Most Diverse Interstate Highway in your state

[WillWeaverRVA]

My pick for Virginia is I-64. It crosses the most kinds of terrain and has very rural and very urban sections.

I-66 could be considered for the same reason - it begins in the mountains, passes through the Piedmont, and then quickly enters the DC Metro and passes through some heavily urbanized areas.

[wriddle082]

For Tennessee, I-40 is definitely the most diverse, at 453 miles from the MS river to the Smokies, but I-24 isn't too shabby either.

I-40 starts out crossing the impressive Hernando DeSoto Bridge from Arkansas right into Downtown Memphis, passes through two recently rehabbed interchanges with I-240, heads east through relatively flat territory towards Jackson, starts to get gradually more hilly towards the Tennessee River.  Then enters through more rolling, rugged territory once officially in Middle Tennessee, then enters Nashville where one finds both modern new interchanges with long, high flyovers as well as tight older interchanges closer to downtown (as well as passing near a large dam on the east side of town).  Once past relatively flat Wilson County, officially enters the Appalachian foothills and climbs to the Highland Rim and Cookeville, then climbs to the Cumberland Plateau and Monterey and Crossville.  Descends the Plateau into the Tennessee Valley and heads towards the I-75 duplex into Knoxville.  Once in Downtown Knoxville, passes through one of the most impressive recent freeway rebuilds in the country.  Then heads east past the Smokies to the split with I-81.  Then heads southeast straight for the mountains and follows the infamous slide-prone Pigeon River Gorge section into North Carolina.

But I-24 is pretty impressive as well.  Enters from Kentucky into the outskirts of the 5th largest city in the state, Clarksville.  Passes through rolling terrain most of the way towards Nashville, then descends a long grade into the Nashville Basin, and then maintains a relatively rural feel right up until the merge with I-65, where you immediately see the Nashville skyline just a few miles in the distance.  Right after 65 splits off, 24 passes by a few exits to Downtown Nashville and LP Field (home of the Tennessee Titans) before crossing the Cumberland River and duplexing with I-40 along the busiest stretch of interstate in TN.  Once it diverges from I-40, and past I-440, I-24 is at least 8 through lanes (far left is HOV only during rush hours most of the way) for the next 29 miles to Murfreesboro.  Then it's a relatively flat and pleasant drive through Manchester to the foot of Monteagle Mountain.  Then it's a few miles of steep up-grade, a couple of miles on top, and a few miles of steep down-grade into what essentially is the Tennessee Valley.  Eventually a bridge over the river, and then back into the mountains a little bit and into the infamous "Georgia Dip".  Once back in Tennessee, relatively hilly, then you find yourself sweeping around between the Tennessee River and Lookout Mountain into Chattanooga proper and a relatively curvy urban section, including the climb up and down Missionary Ridge.  Then a few miles later, the southern terminus at I-75.

I-65 through TN is also pretty diverse, and I-75 could be considered diverse though it's rather boring between Cleveland and the I-40 jct west of Knoxville.  I-26 is fairly diverse for its relatively short run into TN.  I-81 is rather boring, and I-55 is a bit of a pain.

[bassoon1986]

Definitely IH 10 here in Texas.  880 miles from one border to the other,

That being said, is I-10 in Texas the longest interstate within one state or does I-5 in CA have it beat?

Also I think I-10 has more mileage just through TX than all of the other states' I-10 miles combined

[Darkchylde]

Definitely IH 10 here in Texas.  880 miles from one border to the other,

That being said, is I-10 in Texas the longest interstate within one state or does I-5 in CA have it beat?

Also I think I-10 has more mileage just through TX than all of the other states' I-10 miles combined

I-10 (TX): 880 mi
I-5 (CA): Almost 800 mi, I think.

I-10 in Texas IS longer.

[achilles765]

Definitely IH 10 here in Texas.  880 miles from one border to the other,

That being said, is I-10 in Texas the longest interstate within one state or does I-5 in CA have it beat?

Also I think I-10 has more mileage just through TX than all of the other states' I-10 miles combined

I quote:
"At just under 879 miles (1,415 km), the stretch of Interstate 10 crossing Texas, maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation, is the longest continuous untolled freeway under a single authority in North America, a title formerly held by Ontario's Highway 401. Mile marker 880 (and the corresponding exit number) near Orange are the highest numbered mile marker and exit on the Interstate Highway System or, for that matter, on any freeway in North America.
Texas alone contains more than a third of the interstate's entire length. El Paso, on the Texas — New Mexico border, is 785 miles (1,263 km) from the western terminus of Interstate 10 in Santa Monica, California, making it closer to Los Angeles than it is to Orange, 857 miles (1,379 km) away. Likewise, Orange, on the Texas—Louisiana border, is only 789 miles (1,270 km) from the eastern terminus of Interstate 10 in Jacksonville, Florida."

When heading weat into Texas from Louisiana there is a great sign that I am sure we posted just to show off how big we are.  It states
"Beaumont    23
El Paso     857"

that must be disheartening to those heading to El Paso... or farther West.

[formulanone]

Probably I-4 in Florida; from the old city of Tampa, to hills, around lakes, near a bunch of theme parks, splitting through the guts of a city (Orlando); more hills, lakes, and rural areas; then a pine-filled forest and swampy stretch, and finally ending just a few miles west of the ocean, at Daytona Beach.

I-75 would be a close second, but it never gets near any shores, unless you count I-275. (Maybe if you only count "State Road 93", then...)

[vdeane]

I-81 gets honorable mention as well; you get the Upstate urban feel in both Binghamton and especially Syracuse, heavy suburbanization north of the 'Cuse, and quite different types of scenery through Broome and Cortland Counties versus in Oswego and Jefferson.

And the Thousand Islands Bridge!

[nexus73]

I-84 in Oregon goes from a major metro area to the Columbia Gorge, then the countryside opens up to the Great Plateau look, when suddenly one finds themselves with tree-lined mountains (the Wallowas) coming as a real terrain surprise.  After going through some rocky dry country, Oregon's section of I-84 ends in a small city (Ontario) that lays by the Snake River. 

I-5 gives three major river valleys (Willamette, Umpqua, Rogue), the three largest cities in Oregon (Portland, Salem, Eugene/Springfield) and plenty of mountainous terrain between the river valleys.

Those are your two choices for major interstate routes in Oregon.  US 101 offers variety for views and a more moderate climate so that's my recommended route for the tourist looking to make one trip and see the state at it's best.  The most exciting routes for variety are the east/west ones like US 20, 26 and 30, with 30 having partial concurrence with I-84. 

Honorable mention to state routes 38/138.  For being in mostly just one county (Douglas), a person gets to see the best part of the Umpqua River's drainage basin from the Cascades to the Coast.

Rick 

[NE2]

I quote:
"At just under 879 miles (1,415 km), the stretch of Interstate 10 crossing Texas, maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation, is the longest continuous untolled freeway

Except for those pesky at-grades... http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=31.212031,-105.49686&spn=0.032813,0.066047&gl=us&vpsrc=6&t=m&layer=c&cbll=31.211969,-105.497003&panoid=TnjNmSVCIq0LuEwYqBveOg&cbp=12,346.26,,0,14.74&z=15
(Actually that takes off only about 100 miles, so it's still the longest.)

[PAHighways]

I-76:  Skirts the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh, passes through the southern reaches of the state capital, and slices right through the largest city in the Commonwealth with mostly rural areas in between.  It crosses the Beaver, Allegheny, Juniata, Susquehanna, Schuylkill, and Delaware Rivers and along the way is the parent to 176, 276, 376, 476, and 676, the most three-digit routes from any Interstate in Pennsylvania.  As part of the first long-distance, limited-access highway in the country, it has a few abandoned sections.

[Beltway]

Maryland would be I-70.  Rural to metropolitan, mountains to near Chesapeake Bay.  Its spurs (I-270 and I-370) serve the nation's capital region and a WMATA Metrorail terminal station.

[roadman65]

I- 75 in Florida, as it sees rural, suburban, and even the mighty Everglades where it is the tolled Alligator Alley.  It is Florida's longest interstate and at one point you see rolling hills in Hernando County and the Paines Praire in Allachua County.   It is mostly four lanes, but six from Georgia to the Florida Turnpike and from FL 572 at Tampa to FL 581 at Osprey.  Then from Naples to Andytown it is mostly straight as it crosses the Everglades with only 2 interchanges in almost 80 miles.

[Henry]

I totally agree with I-90 in Washington State, linking Seattle and Spokane to the Cascades.

In Illinois, I'll go with I-55, if only for the fact that it follows most of the old Route 66 from East St. Louis to Chicago. In between, views of farmland and old-styled buildings in small towns give it a charm of its own.

[msubulldog]

Exit 109- Park Rd. 40, and is also a Brown Exit sign 
                                           

The Southern State Parkway has that for Valley Stream State Park, but that was from back in the days when they were replacing those old small wooden signs with brown & white ones. What they should do is replace the green ones for Hempstead Lake State Park and Belmont Lake State Park, with brown ones.

Exit 150 on Mississipspi's I-55 for the Holmes County State Park is also brown.

[wriddle082]

Exit 150 on Mississipspi's I-55 for the Holmes County State Park is also brown.

I believe all of MS's guide signage for the Natchez Trace Pkwy exits on I-20 and I-55 in the Jackson area, as well as US 78 (future I-22) in Tupelo, are brown signs.

Kinda makes me wish TN would post brown guide signage for the Natchez Trace State Park exit on I-40 east of Jackson, and for the Foothills Pkwy exit on I-40 in Cocke Co.

[bassoon1986]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the Trace on 20. I think that's the only other BBS I'd ever seen

[Riverside Frwy]

US 101 in California. Serves as a major 10 lane urban freeway in LA and SF, as well as acting as a intercity interstate, a scenic coastal route, and an important rural highway.

[kphoger]

US 101 in California. Serves as a major 10 lane urban freeway in LA and SF, as well as acting as a intercity interstate, a scenic coastal route, and an important rural highway.

TOPIC:  Most Diverse Interstate Highway in Your State

[huskeroadgeek]

Well considering I-80 is by far the longest interstate in Nebraska, that's a pretty easy one for me. I-80 is like the "main street" of the state. It connects most of the major cities and although the terrain isn't much different, it does show the transition between farmland in the east and ranchland in the west.

[pianocello]

Well considering I-80 is by far the longest interstate in Nebraska, that's a pretty easy one for me. I-80 is like the "main street" of the state. It connects most of the major cities and although the terrain isn't much different, it does show the transition between farmland in the east and ranchland in the west.

I-80's almost the same in Iowa, except there isn't any ranchland. It's all farmland, but the terrain changes every once in a while.

[tdindy88]

Indiana's most diverse is probably I-65, at least IMO. I-65 crosses the Kennedy Bridge from Louisville and goes through the urbanized part of the Southern Indiana suburbs before crossing into some rolling hills en route to Indianapolis. The stretch from Indianapolis to Gary goes through generally flat grounds, but it does connect with the suburbs. My other guess for a diverse highway would be the Indiana Toll Road, crossing the industrial centers of Hammond and Gary before going into the flatter terrain of Northern Indiana pass the South Bend area. That and it carries the two longest interstates in the country en route.

The REAL most diverse highway in the state hasn't been completed yet, Interstate 69. Terrain wise, it will cross the Ohio River, head through the lowlands of the Wabash River valley northeast toward Crane before crossing what ought to be a scenic stretch through Greene and Monroe Counties before heading northeast toward Indianapolis. From there, it's agirucultural fields northeast toward Fort Wayne and slightly rolling hills and small lakes north to Michigan. It will be the state's longest highway and will connect the three largest cities in the state, the only negative is that it won't go through Indianapolis but around it.

[kkt]

California's I-80 is a good contender.  Both I-80 and I-5 have cities, ranchland, farmland, and mountains, but I-80 also has a magnificent long-span bridge and tunnel, and goes over one of the snowiest passes any DOT has to try to keep open.

[Riverside Frwy]

US 101 in California. Serves as a major 10 lane urban freeway in LA and SF, as well as acting as a intercity interstate, a scenic coastal route, and an important rural highway.

TOPIC:  Most Diverse Interstate Highway in Your State

Excuse me, where in my post did I ask what f-ing topic is?

[agentsteel53]

Excuse me, where in my post did I ask what f-ing topic is?

so did you purposely sign up for idiot treatment, or have you been this way since birth?

[Riverside Frwy]

Excuse me, where in my post did I ask what f-ing topic is?

so did you purposely sign up for idiot treatment, or have you been this way since birth?

I don't why you are turning against me.

I did not sign up for anything. I already knew what the topic was. I had wrote the post already beofre I saw "interstate", and I figured it wouldn't hurt anyone. If it TRULY bothers you guys that much, have the admins delete it. It's no biggie.