"... and you may ask yourself, where does that highway go?" -- Talking Heads, Once in a Lifetime
"Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything. From the Interstate, America is all steel guardrails and plastic signs, and every place looks and feels and sounds and smells like every other place." -- Charles Kuralt, On the Road with Charles Kuralt
"Life doesn't happen along the interstates. It's against the law." -- William Least Heat Moon, Blue Highways
This website is intended to be a historical resource, dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the US numbered highway system. US Highways were the primary travel routes of the USA from their adoption by AASHO on November 11, 1926 until the signing of the bill creating the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways on June 29, 1956. From 1956 to 1964, the systems co-existed and "Future Interstate" shields dotted the roads. California started the process of relegating the US routes to a lesser prominence in modern life on July 1, 1964 with the decommissioning or truncation of most of its US routes. The final decommissioning of the famed "Mother Road", Route 66, on June 27, 1985 completed the Interstate system. Others may cite the removal of the last traffic light on I-90 in Idaho in 1991. In my opinion, the sacrifice of US 66 is what focused the public's attention on the ascendance of Interstates. Unlike most US Highways supplanted by Interstates, US 66 was largely replaced by four numbers: I-55, I-44, I-40, and I-15. As a comparison, US 99 was functionally replaced by I-5. No single highway number currently carries traffic between Chicago, IL and Los Angeles, CA. A single highway number linking those two cites had been a priority since route planning began in 1925. Interstate highways are wonderful for getting you somewhere fast, from one big city to another, without all the annoying small towns in between. US highways will still take you someplace, to where someone lives or works. One of the goals of this site is to show where the highways go and have gone. Maybe you will recall road trips from the past, or be inspired to take one. Long live those twisty old two-lane roads, neon-lined motels, and service bays instead of food marts. Enjoy the site. I hope you learn something, and e-mail me if you do. Happy Motoring!
Nomenclature
Notes: As shown in the site title, decommissioned US
highway numbers are shown in parentheses and italics [e.g. (US 830)]. This format is also
used to indicate former maximum termini and other historical
data. All US states and the District of Columbia are referred to
on this site by their two letter postal code. Numbered roads are
referred to in the same manner. Thus, numbered roads in Michigan,
Kansas, and Utah are labeled in this manner: MI-5, KS-66, and
UT-3, instead of the traditional M-5, K-66, and U-3. This was
done for consistency and may not reflect local usage. The
designation SR, for a generic state road, was avoided in this
site. The designation CR was used on this site to refer to county
roads. It is hoped that the county roads necessary to include
will be clear in context.
Datum Notes: All lengths on this site are given in
miles. Most data available on US highways is in miles, from the
earliest maps to the 1989 US Numbered Highways Route log, my
primary information source. For those of you outside the United
States, 1 mile = 1.609344 kilometers. Distances have been rounded
to the nearest mile, with a minimum listed distance of one (1)
mile.
Technical Notes: Welcome to the fourth URL of my
webpage. A tables-capable web browser is necessary to fully
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It has been checked in IE 2.0 and Netscape 3.0, and it is
readable on both of them. If this website looks strange in your
browser of choice, please let me know by E-mail.
Updates: New pages or major changes to existing
pages are shown with 
or 
next to them. Minor changes are made to all pages as better
information becomes available. The date of the last update is
usually shown listed near the bottom of the webpage.
Table of Contents: (Site Map) 
US Highways
U.S. Highways from US 1 to (US
830): The current complete United States
highway list in sequential order, with their termini. All US
highways past and present are listed here, with their length in
miles and (historical maximum extent), if
different from current length. Each road is hyperlinked to its
location in the North-South or East-West page. (Click here
for the Text-Only Version of this page)
North-South U.S. Highways: The odd numbered highways from US 1 on
the Atlantic coast to US 101 on the Pacific coast, with branches
listed in order, both past and present, with states the roads
pass or passed though (with links to other sites), the roads that
replaced it, and other notes, such as years of commissioning and
decommissioning and major extensions and truncations. Each road
is hyperlinked to its location on the sequential page.
East-West U.S. Highways: The even numbered highways from US 2
along the Canadian border to US 98 along the Gulf of Mexico (and
US 400), with branches listed in order, both past and present,
with states the roads pass or passed though (with links to other
sites), the roads that replaced it, and other notes, such as
years of commissioning and decommissioning and major extensions
and truncations. Each road is hyperlinked to its location on the
sequential page.
U.S. Highways: Divided (Split) Routes: The suffixed US Highways, past and
present. All are listed in sequential order, from the former US
2N & US 2S in North Dakota of 1931 to US 301N & US 301S
which were recently decommissioned in Delaware. Also listed are
the states the roads pass or passed though (with links to other
sites), length of the highway (current and/or historic),
the roads that replaced it, and other notes, such as years of
commissioning and decommissioning and major extensions and
truncations. This is the page with the former US 99E and US 99W,
and all three routings of US 6N.
Alternate U.S. Highways: Bannered
Routes: = Under Construction = The special purpose US Highways, past
and present. Included are : ALTERNATE,
BUSINESS, BYPASS, CITY, HISTORIC, OPTIONAL, SCENIC, SPUR,
TEMPORARY, TOLL, and TRUCK. All are listed in sequential order
and from north to south or east to west along the parent road.
U.S. Highway
Numbering, Acknowledgements and Links: An explanation of the numbering system
of US Highways, why there is no US 0, and why I believe the
biggest violator of the numbering plan is US 425. There are a few
of my favorite links to other road-related sites. This is also
where I list the many helpful and knowledgeable people who have
assisted with this site.
U.S. Fictional Highways: The full list of US highway numbers
that have yet to be assigned, like US 103. Some that probably
should be assigned, like US 47. Some that were only planned, like
US 60N from Chicago, IL to Springfield, MO. And, a few that are
still being planned like the Coalfields Expressway from southern
WV to western VA which might become US 121.
The US Highways Quiz: Do you think you know everything there
is to know about the United States Numbered Highway System? Do
you feel Lucky? This quiz is one way to test your US Highways IQ,
in a format made popular by ABC Television's "Who Wants To
Be A Millionare?". Big thanks goes out to Kurumi at
Kurumi.com for creating and hosting this fun way to test and
increase your knowledge.
U.S. Highway History
Bureau of
Public Roads 1925:
This table shows the all US highways planned on October 30, 1925.
It also shows their termini, the states they passed though, and
the routes they became in 1926. Based on Report of
Joint Board on Interstate Highways, approved by the
Secretary of Agriculture November 18, 1925 and the infamous 1926
Rand McNally Road Atlas. Roads listed in sequential order.
U.S. Numbered
Highways in 1927:
This table shows the all US highways originally adopted November
11, 1926. It also shows termini, length, the states the highways
passed though, and split N, S, E, and W routes of the day. Based
on AASHO publication American Highways,
April 1927, Vol. VI, No. 2. Roads listed in sequential order.
U.S. Numbered
Highways in 1956:
This table shows the US numbered highway system at its zenith,
just before the creation of the Interstate system. This table
shows termini, length and the states they passed though. Largely
based on a USA map for 1956 by AAA. Roads listed in sequential
order.
US 66 - In the
Beginning: The
history of Route 66 in the early 1920's, before much of it was
even paved. The original 1925 plan and 1926-1927 routing is
listed, and scanned maps from 1928 are there for you to examine
the twists and turns as the road snaked from Chicago to Los
Angeles. Even the 'daughter' branch routes are listed, including
the still active US 166, US 266 and US 666 and the decommissioned
US 366's, US 466 and the little known US 566. Also reprinted here
is an article by Richard F. Weingroff, FHWA on why the number of
this road was changed from US 60 to US 66.
U.S. Highway
Shield: A look at the Past, Present, &
Future of the United States highway sign. The first US highway
shield made is featured there, as well as a shield used by
Automobile Blue Books, Inc of Chicago. A picture of an Original
US 66 shield from Oklahoma is shown there. The famous colored US
shields of Florida are there. On Page Two: I take out the
"Big Box 'O Crayons" and rework the US highway shield,
searching for a more interesting color scheme for the future than
the generic white on black.
Highway Makeover: Many currently boring and / or drab
highway route markers could be livened up without loss of
functionality. These proposed signs that have been posted on this
page were submitted from all over, and more submissions are still
being accepted.
Scenic Overlook: Photos from the Open
Road: = Under Construction
= This site
includes an extensive photo essay of the former route of US 25E
up Cumberland Gap and other sights and scenes, organized by
state.
Maps: Scanned maps from my collection and
map scans that have been sent to me. Now
with a 1957 USA map showing the nation before Interstates.
(Hosted by Geocities)
The Right To Drive Right: My maternal grandmother, Mary Blanche
Einhouse, lived and drove in Detroit, MI in 1937. This is her
entire Driver's manual for that year. 84 pages with pictures of
classic automobiles, electric streetcars, historic structures,
and old signs. Don't miss the White Castle!
Whatever
happened to Standard Oil? Standard
Oil Stations used to dot the roadsides, offering fuel, service,
and trip planning to weary travelers. One of the oddest things
about them was the fact that the Standard of one state may not be
the same Standard in the next, or the next after that. This is a
highly abridged history of Standard Oil from 1911, when eleven
companies could claim to be Standard Oil, to the three remaining
corporate heirs to the John D. Rockefeller's "Standard"
brand name - ExxonMobil, BPAmoco, and Chevron.
Cloverleaf: This is the spot where I will be
putting links to pages that don't easily fit in the other
categories. For now this includes: US Highways of Louisiana, US Highways of New Mexico, US Highways of Oklahoma and US Highways of South Carolina.
Florida in
Kodachrome:
Florida's US Highways shown in the traditional color scheme. All
known banner routes (Alternate and Business) are also listed.
This site shows the hidden state road numbers and any multiplexed
routes. There are photographs of the colored signs in the field,
before their replacement by generic FHWA-approved-and-paid-for
black and white shields.
Historic
Florida Roads and Highways: This page traces the growth of the
nationally numbered highway systems in the Sunshine State since
1925. Linked maps show the location of the decommissioned US 94
and US 541, which existed only in Florida. Shows the original
Florida-only routings of US 98, US 319 and US 441. There is
information on US 21's brief planned routing in the state. Page
Two traces the construction of Florida's Interstate Highway
System from 1959 to the present, including the proposed I-75E and
the full length of I-4 before its truncation.
Blue Diamonds: = Under Construction = Florida used a numbering system far
different from today's grid from 1917 to 1945. The road numbers
were assigned by the Florida Legislature, and included many
suffixed route numbers. The signs were blue diamonds.
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This page last updated Sunday, August 13, 2000 02:32:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time.
This URL's counter includes 14500 hits at the previous URL from Oct 27, 1998 to Nov 10, 1999.
US Highways : From US 1 to (US 830) website created by Robert V. Droz and first posted to the web on April 25, 1998. This web site has been under revision and expansion since then. Site originally hosted by Geocities, then moved to GTE, then Earthlink, now on Xoom. Data is also still on Geocities. Any original material in this website (c) R.V. Droz. If you want to use something from my site, please contact me.
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