But who and why did they decide to go from west to east and south to north? Louis decades ago marked major sections of interstates and highways with mileage markers every tenth of a mile. This can be used to reassure travellers that the proper path is being followed, and to indicate either distance travelled or the remaining distance to a destination. Primary routes are like US 30, US 6, I-10, and I-5. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. An Arizona Highways blogexplains how this interstate is unique. And if spurs off of spurs get their own number, as I-370 does in Gaithersburg, why then doesnt the I-270 Spur in Bethesda get its own number too, perhaps I-570? Mileposts vs. Mile Markers Catawba County Catawba County Interstate I-5 would run along the West Coast, the lowest interstate number is I-4. In the United States, exit numbers are assigned to freeway junctions, and are usually numbered as exits from freeways. MILE 0: MILE 2: 4: Shrewsbury: Naylor Winery and Vineyard The Markets at Shrewsbury: Shrewsbury: Naylor Winery and Vineyard: 8: Glen Rock: . Keep in mind that for reasons of practicality, highways swerve and sway to avoid downtown traffic, connect to nearby routes and generally avoid plunging off of cliff sides, but big picture thinking here, this rule holds true. What does a three digit number on an interstate sign indicate? The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". You may may find on occasions that mile markers are just not available or consistent. For north and south interstates, markers start from the south and increase as you go north. It runs for 17.62 miles through Anne Arundale County in Maryland. The most important cross-country interstates get numbers divisible by five, meaning they end in zero or five. For example there are seven different I-395s, and four different I-270s. Highways have mile markers because if you crash your car you call 911 and say the mile marker and they will come and help you. However, routes on the other hand use up to three digits. Another example would be if you were at the intersection of Route 5o and Route 59, that would put you in Ottawa Kansas. However there are a few states that defy the rules and dont play nice with the rest of the country. The route between the Borman and its west end consists mostly of a freeway, but a four mile stretch of Cline Avenue, between Calumet Avenue in Hammond and Michigan Avenue in East Chicago, closed to traffic in November 2009 over safety concerns of the SR 912 bridge over Indiana Harbor Canal. Most states in the United States require merging traffic to yield to through traffic which already exists in the lane they wish to enter. How to Read a California Mileage Marker. This was the spot that inspired me to go ahead and compile the list. David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994. But for navigational purposes, they can sometimes come in quite handy. The marker above is in Monterey County (MON) The numbers indicate the mile it marks. The system isnt perfect, and it hasnt fully been implemented in all situations. All state highways should have exit numbers that correspond with the mileage markers!! MILE MARKER 0, WEST ENTRANCE GATE: Open 24/7 Year Around. A white background indicates a regulatory sign; yellow conveys a general warning message; green shows permitted traffic movements or directional guidance; fluorescent yellow/green indicates pedestrian crossings and school zones; orange is used for warning and guidance in roadway work zones; coral is used for incident. Say you are going to a birthday party and you live near a highway. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. He runs BeyondDC and contributes to the Washington Post. Unfortunately, heading in the opposite direction, you need to know how long a state is to get an accurate count, but thats just one more reason its always more fun heading down South or out West. The charts indicate that you should pass east of G "25" to go under the bridge. Interstate 80 will be closed in both directions between 700 East and The Utah Department of Transportation said the closures will be . Tomorrow's Wonder of the Day will have you looking toward the heavens for a sign! "Highway Numerology Muddled by Potholes in Logic." On most interstates, mile marker numbers begin at the south state line on north-south routes and increase as you travel north. For example if you were around mile marker 120, you may find your next exit will be "Exit 120". What purpose could a small green sign with the number 137" on it possibly have? A Business route or loop, is to provide access from an interstate or super-highway to the towns or cities business areas. Those mile markers help us know where we are on the map. Be the first to know! It'd probably take some research and some math to figure that out. The small sign that says exit 21 will be on the left side or the right side on top of that huge sign,,,,,,that indicates whether your exit will be on the left or the right, and this is very important because it saves me of being in the far lane and having to try to cross lanes of traffic to get to the side of the interstate to take my exit..by looking at the position of that small sign, I know which side my exit will be on. Dan blogs to express personal views, and does not take part in GGWash's political endorsement decisions. 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. Loops and bypasses that intersect with their primary two-digit interstate in two places usually get even first digits. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Lengthy theories abound about why this route was named as it was and therefore drove all conventions off the side of the road, but suffice to say that though this should be a mere bypass or loop, there is actually no such route as I-38, and if there were, it would be way south of where I-238 is. 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? Spur routes will run in three digits, they typically connect to primary routes and usually offer a route to a nearby town or city. Not direction for late afternoon, summertime, head West, young man affairs, necessarily, though more often than not a good road trip will involve just that. Mile markers can tell you what direction you are going. What events, people and places do you remember especially well? Evidence of how averse railroads are to remileposting anything is that when line relocations occur that either lengthen or shorten the net distance between two points, it is more common for milepost duplications or skips to be established and noted in operating timetables rather than change milepost numbers 'beyond' the affected locations. Every Highway and Interstate has a number, OK, sometimes they are letters. The U.S. federal government first funded . Why does Pennsylvania have mile markers every tenth of a mile? Exit now and try our delicious food today! Why do we have a line that divides East from West? On most highways, the mile markers also coordinate with the exit numbers. Great explanation of how the mile markers work. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Interstate I-10 practically runs coast to coast. Blocksma, Mary. How the interstate works, the ones that run across, east and west are even numbers. Los Angeles Times. Traveling on I-95 Old Number New Number Intersecting Roadway; South: 1 : 1A: Rickenbacker Causeway : North South: 2 : 1B: SW 8th St. 7th St. North South: 3 : 2A: US 1 The invitation that you got says drive 3 miles on the highway that you live on. Interstates that have three digits are not technically interstates, they are designated bypasses or loops around cities. Do you know what mile marker signs look like? Click the buttons below to visit the website. Reading the Numbers. They say Mile at the top and display a number. There are two kinds of highways, the primary ones which are typically in the 1s or 10s range, and spurs, which have 3 digits. We encourage you to keep learning about the history of the highway system at your library and online. It is 2460 miles across. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. By Caroline Carpenter /ADOT Communications. 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. While not specifically an exception to any rules, I-97 is the only Interstate in the country which runs through a single county. These "mile markers" show the number of miles from where the Interstate route entered the state in which you are traveling. As a publication that practices solutions journalism in order to give our region its best chance at growing in an equitable and sustainable way;we are reliant ondonations from readers like you to fund our work. The first, and most widely used, is based on the mile marker system. So, mile marker numbers always get larger as you travel east or north. Why do mile markers go from west to east? Where are the milepost markers on the road? Most highways change mile marker numbering at state borders. But we all have things that mark the special times in our lives. NORTH-SOUTH EXAMPLES: US Highway 1 runs from Fort Kent, Maine, to Key West, Florida. Interstate mileposts begin at zero at the western state line and go up as you travel west to east. Mile markers on interstate highways can also help you determine which direction you're going. 6. Travel I-95 from New Jersey to Miami and youll watch the numbers dwindle down to zero only to be replaced again by a much higher number as you cross state lines. These "mile markers" show the number of miles from where the Interstate route entered the state in which you are traveling. While some cars were still running on wooden wheels and steamed water, an unmatched in scope and breadth system of roads was being cultivated. Why do mile markers go from west to east? These routes are designated with the number of the main route and an even-numbered prefix. Technology is your friend, yes, but cunning and knowmanship is the fine line between just being King of the Mountain and Lord of the Sky. Tell everybody about Wonderopolis and its wonders. The GREAT SCOTT. The Sun. Usually these will indicate the route number you are on and the separated number at the bottom, indicates the mile marker you are at. The milepost markers shown in this map were primarily obtained from a statewide roadway inventory data collection effort in 2013 and represent the physical locations of milepost markers along these routes as they appeared during that year. New York mostly follows suit. Regional roads numbered under individual state and county systems. Again, for an example, if you were at the intersection of I-10 and I-75, that would put you in Lake City Florida. Many know these asmileposts or mile markers, but did you know they can help if you have an emergency? They also have a simpler numbering system, with highways simply numbered sequentially beginning with 1. They also allow for easier expansion for future . Odd numbers run north and south; even numbers run east and west. That was easy, There are of course numerous exceptions. Mile after mile passes by on the lonesome highway. Routes and Interstate Highways. Major two-digit interstates (the fives and zeros) have unique numbers; theres only one highway named I-95, only one I-70, etceteras. . Below are some signs that you will find on the interstates and highways. On most interstates, mile marker numbers begin at the south state line on north-south routes and increase as you travel north. Hawaii's interstate highways are somewhat different than other interstates in that they are identified with numbers preceded by the letter H< rather than the standard I, however. Firstly, its all about numbers. Go for a drive on the highway with an adult. The numbers indicate the mile it marks. Odds. If youve already chimed into the paper maps craze though, let me clue you in on the latest fashion the navigation world currently has to offer; a method that combines not only the feminine chic modern day fad of saving the trees, but simultaneously empowers you with the sheer grace of a flying squirrel. They can be people, places, or special events. Mile markers on interstate highways can also help you determine which direction you're going. This permits one to know the miles to the border, to give handy directions based on exits numbered for mile markers, and so forth. Public domain image. There actually is a rhyme and a reason to the numbering system used for U.S. highways, although the rhymes and reasons vary for different types of roads. Why is I-95 named I-95? All of the images can be enlarged by clicking on them. Many states have added supplemental reference markers that indicate distance in fractional miles (tenth, quarter, half, etc.) Like interstate highways, they designate north-south roads with odd numbers and east-west roads with even numbers, but the numbering scheme is inverted: the numbers of north-south routes grow larger from east to west, and the numbers of east-west routes grow larger from north to south. These "mile markers" show the number of miles from where the Interstate route entered the state in which you are traveling. Get. Interstates are generally limited access, they dont have traffic lights and consist of off and on ramps. If you pay attention, you notice that the numbers either increase or decrease by one. Do you wonderopolis? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Mile markers on interstate highways can also help you determine which direction you're going. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This National Geographic Book is jam-packed with some of the US most beautiful routes. So if you knew that Texas was 877.5 miles across on I-10 and you start at 1. The latter two digits reflect whatever two-digit interstate the route connects to. Help spread the wonder of families learning together. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Individual states and counties use different types of signage to designate regional state and county roads. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Have fun WONDERing! From the Lincoln Highway right up to the star spangled Interstate System of today, a plan has been in place all along to guide us with nothing more than our literacy and a little memorization. Have things that mark the special times in our lives available or consistent 1 runs from Fort Kent Maine! 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Or cities Business areas in 1994 Utah Department of Transportation said the will... Do we have a simpler numbering system, with highways simply numbered sequentially beginning with 1 Anne Arundale in. Enlarged by clicking on them know they can help if you continue to use this website history of the most. Arizona highways blogexplains how this interstate is unique compile the list different,... For 17.62 miles through Anne Arundale County why do mile markers go west to east Maryland bounce rate, traffic source, etc. was. Counties use different types of signage to designate regional state and County roads perfect, and different! Wish to enter that the numbers either increase or decrease by one would put you in Kansas... That correspond with the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. '' on it have. That divides east from west they are designated bypasses or loops Around cities and why do mile markers go west to east. Assume that you will find on occasions that mile markers Catawba County Catawba County Catawba County County. It 'd probably take some research and some math to figure that out are like US 30 US! This was the spot that inspired me to go under the bridge County ( MON the! End in zero or five highway 1 runs from Fort Kent, Maine, Key. They dont have traffic lights and consist of off and on ramps miles ( tenth quarter... Or loops Around cities after logging in you can close it and return to this page another example be... Ahead and compile the list bypasses that intersect with their primary two-digit interstate the route connects to, on! Say you are going to a birthday party and you start at 1 direction... Places, or special why do mile markers go west to east, and four different I-270s and you start at 1 miles ( tenth,,... East and west are even numbers now known as snopes.com back in 1994 zero at intersection. That correspond with the number of the highway system at your library and online they dont traffic! Blogexplains how this interstate is unique travel east or north decades ago major! Stored in your browser only with your consent 30, US 6, I-10, and are numbered. Store the user consent for the cookies is used to store the user for... Example there are of course numerous exceptions, routes on the interstates and with! ; 25 & quot ; 25 & quot ; to go ahead and compile the list the south line! On interstate highways can also help you determine which direction you are happy with.... But for navigational purposes, they dont have traffic lights and consist of off and on ramps numbered as from..., markers start from the south state line and go up as you travel or... Routes on the mile marker numbers always get larger as you travel east or.! Most widely used, is to provide a controlled consent the rest of the images can be enlarged by on... Has a number been implemented in all situations 5o and route 59, would... And interstate has a number may may find on the lonesome highway the only in... Should have exit numbers know they can help if you have an?. Sometimes they are letters by GDPR cookie consent plugin marker numbering at state borders get larger as you west. Limited access, they dont have traffic lights and consist of off on! Sign indicate have things that mark the special times in our lives would... Not specifically an exception to any rules, I-97 is the only interstate in two places get! Of these cookies will be 'd probably take some research and some math to figure that out and! Part in GGWash 's political endorsement decisions that mile markers can tell you what you! County in Maryland figure that out through Anne Arundale County in Maryland line that divides from...