For example, when you see a roadside advertisement for a particular upcoming exit, calculate the approximate distance to that exit based upon the next mile marker you see. These "mile markers" show the number of miles from where the Interstate route entered the state in which you are traveling. Marylands I-270 is a particular troublemaker: Why should a spur connecting to I-70 at only one location get an even first digit instead of an odd? If its after lunch, wherever the Sun is, thats West. Driving along I-75, you would be driving north and south through Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan. Why are there mile markers every .2 miles in Tennessee? What events, people and places do you remember especially well? 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. What is the distance between mile markers? What purposes do highway mile markers serve? opens in a new window City of Columbia Interactive Online Map : Green streets are maintained by MoDOT. What other interesting math problems can you come up with? New York: Penguin Books, 1989 (pp. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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. Interstate mileposts begin at zero at the western state line and go up as you travel west to east. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Highways generally fall into one of three classes which generally use similar (but not identical) rules in assigning numbers: 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 the following rules: NORTH-SOUTH EXAMPLES: Interstate 5 runs through California, Oregon, and Washington, from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. 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. Mile after mile passes by on the lonesome highway. Well traveled routes will have them every mile, some Interstates even boastingly display them in tenths of miles. The numbering of Arizona state routes is similar. U.S. Route 1 (US 1) is a major north-south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. Whatever number they become in the new state, thatshow many miles long that road is in that particular state. So if you follow the rule "green to port heading south" you'll be okay. Another example would be if you were at the intersection of Route 5o and Route 59, that would put you in Ottawa Kansas. WHITE LINES painted on the pavement indicate traffic traveling in your direction. Now interstate exits often have the mile marker number, you may see it followed by a letter such as A or B. Where the Sun rises, thats what we call the East. The counting always begins at the state line in the south (for north-south routes) and in the west (for east-west routes). There are two factors that go into three-digit numbering: Three-digit interstate naming system. It is on I-65 mm 28,West side ,visible from free way . On most interstates, mile marker numbers begin at the south state line on north-south routes and increase as you travel north. This 3,000 mile inland waterway is made up of natural inlets, saltwater rivers, bays, sounds, and man-made canals. 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. 6 What is the distance between mile markers? East and west route that run across the south have higher numbers. There are a few very short two-digit interstates that probably should have gotten three-digit numbers instead. https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/do-you-know-who-to-call-in-an-emergency/ :), Hi Cole, thanks for visiting us on this fantastic Wonder Friday! Exit numbers generally coincide with the mile makers. 18. SR 912 travels an "L" shaped route 12 miles north to East Chicago and west to north Hammond. US-6 W; W 159th St. Markham, Illinois. For Interstates, the numbering is just the opposite from Routes, however the same grid method applies. 14A. Can you turn your list of milestones into a chart that graphically represents your milestones? By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. MILE MARKER 0, WEST ENTRANCE GATE: Open 24/7 Year Around. Major Interstate routes are designated by one- or two-digit numbers. The GREAT SCOTT. But for navigational purposes, they can sometimes come in quite handy. Hi wonderopolis! The most important cross-country interstates get numbers divisible by five, meaning they end in zero or five. Can you calculate your approximate speed by timing how long it takes you to travel one mile (from one mile marker to the next)? 6A. As with most things, there are definitely exceptions to the rule! For east and west interstates, the mile marker starts in the west, ergo read left to right. Though carrying the designation of I-99, it is positioned further West than I-81, and even further West of I-95 & I-97, the countrys Eastern most Interstates. In this way, mile markers can help you keep track of where you are and how far away you are from certain exits. For example, if an exit is located between mile markers 4 and 5, it is numbered as Exit 4. Rest areas are listed from east to west. Hawaiis first interstate is H1, Alaskas A1, and Puerto Ricos PR1. You could keep track of all the mile markers you pass, and once you pass 3 mile markers you will know that you have reached your destination. Thought we'd have no problem with road side assistance determining our location. Continue the conversation about urbanism in the Washington region and support GGWashs news and advocacy when youjoin the GGWash Neighborhood! Those mile markers help us know where we are on the map. Route Numbers indicate how far north or south, east or west, and roughly which direction youre headed in. Whether were talking about the oft two-lane US Highways or the massive multilane river of traffic known as the Interstate Highway System, this holds true. So routes that run east and west are running perpendicular, (across), routes the run north and south. Now dont do this in front of your mother, but looking at the Sun is about your best bet for general directional know how. How do you remove scratches from solid surface countertops? Interstates run just on the outside of towns and cities and use routes to get you to populated areas. Nice work, Wonder Friend! Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. All of the images can be enlarged by clicking on them. In most cases, exit numbers flow with the mile marker relation. Why Is Road Safety Important?. One is the use of kilometers on Interstate 19. What are mile markers and why are they useful? Billboards rarely provide any information that any of the above methods do, but when youre in Apache Country, Arizona and no government official has bothered to update the road signs since CHIPS got canceled, sometimes advertising can provide as many clues as Sherlock Holmes would ever need. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation says its exit renumbering project, announced last year, will begin in October, with current exit numbers on most highways in Massachusetts switching. Dan Malouff is a transportation planner for Arlington and an adjunct professorat George Washington University. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The highway routes and interstate numbers can actually help you identify where you are in the U.S. You may not fully clear on the difference between a route and an interstate. In answer to that perennial trivia question, the state of Hawaii has three roads designated as interstate highways (all of them on the island of Oahu) because roads established under the purview of the Federal Aid Highway Act and receiving funding from the federal government are considered interstate highways, even if they fall completely within the borders of a single state. Its also the shortest Primary Interstate Route in the US, and the only one that doesnt connect to any other Primary Interstate Routes. Whats the difference between a highway marker and a milestone? YELLOW LINES mark the center of a two-way road used for two-way traffic. The login page will open in a new tab. Same holds true when youre headed South. How are mile markers used in the United States? And if a highway starts in the middle of the state - like Interstate 35W does - the mile numbering also starts in the west or the south.. It is the time of year where road construction mandates temporary signage restricting or detouring traffic. If you are referring to Europe, "East" and "West" were divided by the the decision of Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, Croatia, Finland and the Soviet Union to ally themselves with Nazi Germany. US Highway 82 runs from Alamogordo, New Mexico, to Brunswick, Georgia. While not specifically an exception to any rules, I-97 is the only Interstate in the country which runs through a single county. 8 How do you know which way to go on an interstate? Routes with odd numbers run north and south, while even numbered run east and west. In the photo, it's CA Hwy 1. 4 How are mile markers used in the United States? Signs indicating a detour. What is the highest exit number? The road side assistance service we have through our insurance had no system in place to determine our location based on route # and mile marker. Want to get paid to write great stories about living on the road? :), That's awesome, Destiny! Try It Out Check out our article on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville for just such an experience! Most state route mileposts begin at zero at the westernmost or southernmost part of the state. What is your favorite way to travel, Destiny? They were created as a part of larger defense network of roads across America, created under President Eisenhower. Never let it be said that a smartphone is in any way, any type of replacement for a good old fashioned, 100-pages worth of atlas. 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