area look to be unpaved. The borders with the other three states are similarly desolate.

[roadman65]

What about New Jersey?  It has the Delaware River separating the border with DE and PA. In fact NJ and DE only have one crossing paved, US 40 and I-295. 

PA has this:

US 322
I-76
I-676/ US 30
Betsy Ross Bridge
NJ to PA 73
NJ to PA 413
The Pa Turnpike
US 1
US 1 Business
Calhoun Street
I-95
Washington's Crossing
NJ to PA 179
US 202
CR 523 to PA 263
NJ 12
Milford
Reigelsville
I-78
Old US 22
US 22
Belvidere
NJ 94 to PA 611
I-80
Dingmans Ferry
US 206

This is where it gets tricky.  Not so much between Orange County, NY and Sussex and Passaic Counties in NJ, but between Bergen and Rockland as both sides of the border between the Ramapo Mountain the Hudson Rive is so suburban with lot of population to get the exact number would require a sit down and examine it all. 

I am guessing that the endless crossing between NJ-NY 17 and US 9W is why no one mentioned it yet.


Edit:  Google is down for me as I tried to go to the NY & NJ land border to count the roads across it and the map is stuck in my home area zoomed in completely.  The search box and even the zoomer and peg man are all gone.  No way am I going to travel 1000 miles in that mode.  I will just wait till Google fixes that.

Second Edit:  68 crossings including the PANYNJ river crossings from CR 521 at Montague to NJ 440 at Perth Amboy.  That leaves this one out, as I never realized this many existed.

[Rothman]

I'm just kicking myself for typing "county" instead of "country."

[Sub-Urbanite]

What about Utah? The totals listed for Nevada and Arizona put it at 27 paved crossings for the southern and western borders, and I think that's a bit high, a lot of the streets in the Hildale/Colorado City area look to be unpaved. The borders with the other three states are similarly desolate.

After making some corrections in Short Creek (Google's superimposed streets made it look as though unpaved roads were paved), here's where Utah's at:

• NEVADA -NV 233/UT 30
• I-80
• Scobie Dr
• Airport Way/800 South
• Ibapah Rd
• US 50
• NV 487/UT 21
• NV 319/UT 56
• ARIZONA - US 91
• I-15
• UT59/AZ389
• Willow St
• Richard St
• Lauritzen St
• Central St
• Hildale St
• US 89A
• US 89
• US 163
• US 191
• COLORADOUT 162/CO 41
• Ismay Trading Post Rd
• Hovenweep Rd
• US 491
• Egnar Cutoff
• UT 46/CO 90
• I-70
• Old US 6/50
• Stanton Rd
• US 40
• Browns Park Rd
• WYOMINGUS 191
• UT 43/WY 530
• UT 43/WY 414
• UT/WY 150
• Yellow Creek Road
• I-80
• UT 16/WY 89
• UT 30/WY 89
• Cokeville/Manhead Rd
• IDAHOEastshore Rd
• US 89
• Lake W Blvd
• Franklin Basin Rd
• 2000 E
• US 91
• Main St
• State St
• 800 W
• Westside Hwy
• I-15
• Frontage Rd
• Holbrook-Stone Rd
• I-84
• ID 81/UT 42