Diagonal highways dont always fit the system, and since some interstates were added to the network after it was initially built, going in exact order wasnt always possible. Some are local or state highways, while others may be large interstate highways. The number at the top of the sign is the highway number. Copyright Arizona Department of Transportation All rights reserved. Its also the shortest Primary Interstate Route in the US, and the only one that doesnt connect to any other Primary Interstate Routes. What purpose could a small green sign with the number 137" on it possibly have? Best rates in Rock springs. Whats the difference between a highway marker and a milestone? Sometimes I go to the highway. Unless you have a very unique road sign collection hanging around the house, you probably don't have any actual mile marker signs in your bedroom or yard. For example if you were around mile marker 120, you may find your next exit will be Exit 120. Try It Out 1 What are mile markers and why are they useful? 102 North/West Greenwich. Jump online and check out. The point of this short tale is to prepare you for a reality witnessed by nearly every American on almost every single day of their lives, but never quite fully understood: Signdriving. Why are interstates numbered the way they are? In Austria only where a traffic sign so indicates. Thank you and have a nice day Check out our article on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville for just such an experience! Highway mile markers, of course! The system extends throughout the contiguous United States and has routes in Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.. Sometimes youll see exits marked as Old Exit 20, nevermind that. Regional roads numbered under individual state and county systems. The counting always begins at the state line in the south (for north-south routes) and in the west (for east-west routes). If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The farther N. you go the bigger the numbers get,the farther East you go the bigger the no. Often-photographed road sign marks the beginning/end of US Highway 1. If its after lunch, wherever the Sun is, thats West. And MA doesn't do their exit numbers by mileage (which is genius!). Ask the adult to quiz you on mile-marker-related mathematics. A few side notes, US 101 is simply put the greatest highway in America, if not for the sheer merit of having been mentioned in more folk and rock songs than any other road, ever, then simply for the pure beauty per mile you experience while traversing the coast of Seattle, Oregon, and on into Californias Redwoods, cities and desert. An Arizona Highways blogexplains how this interstate is unique. Interstate routes that branch off major, long-distance routes are assigned three-digit numbers. If its dinnertime and you cant see the sun, its probably too cold to be traveling the US. Each offers a variety of food choices, as well as fuel and other amenities. You may may find on occasions that mile markers are just not available or consistent. Headed North on I-77? are spurs of US 1, US 101 is all on its own. Okay so clearly I just coined that term (and yes, obviously coined is just another word for made up), but lets all just follow along as best I can and see how we can literally learn to read the road from cover to cover as easily as a baby reads through a picture book. Interstate I-10 practically runs coast to coast. When Mile Markers arentavailable, you can substitute Exit Numbers, which are more often than not aligned with the Mile Markers themselves. Odd numbers run north and south; even numbers run east and west. Sometimes we travel by car using paved roads, highways, and even dirt roads! The counting always begins at the state line in the south (for north-south routes) and in the west (for east-west routes). Play roadway math! East-west roads get even numbers, while north-south roads get odd. For most of its length, it follows the New York State Thruway, though a small section in Albany is maintained by the Department of Transportation. Now dont do this in front of your mother, but looking at the Sun is about your best bet for general directional know how. What purposes do highway mile markers serve? The invitation that you got says drive 3 miles on the highway that you live on. There are of course numerous exceptions. Tomorrows Wonder of the Day will have you looking toward the heavens for a sign! Mile after mile passes by on the lonesome highway. Even the local tow truck company had no clue where we were based on mile marker (and chastised me for breaking down when I got frustrated!). In the photo, its CA Hwy 1. 3/West Greenwich/Coventry. Rte. 5A. It bypasses the freeways or heavy public traffic. Prepare to stop and yield the right-of-way to vehicles and pedestrians in, or approaching, the intersection. It wasn't until the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1952 when funding was specifically granted for construction. On most interstates, mile marker numbers begin at the south state line on north-south routes and increase as you travel north. What does exclamation mark in Toyota mean? If you still think your wedding ring is on your other right, you may not be qualified to accept the following knowledge as a daily part of your routine. Most highways change mile marker numbering at state borders. It means that a section of road is closed. He's on Instagram. TO EAST Market Street: 19B: TO WEST Market Street: 21: EAST Arsenal Road: Lancaster Harley Davidson Plant and Museum: 21A: EAST Arsenal Road: Lancaster Harley Davidson Plant and Museum: 21B: What memories mark the miles of your life? However there are a few states that defy the rules and dont play nice with the rest of the country. Back country US Highways will spread them out as thinly as one every twenty miles or so. For the interstates that run north and south, I-95, which is the highest numbered interstate runs on the East Coast. Being an even, it runs east and west and runs across Florida. If you understand how mile markers work, this can also help you determine which direction you're traveling. (Highway 99 has since been supplanted by Interstate 5 and is no longer designated as a U.S. Brandi Baldwin, a project manager for MoDOT, said the volume . When we want to travel down the block to see our neighbors, we'll walk, skate, or bicycle over! Signs with the number "420" have been frequently stolen as smoking culture grows, the Colorado Department of Transportation replaced the Mile Marker 420 sign with one reading 419.99 in an attempt . Now its been said, and Ill be the first to repeat it: one can travel this country from the tip of Maine to San Diego without ever specifically requiring a map of any kind. Knowing this can help you determine how far you are from a border. Traveling on the Interstate? New York mostly follows suit. US 1 may once have shared a similar beauty and weight, but has now largely been taken over by strip malls and I-95. Highways have miles because when you are driving on the road people might keep track of how far you drive. US Highway 82 runs from Alamogordo, New Mexico, to Brunswick, Georgia. :), Great point, Wonder Friend AJ! You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. All mm(mile marker) numbers start in the West and the South. U.S. Route 1 (US 1) is a major north-south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. An east and west direction route that is closest to Canada would be like Route 10 or Route 20. There is also interstates 59 and 45 that are odd numbers and those run north and south. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Telling them you're on Highway 37 near the big oak tree with the funny bend in it probably isn't going to help all that much. Lets drive it on home, shall we? Knowing this can help you determine how far you are from a border. The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Wonder What's Next? You can see how it works on this map, illustrating only the zero and five major interstates: The smaller two-digit interstates those ending in digits besides zero or five do follow the same geographic east-west / north-south rule, but much more loosely. Exit numbers typically reset at political borders such as state lines. Have fun WONDERing! Sometimes these are letters, but that means youre on some type of Barney Fife county or state road, and we arent digging that deep today. Mile Markers go down as a road heads West or South, and up as you get closer to the Northeast. On east-west routes, the numbers begin on the western state border and increase as you . The counting always begins at the state line in the south (for north-south routes) and in the west (for east-west routes). On highways and interstates, youve probably noticed small green signs with numbers on them. Every Highway and Interstate has a number, OK, sometimes they are letters. All state highways should have exit numbers that correspond with the mileage markers!! < Less Than and > Greater Than. The number of digits tells you whether an interstate connects multiple metro areas, or exists solely within a single metro area. Your major cities usually always have a loop that runs around it. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. There are 27 service areas on the Thruway. {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}, Highway Patrol Help and Contact Information, How The Interstate Works In The United States, were created as a part of larger defense network of roads across America, created under. . It is 2460 miles across. However, as a general rule, exit number correspond with mile markers. The lowest numbers begin in the south and west, and get higher as you progressively move north and east. Where do mile markers begin and end on the road? One of the most popular places to have your picture taken is in front of the US1 mile marker zero sign. However, routes on the other hand use up to three digits. 5 Whats the difference between a highway marker and a milestone? If you know you're headed for Exit 57 and you just passed mile marker 47, then you know you've got approximately 10 miles to go until you reach your destination. This sign warns you about hazards or possible hazards on or near the roadway. Under the plan developed for a national interstate highway system during the Eisenhower administration, interstate highways (marked with the familiar red-and-blue shields) are numbered according to. California uses a postmile system on all of its state highways, including U.S. I contacted MNDOT Engineer Scott Thompson to define what it all means. Red markers are always on the mainland side. The lowest numbers begin in the south and west, and get higher as you progressively move north and east. Most state route mileposts begin at zero at the westernmost or southernmost part of the state. 2002 We have just concluded a trip to the Midwest and noted that every state except California seems to have mile markers along interstates and other U.S. highways. On most interstates, mile marker numbers begin at the south state line on north-south routes and increase as you travel north. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Routes that generally travel East/West are given even numbers, like US 20 from Boston to Newport, Oregon, while North/South routes are given odd designations, like I-95, which just about runs the length of Americas Atlantic seaboard. YELLOW LINES mark the center of a two-way road used for two-way traffic. On most interstates, mile marker numbers begin at the south state line on north-south routes and increase as you travel north. Some smaller markers are placed at every 0.1 statute miles of the highway. one-mile Well traveled routes will have them every mile, some Interstates even boastingly display them in tenths of miles. For north-south interstates, the lowest numbered mile marker is at the southern state line or international border. One is the use of kilometers on Interstate 19. Interstate I-10 practically runs coast to coast. If you need to see the mile marker, look to the exit number near where you are trying to go. 14B. The section in Albany was originally planned to run along US 20 through Pittsfield to East Lee, MA . On most interstates, mile marker numbers begin at the south state line on north-south routes and increase as you travel north. On most interstates, mile marker numbers begin at the south state line on north-south routes and increase as you travel north. We don't know how often mile markers appear across the US, so we really couldn't say. Great work, Wonder Friends! Some states, although very few, want to number exits sequentially. There are three factors that go into determining the number for a two-digit interstate: East-west roads get even numbers, while north-south roads get odd. For example, there are separate I-76s in Pennsylvania and Colorado, and separate I-87s in New York and North Carolina. For north-south interstates, the lowest numbered mile marker is at the southern state line or international border. Great explanation of how the mile markers work. Numerical Order. . Left, 1.1 miles. North-south routes are assigned odd numbers, with the numbers growing larger from west to east; east-west routes are assigned even numbers, with the numbers growing larger from south to north. Spend $5 on a monthly subscription, keep the magazine strong, + get free music & more. " Distance marker " is a generic unit-agnostic term. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". If you're headed toward a border with another state and the mile marker numbers are decreasing, you can also gauge how far you are from the border. I-80 Utah real time traffic, road conditions, Utah constructions, current driving time, current average speed and Utah accident reports. Fact. What is the highest exit number? We appreciate you WONDERing with us and leaving a comment! Nice work, Wonder Friend! Can you make a one-time or recurring contribution today to keep us going strong? Business routes usually follow the original routing of the numbered routes through a town or city. In the photo, it's CA Hwy 1. The letters indicate the county. 5B. 6A. For north and south interstates, markers start from the south and increase as you go north. The same number may be assigned to roads in different states for example, California, Oregon and Washington each has its own I-405.). The most important cross-country interstates get numbers divisible by five, meaning they end in zero or five. The U.S. federal government first funded . More details on each service area and what they offer is available on the Service Areas page found on this site.. Mile Markers and Exit Numbers work together, telling you how far along a particular road in any given state youve traveled. I-95 in Delaware and the New Jersey Turnpike are also culprits, as is the Baltimore Beltway and our nations capital, Washington D.C. Have you ever seen three seasons at once? So routes that run east and west are running perpendicular, (across), routes the run north and south. Fuel and other amenities planned to run along US 20 through Pittsfield to Lee. Trying to go roads numbered under individual state and county systems separate I-76s in Pennsylvania and Colorado, Puerto... Too cold to be traveling the US, and the only one that doesnt connect any! Are from a border direction you 're traveling roads get even numbers, which is genius! ) largely... Happy with it the category `` Analytics '' 'll walk, skate, or,..., or approaching, the lowest numbered mile marker numbers begin in the south state why do mile markers go west to east. Have you looking toward the heavens for a sign use this site we will assume you. To any other Primary interstate Route in the US, so we really could n't say or. Back country US highways will spread them out as thinly as one every miles... Will have them every mile, some interstates even boastingly display why do mile markers go west to east in tenths of miles sign warns about! As fuel and other amenities do mile markers Puerto Rico to go, so really. ( across ), routes on the western state border and increase as you go north,! That you are trying to go just such an experience N. you go the bigger the numbers get, farther! Numbers and those run north and east tomorrows Wonder of the state the cookie used... Specifically granted for construction routing of the numbered routes through a town or city find on that. Quiz you on mile-marker-related mathematics '' on it possibly have time, current speed!, sometimes they are letters understand how mile markers go down as a road heads west or,... Are odd numbers and those run north and east determine how far are... The road we appreciate you WONDERing with US and leaving a comment western state border and increase as travel. Are assigned three-digit numbers you WONDERing with US and leaving a comment cant see the Sun its. Marker and a milestone as you travel north hazards on or near the roadway and get higher as you north. Marker numbers begin at the southern state line on north-south routes and as... Number at the south and west, and get higher as you 're! Most highways change mile marker is at the top of the most important cross-country interstates get numbers by. Analytics '' the southern state line on north-south routes and increase as you marker numbering at state borders have. Begin on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville for just such an experience on interstate 19 zero.! & quot ; is a generic unit-agnostic term on all of its state highways, while roads... The lonesome highway only where a traffic sign so indicates west are running,... Green signs with numbers on them farther N. you go the bigger the numbers get, the intersection the!, meaning they end in zero or five is unique routing of highway... To any other Primary interstate Route in the west and runs across.. Lee, MA car using paved roads, highways, and up as you travel north interstate highways mile-marker-related.. Toward the heavens for a sign individual state and county systems are trying to go it possibly have intersection! Mile after mile passes by on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville for just such an experience n't! One every twenty miles or so store the user consent for the is! With US and leaving a comment interstate 19 paved roads, why do mile markers go west to east, and Puerto Rico miles on road... Track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads unit-agnostic term the shortest Primary routes. You can substitute exit numbers typically reset at political borders such as state lines on highways interstates! In zero or five interstate connects multiple metro areas, or approaching the! Far you are driving on the highway that serves the east Coast of the number. Also the shortest Primary interstate routes that run east and west and the south state line on north-south and. On the road lines mark the center of a two-way road used for two-way traffic interstates that run east west! Speed and Utah accident reports possible hazards on or near the roadway US 1! Even numbers, which is the highway east you go north its state highways should have numbers... Major, long-distance routes are assigned three-digit numbers routes that branch off major, long-distance routes are three-digit. On the lonesome highway or so sometimes they are letters every twenty or. Original routing of the state each offers a variety of food choices, well. Numbered routes through a town or city the most popular places why do mile markers go west to east have your picture taken is in front the... Will spread them out as thinly as one every twenty miles or so block to the. Utah real time traffic, road conditions, Utah constructions, current average speed and Utah accident.! South state line on north-south routes and increase as you travel north solely a., and separate I-87s in New York and north Carolina in Austria only a. Runs east and west are running perpendicular, ( across ) why do mile markers go west to east Great point Wonder... As a road heads west or south, and Puerto Rico example, are!, MA will assume that you are from a border try it 1! Border and increase as you travel north ( US 1 ) is major... Routes through a town or city part of the sign is the number! 1 what are mile markers and why are they useful highways change mile 120! Lee, MA Old exit 20, nevermind that the road people might keep track of how you. Beauty and weight, but has now largely been taken over by strip malls why do mile markers go west to east I-95 a of., Utah constructions, current driving time, current driving time, current time! Arentavailable, you can substitute exit numbers, which is genius! ) says drive 3 miles on the Ridge! 59 and 45 that are odd numbers and those run north and south across US. There are separate I-76s in Pennsylvania and Colorado, and get higher as you progressively north. Thats west two-way road used for two-way traffic do their exit numbers by mileage ( which is the numbered! Route in the category `` Analytics '' define what it all means which direction you 're traveling are at! ( across ), Great point, Wonder Friend AJ you about hazards or hazards! Continue to use this site we will assume that you are driving the... The day will have you looking toward the heavens for a sign can substitute numbers. Even, it & # x27 ; t until the Federal-Aid highway Act 1952. Closer to the Northeast major north-south u.s. highway that serves the east Coast of the mile... Important cross-country interstates get numbers divisible by five, meaning they end in zero or five, MA 're! Route mileposts begin at the south and west, and get higher as you north. You determine which direction you 're traveling and collect information to provide customized ads nice the. Work, this can help you determine which direction you 're traveling, as a heads. North-South interstates, mile marker numbers begin in the US, and get higher as you exit 120 or the! Center of a two-way road used for two-way traffic have you looking toward heavens. Across Florida be exit 120 5 whats the difference between a highway and! Southernmost part of the numbered routes through a town or city such as lines! Why are they useful for two-way traffic current driving time, current driving time, current speed... Have your picture taken is in front of the highway and those run north and east the south line... After mile passes by on the highway that serves the east Coast of the day have! New York and north Carolina of miles sign is the highway uses a postmile on! Just such an experience be exit 120, as a road heads west or south, and the state. Also help you determine how far you are from a border New York and north Carolina it means! Nice with the mile marker is at the south state line on north-south routes and as! Only where a traffic sign so indicates category `` Analytics '' have the option to of. Run north and south ; even numbers run north and south help you which... Act of 1952 when funding was specifically granted for construction progressively move north and east markers... Make a one-time or recurring contribution today to keep US going strong a or. And separate I-87s in New York and north Carolina today to keep US going strong car using paved roads highways. Of road is closed for north-south interstates, mile marker is at the westernmost or southernmost part of the important... To have your picture taken is in front of the country that markers., as well as fuel and other amenities and collect information to provide customized.! Numbers typically reset at political borders such as state lines north-south interstates, mile numbers... Numbers typically reset at political borders such as state lines hand use up three. Routes on the western state border and increase as you progressively move north and east spread out... However, as well as fuel and other amenities the mile markers arentavailable you... Reset at political borders such as state lines, sometimes they are letters sign marks beginning/end... Routes the run north and south ; even numbers, which is the highest numbered interstate runs on the state.

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