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{{short description|Highway system of the United States of America}}
<div class="thumb tright"><div style="width:210px;">
{{About|a set of roads typically called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways|other numbered highways in the United States|Numbered highways in the United States}}
]]<div class="thumbcaption">The current ] is printed on a square blank with a black background. One state - ] - uses an older "cutout" design.</div></div></div>
{{good article}}
{{about|a set of roads typically called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways|other numbered highways in the United States|Numbered highways in the United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
The system of '''United States Numbered Highways''' (often called '''U.S. Routes''' or '''U.S. Highways''') is an integrated system of ]s and ]s in the ] numbered within a nationwide grid. As these highways were coordinated among the states, they are sometimes referred to as '''Federal Highways''', but they have always been maintained by ] or ]s since their initial designation in 1926. There has never been any funding difference between these routes and any other ]s. The numbers and locations are coordinated by the ] (AASHTO), in which the only federal involvement is a non-voting seat for the ].
{{infobox state highway system
|title=United States Numbered Highway System
|shields=]
|caption=]
|map=Map of current US Routes.svg
|map_alt=
|map_notes=Map of the present U.S. Highway network; Purple are double-digit U.S. Routes, blue are triple-digit U.S. Routes, and orange are Interstate Routes
|formed={{start date|1926|11|11}}<ref name="FHWA planning"/>
|length_mi=157724
|length_ref={{efn|{{As of|1989}}.<ref name=USRN>{{cite book |author = Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering |url = http://route.transportation.org/Documents/USRN_Cover_to_page_ix.pdf |publisher = ] |title = United States Numbered Highways |edition = 5th |year = 1989 |page = iv |access-date = March 16, 2012 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140101004029/http://route.transportation.org/Documents/USRN_Cover_to_page_ix.pdf |archive-date = January 1, 2014 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>}}
|maint=primarily ] or ]; numbers and routings approved by ]{{efn|The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) was renamed the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on November 11, 1973.<ref>{{cite web |author = Federal Highway Administration |date = December 4, 2012 |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/byday/fhbd1113.htm |title = November 13 |work = Highway History |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |access-date = August 18, 2013 }}</ref>|name=AASHTO}}
|interstate=
|us=U.S. Highway&nbsp;nn (US&nbsp;nn) <br />U.S. Route&nbsp;nn (US&nbsp;nn)
|notes=
|links=US
}}
The '''United States Numbered Highway System''' (often called '''U.S. Routes''' or '''U.S. Highways''') is an integrated network of ]s and ]s numbered within a nationwide grid in the ]. As the designation and numbering of these highways were coordinated among the states, they are sometimes called '''Federal Highways''', but the roadways were built and have always been maintained by ] or ] since their initial designation in 1926.


The route numbers and locations are coordinated by the ] (AASHTO).<ref name="AASHTO purpose"/> The only federal involvement in AASHTO is a nonvoting seat for the ].<!-- The Interstate Highway System has a different numbering scheme with different directions. Do not confuse the two and change the following information. --> Generally, most north-to-south highways are odd-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the east and the highest in the west, while east-to-west highways are typically even-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the north, and the highest in the south, though the grid guidelines are not rigidly followed, and many exceptions exist. Major north–south routes generally have numbers ending in "1", while major east–west routes usually have numbers ending in "0".<ref name="FHWA planning" />{{#tag:ref|The ] also assigns even numbers to east–west highways and odd numbers to north–south highways. It uses different origins, with the lowest numbers in the south and west. That system also skips some numbers so that generally speaking, a state would not have highways in both systems with the same number.<ref name="AASHTO purpose">{{cite book |author = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |date = January 2000 |chapter-url = http://cms.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/HO2_Policy_Retention_HO1.pdf |chapter = Establishment of a Marking System of the Routes Comprising the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways |title = AASHTO Transportation Policy Book |publisher = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |access-date = January 23, 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061101234238/http://cms.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/HO2_Policy_Retention_HO1.pdf |archive-date = November 1, 2006 }}</ref><ref name="fhwa-faq19" >{{cite web |author = Federal Highway Administration |date = n.d. |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/faq.cfm |title = Interstate FAQ |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |access-date = June 26, 2009 |quote = Proposed I-41 in Wisconsin and partly completed I-74 in North Carolina respectively are possible and current exceptions not adhering to the guideline. It is not known if the U.S. Highways with the same numbers will be retained in the states upon completion of the Interstate routes. |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130507121442/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/faq.htm#question19 |archive-date = May 7, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} Three-digit numbered highways are generally spur routes of parent highways; for example, ] (US&nbsp;264) is a spur off ]. Some ], such as ] and ], exist to provide two alignments for one route. Special routes, which can be labeled as alternate, bypass or business, depending on the intended use, provide a parallel routing to the mainline U.S. Highway.
<div class="thumb tright"><div style="width:302px;">

]<br>]<div class="thumbcaption">Maps of the present U.S. Highway network (top) and ] (bottom)</div></div></div>
Before the U.S. Routes were designated, ]s designated by auto trail associations were the main means of marking roads through the United States. These were private organizations, and the system of road marking at the time was haphazard and not uniform. In 1925, the '''Joint Board on Interstate Highways''', recommended by the ] (AASHO), worked to form a national numbering system to rationalize the roads. After several meetings, a final report was approved by the ] in November 1925. After getting feedback from the states, they made several modifications; the U.S. Highway System was approved on November 11, 1926.
The ] has largely replaced the U.S. Highways for through traffic, though many important regional connections are still made by U.S. Highways, and new routes are still being added. The busiest ] in the U.S. - ]'s ] - carries only ].

Expansion of the U.S. Highway System continued until 1956, when the ] was laid out and began construction under the administration of President ]. After the national implementation of the Interstate Highway System, many U.S. Routes that had been bypassed or overlaid with Interstate Highways were decommissioned and removed from the system. In some places, the U.S. Routes remain alongside the Interstates and serve as a means for interstate travelers to access local services and as secondary feeder roads or as important major arteries in their own right. In other places, where there are no nearby Interstate Highways, the U.S. Routes often remain as the most well-developed roads for long-distance travel. While the system's growth has slowed in recent decades, the U.S. Highway System remains in place to this day and new routes are occasionally added to the system.


==System details== ==System details==
{{See also|List of United States Numbered Highways}}
In general, U.S. Highways do not have a minimum ], unlike the later ]s, and are not usually built to ] standards. Many are the main streets of the cities and towns they run through. However, new additions to the system must "substantially meet the current ]".<ref name="AASHTO purpose">, revised ], ]{{PDFlink}}</ref>

In general, U.S. Routes do not have a minimum design standard, unlike the later ]s, and are not usually built to ] standards. Some stretches of U.S. Routes do meet those standards. Many are designated using the ]s of the cities and towns through which they run. New additions to the system, however, must "substantially meet the current ]".<ref name="AASHTO purpose"/> {{As of|1989|post=,}} the United States Numbered Highways system had a total length of {{convert|157724|mi|km}}.<ref name=USRN/>


Except for ]s and ]s, very few U.S. Highways are ]s. AASHTO policy says that a toll road may only be included as a ], and that "a toll-free routing between the same termini shall continue to be retained and marked as a part of the U.S. Numbered System."<ref name="AASHTO purpose">, revised ], ]{{PDFlink}}</ref> However, none of the four toll roads in the system follow this:<ref></ref> Except for ]s and ], very few U.S. Routes are ]s. AASHTO policy says that a toll road may only be included as a ], and that "a toll-free routing between the same termini shall continue to be retained and marked as a part of the U.S. Numbered System."<ref name="AASHTO purpose"/> ] (US&nbsp;3) meets this obligation; in ], it does not follow tolled portions of the ]. However, US Routes in the system do use parts of five toll roads:<ref>{{cite map |author = ] |year = 2013 |title = The Road Atlas: United States, Canada & Mexico |location = Chicago |publisher = Rand McNally |at = p. 32, § A9; p. 83, §§ D15, D19; p. 92, § J8 |edition = 2013 Walmart |isbn = 0-528-00626-6 }}</ref>
*] uses part of the ] in ]; the old road is ] * ] uses part of the ] in ]; the old road is ].
*] uses the tolled ] is ]; the old road is ] * ] uses the tolled ] in ]; the old road is ]. The tolls were removed in July 2021.
*] uses the ] in ]; the old road is ] * ] is a toll road through ]; the former routing is a free road and uses several Delaware state routes.
*] uses the ] in ]; the old road is ] * ] uses the ] in ]; the old road is ].
* US&nbsp;412 also uses the ] in Oklahoma; the old road is ].


===Numbering=== ===Numbering===
The two-digit U.S. Routes follow a simple grid, in which odd-numbered routes run generally north-south and even-numbered routes run generally east-west. (] is considered two-digit, with first digit ten.) Numbers generally increase from 1 in the east to 101 in the west and 2 in the north to 98 in the south. Numbers ending in zero or one (and ]<ref></ref>), and to a lesser extent in five, were considered main routes in the early numbering, but extensions and truncations have made this distinction largely meaningless; for instance, ] was until 1964 the longest route. This grid is the opposite of the ]s, which increase from west to east and south to north. U.S. Routes in the ] follow a grid pattern, in which odd-numbered routes run generally north to south and even-numbered routes run generally east to west, though three-digit spur routes can be either-or.{{efn|These three-digit spur routes are not to be confused with ]s signposted as "SPUR", such as ].}} Usually, one- and two-digit routes are major routes, and three-digit routes are numbered as shorter spur routes from a main route. Odd numbers generally increase from east to west; ] (US&nbsp;1) follows the Atlantic Coast and ] follows the Pacific Coast. (US 101 is one of the many exceptions to the standard numbering grid; its first "digit" is "10", and it is a main route on its own and not a spur of US 1.) Even numbers tend to increase from north to south; ] closely follows the Canadian border, and ] hugs the Gulf Coast. The longest routes connecting major cities are generally numbered to end in a 1 or a 0;<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/longest.cfm |title = Ask the Rambler: What Is The Longest Road in the United States? |publisher = ] |date = April 7, 2011 |access-date = April 11, 2010 }}</ref> however, extensions and truncations have made this distinction largely meaningless.<ref name="mcnichol71">{{cite book |last = McNichol |first = Dan |title = The Roads that Built America: The Incredible Story of the US Interstate System |location = New York |publisher = Sterling Publishing |year = 2006 |isbn = 1-4027-3468-9 |page = 71 }}</ref> These guidelines are very rough, and exceptions to all of the basic numbering rules exist.


The numbering system also extended beyond the borders of the United States in an unofficial manner. Many Canadian highways were renumbered in the 1940s and 1950s to adopt the same number as the U.S. Route they connected to – mostly in the western provinces.{{cn|date=September 2023}} Examples include ]'s highways ], ], ], and ]; ]'s highways ], ], and ]; or Ontario King's Highway ].{{cn|date=September 2023}} The reverse happened with ], originally a Texas state highway numbered to match ].<ref>{{cite web |date=September 15, 1970 |title=An Application From the State Highway Department of Texas For the Establishment of a U.S. Route (U.S. 57) |pages=2–3 |publisher=American Association of State Highway Officials |url=https://grmservices.grmims.com/vsearch/portal/public/na4/aashto/default |via=AASHTO Route Numbering Archive |accessdate=March 14, 2023}}</ref>
Three-digit numbers are assigned to spurs of two-digit routes. For instance, ] splits from ] at ] and runs north to ]. Not all spurs travel in the same direction as their "parents"; some are only connected to their "parents" by other spurs, or not at all, instead only traveling near their "parents". As originally assigned, the first digit of the spurs increased from north to south and east to west along the "parent"; for example, ] junctioned, from east to west, ] in ], ] in ], ] in ], and ] and ] in ]. As with the two-digit routes, three-digit routes have been added, removed, extended and shortened; the "parent-child" relationship is not always present. Several spurs of the decommissioned ] still exist, and ] travels from border to border, while ] has been largely replaced by ].


In the 1950s, the numbering grid for the new Interstate Highway System was established as intentionally opposite from the US grid insofar as the direction the route numbers increase. Interstate Highway numbers increase from west-to-east and south-to-north, to keep identically numbered routes geographically apart in order to keep them from being confused with one another,<ref name="mcnichol71"/> and it omits 50 and 60 which would potentially conflict with ] and ].{{efn|Exceptions to this rule do occur.}}
Several routes approved since 1980 do not follow the pattern:
*], approved in 1994, has no "parent".
*], approved ca. 1982, is nowhere near ].
*], approved in 1989, is nowhere near ].


In the US Highway system, three-digit numbers are assigned to spurs of one or two-digit routes. ], for example, splits from ] at ], and runs north to Canada.<ref name="rm">{{cite map |author = Rand McNally |title = The Road Atlas and Travel Guide |year = 2009 |scale = Scale not given |location = Chicago |publisher = Rand McNally |isbn = 978-0-528-94209-9 }}</ref> Not all spurs travel in the same direction as their "parents"; some are connected to their parents only by other spurs, or not at all, instead only traveling near their parents, Also, a spur may travel in different cardinal directions than its parent, such as ], which is a north–south route, unlike its parent ], which is east–west. As originally assigned, the first digit of the spurs increased from north to south and east to west along the parent; for example, ] had spurs, running from east to west, designated as ] in ], ] in ], ] in ], and ] and ] in ].<ref name="1925 list"/> As with the two-digit routes, three-digit routes have been added, removed, extended and shortened; the "parent-child" relationship is not always present.<ref name="rm"/><ref name="esso">{{cite map |author1 = ] |title = United States Featuring the Interstate Highway System |year = 1966 |author2 = ] |name-list-style = amp |scale = |location = Convent Station, NJ |publisher = General Drafting |oclc = 749860157 }}</ref>
In addition, ], approved ca. 1971, was a renumbering of state routes numbered 163, and is nowhere near ]. The short ], approved ca. 1970, connects to ] in ], and lies west of former ].


AASHTO guidelines specifically prohibit ]s and U.S. Routes from sharing a number within the same state.<ref name="AASHTO purpose"/> As with other guidelines, exceptions exist across the U.S.<ref name="esso"/>
While AASHTO guidelines specifically prohibit ]s and U.S. Highways from sharing a number within the same state<ref> (Retained from August 10, 1973){{PDFlink}}</ref> (which is why there are no Interstates 50 or 60), the initial Interstate numbering approved in 1958 violated this with ] and ] in ] and ], ], ] and ] in ]. (US 40 and US 80 were removed from California in their ].) Some recent and proposed Interstates, some of them out-of-place in the grid, also violate this: ] and ] in ] (which will run ]ly), ] and ] in ], ] and ] in ], and ] and ] in ] (which will run concurrently).


Some two-digit numbers have never been applied to any U.S. Route, including 37, 39, 47, 86, and 88.
===Divided and bannered routes===
{{main|List of divided U.S. Routes}}
Divided routes have been around since 1926, and designate roughly-equivalent splits of routes. For instance, ] splits into ] (east) and ] (west) in ], and the routes rejoin in ]. Occasionally only one of the two routes is suffixed; ] in ] does not rejoin ] at its west end. AASHTO has been trying to eliminate these since 1934;<ref name="FHWA US 11">Richard F. Weingroff, </ref> its current policy is to deny approval of new ones and to eliminate existing ones "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways can reach agreement with reference thereto".<ref name="AASHTO purpose">, revised ], ]{{PDFlink}}</ref>


===Signage===
{{main|List of bannered U.S. Routes}}
{{Main|U.S. Route shield}}
]s - those with a banner such as ] or ] - are also managed by AASHTO. These are sometimes designated with lettered suffixes, like A for alternate or B for business.
]
Route numbers are displayed on a distinctively-shaped white shield with large black numerals in the center. Often, the shield is displayed against a black square or rectangular background.<ref name="2009-mutcd">{{cite book |author = Federal Highway Administration |year = 2009 |title = Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices |edition = 2009 |url = https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2009.htm |location = Washington, D.C. |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |access-date = June 5, 2010 |isbn = 9781615835171 }}</ref> Each state manufactures their own signage, and as such subtle variations exist all across the United States. Individual states may use cut-out or rectangular designs, some have black outlines, and California prints the letters "US" above the numerals.<ref name="aasho-manual-1961">{{cite book |author1 = American Association of State Highway Officials |author2 = Bureau of Public Roads |title = Manual for Signing and Pavement for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways |year = 1961 |edition = 1961 |location = Washington, D.C. |publisher = American Association of State Highway Officials |oclc = 43890586 }}</ref> One- and two-digit shields generally feature the same large, bold numerals on a square-dimension shield, while 3-digit routes may either use the same shield with a narrower font, or a wider rectangular-dimension shield. Special routes may be indicated with a banner above the route number, or with a letter suffixed to the route number. Signs are generally displayed in several different locations. First, they are shown along the side of the route at regular intervals or after major intersections (called ]s), which shows the route and the nominal direction of travel. Second, they are displayed at intersections with other major roads, so that intersecting traffic can follow their chosen course. Third, they can be displayed on large green ] that indicate upcoming interchanges on freeways and expressways.<ref name="2009-mutcd"/>

===Divided and special routes===
{{Main|List of divided U.S. Routes|List of special routes of the United States Numbered Highway System}}

Since 1926, some divided routes were designated to serve related areas, and designate roughly-equivalent splits of routes. For instance, ] splits into ] (east) and ] (west) in ], and the routes rejoin in ]. Occasionally only one of the two routes is suffixed; ] in ] does not rejoin US&nbsp;6 at its west end. AASHTO has been trying to eliminate these since 1934;<ref name="FHWA US 11">{{cite web |first = Richard F. |last = Weingroff |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/us11.cfm |title = US&nbsp;11 Rouses Point, New York, to New Orleans, Louisiana |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |work = Highway History |date = April 7, 2011 |access-date = June 9, 2011 }}</ref> its current policy is to deny approval of new split routes and to eliminate existing ones "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways can reach agreement with reference thereto".<ref name="AASHTO purpose"/>

]s—those with a banner such as ] or ]—are also managed by AASHTO.<ref name="AASHTO purpose"/> These are sometimes designated with lettered suffixes, like A for alternate or B for business.{{efn|For example, compare the following for an alternate route in Ohio:
* {{cite map |author = ] Office of Technical Services, GIS/Mapping Section |year = 2011 |title = Official Transportation Map |sections = B2–F2 |scale = 1:570,240 |location = Columbus |publisher = Ohio Department of Transportation }}
* {{google maps |url= http://maps.google.com/?ll=41.629366,-84.553778&spn=0.000874,0.001875&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=41.629366,-84.553778&panoid=BmzMseUriz3xI25OjMxnMw&cbp=12,6.79,,0,27.13 |title= Street View of US&nbsp;20A/SR&nbsp;15 near Pioneer, OH |access-date= May 5, 2013}}
* {{cite map |author = Rand McNally |year = 2013 |title = The Road Atlas: United States, Canada & Mexico |location = Chicago |publisher = Rand McNally |edition = 2013 Walmart |sections = NE2–NE6 |scale = 1:760,320 |page = 78 |isbn = 0-528-00626-6 }}}}


===Naming=== ===Naming===
The official route log, last published by AASHTO in 1989, has been named United States Numbered Highways since its initial publication in 1926. In the log, "U.S. Route" is used in the table of contents, while "United States Highway" appears as the heading for each route. All reports of the Special Committee on Route Numbering, at least since 1989, use "U.S. Route", and federal laws relating to highways use "United States Route" or "U.S. Route" more often than the "Highway" variants.<ref>] searches on ] for , , and </ref> The use of U.S. Route or U.S. Highway on a local level depends on the state. The official route log, last published by AASHTO in 1989, has been named ''United States Numbered Highways'' since its initial publication in 1926. Within the route log, "U.S. Route" is used in the table of contents, while "United States Highway" appears as the heading for each route. All reports of the Special Committee on Route Numbering since 1989 use "U.S. Route", and federal laws relating to highways use "United States Route" or "U.S. Route" more often than the "Highway" variants.{{Cn|date=August 2024}} The use of U.S. Route or U.S. Highway on a local level depends on the state, with some states such as Delaware using "route" and others such as Colorado using "highway".<ref name=DelDOT>{{cite web |url = http://www.deldot.gov/information/pubs_forms/manuals/traffic_counts/2006/pdf/rpt_pgs1_38_rev.pdf |author = ] |publisher = Delaware Department of Transportation |title = 2006 Traffic Count and Mileage Report |year = 2006 |access-date = June 10, 2011 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090318163528/http://www.deldot.gov/information/pubs_forms/manuals/traffic_counts/2006/pdf/rpt_pgs1_38_rev.pdf |archive-date = March 18, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://apps.coloradodot.info/dataaccess/Highways/index.cfm?fuseaction=Description&route=006&begRefPt=0&endRefPt=500&Printable=true |title = Segment Descriptions for Highway 006 |author = ] |publisher = Colorado Department of Transportation |access-date = June 10, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120526142107/http://apps.coloradodot.info/dataaccess/Highways/index.cfm?fuseaction=Description&route=006&begRefPt=0&endRefPt=500&Printable=true |archive-date = May 26, 2012 |url-status = dead }}</ref>


==History== ==History==

===Early auto trails=== ===Early auto trails===
{{main|Auto trail}} {{Main|Auto trail}}
In 1903, ] became the first documented person to drive an automobile from ] to ] using only a connection of dirt roads, cow paths, and railroad beds. His journey, covered by the press, became a national sensation and called for a system of long-distance roads.<ref>{{cite book |last1 = Duncan |first1 = Dayton |last2 = Burns |first2 = Ken |title = Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip |year = 2003 |publisher = Alfred A. Knopf |location = New York |isbn = 0-375-41536-X |edition = 1st |page = ix |url-access = registration |url = https://archive.org/details/horatiosdriveame00dunc }}</ref>
] sign]]
In the early 1910s, ] organizations - most prominently the ] - began to spring up, marking and promoting routes for long-distance automobile travel. While many of these organizations worked with towns and states along the route to improve the roadways, others simply chose a route based on towns that were willing to pay dues, put up signs, and did little else.<ref name="FHWA planning">Richard F. Weingroff, </ref>


In the early 1910s, ] organizations—most prominently the ]—began to spring up, marking and promoting routes for the new recreation of long-distance automobile travel. The ] was another of the earliest examples. While many of these organizations worked with towns and states along the route to improve the roadways, others simply chose a route based on towns that were willing to pay dues, put up signs, and did little else.<ref name="FHWA planning">{{cite web |last = Weingroff |first = Richard F. |date = April 7, 2011 |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/numbers.cfm |title = From Names to Numbers: The Origins of the US Numbered Highway System |work = Highway History |publisher = ] |access-date = June 10, 2011 }}</ref>
===Preliminary planning: the formation of the 1925 report===
] was the first state in the U.S. to number ], erecting signs in May 1918.<ref name="FHWA planning">Richard F. Weingroff, </ref> Other states soon followed, and the ] states got together in 1922 to establish the six-state ].


===Planning===
Behind the scenes, the ] program had begun with the passage of the ], providing 50% monetary support from the ] for improvement of major roads. The ] limited the routes to 7% of each state's roads, while 3/7 had to be "interstate in character". Identification of these main roads was completed in 1923.<!--anyone got a map of them?--><ref name="FHWA planning"/>
{{wikisource|1=Report of Joint Board on Interstate Highways October 30, 1925}}
Wisconsin was the first state in the U.S. to number ], erecting signs in May 1918.<ref name="FHWA planning"/> Other states soon followed. In 1922, the ] states got together to establish the six-state ].<ref name="nyt April 16">{{cite news |title = Motor Sign Uniformity |work = ] |date = April 16, 1922 }}</ref>


Behind the scenes, the ] program had begun with the passage of the ], providing 50% monetary support from the ] for improvement of major roads. The ] limited the routes to 7% of each state's roads, while 3 in every 7 roads had to be "interstate in character". Identification of these main roads was completed in 1923.<!--anyone got a map of them?--><ref name="FHWA planning"/>
The ] (AASHO), formed in 1914 to help establish roadway standards, began to plan a system of marked and numbered "interstate highways" at its 1924 meeting. AASHO recommended that the ] work with the states to designate these routes.<ref name="FHWA planning"/>


The ] (AASHO), formed in 1914 to help establish roadway standards, began to plan a system of marked and numbered "interstate highways" at its 1924 meeting.<ref>{{harvp|ps=.|McNichol|2006|p=67}}</ref> AASHO recommended that the ] work with the states to designate these routes.<ref name="FHWA planning"/>
Secretary ] appointed the '''Joint Board on Interstate Highways''', as recommended by AASHO, on ], ]. The Board was composed of 21 state highway officials and three federal ] officials. At the first meeting, on ] and 21, the name - U.S. Highway - was adopted. It was also decided that the system would not be limited to the federal-aid network; if the best route did not receive federal funds, it would still be included. The tentative design for the ] was also adopted, based on the ].<ref name="FHWA planning"/>


Secretary ] appointed the ''Joint Board on Interstate Highways'', as recommended by AASHO, on March 2, 1925. The Board was composed of 21 state highway officials and three federal ] officials. At the first meeting, on April 20 and 21, the group chose the name "U.S. Highway" as the designation for the routes. They decided that the system would not be limited to the federal-aid network; if the best route did not receive federal funds, it would still be included. The tentative design for the ] was also chosen,<ref>{{harvp|ps=.|McNichol|2006|p=121}}</ref> based on the shield found on the ].<ref name="FHWA planning"/>
Opposition soon formed from the ] associations, who rejected the elimination of the highway names. Six regional meetings were held to hammer out the details - ] for the ], ] for the ], ] for the ], ] for the ], ] for the ], and ]<!--typo?--> for ]. The auto trail associations were not able to address the meetings, but as a compromise did talk with Joint Board members, and came out with general agreement with their plans.<!--could be worded better--> The tentative system added up to 81000 miles (130000 km), 2.8% of the public road mileage at the time.<!--seems high even then - maybe state highways only?--><ref name="FHWA planning"/>


The auto trail associations rejected the elimination of the highway names. Six regional meetings were held to hammer out the details—May 15 for the ], May 27 for the ], June 3 for the ], June 8 for the ], June 15 for the ], and June 15<!--typo?--> for ]. Representatives of the auto trail associations were not able to formally address the meetings. However, as a compromise, they talked with the Joint Board members. The associations finally settled on a general agreement with the numbering plans, as named trails would still be included.<!--could be worded better--> The tentative system added up to 81,000 miles (130,000&nbsp;km), 2.8% of the public road mileage at the time.<!--seems high even then&nbsp;— maybe state highways only?--><ref name="FHWA planning"/>
], in use from 1926 to the late 1940s]]
The second full meeting was held ] and 4, 1925. At that meeting, discussion was held over the appropriate density of routes. ] of ] and ] of ] favored a system of only major transcontinental highways, while many states recommended a large number of roads of only regional importance. Greene in particular intended New York's system of only four major through routes<!--2 and 4 ended at 9, he wanted 109 gone--> as an example to the other states. Many states agreed in general with the scope of the system, but believed the ] to have added too many routes. The shield, with few modifications from the original sketch, was adopted at that meeting, as was the decision to number rather than name the routes. A preliminary numbering system, with eight major east-west and ten major north-south routes, was deferred to a numbering committee "without instructions".<ref name="FHWA planning"/>


{{multiple image
After working with states to get their approval, the system had expanded to 75800 miles (122000 km), or 2.6% of total mileage, over 50% more than the plan approved ]. The skeleton of the numbering plan was suggested on ] by ] of the BPR, who matched ] to direction, and laid out a rough grid. Major routes from the earlier map were assigned numbers ending in 0, 1 or 5 (5 was soon relegated to less-major status), and short connections received three-digit numbers based on the main highway they spurred from. The five-man committee met ], and submitted the final report to the Joint Board secretary on ].<ref name="FHWA planning"/> The board sent the report to the Secretary of Agriculture of ], and he approved it ], ].<ref name="1925 list">Report of Joint Board on Interstate Highways, ], ], Approved by the Secretary of Agriculture, ], ]</ref>
|align= right
|direction= horizontal
|width= 100
|image1= US 32 Iowa 1926.svg
|alt1= US 32 Iowa 1926 shield marker
|image2= US 28 Oregon 1948.svg
|alt2= US 28 Oregon 1948 shield marker
|footer= 1926 and 1948 versions of the ]
}}
The second full meeting was held August 3 and 4, 1925. At that meeting, discussion was held over the appropriate density of routes. William F. Williams of ] and Frederick S. Greene of New York favored a system of only major transcontinental highways, while many states recommended a large number of roads of only regional importance. Greene in particular intended New York's system to have four major through routes<!--2 and 4 ended at 9, he wanted 109 gone--> as an example to the other states. Many states agreed in general with the scope of the system, but believed the ] to have added too many routes to the system. The group adopted the shield, with few modifications from the original sketch, at that meeting, as well as the decision to number rather than name the routes. A preliminary numbering system, with eight major east–west and ten major north–south routes, was deferred to a numbering committee "without instructions".<ref name="FHWA planning"/>


After working with states to get their approval, the committee expanded the highway system to 75,800 miles (122,000&nbsp;km), or 2.6% of total mileage, over 50% more than the plan approved August 4. The skeleton of the numbering plan was suggested on August 27 by Edwin Warley James of the BPR, who matched ] to direction, and laid out a rough grid. Major routes from the earlier map were assigned numbers ending in 0, 1 or 5 (5 was soon relegated to less-major status), and short connections received three-digit numbers based on the main highway from which they spurred. The five-man committee met September 25, and submitted the final report to the Joint Board secretary on October 26.<ref name="FHWA planning"/> The board sent the report to the Secretary of Agriculture on October 30, and he approved it November 18, 1925.<ref name="1925 list">{{cite book |type= Report |author = Joint Board on Interstate Highways |year = 1925 |url = https://en.wikisource.org/Report_of_Joint_Board_on_Interstate_Highways_October_30,_1925 |title = Report of Joint Board on Interstate Highways, October 30, 1925, Approved by the Secretary of Agriculture, November 18, 1925 |location= Washington, DC |publisher= ] |id= {{OCLC|733875457|55123355|71026428}} |via = ] |access-date = November 14, 2017 }}</ref>
These major transcontinental routes, along with the ]s they roughly replaced, were as follows:<ref name="1925 list"/>
{| width="100%"
|- valign="top"
| width="50%" |
*], ] to ]: ]
*], ] to ]
*], ] to ] (where it met US 1)
*], ] to ]
*], ] to ]: ]<!--rather rough-->
*], ] to ]
*], ] north of ] to ]
*], ] to ] (where it met US 61): ]<!--rather rough-->
*], ] north of ] to ]: ]
*], ] to south of ]
*], ] to ]: ]<!--rather rough-->
| width="50%" |
*], ] to ]<!--listed on http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/longest.htm-->
*], ] to ]: ]<!--rather rough, also only reached Chicago-->
*], ] to ]
*], ] to ] (where it met US 40): ]
*], ] to ]: ]
*], ] to ] (where it met US 40)
*], ] to ]
*], ] to ] (where it met US 60)
*], ] to ]: ]
*], ] to ] (where it met US 80): ]
|}
Note that 10, 60 and 90 only ran about two-thirds of the way across the country, while 11 and 60 ran significantly diagonally. The way in which US 60 violated two of the conventions would prove to be one of the major sticking points; US 60 eventually became the famous ] in 1926.


===Disagreement and refinement, 1925–26===
===AASHO and the states fine-tune the plan: 1925-1926===
]
The new system was both praised and criticized by local newspapers, often depending on whether that city ended up on a major route. While the ] understood and supported the plan, partly because they were assured of getting the ] designation as much as possible, most other trail associations lamented their obsolescence. At their January 14-15, 1926 meeting, AASHO was flooded with complaints.<ref name="FHWA planning"/>


The new system was both praised and criticized by local newspapers, often depending on whether that city was connected to a major route. While the ] understood and supported the plan, partly because they were assured of getting the ] designation as much as possible, most other trail associations lamented their obsolescence. At their January 14–15, 1926 meeting, AASHO was flooded with complaints.<ref name="FHWA planning"/>
In the Northeast, New York still wanted fewer routes, and Pennsylvania, which had been absent from the local meetings, convinced AASHO to add a dense network of routes, which had the effect of giving six routes termini along the state line. (Only ] still ends near the state line, and now it ends at an intersection with future ].) The indirect nature of ], passing through ], led ] and ] to request that ] be swapped with US 20 to the ].<ref name="FHWA planning"/>


In the Northeast, New York held out for fewer routes designated as US highways. The Pennsylvania representative, who had not attended the local meetings, convinced AASHO to add a dense network of routes, which had the effect of giving six routes termini along the state line. (Only ] still ends near the state line, and now it ends at an intersection with future ].) Because ] seemed indirect, passing through ], ] and ] requested that ] be swapped with US&nbsp;20 to the ].<ref name="FHWA planning"/>
Many local disputes centered on the choice between two roughly-equal parallel routes, often competing auto trails. At their January meeting, AASHO approved the first two of many ] (specifically ] between ] and ] and ] between ] and ]). In effect, each of the two routes received the same number, with a directional suffix indicating its relation to the other. These splits were initially shown in the log as - for instance - US 40 North and US 40 South, but were always posted as simply US 40N and US 40S.<ref name="FHWA planning"/>


Many local disputes arose related to the committee's choices between designation of two roughly equal parallel routes, which were often competing auto trails. At their January meeting, AASHO approved the first two of many split routes (specifically ] between ] and ] and ] between ] and ]). In effect, each of the two routes received the same number, with a directional suffix indicating its relation to the other. These splits were initially shown in the log as—for instance—US&nbsp;40 North and US&nbsp;40 South, but were always posted as simply US&nbsp;40N and US&nbsp;40S.<ref name="FHWA planning"/>
The most heated argument, however, was the issue of US 60. The Joint Board had assigned that number to the ]-] route, which ran east from Los Angeles to ], but then angled sharply to the northeast, running more north-south than east-west in Illinois. ] strongly objected to this, as it had been left off any of the major east-west routes, instead receiving the ] designation. This, along with the part of ] east of ], was assigned the ] number in January 1926, while US 62 was given to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, contingent on the approval of the states along the former US 60. But Missouri and Oklahoma did object - Missouri had already printed maps, and Oklahoma had prepared signs. A compromise was proposed, in which US 60 would split at ] into US 60E and US 60N, but both sides objected. The final solution resulted in the assignment of ], which did not end in zero, but was still seen as a nice round number.<ref name="FHWA planning"/>


The most heated argument, however, was the issue of US&nbsp;60. The Joint Board had assigned that number to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, which ran more north–south than west–east in Illinois, and then angled sharply to the southwest to ], from where it ran west to ]. ] strongly objected to this designated route, as it had been left off any of the major east–west routes, instead receiving the ] designation. In January 1926, the committee designated this, along with the part of ] east of ], as ]. They assigned US&nbsp;62 to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, contingent on the approval of the states along the former US&nbsp;60. But Missouri and Oklahoma did object—Missouri had already printed maps, and Oklahoma had prepared signs. A compromise was proposed, in which US&nbsp;60 would split at ], into US&nbsp;60E and US&nbsp;60N, but both sides objected. The final solution resulted in the assignment of ] to the Chicago-Los Angeles portion of the US highway, which did not end in zero, but was still seen as a satisfyingly round number.<ref name="FHWA planning"/> Route 66 came to have a prominent place in popular culture, being featured in song and films.
], ]]]
With 32 states already marking their routes, the plan was approved by AASHO on ], ].<ref name="FHWA planning"/> This plan included a number of directionally-split routes, several discontinuous routes (including ], ] and ]), and some termini at state lines.<ref name="1926 map">], ], ]</ref> Major numbering changes had been made in Pennsylvania by the publishing of the first route log in April 1927, in order to align the routes to the auto trails,<ref name="FHWA PA"></ref> and ] had been extended across ].<ref name="1927 log">United States Numbered Highways, ], April 1927</ref> Further modifications and additions were made in the next few years.


With 32&nbsp;states already marking their routes, the plan was approved by AASHO on November 11, 1926.<ref name="FHWA planning"/> This plan included a number of directionally split routes, several discontinuous routes (including ], ] and ]), and some termini at state lines.<ref name="1926 map">{{cite map |author1 = ] |author2 = ] |date = November 11, 1926 |title = United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials |url = https://commons.wikimedia.org/File:United_States_System_of_Highways_Adopted_for_Uniform_Marking_by_the_American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials.jpg |scale = 1:7,000,000 |location = Washington, DC |publisher = ] |oclc = 32889555 |access-date = November 7, 2013 |via = ] |name-list-style = amp }}</ref> By the time the first route log was published in April 1927, major numbering changes had been made in Pennsylvania in order to align the routes to the existing auto trails.<ref name="FHWA PA">{{cite web |last = Weingroff |first = Richard F. |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/us22.cfm |title = US&nbsp;22: The William Penn Highway |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |work = Highway History |date = April 7, 2011 |access-date = June 9, 2011 }}</ref> In addition, ] had been extended across ].<ref name="1927 log">{{cite journal |title = United States Numbered Highways |journal = ] |publisher = American Association of State Highway Officials |date = April 1927 |issn = 0002-8746 }}</ref>
===Criticism by the press===
Much of the early criticism of the U.S. Highway system focused on the choice of numbers to designate the highways, rather than names. Some saw a numbered highway system as cold and heartless compared to the more colorful names of the auto trail systems. The '']'' wrote "The traveler may shed tears as he drives the ] or dream dreams as he speeds over the ], but how can he get a 'kick' out of 46, 55 or 33 or 21?"<ref name="mcnichol">McNichol, Dan. ''The Roads that Built America: The Incredible Story of the U.S. Interstate System''. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2006. ISBN 1-4027-3468-9</ref> ] was quoted as saying, "Logarithms will take the place of legends, and 'hokum' for history."<ref name="FHWA planning"/>


Much of the early criticism of the U.S. Highway System focused on the choice of numbers to designate the highways, rather than names. Some thought a numbered highway system to be cold compared to the more colorful names and historic value of the auto trail systems. '']'' wrote, "The traveler may shed tears as he drives the ] or dream dreams as he speeds over the ], but how can he get a 'kick' out of 46, 55 or 33 or 21?"<ref>{{harvp|ps=.|McNichol|2006|p=78}}</ref> (A popular song later promised, "]") The writer Ernest McGaffey was quoted as saying, "Logarithms will take the place of legends, and 'hokum' for history."<ref name="FHWA planning"/>
===Before the Interstates: 1926-late 1950s===
In 1934, AASHO attempted to eliminate many of the ] by removing them from the log, and designating one of each pair as a three-digit or alternate route, or ] in one case. AASHO described this in the October 1934 issue of ]:
:When the U.S. numbered system was started in 1925, a few optional routings were established which were designated with the affix: "North," "South," "East," or "West." This procedure has never been to the traveling public, and while there are but a few roads numbered in this manner in the entire country, it is believed that they should be eliminated wherever possible, by the absorption of one of the optional routes into another route.


===Expansion and adjustment, 1926–1956===
:Wherever these optional routes are not of sufficient length for them to become a part of another numbered road, it is proposed to give the regular number to the older or shortest route, and the other route is to bear the same number with a standard strip above the shield carrying the word "Alternate."
], and ], illustrates one rationale for a federal highway system: national defense.]]


When the U.S. numbered system was started in 1925, a few optional routings were established which were designated with a suffixed letter after the number indicating "north", "south", "east", or "west". While a few roads in the system are still numbered in this manner, AASHO believes that they should be eliminated wherever possible, by the absorption of one of the optional routes into another route.
Some states accepted this, and marked the routes as requested. But several states refused, including ], ], ], ] and ]. In 1952 AASHO re-recognized the splits in ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref name="FHWA US 11">Richard F. Weingroff, </ref><ref></ref>


In 1934, AASHO tried to eliminate many of the split routes by removing them from the log, and designating one of each pair as a three-digit or alternate route, or in one case ]. AASHO described its renumbering concept in the October 1934 issue of ''American Highways'':<ref name="FHWA US 11"/>
General expansion and the occasional elimination continued to occur through the years. One of the more interesting cases was the proposed extension of ] to ] along the ], cancelled because the ] refused to renumber its section as 97.<ref></ref> For the most part, the U.S. Highways remained the primary method of intercity travel; the main exceptions were ]s such as the ] and ]s such as the ]. Many of the first high-speed roads were U.S. Highways: the ] carried ], the ] carried ], and the ] carried ].
<blockquote>"Wherever an alternate route is not suitable for its own unique two-digit designation, standard procedure assigns the unqualified number to the older or shorter route, while the other route uses the same number marked by a standard strip above its shield carrying the word 'Alternate'."</blockquote>Most states adhere to this approach. However, some maintain legacy routes that violate the rules in various ways. Examples can be found in ], ], ], ], and ]. In 1952, AASHO permanently recognized the splits in ],<ref name="FHWA US 11"/> ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref name="FHWA US 11"/>


For the most part, the U.S. Routes were the primary means of inter-city vehicle travel; the main exceptions were ]s such as the ] and ] routes such as the ]. Many of the first high-speed roads were U.S. Highways: the ] carried ],<ref>{{cite news |first = Dan |last = Feldstein |title = A rare quiet interlude for area's first freeway/ Next major upgrade: Causeway in 2002 |work = ] |date = June 27, 1999 |access-date = June 9, 2009 |url = http://www.texasfreeway.com/Houston/photos/45s/chron_27-june-99_gulf_freeway.shtml }}</ref> the ] carried ],<ref>Correspondence between the ] and ], transcribed at {{cite web |url = http://cahighways.org/065-072.html#066 |publisher = California Highways |title = State Route 66 |access-date = June 10, 2011 }}{{sps|certain=y|date= August 2011}}</ref> and the ] carries ] and ].<ref>{{cite map |author = Rand McNally |title = Road Atlas |year = 1946 |url = http://www.broermapsonline.org/members/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/Midatlantic/NewYork/NewYorkCity/randmcnally_ra_1946_040.html |scale = Scale not given |location = Chicago |publisher = Rand McNally |page = 42 |inset = New York and Vicinity |access-date = June 9, 2009 |archive-date = July 25, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110725194757/http://www.broermapsonline.org/members/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/Midatlantic/NewYork/NewYorkCity/randmcnally_ra_1946_040.html |url-status = dead }}</ref>
===Post-Interstate era===
The ] appropriated funding for the ], a vast network of ]s across the country. By 1957, AASHTO had decided to assign a new grid - opposing the U.S. Highway grid - to the new routes. Though the Interstate numbers were to supplement, rather than replace, the U.S. Highway numbers, in many cases, especially in the ], were routed along the new Interstates, as there was no need for the states to maintain two parallel routes through sparsely populated territory. Major decommissioning began with ]'s ], and the 1985 removal of ] is often seen as the end of an era.


===Interstate era, 1956–present===
The last U.S. Highway to be fully ] was ] between ] and ], paved ca. 1967.<ref></ref>
]


The ] appropriated funding for the Interstate Highway System, to construct a vast network of ] across the country. By 1957, AASHO had decided to assign a new grid to the new routes, to be numbered in the opposite directions as the U.S. Highway grid. Though the Interstate numbers were to supplement—rather than replace—the U.S. Route numbers, in many cases (especially in the ]) the US highways were rerouted along the new Interstates.<ref name="esso"/> Major decommissioning of former routes began with ]'s ]. The 1985 removal of ] is often seen as the end of an era of US highways.<ref>{{cite journal |url = https://archive.org/stream/californiahighwa196465calirich#page/n85/mode/2up |title = Route Renumbering: New Green Markers Will Replace Old Shields |journal = California Highways and Public Works |date = March–April 1964 |volume = 43 |issue = 3–4 |pages = 11–13 |issn = 0008-1159 |access-date = June 10, 2011 }}</ref>
AASHTO has recognized that ]s are now symbols of good roads as the U.S. Routes once were. Thus it has acted to rationalize the system by eliminating all single-state routes less than 300 miles (480 km) in length "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials can reach agreement with reference thereto". New additions to the system must serve more than one state and "substantially meet the current ]".<ref name="AASHTO purpose">, revised ], ]{{PDFlink}}</ref>

A few major connections not served by Interstate Highways include US&nbsp;6 from Hartford, Connecticut, to Providence, Rhode Island and US&nbsp;93 from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, though the latter is planned to be upgraded to ]. Three state capitals in the contiguous U.S. are served only by U.S. Routes: ]; ]; and ].

In 1995, the ] was defined to include both the Interstate Highway System and other roads designated as important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.

AASHTO is in the process of eliminating all ] less than {{convert|300|mi|km}} in length "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials can reach agreement with reference thereto". New additions to the system must serve more than one state and "substantially meet the current ]".<ref name="AASHTO purpose"/> A version of this policy has been in place since 1937.<ref name=newsigning1937>{{cite journal |url = https://archive.org/stream/california193638highwacalirich#page/n521/mode/2up |title = New Signing Policy on U.S. Routes |journal = California Highways and Public Works |date = October 1937 |volume = 15 |issue = 10 |pages = 13, 28 |issn = 0008-1159 |access-date = July 24, 2015 |via = Archive.org }}</ref>

==The 1925 routes==
The original major transcontinental routes in 1925, along with the ]s which they roughly replaced, were as follows:<ref name="FHWA planning"/><ref name="1925 list"/>
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=50%}}
* ], ], to ]: ]
* ], ], to ]
* ], ], to ] (where it met US&nbsp;1)
* ], ], to ]
* ], ], to ]: ]<!--rather rough-->
* ], ], to ]
* ], ] north of ], to ]
* ], ], to ] (where it met US&nbsp;61): ]<!--rather rough-->
* ], ] north of ], to ]: ]
* ], ], to south of ]
* ], ], to ]: ]<!--rather rough-->
{{col-break|width=50%}}
* ], ], to ]<!--listed on http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/longest.htm-->
* ], ], to ]: ]<!--rather rough, also only reached Chicago-->
* ], ], to ]
* ], ]: ], to ]: ]
* ], ]: ], to ]: ]
* ], ], to ] (where it met US&nbsp;40)
* ], ], to ]
* ], ], to ] (where it met US&nbsp;60)
* ], ], to ]: ]
* ], ] to ], (where it met US&nbsp;80): ]
{{col-end}}
US&nbsp;10, US&nbsp;60, and US&nbsp;90 only ran about two thirds of the way across the country, while US&nbsp;11 and US&nbsp;60 ran significantly diagonally. US&nbsp;60's violation of two of the conventions would prove to be one of the major sticking points; US&nbsp;60 eventually was designated as US&nbsp;66 in 1926, and later it became a part of popular culture. US&nbsp;101 continues east and then south to end at ].<ref name="1926 map"/> The western terminus of US&nbsp;2 is now at ].<ref name="rm"/>
{{clear}}


==See also== ==See also==
{{Portal|U.S. Roads}}
*]
* ]
*]
*] * ]

*]
==Notes==
*]
{{notelist}}
*]


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}}
<div class="references-small"><references/></div>

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last = Ingram |first = Tammy |title = Dixie Highway: Road Building and the Making of the Modern South, 1900–1930 |year = 2014 |location = Chapel Hill |publisher = University of North Carolina Press |isbn = 9781469615523 }}
{{refend}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category|United States Numbered Highway System}}
{{commons|Category:U.S. Routes}}
*
* (])
* (])
* (])
* (])
*
* *


{{US Highways}} {{US Highways}}
{{US numbered highways}}
{{US route types}}


] ]
]

]

Latest revision as of 05:32, 27 December 2024

Highway system of the United States of America This article is about a set of roads typically called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways. For other numbered highways in the United States, see Numbered highways in the United States.

United States Numbered Highway System
Design changes of U.S. Highway shield
Map of the present U.S. Highway network; Purple are double-digit U.S. Routes, blue are triple-digit U.S. Routes, and orange are Interstate Routes
System information
Maintained by primarily state or local governments; numbers and routings approved by AASHTO
Length157,724 mi (253,832 km)
FormedNovember 11, 1926 (1926-11-11)
Highway names
US HighwaysU.S. Highway nn (US nn)
U.S. Route nn (US nn)
System links

The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these highways were coordinated among the states, they are sometimes called Federal Highways, but the roadways were built and have always been maintained by state or local governments since their initial designation in 1926.

The route numbers and locations are coordinated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The only federal involvement in AASHTO is a nonvoting seat for the United States Department of Transportation. Generally, most north-to-south highways are odd-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the east and the highest in the west, while east-to-west highways are typically even-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the north, and the highest in the south, though the grid guidelines are not rigidly followed, and many exceptions exist. Major north–south routes generally have numbers ending in "1", while major east–west routes usually have numbers ending in "0". Three-digit numbered highways are generally spur routes of parent highways; for example, U.S. Route 264 (US 264) is a spur off US 64. Some divided routes, such as US 19E and US 19W, exist to provide two alignments for one route. Special routes, which can be labeled as alternate, bypass or business, depending on the intended use, provide a parallel routing to the mainline U.S. Highway.

Before the U.S. Routes were designated, auto trails designated by auto trail associations were the main means of marking roads through the United States. These were private organizations, and the system of road marking at the time was haphazard and not uniform. In 1925, the Joint Board on Interstate Highways, recommended by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), worked to form a national numbering system to rationalize the roads. After several meetings, a final report was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in November 1925. After getting feedback from the states, they made several modifications; the U.S. Highway System was approved on November 11, 1926.

Expansion of the U.S. Highway System continued until 1956, when the Interstate Highway System was laid out and began construction under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. After the national implementation of the Interstate Highway System, many U.S. Routes that had been bypassed or overlaid with Interstate Highways were decommissioned and removed from the system. In some places, the U.S. Routes remain alongside the Interstates and serve as a means for interstate travelers to access local services and as secondary feeder roads or as important major arteries in their own right. In other places, where there are no nearby Interstate Highways, the U.S. Routes often remain as the most well-developed roads for long-distance travel. While the system's growth has slowed in recent decades, the U.S. Highway System remains in place to this day and new routes are occasionally added to the system.

System details

See also: List of United States Numbered Highways

In general, U.S. Routes do not have a minimum design standard, unlike the later Interstate Highways, and are not usually built to freeway standards. Some stretches of U.S. Routes do meet those standards. Many are designated using the main streets of the cities and towns through which they run. New additions to the system, however, must "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards". As of 1989, the United States Numbered Highways system had a total length of 157,724 miles (253,832 km).

Except for toll bridges and tunnels, very few U.S. Routes are toll roads. AASHTO policy says that a toll road may only be included as a special route, and that "a toll-free routing between the same termini shall continue to be retained and marked as a part of the U.S. Numbered System." U.S. Route 3 (US 3) meets this obligation; in New Hampshire, it does not follow tolled portions of the Everett Turnpike. However, US Routes in the system do use parts of five toll roads:

Numbering

U.S. Routes in the contiguous United States follow a grid pattern, in which odd-numbered routes run generally north to south and even-numbered routes run generally east to west, though three-digit spur routes can be either-or. Usually, one- and two-digit routes are major routes, and three-digit routes are numbered as shorter spur routes from a main route. Odd numbers generally increase from east to west; U.S. Route 1 (US 1) follows the Atlantic Coast and US 101 follows the Pacific Coast. (US 101 is one of the many exceptions to the standard numbering grid; its first "digit" is "10", and it is a main route on its own and not a spur of US 1.) Even numbers tend to increase from north to south; US 2 closely follows the Canadian border, and US 98 hugs the Gulf Coast. The longest routes connecting major cities are generally numbered to end in a 1 or a 0; however, extensions and truncations have made this distinction largely meaningless. These guidelines are very rough, and exceptions to all of the basic numbering rules exist.

The numbering system also extended beyond the borders of the United States in an unofficial manner. Many Canadian highways were renumbered in the 1940s and 1950s to adopt the same number as the U.S. Route they connected to – mostly in the western provinces. Examples include British Columbia's highways 93, 95, 97, and 99; Manitoba's highways 59, 75, and 83; or Ontario King's Highway 71. The reverse happened with U.S. Route 57, originally a Texas state highway numbered to match Mexican Federal Highway 57.

In the 1950s, the numbering grid for the new Interstate Highway System was established as intentionally opposite from the US grid insofar as the direction the route numbers increase. Interstate Highway numbers increase from west-to-east and south-to-north, to keep identically numbered routes geographically apart in order to keep them from being confused with one another, and it omits 50 and 60 which would potentially conflict with US 50 and US 60.

In the US Highway system, three-digit numbers are assigned to spurs of one or two-digit routes. US 201, for example, splits from US 1 at Brunswick, Maine, and runs north to Canada. Not all spurs travel in the same direction as their "parents"; some are connected to their parents only by other spurs, or not at all, instead only traveling near their parents, Also, a spur may travel in different cardinal directions than its parent, such as US 522, which is a north–south route, unlike its parent US 22, which is east–west. As originally assigned, the first digit of the spurs increased from north to south and east to west along the parent; for example, US 60 had spurs, running from east to west, designated as US 160 in Missouri, US 260 in Oklahoma, US 360 in Texas, and US 460 and US 560 in New Mexico. As with the two-digit routes, three-digit routes have been added, removed, extended and shortened; the "parent-child" relationship is not always present.

AASHTO guidelines specifically prohibit Interstate Highways and U.S. Routes from sharing a number within the same state. As with other guidelines, exceptions exist across the U.S.

Some two-digit numbers have never been applied to any U.S. Route, including 37, 39, 47, 86, and 88.

Signage

Main article: U.S. Route shield
U.S. Highway shield

Route numbers are displayed on a distinctively-shaped white shield with large black numerals in the center. Often, the shield is displayed against a black square or rectangular background. Each state manufactures their own signage, and as such subtle variations exist all across the United States. Individual states may use cut-out or rectangular designs, some have black outlines, and California prints the letters "US" above the numerals. One- and two-digit shields generally feature the same large, bold numerals on a square-dimension shield, while 3-digit routes may either use the same shield with a narrower font, or a wider rectangular-dimension shield. Special routes may be indicated with a banner above the route number, or with a letter suffixed to the route number. Signs are generally displayed in several different locations. First, they are shown along the side of the route at regular intervals or after major intersections (called reassurance markers), which shows the route and the nominal direction of travel. Second, they are displayed at intersections with other major roads, so that intersecting traffic can follow their chosen course. Third, they can be displayed on large green guide signs that indicate upcoming interchanges on freeways and expressways.

Divided and special routes

Main articles: List of divided U.S. Routes and List of special routes of the United States Numbered Highway System

Since 1926, some divided routes were designated to serve related areas, and designate roughly-equivalent splits of routes. For instance, US 11 splits into US 11E (east) and US 11W (west) in Bristol, Virginia, and the routes rejoin in Knoxville, Tennessee. Occasionally only one of the two routes is suffixed; US 6N in Pennsylvania does not rejoin US 6 at its west end. AASHTO has been trying to eliminate these since 1934; its current policy is to deny approval of new split routes and to eliminate existing ones "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways can reach agreement with reference thereto".

Special routes—those with a banner such as alternate or bypass—are also managed by AASHTO. These are sometimes designated with lettered suffixes, like A for alternate or B for business.

Naming

The official route log, last published by AASHTO in 1989, has been named United States Numbered Highways since its initial publication in 1926. Within the route log, "U.S. Route" is used in the table of contents, while "United States Highway" appears as the heading for each route. All reports of the Special Committee on Route Numbering since 1989 use "U.S. Route", and federal laws relating to highways use "United States Route" or "U.S. Route" more often than the "Highway" variants. The use of U.S. Route or U.S. Highway on a local level depends on the state, with some states such as Delaware using "route" and others such as Colorado using "highway".

History

Early auto trails

Main article: Auto trail

In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson became the first documented person to drive an automobile from San Francisco to New York using only a connection of dirt roads, cow paths, and railroad beds. His journey, covered by the press, became a national sensation and called for a system of long-distance roads.

In the early 1910s, auto trail organizations—most prominently the Lincoln Highway—began to spring up, marking and promoting routes for the new recreation of long-distance automobile travel. The Yellowstone Trail was another of the earliest examples. While many of these organizations worked with towns and states along the route to improve the roadways, others simply chose a route based on towns that were willing to pay dues, put up signs, and did little else.

Planning

Wisconsin was the first state in the U.S. to number its highways, erecting signs in May 1918. Other states soon followed. In 1922, the New England states got together to establish the six-state New England Interstate Routes.

Behind the scenes, the federal aid program had begun with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916, providing 50% monetary support from the federal government for improvement of major roads. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 limited the routes to 7% of each state's roads, while 3 in every 7 roads had to be "interstate in character". Identification of these main roads was completed in 1923.

The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), formed in 1914 to help establish roadway standards, began to plan a system of marked and numbered "interstate highways" at its 1924 meeting. AASHO recommended that the Secretary of Agriculture work with the states to designate these routes.

Secretary Howard M. Gore appointed the Joint Board on Interstate Highways, as recommended by AASHO, on March 2, 1925. The Board was composed of 21 state highway officials and three federal Bureau of Public Roads officials. At the first meeting, on April 20 and 21, the group chose the name "U.S. Highway" as the designation for the routes. They decided that the system would not be limited to the federal-aid network; if the best route did not receive federal funds, it would still be included. The tentative design for the U.S. Route shield was also chosen, based on the shield found on the Great Seal of the United States.

The auto trail associations rejected the elimination of the highway names. Six regional meetings were held to hammer out the details—May 15 for the West, May 27 for the Mississippi Valley, June 3 for the Great Lakes, June 8 for the South, June 15 for the North Atlantic, and June 15 for New England. Representatives of the auto trail associations were not able to formally address the meetings. However, as a compromise, they talked with the Joint Board members. The associations finally settled on a general agreement with the numbering plans, as named trails would still be included. The tentative system added up to 81,000 miles (130,000 km), 2.8% of the public road mileage at the time.

US 32 Iowa 1926 shield markerUS 28 Oregon 1948 shield marker1926 and 1948 versions of the U.S. Route shield

The second full meeting was held August 3 and 4, 1925. At that meeting, discussion was held over the appropriate density of routes. William F. Williams of Massachusetts and Frederick S. Greene of New York favored a system of only major transcontinental highways, while many states recommended a large number of roads of only regional importance. Greene in particular intended New York's system to have four major through routes as an example to the other states. Many states agreed in general with the scope of the system, but believed the Midwest to have added too many routes to the system. The group adopted the shield, with few modifications from the original sketch, at that meeting, as well as the decision to number rather than name the routes. A preliminary numbering system, with eight major east–west and ten major north–south routes, was deferred to a numbering committee "without instructions".

After working with states to get their approval, the committee expanded the highway system to 75,800 miles (122,000 km), or 2.6% of total mileage, over 50% more than the plan approved August 4. The skeleton of the numbering plan was suggested on August 27 by Edwin Warley James of the BPR, who matched parity to direction, and laid out a rough grid. Major routes from the earlier map were assigned numbers ending in 0, 1 or 5 (5 was soon relegated to less-major status), and short connections received three-digit numbers based on the main highway from which they spurred. The five-man committee met September 25, and submitted the final report to the Joint Board secretary on October 26. The board sent the report to the Secretary of Agriculture on October 30, and he approved it November 18, 1925.

Disagreement and refinement, 1925–26

The "final" U.S. Highway plan as approved November 11, 1926

The new system was both praised and criticized by local newspapers, often depending on whether that city was connected to a major route. While the Lincoln Highway Association understood and supported the plan, partly because they were assured of getting the US 30 designation as much as possible, most other trail associations lamented their obsolescence. At their January 14–15, 1926 meeting, AASHO was flooded with complaints.

In the Northeast, New York held out for fewer routes designated as US highways. The Pennsylvania representative, who had not attended the local meetings, convinced AASHO to add a dense network of routes, which had the effect of giving six routes termini along the state line. (Only US 220 still ends near the state line, and now it ends at an intersection with future I-86.) Because US 20 seemed indirect, passing through Yellowstone National Park, Idaho and Oregon requested that US 30 be swapped with US 20 to the Pacific coast.

Many local disputes arose related to the committee's choices between designation of two roughly equal parallel routes, which were often competing auto trails. At their January meeting, AASHO approved the first two of many split routes (specifically US 40 between Manhattan, Kansas and Limon, Colorado and US 50 between Baldwin City, Kansas and Garden City, Kansas). In effect, each of the two routes received the same number, with a directional suffix indicating its relation to the other. These splits were initially shown in the log as—for instance—US 40 North and US 40 South, but were always posted as simply US 40N and US 40S.

The most heated argument, however, was the issue of US 60. The Joint Board had assigned that number to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, which ran more north–south than west–east in Illinois, and then angled sharply to the southwest to Oklahoma City, from where it ran west to Los Angeles. Kentucky strongly objected to this designated route, as it had been left off any of the major east–west routes, instead receiving the US 62 designation. In January 1926, the committee designated this, along with the part of US 52 east of Ashland, Kentucky, as US 60. They assigned US 62 to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, contingent on the approval of the states along the former US 60. But Missouri and Oklahoma did object—Missouri had already printed maps, and Oklahoma had prepared signs. A compromise was proposed, in which US 60 would split at Springfield, Missouri, into US 60E and US 60N, but both sides objected. The final solution resulted in the assignment of US 66 to the Chicago-Los Angeles portion of the US highway, which did not end in zero, but was still seen as a satisfyingly round number. Route 66 came to have a prominent place in popular culture, being featured in song and films.

With 32 states already marking their routes, the plan was approved by AASHO on November 11, 1926. This plan included a number of directionally split routes, several discontinuous routes (including US 6, US 19 and US 50), and some termini at state lines. By the time the first route log was published in April 1927, major numbering changes had been made in Pennsylvania in order to align the routes to the existing auto trails. In addition, U.S. Route 15 had been extended across Virginia.

Much of the early criticism of the U.S. Highway System focused on the choice of numbers to designate the highways, rather than names. Some thought a numbered highway system to be cold compared to the more colorful names and historic value of the auto trail systems. The New York Times wrote, "The traveler may shed tears as he drives the Lincoln Highway or dream dreams as he speeds over the Jefferson Highway, but how can he get a 'kick' out of 46, 55 or 33 or 21?" (A popular song later promised, "Get your kicks on Route 66!") The writer Ernest McGaffey was quoted as saying, "Logarithms will take the place of legends, and 'hokum' for history."

Expansion and adjustment, 1926–1956

This sign, photographed in 1941 on US 99 between Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, illustrates one rationale for a federal highway system: national defense.

When the U.S. numbered system was started in 1925, a few optional routings were established which were designated with a suffixed letter after the number indicating "north", "south", "east", or "west". While a few roads in the system are still numbered in this manner, AASHO believes that they should be eliminated wherever possible, by the absorption of one of the optional routes into another route.

In 1934, AASHO tried to eliminate many of the split routes by removing them from the log, and designating one of each pair as a three-digit or alternate route, or in one case US 37. AASHO described its renumbering concept in the October 1934 issue of American Highways:

"Wherever an alternate route is not suitable for its own unique two-digit designation, standard procedure assigns the unqualified number to the older or shorter route, while the other route uses the same number marked by a standard strip above its shield carrying the word 'Alternate'."

Most states adhere to this approach. However, some maintain legacy routes that violate the rules in various ways. Examples can be found in California, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oregon, and Tennessee. In 1952, AASHO permanently recognized the splits in US 11, US 19, US 25, US 31, US 45, US 49, US 73, and US 99.

For the most part, the U.S. Routes were the primary means of inter-city vehicle travel; the main exceptions were toll roads such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike and parkway routes such as the Merritt Parkway. Many of the first high-speed roads were U.S. Highways: the Gulf Freeway carried US 75, the Pasadena Freeway carried US 66, and the Pulaski Skyway carries US 1 and US 9.

Interstate era, 1956–present

1961 version of the U.S. Route shield

The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 appropriated funding for the Interstate Highway System, to construct a vast network of freeways across the country. By 1957, AASHO had decided to assign a new grid to the new routes, to be numbered in the opposite directions as the U.S. Highway grid. Though the Interstate numbers were to supplement—rather than replace—the U.S. Route numbers, in many cases (especially in the West) the US highways were rerouted along the new Interstates. Major decommissioning of former routes began with California's highway renumbering in 1964. The 1985 removal of US 66 is often seen as the end of an era of US highways.

A few major connections not served by Interstate Highways include US 6 from Hartford, Connecticut, to Providence, Rhode Island and US 93 from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, though the latter is planned to be upgraded to Interstate 11. Three state capitals in the contiguous U.S. are served only by U.S. Routes: Dover, Delaware; Jefferson City, Missouri; and Pierre, South Dakota.

In 1995, the National Highway System was defined to include both the Interstate Highway System and other roads designated as important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.

AASHTO is in the process of eliminating all intrastate U.S. Highways less than 300 miles (480 km) in length "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials can reach agreement with reference thereto". New additions to the system must serve more than one state and "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards". A version of this policy has been in place since 1937.

The 1925 routes

The original major transcontinental routes in 1925, along with the auto trails which they roughly replaced, were as follows:

US 10, US 60, and US 90 only ran about two thirds of the way across the country, while US 11 and US 60 ran significantly diagonally. US 60's violation of two of the conventions would prove to be one of the major sticking points; US 60 eventually was designated as US 66 in 1926, and later it became a part of popular culture. US 101 continues east and then south to end at Olympia, Washington. The western terminus of US 2 is now at Everett, Washington.

See also

Notes

  1. The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) was renamed the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on November 11, 1973.
  2. As of 1989.
  3. The Interstate Highway System also assigns even numbers to east–west highways and odd numbers to north–south highways. It uses different origins, with the lowest numbers in the south and west. That system also skips some numbers so that generally speaking, a state would not have highways in both systems with the same number.
  4. These three-digit spur routes are not to be confused with special routes signposted as "SPUR", such as US 95 Spur.
  5. Exceptions to this rule do occur.
  6. For example, compare the following for an alternate route in Ohio:

References

  1. ^ Weingroff, Richard F. (April 7, 2011). "From Names to Numbers: The Origins of the US Numbered Highway System". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  2. Federal Highway Administration (December 4, 2012). "November 13". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  3. ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (1989). United States Numbered Highways (PDF) (5th ed.). American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. p. iv. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 1, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  4. ^ American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (January 2000). "Establishment of a Marking System of the Routes Comprising the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways" (PDF). AASHTO Transportation Policy Book. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 1, 2006. Retrieved January 23, 2008.
  5. Federal Highway Administration (n.d.). "Interstate FAQ". Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2009. Proposed I-41 in Wisconsin and partly completed I-74 in North Carolina respectively are possible and current exceptions not adhering to the guideline. It is not known if the U.S. Highways with the same numbers will be retained in the states upon completion of the Interstate routes.
  6. Rand McNally (2013). The Road Atlas: United States, Canada & Mexico (Map) (2013 Walmart ed.). Chicago: Rand McNally. p. 32, § A9; p. 83, §§ D15, D19; p. 92, § J8. ISBN 0-528-00626-6.
  7. "Ask the Rambler: What Is The Longest Road in the United States?". Federal Highway Administration. April 7, 2011. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  8. ^ McNichol, Dan (2006). The Roads that Built America: The Incredible Story of the US Interstate System. New York: Sterling Publishing. p. 71. ISBN 1-4027-3468-9.
  9. "An Application From the State Highway Department of Texas For the Establishment of a U.S. Route (U.S. 57)". American Association of State Highway Officials. September 15, 1970. pp. 2–3. Retrieved March 14, 2023 – via AASHTO Route Numbering Archive.
  10. ^ Rand McNally (2009). The Road Atlas and Travel Guide (Map). Scale not given. Chicago: Rand McNally. ISBN 978-0-528-94209-9.
  11. ^ Joint Board on Interstate Highways (1925). Report of Joint Board on Interstate Highways, October 30, 1925, Approved by the Secretary of Agriculture, November 18, 1925 (Report). Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture. OCLC 733875457, 55123355, 71026428. Retrieved November 14, 2017 – via Wikisource.
  12. ^ Esso & General Drafting (1966). United States Featuring the Interstate Highway System (Map). . Convent Station, NJ: General Drafting. OCLC 749860157.
  13. ^ Federal Highway Administration (2009). Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (2009 ed.). Washington, D.C.: Federal Highway Administration. ISBN 9781615835171. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  14. American Association of State Highway Officials; Bureau of Public Roads (1961). Manual for Signing and Pavement for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (1961 ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Association of State Highway Officials. OCLC 43890586.
  15. ^ Weingroff, Richard F. (April 7, 2011). "US 11 Rouses Point, New York, to New Orleans, Louisiana". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  16. Delaware Department of Transportation (2006). "2006 Traffic Count and Mileage Report" (PDF). Delaware Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 18, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  17. Colorado Department of Transportation. "Segment Descriptions for Highway 006". Colorado Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  18. Duncan, Dayton; Burns, Ken (2003). Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip (1st ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf. p. ix. ISBN 0-375-41536-X.
  19. "Motor Sign Uniformity". The New York Times. April 16, 1922.
  20. McNichol (2006), p. 67.
  21. McNichol (2006), p. 121.
  22. ^ Bureau of Public Roads & American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: United States Geological Survey. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved November 7, 2013 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  23. Weingroff, Richard F. (April 7, 2011). "US 22: The William Penn Highway". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  24. "United States Numbered Highways". American Highways. American Association of State Highway Officials. April 1927. ISSN 0002-8746.
  25. McNichol (2006), p. 78.
  26. Feldstein, Dan (June 27, 1999). "A rare quiet interlude for area's first freeway/ Next major upgrade: Causeway in 2002". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
  27. Correspondence between the Division of Highways and American Association of State Highway Officials, transcribed at "State Route 66". California Highways. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  28. Rand McNally (1946). Road Atlas (Map). Scale not given. Chicago: Rand McNally. p. 42. New York and Vicinity inset. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
  29. "Route Renumbering: New Green Markers Will Replace Old Shields". California Highways and Public Works. 43 (3–4): 11–13. March–April 1964. ISSN 0008-1159. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  30. "New Signing Policy on U.S. Routes". California Highways and Public Works. 15 (10): 13, 28. October 1937. ISSN 0008-1159. Retrieved July 24, 2015 – via Archive.org.

Further reading

  • Ingram, Tammy (2014). Dixie Highway: Road Building and the Making of the Modern South, 1900–1930. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9781469615523.

External links

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