Well, when it comes to "loneliest", I think traffic counts ought to be considered, as well as the length without services. I think a good candidate for that would be I-70 in Utah, where you're 100 miles between services, though not exits.
I've driven I-70 through Utah, and I second this. There are technically exists ... to ranch roads. Oh, you wanted SERVICES? Hope you can hold out another 70 miles. On that trip about halfway between Green River and Salina one of us said something like "I'm sorry, I must have missed it when we took the exit for MARS."
Yeah, I think he’s off a bit here. But it seems he’s talking about purely controlled access 4 lane highways. 70 heading west out of Grand Junction is definitely a good one. Rt 50 in Nevada has some insane stretches. I think it’s 60 miles between Middlegate and Austin NV with nothing. 191 south out of Rock Springs WY? Eastern Oregon, Montana, Eastern Colorado, I’ve been all over the west and nothing in the east comes close to the kind of desolation you have out there.
I've driven this stretch many many times while there are no services with the landscape so breathtaking there it goes by very quickly. Unless it's at night 😆
That stretch of I-80 in Utah is dead straight and flat. I had the Garman going and we dropped 8' in 40 miles! Also they have warning signs to just pull off the road if you get tired. They mean just pull off anywhere. It's a mesmerizing stretch.
It's my favorite stretch of 80. I've been back and forth across country at least a dozen times now. Mostly 80. That stretch through the salt flats is absolutely God's gift to top speed checks.
@ajteer It's been about a dozen years since I've been through Salt Lake city, but I remember going by a landfill, it was 13 miles long, it was on the western side just as you left heading to California.
A bit misleading here. I appreciate the effort, but an exit without any services is pretty much useless. I'm thinking specifically about i70 Green River Utah headed west. Its literally over 100 miles of nothing. Not even a gas pump, rest area, or building in sight.
Even though it's not a freeway, the Dalton highway in Alaska is extremely long with almost no services for large sections, and is 414-miles of mostly gravel and dirt. Though, that would raise a few cans of worms if that highway was included.
This was all interstates. You will get bigger numbers if you include state freeways, and especially state highways. You include the latter and Alaska dominates the top spots.
The title of this video does not state it has to be a freeway or interstate. It says 14 loneliest highways. The creator of this video didn't t really do their homework....
Basically anywhere in southern Nevada are the loneliest roads I’ve ever driven and some of them have extremely long stretches between services. In addition to no road service, a lot of those stretches don’t even have cell service, which makes it extra lonely. The salt flats stretch in Utah is certainly “lonely” too but in my opinion it’s beautiful.
Have you tried northern Nevada? It's a beautiful wasteland dotted with a few small towns across the interstate highway. Probably like southern Nevada, but with even more road distance!
I've traveling across the country several times by motorcycle. I would say that Nevada has the loneliness roads, with Utah close behind. Living in the east, the lonely stretches here are mild compared to the west.
6:31 Exits 2 and 3 are the old exit numbers for the Mass Pike, Massachussetts converted to mileage-based exit numbering in 2020-2021 and they’re now exits 10 and 41.
There's a stretch of US 50 between Ely, NV and Hinkley, UT that runs for 147 miles without fuel or any kind of auto service. However, there is a bar and grill about 26 miles SE of Ely at a dusty crossroads called Majors Place. Aside from that, nada.
I’ve made the trip between Miami and Tallahassee several times. You kinda get used to that, but I’ve never gotten over how awful Ocala traffic is, especially for such a small city
There is a stretch on I-80 in Lexington Neb. That’s goes to 76 that takes you to Denver. If you don’t get gas in Lexington, you are screwed. Nothing on 76 for atleast 2 hours
I broke down one time in September 2022 on the Mass Pike between Lee and Westfield. Transfer case went in my truck. Travel trailer in tow. 2 AM. Wife and dog with me. Took over three hours to get a tow truck to us. Dog got a tick walking the 30 feet from the pickup to the tow truck cab. Not a fun night for either of us. At least Harold (the tow truck operator) was friendly. The bill was almost $1000 to get us to Westfield.
Blend of FHP being horrifically underfunded for a state-wide LEO agency, but also that, beyond people just driving straight through, there's quite literally fuck-all out there lol
@@JL-sm6cg you would think - but between operating in the red year over year because the Florida Legislature will not approve a bill raising funding rates for the agency, a $13 million USD rate allocation that the agency refuses to explain just disappearing from their balance sheets, raise freezes, paying less than a typical county sheriff's department does, and having just shy of 150 vacancies of patrol officers while under a hiring freeze, life ain't great at the FHP
I just came here to make sure you got Florida Turnpike at #1 and #2. I have driven past FHP in the median at 92mph and waved out my window and received a wave back. Evidently he was waiting for someone to go faster than that.
New Hampshire's Kancamagus Highway, called "The Kanc," is 34.5 miles long with a sign near each end saying "No services next thirty miles." It does have spectacular views.
Great video, as always. Did want to make you aware of the access roads on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Those access roads are NOT for the general public. They are gated and you must have an electronic pass in order to travel through these areas. These access roads are generally used by the State Police and the Turnpike Maintenance vehicles.
@mattschehr163 Unless you have an electronic pass, the gate will NOT open and you can't get through. Also, if not authorized you can get into trouble if you sneak by when someone else uses the gate. When I was working with the Turnpike a couple of years ago they were adamant about proper use of the gate passes. The Pennsylvania Turnpike has spent lots of money over the years to make sure you pay the tolls. I believe it's now the most expensive per mile in the country.
I have a delivery route in the Joplin area for a Tulsa-based warehouse. I drive along the Will Rogers turnpike daily. You're absolutely correct. You can bypass the Turnpike, but you'll be adding at LEAST 30 minutes, not even taking into account that there is usually a bunch of construction on the "Old Route 66."
i love these videos... FYI, the Masspike exits between westfield and Lee is exits 10 and 41 (which reflects the 30 mile distance). . . and there IS a service center on each side of the freeway with gas and food. . . it sounded like you said there was nothing in between the exits.
@@creepersword1677 there’s Service Plazas on both sides in Blandford IIRC, which is about the halfway point between Lee and Westfield. It’s been years since I’ve driven west of Westfield on the Pike.
What you showed on the PA Turnpike as "exits" aren't really exits. The access roads are gated off and are meant for maintenance and first responders only. If you're caught exiting here, you'll pay a hefty fine. If you enter at one of these and exit at a real exit, your toll will be the highest possible toll from that exit. And, to add insult to injury, the Northeast Extension counts in that toll.
Also on I-76 between Blue Mountain and Carlisle is a major part of Turnpike history as the 11 mile straightaway that created the term highway hypnosis where drivers can fall asleep behind the wheel if they do the speed limit or under and it stops when they go through Blue Mountain Tunnel. The Allegheny Mountain Tunnel was the 1st Tunnel of the Turnpike to be twined in the 1960s when they invested $100 million to deal with 5 mile congestion at the 7 tunnels.
Side note, the Carlisle to Blue Mountain portion of the PA Turnpike is that way as it utilizes the right of way of the stillborn South Penn Railroad. The Eastbound tunnels were formerly dug for the railroad and widened and finished for the turnpike.
@@ConrailHistorical I knew it but didn't want to spoil it to the public because you never know what Mike may do in the future if this gets a whole video sometime soon and other side note I went to the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels 3 times but I don't like to spoil it until a video is already up.
@@tomasmowery164Not entirely. There are more than a few spots where the old South Penn route diverges from the Turnpike. Looking on Google Maps terrain view shows a lot of sections of graded route swinging away from the highway. The reason for this is that 20th Century automobiles can handle steeper grades than 19th Century freight trains, so the railroad took some less-direct routes to try to minimize the grade. Even then, though, it would have been a serious mountain operation-grades of less than 1% have always been generally preferred for freight trains, but the South Penn was planning sections above 2%!
There's a gas station on I-80 28 miles west of Lake Point in Delle and the next gas station is off of exit 2 at the Bonneville Salt Flats exit just before West Wendover, just some fyi
Massachusetts switched to mileage-based exit numbers a few years back. Lee is exit 10 now and Westfield is exit 41. There are service areas in Blandford, at MM 29 (and just west of this stretch in Lee at MM 8): before all the service areas on the Pike were renovated in the early 2000s, the WB Blandford and EB Lee service areas had restaurants while the EB Blandford and WB Lee areas were just gas stations (not even a convenience store). With the renovation, the previously gas-only locations have each had a McDonalds and a convenience store added, though the other two have a choice of restaurants.
I was going to say something about the same stretch. I loved seeing that sign that said "NEXT SERVICES ON I-70 110 miles" despite the several ranch exits along the way. Someone passed me there doing about 105 mph, so I decided to settle in about a half mile behind them and keep a very close eye on the rearview mirror. I followed them all the way to Vegas. We both got gas in St. George. Rolled into Vegas 4 hours and 16 minutes after leaving Green River.
I used to be a dispatcher for a roadside service company for RV breakdowns and we worked with Allstate's Good Sam RV roadside. Our company would get the calls that Allstate refused to dispatch because they were money losers, so basically i knew a lot of these long stretch no exit areas. I got a LOT of Yeehaw Junction, FL dispatches and i got to hear a lot of angry people when the nearest provider would take hours to get there. The worst dispatch was a couple stuck near Death Valley at 2am, they were driving at night to avoid the heat of the day and they broke down. I had one provider that would go out, but wanted a fortune and i got screamed at again. After working these calls, i vowed NEVER to own a RV.
@@lisapolanski9379 My parents drove through Death Valley during the 1960's in the family station wagon. Why is it hard to believe? Death Valley Summer day time temps are absolutely blistering.
@wildbikerbill6530 did route 66 go through Death Valley? My parents also drove out to California in the early 60s on Route 66. But there were many motels and gas stations along the way. There's nothing in Death Valley.
@@lisapolanski9379 I don't believe so. Route 66's claim to fame was being a pre Interstate route from Chicago to L.A. Death Valley would definitely be off the beaten path. Also, in that time frame I was ~6 years old and my parents game plan was for the kids to be sleeping while they drove through. So my memories of the drive are sketchy, to say the least. My memories of the trip are mostly from decades later reviewing images of the trip.
As an alternative to driving across Alligator Alley, last year I drove across southern Florida from Ft Myers East on 80 to 27 to 98/441 to West Palm Beach. It was basically like driving on one highway straight across even though the numbers changed. Didn't pass much along the way but there were signs of life and small towns, and cane fields. Still, make sure you have a full gas tank.
SR 80 around the south side of Lake Okeechobee would be a much nicer drive if there were bypasses around Clewiston and the Pahokee / South Bay area. The speed limit through both drops down to 35 mph for several miles - maybe even a 25 mph zone for a short part?
@@lisapolanski9379 Comment is a little “tongue in cheek”; it’s a poor agricultural community, sure, but really mostly safe, and some great Mexican food too!
6:31 I-90 in Massachusetts (Massachusetts Turnpike) now has mile-based exits. The exits referenced here are now Exit 10 in Lee and Exit 41 in Westfield. At 7:08 you mention that there are no services on this stretch of turnpike. There are services on both sides, not connected to each other, in Blandford.
That stretch also includes the Appalachian Trail crossing and the highest elevation on I-90 until South Dakota. Not to mention it's the stretch being driven by Will at the end of Good Will Hunting.
As a south Floridian, that drive up to Orlando on the turnpike is for sure long as hell with only alligator alley as your exit. Wanted to make sure it was on here lol
The two longest stretches I’ve traveled are I-80 along northern Pennsylvania, which somewhat parallels the Pa. Turnpike, and I-10 from Phoenix to Los Angeles. Both had long isolated drives. Great video, btw. It made me want to get back out there and do some traveling!
Great video Mike, You are one of my favorite channels on this site! Also I just wanted to point of that the local pronunciation for Salina is Suh-ly-nuh and Osage City is pronounced O-say-J.
A few years ago, MassDOT was considering building a new interchange somewhere along the Mass Pike in that 30 mile gap. There haven't been any updates or plans drafted since the study ended in 2020, but the most likely place they might put one is near an existing maintenance facility in Blandford, around the 14 mile marker.
There is a stretch of I 90 in Wisconsin from Tomah/ Sparta to Onalaska that's 30 something miles no exits as you go thru Fort McCoy, an Army base used mostly for winter training. 13:31
I-69 from US-231 near Crane Navy Base to Fullerton Pike in Bloomington, Indiana is about 27 miles without any services at all. It is one lonely drive at night.
Yep! We drive to Indy coming up from Owensboro. We can believe how stupid the local are wanting to fight the Mid Continent Highway around Jasper and Huntingsburg as well adversity impacting Naval Weapons Stations Readiness.
Back in the 1960's, Indiana delayed the completion of I-94 west of the Michigan line for years. Westbound traffic from Michigan had to exit onto a 2-lane state highway to go south to the Indiana Toll Road. Indiana didn't want to lose the toll revenue to a free I-94 from Michigan to Illinois.
Another mention from the Indiana Toll Road (I-80/90): the stretch from Exit 49 (IN 39- La Porte) to Exit 72 (US 31- South Bend/Niles/Plymouth) is also 23 miles, and it also comes with a service plaza in between those exits! Florida's maximum speed limit is 70 mph (not 75 mph), by the way.
I-95 has several stretches of 75 mph along it between Port St. Lucie and Titusville, I commute that every weekend for work. What the hell are you smoking, state maximum of 70? We had one of those previously, but it was repealed in the early 90s and has been off the books for aroundabouts 30 years now
I-90 in Wyoming between Buffalo and Gillette is about 70 miles of nothingness…. Yes there were a few exits that were dirt roads that was not going to anything. There was at least one small rest area with a bathroom and picnic area. This was a definitely a get out and stretch and get gas before hitting that road section of my trip. This was the longest desolate area I personally have ever driven.
Probably didn’t make the cut with the metric being just exits and not services in general. Montana and the Dakotas have a ton of interstate exits that just dump you out onto an equally desolate gravel county road.
Honestly the Florida turnpike doesn’t surprise me none. As a Florida resident, I can confidently agree that traveling between Orlando and Miami on the turnpike just sucks.
Another longtime Florida resident here. I completely agree the section between Fort Pierce and Kissimmee sucks, especially if there's holiday traffic or an accident. They can't six-lane the rest of the Florida Turnpike soon enough! For a long time I have taken I-95 and I-10 via Jacksonville if I'm going to Atlanta or Tallahassee from South Florida, but the traffic on I-95 in Brevard and Jax-Daytona is getting so bad all the time I'm more inclined to take the Turnpike now, if I can hit it at the right time of day.
I had to look up the term, "control city". (Loosely, 'town worthy of an exit sign'.) Being fairly well read and somewhat well traveled, it's not every day I learn a new word or term. Thanks, Mike.
1:17 clicked on expecting western states with big exit distances but classic Indiana Toll Road! Another note is that the exit for LaPorte is the last exit for 23 miles until you hit South Bend. Granted, you have a similar service stop situation but having driven the toll road for years, I appreciate the lack of exits cause it allows traffic to flow great. They have them where they need them and it works
technically Northbound and Southbound as I-75 is an odd numbered interstate that goes north to south even though it goes east/west through the Everglades.
Prior to being part of I75, Alligator Alley was SR 84 all the way across,so East West was correct. Even then, the intersections with SR 29 and US 27 existed, though I don't know if there were any services near the alley at those points back then.
Broward County Road 833 is Snake Road. Micosukee reservation. State Road 84 was the original Alligator Alley. I've taken H.E. Bailey before it was signed I-44. I prefer driving US 62 because there were places to stop, like Chikasha and Anadarko. I've taken I-90 mass pike from I-91 to New York state line (then took the NYS Thruway). Not much to see. Gets hilly when you approach the Berkshires. Florida State Road 29 (not 28) takes you to Immokalee (North) and to Everglades City (South) deep in the Everglades. So true about the Turnpike between Fort Pierce and Kissimmee / St. Cloud. Still a 4-lane highway. They are planning on adding additional lanes but may be years. Mike, I remember you driving through Palm Beach County on the Turnpike and they are doing roadwork, which might be resurfacing. The only improvements lately, besides resurfacing, are in the northern part between I-75 / SR 44 and Clermont SR 50
Honestly the loneliest stretch of 8nterstate in my opinion is, I-84 between Scranton PA and Port Jervis NY. It is so lonely it’s almost creepy. Same with US-209 between Stroudsburg PA and Milford PA
I’m very surprised to see that I’ve driven a number of these. I’ve driven the entirety of the PA turnpike, I’ve driven the stretch of 80/90 in Indiana, and I’ve also driven the longer of the two stretches of the Florida Turnpike! Awesome video!
@@stonehenge55 US Highway 41 also goes across the Everglades from Naples to Miami further south of Alligator Alley as a 2 lane road. I bet there are plenty of stories that highway could tell from over the years.
Now there might be exits. But as for services the longest stretch of road without services is I 70 between Salina Utah and Green River Utah at 108 miles!
Honorable mention for CO 94 from Aroya to Colorado Springs. No services or really any towns for that matter for 70 miles. The middle section is absolutely lonely. No powerlines or fences follow the road for a bit, and theres no houses off the side either. Just you, the almost stright line road, and Pikes Peak off in the distance.
I found I-90 in South Dakota to be quite low on exits. Between Rapid City to Sioux Falls. Especially around the Bad Lands and near the Wounded Knee exit.
Yes, I agree with you on that section of I-90. We did a family road trip from Pennsylvania to Seattle and South Dakota very lonely. We did find the 1880 ghost town where Dances With Wolves was filmed
11:11 Classic Italian sports car out in the 110 degree heat, drove past the "no exit for 40 miles" sign and didn't even flinch. This driver fears nothing. 🙏
I spotted that. I figure he was thinking the road may be empty and he might be able to "flatfoot" his ride a little bit. The DeTomasso Pantera used Ford 351 Cleveland or Windsor engines (occasionally the 302 was used). Those engines are generally pretty reliable and not as finicky as pure "nice but high maintenance" Italian stuff.
WYO 191 Pinedale WY to Rock Springs WY Approx 100 miles. From September to May , you can travel this road and see , maybe , 3-4 other cars. I traveled at night and didnt see a single vehicle. One "town" , Farson, with one gas station with limited hours. Extreme winds , snow, hail , extreme sunshine... Its a challenge.
I-80 through Wyoming does have limited services between Cheyenne and Evanston, but the stretch of road itself has very long stretches that feel especially lonesome.
In the case of Massachusetts, there have been attempts to build an exit somewhere in this stretch. Becket, where US 20 and MA 8 go under the turnpike, and at a local road near the rest areas in Blandford or Otis have been mentioned. Local opposition for an exit in all locations is the reason for the long stretch between exits.
I-80 between Fernley and US 95 south is about 35 miles without a useful exit. In Wyoming, I-90 between Gillette and Buffalo has over 60 miles without a useful exit.
I think that I70 across the San Rafael Swell between Salina and Green River, UT at least deserves an honorable mention as it’s the longest stretch between exits with no services. Sure there’s a few exits and rest areas, but no gas stations for over 100 miles.
Semper Fi, Mike! My "20" in the Corps was in communications and IT/data, so I spent time in 29 Stumps for a half-dozen different courses along the way ... /s/ USMC (Retired)
I've driven that stretch of the Pike many times in the last 10 years. It always feels the loneliest and most foreboding during the winter. Driving it in December once it gave me the chance for some introspection.
2:06 I've never heard my hometown of Chambersburg pronounced like that lol. It's basically Chamber's burg, Chamber like the chamber of a gun or a private room.
Mike, the section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike I76/I70, between Exits 110 & 146 that you mentioned, only has the service plazas to stop at. The other locations you showed as exit areas are locked service gates. These are for maintenance crews and emergency services to use to access the highway. Customers can't exit through these gates.
It doesn't matter where you are in Florida (with the exception of I-10 from Tallahassee to I-75), it is a speed suggestion and not a limit. I-75 aka the Florida International Motor Speedway see people easily doing 100mph. I've been going 80 and got passed numerous times by people clearly at or near 100. FWIW, no stretches on I-10 with long distances between interchanges? I kinda remember 50 mile stretched between El Paso and San Antonio.
It's pretty cool I've driven the 3rd and 4th longest stretches this year. I was driving on the Penn Turnpike for the first time and was like "wow there sure is a long time between exits!" Come to find out that's truly the case. Then I knew the stretch in Utah was for a while, but at least it went by quickly due to the high speed limit.
The FL Turnpike is like that but I love the service centers once you get to them. I remember I made a mistake driving home to Miami but went north towards Orlando. Had to get off at Yeehaw Junction and took a while to get back to the southbound entrance ramp. Glad it was in the daytime because it’s literally nothing out there.
try driving the ALCAN highway - I drove it in the winter of '86. I was driving along and in the distance I saw a gas station - when I got to it - there was a sign "Closed for the winter"!
Not sure if you've ever driven on this road but you should consider making a video on I-87 in New York. Specifically the section north of Albany cuts through the Adirondack Mountains, probably the most beautiful highway driving I have ever experienced. Love the videos!
In the late 80s, I drove from Albuquerque to Texas and I would think there were longer stretches without exits, but that was so long ago I might be wrong. I think some roads in Australie might be longer than in the US.
We were traveling to Key West fourteen years ago and trying to decide whether we should stop in Kissimmee or press on a little further down the turnpike. I saw that big gap and said something like, "It's another 50 miles to the next exit and that's just Yeehaw Junction. I doubt there is much there." We stopped for the night and the next day when we took off, my kids were surprised to see the sign for Yeehaw Junction. They thought I made it up.
If you have ever driven on the I-70 westbound out of Grand Junction all to way to where it merges with the I-15, I think it is a really good candidate for the loneliest road. Really only pass one maybe two towns the entire way, you go hours without any services and there are some exits, but most of them just lead to some small dirt road, nothing of any significance. There are also very few cars driving through. Its an interesting route to drive on, very beautiful but also very lonely.
I drove US-26 from Ontario, Oregon to Government Camp in June; empty doesn't begin to describe this road. We drove for almost 2 hours without seeing another car.
My addition to this list is I-80 west of Lincoln, Nebraska. There are many exits with nothing nearby. In many cases you can find a small town just north along Rt 30. If you want to make time by staying on I-80, you will want to plan your gas stops. There are some peaceful rest stops but they have only restrooms and vending machines. Being easterners, my wife and I were quite surprised by the emptiness of this major highway. (Much worse than the Indiana section mentioned in the video). If there are two adults in a compact car, no problem. Otherwise, plan.
Massachusetts has since converted to distance based exits, so it's now between exits 10 and 41. However, the trip through the Berkshires, including that long hill outside of Westfield, remain the same. One little mistake though is that there is most definitely a service plaza along the way, which is at the top of the aforementioned hill (westbound side adds a hill lane which ends at the plaza).
12:10 The official speed limit is 70 mph in Florida. That's the top highway speed in all of Florida. 12:26 can see the 70 mph limit sign as you pass it.
Was not expecting the Florida’s Turnpike between FL70 and US192 to be number 1 & 2. Thought somewhere out west would be at the top of the list. -Lifelong Cocoa, FL resident who has never been on the Florida’s Turnpike between FL70 and US192.
There may have been exits, but I can remember the drive on US-24/US-35N/Hoosier Heartland Highway to feel especially long when I used to drive from one of my former employers to Subaru of Indiana Automotive in Lafayette. In addition, although I can't remember the road way, I felt that drive on the way to Mammoth Lake, California felt especially desolate until you reached Inyo County and Mount Whitney.
There are many exits, but more in the form of direct turn offs, and roads. That is officially not limited access, and bercaus of that, there are MANY areas of quick access just off the roadway.
May not be as long. But I8 in Arizona from i10 junction to Yuma is pretty lonely and dangerous in summer with 115 degree weather and from El Centro to San Diego is no slouch either.
Passing the sand dunes on I-8 with people riding up and down the dunes is a very strange sight too, especially after dark when those dune buggy people are still out there with lights.
Route 101 on the Olympic Peninsula Washington state runs up both east and west sides and should have been #1 or 2 because the west side is the most remote section of highway in the lower 48, there are no east boud or west bound exits and only old logging and fire roads leading into the vast dense forest to the interior with the Pacific ocean to the west ,but there are remote places to pull over and go hiking and exploring the beautiful remote beaches or the deep forest
I would like to mention US-20 in Idaho just off Mountain Home and I84 to Fairfield, ID. It's 58.4 miles of scenery without a Gas Station or rest stop. And that's 58.4 miles to Fairfield. If you went further to the US-20/US-75 intersection, that is 82.3 miles of Scenic two-way highway. Edit: I guess it's technically called the 'Medal of Honor Hwy'
Section of highway 2 in New Brunswick, Canada between Moncton and Fredericton has a 49 km (30.5 miles) with no exit. Exit 365 Youngs Cove to exit 414 Havelock
8:48 There it is. I was still a truck driver at the time and got off headed the wrong direction when construction was going on near the PA turnpike. When I realized I had to go 71 miles round trip to head the correct direction, I was pissed.
Stretch of US-77 in Texas (now I-69E) between Raymondville and Sarita. Most has this stretch has now been converted to Freeway, and there are no service stations between Riviera (just north of Sarita) and Raymondville. Sarita is a small town, but with no services within it. The rest stop just south of Sarita is just a rest stop with picnic area and restrooms. This is a long stretch of about 49 miles without an official exit.
I25 between buffalo and Casper Wyoming, you barely see other people on the road in the daytime and don’t seem to see anyone else on the road at night, only 2 gas stations in between both in Kaycee which is a very small town, only large cattle and sheep ranches in between
We got nailed on the Mass pike by missing the exit in Lee and had to backtrack a considerable distance from the Westfield exit. You can’t bang a u-turn on a tolled highway! We’ve also driven that desolate section of Florida’s Turnpike, bought tickets for Disney at Yeehaw Junction back when that was a thing!
I drove 335 in March, years ago. It's basically that Lone Pra-rie the fella didn't want to be buried on, and I understand why. However that's at least partly deliberate: the state wanted people to see what the plains were like before anybody settled there and and what the settlers had to cross.
My sister lives about 10 miles from Howe IN. When visiting on 3 separate occasions I've managed run over a nail . Had get tires repaired in Sturgis Mi at the Walmart. Angola IN is twice the distance. Sturgis.
There used to be a sign on US77 @ Sarita, "Next gas 50 miles". There's a rest stop a few miles south, and a few unofficial exits/turnouts to access the King Ranch. The next official exit was where BusUS77 exited into Raymondville. The two gas stations at those ends are long gone... Gas is now a few miles more of a stretch @ the TX186 crossing in Raymondville, and coming into Rivera at the north end.
@@VinsonMusic That part of US 20 between Lee and Russell (I don't think it extends into Westfield) is called Jacob's Ladder. There are two towns that US 20 goes through that I-90 doesn't: Chester and Huntington. I once took a trip down the Skyline Trail from Peru to Huntington, going through Middlefield. The very steep drop with no warning of percentage grade scared the living daylights out of me! Never again.
Well, when it comes to "loneliest", I think traffic counts ought to be considered, as well as the length without services. I think a good candidate for that would be I-70 in Utah, where you're 100 miles between services, though not exits.
I've driven I-70 through Utah, and I second this. There are technically exists ... to ranch roads. Oh, you wanted SERVICES? Hope you can hold out another 70 miles. On that trip about halfway between Green River and Salina one of us said something like "I'm sorry, I must have missed it when we took the exit for MARS."
Yeah, I think he’s off a bit here. But it seems he’s talking about purely controlled access 4 lane highways. 70 heading west out of Grand Junction is definitely a good one. Rt 50 in Nevada has some insane stretches. I think it’s 60 miles between Middlegate and Austin NV with nothing. 191 south out of Rock Springs WY? Eastern Oregon, Montana, Eastern Colorado, I’ve been all over the west and nothing in the east comes close to the kind of desolation you have out there.
I would put I 70 into that same category too and I 40 and I 10 as well
US60 in New Mexico between Vaughn and Fort Sumner
I've driven this stretch many many times while there are no services with the landscape so breathtaking there it goes by very quickly. Unless it's at night 😆
That stretch of I-80 in Utah is dead straight and flat. I had the Garman going and we dropped 8' in 40 miles! Also they have warning signs to just pull off the road if you get tired. They mean just pull off anywhere. It's a mesmerizing stretch.
Yep, done that one myself from Reno to SLC. I thought I had left the planet with no traffic around me for HOURS.
It's my favorite stretch of 80. I've been back and forth across country at least a dozen times now. Mostly 80.
That stretch through the salt flats is absolutely God's gift to top speed checks.
@ajteer It's been about a dozen years since I've been through Salt Lake city, but I remember going by a landfill, it was 13 miles long, it was on the western side just as you left heading to California.
A bit misleading here. I appreciate the effort, but an exit without any services is pretty much useless. I'm thinking specifically about i70 Green River Utah headed west. Its literally over 100 miles of nothing. Not even a gas pump, rest area, or building in sight.
There's a rest area at the top of the ridge going across
Not if you listen to the criteria.
I-70 between Den & UT
@stephentthomas it's listed as a rest area is why I said that
Corrected my first comment
@UHaulShorts you're completely missing GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO and other towns between Denver and Utah...
Even though it's not a freeway, the Dalton highway in Alaska is extremely long with almost no services for large sections, and is 414-miles of mostly gravel and dirt. Though, that would raise a few cans of worms if that highway was included.
Id love to see a non-freeway version of this to get some of the real frontier roads included.
The last time I was on the Dalton Highway, there was signage: "Speed limit 45 next 416 miles."
This was all interstates. You will get bigger numbers if you include state freeways, and especially state highways. You include the latter and Alaska dominates the top spots.
The title of this video does not state it has to be a freeway or interstate. It says 14 loneliest highways. The creator of this video didn't t really do their homework....
Basically anywhere in southern Nevada are the loneliest roads I’ve ever driven and some of them have extremely long stretches between services. In addition to no road service, a lot of those stretches don’t even have cell service, which makes it extra lonely. The salt flats stretch in Utah is certainly “lonely” too but in my opinion it’s beautiful.
Have you tried northern Nevada? It's a beautiful wasteland dotted with a few small towns across the interstate highway. Probably like southern Nevada, but with even more road distance!
That just sounds like any Australian road.
I've traveling across the country several times by motorcycle. I would say that Nevada has the loneliness roads, with Utah close behind. Living in the east, the lonely stretches here are mild compared to the west.
All those “unofficial exits” along the PA turnpike have gates across them. They’re for emergency access only.
Mass Pike has those, also.
Most highways have em, their ment for police and fire use to get to scenes quickly
Not surprised about the PA turnpike as I live near Philadelphia, my sister’s in Pittsburgh and family in WilkesBarre😳
@@firedogman2280 yeah, allows the local services to respond versus coming all the way up from the exit and being way out of "jurisdiction".
@@christinehallet6472 That's funny because my brother lives near Philly, I live near Pgh, and my sister lives near W-B.
6:31 Exits 2 and 3 are the old exit numbers for the Mass Pike, Massachussetts converted to mileage-based exit numbering in 2020-2021 and they’re now exits 10 and 41.
There is also a rest stop between them.
Mass pike: isn’t there a service plaza in the middle of that stretch?
@@hkbirkeyes. Stopped there yesterday.
Around here we call it the Achussetts Turn
31 miles of trees and nature quite lonely
There's a stretch of US 50 between Ely, NV and Hinkley, UT that runs for 147 miles without fuel or any kind of auto service. However, there is a bar and grill about 26 miles SE of Ely at a dusty crossroads called Majors Place. Aside from that, nada.
Theres actually fuel on the state line at a casino there, the no fuel stretch is actually just about 80 miles from Delta to the state line
Yes indeed, we have driven this highway across Nevada. To us, it is the loneliest desolate highway in America, bar none.
Warden already said it, but there's gas/food/lodging at the Border Inn Casino before you cross into Utah.
@@J3scribe yes you are correct. But he is talking interstates. Not highways
@@carnakthemagnificent336 did the boarder inn get gas? The last time I was there all they had was bar, casino and an awesome hamburger!
In 1990, I drove your number-one stretch of highway at night with a bad alternator. I've never been so lonely behind the wheel.
Yikes. And that's without cell phones to call for help given how long ago it was.
I’ve made the trip between Miami and Tallahassee several times. You kinda get used to that, but I’ve never gotten over how awful Ocala traffic is, especially for such a small city
Glad to see you made it
There is a stretch on I-80 in Lexington Neb. That’s goes to 76 that takes you to Denver. If you don’t get gas in Lexington, you are screwed. Nothing on 76 for atleast 2 hours
I broke down one time in September 2022 on the Mass Pike between Lee and Westfield. Transfer case went in my truck. Travel trailer in tow. 2 AM. Wife and dog with me. Took over three hours to get a tow truck to us. Dog got a tick walking the 30 feet from the pickup to the tow truck cab. Not a fun night for either of us. At least Harold (the tow truck operator) was friendly. The bill was almost $1000 to get us to Westfield.
AAA membership would have greatly helped!
@@leechjim8023 AAA doesn't work for commercial vehicles lol
😮damn,but it's a great drive in the fall for leaf 🍃 peeping 😊
@@leechjim8023still would have waited 3 hours
I broke down on the yeehaw junction area. FHP came up to me and said he was the only trooper doing 4 counties pretty crazy
Blend of FHP being horrifically underfunded for a state-wide LEO agency, but also that, beyond people just driving straight through, there's quite literally fuck-all out there lol
Florida Highway Patrol's Troop K, designated for only the Florida Turnpike.
@Director_Orson_Krennic how is the FHP underfunded? I thought Florida loved their police forces?
@@JL-sm6cg you would think - but between operating in the red year over year because the Florida Legislature will not approve a bill raising funding rates for the agency, a $13 million USD rate allocation that the agency refuses to explain just disappearing from their balance sheets, raise freezes, paying less than a typical county sheriff's department does, and having just shy of 150 vacancies of patrol officers while under a hiring freeze, life ain't great at the FHP
@@Director_Orson_Krennic But desantis can send them to guard the Texas border?
I just came here to make sure you got Florida Turnpike at #1 and #2.
I have driven past FHP in the median at 92mph and waved out my window and received a wave back. Evidently he was waiting for someone to go faster than that.
He was just happy because he wasn't responding to an accident caused by freaking tourists.
The Dalton Highway in Alaska is 419 miles long. Gas can only be bought at mile 55, 175 and at the end of the highway in Deadhorse at mile 419.
New Hampshire's Kancamagus Highway, called "The Kanc," is 34.5 miles long with a sign near each end saying "No services next thirty miles." It does have spectacular views.
The sign says "Next 32 miles." It's not an interstate highway or even a freeway as mentioned in the 14 examples in the video.
Wowzers Thats Trememdous🤓🖕
The Kang (Rt 112) is a beautiful ride. Have done a motorcycle ride in the fall there, absolutely gorgeous!
Great video, as always. Did want to make you aware of the access roads on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Those access roads are NOT for the general public. They are gated and you must have an electronic pass in order to travel through these areas. These access roads are generally used by the State Police and the Turnpike Maintenance vehicles.
well it's not illegal to use them
Mass Turnpike has these too. I suspect that the automatic tolling will put up a red flag on your account if you use one.
@mattschehr163 Unless you have an electronic pass, the gate will NOT open and you can't get through. Also, if not authorized you can get into trouble if you sneak by when someone else uses the gate. When I was working with the Turnpike a couple of years ago they were adamant about proper use of the gate passes. The Pennsylvania Turnpike has spent lots of money over the years to make sure you pay the tolls. I believe it's now the most expensive per mile in the country.
@@mattschehr163trespassing is pretty illegal
@@mattschehr163 Of course it's illegal to use them. Try it sometimes, there are cameras everywhere. See what happens.
I have a delivery route in the Joplin area for a Tulsa-based warehouse. I drive along the Will Rogers turnpike daily. You're absolutely correct. You can bypass the Turnpike, but you'll be adding at LEAST 30 minutes, not even taking into account that there is usually a bunch of construction on the "Old Route 66."
i love these videos... FYI, the Masspike exits between westfield and Lee is exits 10 and 41 (which reflects the 30 mile distance). . . and there IS a service center on each side of the freeway with gas and food. . . it sounded like you said there was nothing in between the exits.
they used to be exits 2 and 3, and there might be 2 service plazas i don't remember if the lee one was before or after the exit
@@creepersword1677 there’s Service Plazas on both sides in Blandford IIRC, which is about the halfway point between Lee and Westfield. It’s been years since I’ve driven west of Westfield on the Pike.
What you showed on the PA Turnpike as "exits" aren't really exits. The access roads are gated off and are meant for maintenance and first responders only. If you're caught exiting here, you'll pay a hefty fine. If you enter at one of these and exit at a real exit, your toll will be the highest possible toll from that exit. And, to add insult to injury, the Northeast Extension counts in that toll.
Also on I-76 between Blue Mountain and Carlisle is a major part of Turnpike history as the 11 mile straightaway that created the term highway hypnosis where drivers can fall asleep behind the wheel if they do the speed limit or under and it stops when they go through Blue Mountain Tunnel. The Allegheny Mountain Tunnel was the 1st Tunnel of the Turnpike to be twined in the 1960s when they invested $100 million to deal with 5 mile congestion at the 7 tunnels.
Side note, the Carlisle to Blue Mountain portion of the PA Turnpike is that way as it utilizes the right of way of the stillborn South Penn Railroad. The Eastbound tunnels were formerly dug for the railroad and widened and finished for the turnpike.
@@ConrailHistorical I knew it but didn't want to spoil it to the public because you never know what Mike may do in the future if this gets a whole video sometime soon and other side note I went to the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels 3 times but I don't like to spoil it until a video is already up.
@@tomasmowery164Not entirely. There are more than a few spots where the old South Penn route diverges from the Turnpike. Looking on Google Maps terrain view shows a lot of sections of graded route swinging away from the highway. The reason for this is that 20th Century automobiles can handle steeper grades than 19th Century freight trains, so the railroad took some less-direct routes to try to minimize the grade.
Even then, though, it would have been a serious mountain operation-grades of less than 1% have always been generally preferred for freight trains, but the South Penn was planning sections above 2%!
I-80 in Utah is 101 miles exactly from the last Gas station in Lake Point and the next one in West Wendover. And inverse also
There's a gas station on I-80 28 miles west of Lake Point in Delle and the next gas station is off of exit 2 at the Bonneville Salt Flats exit just before West Wendover, just some fyi
Massachusetts switched to mileage-based exit numbers a few years back. Lee is exit 10 now and Westfield is exit 41. There are service areas in Blandford, at MM 29 (and just west of this stretch in Lee at MM 8): before all the service areas on the Pike were renovated in the early 2000s, the WB Blandford and EB Lee service areas had restaurants while the EB Blandford and WB Lee areas were just gas stations (not even a convenience store). With the renovation, the previously gas-only locations have each had a McDonalds and a convenience store added, though the other two have a choice of restaurants.
I was going to say something about the same stretch. I loved seeing that sign that said "NEXT SERVICES ON I-70 110 miles" despite the several ranch exits along the way. Someone passed me there doing about 105 mph, so I decided to settle in about a half mile behind them and keep a very close eye on the rearview mirror. I followed them all the way to Vegas. We both got gas in St. George. Rolled into Vegas 4 hours and 16 minutes after leaving Green River.
1:49 I've gotten stuck in a Lyft on this stretch of i-76 ... it added an entire hour to my trip and Lyft charged me $140. Thanks a lot, Google Maps.
Eh? It's not your fault that the driver added an extra hour to your trip, you could have challenge that charge.
I used to be a dispatcher for a roadside service company for RV breakdowns and we worked with Allstate's Good Sam RV roadside. Our company would get the calls that Allstate refused to dispatch because they were money losers, so basically i knew a lot of these long stretch no exit areas. I got a LOT of Yeehaw Junction, FL dispatches and i got to hear a lot of angry people when the nearest provider would take hours to get there. The worst dispatch was a couple stuck near Death Valley at 2am, they were driving at night to avoid the heat of the day and they broke down. I had one provider that would go out, but wanted a fortune and i got screamed at again. After working these calls, i vowed NEVER to own a RV.
Wow. Hard to believe people would drive through Death Valley at night.
Gotta love Yeehaw Junction...if not only for the name. 🤠
@@lisapolanski9379 My parents drove through Death Valley during the 1960's in the family station wagon. Why is it hard to believe? Death Valley Summer day time temps are absolutely blistering.
@wildbikerbill6530 did route 66 go through Death Valley? My parents also drove out to California in the early 60s on Route 66. But there were many motels and gas stations along the way. There's nothing in Death Valley.
@@lisapolanski9379 I don't believe so. Route 66's claim to fame was being a pre Interstate route from Chicago to L.A. Death Valley would definitely be off the beaten path.
Also, in that time frame I was ~6 years old and my parents game plan was for the kids to be sleeping while they drove through. So my memories of the drive are sketchy, to say the least. My memories of the trip are mostly from decades later reviewing images of the trip.
As an alternative to driving across Alligator Alley, last year I drove across southern Florida from Ft Myers East on 80 to 27 to 98/441 to West Palm Beach. It was basically like driving on one highway straight across even though the numbers changed. Didn't pass much along the way but there were signs of life and small towns, and cane fields. Still, make sure you have a full gas tank.
SR 80 around the south side of Lake Okeechobee would be a much nicer drive if there were bypasses around Clewiston and the Pahokee / South Bay area. The speed limit through both drops down to 35 mph for several miles - maybe even a 25 mph zone for a short part?
Clewiston has fuel, but, yeah, probably don’t want to stop in Belle Glade!!😮
From the main street going through town it was ok. Heard about it being the poorest area of Florids@fldon2306
@@lisapolanski9379 Comment is a little “tongue in cheek”; it’s a poor agricultural community, sure, but really mostly safe, and some great Mexican food too!
6:31 I-90 in Massachusetts (Massachusetts Turnpike) now has mile-based exits. The exits referenced here are now Exit 10 in Lee and Exit 41 in Westfield. At 7:08 you mention that there are no services on this stretch of turnpike. There are services on both sides, not connected to each other, in Blandford.
I was about to say the same thing, as I frequent this stretch with my work on the railroad.
That stretch also includes the Appalachian Trail crossing and the highest elevation on I-90 until South Dakota. Not to mention it's the stretch being driven by Will at the end of Good Will Hunting.
And as much as MassDOT has put forth proposals to build an exit or two in that stretch of highway, the local communities don't want them.
Great 👍 road for fall leaf 🍂 peeping
. 😂 there the lost towns of route 2 , gods country
As a south Floridian, that drive up to Orlando on the turnpike is for sure long as hell with only alligator alley as your exit. Wanted to make sure it was on here lol
The two longest stretches I’ve traveled are I-80 along northern Pennsylvania, which somewhat parallels the Pa. Turnpike, and I-10 from Phoenix to Los Angeles. Both had long isolated drives.
Great video, btw. It made me want to get back out there and do some traveling!
Great video Mike, You are one of my favorite channels on this site! Also I just wanted to point of that the local pronunciation for Salina is Suh-ly-nuh and Osage City is pronounced O-say-J.
Thanks for the info!
@@MileageMike485also Chickasha is pronounced “Chick-uh-shay”.
A few years ago, MassDOT was considering building a new interchange somewhere along the Mass Pike in that 30 mile gap. There haven't been any updates or plans drafted since the study ended in 2020, but the most likely place they might put one is near an existing maintenance facility in Blandford, around the 14 mile marker.
There is a stretch of I 90 in Wisconsin from Tomah/ Sparta to Onalaska that's 30 something miles no exits as you go thru Fort McCoy, an Army base used mostly for winter training. 13:31
I-69 from US-231 near Crane Navy Base to Fullerton Pike in Bloomington, Indiana is about 27 miles without any services at all. It is one lonely drive at night.
Yep! We drive to Indy coming up from Owensboro.
We can believe how stupid the local are wanting to fight the Mid Continent Highway around Jasper and Huntingsburg as well adversity impacting Naval Weapons Stations Readiness.
Back in the 1960's, Indiana delayed the completion of I-94 west of the Michigan line for years. Westbound traffic from Michigan had to exit onto a 2-lane state highway to go south to the Indiana Toll Road. Indiana didn't want to lose the toll revenue to a free I-94 from Michigan to Illinois.
Another mention from the Indiana Toll Road (I-80/90): the stretch from Exit 49 (IN 39- La Porte) to Exit 72 (US 31- South Bend/Niles/Plymouth) is also 23 miles, and it also comes with a service plaza in between those exits!
Florida's maximum speed limit is 70 mph (not 75 mph), by the way.
It is 75mph on I-75 tho. For the rest of the state maybe.
I-95 has several stretches of 75 mph along it between Port St. Lucie and Titusville, I commute that every weekend for work. What the hell are you smoking, state maximum of 70? We had one of those previously, but it was repealed in the early 90s and has been off the books for aroundabouts 30 years now
@@Director_Orson_Krennic Send me a google maps link of a 75 MPH sign in FL. I'm 99.9% positive its 70 only statewide.
And a change in time zones as well
I-90 in Wyoming between Buffalo and Gillette is about 70 miles of nothingness…. Yes there were a few exits that were dirt roads that was not going to anything. There was at least one small rest area with a bathroom and picnic area. This was a definitely a get out and stretch and get gas before hitting that road section of my trip. This was the longest desolate area I personally have ever driven.
Very desolate, but I felt even more desolate between Sheridan and Billings.
Yea, I have to agree. Literally no traffic... I84 between Utah and Boise was also very desolate.
@@JoeyNiklas That was desolate too. I won't forget that drive. My transmission blew right after I exited the highway at Brigham City.
Surprised the state of Montana didn't make the list in some fashion.
Probably didn’t make the cut with the metric being just exits and not services in general. Montana and the Dakotas have a ton of interstate exits that just dump you out onto an equally desolate gravel county road.
This. The drive between Billings and Glendive while beautiful, is one of the more lonely drives I’ve made.
Honestly the Florida turnpike doesn’t surprise me none. As a Florida resident, I can confidently agree that traveling between Orlando and Miami on the turnpike just sucks.
Another longtime Florida resident here. I completely agree the section between Fort Pierce and Kissimmee sucks, especially if there's holiday traffic or an accident. They can't six-lane the rest of the Florida Turnpike soon enough!
For a long time I have taken I-95 and I-10 via Jacksonville if I'm going to Atlanta or Tallahassee from South Florida, but the traffic on I-95 in Brevard and Jax-Daytona is getting so bad all the time I'm more inclined to take the Turnpike now, if I can hit it at the right time of day.
No, if I'm going to Southern Georgia, it's 95 to the beltway in Jacksonville and then either 10 or Georgia country highways
I had to look up the term, "control city". (Loosely, 'town worthy of an exit sign'.) Being fairly well read and somewhat well traveled, it's not every day I learn a new word or term. Thanks, Mike.
There's a TH-cam channel called Control City Freak devoted to control cities on major highways.
@@davidgreenhow7811 Limon! Who's signing Limon? It's a town of only 2000 people! Limon!
i didn’t even know that was even a word for towns on road signs
1:17 clicked on expecting western states with big exit distances but classic Indiana Toll Road! Another note is that the exit for LaPorte is the last exit for 23 miles until you hit South Bend. Granted, you have a similar service stop situation but having driven the toll road for years, I appreciate the lack of exits cause it allows traffic to flow great. They have them where they need them and it works
Alligator Alley I-75 used to be the longest with an 86 mile gap! No services, all eastbound and Westbound.
technically Northbound and Southbound as I-75 is an odd numbered interstate that goes north to south even though it goes east/west through the Everglades.
Prior to being part of I75, Alligator Alley was SR 84 all the way across,so East West was correct. Even then, the intersections with SR 29 and US 27 existed, though I don't know if there were any services near the alley at those points back then.
Correct. the old Alligator Alley was State Road 84. A two-lane deathtrap with no service between Naples and Fort Lauderdale.
Broward County Road 833 is Snake Road. Micosukee reservation. State Road 84 was the original Alligator Alley. I've taken H.E. Bailey before it was signed I-44. I prefer driving US 62 because there were places to stop, like Chikasha and Anadarko. I've taken I-90 mass pike from I-91 to New York state line (then took the NYS Thruway). Not much to see. Gets hilly when you approach the Berkshires. Florida State Road 29 (not 28) takes you to Immokalee (North) and to Everglades City (South) deep in the Everglades. So true about the Turnpike between Fort Pierce and Kissimmee / St. Cloud. Still a 4-lane highway. They are planning on adding additional lanes but may be years. Mike, I remember you driving through Palm Beach County on the Turnpike and they are doing roadwork, which might be resurfacing. The only improvements lately, besides resurfacing, are in the northern part between I-75 / SR 44 and Clermont SR 50
On big island hawaii, hwy 11 south of Volcanos NP, there is a lonely desert and a sign that says no services for 100mi.
Would be interesting too do a list of longest "no gas" signs. I've personally driven on the US 6 between tonopah and ely in NV and it is quite fun.
I go through there every 3-4 months love it though
Great video Mike.
Thanks 👍
@@MileageMike485 Perhaps you could do a collab with Control City Freak on control cities?
Honestly the loneliest stretch of 8nterstate in my opinion is, I-84 between Scranton PA and Port Jervis NY. It is so lonely it’s almost creepy. Same with US-209 between Stroudsburg PA and Milford PA
I’m very surprised to see that I’ve driven a number of these. I’ve driven the entirety of the PA turnpike, I’ve driven the stretch of 80/90 in Indiana, and I’ve also driven the longer of the two stretches of the Florida Turnpike! Awesome video!
How spooky Alligator alley is on a moonless night
Oof. I did that my first time driving it going from Key West to Tampa.
Did that going to Tallahassee and got a flat tire while in Alligator Alley. Never again
@@stonehenge55 US Highway 41 also goes across the Everglades from Naples to Miami further south of Alligator Alley as a 2 lane road. I bet there are plenty of stories that highway could tell from over the years.
@@stevengolden9009 I never took that route before but now that you mention it, seems even creepier than I-75
I’ve made that drive many times, but only once at night.
Now there might be exits. But as for services the longest stretch of road without services is I 70 between Salina Utah and Green River Utah at 108 miles!
Honorable mention for CO 94 from Aroya to Colorado Springs. No services or really any towns for that matter for 70 miles. The middle section is absolutely lonely. No powerlines or fences follow the road for a bit, and theres no houses off the side either. Just you, the almost stright line road, and Pikes Peak off in the distance.
Even more fun in the winter. Don't want car trouble out there.
I found I-90 in South Dakota to be quite low on exits. Between Rapid City to Sioux Falls. Especially around the Bad Lands and near the Wounded Knee exit.
Yes, I agree with you on that section of I-90. We did a family road trip from Pennsylvania to Seattle and South Dakota very lonely. We did find the 1880 ghost town where Dances With Wolves was filmed
11:11 Classic Italian sports car out in the 110 degree heat, drove past the "no exit for 40 miles" sign and didn't even flinch. This driver fears nothing. 🙏
1972 DeTomasso Pantera
I spotted that. I figure he was thinking the road may be empty and he might be able to "flatfoot" his ride a little bit. The DeTomasso Pantera used Ford 351 Cleveland or Windsor engines (occasionally the 302 was used). Those engines are generally pretty reliable and not as finicky as pure "nice but high maintenance" Italian stuff.
WYO 191
Pinedale WY to Rock Springs WY
Approx 100 miles.
From September to May , you can travel this road and see , maybe , 3-4 other cars. I traveled at night and didnt see a single vehicle.
One "town" , Farson, with one gas station with limited hours.
Extreme winds , snow, hail , extreme sunshine...
Its a challenge.
I-80 through Wyoming does have limited services between Cheyenne and Evanston, but the stretch of road itself has very long stretches that feel especially lonesome.
Yep. Seemed like that drive took me forever.
The only real surprise that made the list was Massachusetts. The biggest surprise that didn't make the list was Nevada.
In the case of Massachusetts, there have been attempts to build an exit somewhere in this stretch. Becket, where US 20 and MA 8 go under the turnpike, and at a local road near the rest areas in Blandford or Otis have been mentioned. Local opposition for an exit in all locations is the reason for the long stretch between exits.
@@edwardrasmussen3465I’ve visited that area. It is very quiet and has next to zero amenities. No grocery, no Dunkin’ Donuts, and a long drive for gas.
I'm surprised that Wyoming, Nevada, Idaho, The Dakotas, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, and a few random midwest stretches didn't make it.
I-80 between Fernley and US 95 south is about 35 miles without a useful exit. In Wyoming, I-90 between Gillette and Buffalo has over 60 miles without a useful exit.
@@edwardrasmussen3465 Once again NIMBYs veto what's best for the public as a whole.
No words, just another nice video. Go 'head Mike 💯
I think that I70 across the San Rafael Swell between Salina and Green River, UT at least deserves an honorable mention as it’s the longest stretch between exits with no services. Sure there’s a few exits and rest areas, but no gas stations for over 100 miles.
I was thinking of I-70 from Salina, UT exit 51 to Green River, UT exit 160, there are exits in-between but no food or gas.
Semper Fi, Mike!
My "20" in the Corps was in communications and IT/data, so I spent time in 29 Stumps for a half-dozen different courses along the way ...
/s/ USMC (Retired)
I've driven that stretch of the Pike many times in the last 10 years. It always feels the loneliest and most foreboding during the winter. Driving it in December once it gave me the chance for some introspection.
another banger video mike!
2:06 I've never heard my hometown of Chambersburg pronounced like that lol.
It's basically Chamber's burg, Chamber like the chamber of a gun or a private room.
Mike, the section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike I76/I70, between Exits 110 & 146 that you mentioned, only has the service plazas to stop at. The other locations you showed as exit areas are locked service gates. These are for maintenance crews and emergency services to use to access the highway. Customers can't exit through these gates.
It doesn't matter where you are in Florida (with the exception of I-10 from Tallahassee to I-75), it is a speed suggestion and not a limit. I-75 aka the Florida International Motor Speedway see people easily doing 100mph. I've been going 80 and got passed numerous times by people clearly at or near 100. FWIW, no stretches on I-10 with long distances between interchanges? I kinda remember 50 mile stretched between El Paso and San Antonio.
It's pretty cool I've driven the 3rd and 4th longest stretches this year. I was driving on the Penn Turnpike for the first time and was like "wow there sure is a long time between exits!" Come to find out that's truly the case. Then I knew the stretch in Utah was for a while, but at least it went by quickly due to the high speed limit.
The FL Turnpike is like that but I love the service centers once you get to them. I remember I made a mistake driving home to Miami but went north towards Orlando. Had to get off at Yeehaw Junction and took a while to get back to the southbound entrance ramp. Glad it was in the daytime because it’s literally nothing out there.
try driving the ALCAN highway - I drove it in the winter of '86. I was driving along and in the distance I saw a gas station - when I got to it - there was a sign "Closed for the winter"!
Those “unofficial” exits on the turnpike are special - you must smash through the gates to use them.
Regarding those "unofficial" exits on the PA Turnpike; those are blocked by locked gates. They're intended to be used by maintenance vehicles.
CO-71 South of Limon, CO has signs listing 70-ish miles of no services.
Been on that road many times traveling from NM to Scotts Bluff, NE when I was young.
LIMON!? LIIIMON!? @ControlCityFreak
0:10 I've been on this part of this road in the footage
I love seeing these kinds of comments u saw that and was like HEY I KNOW THAT PLACE 😂 love that
I-70 east of cbus
Omg i live there😂
Not sure if you've ever driven on this road but you should consider making a video on I-87 in New York. Specifically the section north of Albany cuts through the Adirondack Mountains, probably the most beautiful highway driving I have ever experienced. Love the videos!
Drove it late at night in the winter coming from Montreal. Definitely wouldn't mind going back to see it during the day.
In the late 80s, I drove from Albuquerque to Texas and I would think there were longer stretches without exits, but that was so long ago I might be wrong. I think some roads in Australie might be longer than in the US.
There used to be some stretches of highway in south Texas that'd go for 100 miles or so without any services, maybe crossing a two-lane here or there.
I love American Highway systems! So much freedom 🦅 🇺🇸 🔥
We were traveling to Key West fourteen years ago and trying to decide whether we should stop in Kissimmee or press on a little further down the turnpike. I saw that big gap and said something like, "It's another 50 miles to the next exit and that's just Yeehaw Junction. I doubt there is much there." We stopped for the night and the next day when we took off, my kids were surprised to see the sign for Yeehaw Junction. They thought I made it up.
If you have ever driven on the I-70 westbound out of Grand Junction all to way to where it merges with the I-15, I think it is a really good candidate for the loneliest road. Really only pass one maybe two towns the entire way, you go hours without any services and there are some exits, but most of them just lead to some small dirt road, nothing of any significance. There are also very few cars driving through. Its an interesting route to drive on, very beautiful but also very lonely.
shoutout sturgis- every time I drive out west on 80/90 for a tour I stop at the sturgis puffco and its a blessing
I drove US-26 from Ontario, Oregon to Government Camp in June; empty doesn't begin to describe this road. We drove for almost 2 hours without seeing another car.
While not an interstate, US 67 from Poplar Bluff to Farmington is pretty lonely and it is 82 miles.
I remember the time I got a flat tire on the Mass Turnpike without a spare. It took quite awhile for a tow truck to come.
My addition to this list is I-80 west of Lincoln, Nebraska. There are many exits with nothing nearby. In many cases you can find a small town just north along Rt 30. If you want to make time by staying on I-80, you will want to plan your gas stops. There are some peaceful rest stops but they have only restrooms and vending machines. Being easterners, my wife and I were quite surprised by the emptiness of this major highway. (Much worse than the Indiana section mentioned in the video). If there are two adults in a compact car, no problem. Otherwise, plan.
Massachusetts has since converted to distance based exits, so it's now between exits 10 and 41. However, the trip through the Berkshires, including that long hill outside of Westfield, remain the same. One little mistake though is that there is most definitely a service plaza along the way, which is at the top of the aforementioned hill (westbound side adds a hill lane which ends at the plaza).
12:10 The official speed limit is 70 mph in Florida. That's the top highway speed in all of Florida. 12:26 can see the 70 mph limit sign as you pass it.
Would it be possible to make the list without toll roads? I don't use them at all when traveling. Thanks!
Was not expecting the Florida’s Turnpike between FL70 and US192 to be number 1 & 2. Thought somewhere out west would be at the top of the list.
-Lifelong Cocoa, FL resident who has never been on the Florida’s Turnpike between FL70 and US192.
I expected I-75 but not that. I-75 is like *the* lonely road.
There may have been exits, but I can remember the drive on US-24/US-35N/Hoosier Heartland Highway to feel especially long when I used to drive from one of my former employers to Subaru of Indiana Automotive in Lafayette. In addition, although I can't remember the road way, I felt that drive on the way to Mammoth Lake, California felt especially desolate until you reached Inyo County and Mount Whitney.
There are many exits, but more in the form of direct turn offs, and roads. That is officially not limited access, and bercaus of that, there are MANY areas of quick access just off the roadway.
May not be as long. But I8 in Arizona from i10 junction to Yuma is pretty lonely and dangerous in summer with 115 degree weather and from El Centro to San Diego is no slouch either.
Passing the sand dunes on I-8 with people riding up and down the dunes is a very strange sight too, especially after dark when those dune buggy people are still out there with lights.
Route 101 on the Olympic Peninsula Washington state runs up both east and west sides and should have been #1 or 2 because the west side is the most remote section of highway in the lower 48, there are no east boud or west bound exits and only old logging and fire roads leading into the vast dense forest to the interior with the Pacific ocean to the west ,but there are remote places to pull over and go hiking and exploring the beautiful remote beaches or the deep forest
6:51 they changed the exit numbers back in 2020 to exit 10 for Lee and exit 41 for Westfield and yes, there are service plazas in Blandford
I would like to mention US-20 in Idaho just off Mountain Home and I84 to Fairfield, ID. It's 58.4 miles of scenery without a Gas Station or rest stop. And that's 58.4 miles to Fairfield. If you went further to the US-20/US-75 intersection, that is 82.3 miles of Scenic two-way highway.
Edit: I guess it's technically called the 'Medal of Honor Hwy'
Section of highway 2 in New Brunswick, Canada between Moncton and Fredericton has a 49 km (30.5 miles) with no exit. Exit 365 Youngs Cove to exit 414 Havelock
8:48 There it is. I was still a truck driver at the time and got off headed the wrong direction when construction was going on near the PA turnpike. When I realized I had to go 71 miles round trip to head the correct direction, I was pissed.
Stretch of US-77 in Texas (now I-69E) between Raymondville and Sarita. Most has this stretch has now been converted to Freeway, and there are no service stations between Riviera (just north of Sarita) and Raymondville. Sarita is a small town, but with no services within it. The rest stop just south of Sarita is just a rest stop with picnic area and restrooms. This is a long stretch of about 49 miles without an official exit.
That was a surprise.
Thank you for the video!
Interstate 86 in western NY goes one hundred miles through a state park an Indian resevation next for on exits!
I25 between buffalo and Casper Wyoming, you barely see other people on the road in the daytime and don’t seem to see anyone else on the road at night, only 2 gas stations in between both in Kaycee which is a very small town, only large cattle and sheep ranches in between
We got nailed on the Mass pike by missing the exit in Lee and had to backtrack a considerable distance from the Westfield exit. You can’t bang a u-turn on a tolled highway! We’ve also driven that desolate section of Florida’s Turnpike, bought tickets for Disney at Yeehaw Junction back when that was a thing!
Thanks!
I drove 335 in March, years ago. It's basically that Lone Pra-rie the fella didn't want to be buried on, and I understand why. However that's at least partly deliberate: the state wanted people to see what the plains were like before anybody settled there and and what the settlers had to cross.
My sister lives about 10 miles from Howe IN. When visiting on 3 separate occasions I've managed run over a nail . Had get tires repaired in Sturgis Mi at the Walmart. Angola IN is twice the distance. Sturgis.
There used to be a sign on US77 @ Sarita, "Next gas 50 miles". There's a rest stop a few miles south, and a few unofficial exits/turnouts to access the King Ranch. The next official exit was where BusUS77 exited into Raymondville.
The two gas stations at those ends are long gone...
Gas is now a few miles more of a stretch @ the TX186 crossing in Raymondville, and coming into Rivera at the north end.
Correction: the Massachusetts turnpike gap DOES have a service plaza in Blanford, so there is food and gas close to the middle of that 30 mile gap
If you’re not in a hurry, US 20 through that rugged area is a nice drive. The only place in Massachusetts with no Dunkin Donuts anywhere.
@@VinsonMusic That part of US 20 between Lee and Russell (I don't think it extends into Westfield) is called Jacob's Ladder. There are two towns that US 20 goes through that I-90 doesn't: Chester and Huntington. I once took a trip down the Skyline Trail from Peru to Huntington, going through Middlefield. The very steep drop with no warning of percentage grade scared the living daylights out of me! Never again.