Control Cities

[Roadgeekteen]

Saginaw also works as a control city in the UP.

[Flint1979]

Saginaw also works as a control city in the UP.

Mackinac Bridge makes the most sense and is used in both the Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula. The bridge being at the top of the Lower Peninsula and at the bottom of the Upper Peninsula means that you are going to be crossing the Mackinac Bridge if you stay on I-75.

Saginaw makes sense once you get south of the bridge as there isn't a major city until you get to Saginaw.

[roadman65]

What is up with New Jersey's purge to sign townships at the end of a route instead of cities along the way or the Post Office designations for the part the route terminates.  For example, NJDOT at I-287 on Route 10, designated Roxbury as the pull through WB control city instead of Ledgewood where NJ 10 ends at US 46 in that part of Roxbury.

Though Dover is better suited, NJDOT has been signing endpoints over places along the way.  Heck I-280 signs EB I have heard in Roseland, NJ now ignore Newark, the state's largest city, for Kearny, where I-280 actually ends on the latest guides.  Then I-295 uses Ewing as NB mileage sign control city over Trenton in which is the larger city as Ewing is a suburb of Trenton.

If it ain't broken, do not fix it is what I say.  Leave well enough alone, but NJ seems lately in signing endpoint townships (even some that no one has even heard of) such as Frankford for NJ 15 North and Montague for NJ 23 North (which does end there, but when people associate that name, its usually on Route 206, not route 23) along mileage signs and some small signs.

[milbfan]

The Tri-cities have their own media market. To me that makes them large enough to post as a control city. Since Johnson City and Kingsport aren't on I-81, that leaves Bristol. Thus, Bristol is a valid choice for a control city (and additionally Virginia can just claim that it's still an in-state destination).

Actually, Kport is on I-81...but barely.  Adding to the control city fun is that when one takes I-381 North, Kingsport does get listed as a control city for southbound traffic on I-81.  Only time I think you actually see any mention of it.

There are actually two Bristols, and I-81 passes through both - Tennessee (again, barely) and then Virginia.  You don't get quite as good a feel as you would if riding up US 11E as to the expanse of Bristol, TN.  And you do go by the racetrack, if that's of interest.  You sure feel the impact of racing weeks in the area.

[Daniel Fiddler]

There isn't really a good control city between Macon and Tampa.  All except Gainesville and Ocala (and they aren't at an expressway interchange), so there just isn't a good control city that fits.  So once you get to Valdosta, they pretty much select every city over 10,000 as a control city going south until Ocala and then make it Tampa.

[sprjus4]

^ I'd just say go with Macon and Tampa. Given I-75 is a main gateway from the north to Florida, it makes logical sense to sign "Tampa" or the likes.

[Roadgeekteen]

From Macon I would sign Tampa. From Tampa, I would sign Ocala and then Atlanta.

[US 89]

^ I'd just say go with Macon and Tampa. Given I-75 is a main gateway from the north to Florida, it makes logical sense to sign "Tampa" or the likes.

Tampa even appears a few times in the Atlanta area, most notably on signs for the west half of 285 on southbound I-75 in Cobb County.

[US 89]

From Macon I would sign Tampa. From Tampa, I would sign Ocala and then Atlanta.

No love for Gainesville, which is twice the size of Ocala or Valdosta and not much smaller than Macon?

[Daniel Fiddler]

Actually the CITY of Gainesville is larger Macon.

Although Macon's metropolitan area is slightly larger than Ocala"˜s, which is slightly larger than Gainesville's

I actually consider metropolitan area count superior to city count.

For example, in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee combined, the five largest METROPOLITAN AREAS are:

1.  Atlanta, Georgia  6,209,406
2.  Miami, Florida  6,138,333
3.  Tampa, Florida  4,734,037
4.  Orlando, Florida  3,833,531
5.  Nashville, Tennessee  2,174,887

The five largest CITIES are:

1.  Jacksonville, Florida  949,611
2.  Nashville, Tennessee 689,447
3.  Memphis, Tennessee 633,104
4.  Atlanta, Georgia 498,715
5.  Miami, Florida 442,241

How do you rank cities?

[Roadgeekteen]

From Macon I would sign Tampa. From Tampa, I would sign Ocala and then Atlanta.

No love for Gainesville, which is twice the size of Ocala or Valdosta and not much smaller than Macon?

I forgot about Gainesville

[Flint1979]

There isn't really a good control city between Macon and Tampa.  All except Gainesville and Ocala (and they aren't at an expressway interchange), so there just isn't a good control city that fits.  So once you get to Valdosta, they pretty much select every city over 10,000 as a control city going south until Ocala and then make it Tampa.

Valdosta and Lake City

[Flint1979]

Actually the CITY of Gainesville is larger Macon.

Although Macon's metropolitan area is slightly larger than Ocala"˜s, which is slightly larger than Gainesville's

I actually consider metropolitan area count superior to city count.

For example, in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee combined, the five largest METROPOLITAN AREAS are:

1.  Atlanta, Georgia  6,209,406
2.  Miami, Florida  6,138,333
3.  Tampa, Florida  4,734,037
4.  Orlando, Florida  3,833,531
5.  Nashville, Tennessee  2,174,887

The five largest CITIES are:

1.  Jacksonville, Florida  949,611
2.  Nashville, Tennessee 689,447
3.  Memphis, Tennessee 633,104
4.  Atlanta, Georgia 498,715
5.  Miami, Florida 442,241

How do you rank cities?

I rank them by Urban area. So Detroit has 3.7 million people, the city actually has 639,000 according to the 2020 census.

[Flint1979]

From Macon I would sign Tampa. From Tampa, I would sign Ocala and then Atlanta.

Why not just sign Miami in Sault Ste. Marie and sign Sault Ste. Marie in Miami in that case?

[SkyPesos]

^ also "Baltimore Beltway"  at Cove Fort 

[kphoger]

From Macon I would sign Tampa. From Tampa, I would sign Ocala and then Atlanta.

Why not just sign Miami in Sault Ste. Marie and sign Sault Ste. Marie in Miami in that case?

Because I-75 doesn't go to Miami, of course!   

[Flint1979]

From Macon I would sign Tampa. From Tampa, I would sign Ocala and then Atlanta.

Why not just sign Miami in Sault Ste. Marie and sign Sault Ste. Marie in Miami in that case?

Because I-75 doesn't go to Miami, of course!   

Miami Lakes it is then.

[Roadgeekteen]

From Macon I would sign Tampa. From Tampa, I would sign Ocala and then Atlanta.

Why not just sign Miami in Sault Ste. Marie and sign Sault Ste. Marie in Miami in that case?

What do you mean? Is there a problem with signing Atlanta in Florida? Macon and Valdosta aren't exactly bustling metros. Also Sault Ste. Marie is a small town and I-75 goes through probably 50 cities on the way bigger than it.

[Flint1979]

I-75 NORTH
SAULT STE MARIE

I-75 SOUTH
MIAMI LAKES

Btw this sign could be posted in Cincinnati.

[Roadgeekteen]

I-75 NORTH
SAULT STE MARIE

I-75 SOUTH
MIAMI LAKES

Btw this sign could be posted in Cincinnati.

Now that's just stupid. What about Detroit, Lexington, etc. ?

[Flint1979]

From Macon I would sign Tampa. From Tampa, I would sign Ocala and then Atlanta.

Why not just sign Miami in Sault Ste. Marie and sign Sault Ste. Marie in Miami in that case?

What do you mean? Is there a problem with signing Atlanta in Florida? Macon and Valdosta aren't exactly bustling metros. Also Sault Ste. Marie is a small town and I-75 goes through probably 50 cities on the way bigger than it.

Probably not but there are other cities along the way and there isn't a threshold of the size of a place in order to be a control city. Another thing is there is no rule that a city has to be reached before the control city changes either. Sault Ste. Marie is at the end of the route though and only 50? The Soo has probably 15,000 people it probably goes through 15 cities larger than it in Michigan alone. Why does there have to be a problem btw? No one said there was a problem.

[Roadgeekteen]

From Macon I would sign Tampa. From Tampa, I would sign Ocala and then Atlanta.

Why not just sign Miami in Sault Ste. Marie and sign Sault Ste. Marie in Miami in that case?

What do you mean? Is there a problem with signing Atlanta in Florida? Macon and Valdosta aren't exactly bustling metros. Also Sault Ste. Marie is a small town and I-75 goes through probably 50 cities on the way bigger than it.

Probably not but there are other cities along the way and there isn't a threshold of the size of a place in order to be a control city. Another thing is there is no rule that a city has to be reached before the control city changes either. Sault Ste. Marie is at the end of the route though and only 50? The Soo has probably 15,000 people it probably goes through 15 cities larger than it in Michigan alone. Why does there have to be a problem btw? No one said there was a problem.

Obvious troll 

[Flint1979]

I-75 NORTH
SAULT STE MARIE

I-75 SOUTH
MIAMI LAKES

Btw this sign could be posted in Cincinnati.

Now that's just stupid. What about Detroit, Lexington, etc. ?

Your going to sign Detroit for NB I-75 in Cincinnati? What about Dayton? What about Toledo? What about North Baltimore?

[Roadgeekteen]

I-75 NORTH
SAULT STE MARIE

I-75 SOUTH
MIAMI LAKES

Btw this sign could be posted in Cincinnati.

Now that's just stupid. What about Detroit, Lexington, etc. ?

Your going to sign Detroit for NB I-75 in Cincinnati? What about Dayton? What about Toledo? What about North Baltimore?

I would sign Dayton I was just giving an example of a much bigger city between Cincinnati and Sault Ste Marie. (and I honestly forgot about Dayton)

[Flint1979]

I-75 NORTH
SAULT STE MARIE

I-75 SOUTH
MIAMI LAKES

Btw this sign could be posted in Cincinnati.

Now that's just stupid. What about Detroit, Lexington, etc. ?

Your going to sign Detroit for NB I-75 in Cincinnati? What about Dayton? What about Toledo? What about North Baltimore?

I would sign Dayton I was just giving an example of a much bigger city between Cincinnati and Sault Ste Marie. (and I honestly forgot about Dayton)

How could you forget about the sixth largest city in Ohio?