Boston Post Road
– This road was originally created in 1673 for the purpose of carrying mail from New York to Boston. The road was divided into three different routes, Upper Northern, Middle (the shortest), and Southern. Parts of the road later became Route 1 in Connecticut, the state’s busiest highway until the Merritt Parkway and I-95 were constructed in the mid-1900’s.
Route 66
– Route 66 is “The Main Street of America”. Established in 1926, Route 66 originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The route originally terminated in downtown Los Angeles and was later extended to Santa Monica. The route was a major migration path during the Dust Bowl of the 30’s. In the early 1950’s, Route 66 was used by east coast vacationers headed for sunshine in California. The growing traffic led to all manner of roadside attractions. In decline since the Interstate Highway Act of 1956, the road was officially decommissioned in 1985.
California 101
– Also established in 1926, this is the longest route in California stretching from Los Angeles to Washington. Between Los Angeles and San Francisco you will find intermittent sections of road and expressway and some cross streets, but no traffic lights until you reach San Francisco. It snakes through San Francisco and follows the Golden Gate Bridge and then follows the coast line the rest of the way north incorporating the Redwood Highway. The route originally extended through San Diego to the Mexican border, but this part was deleted in the late 1960’s in favor of I-5. Parts of Route S21 are unofficially signed “Historic Route 101”.
Overseas Highway (Route 1)
– U.S. Route 1 is a very long road with a rich history. One of the most interesting sections is the 127.5 mile (205.2 km) stretch between Miami and Key West. Large parts of the road were built over the former right-of-way of the Overseas Railroad, which was irreparably damaged in the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. The Seven Mile Bridge, the Bahia Honda Bridge and Long Key Bridge are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some are no longer open to traffic and are used as fishing piers now. The road received a much needed facelift in the 1980’s.
Broadway
– This wide Manhattan Avenue is the oldest north-south main thoroughfare in the city, dating back to the time when the settlement was known as New Amsterdam. The name is actually translated from the Dutch name, Breedeweg. Broadway has its origins in a Native American trail that snaked north through the island from New Amsterdam on the southern tip. In the late 1800’s, the road was widened, paved and extended to the bottom of Central Park. The road continued north under the name “The Boulevard” until the end of the century when the roads were combined under the name Broadway. The road now touches on famous New York City landmarks including Bowling Green, Columbus Circle, Times Square and of course the Theatre district that has made the avenue so famous.
Highway Report Card
Best Roads
- Texas
- Florida
- Tennessee
- Georgia , Ohio (tie)
- Nevada , Virginia (tie)
Best Highway
- I-75 Florida
- I-40 Tennessee
- I-10 Texas
Most Improved Highway
- I-40 Arkansas
- I-80 Pennsylvania
- I-30 Arkansas
Worst Roads
- Pennsy
- lvania
- Missouri
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- California
Worst Highway
- I-10 Louisiana
- I-44 Missouri
- I-95 New York
Worst Automobile Drivers
- California
- Illinois
- New York
American Roads
(According to Sherman’s Travel)
Best Scenic Drives
- Pacific Coast Highway (California)
- Old Spanish Trail (Louisiana)
- Blue Ridge Parkway (Smokey Mountain States)
- Red Rock Scenic Byway (Utah)
- Million Dollar Road (Colorado)
- Going-to-the-Sun Road (Montana)
- US 1 (New England)
- Seward Highway (Alaska)
- Sonoma Napa Valleys (California)
- Hana Highway (Hawaii)
- I-70 (Through the Rocky Mountains)
Longest Roads
- US 20 – 3633 miles
- The Midland Trail – 3517 miles
- Highway 50 – 3200 miles
- Route 66 – 2300 miles
Legendary Roads
- Route 66
- Sunset Boulevard
- Pennsylvania Avenue
- Mulberry Drive
- Broadway
- International Drive
- Rodeo Drive
General Road Facts
US Roadways – Odd numbers run North and South –even East to West.
Cobblestones – Cobble is a geological term used to describe a stone of a particular size, which is approximately two and a half to ten inches.
Local, federal and state agencies spent $66.3 Billion on U.S. highways in 2005.
There are an estimated 32,000,000 potholes on the roads at any given time.
Best and Worst Ride
The smoothest and worst road surfaces near you!
We want to create of list of the smoothest and best maintained roads in America… and the worst roads (potholes!)! Please nominate the best and worst roads near you or better yet take a picture of pothole ridden road and e-mail it to us.
