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[oscar]

Splitting this off from the "Longest unsigned interval between gas stations" thread, which also discussed some very long signed intervals between gas stations (like 163 miles between Tonopah NV and Ely NV on US 6) ...

Traveling in eastern Canada earlier this month, I came across signs for some really long gas-free highways, including parts of the Trans-Labrador Highway, the James Bay Road, and the Trans-Taiga Road spur from the James Bay Highway.

Starting off with the Trans-Labrador Highway photos (already posted in another thread):



The one above was taken on the Trans-Labrador Highway just north of Port Hope Simpson.  410 km is about 255 miles, so this tops the "next services 244 miles" sign at Coldfoot on Alaska's Dalton Highway (AK 11).



This one is from the north end of NL 510 (newer central/southern section of the TLH), south of its junction with the original TLH (NL 500) west of Happy Valley-Goose Bay.  392 km is about 244 miles.

The number on the second sign is smaller than on the first one, because the second one is 18 km west of the gas stations in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.  But it actually should be more alarming.  Heading north from Port Hope Simpson, gas is available off NL 510 in Charlottetown via NL 514 (about 50 km/31 mi. from PHS, including a 25 km one-way detour from NL 510), and in Cartwright via NL 516 (about 200 km/124 mi. from PHS, including an ~85 km one-way detour).  Heading southbound from NL 500, the only way to get gas in less than 365 km/227 mi. (via the detour to Cartwright) is to turn back.  

Either way, would this be the longest gas-free interval on a numbered highway anywhere in North America?

I'll post here separately my pix from the unnumbered James Bay Highway, which I traveled a few days after I finished the Trans-Labrador Highway.

Corrected URL link in the first sentence. - Alex

[oscar]

Here's two photos from the 620-km unnumbered municipal James Bay Highway between Matagami and Radisson in northern Quebec.



Above is the familiar sign, just south of the truck stop at km 381, reminding travelers who forgot to refuel there (almost always a mistake) that it's a long way to the next gas stations in Matagami at the southern end of the highway.  And yes, in the background is a 100 km/h speed limit sign -- unusually high for a bumpy two-lane road in Quebec, but I guess the local officials who maintain the road realize that travelers have to go a long way to get anywhere, and generally are in a hurry.



This lesser-known sign on the way out of the km 381 truck stop reminds that those planning to take the Trans-Taiga Road spur east from km 544 of the James Bay Highway mainline have an even longer distance to gas up again.  (The sign may overstate the distance a little -- an official travel guide to the James Bay region indicates that gas is available along the Trans-Taiga at least some of the time only 449 km/279 miles, rather than 500 km/310 miles, northeast from the km 381 truck stop.  And nervous travelers can always refuel in Radisson at the end of the James Bay Highway, at km 617, before taking on the Trans-Taiga if they don't mind a 146 km round-trip detour to further reduce the distance between fuel stops.)

[agentsteel53]

And yes, in the background is a 100 km/h speed limit sign -- unusually high for a bumpy two-lane road in Quebec, but I guess the local officials who maintain the road realize that travelers have to go a long way to get anywhere, and generally are in a hurry.

it is also very, very lightly patrolled.

the road, at the beginning, should be signed with "speed limit enforced by unmarked frost heaves".  most of the worse bumps have an orange flag to indicate its position ... two or three of the absolute worst ones are left entirely unsigned.

[agentsteel53]

Either way, would this be the longest gas-free interval on a numbered highway anywhere in North America?

almost definitely in the US and Canada.  I am willing to bet there is longer on some dusty road in Mexico.  I believe the longest distance in Baja is about 250km, and that includes a few stops consisting of "a guy with a barrel by the side of the road".  on the mainland - well, information is just too sporadic to be able to make an accurate determination.

[oscar]

And yes, in the background is a 100 km/h speed limit sign -- unusually high for a bumpy two-lane road in Quebec, but I guess the local officials who maintain the road realize that travelers have to go a long way to get anywhere, and generally are in a hurry.

it is also very, very lightly patrolled.

the road, at the beginning, should be signed with "speed limit enforced by unmarked frost heaves".  most of the worse bumps have an orange flag to indicate its position ... two or three of the absolute worst ones are left entirely unsigned.

I saw only one municipal patrol car, and no provincial police, on my 1240-km round trip on the highway.  The cop car was sitting on the southbound shoulder, while I blew past him at 115 km/h going northbound.  Nothing happened.  So the speed limit seems not to be strictly enforced, by anything but the bumps in the road.

But the bumps make night driving on the road very unpleasant, and I and most other drivers still on the road pulled off into roadside campgrounds/rest areas soon after nightfall.  I was up from 3am-4am the night I had to camp at roadside (the temps were near-freezing, and I had to warm up in my truck cab before going back to sleep).  Only one vehicle -- an 18-wheeler -- drove by in either direction during that hour.

[oscar]

Here's a photo I took two days ago, on US 6 just west of Ely NV.  This may be the longest signed interval between gas stations anywhere in the lower 48:



But Alaska's Dalton Highway (AK 11) tops that with a 240-mile gas-free gap between Deadhorse and Coldfoot:

[Alex]

This post I made a few days ago should be in the "signed interval" thread, so here it is again (removed from the other thread), but now with a companion photo Andy took on August 3.

A "No Gas 82 Miles" sign is posted on Washington 14 east as it leaves U.S. 97.

[Kniwt]

We might have a new contender for the Lower 48. If Nevada DOT is to be believed, gas is no longer available at Denio on NV/OR 140, so they've posted this at the junction with US 95. Taken today.

[mefailenglish]

We might have a new contender for the Lower 48. If Nevada DOT is to be believed, gas is no longer available at Denio on NV/OR 140, so they've posted this at the junction with US 95. Taken today.

I was just out there a couple of months ago.  Not 100% accurate as I seem to recall seeing (pretty expensive) gas in Adel OR (along with some US 140 signs).  Denio looked all closed up though.

Thanks for sharing the picture.  I should have double-checked mine before I continued west but I didn't, and of course it didn't turn out. 

[agentsteel53]

We might have a new contender for the Lower 48. If Nevada DOT is to be believed, gas is no longer available at Denio on NV/OR 140, so they've posted this at the junction with US 95. Taken today.

the sign was there as of last August.

there is gas in Adel when I was last there, which was 2006.  so, that's not particularly useful info.  definitely gas in Lakeview.

[agentsteel53]

almost definitely in the US and Canada.  I am willing to bet there is longer on some dusty road in Mexico.  I believe the longest distance in Baja is about 250km, and that includes a few stops consisting of "a guy with a barrel by the side of the road".  on the mainland - well, information is just too sporadic to be able to make an accurate determination.

having done all of highway 1 in Baja, I can attest to the fact that the longest stretch without PEMEX is from El Rosario to Jesus Maria, about 20km north of Guerrero Negro.  so a 340km stretch with just people selling gas out of drums by the side of the road, in places like Catavina.

[billtm]

We might have a new contender for the Lower 48. If Nevada DOT is to be believed, gas is no longer available at Denio on NV/OR 140, so they've posted this at the junction with US 95. Taken today.

the sign was there as of last August.

there is gas in Adel when I was last there, which was 2006.  so, that's not particularly useful info.  definitely gas in Lakeview.

Wikipedia says there is a gas station in Adel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adel%2C_Oregon

[Zzonkmiles]

What is the longest stretch of interstate highway that has no services? I'm guessing somewhere on I-15, I-40 or I-70 out west?

Wow, those are some pretty cool (and damn scary) signs. Some small cars have gas tanks that only hold like 13 gallons, so they might not even be able to make the drive even with a full tank unless they carry additional fuel in a separate plastic can.

[Brandon]

What is the longest stretch of interstate highway that has no services? I'm guessing somewhere on I-15, I-40 or I-70 out west?

Wow, those are some pretty cool (and damn scary) signs. Some small cars have gas tanks that only hold like 13 gallons, so they might not even be able to make the drive even with a full tank unless they carry additional fuel in a separate plastic can.

Mine has a 13.6 gallon fuel tank, and I could handily make the 500 km (310 mi) distance on one of the signs above.  As long as you get 30 mpg or better with a 13 gallon tank, you'll be just fine.

[oscar]

What is the longest stretch of interstate highway that has no services? I'm guessing somewhere on I-15, I-40 or I-70 out west?

It's I-70 in Utah, between Salina and Green River, 106 miles or so. 

Easily covered by a gas-powered vehicle, keeping in mind that the ones with the smallest gas tanks also have the best fuel economy, so long as you refuel before doing that drive.  An all-electric Nissan Leaf almost certainly would not make it, and a Tesla would be a "maybe" depending on where it can be recharged.

Off the Interstates, it's a different story.  In another thread, there's a photo of a sign in western Australia warning of no gas for the next 815 km (over 500 miles), though diesel was available in some places on that stretch.

[oscar]

Mine has a 13.6 gallon fuel tank, and I could handily make the 550 km (310 mi) distance on one of the signs above.  As long as you get 30 mpg or better with a 13 gallon tank, you'll be just fine.

If your car has only a 13.6 gallon fuel tank, it's probably not a high-clearance pickup truck or SUV.  Much of that road with 310 miles between services is gravel, which could not only do a number on passenger-car tires and undercarriages, but also kill your gas mileage. 

My pickup truck, with a 26-gallon tank, probably would have run out of gas on a similar Canadian road with 288 miles between services, had I not brought extra fuel.  My truck's mileage sucks even on pavement, but it sucks a lot more on gravel. 

[billtm]

We might have a new contender for the Lower 48. If Nevada DOT is to be believed, gas is no longer available at Denio on NV/OR 140, so they've posted this at the junction with US 95. Taken today.

the sign was there as of last August.

there is gas in Adel when I was last there, which was 2006.  so, that's not particularly useful info.  definitely gas in Lakeview.

Wikipedia says there is a gas station in Adel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adel%2C_Oregon

I measured the distance from that sign to Adel and it is too short. But the distance to Lakeview is almost exactly what the sign says the distance to the next gas station is. (180mi.) So in conclusion, Wikipedia is wrong.

[cpzilliacus]

Mine has a 13.6 gallon fuel tank, and I could handily make the 550 km (310 mi) distance on one of the signs above.  As long as you get 30 mpg or better with a 13 gallon tank, you'll be just fine.

If your car has only a 13.6 gallon fuel tank, it's probably not a high-clearance pickup truck or SUV.  Much of that road with 310 miles between services is gravel, which could not only do a number on passenger-car tires and undercarriages, but also kill your gas mileage. 

My pickup truck, with a 26-gallon tank, probably would have run out of gas on a similar Canadian road with 288 miles between services, had I not brought extra fuel.  My truck's mileage sucks even on pavement, but it sucks a lot more on gravel.

My pickup (as I have stated here before) gets about 20 or 21 MPG with a 30+ gallon tank, but it burns Diesel fuel.  I have driven from Maryland to Carnesville, Georgia (I-85 a few exits south of the South Carolina border) with no fuel stops (I could possibly have driven all the way to Atlanta without a fuel stop). 

According to Google, it is about 580 miles, (admittedly nearly all on freeway).

Do those gas stations along the Trans-Labrador Highway sell Diesel fuel?

[oscar]

Do those gas stations along the Trans-Labrador Highway sell Diesel fuel?

At least in Goose Bay and Port Hope Simpson, at opposite ends of the longest fuel-free stretch.  Maybe not in some smaller communities along the highway, but probably enough other places for diesel-fueled vehicles to get by.

As with other remote northern places, limited hours can be a separate issue, especially stations that close early in the evening.  When I stopped in Charlotte Harbour, both gas stations were closed for lunch (apparently the station owners dine together), which held up my return to the Trans-Labrador by about an hour.  I probably could've gotten by without refueling, but in that region you try never to drive past an open gas station with less than a 7/8 full tank. 

[TravellerJoplin]

Do those gas stations along the Trans-Labrador Highway sell Diesel fuel?

At least in Goose Bay and Port Hope Simpson, at opposite ends of the longest fuel-free stretch.  Maybe not in some smaller communities along the highway, but probably enough other places sell Male Extra devices to get by.

As with other remote northern places, limited hours can be a separate issue, especially stations that close early in the evening.  When I stopped in Charlotte Harbour, both gas stations were closed for lunch (apparently the station owners dine together), which held up my return to the Trans-Labrador by about an hour.  I probably could've gotten by without refueling, but in that region you try never to drive past an open gas station with less than a 7/8 full tank.

Crazy, I bet a lot of people end up running out of gas half way down the road. I think there was a really long one in Russia somewhere too.

What happens if you run out of gas then call someone to come pick you up and they run out too. 

[AlanDi]

If you are wondering what is the longest distance between gas stations in the Continental US is, I think I found it last week. This sign is at the start of NV state highway 140, about 31 miles north of Winnemucca off of US HWY 95. This highway runs between US 95 and Denio, NV. It says that the next gas is 179 miles (which is in Lakeview, OR). However, this sign is 9 miles north of the nearest gas station (Chevron), at the intersection of US 95 and NV state highway 290, making the distance between gas stations 188 miles. You can also see one of the longest stretches of absolutely straight, and flat road, in the state on this highway. It is 14 miles. I tried to insert the phot I took (image) but could not figure put how to do it.

[cl94]

This thread has been revived, so I'll put in I-87 in the Adirondacks as an honorable mention. Easily the longest in New York and one of the longest in the northeast along a major highway if we're talking 24-hour services. 75 mile gap between Exits 26 and 36. Exit 26 is in the southeastern Adirondacks and Exit 36 is in Plattsburgh. Services in general are very limited along this stretch, with some things a couple miles south. Cell service is spotty as well and there are emergency phones that may or may not work. The gas station at Exit 32 closed and there is one with very limited hours at Exit 29. There is an unsigned 24 hour gap for another ~30 miles south of there to Exit 19 in Queensbury at the northern edge of the Albany metro area. No 24-hour food between 19 and 36, either.

[Sykotyk]

If you are wondering what is the longest distance between gas stations in the Continental US is, I think I found it last week. This sign is at the start of NV state highway 140, about 31 miles north of Winnemucca off of US HWY 95. This highway runs between US 95 and Denio, NV. It says that the next gas is 179 miles (which is in Lakeview, OR). However, this sign is 9 miles north of the nearest gas station (Chevron), at the intersection of US 95 and NV state highway 290, making the distance between gas stations 188 miles. You can also see one of the longest stretches of absolutely straight, and flat road, in the state on this highway. It is 14 miles. I tried to insert the phot I took (image) but could not figure put how to do it.

I drove NV/OR 140 years ago in my trip around the 48 states in one go. Very desolate. Very few cars other than me in January (no snow anywhere).

[roadfro]

If you are wondering what is the longest distance between gas stations in the Continental US is, I think I found it last week. This sign is at the start of NV state highway 140, about 31 miles north of Winnemucca off of US HWY 95. This highway runs between US 95 and Denio, NV. It says that the next gas is 179 miles (which is in Lakeview, OR). However, this sign is 9 miles north of the nearest gas station (Chevron), at the intersection of US 95 and NV state highway 290, making the distance between gas stations 188 miles. You can also see one of the longest stretches of absolutely straight, and flat road, in the state on this highway. It is 14 miles. I tried to insert the phot I took (image) but could not figure put how to do it.

This interval was mentioned previously in the thread, with a picture.

BTW: There are longer stretches of straight highway in Nevada. There's a section of US 95 in Nye County that is about 18-ish miles. And a section of US 93 north of Ely appears to be closer to 30 miles (although I've never driven this to verify).


BTW #2: To post a picture, typically you first have to upload it to a picture hosting site, such as Flickr or Photobucket, then link to that uploaded picture in your post.

[Kniwt]

Not the longest, but still quite long, a bit off the beaten path, and hasn't been posted here yet. (The number on the sign indicates it was erected in 2017. The most recent Street View is from way back in 2009 and shows a different sign there, with a lot more words, but SV was low-res enough back then that the sign can't be read.)

WY 430, heading south out of Rock Springs. The "120 miles" includes about 20 miles of unpaved Moffat CR 10 after crossing the Colorado state line (which Google Maps won't hesitate to send you on, without telling you it's unpaved ... just sayin'). There's a similar sign at the other end on CO 318 just outside Sunbeam.