State-wide county road naming systems

[Revive 755]

It appears Illinois may have tried to imitate the Iowa system, but only Lake and McHenry Counties adopted it.  There are a couple random signs in northern Cook County that may indicate either a slow adoption by Cook County, or an attempt that was aborted.

[ET21]

It appears Illinois may have tried to imitate the Iowa system, but only Lake and McHenry Counties adopted it.  There are a couple random signs in northern Cook County that may indicate either a slow adoption by Cook County, or an attempt that was aborted.

Cook County's grid is awful. Might help local officials to deploy stuff but for motorists like me, these random letters and numbers don't mean anything

[pianocello]

It appears Illinois may have tried to imitate the Iowa system, but only Lake and McHenry Counties adopted it.  There are a couple random signs in northern Cook County that may indicate either a slow adoption by Cook County, or an attempt that was aborted.

I was wondering about the Dxx and Rxx highways in Peoria County I've seen on maps, including the Peoria County Highway Department map. It looks like a few (if not all) of them are signed (GSV link). Do you think that would have been the same idea?

[apeman33]

I've never really understood the pattern to Kansas's county routes. For example, Cowley County has 1,3, 8, etc. McPherson County has 4 digit routes, some counties have none at all.

Then there's Harvey County. They number the routes, but the shields have the number written small on the bottom, with the county assigned road name written large... it seems odd. Example: http://goo.gl/maps/RfHZf

ICTRds

The Iowa system is state-backed. Kansas has that 10,000-mile limit on its highway system, so in order for every county to have a consistent, state-wide system , I'm guessing that law would have to be repealed.

I presume each county decides what it wants to do with as far as a system goes. Linn County uses pentagons on some roads. I don't think any route is numbered lower than 500 and I know of a Route 1011. No other counties in southeast Kansas have anything like that and it's probably not necessary anymore since (nearly) every county has an E911 system.

Harvey County's pentagons are, I think, a compromise of sorts. Everyone probably calls the road by their names (which are typically an extension of Wichita's [West, Ridge, ect.] or Newton's [Kansas]) so the county makes them the primary feature on the shield.

I recall Edwards County used to have route numbers in plain white squares. Logan County once had route numbers within a white circle on a red background.

[The High Plains Traveler]

New Mexico?

New Mexico is a bit of a cluster.  (what else is new.)  a lot of places have county route numbers like A003 and B019.  others have, well...

New Mexico counties each have their own system. Some are just numeric, others alphanumeric, and then Guadalupe County seems to make their routes case sensitive as well.  The most systematic numbering scheme in the state is San Juan County (Farmington, northwest portion of state). It has a four-digit numbering system with lowest numbers in the north and west, and highest numbers in the south and east. Even non-county maintained routes get a number in the system, with a different color sign.

[agentsteel53]

Logan County once had route numbers within a white circle on a red background.

the oval seems to be a standard across Kansas.  I've seen cutout ovals from Republic, Rush, and Sumner - and ovals on a brown square from Trego and Graham.

[NE2]

Kansas has that 10,000-mile limit on its highway system, so in order for every county to have a consistent, state-wide system , I'm guessing that law would have to be repealed.

what

The limit is on state highway mileage. A county road is not (usually) a state highway.

[usends]

Most of these replies have been about the system (or lack thereof) that each state uses to assign numbers to its county roads.  But that's not what the OP was about (and it was largely my fault for the way I worded the thread title).  I've changed it now to "county road naming systems", because what I wanted to point out is the way South Dakota names their section-line roads consistently across the entire state.  It's similar in concept to a city street grid in a typical midwestern metro area, except that it's been implemented on a statewide scale.  What I was wondering is whether or not any other states do this.

[agentsteel53]

Guadalupe County seems to make their routes case sensitive as well.

good lord.

"911, what is your emergency?"
"my house is burning down!"
"where are you located?"
"1120 county road four kay jay"

[watches helplessly as fire trucks head down 4KJ, leaving his house on 4kj a smoldering ruin]

[vtk]

Guadalupe County seems to make their routes case sensitive as well.

good lord.

"911, what is your emergency?"
"my house is burning down!"
"where are you located?"
"1120 county road four kay jay"

[watches helplessly as fire trucks head down 4KJ, leaving his house on 4kj a smoldering ruin]

You assume the road doesn't have a proper name.  Which may be true in this case.  But in some places, roads that are signed with county-route pentagons or squares have actual names as well.  (Example: Fairfield County, OH.)  In some places, signed state highways also have local names other than "State Highway XX".  (Example: Franklin County, OH, and not just the urban areas.)  I would assume the post office and emergency services use these names when they exist.

[pianocello]

Most of these replies have been about the system (or lack thereof) that each state uses to assign numbers to its county roads.  But that's not what the OP was about (and it was largely my fault for the way I worded the thread title).  I've changed it now to "county road naming systems", because what I wanted to point out is the way South Dakota names their section-line roads consistently across the entire state.  It's similar in concept to a city street grid in a typical midwestern metro area, except that it's been implemented on a statewide scale.  What I was wondering is whether or not any other states do this.

It looks like North Dakota does this, at least most counties do. The originating point appears to be at the corner of Main St and Center Ave about 40 miles north of Bismarck.
IIRC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and/or Alberta has a province-wide numbering system that begins at one of the southern corners. It looks like the new Google Maps saw the deletion of the names of most of the rural streets in Canada.

[Alps]

Most of these replies have been about the system (or lack thereof) that each state uses to assign numbers to its county roads.  But that's not what the OP was about (and it was largely my fault for the way I worded the thread title).  I've changed it now to "county road naming systems", because what I wanted to point out is the way South Dakota names their section-line roads consistently across the entire state.  It's similar in concept to a city street grid in a typical midwestern metro area, except that it's been implemented on a statewide scale.  What I was wondering is whether or not any other states do this.

The one state where I've noticed it is Indiana. Not sure if it's universal, but it's pretty omnipresent in my travels.

[route56]

I've never really understood the pattern to Kansas's county routes. For example, Cowley County has 1,3, 8, etc. McPherson County has 4 digit routes, some counties have none at all.

I presume each county decides what it wants to do with as far as a system goes. Linn County uses pentagons on some roads. I don't think any route is numbered lower than 500 and I know of a Route 1011. No other counties in southeast Kansas have anything like that and it's probably not necessary anymore since (nearly) every county has an E911 system.

I think there was some sort of county road numbering system developed by KDOT and/or its predecessor. From what I can tell, it follows the Even/Odd rule for US and interstates, starts at 300 at the Nebraska line, 301 at the Colorado Line, and increases by 2 for every mile heading heading east/south.

In Douglas County, we have 438, 442 (2 segments), 458, 460, 1023, 1029 (also 2 segments), 1039, 1045, 1055, 1057, and 1061.

Scott, assuming Linn County is using the same system on it's pentagon-signed highway, numbers in the 500 series makes sense, but 1011?

[froggie]

The one state where I've noticed it is Indiana. Not sure if it's universal, but it's pretty omnipresent in my travels.

Indiana's are at the county level...while most counties in the state follow a similar format, each is formatted to their own county.

I posted upthread about Minnesota...no statewide system, but some counties follow the naming convention of adjacent counties.

Don't recall offhand if Iowa's is a statewide system or at the county level.

[usends]

It looks like North Dakota does this, at least most counties do. The originating point appears to be at the corner of Main St and Center Ave about 40 miles north of Bismarck.

Yes, you're right.  In fact, it appears that particular junction of section lines was chosen as the zero point because it's very close to the actual geographic center of the state.  I found some coordinates that place the exact geo center about one mile due west of the county-road-naming-zero-point.  So why was the zero point placed one mile east of the geo center?  My best guess is because that's also a point common to three townships in Sheridan County: McClusky Twp, Pickard Twp, and Edgemont Twp.

So, heading north, the Canada border is just past 109th St North.  Heading south, the South Dakota border is called 102nd St South... which could be confusing because that almost (but not quite) matches up with South Dakota's system, which (as I described in the OP) refers to that road as 100th St.

And you're also right that (unlike SD) there are some counties that use their own numbering system.  Burleigh Co. and Ward Co. use extensions of Bismarck's and Minot's zero points, respectively.  Grand Forks Co. uses a zero point in the SE corner of the county.

[thefro]

Indiana's is not a statewide system, so much as a coutywide system replicated in every county statewide.  They are all numbered by how many hundredths of a mile they are away (and in what direction) from a parallel road that passes through the county seat.  The resulting format looks like "County Road 550 North", but the direction word is usually written as an initial, making it look more like a route number than a name.

I don't recall what is done for roads on the exact meridian or parallel through the county seat.

Base Road is used as the name for those roads, and then "N Base Road, W Base Road" etc to distinguish between the two.  As someone who used to deliver pizza out in the country it's a good system.  Drawback is you can go around a slight turn and be on a different road name sometimes.

Anyway, not every county uses that system in Indiana.  Brown County doesn't use it at all and just has named roads.  Monroe County seems to use a mix of named roads and a few county roads.

I know my county switched over all their roads when they setup 911 service about 20/25 years ago.  Back then nobody in the country had a fixed mail address, they were just "Rural Route 2", etc.  So probably some of the other counties that had road names and addresses might have had a harder time switching.

[apeman33]

Kansas has that 10,000-mile limit on its highway system, so in order for every county to have a consistent, state-wide system , I'm guessing that law would have to be repealed.

what

The limit is on state highway mileage. A county road is not (usually) a state highway.

I had thought we were talking about a system like Missouri, where the roads are state maintained.

[WichitaRoads]

I've never really understood the pattern to Kansas's county routes. For example, Cowley County has 1,3, 8, etc. McPherson County has 4 digit routes, some counties have none at all.

I presume each county decides what it wants to do with as far as a system goes. Linn County uses pentagons on some roads. I don't think any route is numbered lower than 500 and I know of a Route 1011. No other counties in southeast Kansas have anything like that and it's probably not necessary anymore since (nearly) every county has an E911 system.

I think there was some sort of county road numbering system developed by KDOT and/or its predecessor. From what I can tell, it follows the Even/Odd rule for US and interstates, starts at 300 at the Nebraska line, 301 at the Colorado Line, and increases by 2 for every mile heading heading east/south.

In Douglas County, we have 438, 442 (2 segments), 458, 460, 1023, 1029 (also 2 segments), 1039, 1045, 1055, 1057, and 1061.

Scott, assuming Linn County is using the same system on it's pentagon-signed highway, numbers in the 500 series makes sense, but 1011?

But, that doesn't explain Cowley County having 1, 3, 8, etc.

[apeman33]

I've never really understood the pattern to Kansas's county routes. For example, Cowley County has 1,3, 8, etc. McPherson County has 4 digit routes, some counties have none at all.

I presume each county decides what it wants to do with as far as a system goes. Linn County uses pentagons on some roads. I don't think any route is numbered lower than 500 and I know of a Route 1011. No other counties in southeast Kansas have anything like that and it's probably not necessary anymore since (nearly) every county has an E911 system.

I think there was some sort of county road numbering system developed by KDOT and/or its predecessor. From what I can tell, it follows the Even/Odd rule for US and interstates, starts at 300 at the Nebraska line, 301 at the Colorado Line, and increases by 2 for every mile heading heading east/south.

In Douglas County, we have 438, 442 (2 segments), 458, 460, 1023, 1029 (also 2 segments), 1039, 1045, 1055, 1057, and 1061.

Scott, assuming Linn County is using the same system on it's pentagon-signed highway, numbers in the 500 series makes sense, but 1011?

I don't know if Linn County happened to use a system already in place of if it used something else. I may have also gotten that number wrong. I remember it as 1011 but Google Maps shows it as 1095. It actually runs concurrently with K-152 for a bit west of LaCygne.

The route that links Blue Mound and Parker is marked 1077 on Google maps. I knew it was a county route but I couldn't have guessed the number. I think those are Linn County's only north-south marked routes.

Linn County 566 serves as a shortcut for people who want to get from Parker to Blue Mound without having to go up through Mound City.

[NE2]

Kansas has that 10,000-mile limit on its highway system, so in order for every county to have a consistent, state-wide system , I'm guessing that law would have to be repealed.

what

The limit is on state highway mileage. A county road is not (usually) a state highway.

I had thought we were talking about a system like Missouri, where the roads are state maintained.

Your example was Iowa, which is county maintained...

[route56]

I think there was some sort of county road numbering system developed by KDOT and/or its predecessor. From what I can tell, it follows the Even/Odd rule for US and interstates, starts at 300 at the Nebraska line, 301 at the Colorado Line, and increases by 2 for every mile heading heading east/south.

But, that doesn't explain Cowley County having 1, 3, 8, etc.

Occam's Razor: Cowley County (and I can add Leavenworth County as well) does not use the "grid" system to number its county roads.

[route56]

The route that links Blue Mound and Parker is marked 1077 on Google maps. I knew it was a county route but I couldn't have guessed the number. I think those are Linn County's only north-south marked routes.

Linn County 566 serves as a shortcut for people who want to get from Parker to Blue Mound without having to go up through Mound City.

You're one for two on the county roads near Parker.


41127 by richiekennedy56, on Flickr

[apeman33]

The route that links Blue Mound and Parker is marked 1077 on Google maps. I knew it was a county route but I couldn't have guessed the number. I think those are Linn County's only north-south marked routes.

Linn County 566 serves as a shortcut for people who want to get from Parker to Blue Mound without having to go up through Mound City.

You're one for two on the county roads near Parker.


41127 by richiekennedy56, on Flickr

Crap. I meant Prescott for 566.

[apeman33]

Kansas has that 10,000-mile limit on its highway system, so in order for every county to have a consistent, state-wide system , I'm guessing that law would have to be repealed.

what

The limit is on state highway mileage. A county road is not (usually) a state highway.

I had thought we were talking about a system like Missouri, where the roads are state maintained.

Your example was Iowa, which is county maintained...

Would ya mind? I'm doing a great job of being confused and you're killing my buzz.

[huskeroadgeek]

Most of these replies have been about the system (or lack thereof) that each state uses to assign numbers to its county roads.  But that's not what the OP was about (and it was largely my fault for the way I worded the thread title).  I've changed it now to "county road naming systems", because what I wanted to point out is the way South Dakota names their section-line roads consistently across the entire state.  It's similar in concept to a city street grid in a typical midwestern metro area, except that it's been implemented on a statewide scale.  What I was wondering is whether or not any other states do this.

Just to make it clear, my response for Nebraska did intend to refer to a system similar to South Dakota of naming county roads along section lines with numbers and not numbering in the sense of having route markers. Although Google maps just recently started marking some of the numbered and lettered county roads with rectangular markers, implying that they have route markers, which is not the case. The only place you will see the numbers are on regular street signs.