Control cities that aren’t reciprocated

[Roadgeekteen]

I don't understand Iowa's approach to I-35.

From Des Moines, it's signed for Minneapolis.  From Ames, it's also signed for Minneapolis.  Yet from US-20 (Williams), it's signed for Mason City. 

I would say it should be Mason City all along. Minneapolis is about 250 miles from Des Moines.

Nobody has heard of Mason City and 250 isn't that long. That's less than half of the distance between San Antonio and El Paso.

People in Iowa and the rest of that area have. 250 miles is long enough, and I don't even agree with having Chicago as the control city on WB I-94 starting in Detroit, it should be Kalamazoo (Ann Arbor is too close to Detroit to be an effective control city) although Jackson would work too, all three of those cities are at US highway interchanges too. Kalamazoo is best though because it's the halfway point between Detroit and Chicago, after Kalamazoo it should be Chicago.

Control cities aren't for local drivers, they are for out of towners/people unfamiliar with the area/long distance drivers.

Yeah well Mason City is a pretty well-known city it's regional hub. It's also at the northern end of I-35's route through the state and also at the interchange of US-18 which is a freeway in that area going to Waterloo so it's fine as a control city. I've been through that part of Iowa many times.

Yes, it's an important city for the area, but still nothing compared to, for example, the unsigned cities between Chicago and Detroit on I-94 such as Kalamazoo or Ann Arbor.

[Flint1979]

Just for the record, Minnesota is the one that changes to Albert Lea for the first two exits in the state, north of Des Moines it's all Minneapolis and Des Moines all along there.

[Roadgeekteen]

Just for the record, Minnesota is the one that changes to Albert Lea for the first two exits in the state, north of Des Moines it's all Minneapolis and Des Moines all along there.

Yeah Iowa is generally better than Minnesota with control cities. It' funny because in the Des Moines area, they mostly sign Minneapolis on I-35 north, but randomly at US 20 they switch to Mason City briefly.

[Brandon]

Let's go international with it.

I-29 north is signed Winnipeg out of Grand Forks: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zh5vggyi4D9Fk8eE7
MB-75 south is signed for the small border hamlet of Emerson: https://maps.app.goo.gl/WfJe9BbHxBdnQHoDA

[tman]

Just for the record, Minnesota is the one that changes to Albert Lea for the first two exits in the state, north of Des Moines it's all Minneapolis and Des Moines all along there.

Yeah Iowa is generally better than Minnesota with control cities. It' funny because in the Des Moines area, they mostly sign Minneapolis on I-35 north, but randomly at US 20 they switch to Mason City briefly.

I'm not sure why they chose Mason City there, on US 20 (they're not generally fans of using secondary controls). I agree that they're better at controls than Minnesota is, given Minnesota's use of Albert Lea/Moorhead (instead of Des Moines/Fargo), plus the infrequently posted controls in the Twin Cities. They seem very hesitant to post any out of state controls at all (honestly, their use of Sioux Falls kind of surprises me, even though there's very little immediately east of it).

Minnesota also uses Moorhead (vs. Fargo), whereas North Dakota posts Minneapolis in Fargo. See this example on MN 15 approaching I-94:
Google StreetView

And this one on a mileage sign west of MN 4:
Mileage sign Google Streetview

They also use Alexandria (population 15k) instead of Fargo at some interchanges:
Google Streeview

Google Streetview

MN 4 Google Streetview

And here's a bonus of Fairmont (population 10k) instead of Sioux Falls for I-90, in Blue Earth on US 169:Google Streetview

[kphoger]

I don't understand Iowa's approach to I-35.

From Des Moines, it's signed for Minneapolis.  From Ames, it's also signed for Minneapolis.  Yet from US-20 (Williams), it's signed for Mason City. 

Just for the record, Minnesota is the one that changes to Albert Lea for the first two exits in the state, north of Des Moines it's all Minneapolis and Des Moines all along there.

Nope.  Not at US-20.  https://maps.app.goo.gl/vCCSiGkd7YXN3ZYw8

Control cities aren't for local drivers, they are for out of towners/people unfamiliar with the area/long distance drivers.

I disagree with that.  Control cities are for both local and long-distance drivers.

[Roadgeekteen]

I disagree with that.  Control cities are for both local and long-distance drivers.

That's where dual control cities come into play. I think there are some cases where there should be two control cities to serve both purposes.

[discochris]

Just for the record, Minnesota is the one that changes to Albert Lea for the first two exits in the state, north of Des Moines it's all Minneapolis and Des Moines all along there.

Yeah Iowa is generally better than Minnesota with control cities. It' funny because in the Des Moines area, they mostly sign Minneapolis on I-35 north, but randomly at US 20 they switch to Mason City briefly.

I'm not sure why they chose Mason City there, on US 20 (they're not generally fans of using secondary controls). I agree that they're better at controls than Minnesota is, given Minnesota's use of Albert Lea/Moorhead (instead of Des Moines/Fargo), plus the infrequently posted controls in the Twin Cities. They seem very hesitant to post any out of state controls at all (honestly, their use of Sioux Falls kind of surprises me, even though there's very little immediately east of it).

Minnesota also uses Moorhead (vs. Fargo), whereas North Dakota posts Minneapolis in Fargo. See this example on MN 15 approaching I-94:
Google StreetView

And this one on a mileage sign west of MN 4:
Mileage sign Google Streetview

They also use Alexandria (population 15k) instead of Fargo at some interchanges:
Google Streeview

Google Streetview

MN 4 Google Streetview

And here's a bonus of Fairmont (population 10k) instead of Sioux Falls for I-90, in Blue Earth on US 169:Google Streetview

Had to drive to Madison for work this evening from the Twin Cities. I was absolutely shocked that at the 90-94 split that it said La Crosse-Albert Lea on the control signage for WB-90. Seeing Albert Lea as a control city outside of Minnesota was surprising. I'd have expected maybe Rochester, even though 90 doesn't technically go to the city.

[SeriesE]

I-5 south from Los Angeles, California is signed for Santa Ana then San Diego but north from San Diego is LA only for a long time. Only relatively recently the northbound control city in southern Orange County got changed to Santa Ana.

[discochris]

Just for the record, Minnesota is the one that changes to Albert Lea for the first two exits in the state, north of Des Moines it's all Minneapolis and Des Moines all along there.

Yeah Iowa is generally better than Minnesota with control cities. It' funny because in the Des Moines area, they mostly sign Minneapolis on I-35 north, but randomly at US 20 they switch to Mason City briefly.

I'm not sure why they chose Mason City there, on US 20 (they're not generally fans of using secondary controls). I agree that they're better at controls than Minnesota is, given Minnesota's use of Albert Lea/Moorhead (instead of Des Moines/Fargo), plus the infrequently posted controls in the Twin Cities. They seem very hesitant to post any out of state controls at all (honestly, their use of Sioux Falls kind of surprises me, even though there's very little immediately east of it).

Minnesota also uses Moorhead (vs. Fargo), whereas North Dakota posts Minneapolis in Fargo. See this example on MN 15 approaching I-94:
Google StreetView

And this one on a mileage sign west of MN 4:
Mileage sign Google Streetview

They also use Alexandria (population 15k) instead of Fargo at some interchanges:
Google Streeview

Google Streetview

MN 4 Google Streetview

And here's a bonus of Fairmont (population 10k) instead of Sioux Falls for I-90, in Blue Earth on US 169:Google Streetview

Minnesota's provincialism is maddening to me as a road geek. Even EB-94 used to be Madison, but now it's Eau Claire for some reason. I'm surprised it isn't Bayport to be honest.

[Molandfreak]

Just for the record, Minnesota is the one that changes to Albert Lea for the first two exits in the state, north of Des Moines it's all Minneapolis and Des Moines all along there.

Yeah Iowa is generally better than Minnesota with control cities. It' funny because in the Des Moines area, they mostly sign Minneapolis on I-35 north, but randomly at US 20 they switch to Mason City briefly.

I'm not sure why they chose Mason City there, on US 20 (they're not generally fans of using secondary controls). I agree that they're better at controls than Minnesota is, given Minnesota's use of Albert Lea/Moorhead (instead of Des Moines/Fargo), plus the infrequently posted controls in the Twin Cities. They seem very hesitant to post any out of state controls at all (honestly, their use of Sioux Falls kind of surprises me, even though there's very little immediately east of it).

Minnesota also uses Moorhead (vs. Fargo), whereas North Dakota posts Minneapolis in Fargo. See this example on MN 15 approaching I-94:
Google StreetView

And this one on a mileage sign west of MN 4:
Mileage sign Google Streetview

They also use Alexandria (population 15k) instead of Fargo at some interchanges:
Google Streeview

Google Streetview

MN 4 Google Streetview

And here's a bonus of Fairmont (population 10k) instead of Sioux Falls for I-90, in Blue Earth on US 169:Google Streetview

Had to drive to Madison for work this evening from the Twin Cities. I was absolutely shocked that at the 90-94 split that it said La Crosse-Albert Lea on the control signage for WB-90. Seeing Albert Lea as a control city outside of Minnesota was surprising. I'd have expected maybe Rochester, even though 90 doesn't technically go to the city.

This has literally changed in the last 2 months if true.

[Roadgeekteen]

According to GSV from August its Tomah/La Crosse, no Albert Lea at the 90 94 split.

[Flint1979]

According to GSV from August its Tomah/La Crosse, no Albert Lea at the 90 94 split.

La Crosse is alright there but Tomah is kind of dumb considering it's right there pretty much after the split. Anyway it's been that way for years, I don't remember Albert Lea ever being the control city there.

EDIT: I take that back, Albert Lea is signed going EB on 90/94 at the split but not WB. Back in the day it was just La Crosse as the control city going EB, Albert Lea was added sometime around 2010.

[Roadgeekteen]

According to GSV from August its Tomah/La Crosse, no Albert Lea at the 90 94 split.

La Crosse is alright there but Tomah is kind of dumb considering it's right there pretty much after the split. Anyway it's been that way for years, I don't remember Albert Lea ever being the control city there.

EDIT: I take that back, Albert Lea is signed going EB on 90/94 at the split but not WB. Back in the day it was just La Crosse as the control city going EB, Albert Lea was added sometime around 2010.

That's very strange. I'd think that Albert Lea is more helpful westbound than eastbound. Of course it shouldn't be signed anywhere but...

[Flint1979]

Speaking of the I-90/94 split I'm surprised that Rochester isn't the control city. I-90 doesn't run smack dab through it, but it does serve it, and Rochester is a bigger city than Albert Lea. The only reason Albert Lea is ever a control city is because it's at an interchange between two major Interstate's.

[Roadgeekteen]

Speaking of the I-90/94 split I'm surprised that Rochester isn't the control city. I-90 doesn't run smack dab through it, but it does serve it, and Rochester is a bigger city than Albert Lea. The only reason Albert Lea is ever a control city is because it's at an interchange between two major Interstate's.

Minnesota seems to really hate the city on I-90 for some reason, and Wisconsin doesn't care for it either. They don't even sign it out of Albert Lea on I-90 east.

[JayhawkCO]

Had to drive to Madison for work this evening from the Twin Cities. I was absolutely shocked that at the 90-94 split that it said La Crosse-Albert Lea on the control signage for WB-90. Seeing Albert Lea as a control city outside of Minnesota was surprising. I'd have expected maybe Rochester, even though 90 doesn't technically go to the city.

It also says Albert Lea in Sioux Falls.

[Flint1979]

According to GSV from August its Tomah/La Crosse, no Albert Lea at the 90 94 split.

La Crosse is alright there but Tomah is kind of dumb considering it's right there pretty much after the split. Anyway it's been that way for years, I don't remember Albert Lea ever being the control city there.

EDIT: I take that back, Albert Lea is signed going EB on 90/94 at the split but not WB. Back in the day it was just La Crosse as the control city going EB, Albert Lea was added sometime around 2010.

That's very strange. I'd think that Albert Lea is more helpful westbound than eastbound. Of course it shouldn't be signed anywhere but...

I agree with that. It seems like westbound you'd have more traffic than eastbound. Like say you are going from Black River Falls to La Crosse the quickest way doesn't even involve using either I-94 or I-90, instead it's taking several state highways south before finally getting to I-90 at the very end.

[Flint1979]

Speaking of the I-90/94 split I'm surprised that Rochester isn't the control city. I-90 doesn't run smack dab through it, but it does serve it, and Rochester is a bigger city than Albert Lea. The only reason Albert Lea is ever a control city is because it's at an interchange between two major Interstate's.

Minnesota seems to really hate the city on I-90 for some reason, and Wisconsin doesn't care for it either. They don't even sign it out of Albert Lea on I-90 east.

That's strange that the city that is the home of the Mayo Clinic and has a population of over 100,000 isn't a control city on an Interstate that just barely misses it but serves it.

[JayhawkCO]

Speaking of the I-90/94 split I'm surprised that Rochester isn't the control city. I-90 doesn't run smack dab through it, but it does serve it, and Rochester is a bigger city than Albert Lea. The only reason Albert Lea is ever a control city is because it's at an interchange between two major Interstate's.

Minnesota seems to really hate the city on I-90 for some reason, and Wisconsin doesn't care for it either. They don't even sign it out of Albert Lea on I-90 east.

I might be Mandela-effecting myself, I but I could swear that there used to even be a sign saying Blue Earth for WB and Austin for EB at the I-35/I-90 interchange, but I can't see it on GSV even going back. Possible it was pre-2008.

[Flint1979]

Minnesota even uses Austin which is a bigger city than Albert Lea but a much smaller city than Rochester.

[Flint1979]

Speaking of the I-90/94 split I'm surprised that Rochester isn't the control city. I-90 doesn't run smack dab through it, but it does serve it, and Rochester is a bigger city than Albert Lea. The only reason Albert Lea is ever a control city is because it's at an interchange between two major Interstate's.

Minnesota seems to really hate the city on I-90 for some reason, and Wisconsin doesn't care for it either. They don't even sign it out of Albert Lea on I-90 east.

I might be Mandela-effecting myself, I but I could swear that there used to even be a sign saying Blue Earth for WB and Austin for EB at the I-35/I-90 interchange, but I can't see it on GSV even going back. Possible it was pre-2008.

MN-13 still has Blue Earth and Austin as the control cities. I-35 has Sioux Falls and La Crosse. Austin is also used at the MN-56 interchange for WB. This seems a lot like I-94 in Michigan that uses Chicago as the control city for WB as far away as Detroit at all the major interchanges but then uses smaller cities in Michigan at the secondary interchanges.

[JayhawkCO]

Speaking of the I-90/94 split I'm surprised that Rochester isn't the control city. I-90 doesn't run smack dab through it, but it does serve it, and Rochester is a bigger city than Albert Lea. The only reason Albert Lea is ever a control city is because it's at an interchange between two major Interstate's.

Minnesota seems to really hate the city on I-90 for some reason, and Wisconsin doesn't care for it either. They don't even sign it out of Albert Lea on I-90 east.

I might be Mandela-effecting myself, I but I could swear that there used to even be a sign saying Blue Earth for WB and Austin for EB at the I-35/I-90 interchange, but I can't see it on GSV even going back. Possible it was pre-2008.

MN-13 still has Blue Earth and Austin as the control cities. I-35 has Sioux Falls and La Crosse. Austin is also used at the MN-56 interchange for WB. This seems a lot like I-94 in Michigan that uses Chicago as the control city for WB as far away as Detroit at all the major interchanges but then uses smaller cities in Michigan at the secondary interchanges.

Does it sound familiar that there used to be a sign right before the I-35/I-90 interchange that said "Austin Exit 13A, Blue Earth Exit 13B"? I can't imagine I'm just making it up.

[Roadgeekteen]

Minnesota does some strange things. I-94 is a mess as well, with them not really wanting to use Fargo.

[Molandfreak]

Speaking of the I-90/94 split I'm surprised that Rochester isn't the control city. I-90 doesn't run smack dab through it, but it does serve it, and Rochester is a bigger city than Albert Lea. The only reason Albert Lea is ever a control city is because it's at an interchange between two major Interstate's.

Minnesota seems to really hate the city on I-90 for some reason, and Wisconsin doesn't care for it either. They don't even sign it out of Albert Lea on I-90 east.

I might be Mandela-effecting myself, I but I could swear that there used to even be a sign saying Blue Earth for WB and Austin for EB at the I-35/I-90 interchange, but I can't see it on GSV even going back. Possible it was pre-2008.

MN-13 still has Blue Earth and Austin as the control cities. I-35 has Sioux Falls and La Crosse. Austin is also used at the MN-56 interchange for WB. This seems a lot like I-94 in Michigan that uses Chicago as the control city for WB as far away as Detroit at all the major interchanges but then uses smaller cities in Michigan at the secondary interchanges.

Does it sound familiar that there used to be a sign right before the I-35/I-90 interchange that said "Austin Exit 13A, Blue Earth Exit 13B"? I can't imagine I'm just making it up.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ttjrEUaQQvBQ3Xxf6