Control Cities

[TheStranger]

is Old Davis Road highway 99W?  I've had trouble finding 99W between Woodland and Sacramento...

Not at all - Old Davis Road continues south into the fields, providing a bike route to Dixon, IIRC.

99W between Woodland and Sacramento followed...

1. East Street in Woodland south across the railroad tracks (the original crossing has since been closed off) to around County Road 25A (the connector to Route 113 also has been blocked off)
2. Route 113 from there to Russell Boulevard in Davis (after 1953 or so, it continued down Route 113 to I-80, then followed today's I-80 to West Sacramento)
3. Russell Boulevard east to Central Park in Davis
4. B Street south to 1st Street
5. 1st Street east to Richards Boulevard in downtown Davis
6. Richards Boulevard southeast to Olive Drive
7. Olive Drive east to I-80 (no access to eastbound I-80 from Olive)
8. I-80 east to approximately County Road 105A (no access from the freeway here)
9. County Road 32A to the levees
10. the original Yolo Causeway (demolished) from the levees east across the Yolo Bypass to West Sacramento
11. West Capitol Avenue east to the Tower Bridge - at some point, the West Sacramento Freeway (today's I-80 and US 50) became part of the 99W alignment

Segments 1 and 2 were co-routed with Alternate US 40, while the rest were concurrent with mainline US 40.

[shoptb1]

I had thought that maybe Indy was keeping a few Columbus signs because Columbus was keeping a few Indy signs.

Haha...maybe you're right...mutual respect between INDOT and ODOT?  Or just mutual laziness

[3467]

The Chicago Interstates like to send you to suburbs -nothwest,southwest or just suburbs But also to states-Indiana Wisconsin and Iowa .I-88 even has a milage sign that says just Iowa
80 does seem to send you to actual cities like Davenport and Des Moines
88 east is reall interesting. At the Quad Cites the Control city is Sterling where it becomes a tollway . Then it becomes Aurora or Chicago although 88 ends at 290 which it really should replace

[leifvanderwall]

I think the control cities for I-80 in Illinois should be San Francisco and New York. I've been thinking , the reason why Indiana, Wisconsin, and Iowa are listed because they sound so boring. So boring in fact , you'd want to stay in Chicago. There are mad geniouses who work for the Illinois DOT.

[roadfro]

Ummm... Control cities are supposed to be the next major town of significance. There are several significant places between San Fran and New York along I-80.

[leifvanderwall]

Yeah, you're right . Iowa City,North Platte,Mishawka, Rawlins, Winnemucca, Truckee, East Stroudsburg, Brookville, PA

[mightyace]

Yeah, you're right . Iowa City,North Platte,Mishawka, Rawlins, Winnemucca, Truckee, East Stroudsburg, Brookville, PA

Very funny, wise guy.

There's also:

South Bend, Toledo, Cleveland, Youngstown, Quad Cities, Des Moines, Omaha, Lincoln, Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, Reno, Sacramento, and, of course, Bloomsburg, PA! 

[Revive 755]

South Bend, Toledo, Cleveland, Youngstown, Quad Cities, Des Moines, Omaha, Lincoln, Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, Reno, Sacramento, and, of course, Bloomsburg, PA! 

Is "Quad Cities" ever even posted on a sign?  Iowa uses Davenport on I-80, while Illinois uses Moline-Rock Island on I-74, I-80 and I-88.  Though at the I-80/I-74/I-280 interchange I-80 gets Davenport for some reason (I'd rather see I-80 use Des Moines or "To I-88"):
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=41.434621,-90.328797&spn=0,359.560547&z=12&layer=c&cbll=41.434621,-90.328797&panoid=oVFKBPpsrwxpaWcSFE-6-Q&cbp=12,3.03,,0,-13.14)

Maybe I've just missed the signs, but I thought South Bend got passed over on I-80 for Chicago, Toledo, "Toll Road," or Ohio.

[mightyace]

Is "Quad Cities" ever even posted on a sign? 

I have no idea, it's been over 30 years since I've been that way.

Maybe I've just missed the signs, but I thought South Bend got passed over on I-80 for Chicago, Toledo, "Toll Road," or Ohio.

I was just listing example of cities "of significance" that could be used as control cities on I-80 whether they are or not.  (Plus, my home town of Bloomsburg which is a control city whether it deserves to be or not.  Hence, the sombrero!  )

[Mr_Northside]

Yeah, you're right . Iowa City,North Platte,Mishawka, Rawlins, Winnemucca, Truckee, East Stroudsburg, Brookville, PA

While the city (probably actually just a borough) of Brookville itself isn't very big, it's a decent "junction" city for some key western-central PA routes (US-322, PA-36, and, while it's not an expressway until some distance southwestward, PA-28)

[Brandon]

Is "Quad Cities" ever even posted on a sign? 

Maybe I've just missed the signs, but I thought South Bend got passed over on I-80 for Chicago, Toledo, "Toll Road," or Ohio.

I've never seen "Quad Cities" on a sign.  Here, we have "Moline - Rock Island" for I-80 West (minor control) and either "Des Moines" or "Iowa" for the major control.  And, yes, South Bend gets the shaft in favor of "Chicago" and "Ohio".  Even here (see my name block), "Toledo" or "Indiana" are used for the major control for I-80 East.

[jdb1234]

Here is a sign near Birmingham that uses Memphis as a control city along Corridor X.

[Bryant5493]

^^ Cool sign. I know you said it's near Birmingham, but where exactly is it?


Be well,

Bryant

[jdb1234]

This sign is on US 78 westbound approaching its interchange with Corridor X near Graysville. 

[Bryant5493]

^^ Okay, so where Future I-22 West starts, more or less. Gotcha. Thanks.


Be well,

Bryant

[D-Dey65]

Hey, is that sign at the west end of NY 119 that says "Upstate" in one direction and "New York" in another still there?

[mapman1071]

I've always found it irritating that "Sacramento" is a control city _WITHIN_ the Sacramento city limits!  (Granted, some of those areas - particularly the edges of Arden that did become part of the city in the 1950s/1960s and North Sacramento - only joined the incorporated territory after some of the freeways were built, but still.)

The most notable example I see daily is at US 50 along the onramps at Hornet Drive and Howe Avenue - both of them, still 2 or 3 miles west of the city limit at Watt Avenue, point to "Sacramento"; not "Downtown Sacramento" (the latter would make much more sense).  In fact, the only two times a route is signed for "downtown Sacramento" would be the two former US 40 freeway spurs, the exit for CA 275 off of Business 80/US 50 in the Yolo County community of West Sacramento, and CA 160 in the North Sacramento/Point West area of the city.

Another example I saw last night is at the interchange between El Camino Avenue and Business 80, where westbound Business 80 is signed for "Sacramento" even though the freeway is well within the city limits still (as is the 160/Business 80 interchange after that).

With the amount of people and jobs based in Roseville, I'm surprised that it is not at all used as a control city for eastbound I-80 or Business 80 within much of Sacramento County.  (It is a control city for 160 eastbound, which feeds into Business 80 eastbound - ironic because I-80 does reach Roseville while 160 never comes close, probably retaining that signed destination as a vestige of its past as US 40/99E.)  I can understand Elk Grove rarely getting a mention on signs as it did not emerge as a sizeable community until the last decade; likewise, I am not surprised at how little signage for Midtown Sacramento exists, even though Business 80 spends quite a bit of time in that district.

For Years ADOT would have Phoenix as a control city on BGS after entering city limits 15 miles back.

[huskeroadgeek]

I've always found it irritating that "Sacramento" is a control city _WITHIN_ the Sacramento city limits!  (Granted, some of those areas - particularly the edges of Arden that did become part of the city in the 1950s/1960s and North Sacramento - only joined the incorporated territory after some of the freeways were built, but still.)

The most notable example I see daily is at US 50 along the onramps at Hornet Drive and Howe Avenue - both of them, still 2 or 3 miles west of the city limit at Watt Avenue, point to "Sacramento"; not "Downtown Sacramento" (the latter would make much more sense).  In fact, the only two times a route is signed for "downtown Sacramento" would be the two former US 40 freeway spurs, the exit for CA 275 off of Business 80/US 50 in the Yolo County community of West Sacramento, and CA 160 in the North Sacramento/Point West area of the city.

Another example I saw last night is at the interchange between El Camino Avenue and Business 80, where westbound Business 80 is signed for "Sacramento" even though the freeway is well within the city limits still (as is the 160/Business 80 interchange after that).

With the amount of people and jobs based in Roseville, I'm surprised that it is not at all used as a control city for eastbound I-80 or Business 80 within much of Sacramento County.  (It is a control city for 160 eastbound, which feeds into Business 80 eastbound - ironic because I-80 does reach Roseville while 160 never comes close, probably retaining that signed destination as a vestige of its past as US 40/99E.)  I can understand Elk Grove rarely getting a mention on signs as it did not emerge as a sizeable community until the last decade; likewise, I am not surprised at how little signage for Midtown Sacramento exists, even though Business 80 spends quite a bit of time in that district.

For Years ADOT would have Phoenix as a control city on BGS after entering city limits 15 miles back.

Other cities have this too. Kansas City is still signed on BGS on the Missouri side well after the roads enter the city limits. Kansas though does it differently on their side-whereas I-70 West is signed for Kansas City at its junction with I-435 in Missouri, in Kansas they sign I-70 East at I-435 for St. Louis. I-35 South is signed for Kansas City at I-435 in Missouri, and in Kansas at I-435, I-35 North is signed for Des Moines.
I know Nashville is also signed on BGS well into the city limits.
Actually, I think this makes sense because in a way you haven't really reached the city until you get to the downtown area.

[roadfro]

There are other examples of this.  On I-215 westbound in the Las Vegas area, "Las Vegas" is used as the control city for I-15 north*. At this location, one is already in an area most would consider to be "Las Vegas" but is not actually within the limits of the City of Las Vegas.

(*Interestingly, on eastbound CR 215, I-15 north uses "Salt Lake City" as the control city.)

[agentsteel53]

I don't think many people know well where the city limits are; especially not people from out of town, to whom guide signs are especially beneficial. 

for example, I am in San Diego right now, and a good 12 miles from downtown.  If I hit I-15 here and saw a "San Diego" control city, I would not think to say to myself "but I'm already in San Diego!" - I'd assume I'd be headed towards areas of higher population density that are more along what people consider a city.

[TheStranger]

There are other examples of this.  On I-215 westbound in the Las Vegas area, "Las Vegas" is used as the control city for I-15 north*. At this location, one is already in an area most would consider to be "Las Vegas" but is not actually within the limits of the City of Las Vegas.

This does happen in metro Sacramento as well, i.e. on Route 99 north of Elk Grove - areas that have Sacramento mailing addresses and are referred to such in common conversation, but are not part of the city at all.

I don't know how many cities have the practice of simply switching up the signage from the city itself to "Downtown (city here)" upon entering city limits, though San Francisco is one (and part of that is easier as a result of SF's small geographic footprint).

[mapman]

I-280 in San Jose, CA does it too, at both the CA 17/I-880 and US 101/I-680 interchanges.  (At CA 87 in Downtown San Jose, it's just signed as either "I-280 to I-680," "I-280 to US 101 I-680," or "I-280 to US 101".)

[elsmere241]

A lot of the control cities along I-82 when approaching are completely useless

My inlaws live near one of those towns.  I wouldn't consider either one useless.

[Scott5114]

My inlaws live near one of those towns.  I wouldn't consider either one useless.

Maybe not for you, but I couldn't even tell you which one is eastbound and which is west. Too obscure to be of use to most people, I'd guess.

[Interstate Trav]

"Other Desert Cities", anyone?

I still would like to know where Thru Traffic, California is located.

The control cities on I-10 EB in east TX and LA are kind of funny. East of Beaumont, TX uses "Baton Rouge", but then once across the state line the control point becomes "Lake Charles." Thought that was kind of interesting. BTW, La. uses "Beaumont" on I-10 WB past Lake Charles.

Also, I might have mentioned it before, but the use of "Bay St. Louis" as a control point for I-10 EB past Slidell is truly ridiculous. Ditto some of the MS I-55 control points such as McComb or Grenada.

Gotta admit though the 'Other Desert Cities" like it or not, it does create a lot of conversation, and is well known.
Post Merge: December 31, 1969, 06:59:59 PM

Here's an interesting question about control cities.  Which sign is the furthest from its control city?  (I think Miami on I-95 may win this, but let's see what else is out there.)

I think Portland as a control city on I-5 in northern CA may be a candidate.

Denver CO on 70 Eastbound in Utah, is rather far.

Also Los Angeles used to appear on signs on 15 South from Salt Lake City.
Post Merge: February 10, 2011, 01:32:55 AM

What do you guys suppose is the control city with the smallest population.  My guess would be Tucumcari, NM as the control city on I-40 in the Texas panhandle.

I think Barstow Ca would be a contender.   It's the Control City for 15 northbound and 40 westbound in California
Post Merge: December 31, 1969, 06:59:59 PM

I like the Portland references on the mileage signs in northern California on Interstate 5. Interstate 70's west end sees Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, and there are mileage signs for Las Vegas along Interstate 70 west. Very cool.

You know there is a sign for Las Vegas on I-70 west in Grand Junction.  Over 500 miles away

[Edited out most of the post quoted, merged posts. -S.]