Most dramatic contrasts on a single route in a single state

[thspfc]

Example: US-45 in Wisconsin.
A lightly-traveled two lane road in northern WI through forests and lakes: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.8337501,-89.1885207,3a,90y,355.93h,97.92t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOdz36T66XX4srAN632-6fQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
A slightly busier rural 2-4 lane highway through farmland:
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.7030484,-88.9341101,3a,55.1y,134.3h,87.15t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQKXLLOcMPp_GN1Ei_j5YGw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
A rural four lane freeway:
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.1748013,-88.6645755,3a,53.4y,189.09h,91.28t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s4_tSPmh-j9SM90NsJ9w32g!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D4_tSPmh-j9SM90NsJ9w32g%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D194.69966%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
A city street in Oshkosh:
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0139527,-88.5375933,3a,75y,7.29h,89.84t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1svvn4bs5xJjp8aRKT4Uf3GQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
A beautiful road along Lake Winnebago:
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.8779617,-88.4639743,3a,75y,8.28h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1shiSS4Dq6JSK6SqXKng0XmQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DhiSS4Dq6JSK6SqXKng0XmQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D190.05113%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
A city street again in Fond du Lac:
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7838253,-88.4470687,3a,75y,189.96h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sPWKZYQ2ScjURU_QdTPyIDw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
A rural two lane road again:
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.6639976,-88.2636034,3a,75y,156.19h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s_HYsbZONSXYrXAaoia7_AQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D_HYsbZONSXYrXAaoia7_AQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D191.64388%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
A four lane freeway again:
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3714294,-88.1942436,3a,75y,194.39h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1smlVSOe5ijWlp4-Yq1Nms2Q!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DmlVSOe5ijWlp4-Yq1Nms2Q%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D352.47845%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192
An 8-12 lane freeway with a five level stack:
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0364269,-88.0333745,3a,75y,186.99h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgaenosImLbO035h4NdXFmw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Then back to a rural two lane road:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5473218,-88.0501949,3a,75y,198.92h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sbkgPfNMu8rmoIOsSPD7zeQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DbkgPfNMu8rmoIOsSPD7zeQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D339.54312%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192
Others?

[I-55]

US-33 and US-35 in Ohio go from two lane roads going through small towns on the western side of the state to being expressways and interstate grade facilities through the mountains of eastern Ohio.

US-30 is the inverse, it is a two lane mountain road in the east and becomes the only at grade route (other than US-33) to have a 70 mph speed limit east of the Mississippi in the plains of west Ohio.

[Ned Weasel]

Example: US-45 in Wisconsin. From the Michigan border to around New London, it's a sparsely-traveled two lane highway passing through a few little towns. But in the Milwaukee area, it's an 8 to 10 lane freeway, and passes through a five level stack.
Others?

US 50 in Kansas is similar like that.  2-lane road in Western Kansas, 8-lane freeway with C-D roadways in Northeast Kansas, except the latter part is part of I-435, and US 50's turn-off from I-35 to I-435 is only shown on supplemental ground-mounted signs.

[Super Mateo]

Going southbound, IL 83 goes from a major road with interchanges and sparse stoplights, to a regular arterial, to mostly quiet two lane road through the forest preserves, to a basic suburban arterial.  The route does not go anywhere south of Chicagoland.

[Max Rockatansky]

CA 4 goes from far flung one lane seasonal mountain pass to a levee bound highways in the Sacramento River Delta before becoming a major urban freeway near the Carquinez Strait.  The historic extent of CA 2 would probably be the only real contender given current CA 173 and it's dirt segment were part of the highway.  CA 1 doesn't quite go down to the level of CA 4 over Ebbetts Pass but it highly contrasts from rural coast road to urban freeway in places like Monterey and the San Francisco Peninsula. 

[TheHighwayMan3561]

In Minnesota it's probably MN 65, originating in the heart of downtown Minneapolis at the south end, while near the north end parts of the route weren't paved until 2000.

[Roadgeekteen]

In Massachusetts, probably MA 2.

[hotdogPi]

In Massachusetts, probably MA 2.

MA 2 is still major in western Massachusetts, even though it's a surface road. What about MA 140? (I briefly considered 57 and 79, but they're minor freeways, making the contrast less.)

[zachary_amaryllis]

SH-14 here in colorado..

starts way up in the mountains on muddy pass at us 40, 8700 feet, drops down to the 7000s or so in north park, then up to 10,200 on cameron pass... down the canyon into the front range urban corridor in fort collins, then all the way out on the plains to sterling at us 6/138 at like 3900 feet.

[GaryV]

For Michigan, my initial response was going to be I-75, comparing Detroit and other cities with the sparseness of the northern LP and the UP.  But then I thought, at least it's a freeway the whole way.

So I nominate US-23 instead.  Urban freeway (near Toledo, Ann Arbor, Flint, Saginaw) that changes to a lakeshore vacation surface route, going through smaller towns and cities.

Similar characteristics exist for US-31 and US-131. 

[sprjus4]

For interstates, I-64 for Virginia.

The 299 mile long highway enters the western part of the state from West Virginia, traversing through the eastern part of the Appalachian Mountains, carrying below 10,000 AADT in most areas, the lightest traveled interstate in the state.

On the opposite end however, I-64 is the main interstate highway in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, in many places 8 lanes or wider, carrying well over 100,000 AADT in many areas, dropping to around 90,000 AADT on its eastern end (near Bowers Hill in Chesapeake). The interstate traverses through Williamsburg, Newport News and Hampton on the Peninsula, then crosses the Hampton Roads harbor on the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT) to serve the Southside cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake. Four auxiliary interstates, the only ones of I-64 in the state, I-264, I-464, I-564, and I-664 serve the other cities, Suffolk and Portsmouth, and connects other areas not served directly by I-64.

I-64 is the main route used east of I-295 (Richmond), carrying over 60,000 AADT and much higher during peak weekends on only 4 lanes, for tourists bound to the Virginia Beach oceanfront and further south to the Outer Banks via VA-168, NC-168, and US-158, both popular destinations during the summer. Efforts are currently underway to widen the entire corridor to 6 lanes between I-295 and Newport News to 6 lanes, and since 2017, nearly 20 miles have been complete, with an additional 8 miles underway near Williamsburg, which will leave only 27 miles left to be funded and constructed.

[zachary_amaryllis]

For interstates, I-64 for Virginia.

The 299 mile long highway enters the western part of the state from West Virginia, traversing through the eastern part of the Appalachian Mountains, carrying below 10,000 AADT in most areas, the lightest traveled interstate in the state.

i completely forgot that one.. quite the contrast indeed.. (lived in smithfield va at one time)

[SectorZ]

In Massachusetts, probably MA 2.

MA 2 is still major in western Massachusetts, even though it's a surface road. What about MA 140? (I briefly considered 57 and 79, but they're minor freeways, making the contrast less.)

MA 9. It's relatively unimportant in western Mass, but east of Worcester is a 4-6 lane roadway all the way into Boston.

[debragga]

US-67 in Texas goes from being a rural 2-lane road in West Texas to being multiplexed with the busy I-35E and I-30 freeways in Dallas.

LA-1 in Louisiana is a rural 2-lane road in most of the state, but is one of the main north-south arteries in Shreveport.

[US 89]

Utah's best example is probably SR 92...which goes from a narrow, winding, seasonal mountain road to a four-lane expressway with its own set of additional "commuter" express lanes.

[KeithE4Phx]

Example: US-45 in Wisconsin. From the Michigan border to around New London, it's a sparsely-traveled two lane highway passing through a few little towns. But in the Milwaukee area, it's an 8 to 10 lane freeway, and passes through a five level stack.
Others?

"Sparsely?"  Apparently you've never driven it on a Saturday during the summer, when one group of Wisconsin Northwoods and Upper Peninsula vacationers go home and the next group comes in.  Those "little towns" along 45 and points 20 miles either side of it are chock full of lakes, all filled with summer homes and resorts.

Same goes for US 51, which is about 30 miles west of 45.  Lots of lakes with summer homes and resorts in its vicinity as well.

[JayhawkCO]

SH-14 here in colorado..

starts way up in the mountains on muddy pass at us 40, 8700 feet, drops down to the 7000s or so in north park, then up to 10,200 on cameron pass... down the canyon into the front range urban corridor in fort collins, then all the way out on the plains to sterling at us 6/138 at like 3900 feet.

For state routes, I'd agree, but I'd have to go with I-70.  Between the plains, Denver metro, the mountains, and then the mesas, even more variation.  CO14's Fort Collins segment isn't exactly urban.

Chris

[KeithE4Phx]

In Arizona, I'll go with US 60.  Desert, small towns, retirement cities, a bad part of west Phoenix, then freeway (with I-17, then I-10, and finally its own) to Apache Junction.  Then it meanders through mining towns, through the Salt River Canyon, then up into the mountains before entering New Mexico.

[wanderer2575]

US-33 and US-35 in Ohio go from two lane roads going through small towns on the western side of the state to being expressways and interstate grade facilities through the mountains of eastern Ohio.

US-30 is the inverse, it is a two lane mountain road in the east and becomes the only at grade route (other than US-33) to have a 70 mph speed limit east of the Mississippi in the plains of west Ohio.

I think top honors in Ohio go to OH-315, which is a six-lane urban freeway within the Columbus beltway and a rural two-lane road between the beltway and its northern terminus with US-23 in Delaware.

[KCRoadFan]

I-55 in Missouri.

Between the St. Louis area and Cape Girardeau, I-55 is characterized by hilly terrain as it runs along the Mississippi River bluffs; south of Cape, it gives way to the Delta lowlands and is pretty much flat all the way to Memphis.

Also I-70 in Colorado: flat east of Denver, mountainous to the west.

[cwf1701]

For Michigan, my initial response was going to be I-75, comparing Detroit and other cities with the sparseness of the northern LP and the UP.  But then I thought, at least it's a freeway the whole way.

So I nominate US-23 instead.  Urban freeway (near Toledo, Ann Arbor, Flint, Saginaw) that changes to a lakeshore vacation surface route, going through smaller towns and cities.

Similar characteristics exist for US-31 and US-131.

and a good second choice, M-53. From Gratiot (M-3), M-53 starts out as a Urban road with a center turn lane, then a Divided Highway from 15-18 Mile road with Michigan Left, then a freeway from 18-28 Mile road. Expressway from 28-34 Mile road. and 2 lane road passing thru towns up to its northern termius in the Thumb at M-25.

[Roadrunner75]

US 9 in New Jersey:

From this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8559075,-73.9712837,3a,75y,302.02h,85.8t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sckkny3cnbDQJ-agYCoYbpQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
To this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7354835,-74.091125,3a,75y,257.4h,81.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEy5eu-95wZDp4wfv2FmLgw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
To this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5808378,-74.284501,3a,75y,204.23h,105.12t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sulJx_Mo9gK5zYU9yk8pKtQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DulJx_Mo9gK5zYU9yk8pKtQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D64.75083%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192
To this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.5158044,-74.458729,3a,76.4y,186.09h,83.42t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfEw59rMAosirBJVVr6MzgQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
To this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.9671976,-74.9667703,3a,75y,276.33h,86.96t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPW4uMPLckpFA2Wlz0GMbkJqb4HhJ7L2pn6SQFp!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPW4uMPLckpFA2Wlz0GMbkJqb4HhJ7L2pn6SQFp%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0.149994-ya326.1616-ro0.4143933-fo100!7i5760!8i2880

[pianocello]

Indiana SR 49.

North of US 30, it's a major expressway serving as a shortcut between US 30 and the Toll Road/I-94, and used by commuter traffic between Valparaiso and Chicago.

South of US 30, it's a quiet 2-lane road that passes through rural areas and small towns.

[Max Rockatansky]

In Arizona, I'll go with US 60.  Desert, small towns, retirement cities, a bad part of west Phoenix, then freeway (with I-17, then I-10, and finally its own) to Apache Junction.  Then it meanders through mining towns, through the Salt River Canyon, then up into the mountains before entering New Mexico.

If I was going to go State Highway I would pick AZ 87 for similar reasons.  The only thing AZ 87 doesn't have is a true freeway segment but the Beeline Highway is a pretty damn spectacular expressway. 

[KeithE4Phx]

In Arizona, I'll go with US 60.  Desert, small towns, retirement cities, a bad part of west Phoenix, then freeway (with I-17, then I-10, and finally its own) to Apache Junction.  Then it meanders through mining towns, through the Salt River Canyon, then up into the mountains before entering New Mexico.

If I was going to go State Highway I would pick AZ 87 for similar reasons.  The only thing AZ 87 doesn't have is a true freeway segment but the Beeline Highway is a pretty damn spectacular expressway.

I decided on US 60 because it's longer.  AZ 87 and I-17 deserve honorable mentions.