Furthest away control point for major cities

[thspfc]

MSP: Madison

Interesting how MSP signs Madison, but Madison does not sign MSP despite MSP being much larger. Madison instead uses Wisconsin Dells for the I-94 corridor, which I think is the right choice. And most of the control cities in southern Wisconsin are in place to help people from Illinois anyways. But if I was MSP I would use Eau Claire, Milwaukee, or even Chicago over Madison.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MSP: Madison

Interesting how MSP signs Madison, but Madison does not sign MSP despite MSP being much larger. Madison instead uses Wisconsin Dells for the I-94 corridor, which I think is the right choice. And most of the control cities in southern Wisconsin are in place to help people from Illinois anyways. But if I was MSP I would use Eau Claire, Milwaukee, or even Chicago over Madison.

To me Madison makes sense as a jumping off point to those two major metros. That said Eau Claire would be a bit more in line with MnDOT practice of using regional destinations as control cities over more significant long haul ones (Albert Lea, St. Cloud). Now that MN 60 is done, I wouldn't be opposed to changing the control from Albert Lea to DSM since probably 90% of traffic heading down 35 to Albert Lea is planning to blow through it into Iowa since pretty much anything along I-90 is better accessed from MSP by other corridors whether that's US 169/MN 60 or US 52.

[Occidental Tourist]

Flagstaff has LA (465 mi), Phoenix (322 mi), and Albuquerque (144 mi) as its control cities.

[TheStranger]

Since individual cities examples are being mentioned:

San Francisco notably has no long-distance controls in the slightest!  US 101 south is signed for San Jose (about 35-40 miles south), and north just to the Golden Gate Bridge.  I-280 south is signed for Daly City (literally adjacent to SF, and about 9 miles from downtown), and I-80 east is signed for Oakland (9-10 miles east).

in San Jose, Los Angeles (about 360-370 miles south via US 101) is the furthest control city, followed by the indirect control of Sacramento for 680 north going to 80 (about 113 miles via the entire 70 mile routing of I-680 and 43 miles of 80 east), then Oakland (40 miles north) for 880 and Santa Cruz (30 miles south) for 880 south/17 south.  85 is signed going north for its Mountain View terminus (10 miles from SJ) and south to Gilroy via US 101 (about 30 miles south past the southern 85/101 junction).

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Sacramento-LA was already mentioned earlier in the thread.  The other control cities in the region:

Fresno along 99 south (165 miles south)
Yuba City along 99 north (42 miles north)
Redding on 5 north (162 miles north)
San Francisco along 80 west (85 miles west)
South Lake Tahoe along 50 east (100 miles east)
Roseville briefly on 160 north (former 40 east/99E north) in North Sacramento (15 miles northeast)
Reno along 80 east (130 miles northeast)

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IIRC, in the East Los Angeles Interchange complex, Sacramento via I-5 (384 miles as noted earlier in thread) is the only long distance control, replacing the older US 99/Golden State Freeway/Highway control of Bakersfield.  Otherwise everything is within the metro area: Santa Ana (30 miles south) via 101/5, Los Angeles Civic Center (4 miles northwest) via the US 101 segment of the Santa Ana Freeway, followed by Ventura (40 miles west) along 101 (and in the past, Hollywood at only 4 miles further out!); San Bernardino (55 miles via 10 and 215) for 10 east, Pomona (28 miles east) on 60, Santa Monica (20 miles west) via 10 west.

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San Diego has the following destinations:

Escondido for Route 163 (former US 395) - 30.5 miles
Los Angeles for I-5 and I-805 - 120 miles
El Centro for I-8 east - 114 miles
"Beaches" for I-8 west - 5 miles from I-5
Riverside for 15 north - 101 miles north from I-5/Route 15 junction to Riverside via I-215 north

[1995hoo]

As of last year, Miami remained on one sign near Petersburg, Virginia, just south of the I-85 interchange. The bigger and more well-known signs to the north no longer list it, but that one still did. I haven't been that way this year to know whether it's still there.

Charlotte appears on I-77 north of its concurrency with I-81, some 138 miles away. Not sure whether that's the furthest sign for that city.

All of the Miami signage appears to be gone. I-85 is still signed for Durham and Atlanta, though.

I swore I saw one remaining "Miami" near the US-460 interchange on I-95 South last month.

Yeah, there's one still there.

The one seen in this Street View (pan the image if needed) is the one I meant and appears to be the same one the two of you mean. I was hedging just because I haven't been south in a while–we normally would have gone for Christmas, but (1) we lost my father so I thought it was important not to leave my mother alone for Christmas and (2) I started a new job right before last Christmas and so couldn't take the time off. Then, of course, this year.... either way, I didn't know if the sign might have been replaced in the interim.

https://goo.gl/maps/enfQJprf8wAmdTjm8


Edited to add: Clicking through that area on Street View just now, I don't see any signs that list Atlanta–most list only Durham for I-85, except for the one sign that lists South Hill and Blackstone (I assume the odd order with the more distant South Hill listed first is due to Blackstone being along US-460, not I-85).

[Roadgeekteen]

Since individual cities examples are being mentioned:

San Francisco notably has no long-distance controls in the slightest!  US 101 south is signed for San Jose (about 35-40 miles south), and north just to the Golden Gate Bridge.  I-280 south is signed for Daly City (literally adjacent to SF, and about 9 miles from downtown), and I-80 east is signed for Oakland (9-10 miles east).

in San Jose, Los Angeles (about 360-370 miles south via US 101) is the furthest control city, followed by the indirect control of Sacramento for 680 north going to 80 (about 113 miles via the entire 70 mile routing of I-680 and 43 miles of 80 east), then Oakland (40 miles north) for 880 and Santa Cruz (30 miles south) for 880 south/17 south.  85 is signed going north for its Mountain View terminus (10 miles from SJ) and south to Gilroy via US 101 (about 30 miles south past the southern 85/101 junction).

---

Sacramento-LA was already mentioned earlier in the thread.  The other control cities in the region:

Fresno along 99 south (165 miles south)
Yuba City along 99 north (42 miles north)
Redding on 5 north (162 miles north)
San Francisco along 80 west (85 miles west)
South Lake Tahoe along 50 east (100 miles east)
Roseville briefly on 160 north (former 40 east/99E north) in North Sacramento (15 miles northeast)
Reno along 80 east (130 miles northeast)

---

IIRC, in the East Los Angeles Interchange complex, Sacramento via I-5 (384 miles as noted earlier in thread) is the only long distance control, replacing the older US 99/Golden State Freeway/Highway control of Bakersfield.  Otherwise everything is within the metro area: Santa Ana (30 miles south) via 101/5, Los Angeles Civic Center (4 miles northwest) via the US 101 segment of the Santa Ana Freeway, followed by Ventura (40 miles west) along 101 (and in the past, Hollywood at only 4 miles further out!); San Bernardino (55 miles via 10 and 215) for 10 east, Pomona (28 miles east) on 60, Santa Monica (20 miles west) via 10 west.

---

San Diego has the following destinations:

Escondido for Route 163 (former US 395) - 30.5 miles
Los Angeles for I-5 and I-805 - 120 miles
El Centro for I-8 east - 114 miles
"Beaches" for I-8 west - 5 miles from I-5
Riverside for 15 north - 101 miles north from I-5/Route 15 junction to Riverside via I-215 north

Wish Cali embraced Portland, Phoenix, and Yuma as control cities.

[Avalanchez71]

Nashville used to have Saint Louis as a control point on I-24 NW of the Nashville core.  Sadly that was replaced with Clarksville, TN.  The I-65 south point was Birmingham, AL it is now Huntsville, AL.

I-65 north is Louisville, KY.

[1995hoo]

Found an overhead LGS using Ottawa as a control city in Sault Ste. Marie, some 490 miles away:

https://goo.gl/maps/YJ6DvkaZJQK74HM48

[Crown Victoria]

Pittsburgh:  Middletown, PA at the Turnpike's Harrisburg East interchange with I-283/PA-283, some 200 miles away
Harrisburg: Gibsonia, PA at the Turnpike's Allegheny Valley interchange with PA 28, about 195 miles away.
Erie: Bridgeville, PA entering I-79 at Exit 55, about 125 miles away.
Philadelphia: Middlesex, PA at the Turnpike's Carlisle interchange with I-81/US 11, about 110 miles away.
Breezewood: New Stanton, PA at the Turnpike's New Stanton interchange with I-70/US 119/Turnpike 66, 86 miles away 

[roadman65]

Orlando on Florida's Turnpike starting in Miami area 200 plus miles depending on location.

Used to be Wildwood on US 1 north at the Florida Turnpike south terminus back in 1990 at 305 miles out. I think Orlando is there now at 260 miles via the Turnpike and I-4.

El Paso on I-10 in SA at 500 miles out.

[GaryV]

Found an overhead LGS using Ottawa as a control city in Sault Ste. Marie, some 490 miles away:

https://goo.gl/maps/YJ6DvkaZJQK74HM48

The sign facing the opposite side is for Thunder Bay, 440 miles without any intermediate points listed.

[thspfc]

Found an overhead LGS using Ottawa as a control city in Sault Ste. Marie, some 490 miles away:

https://goo.gl/maps/YJ6DvkaZJQK74HM48

Wow, that's crazy. Doesn't quite beat the 530 miles between Chicago and Memphis though.

[WillWeaverRVA]

As of last year, Miami remained on one sign near Petersburg, Virginia, just south of the I-85 interchange. The bigger and more well-known signs to the north no longer list it, but that one still did. I haven't been that way this year to know whether it's still there.

Charlotte appears on I-77 north of its concurrency with I-81, some 138 miles away. Not sure whether that's the furthest sign for that city.

All of the Miami signage appears to be gone. I-85 is still signed for Durham and Atlanta, though.

I swore I saw one remaining "Miami" near the US-460 interchange on I-95 South last month.

Yeah, there's one still there.

I must've missed that one, and I was looking for them too. I sure didn't do a good job!

[jp the roadgeek]

I would say Hartford and Providence are mutual.  Providence's farthest would be I-84 Exit 59 in CT for I-384, while Hartford's farthest would be I-95 RI Exit 22 for US 6 West.  Both are about 75 miles from their control city.  The funny thing: neither is the most direct route to the other

[1995hoo]

Found an overhead LGS using Ottawa as a control city in Sault Ste. Marie, some 490 miles away:

https://goo.gl/maps/YJ6DvkaZJQK74HM48

Wow, that's crazy. Doesn't quite beat the 530 miles between Chicago and Memphis though.

I didn't compare it to any other one because I understood the thread to be asking for the longest distances we know of for particular cities, not the longest distance to any city anywhere period. If it were the latter–the longest distance to a control city anywhere–then the sign I linked in reply #14 that shows 3,177 km to Magadan likely wins.

[GaryA]

Flagstaff has LA (465 mi), Phoenix (322 mi), and Albuquerque (144 mi) as its control cities.

I think you have the Phoenix and Albuquerque mileages reversed.

[DTComposer]

Wish Cali embraced Portland, Phoenix, and Yuma as control cities.

They do - at (I believe) appropriate places. I-5 begins using Portland at Redding - still 421 miles away from Portland. I-8 uses Yuma starting at El Centro - only 60 miles away, but considering they're comparable metro areas, using the in-state city from San Diego makes sense. I-10 uses Phoenix starting at Indio - 246 miles away; again, using an in-state metro of significant size makes sense from Los Angeles.

I could support the argument that I-10 use Palm Springs/Phoenix or Indio/Phoenix starting at San Bernardino instead of the infamous "Other Desert Cities."

[Big John]

Bismarck ND has Billings MT as a control city.

[hbelkins]

Nashville used to have Saint Louis as a control point on I-24 NW of the Nashville core.  Sadly that was replaced with Clarksville, TN.  The I-65 south point was Birmingham, AL it is now Huntsville, AL.

I-65 north is Louisville, KY.

I was going to say, Mt. Vernon isn't the control point, Clarksville is.

As far as Kentucky's are concerned, for Louisville it would be St. Louis; and for Lexington, Knoxville.

[I-55]

Nashville used to have Saint Louis as a control point on I-24 NW of the Nashville core.  Sadly that was replaced with Clarksville, TN.  The I-65 south point was Birmingham, AL it is now Huntsville, AL.

I-65 north is Louisville, KY.

I was going to say, Mt. Vernon isn't the control point, Clarksville is.

As far as Kentucky's are concerned, for Louisville it would be St. Louis; and for Lexington, Knoxville.

There are two ways people are reading this thread: 1) The furthest control city from a particular city's control cities and 2) the furthest away from a control city that the control city is mentioned.

For example, I read it as the furthest away that Nashville is mentioned is Mt Vernon, IL, and from the way HB read it it would seem as though Mt Vernon was the control city in Nashville (which we all know it isn't).

[Roadgeekteen]

Nashville used to have Saint Louis as a control point on I-24 NW of the Nashville core.  Sadly that was replaced with Clarksville, TN.  The I-65 south point was Birmingham, AL it is now Huntsville, AL.

I-65 north is Louisville, KY.

I was going to say, Mt. Vernon isn't the control point, Clarksville is.

As far as Kentucky's are concerned, for Louisville it would be St. Louis; and for Lexington, Knoxville.

There are two ways people are reading this thread: 1) The furthest control city from a particular city's control cities and 2) the furthest away from a control city that the control city is mentioned.

For example, I read it as the furthest away that Nashville is mentioned is Mt Vernon, IL, and from the way HB read it it would seem as though Mt Vernon was the control city in Nashville (which we all know it isn't).

I meant the furthest away from a control city that the control city is mentioned, but feel free to answer both.

[ilpt4u]

Nashville used to have Saint Louis as a control point on I-24 NW of the Nashville core.  Sadly that was replaced with Clarksville, TN.  The I-65 south point was Birmingham, AL it is now Huntsville, AL.

I-65 north is Louisville, KY.

I was going to say, Mt. Vernon isn't the control point, Clarksville is.

As far as Kentucky's are concerned, for Louisville it would be St. Louis; and for Lexington, Knoxville.

There are two ways people are reading this thread: 1) The furthest control city from a particular city's control cities and 2) the furthest away from a control city that the control city is mentioned.

For example, I read it as the furthest away that Nashville is mentioned is Mt Vernon, IL, and from the way HB read it it would seem as though Mt Vernon was the control city in Nashville (which we all know it isn't).

I'm pretty sure the farthest away Nashville (TN) is signed as a Control is Mt Vernon, IL, on one little BGS on I-64 EB approaching the north split in Mt Vernon: To I-24 Nashville

Sourced from http://www.billburmaster.com/rmsandw/illinois/interstate/24.html
There is a second little BGS for I-24 Nashville on the I-57/64 Duplex around Mt Vernon, approaching the south split, but that is a couple miles closer to Nashville than this one

[Occidental Tourist]

Flagstaff has LA (465 mi), Phoenix (322 mi), and Albuquerque (144 mi) as its control cities.

I think you have the Phoenix and Albuquerque mileages reversed.

I sure did. Good catch.

[interstate73]

A little off the beaten path, but when I studied abroad in Italy last year I was fascinated that long-distance control cities were sometimes signed on surface streets in Rome, like here in Porta San Paolo. Florence is around 180 miles away from this point by road, and Naples around 140, with the others being a bit closer (Fiumicino less than 20, Civitavecchia about 50, and L'Aquila about 75). Lots of other points around the city, and others cities in Italy I went to, where there are similar displays!

[bluecountry]

For Baltimore: New York (for some reason not Philadelphia)




iPhone

Where in NY do you see Baltimore?  I never have.

I have seen 'New York' signed on the Mass Pike WB entrance at Copley Square in Boston; and at 395 in DC.