Which Highways in Your State are Most/Likely to be Clinched by Travelers

[Flint1979]

Michigan

Most likely:

• Interstate - This is hard; most routes bend around somewhere meaning they're not the most direct. I'd go with I-196, but realize that many travelers wouldn't complete the portion east of US-131.
• US - If not for the 20-mile limit, US-8 in a heartbeat. Not many good candidates - maybe US-141?
• State - Again, the 20-mile limit hits, else I'd say M-185 (but by bike). Maybe M-14. M-6 just misses the 20 mile mark, but that would also be a contender. Another possibility would be M-22, despite its shape, just for the sightseeing appeal.

Least likely:

• Interstate - I-96, although as noted in "most likely" there are quite a few candidates because of the lack of direct routes.
• US - US-41? It bends around so much. Runners up would be US-23 and US-2.
• State - Any number of routes. Routes that change direction such as M-94 and M-123. Any cross-peninsula routes in the LP, simply because most travelers wouldn't be going e/w on their entirety.

I've probably missed a few candidates in both categories.

Being from Michigan as well let me think if I can come up with any that you missed.

Most likely:
Interstate: I-69 would be a good choice since any travels between Canada and anywhere SW of Michigan would probably include a clinch of I-69 in the state. I-94 maybe but I think most people would bypass Detroit by using I-69 between Marshall and Port Huron.

US: US-223 wouldn't be a hard one. Toledo to the center of the state covers it from end to end.

State: I can't think of any other ones besides one that you already mentioned and the others you mentioned, M-14 is part of a shorter and quicker route between I-94 at it's western end and downtown Detroit at I-96's eastern end.


Least likely:

Interstate: I agree with I-96 since it crosses the state in a direction that a lot of travelers would not be going in.

US: Agreed with US-41 due to all tbe bending it does and it dead ends in a cul-de-sac east of Copper Harbor so not a through route at all really. And it's almost 280 miles long. US-45 would be a good candidate here as well since it ends in Ontonagon and there is nowhere to go after that really.

State: I agree with the cross peninsula highways in the LP. M-26 would be a good one here since it ends near the dead end of US-41 in Copper Harbor. This highway is almost 100 miles long taking you to US-45 outside of Rockland.

[Brandon]

Illinois:

Most Likely to Clinch
I-80 - Only 163.5 miles, so most might not even stop for fuel.
I-70 - Another quick, direct route across the state.
I-294 - Bypass of Chicago between Indiana and Milwaukee.  The shunpikers might get I-94 instead.

Least Likely to Clinch
A lot of the longer distance US and state routes, examples:
US-52 - Doesn't really go much of anywhere, but crosses the state at an angle.
IL-116 - Crosses most of the state east-west, but not exactly a route travelers would take for that distance.
US-40 or US-6 - Parallel I-70 and I-80, see those above.

[dlsterner]

Being from Michigan as well let me think if I can come up with any that you missed.

Most likely:
Interstate: I-69 would be a good choice since any travels between Canada and anywhere SW of Michigan would probably include a clinch of I-69 in the state. I-94 maybe but I think most people would bypass Detroit by using I-69 between Marshall and Port Huron.

I would respectfully disagree with I-69 for having a high percentage of clinchers.  Traffic from Detroit to Grand Rapids using I-94 would be on a brief concurrency with I-69 near Lansing.

[Jim]

The best I can come up with is NY 73, as its main purpose is a connector from US 9/I-87 to Lake Placid, which are its two endpoints. But even then, a lot of hikers probably come from 87 and turn off near Keene Valley, so I'm sure the percentage is not very high.

This is also the best I've come up with for NY that meets the 20-mile criteria.  Another reason to take it only part way, though, is that many going to Whiteface Mountain from I-87 probably head north on 9N from Keene.  If we were able to get real numbers for this, New York's winner would likely have a pretty small percentage compared to winners in some other states.

[webny99]

^ Yeah, NY 73 is a decent candidate by NY standards but the NY 9N overlap hurts it quite a bit. I think NY 31A is a slightly better candidate, though by no means a great one.

[vdeane]

^ Yeah, NY 73 is a decent candidate by NY standards but the NY 9N overlap hurts it quite a bit. I think NY 31A is a slightly better candidate, though by no means a great one.

The issue is the traffic ducking off, not the overlap per se.  Probably more NY 73->NY 9N traffic than NY 9N thru traffic going from Elizabethtown to Jay.

[gonealookin]

Oregon:

Today I clinched, yet again, Oregon's most likely, US 95, which runs a bit over 120 miles in the state.  There's only one small ranch "town" along there, Jordan Valley, which is down to the gas station/c-store, a coffee place, USPS, a school and not a heck of a lot else.  I can't imagine much traffic entering from Idaho would make the turn on to Oregon SR 78 as US 20 would be the more sensible route.  Some traffic entering from Nevada would take that turn.  But aside from that little bit of local traffic a huge percentage of drivers on that route clinch it in two hours.

I wouldn't know enough about short routes in Oregon to say which is least likely.  Most people driving from Seaside to Idaho would switch from US 26 to I-84 in Portland, and even those going on past Mt. Hood might turn up SR 35 back to I-84 or might be headed to Bend.  That "cutoff" part of US 26 from south of Madras to Prineville might be pretty easy to skip.  Also I-84 will be preferred over the city streets from I-405 to Gresham.

[thspfc]

Wisconsin

Interstate most likely
I-90; long distance traffic

US route most likely
US-2; US-141 would be the clear winner if not for its irrelevant southern terminus.

State route most likely
WI-173; shortcut road

Interstate least likely
I-94; the Milwaukee diversion both renders it irrelevant as a long distance route and adds tons of local traffic to the road, bringing down the percentage of clinchers

US route least likely
US-151; no reason you would ever clinch it unless you were actively trying to. Even US-12, 14, and 18 could happen accidentally due to Interstate closures/backups.

State route least likely
Tons of candidates but I'd go with WI-73.

MN

Most likely
I-694 - MSP bypass
US 8 - popular cabin route into Wisconsin
TH 371 - also a major cabin country route, but goes point to point with no extraneous miles like most qualifying state routes

Least likely
I-35 - because most people probably came from the east or west, there's no reason for most people to take this route both ways out of MSP
US 69 - odd origin point in Albert Lea, redundant to both I-35 and US 65
TH 77 - continues a couple miles past its last major traffic shift point at I-35E

Agree with all these except MN-77, there has to be a less likely one out there.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Agree with all these except MN-77, there has to be a less likely one out there.

I'm sure there is. But based on what the OP seemed to want, a shorter length route that your average joe probably isn't going to just clinch, it fit the bill.

-It extends briefly in both directions beyond its two heaviest traffic shift points at 494 and 35E
-Lots of logical points to leave the route at 494, Mall of America, TH 13, 35E, and the zoo exit at McAndrews Road
-To go further into the zoo exit point, 77 technically extends past McAndrews to the first at-grade intersection at 138th St in Apple Valley, so even if you're going from south Minneapolis to the zoo, you won't technically clinch 77

I suppose another case study though several miles longer than 77 would be TH 62/Crosstown. A lot of major traffic shift points at US 169/212, TH 100, I-35W, TH 77, TH 55, TH 5, and I-35E. The original pre-TH 110 absorption part of the route seems to serve as the unofficial business route companion to I-494 where more local trips are taken on 62 than 494.

TH 36 (21 miles), where a lot of traffic will get off at TH 95 to go to downtown Stillwater and not cross the bridge into Wisconsin.

I suppose TH 120 as one of the last surface street routes remaining in the Twin Cities. Few people are probably driving that end-to-end.

I realize comparing TM clinches between routes has a lot of issues, but here are the percentages for discussed routes:
77: 37%
62: 18%
36: 37%
120: 67%

[webny99]

I realize comparing TM clinches between routes has a lot of issues, but here are the percentages for discussed routes:

The biggest issue is doing it in one shot. I've clinched MN 77 and the driven the majority of it dozens of times, but I'm not sure I've ever done it straight through end to end, even though I can recall a couple of cases where it would have theoretically made sense to do so.



Looking at this for NY, the candidates for "most likely" that stand out are:

NY 73, 70.5%
NY 256, 68.8%
NY 31A, 66.7%
NY 54A, 66.7%

I don't think anything else in the entire state >20 miles has been clinched by ≥2/3 of drivers.


For least likely, some <20 mile long routes that stand out are:

NY 182, 34.8% (6.2 miles)
NY 366, 32.2% (9.3 miles)
NY 252, 32.1% (13.1 miles)
NY 266, 30.8% (11.3 miles)
NY 253, 28.0% (10.7 miles)
NY 400, 26.7% (16.7 miles)
NY 174, 25.0% (16.4 miles)
NY 19A, 18.8% (18.7 miles)
NY 265, 15.8% (19.8 miles)

[74/171FAN]

^I believe the only one on this NY list I currently have clinched is NY 182.

[webny99]

^I believe the only one on this NY list I currently have clinched is NY 182.

I guess this goes without saying, it's not a common route to clinch unless you live nearby or made a specific effort to clinch it. I've followed it from Whirlpool Bridge to I-190, but am still missing the section east of I-190.

[mgk920]

Wisconsin

Interstate most likely
I-90; long distance traffic

US route most likely
US-2; US-141 would be the clear winner if not for its irrelevant southern terminus.

State route most likely
WI-173; shortcut road

Interstate least likely
I-94; the Milwaukee diversion both renders it irrelevant as a long distance route and adds tons of local traffic to the road, bringing down the percentage of clinchers

US route least likely
US-151; no reason you would ever clinch it unless you were actively trying to. Even US-12, 14, and 18 could happen accidentally due to Interstate closures/backups.

State route least likely
Tons of candidates but I'd go with WI-73.

WI state route most likely, I would think that WI 119 is far and away the most likely.  I have not seen the numbers, but I would be very surprised if less than 90-95% of all of the traffic on it does not get on or off at Howell Av (WI 38) and instead drives it from end to end in single trips.

For US routes in the state, I don't know if anyone except for a very few really fanatical roadgeeks have ever driven all of US 45 between the Illinois and Michigan state lines in single trips.

As for state routes unlikely to be driven from end to end in single trips, where do I begin?  Even with WI 47, which passes just a few short blocks from my residence here in Appleton, WI, I have never seen its 'end' sign at its north end.

Mike

[JCinSummerfield]

Michigan

Most likely:

• Interstate - This is hard; most routes bend around somewhere meaning they're not the most direct. I'd go with I-196, but realize that many travelers wouldn't complete the portion east of US-131.
• US - If not for the 20-mile limit, US-8 in a heartbeat. Not many good candidates - maybe US-141?
• State - Again, the 20-mile limit hits, else I'd say M-185 (but by bike). Maybe M-14. M-6 just misses the 20 mile mark, but that would also be a contender. Another possibility would be M-22, despite its shape, just for the sightseeing appeal.

Least likely:

• Interstate - I-96, although as noted in "most likely" there are quite a few candidates because of the lack of direct routes.
• US - US-41? It bends around so much. Runners up would be US-23 and US-2.
• State - Any number of routes. Routes that change direction such as M-94 and M-123. Any cross-peninsula routes in the LP, simply because most travelers wouldn't be going e/w on their entirety.

I've probably missed a few candidates in both categories.

Being from Michigan as well let me think if I can come up with any that you missed.

Most likely:
Interstate: I-69 would be a good choice since any travels between Canada and anywhere SW of Michigan would probably include a clinch of I-69 in the state. I-94 maybe but I think most people would bypass Detroit by using I-69 between Marshall and Port Huron.

US: US-223 wouldn't be a hard one. Toledo to the center of the state covers it from end to end.

State: I can't think of any other ones besides one that you already mentioned and the others you mentioned, M-14 is part of a shorter and quicker route between I-94 at it's western end and downtown Detroit at I-96's eastern end.


Least likely:

Interstate: I agree with I-96 since it crosses the state in a direction that a lot of travelers would not be going in.

US: Agreed with US-41 due to all tbe bending it does and it dead ends in a cul-de-sac east of Copper Harbor so not a through route at all really. And it's almost 280 miles long. US-45 would be a good candidate here as well since it ends in Ontonagon and there is nowhere to go after that really.

State: I agree with the cross peninsula highways in the LP. M-26 would be a good one here since it ends near the dead end of US-41 in Copper Harbor. This highway is almost 100 miles long taking you to US-45 outside of Rockland.

When I saw the thread topic, the one that immediately popped in my head as the most obvious is US-223.  Because Michigan is a destination state and not a drive through state, this highway could be clenched by travelers heading to a destination - like MIS.

[hbelkins]

US 460 is probably the only US route likely to be fully clinched that is over 20 miles in the state.

I'd venture WV 2 is most common over time since it connects the cities along the Ohio River. A couple state routes likely also fit into that category because there's not much along the way - WV 17 and WV 23. Some people may have WV 817 just because it used to be US 35.

Why not US-35 (as compared to US-460)?  Seems like most travellers using US-460 are headed from the Great Lakes -to- Blacksburg/Roanoke (moreso, headed directly to Virginia Tech, assuming that college families are considered travellers).  Likewise, there is a fair amount of out-of-state traffic from I-77 that uses US-19/US-460 to bypass Wytheville (although the smart ones head down to the US-52 exit at the base of East River Mountain). 

In comparison, almost all of the out-of-state traffic on US-35 is headed to/from I-64.  With the exception of folks that still want to utilize the truck stops and fast food at the Teays Valley exit (although the smart ones will head down to I-64 and backtrack one exit west, still clinching the route).

Neither WV 17 nor WV 23 are "major" enough to warrant a lot of through traffic. Traffic from Logan to the Danville/Madison area is going to use US 119, and part of the southern end of WV 23 is an unsigned route.

I'd go with WV 93 or WV 32 for "most clinched." Or perhaps WV 150.

For "least clinched," WV 55 and its cobbled-together hodgepodge of route segments.

[doorknob60]

Here's what comes to mind for Idaho:

Most Likely:
I-86. It's 63 miles, so well above the threshold, but not too long. A majority of people driving it are probably going all the way from I-15 to I-84 (eg. driving from Idaho Falls or Pocatello to Twin Falls or Boise). The only caveat, is the US-91 exit immediately west of I-15 probably gets a lot of extra traffic.

Least Likely:
US-26. It takes a pretty indirect route in Idaho, particularly from Bliss to Idaho Falls. And it's 402 miles so you would have to make a conscious effort to stick to it that long, I think. If your goal is the fastest route, you would take I-84, I-86, and I-15. If you wanted to stay off the interstates, US-20 is a more direct route (it doesn't deviate to Blackfoot between Arco and Idaho Falls). In addition to all that, in the Boise area it's a more local route, and thru traffic would generally stick to I-84.

I'll honorable mention US-95. It's really long (538 mi), and many people will only use small parts of it (eg. Oregon border to ID-55, Lewiston to Coeur d'Alene, stuff like that). ID-55 siphons off a lot of potential traffic between Marsing and New Meadows. Plenty of people will go over to US-195 north of Lewiston. A lot of people driving from Boise/Nampa to Coeur d'Alene will instead use I-84, I-82, US-395, and I-90.

But I stand by US-26 being less likely, because clinching US-95 is still a valid (and possibly the best) route if you were driving from Winnemucca, NV to Cranbrook, BC for whatever reason. Whereas clinching US-26 would never be the fastest, shortest, or best route from Oregon to Wyoming.

[thspfc]

Wisconsin

Interstate most likely
I-90; long distance traffic

US route most likely
US-2; US-141 would be the clear winner if not for its irrelevant southern terminus.

State route most likely
WI-173; shortcut road

Interstate least likely
I-94; the Milwaukee diversion both renders it irrelevant as a long distance route and adds tons of local traffic to the road, bringing down the percentage of clinchers

US route least likely
US-151; no reason you would ever clinch it unless you were actively trying to. Even US-12, 14, and 18 could happen accidentally due to Interstate closures/backups.

State route least likely
Tons of candidates but I'd go with WI-73.

WI state route most likely, I would think that WI 119 is far and away the most likely.  I have not seen the numbers, but I would be very surprised if less than 90-95% of all of the traffic on it does not get on or off at Howell Av (WI 38) and instead drives it from end to end in single trips.

For US routes in the state, I don't know if anyone except for a very few really fanatical roadgeeks have ever driven all of US 45 between the Illinois and Michigan state lines in single trips.

As for state routes unlikely to be driven from end to end in single trips, where do I begin?  Even with WI 47, which passes just a few short blocks from my residence here in Appleton, WI, I have never seen its 'end' sign at its north end.

Mike

WI-119 doesn't qualify due to the 20-mile minimum in the OP. If that wasn't a rule the whole list would be different, I-535 would easily take the cake as an Interstate and a bunch of spur highways like WI-119 and WI-243 would have essentially a 100% clinch rate.

[LilianaUwU]

I'd say A-35. It's 25 miles long (soon to be longer) and is part of the Montréal to Boston corridor.

A-85 may also fit the bill as the main road connection between New Brunswick and the rest of Canada.

[Bitmapped]

US 460 is probably the only US route likely to be fully clinched that is over 20 miles in the state.

I'd venture WV 2 is most common over time since it connects the cities along the Ohio River. A couple state routes likely also fit into that category because there's not much along the way - WV 17 and WV 23. Some people may have WV 817 just because it used to be US 35.

Why not US-35 (as compared to US-460)?  Seems like most travellers using US-460 are headed from the Great Lakes -to- Blacksburg/Roanoke (moreso, headed directly to Virginia Tech, assuming that college families are considered travellers).  Likewise, there is a fair amount of out-of-state traffic from I-77 that uses US-19/US-460 to bypass Wytheville (although the smart ones head down to the US-52 exit at the base of East River Mountain). 

In comparison, almost all of the out-of-state traffic on US-35 is headed to/from I-64.  With the exception of folks that still want to utilize the truck stops and fast food at the Teays Valley exit (although the smart ones will head down to I-64 and backtrack one exit west, still clinching the route).

Neither WV 17 nor WV 23 are "major" enough to warrant a lot of through traffic. Traffic from Logan to the Danville/Madison area is going to use US 119, and part of the southern end of WV 23 is an unsigned route.

I'd go with WV 93 or WV 32 for "most clinched." Or perhaps WV 150.

For "least clinched," WV 55 and its cobbled-together hodgepodge of route segments.

OP talked about percentages not raw numbers. Whether it is a major route or has a lot of traffic doesn't matter.

US 35 has a small stub beyond I-64 that a lot of people aren't going to pick up. If you were to ignore that, I'd say US 35.

For the WV routes, if you get on WV 23 or WV 17, you're likely either driving all the way through or live on it and have driven all the way through at some point. WV 150 would fit into that same category.

WV 23 was truncated at its intersection with US 50 several ago. The part south/east of there into downtown Salem was downgraded to a county route.

Since the construction of Corridor H, WV 93 now has a standalone section between Scherr and Mount Storm Lake that new travelers would not have. I would imagine that a lot of people coming on WV 32 just have Canaan Valley north and not the full part down to Harman.

[mgk920]

When I saw the thread topic, the one that immediately popped in my head as the most obvious is US-223.  Because Michigan is a destination state and not a drive through state, this highway could be clenched by travelers heading to a destination - like MIS.

I wonder What percentage of drivers on US 45 in MI drive it from end to end (except for the last few blocks at its north end)?

Mike

[Dirt Roads]

US 35 has a small stub beyond I-64 that a lot of people aren't going to pick up. If you were to ignore that, I'd say US 35.

Sorry, that would be misinformation that I originally posted.  US-35 officially ends at I-64 and the remainder down to Teays Valley Road is (unposted) Spur US-35.  When originally constructed, this end sign was not yet posted, but this other end sign was (and still is).  Possibly the only US route that has two posted endpoints.

A big part of my confusion is that US-35 was designed to extend all the way to its previous end-point near St. Albans.  Those plans show the house where I grew up being removed to make way for a trumpet intersection between a future US-35 overpass and Teays Valley Road when the expressway is extended.  On the other end, US-35 would connect directly with the west end of the McCorkle Avenue fourlane of US-60.

US 35 has a small stub beyond I-64 that a lot of people aren't going to pick up. If you were to ignore that, I'd say US 35.

On the other hand, since the flyover from US-35 to eastbound I-64 leaves the route before the official endpoint, that would still result in a stub that Clinch purists would consider to not be clinched.  (Assuming that the signage posted above is not considered an "official" exemption).   

[vdeane]

Sorry, that would be misinformation that I originally posted.  US-35 officially ends at I-64 and the remainder down to Teays Valley Road is (unposted) Spur US-35.

The mile markers seem to indicate otherwise.

On the other hand, since the flyover from US-35 to eastbound I-64 leaves the route before the official endpoint, that would still result in a stub that Clinch purists would consider to not be clinched.  (Assuming that the signage posted above is not considered an "official" exemption).   

I think most people recognize "one point per interchange" with respect to counting clinches, although there are exceptions.

[Flint1979]

Being from Michigan as well let me think if I can come up with any that you missed.

Most likely:
Interstate: I-69 would be a good choice since any travels between Canada and anywhere SW of Michigan would probably include a clinch of I-69 in the state. I-94 maybe but I think most people would bypass Detroit by using I-69 between Marshall and Port Huron.

I would respectfully disagree with I-69 for having a high percentage of clinchers.  Traffic from Detroit to Grand Rapids using I-94 would be on a brief concurrency with I-69 near Lansing.

Traffic from Detroit to Grand Rapids would be on I-96 not I-94. What does I-69 having a concurrency have to do with anything anyway?

[dlsterner]

Being from Michigan as well let me think if I can come up with any that you missed.

Most likely:
Interstate: I-69 would be a good choice since any travels between Canada and anywhere SW of Michigan would probably include a clinch of I-69 in the state. I-94 maybe but I think most people would bypass Detroit by using I-69 between Marshall and Port Huron.

I would respectfully disagree with I-69 for having a high percentage of clinchers.  Traffic from Detroit to Grand Rapids using I-94 would be on a brief concurrency with I-69 near Lansing.

Traffic from Detroit to Grand Rapids would be on I-96 not I-94. What does I-69 having a concurrency have to do with anything anyway?

I mis-typed.  I intended to say I-96.  Nobody's perfect.  My point was that there would be a decent percentage of I-69 travelers who would only have the segment west of Lansing.

[Flint1979]

Being from Michigan as well let me think if I can come up with any that you missed.

Most likely:
Interstate: I-69 would be a good choice since any travels between Canada and anywhere SW of Michigan would probably include a clinch of I-69 in the state. I-94 maybe but I think most people would bypass Detroit by using I-69 between Marshall and Port Huron.

I would respectfully disagree with I-69 for having a high percentage of clinchers.  Traffic from Detroit to Grand Rapids using I-94 would be on a brief concurrency with I-69 near Lansing.

Traffic from Detroit to Grand Rapids would be on I-96 not I-94. What does I-69 having a concurrency have to do with anything anyway?

I mis-typed.  I intended to say I-96.  Nobody's perfect.  My point was that there would be a decent percentage of I-69 travelers who would only have the segment west of Lansing.

Why? The segment in Lansing is part of I-69 why would you only think of Detroit-Grand Rapids traffic? I'm talking about through traffic from Canada to points south and west of Michigan and vice versa.