Which state has the BEST overall highway/freeway connectivity?

[webny99]

WA may not have much in the freeway department, but the ones it does have do their job well. I-5 and I-90 obviously provide connections to the rest of the nation from Seattle, but I-82 is a nice shortcut to places like Boise, ID and Salt Lake City, UT. And most of the towns that aren't directly on any freeway corridor (Walla Walla and Pullman come to mind) are not too far from one either.

US 395 as well is almost as good as an interstate

One problem is that US 395 is still a surface street through Kennewick. This makes it a bit annoying to connect between Spokane and points south. An additional Columbia River crossing to connect I-82 and US 395 north of Kennewick would be ideal, probably never happening though.

Other than that, I agree that Washington is pretty good and quite a bit better than Oregon. Having that freeway (or mostly-freeway) triangle to connect the smaller cities in the middle of the state really helps. Not that there's a lot of population in southern Oregon, but parts of it are probably among the furthest from a freeway of anywhere in the entire country.

[Dirt Roads]

In West Virginia it seems like the Interstates follow the railroads which follow the rivers.

Interesting; I never thought of it that way.  It's not entirely true, however, since I-77 doesn't follow a railroad corridor (and doesn't follow either a railroad or river between Charleston and Ravenswood).  And I-70 doesn't follow a railroad or a river in the Wheeling area, but it once did follow the old B&O Wheeling Division (there are a few disconnected pieces still remaining: a bit in Wheeling; a bit in Akron; a bit in Cleveland; and the remaining old mainline between Pittsburgh and Little Washington). 

OK, I might give I-77 a break here since the Virginian (VGN) ran from Radford -to- Princeton -to- Mullens -to- Deepwater, some of which is parallel to the West Virginia Turnpike.

[Dirt Roads]

I've made the mistake of turning this topic into a datastream for analysis, which raises the obvious question:  What qualifies as a "highway".  As mentioned by several folks in this thread, West Virginia has a strong definition of "partially-limited access highway" (now Access Partially Controlled).  But the WVDOH definition has been degraded over the years, now including some two-lane roads and the permitting of large developments in close proximity to the highway (for instance, the Southridge development between Charleston and Alum Creek). 

Anywhoosit, the "partially-limited access highway" definition that I have in my head is far to limiting (and subject to lots of flaming rants if I do use it for analysis).  But it seems like the following are minimum requirements for "highway":  (1) continuous median up to each intersection; (2) no crossovers for private homes and businesses along the route.  But using that definition means that College Station and Lynchburg are therefore not connected. 

By the way, WVDOH has gone so far as to "qualify" the roads in surrounding states to be shown as Access Partially Controlled on the "Official State Map".  At a glance, it looks like the DOH was much more generous to the surrounding states in whether the road qualifies, than to their own state's roads.

[StogieGuy7]

That's a fair point. Connectivity from Kenosha and Lake counties to Janesville and Madison is definitely a bit lacking. Yet I wouldn't say there's a total lack, since the fastest route generally uses I-94, it's just annoying that you have to go up to the Milwaukee area and deal with that instead of taking a more direct route. The area would definitely be well served by a better connection between I-94 and US 12, as well as upgrades to US 12 itself. For areas west of Kenosha where it doesn't make sense to use I-94, I would also consider a need for upgrades to US 14 and WI 50.

WI 50 is already four lanes between US 12 and Kenosha.  It just needs better access control, a higher speed limit (it never goes above 55), the stoplights replaced with interchanges, and a bypass of Paddock Lake (though Paddock Lake isn't as bad as some of the towns on US 12 and US 14).

The issue with Paddock Lake is that it's a small town sheriff's dream of a speed trap. A quick drop from 55 (which is already an artifically low speed limit) to 35. Then the KCSD just waits like a grizzly by the rapids during spawning season. Handing out $300 tickets like candy. And, no, I haven't gotten one - but lots of people do. And it's Alabama style crap. Otherwise, Highway 50 west of I-94 is actually quite good. In fact, up until you get to I-43 it's a good ride. The real issue of getting to Madison, WI Dells, etc happens farther northwest when you either hit an overburdened mostly 2-lane US-12 or have to use lots of other indirect side routes to get to I-39/90.

[webny99]

I've made the mistake of turning this topic into a datastream for analysis, which raises the obvious question:  What qualifies as a "highway".  As mentioned by several folks in this thread, West Virginia has a strong definition of "partially-limited access highway" (now Access Partially Controlled).  But the WVDOH definition has been degraded over the years, now including some two-lane roads and the permitting of large developments in close proximity to the highway (for instance, the Southridge development between Charleston and Alum Creek). 

Anywhoosit, the "partially-limited access highway" definition that I have in my head is far to limiting (and subject to lots of flaming rants if I do use it for analysis).  But it seems like the following are minimum requirements for "highway":  (1) continuous median up to each intersection; (2) no crossovers for private homes and businesses along the route.  But using that definition means that College Station and Lynchburg are therefore not connected. 

My main criteria to qualify as freeway/expressway for the purposes of this thread would be four-lanes divided with no traffic signals along the route. At grades are OK, but nothing where through traffic might have to stop, including traffic signals, stop signs and roundabouts. Driveways with direct access are also OK as long as they're not too densely clustered.

[JayhawkCO]

I've made the mistake of turning this topic into a datastream for analysis, which raises the obvious question:  What qualifies as a "highway".  As mentioned by several folks in this thread, West Virginia has a strong definition of "partially-limited access highway" (now Access Partially Controlled).  But the WVDOH definition has been degraded over the years, now including some two-lane roads and the permitting of large developments in close proximity to the highway (for instance, the Southridge development between Charleston and Alum Creek). 

Anywhoosit, the "partially-limited access highway" definition that I have in my head is far to limiting (and subject to lots of flaming rants if I do use it for analysis).  But it seems like the following are minimum requirements for "highway":  (1) continuous median up to each intersection; (2) no crossovers for private homes and businesses along the route.  But using that definition means that College Station and Lynchburg are therefore not connected. 

My main criteria to qualify as freeway/expressway for the purposes of this thread would be four-lanes divided with no traffic signals along the route. At grades are OK, but nothing where through traffic might have to stop, including traffic signals, stop signs and roundabouts. Driveways with direct access are also OK as long as they're not too densely clustered.

So going back to the US395 example above, it qualifies for most of its length until it's actually in the tri-cities. There are a good amount of at grades in the rural stretch, but nothing you have to slow down for.

[jmacswimmer]

Maryland would probably be "middle of the pack" in terms of this thread. My thought process is to break out MD into 4 basic regions:

-Western Maryland
-DC/Baltimore metro
-Southern Maryland
-Eastern Shore

Of those 4, 2 have good interstate coverage (Western MD & DC/Baltimore metro). The other 2 are covered by 4-lane divided highways not without traffic signals. US 50 across the Eastern Shore is a good example - it's mostly free-flow and even has a nice freeway bypass of Salisbury, but then has traffic signals and a lower speed limit in Easton & Cambridge.

Meanwhile, Carroll County in the DC/Baltimore metro is an interesting outlier - it technically has an interstate & US Route within its borders, as I-70 & US 40 clip the southern border for about a mile near Mt. Airy, but otherwise is only served by state routes. Most of them are 2-lane roads with the exception of a ~10-mile stretch of MD 140 connecting Westminster with the northern end of I-795 just across the border into Baltimore County. And said stretch has lights throughout, and oftentimes as soon as you hit one red you're stuck with the bunched-up traffic the rest of the way to Westminster or I-795.

Additionally, I doubt this is a very common movement but any access from Southern MD to the Eastern Shore requires heading out of the way to the north via Annapolis and the Bay Bridge. And then the Bay Bridge, of course, is its own can of worms - the only in-state backup option to the Bay Bridge is crossing the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal via MD 213 and then crossing the Susquehanna via US 40, I-95, or US 1.

[SkyPesos]

On paper, Ohio looks like a good state, but when you factor in the lack of a "free-flowing" Northwest‐to‐Southeast artery coughcoughUS-23coughcough, and are not in any hurry to rectify the obvious problems along this corridor.

I think the NW-SE connections are better in the southern half of the state. US 33 is pretty light on the number of signals and traffic most of the time, and US 35 isn't that bad either (though you need to deal with US 23 between Columbus and Chillicothe for the latter if you're coming from Columbus).

[HighwayStar]

I would put Maryland in the lower 1/4. One of the more densely populated states, but suffers from inadequate roadways in the Baltimore and Washington DC areas. I-70 does not connect to Baltimore, I-95 does not connect to DC (which means excess traffic on I-495 in Maryland).

[Roadgeekteen]

I would put Maryland in the lower 1/4. One of the more densely populated states, but suffers from inadequate roadways in the Baltimore and Washington DC areas. I-70 does not connect to Baltimore, I-95 does not connect to DC (which means excess traffic on I-495 in Maryland).

We just got rid of MMM please not this shit again!

[roadman65]

I would put Maryland in the lower 1/4. One of the more densely populated states, but suffers from inadequate roadways in the Baltimore and Washington DC areas. I-70 does not connect to Baltimore, I-95 does not connect to DC (which means excess traffic on I-495 in Maryland).

Highwaystar, go visit I-40 in AZ. You'll find Los Angeles as a control city for all WB entrance ramps west of Flagstaff.  I-40 goes nowhere near LA and ditto for I-91 SB ramps in Las Vegas which also uses LA instead of San Diego where it actually heads.

The point is I-70 is not the only road with a control city that's not on it. Get used to it and move on.

[hotdogPi]

I-91 SB ramps in Las Vegas which also uses LA instead of San Diego where it actually heads.

This is one of the worst, being over 2,000 miles away.

[Dirt Roads]

I would put Maryland in the lower 1/4. One of the more densely populated states, but suffers from inadequate roadways in the Baltimore and Washington DC areas. I-70 does not connect to Baltimore, I-95 does not connect to DC (which means excess traffic on I-495 in Maryland).

We just got rid of MMM please not this shit again!

The point is I-70 is not the only road with a control city that's not on it. Get used to it and move on.

Sorry, but this thread is about Connectivity and not Control Cities.  HighwayStar has a valid point that many states have highway networks that are interconnected to the suburbs surrounding a large city, but there is no real connectivity into the Central Business District (CBD).  So the point to be made is that Annapolis has good connectivity to the Baltimore CBD, but Frederick and Hagerstown do not.  Same thing for Washington:  Richmond and Fredericksburg have good connectivity to the Mall (and decent connectivity to Downtown), and so does Baltimore and Fairfax, but Frederick and Hagerstown do not.  That may not be important to the OP, but it is primary to many folks who need good access to the Regional Core.

To that point, in my railroading/rail transit career I've driven to work in most of the major cities east of the Ohio River (with the exception of New England).  Much of this required access to the CBD or the Inner City.  This type of connectivity is truly important to folks like me.  If you are more interested in shopping experiences, you may not need to go inside "the Beltway".

[vdeane]

From the I-70/I-695 interchange to where the I-70/I-95 interchange would have been is all of two miles longer via I-695 and I-95 than it would have been if I-70 was built directly.  For DC, I-95 may go around, but the Baltimore-Washington Parkway/MD 295/DC 295 goes in closer and has an easy connection via I-695.  It's not as big a deal as HighwayStar is making it out to be (and many of it recognize it as a continuation of his longtime insistence that "I-70 doesn't go to Baltimore" that has become a meme, so there's less inclination to give him the benefit of the doubt than there would be if it was someone else).

[Amaury]

WA may not have much in the freeway department, but the ones it does have do their job well. I-5 and I-90 obviously provide connections to the rest of the nation from Seattle, but I-82 is a nice shortcut to places like Boise, ID and Salt Lake City, UT. And most of the towns that aren't directly on any freeway corridor (Walla Walla and Pullman come to mind) are not too far from one either.

Interstate 182 as well.

[HighwayStar]

I would put Maryland in the lower 1/4. One of the more densely populated states, but suffers from inadequate roadways in the Baltimore and Washington DC areas. I-70 does not connect to Baltimore, I-95 does not connect to DC (which means excess traffic on I-495 in Maryland).

We just got rid of MMM please not this shit again!

The point is I-70 is not the only road with a control city that's not on it. Get used to it and move on.

Sorry, but this thread is about Connectivity and not Control Cities.  HighwayStar has a valid point that many states have highway networks that are interconnected to the suburbs surrounding a large city, but there is no real connectivity into the Central Business District (CBD).  So the point to be made is that Annapolis has good connectivity to the Baltimore CBD, but Frederick and Hagerstown do not.  Same thing for Washington:  Richmond and Fredericksburg have good connectivity to the Mall (and decent connectivity to Downtown), and so does Baltimore and Fairfax, but Frederick and Hagerstown do not.  That may not be important to the OP, but it is primary to many folks who need good access to the Regional Core.

To that point, in my railroading/rail transit career I've driven to work in most of the major cities east of the Ohio River (with the exception of New England).  Much of this required access to the CBD or the Inner City.  This type of connectivity is truly important to folks like me.  If you are more interested in shopping experiences, you may not need to go inside "the Beltway".

Exactly my point. Every trip I have had through Maryland involved either DC or Baltimore, and always involved the use of long bypasses to get to the CBD because no route went there directly from the direction I needed.

[HighwayStar]

From the I-70/I-695 interchange to where the I-70/I-95 interchange would have been is all of two miles longer via I-695 and I-95 than it would have been if I-70 was built directly.  For DC, I-95 may go around, but the Baltimore-Washington Parkway/MD 295/DC 295 goes in closer and has an easy connection via I-695.  It's not as big a deal as HighwayStar is making it out to be (and many of it recognize it as a continuation of his longtime insistence that "I-70 doesn't go to Baltimore" that has become a meme, so there's less inclination to give him the benefit of the doubt than there would be if it was someone else).

Its not simply about millage, in fact, that is a relatively minor point. Its more about capacity. Not having both routes adds significant traffic to the one that does remain.
Baltimore-Washington Parkway is swell, but it would be better if there was an actual I-95 to relieve some of the traffic on it.

[Dirt Roads]

Here's to confirm that Virginia has pretty good connectivity.  Independent cities plus towns that are not connected by freeways and highways are:

• Lynchburg #12
• Culpeper #28
• Manassas Park #31 (tough call)
• Front Royal #35
• Martinsville #37
• Poquoson #38
• Warrenton #39
• Smithfield #42 (ooh, so close)
• Franklin #45
• Vinton #46 (a very hard call, could go either way)
• South Boston #47
• Farmville #48 (another tough call)

[Dirt Roads]

In the same vein, North Carolina (rankings adjusted per 2020 Census):

• Jacksonville #14
• Wake Forest #23
• Holly Springs #25 (oops! NC-55 loses medians near intersections)
• Fuquay-Varina #29 (ditto)
• New Bern #32 (just waiting for I-42)
• Morrisville #35 (another hard call)
• Carrboro #45
• Waxhaw #47
• Kinston #48

[Dirt Roads]

Oops!  I just disqualified Morrisville, North Carolina because even though it is relatively close to freeways, you've got to doodle through a bunch of traffic signals and cross one of the railroad tracks to get into "town".  Would I not also need to disqualify Lexington, Kentucky for the same reason?  Morrisville has expanded so much that the town limits now extend to an exit on both I-40 and the Triangle Expressway.  Since Fayette County reaches two-thirds of the way down I-64 towards Winchester, it doesn't quite seem fair.

[sprjus4]

• Farmville #48 (another tough call)

Curious - how is it a tough call? The nearest freeway / interstate that is apart of the system in Virginia is about 40 miles east or north (I-64, I-85, VA-288).

I count VA-288 because it is linked to I-64 and I-95 and is continuous freeway. US-460 is freeway around Farmville but does not retain limited access outside of the bypass.

[webny99]

Looking at cities by size, nothing in New York really stands out to me until Ithaca (pop. 30k), which comes up often because it's pretty glaring. It has the NY 13 freeway, but it's not connected to the rest of the network and requires 15+ miles on two-lane roads to get to I-81 or I-86 (and much longer than that to get to I-90). Beyond that, Auburn (pop. 27k) lacks connectivity but isn't too far from the Thruway, and Lockport (21k) is famously disconnected because I-990 was never extended there. Coverage gets a lot more spotty once you get to cities below 20k in population.

There are also some cities that are essentially suburbs of NYC, such as Long Beach, that don't have great connectivity but I consider those somewhat separate for the purposes of this thread.

Poughkeepsie (pop. 32k) is an interesting one, as it's within NYC's sphere of influence but too distinct to just lump in with NYC. It is not connected to the statewide freeway network, and could definitely use an upgraded connection to I-87 in particular. It does have a four-lane connection to I-84 via US 9 which is mostly a divided highway, but it's not even close to a full freeway with many traffic signals as it passes right through Fishkill and Wappingers Falls.

[Rothman]

Looking at cities by size, nothing in New York really stands out to me until Ithaca (pop. 30k), which comes up often because it's pretty glaring. It has the NY 13 freeway, but it's not connected to the rest of the network and requires 15+ miles on two-lane roads to get to I-81 or I-86 (and much longer than that to get to I-90). Beyond that, Auburn (pop. 27k) lacks connectivity but isn't too far from the Thruway, and Lockport (21k) is famously disconnected because I-990 was never extended there. Coverage gets a lot more spotty once you get to cities below 20k in population.

There are also some cities that are essentially suburbs of NYC, such as Long Beach, that don't have great connectivity but I consider those somewhat separate for the purposes of this thread.

Poughkeepsie (pop. 32k) is an interesting one, as it's within NYC's sphere of influence but too distinct to just lump in with NYC. It is not connected to the statewide freeway network, and could definitely use an upgraded connection to I-87 in particular. It does have a four-lane connection to I-84 via US 9 which is mostly a divided highway, but it's not even close to a full freeway with many traffic signals as it passes right through Fishkill and Wappingers Falls.

Wonder if there are disconnected cities on Long Island.

[Dirt Roads]

• Farmville #48 (another tough call)

Curious - how is it a tough call? The nearest freeway / interstate that is apart of the system in Virginia is about 40 miles east or north (I-64, I-85, VA-288).

I count VA-288 because it is linked to I-64 and I-95 and is continuous freeway. US-460 is freeway around Farmville but does not retain limited access outside of the bypass.

But there are very disqualifiers along US-460 and US-360 from Farmville up to VA-288.  But one of those is the Subway in Amelia (along with Papa Johns).  Also, the last mile of Hull Street Road before you hit VA-288 is now built up too much.

[US 89]

Not that there's a lot of population in southern Oregon, but parts of it are probably among the furthest from a freeway of anywhere in the entire country.

I'm curious exactly where that point is. The US freeway pole of inaccessibility, if you will. Eyeballing it, it's probably somewhere in southern Oregon in that I-5/80/84 triangle, but central Nevada between 80 and 15, the Four Corners area, north-central Montana, and southwestern Kansas could also be contenders. Someone should do that math.