I-80 suffers from the fact that there are long stretches of highway without any signficant cities, hence the use of many minor control cities, especially in Wyoming, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. Of course the cities that are used are large for that region of the country.
80 isn't the only cross-country interstate with this issue. I'd say that 20 (as a whole) and the 40, 70, and 90 have this same issue when the roads head towards the Rockies. The Rockies themselves create most of that vast open space with no major cities (the common theme for 40, 70, 80, and 90).
@@dvferyance true. California itself creates most of that for the 5 cuz it is such a massive land mass state. similar to Texas for the 10 between El Paso and San Antonio .... and the 20 between Fort Worth and the 10.
There are no control cities for Interstate 80 that are listed for Pennsylvania between Cleveland and Youngstown. Instead, New York City is used as the control city despite the interstate ending five miles west of the city. Interstate 80 should be extended with a concurrency involving Interstates 95 and 295. With that change Interstate 495 would become Interstate 780 and a concurrency with state route 495 would be established.
i moved from san diego to nyc this past month, driving the whole way there. after four days of driving the feeling you get when you FINALLY see that sign ‘80 East - New York City’ exiting ohio…it was so incredible
One nice feature of I-80 in PA is the signs in both directions just east of exit 111 that say "Highest Point on I-80 East of the Mississippi/Elevation 2250 FT"
Interstate 80 shows a sign for I-80 E/ Hazleton/ New York at the I-81 N junction. I-81 North is signed Wilkes Barre alone on one sign, Wilkes Barre/ Scranton on another, and finally Wilkes Barre/New England/I-84 on the actual interchange.
PA has some of the prettiest segments of I-80 (especially for just the eastern half of the country), but I remember the first time I drove this segment, I had absolutely no idea what the control cities were for! 🤣
As a Northern California native and now Bay Area resident, Fairfield is actually a decent CC secondary to Sac. It's grown a lot, is larger than Vacaville, and definitely larger than Davis. Travis AFB is a big presence, plus Cordelia Jct at I-680 is a major travel stop. Fairfield is also kind of widely considered to be the eastern edge of the bay area on 80, though with the current expansion and the new express lanes, Vacaville might end up encroaching on that territory soon...
28:02 New Jersey does indeed have a welcome sign here, but it’s within 2 miles from the PA/NJ border, and it’s right by the weigh station close by. It’s still pretty small as it’s on the the divider, but it’s not the fanciest welcome sign ever. I think that New Jersey’s welcome signs aren’t as noticeable to the point where people just flash by them and don’t really notice them.
Ahhhh, good ole I-80. Probably the most used highway for me, being a trucker. Almost every trip I take and load I deliver, I use at least one of the main East/West interstates, I-80 definitely being the most used.
The Pennsylvania “montage” made me lol! 😂. What PA lacks in substantial control cities makes up for in beautiful scenery, especially in the central and eastern part of the state. 😍
all the toll roads in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio are going away from the old toll booth gate systems (which the mainline Pennsylvania Turnpike has done, as best as I recall) post Covid ... and converting to an EZ Pass (open road) system. That's what was shown when 80 joined the Tri-State Tollway (22:41), and the conversion is in progress on both ends of the Ohio Turnpike (the toll booth at 25:16 is going away/might be gone already). I know the Indiana Toll Road also will be converting over as well.
@@dvferyance Ohio was in the process of getting rid of the gates on BOTH ends last time I was on the Turnpike, which I think was early 2021. and was constructing a new ORT gate west of the Toledo Airport exit.
Well done for over 30 minutes. My theory on I-80 in PA is that for the most part, they break it down into intervals. It's not the best approach but it gives travelers an idea of what is around. Sharon - last city in PA before Ohio. Clarion - significant university popular in state. Dubois - Intersection of US 219 (road to Buffalo, NY) and US 322 (Road to Harrisburg & Atlantic City) so more popular with traffic than city itself. Bellefonte - This should be State College and Penn State University. Milton - Intersection with US 15 (Williamsport-Harrisburg) Bloomsburg - Intersection with US 11 (Scranton/Wilkes Barre-Harrisburg and south) Hazelton - I-81 It should be NYC all the way but I think PA uses the major intersections with US routes to help with lack of other stuff.
Another oddity is that three signs listing control cities on I-80 EB after exit 178 (US 220 NB: Lock Haven) display Williamsport (farther away) above Milton (closer).
@@roadgeek1961 At the interchanges Pennsylvania could sign intermediate locations. Everyone knows that Ohio is tothe west (small city Youngstown and large cities Cleveland and Columbus) and tht to the est are New Jersey and New York City.
At the I80/I69 interchange Angola is the local city with its own ramps to IND227 and IND120, , The soutbound 69 to IND 120 ramp crosses the Toll road to 69 ramp with a stop sign at a right angle And the Toll Road has an onramp from 120 which also feeds into the toll road right beside the toll booths.
They changed the signs at the I-80/I-81 interchange eastbound to say New York City as a control city. I absolutely agree that I-80 should go right to the George Washington Bridge, as some locals refer to that as I-80/I-95 anyways. Then once it hits the NY State Line, there should be an End I-80 sign there.
The new Bay Bridge is earthquake proof while the old one wasn't. Remember the earthquake in 1989 that damaged the old Bay Bridge? It even disturbed the 1989 World Series (Battle of the Bay) as well.
In 2013, after the completion of the new Bay Bridge, the old one was torn down. I hope there won't be another earthquake coming to California yet, even though California is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Angola/Fort Wayne/Lansing? The Indiana Toll Road is old. When first built, the twelfth exit as numbered on the Toll Road was for US 27. Angola was the closest significant town in Indiana to Exit 12, and the Indiana Toll Road neglected to mention towns in Michigan even if the Michigan town is similar in size and similarly distant from the Toll Road (Coldwater) or even if the Michigan town is much bigger than the two towns mentioned at the exit (Sturgis, which is much bigger than either Howe or Lagrange). Heck, even Kalamazoo, which is roughly the same size as South Bend) isn't mentioned for the exit for US 131. "Angola" on the exit for I-69 is a relic of the time in which the exit was to the now-defunct US 27.
Fairfield is kinda useful locally as a control city. It's mostly known for having a ton of outlet stores, so you have a decent amount of people heading there.
Us route 31 in Indiana running through South Bend could become future proposed “Interstate 67” as Indiana has done a feasibility report on the corridor and Kentucky has expressed interest. It would go from Grand Rapids, Michigan to just outside Nashville, TN probably won’t happen until after I-69 is completed in those states.
It’s been upgraded to freeway standard between Holland, MI and Indianapolis as it stands now. I don’t see the need to route it to Grand Rapids as 196 already goes there from Holland. I’d rather see a future 67 continue up the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at least through Ludington if not all the way to the Macinaw Bridge. As for south, I think to Nashville would be great but 31 pretty much parallels 65 south of Indy, so extending a future 67 would be pretty useless.
Here's my theory on what I-215 to Provo is about: there are a lot of people (mostly Mormons) who their first time in Utah is coming out of the airport and are trying to get to BYU. The signage out of the Salt Lake Airport basically force you to go this way and under that control sign, so for non-locals, this sign is immensely useful.
12:12 I think it has more to do with US 191, which is the main route to get into Yellowstone National Park. Then again, most people travelling East on 80 to Yellowstone would probably take US 189 east of Evanston.
Todd, it’s funny you mentioned the elevation plaque in Wyoming, because one of the few things PA gets right on I-80 is that they put up a sign to mark the highest elevation on I-80 east of the Mississippi, around mile 110 or so.
However, at the rest area nearby the highest point along I-80, they do have an exhibit and a large statue of Abraham Lincoln (at this point it is also the highest point on the historic Lincoln Highway)
That's because the Appalachians have "water gaps", with rivers/streams flowing through, and "wind gaps", which don't (at least now, most were formed by streams that later moved courses)
Being from Elko, NV, I believe one of the reasons Nevada would sign coming through Reno is that it does have one of the largest Union Pacific yards in the west. Also, Elko has the largest gold mine in North America that is headquartered there as well. Good video. Thanks!
Elko is also useful for truck drivers, as there’s not many other places to stop between SLC and Reno. They have a couple truck stops in Elko, and truck parking can be a nightmare in SLC, so staying the night in Elko becomes an option since, relative to a trucker, it’s not that far to go.
@@Sir_Austin_T_Gee Maybe you could co-sign Elko with the proper long-distance control cities of 80 East/Salt Lake City, and 80 West/Reno, if you MUST sign Elko.
I live in western Pa as I’ve said and I kind of agree with your thoughts on signing 80E for NYC but I like seeing my local towns represented lol. I think they could be used as long as NYC is bottom line
17:35 it’s supposed to say interstate 680 to north Omaha,you can tell that the original text is still there,technically 680 follows interstate 29 but unsigned,880 should be signed where 680 ends and along 29 to the other junction where they split off
On the Ohio Turnpike just east of the Peck Rd overpass near Mantua OH, there's large brown signs in both directions marking the divide between the Mississippi and Great Lakes watersheds.
Fairfield is the home of Travis AFB, a base vital for Air Force operations in the Pacific. So, with bias from an AF vet, I can see including it as a control city.
As someone who has driven I-80 across Pennsylvania many times, I knew you were going to hate the ridiculous control cities! (And I even used to live in one of them!) I may love my state but there's really no reason not to sign New York City through the whole state. I-80 through the Appalachians is an extremely beautiful drive though, and the Delaware Water Gap is really nice!
Yep. I’m originally from DuBois, PA. I actually grew up thinking signing cities like DuBois, Sharon or Bellefonte was normal. It’s especially beautiful during fall foliage coming up. But I can’t imagine how miserable this drive was during the 55 MPH days.
@@14Rocket the funny part is the two biggest things along I-80 in western PA that people from out of the area would know about are not used at all as even places where the exits ago other than extra signs. Penn State University and State College is on another sign for exit 161 (PA 26, US 220, I-99 signed for Bellefonte). Punxsutawney (for the dang groundhog) has a sign that says to use Exit 78, which is signed PA 36 for Brookville and Sigel. There is no mention of Pittsburgh at Exit 81 for PA 28, which is a straight shot to Pittsburgh. (Straight as in you don’t leave 28… through some of them hills… lots of twists and turns.) It’s signed only for Hazen, which has a flea market the 1st weekend of eight months of the year.
@@MikeyLewTV if I were coming from Williamsport or DuBois I'd take 99 or 119 being that its faster. The stretch of 28 between Kittanning and Brookville is slower has too many deer on the road and banjos playing in the background.
26:26 This 80 East New York City sign is in a way comparable to the 40 West Los Angeles sign in Flagstaff, AZ, because neither 80 nor 40 reach New York or Los Angeles respectively, and yet they are signed for these cities, as most traffic on each road are headed to these cities, and then in the next state that each road goes through, they completely get rid of the signage for each respective city, instead having a small, not-so-well known town signed on the road within that state. (I'm looking at you PA and CA). lol
I-80 In parleys canyon to park city and Wyoming is literally so terrifying. The amount of semis on the road is insane and they all go 90 down the canyon.
Few things I want to mention: Choked on my steak at 11:09 because it totally caught me off guard. The banter after literally made me lol. The picture from 1995 was really cool! (If you have more of your own pictures, you should show them!!) I-80 reminds me of I-44 exiting itself a lot I was LITERALLY about to comment about New Jersey’s landscape at the border, but you took the thoughts right out of my head. New Jersey actually does have a welcome sign, but it is in the welcome center/ rest area. It’s just not on the actual interstate. Loved this video Todd! Looking forward to the westbound video!! Keep up the good work sir!
4:55 That road is also unsigned I-305. 27:29 I-99 doesn't actually meet I-80 just yet; really the exit should be "US 220, PA 26, To I-99". Currently, there is construction undergoing for a full high-speed interchange between I-80 and I-99 to be completed by 2025. Most likely by then will there be overhead signs for both Interstates.
@@ControlCityFreak when you get to I-99, it still technically doesn't connect with any other interstate highway -- both I-80 and I-76 remain, I believe, "To I-99" situations. AASHTO just bent over backwards for Congressman Shuster's whim.
Apparently, there is a small town in Wyoming named Buford. It's now a ghost town but, it had 1 resident for awhile. It's exactly in the middle between Cheyenne and Laramie off Exit 335.
Any signs in western Wyoming (Ft Bridger, Lyman, etc) should also include Flaming Gorge, considering this is the main destination any non-Wyoming driver would be pulling off I-80 for.
As someone who lives in Nebraska and goes on I-80 a lot, York is right in between Grand Island and Lincoln. It’s along highway 81 which is a straight shot to Dallas and it is home to a lot of simi trucks staying the night. There’s plenty of hotels and fast food so no need to go 3 miles into town.
I've been to/seen the eastern and western terminuses (termini?) of I-80 in NYC and SF but only ever driven it between Des Moines and Cleveland. That's not a short trip at about 650-ish miles but only a bit more than 20 percent of 80's total overall length. Edit: I also think Exit 1 for IL-84 should be signed for Galena instead of Savanna as it's a much bigger tourist destination.
I think Elko is a good choice in Nevada since it's the largest city of any importance between Reno and SLC and relatively conveniently located between the two. If you need to stop, stopping in Elko is your best bet. I think in Wyoming, westbound signing Cheyenne/Laramie, and eastbound signing Salt Lake City/Rawlings, makes sense due to the 287 split (easiest way to get to Colorado westbound or Yellowstone NP eastbound, both of which are popular destinations).
Elko is too small to be signed far away. I think it should be SLC all the way from Reno. And no Rawlings signs. Those are definitions of secondaries. Next substantial town with services.
@@mxderate The recurring debate is whether CCs should be destinations known to locals or to long-haul drivers. I generally agree with Todd that small cities aren't ideal, but I did appreciate, in Pennsylvania, seeing an onramp sign for Dubois after getting very lost on local roads (way in the pre-GPS days). IMO since Elko is a common stopping point for long-haulers, it makes sense to have it on a mileage sign but not on an overhead.
Nevada doesn't really do dual control city signage, and I don't believe Utah does, neither (although I know 15N does have dual control city signage for 70E) .... but the 80 stretch would be ideal for havin Elko AND Reno (westbound out of SLC) or SLC (eastbound out of Reno). for all intents and purposes ... Elko is a facilities stop for travelers going across the western portion of 80 into/out of the Rockies ... so it IS important from that standpoint, even though the city itself isn't all that significant.
Yes, and it's the only town of any consequence between Cheyenne and North Platte. I alway take that second Sidney exist near Cabela's, last gas stop of the day ending in York, NE.
As a Nebraskan, I can't figure out the love for Sidney either. The former headquarters for Cabela's was located in Sidney until 2017, when Sidney lost 2,000 jobs due to Cabela's merger with Bass Pro Shops. Perhaps it is signed as a form of mourning> :-)
22:55 - 23:04 for the ENTIRE length of the Tri-State Tollway (whether it's 94/294/294 & 80), the mileage numbering system is based off the southern endpoint (at I-94/Illinois 394), and the Tollway Authority (which has jurisdiction over maintenance of that stretch) made that decision. fun fact: exits along the entire Illinois Tollway system weren't even numbered until about 20 years ago.
The mile numbering system for the Illinois tollways follow the same rule that the interstates do .... the north/south routes use the SOUTHERN endpoint as the zero demarcation, and the east/west routes use the WESTERN endpoint. The Jane Addams (90), the Ronald Reagan (88), and Elgin-O'Hare (Illinois 390 for now, future I-390) are east/west. The Veterans Memorial (355), the future 490, and the Tri-State are north/south. You'll see this come into play again when you get to 94's stretch on the Tri-State. another fun fact: the Chicago Skyway (which you'll see for I-90) is NOT under the Tollway Authority, so it doesn't follow this rule.
Those one-lane exits for the main route would make me pretty nervous if I were the traffic planner. I gotta assume their _actual_ traffic flows aren't what you'd expect on a mainline so they don't get ridiculously congested.
As others have noted, I-80 gets within a few miles of NYC but ends when it meets I-95 in New Jersey. I’ve thought for years now that I-80 should continue east and run concurrently with I-95 into the Bronx, then head south over the Throgs Neck Bridge with I-295, then turn east on the LIE replacing I-495 and terminate at Riverhead, NY. This would make I-80 more truly a coast-to-coast interstate and not require any new highway construction.
Something weird that NJDOT does, they have US 46 officially end at the NY state line in the middle of the George Washington Bridge. If they can do that for US 46, why not for I-80? Granted, at the George Washington Bridge, you will only see signs for I-80 and US 46 going WB on the NJ side. Also, older Rand McNally maps used to show an I-80/I-95 concurrency between the 80/95 interchange in Teaneck NJ and the Bridge. Don't think it actually existed in the field, but all the I-95 SB signage from the Bridge includes I-80 signage.
Been on I-80 in PA and NJ (which is part of a route to family members in jersey) and went from a further east section of the interstate to NYC for a baseball game once. I-81 is closer to home for me so thats going to be a fun video(s) for me.
As a North Carolinian taking a trip to Salt Lake City a few years ago I remember seeing signs for 80 West Reno and 80 East Cheyenne and being amazed at how far away they were
Fairfield is near Travis AFB, probably the reason it’s signed. Could have been Vacaville too. Was wondering if the sign for Salt Lake 707 miles outside of Sacramento is still there?
On a recent roadtrip that took me through southern Wisconsin to Dubuque and back to I-80 through the Quad Cities I noticed that just before Joliet (and I-55) I saw a warning sign to consider an alternative route. I took the advice and went through downtown Chicago on I-55. The Tri-State Turnpike has no scenic merit, so going to Chicago made more sense.
@paulbrower4265 Actually, there is a portion of the 80/294 concurrency (kind of pointless in my opinion) that goes over a quarry some 350-400 feet deep.
There's actually a welcome to New Jersey sign . It's about a mile into new Jersey tho, it's right next to the truck weigh station after the first 2-3 exits . What's funny is if you take the 4th exit in new Jersey you would see 2 welcome to New Jersey signs
My ride to work is thoroughly on 80 from Netcong to Wayne. What sucks is I have to do a u-turn off 80 and go west to get to my job. This is what frustrates me about New Jersey (and I’ve lived elsewhere)
Fairfield is definitely the correct choice over Vacaville or Davis since it’s larger and is home to Travis AFB. Differentiating between Fairfield and Suisun City is also important at that particular interchange since CA-12 goes to Suisun City while I-80 serves all the northern suburban sprawl of Fairfield, otherwise they are one continuous built-up area so the signage is definitely useful to avoid confusion for local traffic.
5:35 That's so cool, another Street View car is staring back at you. I guess they were traveling in a convoy. 12:55 That's the first time I've ever seen "--AND--" on a highway sign. Most times they save space and just put the two destinations on separate lines. 18:20 Pretty interesting to see they used a flattened oval instead of a regular oval for the state highway circle shield on the sign.
215’s control cities are for traffic from the airport. It’s signed for Provo because more people are flying into SLC and then going to Brigham Young University and the missionary training center (both are in Provo) than are flying into SLC and going to Vegas, which has its own airport
27:00 New Castle makes sense as a control city at that point rather than Pittsburgh, for New Castle is a pretty significant town in Western Pennsylvania, and it is before you get to Pittsburgh. From I-80, the more direct route to (Downtown) Pittsburgh would be I-79 to I-279 (also avoids tolls), although 376 would be the more direct route if you were going to the West Hills of Pittsburgh or the airport.
I-376 goes into Pittsburgh Proper, I would be ok with using it. Westbound should be New Castle though. Pittsburgh traffic would have gotten off at I-79.
Northern and Southern California have different temperature conditions. The south it’s warm weather year round. The north goes through spring, summer, winter gihandra, and fall.
At the interchange with I-76 the control cities for 76 should show Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and I-80 should display Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco. Well, yes, this more applies to I-80 going westbound.
@@mxderate The mileage sign for I-76 would say: Denver 188 Las Vegas 932 Los Angeles 1204 For 80 East the sign would say: Omaha 352 Chicago 816 New York 1590 And finally for 80 West the sign would say: Cheyenne 143 Salt Lake City 580 San Francisco 1310 These would all be some of the longest distance mileage signs in America, but they would be awesome as well.
Is there no mileage sign to NY like the Sacramento sign when you get on US-50 West in Ocean City, MD or the Cove Fort sign on I-70 when you leave Baltimore?
I appreciate you making these types of videos, I’ve been following you I think since interstate 50 or 60 something which is actually a while since you post every week and this is my Type of content that I never knew I wanted to watch! Keep it up
This is one of my love hate relationship interstates to drive. As a former OTR truck driver, I use to see a whole of nasty winter accidents 80 from the Sierra Nevadas to the Eastern Pennsylvania. Wyoming was the worst due to weather and horrible winds. Jumping to I-80 in New Jersey, in my heart of hearts 80 should be named in honor of Bill Parcells. He's a native of Northeast Jersey. In North Jersey 80 is called Route 80 by locals and all stations that do traffic reports. Why not the Bill Parcells Expressway???
@@ControlCityFreak He's the Rodney Dangerfield of North Jersey but I truly believe that would a great compliment to a native who did a lot in sports for The NYC and North Jersey fans
Many years ago, especially before I-84 opened to I-81, truckers used US 209 as a shortcut to I-84 and on to New England. When 84 was finished, they would still take 209. Many fatal accidents happened despite efforts to reduce the speed limit. Around 1976, they closed the highway to commercial vehicles. So today, truckers to New England must use I-81 and I-84 or they can use I-287 and I-87 NY Thruway to I-84.
Fairfield is signed because I-80 East is an unsigned concurrency with CA 12 for a short distance. It's just signed at the exits on I-80 as far as I remember. CA 12 is a freeway towards Fairfield, where I have delivered much beer. I think they prefer to sign Joilet because Chicago would have been shorter from I-88, until it makes sense at I-39, but not sure really
I’m very curious to see what you think of the control cities on 80 West out of New York City and New Jersey through Pennsylvania. Since NYC was signed starting in Youngstown, probably signing Cleveland through PA makes the most sense and 80 does actually go to Cleveland, but would you argue for Pittsburgh being signed? 80 goes well north of Pittsburgh, but it is still a way to access that area coming out of NYC and it meets 79, which is the one two digit interstate that goes into the city of Pittsburgh. Sign 80 for Pittsburgh until the junction with 79 and then go to Cleveland.
The I -80,/I -294 concurrency takes the I -294 mile markers and exit numbers because the concurrency is part of the Tri State Tollway which is I - 294 for the majority of its length. When I -294 ends ( as the Tollway ends) and I -94 joins I- 80, I -80 is the dominant interstate for the remainder of Illinois but once I -80/94 crosses into Indiana, U-94 becomes the dominant interstate. When I -80 joins I -90 (Indiana Toll Road) I -90 is the dominant interstatw.
Loving your videos especially since you are getting to the roads I’ve traveled most through the east coast. Have traveled every bit of 95/81/83 and 97 which I’m sure will be a tough marathon of a show for you.
19:30 - You are in Davenport at this point. But, that said, IowaDOT keeps Chicago-bound traffic on I-80. 20:10 - I-88 should really be signed for "Aurora - Chicago". 20:25 - "Joliet - Chicago" would be best for I-80 at this point. Between the two, I-80 and I-88, they will get you to different points in Chicagoland. 21:00 - These are secondary controls. IDOT only posts primary controls at other interstates (typically). 21:52 - That bridge is scheduled to be replaced in the next few years (thankfully). The original bridge is under IDOT's no-maintenance plan. 22:00 - My choice would be "Schaumburg". 22:50 - It's 55 cents for I-Pass/EZ Pass users. 24:52 - Angola is the name of the interchange. Unlike the PTC, the ITR puts the interchange name in the main sign. This is most prominent at Exit 96, Elkhart East. They only sign the interchange name and no destinations there.
Brandon, all of Illinois OUTSIDE the Chicago collar is 100% biased against the Chicago collar ... so 88 would never be signed for Aurora and Chicago (although I don't fault your logic) from 80 in the Quad Cities. Dixon or DeKalb and Chicago would make the most sense, accounting for the bias against Chicago outside of Chicago. 88 wouldn't be signed for Chicago at 39 if they could realistically get away with it 😂😂😂 for the same reason .... 80 would not be signed for Joliet and Chicago at the 74/280 interchange. that's the ONLY reason 80 is signed for Chicago there ... cuz 80 doesn't pass through ANYTHING signable. and I'm glad that funding FINALLY was found for replacing the 80 Des Plaines River bridge, although traffic there will be a HOT mess for about 4 years til it's replaced.
Explaining why Angola is on the I-69 sign There is a pretty significant Outlet Mall on the southwest corner of the interchange, with no eastbound Toll Road access, so you need to go south on I-69 to the Angola exit, and double back
I-80 suffers from the fact that there are long stretches of highway without any signficant cities, hence the use of many minor control cities, especially in Wyoming, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. Of course the cities that are used are large for that region of the country.
80 isn't the only cross-country interstate with this issue.
I'd say that 20 (as a whole) and the 40, 70, and 90 have this same issue when the roads head towards the Rockies. The Rockies themselves create most of that vast open space with no major cities (the common theme for 40, 70, 80, and 90).
@@dhinton1 I say I-5 has the same issue though southern Oregon and northern California.
I came here to say something like this. This is especially true in Wyoming where the freeways are sometimes the ONLY way between towns.
@@dvferyance true. California itself creates most of that for the 5 cuz it is such a massive land mass state. similar to Texas for the 10 between El Paso and San Antonio .... and the 20 between Fort Worth and the 10.
There are no control cities for Interstate 80 that are listed for Pennsylvania between Cleveland and Youngstown. Instead, New York City is used as the control city despite the interstate ending five miles west of the city. Interstate 80 should be extended with a concurrency involving Interstates 95 and 295. With that change Interstate 495 would become Interstate 780 and a concurrency with state route 495 would be established.
i moved from san diego to nyc this past month, driving the whole way there. after four days of driving the feeling you get when you FINALLY see that sign ‘80 East - New York City’ exiting ohio…it was so incredible
That would be awesome! But PA is out trying to build excitement for Sharon and Dubois.
One nice feature of I-80 in PA is the signs in both directions just east of exit 111 that say "Highest Point on I-80 East of the Mississippi/Elevation 2250 FT"
Wyoming, the state, was named after Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. This historical connection carries through in their approach to control cities.
Pretty ironic, isn’t it.
lol
Interstate 80 shows a sign for I-80 E/ Hazleton/ New York at the I-81 N junction. I-81 North is signed Wilkes Barre alone on one sign, Wilkes Barre/ Scranton on another, and finally Wilkes Barre/New England/I-84 on the actual interchange.
CCF fails to escape Limon, no matter how it's spelled.
Lol
Lmao not another thoosie, love skyrush. I worked racer at KI this summer!
@@TanookiOshawott64 I swear there are more enthusiast geography nerds than regular geography nerds
Lyman reminds me of the Lyman guy who "disappeared" from the Garfield comic strip. Maybe Lyman should also "disappear" as a control city. 😄
I literally snorted when I saw that. TWICE 😂😂
PA has some of the prettiest segments of I-80 (especially for just the eastern half of the country), but I remember the first time I drove this segment, I had absolutely no idea what the control cities were for! 🤣
As a Northern California native and now Bay Area resident, Fairfield is actually a decent CC secondary to Sac. It's grown a lot, is larger than Vacaville, and definitely larger than Davis. Travis AFB is a big presence, plus Cordelia Jct at I-680 is a major travel stop. Fairfield is also kind of widely considered to be the eastern edge of the bay area on 80, though with the current expansion and the new express lanes, Vacaville might end up encroaching on that territory soon...
Don't get me started on the fact the express lanes are getting added in Solano County.
The 9-Second Montage in Pennsylvania never gets old 💀🤣 Saves so much time too!
I beg to differ.
28:02 New Jersey does indeed have a welcome sign here, but it’s within 2 miles from the PA/NJ border, and it’s right by the weigh station close by. It’s still pretty small as it’s on the the divider, but it’s not the fanciest welcome sign ever. I think that New Jersey’s welcome signs aren’t as noticeable to the point where people just flash by them and don’t really notice them.
Ahhhh, good ole I-80. Probably the most used highway for me, being a trucker. Almost every trip I take and load I deliver, I use at least one of the main East/West interstates, I-80 definitely being the most used.
It was probably my most-used interstate as an OTR trucker as well. It was rare that I didn’t use I-80 at least once during my road time.
The Pennsylvania “montage” made me lol! 😂. What PA lacks in substantial control cities makes up for in beautiful scenery, especially in the central and eastern part of the state. 😍
I live in PA right near i80. Scenery is beautiful.
all the toll roads in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio are going away from the old toll booth gate systems (which the mainline Pennsylvania Turnpike has done, as best as I recall) post Covid ... and converting to an EZ Pass (open road) system. That's what was shown when 80 joined the Tri-State Tollway (22:41), and the conversion is in progress on both ends of the Ohio Turnpike (the toll booth at 25:16 is going away/might be gone already). I know the Indiana Toll Road also will be converting over as well.
The New York State Thruway also got rid of the toll booths. It's all done by EZ Pass or by mail
As of now Indiana and Ohio still have the old toll booth gate system. Illinios has gotten rid of them with the one exception of the Chicago Skyway.
@@dvferyance Ohio was in the process of getting rid of the gates on BOTH ends last time I was on the Turnpike, which I think was early 2021. and was constructing a new ORT gate west of the Toledo Airport exit.
Well done for over 30 minutes. My theory on I-80 in PA is that for the most part, they break it down into intervals. It's not the best approach but it gives travelers an idea of what is around.
Sharon - last city in PA before Ohio.
Clarion - significant university popular in state.
Dubois - Intersection of US 219 (road to Buffalo, NY) and US 322 (Road to Harrisburg & Atlantic City) so more popular with traffic than city itself.
Bellefonte - This should be State College and Penn State University.
Milton - Intersection with US 15 (Williamsport-Harrisburg)
Bloomsburg - Intersection with US 11 (Scranton/Wilkes Barre-Harrisburg and south)
Hazelton - I-81
It should be NYC all the way but I think PA uses the major intersections with US routes to help with lack of other stuff.
Seems as good an explanation as any
For most Pennsylvanians that what most of these towns mean. For the National travelers little or no meaning.
Most control cities (including solely secondary ones) signed on I-80 in PA are county seats. (My guess on PennDOT's reasons for signing them)
Another oddity is that three signs listing control cities on I-80 EB after exit 178 (US 220 NB: Lock Haven) display Williamsport (farther away) above Milton (closer).
@@roadgeek1961 At the interchanges Pennsylvania could sign intermediate locations. Everyone knows that Ohio is tothe west (small city Youngstown and large cities Cleveland and Columbus) and tht to the est are New Jersey and New York City.
If I create and incorporate a town in PA near I80 and call it “Limon”, it won’t take long for it to end up on the mileage sign😂.
At the I80/I69 interchange Angola is the local city with its own ramps to IND227 and IND120, , The soutbound 69 to IND 120 ramp crosses the Toll road to 69 ramp with a stop sign at a right angle And the Toll Road has an onramp from 120 which also feeds into the toll road right beside the toll booths.
North Carolina: I have by far the worst control cities in the country.
Pennsylvania: Hold my Keystone Lite.
Lol
Here’s one *WELCOME TO PENNSYLVANIA WE LOVE PROVINCIAL CONTROL CITIES*
From Utah through to Illinois, Im very familiar. Ive driven the Utah to Nebraska stretch many times.
They changed the signs at the I-80/I-81 interchange eastbound to say New York City as a control city. I absolutely agree that I-80 should go right to the George Washington Bridge, as some locals refer to that as I-80/I-95 anyways. Then once it hits the NY State Line, there should be an End I-80 sign there.
New Jersey is beautiful. Often goes underappreciated, but Jersey (North, Central and South) has some beautiful scenery!
I grew up in Sussex County. Very beautiful country up that way.
@@davidfrischknecht8261 Absolutely. Hunterdon myself
Jersey has some beautiful countryside. Farmland and horse farms. Nothing like Jersey corn and Jersey tomatoes.
If you’re further away from New York City and Philadelphia (or any populated cities), the better it is.
The new Bay Bridge is earthquake proof while the old one wasn't. Remember the earthquake in 1989 that damaged the old Bay Bridge? It even disturbed the 1989 World Series (Battle of the Bay) as well.
I remember
That is why the old part of the Bay Bridge has been replaced.
In 2013, after the completion of the new Bay Bridge, the old one was torn down. I hope there won't be another earthquake coming to California yet, even though California is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
The Delaware Water Gap is the 15th most visited unit of the National Parks Service.
Angola/Fort Wayne/Lansing?
The Indiana Toll Road is old. When first built, the twelfth exit as numbered on the Toll Road was for US 27. Angola was the closest significant town in Indiana to Exit 12, and the Indiana Toll Road neglected to mention towns in Michigan even if the Michigan town is similar in size and similarly distant from the Toll Road (Coldwater) or even if the Michigan town is much bigger than the two towns mentioned at the exit (Sturgis, which is much bigger than either Howe or Lagrange). Heck, even Kalamazoo, which is roughly the same size as South Bend) isn't mentioned for the exit for US 131. "Angola" on the exit for I-69 is a relic of the time in which the exit was to the now-defunct US 27.
Great info, thanks!
Fairfield is kinda useful locally as a control city. It's mostly known for having a ton of outlet stores, so you have a decent amount of people heading there.
Us route 31 in Indiana running through South Bend could become future proposed “Interstate 67” as Indiana has done a feasibility report on the corridor and Kentucky has expressed interest. It would go from Grand Rapids, Michigan to just outside Nashville, TN probably won’t happen until after I-69 is completed in those states.
It’s been upgraded to freeway standard between Holland, MI and Indianapolis as it stands now.
I don’t see the need to route it to Grand Rapids as 196 already goes there from Holland. I’d rather see a future 67 continue up the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at least through Ludington if not all the way to the Macinaw Bridge. As for south, I think to Nashville would be great but 31 pretty much parallels 65 south of Indy, so extending a future 67 would be pretty useless.
Here's my theory on what I-215 to Provo is about: there are a lot of people (mostly Mormons) who their first time in Utah is coming out of the airport and are trying to get to BYU. The signage out of the Salt Lake Airport basically force you to go this way and under that control sign, so for non-locals, this sign is immensely useful.
Oh that makes sense
The control city analysis is interesting, and this is an amazing way to become familiar with the interstates!
Thanks1
This confirms my thinking that I-80 is the worst-signed Interstate. Double-signing would be a good thing along this Interstate.
The 1200 or so miles in Wyoming, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania definitely bring it down some
12:12 I think it has more to do with US 191, which is the main route to get into Yellowstone National Park. Then again, most people travelling East on 80 to Yellowstone would probably take US 189 east of Evanston.
I like SaltLakeCity as one word on that NV sign. Makes it seem like a startup company or some MCU/Bond villain organization
Todd, it’s funny you mentioned the elevation plaque in Wyoming, because one of the few things PA gets right on I-80 is that they put up a sign to mark the highest elevation on I-80 east of the Mississippi, around mile 110 or so.
Oh nice, I’ll look for it in westbound
@@ControlCityFreak here’s a photo of it, just to give you an idea: commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:I80_Highest_Point.jpg
However, at the rest area nearby the highest point along I-80, they do have an exhibit and a large statue of Abraham Lincoln (at this point it is also the highest point on the historic Lincoln Highway)
@@seanmerritt2905 Thanks!
I love how its called "water gap" and not "river"
man, Pennslvania wants to separate itself from Jersey so hard
Lol
That's because the Appalachians have "water gaps", with rivers/streams flowing through, and "wind gaps", which don't (at least now, most were formed by streams that later moved courses)
Being from Elko, NV, I believe one of the reasons Nevada would sign coming through Reno is that it does have one of the largest Union Pacific yards in the west. Also, Elko has the largest gold mine in North America that is headquartered there as well. Good video. Thanks!
Thanks!
Elko is also useful for truck drivers, as there’s not many other places to stop between SLC and Reno. They have a couple truck stops in Elko, and truck parking can be a nightmare in SLC, so staying the night in Elko becomes an option since, relative to a trucker, it’s not that far to go.
@@Sir_Austin_T_Gee Maybe you could co-sign Elko with the proper long-distance control cities of 80 East/Salt Lake City, and 80 West/Reno, if you MUST sign Elko.
Elko is like the largest city in Nevada that's not in the Las Vegas area or the Reno Carson City area.
I think it should skip elko and say salt lake city from reno
-slc resident
There is a welcome sign along I-80 in New Jersey. If I remember correctly, it is located past Columbia, a few miles from the border for some reason.
I do hate that New Jersey doesn’t have any nice & big welcome signage (except for the Parkway, Turnpike and it’s extensions).
At 21:02 I-80 goes through Joliet and I-80 goes passed Chicago ( on the south side only ) it’s a Chicago bypass.
It does that very well. We used I29 and I80 to completely bypass Chicago and we didn't encounter any traffic
Still should be Chicago until I-55.
I live in western Pa as I’ve said and I kind of agree with your thoughts on signing 80E for NYC but I like seeing my local towns represented lol. I think they could be used as long as NYC is bottom line
That would be fine too
80 goes through Lake Hopatcong and Netcong, nJ and then there is Hoboken.
I’m also from western PA.
17:35 it’s supposed to say interstate 680 to north Omaha,you can tell that the original text is still there,technically 680 follows interstate 29 but unsigned,880 should be signed where 680 ends and along 29 to the other junction where they split off
On the Ohio Turnpike just east of the Peck Rd overpass near Mantua OH, there's large brown signs in both directions marking the divide between the Mississippi and Great Lakes watersheds.
Awesome! Will check for westbound
I like how Ohio changes the signs' colors when there is a special event. For example, orange signs signify that there's construction.
Fairfield is the home of Travis AFB, a base vital for Air Force operations in the Pacific. So, with bias from an AF vet, I can see including it as a control city.
Yeah I'm okay with putting it WITH Sacramento, but not by itself.
I’m also very biased for Fairfield being a control city as Travis AFB is where I’m stationed at
As someone who has driven I-80 across Pennsylvania many times, I knew you were going to hate the ridiculous control cities! (And I even used to live in one of them!) I may love my state but there's really no reason not to sign New York City through the whole state. I-80 through the Appalachians is an extremely beautiful drive though, and the Delaware Water Gap is really nice!
Yep. I’m originally from DuBois, PA. I actually grew up thinking signing cities like DuBois, Sharon or Bellefonte was normal.
It’s especially beautiful during fall foliage coming up. But I can’t imagine how miserable this drive was during the 55 MPH days.
You just threw all of Penn State University under the bus...
@@14Rocket the funny part is the two biggest things along I-80 in western PA that people from out of the area would know about are not used at all as even places where the exits ago other than extra signs.
Penn State University and State College is on another sign for exit 161 (PA 26, US 220, I-99 signed for Bellefonte).
Punxsutawney (for the dang groundhog) has a sign that says to use Exit 78, which is signed PA 36 for Brookville and Sigel.
There is no mention of Pittsburgh at Exit 81 for PA 28, which is a straight shot to Pittsburgh. (Straight as in you don’t leave 28… through some of them hills… lots of twists and turns.) It’s signed only for Hazen, which has a flea market the 1st weekend of eight months of the year.
@@MikeyLewTV if I were coming from Williamsport or DuBois I'd take 99 or 119 being that its faster. The stretch of 28 between Kittanning and Brookville is slower has too many deer on the road and banjos playing in the background.
Scranton would be okay to sign but these tiny towns they are using are laughably bad
11:08 "Here's our next major interchange, and we're signed for 80 east Lyman?! LYMAN?! It changed its spelling! It's after me!!!"
Cracked me up lol.
LYMANNNNNNNNNNNNN
26:26 This 80 East New York City sign is in a way comparable to the 40 West Los Angeles sign in Flagstaff, AZ, because neither 80 nor 40 reach New York or Los Angeles respectively, and yet they are signed for these cities, as most traffic on each road are headed to these cities, and then in the next state that each road goes through, they completely get rid of the signage for each respective city, instead having a small, not-so-well known town signed on the road within that state. (I'm looking at you PA and CA). lol
Good point! Given that, it kinda makes the Barstow signage look even dumber.
@@ControlCityFreak Also, don't forget about the signing of Ludlow in CA on 40.
Limon: *exists*
Todd: *ANGER*
I’m happy for them for existing, but they don’t need to be signed!
I-80 In parleys canyon to park city and Wyoming is literally so terrifying. The amount of semis on the road is insane and they all go 90 down the canyon.
Few things I want to mention:
Choked on my steak at 11:09 because it totally caught me off guard. The banter after literally made me lol.
The picture from 1995 was really cool! (If you have more of your own pictures, you should show them!!)
I-80 reminds me of I-44 exiting itself a lot
I was LITERALLY about to comment about New Jersey’s landscape at the border, but you took the thoughts right out of my head.
New Jersey actually does have a welcome sign, but it is in the welcome center/ rest area. It’s just not on the actual interstate.
Loved this video Todd! Looking forward to the westbound video!! Keep up the good work sir!
Thanks!
NJ is bad at placing their welcome signs. In fact, they’re just not a good DoT
While on I80 I stopped in Sacramento to snap a picture of the Ocean City, MD sign. 3073 miles.
Nice!
4:55 That road is also unsigned I-305.
27:29 I-99 doesn't actually meet I-80 just yet; really the exit should be "US 220, PA 26, To I-99". Currently, there is construction undergoing for a full high-speed interchange between I-80 and I-99 to be completed by 2025. Most likely by then will there be overhead signs for both Interstates.
I would hope so
@@ControlCityFreak when you get to I-99, it still technically doesn't connect with any other interstate highway -- both I-80 and I-76 remain, I believe, "To I-99" situations. AASHTO just bent over backwards for Congressman Shuster's whim.
ok, the few miles long stub at the NY/PA border where it links with I-86 -- the highway reverts to US-15 the moment you hit the PA state line.
I think the long-term plan is to connect the portion of 99 that goes south to the Turnpike, to the portion of 99 that goes into NY state.
Apparently, there is a small town in Wyoming named Buford. It's now a ghost town but, it had 1 resident for awhile. It's exactly in the middle between Cheyenne and Laramie off Exit 335.
Whew, here it is! It makes sense that the video is so long for such a big and important interstate. Nice job!
Thanks!
16:10 once in Lincoln Omaha is the only primary control city,please note that all interstate 80 control cities alternate after Lincoln or ogualla
Any signs in western Wyoming (Ft Bridger, Lyman, etc) should also include Flaming Gorge, considering this is the main destination any non-Wyoming driver would be pulling off I-80 for.
Oh I should check that out
Also in Wyoming, almost every major non-interstate intersection has control cities on the signage.
Just wait until we get to I-90 in Wyoming.
As someone who lives in Nebraska and goes on I-80 a lot, York is right in between Grand Island and Lincoln. It’s along highway 81 which is a straight shot to Dallas and it is home to a lot of simi trucks staying the night. There’s plenty of hotels and fast food so no need to go 3 miles into town.
Sounds like a great secondary!
@@ControlCityFreak it’s the worlds largest rest stop (the entire town is one)
@@gumbyshrimp2606 It shouldn't be a primary. 8,000 people.
I've been to/seen the eastern and western terminuses (termini?) of I-80 in NYC and SF but only ever driven it between Des Moines and Cleveland. That's not a short trip at about 650-ish miles but only a bit more than 20 percent of 80's total overall length.
Edit: I also think Exit 1 for IL-84 should be signed for Galena instead of Savanna as it's a much bigger tourist destination.
I’ve driven the same part as you, and also Cheyenne to SLC and most of the California section so I’ve still got some pretty big gaps
I think Elko is a good choice in Nevada since it's the largest city of any importance between Reno and SLC and relatively conveniently located between the two. If you need to stop, stopping in Elko is your best bet.
I think in Wyoming, westbound signing Cheyenne/Laramie, and eastbound signing Salt Lake City/Rawlings, makes sense due to the 287 split (easiest way to get to Colorado westbound or Yellowstone NP eastbound, both of which are popular destinations).
Elko is too small to be signed far away. I think it should be SLC all the way from Reno. And no Rawlings signs. Those are definitions of secondaries. Next substantial town with services.
@@mxderate Oh yeah I agree Rawlings should be secondary, not primary. Elko though really makes a lot more sense than SLC I think.
@@elli6220 How? It's a lot smaller, much less famous, and there's nothing important there.
@@mxderate The recurring debate is whether CCs should be destinations known to locals or to long-haul drivers. I generally agree with Todd that small cities aren't ideal, but I did appreciate, in Pennsylvania, seeing an onramp sign for Dubois after getting very lost on local roads (way in the pre-GPS days). IMO since Elko is a common stopping point for long-haulers, it makes sense to have it on a mileage sign but not on an overhead.
Nevada doesn't really do dual control city signage, and I don't believe Utah does, neither (although I know 15N does have dual control city signage for 70E) .... but the 80 stretch would be ideal for havin Elko AND Reno (westbound out of SLC) or SLC (eastbound out of Reno). for all intents and purposes ... Elko is a facilities stop for travelers going across the western portion of 80 into/out of the Rockies ... so it IS important from that standpoint, even though the city itself isn't all that significant.
Sydney, NE was where the headquarters for Cabela's was at before they were bought out by Bass Pro Shops.
Yes, and it's the only town of any consequence between Cheyenne and North Platte. I alway take that second Sidney exist near Cabela's, last gas stop of the day ending in York, NE.
It used to say Gary Indiana on the mileage signs on I-80 E past Joliet, as it should be or Toledo. States or countries should never be control points.
California: 0:59
Nevada: 5:58
Utah: 8:35
Wyoming: 10:39
Nebraska: 13:48
Iowa: 16:43
Illinois: 20:00
Indiana: 23:15
Ohio: 25:07
Pennsylvania: 26:56
New Jersey: 27:57
Awesome, thanks!
As a Nebraskan, I can't figure out the love for Sidney either. The former headquarters for Cabela's was located in Sidney until 2017, when Sidney lost 2,000 jobs due to Cabela's merger with Bass Pro Shops. Perhaps it is signed as a form of mourning> :-)
22:55 - 23:04 for the ENTIRE length of the Tri-State Tollway (whether it's 94/294/294 & 80), the mileage numbering system is based off the southern endpoint (at I-94/Illinois 394), and the Tollway Authority (which has jurisdiction over maintenance of that stretch) made that decision.
fun fact: exits along the entire Illinois Tollway system weren't even numbered until about 20 years ago.
Oh I never realized that
The mile numbering system for the Illinois tollways follow the same rule that the interstates do .... the north/south routes use the SOUTHERN endpoint as the zero demarcation, and the east/west routes use the WESTERN endpoint.
The Jane Addams (90), the Ronald Reagan (88), and Elgin-O'Hare (Illinois 390 for now, future I-390) are east/west.
The Veterans Memorial (355), the future 490, and the Tri-State are north/south. You'll see this come into play again when you get to 94's stretch on the Tri-State.
another fun fact: the Chicago Skyway (which you'll see for I-90) is NOT under the Tollway Authority, so it doesn't follow this rule.
@@dhinton1 Yep the Skyway was owned by the city and leased to some company in Spain in 2003-ish. I lived in Chicago at the time, remember it well.
@@ControlCityFreak good ol' Richard (Daley) 😂
Less than that. I-88 got them first around 2010. The rest of the system got them around 2013 or 2014.
Those one-lane exits for the main route would make me pretty nervous if I were the traffic planner. I gotta assume their _actual_ traffic flows aren't what you'd expect on a mainline so they don't get ridiculously congested.
Fairfield, California has an Air Force base. For people in military service, that is important.
11:10 “Lyman, LYMAN!?!?!”
As others have noted, I-80 gets within a few miles of NYC but ends when it meets I-95 in New Jersey. I’ve thought for years now that I-80 should continue east and run concurrently with I-95 into the Bronx, then head south over the Throgs Neck Bridge with I-295, then turn east on the LIE replacing I-495 and terminate at Riverhead, NY. This would make I-80 more truly a coast-to-coast interstate and not require any new highway construction.
Something weird that NJDOT does, they have US 46 officially end at the NY state line in the middle of the George Washington Bridge. If they can do that for US 46, why not for I-80? Granted, at the George Washington Bridge, you will only see signs for I-80 and US 46 going WB on the NJ side.
Also, older Rand McNally maps used to show an I-80/I-95 concurrency between the 80/95 interchange in Teaneck NJ and the Bridge. Don't think it actually existed in the field, but all the I-95 SB signage from the Bridge includes I-80 signage.
Yeah I remember seeing that in the atlas
Great job! The LymXn nightmares continue for you! Maybe sometime there should be a Todd's fan's meetup there.
Lol
Yeah we could all drive from Lyman to Limon.
Fairfield is where the Jelly Belly factory is located
Been on I-80 in PA and NJ (which is part of a route to family members in jersey) and went from a further east section of the interstate to NYC for a baseball game once.
I-81 is closer to home for me so thats going to be a fun video(s) for me.
As a North Carolinian taking a trip to Salt Lake City a few years ago I remember seeing signs for 80 West Reno and 80 East Cheyenne and being amazed at how far away they were
Yep Utah and Nevada do sign some pretty distant control cities.
@@ControlCityFreak Surprisingly, California did a solid job.
Fairfield is near Travis AFB, probably the reason it’s signed. Could have been Vacaville too.
Was wondering if the sign for Salt Lake 707 miles outside of Sacramento is still there?
On a recent roadtrip that took me through southern Wisconsin to Dubuque and back to I-80 through the Quad Cities I noticed that just before Joliet (and I-55) I saw a warning sign to consider an alternative route. I took the advice and went through downtown Chicago on I-55. The Tri-State Turnpike has no scenic merit, so going to Chicago made more sense.
I’d have done the same
@paulbrower4265 Actually, there is a portion of the 80/294 concurrency (kind of pointless in my opinion) that goes over a quarry some 350-400 feet deep.
The “Limon” or Any other Ly-Mon pronunciation apocalypse has been growing! :0
Lol
Todd can never escape Limon.
@@mxderate it’s always signed. He’s freaking out…
There's actually a welcome to New Jersey sign . It's about a mile into new Jersey tho, it's right next to the truck weigh station after the first 2-3 exits . What's funny is if you take the 4th exit in new Jersey you would see 2 welcome to New Jersey signs
This man spoke thru the entire highway
Indeed he did.
My ride to work is thoroughly on 80 from Netcong to Wayne. What sucks is I have to do a u-turn off 80 and go west to get to my job. This is what frustrates me about New Jersey (and I’ve lived elsewhere)
Donner pass: love "don't get stuck!"
One might add, "or eaten."
“Fairfield” signage is to tell 680 traffic how to get downtown as 680 ends on the outskirts of Fairfield
this will probably be the longest control city video of all .......
I-90 AND I-95 have entered the chat ..... hold our asphalt 😂😂😂
80 West ended up just as long, I think to the second lol
Fairfield is definitely the correct choice over Vacaville or Davis since it’s larger and is home to Travis AFB. Differentiating between Fairfield and Suisun City is also important at that particular interchange since CA-12 goes to Suisun City while I-80 serves all the northern suburban sprawl of Fairfield, otherwise they are one continuous built-up area so the signage is definitely useful to avoid confusion for local traffic.
11:10 Lyman Wyoming does have a slightly higher population than Limon Colorado
5:35 That's so cool, another Street View car is staring back at you. I guess they were traveling in a convoy.
12:55 That's the first time I've ever seen "--AND--" on a highway sign. Most times they save space and just put the two destinations on separate lines.
18:20 Pretty interesting to see they used a flattened oval instead of a regular oval for the state highway circle shield on the sign.
Limon and Lyman are twin cousins. lol
215’s control cities are for traffic from the airport. It’s signed for Provo because more people are flying into SLC and then going to Brigham Young University and the missionary training center (both are in Provo) than are flying into SLC and going to Vegas, which has its own airport
Fair point
27:00 New Castle makes sense as a control city at that point rather than Pittsburgh, for New Castle is a pretty significant town in Western Pennsylvania, and it is before you get to Pittsburgh. From I-80, the more direct route to (Downtown) Pittsburgh would be I-79 to I-279 (also avoids tolls), although 376 would be the more direct route if you were going to the West Hills of Pittsburgh or the airport.
New Castle is a pretty significant town in western PA, but Pittsburgh is THE significant town of western PA. I could see the argument for 79 though
@@ControlCityFreak But traffic going to Pittsburgh would have stayed on I-76 anyways so I get the argument for New Castle.
@@dvferyance I'd dual control it. Because that's the way for locals to get to Pittsburgh.
@@dvferyance Yeah but that's a good alternate route.
I-376 goes into Pittsburgh Proper, I would be ok with using it. Westbound should be New Castle though. Pittsburgh traffic would have gotten off at I-79.
Northern and Southern California have different temperature conditions. The south it’s warm weather year round. The north goes through spring, summer, winter gihandra, and fall.
Great video. I always wanted to see what the views from I-80 looked like in the western half of the country.
Thanks!
I-80 especially in PA has a lot of truck traffic due to the fact it’s not a toll road in PA. It’s beautiful but desolate.
At the interchange with I-76 the control cities for 76 should show Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and I-80 should display Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco. Well, yes, this more applies to I-80 going westbound.
Ok, I would have said to I-80 East, Omama, Chicago, New York.
That would be awesome!
@@brucetelfeyan That'd be an amazing mileage sign!
Yeah that would be amazing!
@@mxderate The mileage sign for I-76 would say:
Denver 188
Las Vegas 932
Los Angeles 1204
For 80 East the sign would say:
Omaha 352
Chicago 816
New York 1590
And finally for 80 West the sign would say:
Cheyenne 143
Salt Lake City 580
San Francisco 1310
These would all be some of the longest distance mileage signs in America, but they would be awesome as well.
Taking i80 to nb then heading down to Arkansas...first long road trip curious what ill see and i ended up here.....ty
Excited to see your channel on the upswing! What’s your plan after you finish the mainline 2-digit interstates?
Thanks! 3 digit roads, US highways, international roads
@@ControlCityFreak I’m excited for this…
Is there no mileage sign to NY like the Sacramento sign when you get on US-50 West in Ocean City, MD or the Cove Fort sign on I-70 when you leave Baltimore?
Nope but would be cool
I appreciate you making these types of videos, I’ve been following you I think since interstate 50 or 60 something which is actually a while since you post every week and this is my Type of content that I never knew I wanted to watch! Keep it up
Thanks!
@@mxderate 50 or 60 something, so something in the 50s or 60s
@@ControlCityFreak Oh my bad. Apologies for the misconcern.
Back in the 70s there was a mileage sign on 80/90 near Sandusky that said “New York, 600 Miles”.
Oh cool!
Actually, I think it said 600 miles via “turnpikes.”
This is one of my love hate relationship interstates to drive. As a former OTR truck driver, I use to see a whole of nasty winter accidents 80 from the Sierra Nevadas to the Eastern Pennsylvania. Wyoming was the worst due to weather and horrible winds.
Jumping to I-80 in New Jersey, in my heart of hearts 80 should be named in honor of Bill Parcells. He's a native of Northeast Jersey. In North Jersey 80 is called Route 80 by locals and all stations that do traffic reports. Why not the Bill Parcells Expressway???
2 rings for the region, and even more amazing, took the Jets to the AFC championship
@@ControlCityFreak He's the Rodney Dangerfield of North Jersey but I truly believe that would a great compliment to a native who did a lot in sports for The NYC and North Jersey fans
Many years ago, especially before I-84 opened to I-81, truckers used US 209 as a shortcut to I-84 and on to New England. When 84 was finished, they would still take 209. Many fatal accidents happened despite efforts to reduce the speed limit. Around 1976, they closed the highway to commercial vehicles. So today, truckers to New England must use I-81 and I-84 or they can use I-287 and I-87 NY Thruway to I-84.
@@skipabby Oh interesting
@@skipabby I've seen the Signs prohibiting through commercial vehicles on U.S. 209 when travelling I-84. Thanks for that tidbit of History.
Fairfield is signed because I-80 East is an unsigned concurrency with CA 12 for a short distance. It's just signed at the exits on I-80 as far as I remember. CA 12 is a freeway towards Fairfield, where I have delivered much beer.
I think they prefer to sign Joilet because Chicago would have been shorter from I-88, until it makes sense at I-39, but not sure really
Yeah but they sign it on random junctions where 88 isn’t an option
@@ControlCityFreak yeah it's weird they don't sign Chicago on neither interstate exit. I'm with you there.
I’m very curious to see what you think of the control cities on 80 West out of New York City and New Jersey through Pennsylvania. Since NYC was signed starting in Youngstown, probably signing Cleveland through PA makes the most sense and 80 does actually go to Cleveland, but would you argue for Pittsburgh being signed? 80 goes well north of Pittsburgh, but it is still a way to access that area coming out of NYC and it meets 79, which is the one two digit interstate that goes into the city of Pittsburgh. Sign 80 for Pittsburgh until the junction with 79 and then go to Cleveland.
West of NYC and Teaneck(where I-80 ends), I would use Pennsylvania as a Control City. Then once in PA it gets very confusing
I don’t like skipping Youngstown on this either
@@spellcast1391 I'd skip Youngstown WB because Cleveland is a lot bigger.
Perhaps Scranton could work until I-380, but if not that I'd go Cleveland from the jump.
The I -80,/I -294 concurrency takes the I -294 mile markers and exit numbers because the concurrency is part of the Tri State Tollway which is I - 294 for the majority of its length. When I -294 ends ( as the Tollway ends) and I -94 joins I- 80, I -80 is the dominant interstate for the remainder of Illinois but once I -80/94 crosses into Indiana, U-94 becomes the dominant interstate. When I -80 joins I -90 (Indiana Toll Road) I -90 is the dominant interstatw.
interstate. Don't Know how my past us showing everything being crossed out
If the I-80 video is this long, I'm sure we'll get a longer video once we get to I-90
Fact
@matthewthompson1043 I actually think I 95 might be longer just because of the sheer density along the highway.
Loving your videos especially since you are getting to the roads I’ve traveled most through the east coast. Have traveled every bit of 95/81/83 and 97 which I’m sure will be a tough marathon of a show for you.
19:30 - You are in Davenport at this point. But, that said, IowaDOT keeps Chicago-bound traffic on I-80.
20:10 - I-88 should really be signed for "Aurora - Chicago".
20:25 - "Joliet - Chicago" would be best for I-80 at this point. Between the two, I-80 and I-88, they will get you to different points in Chicagoland.
21:00 - These are secondary controls. IDOT only posts primary controls at other interstates (typically).
21:52 - That bridge is scheduled to be replaced in the next few years (thankfully). The original bridge is under IDOT's no-maintenance plan.
22:00 - My choice would be "Schaumburg".
22:50 - It's 55 cents for I-Pass/EZ Pass users.
24:52 - Angola is the name of the interchange. Unlike the PTC, the ITR puts the interchange name in the main sign. This is most prominent at Exit 96, Elkhart East. They only sign the interchange name and no destinations there.
Brandon, all of Illinois OUTSIDE the Chicago collar is 100% biased against the Chicago collar ... so 88 would never be signed for Aurora and Chicago (although I don't fault your logic) from 80 in the Quad Cities. Dixon or DeKalb and Chicago would make the most sense, accounting for the bias against Chicago outside of Chicago. 88 wouldn't be signed for Chicago at 39 if they could realistically get away with it 😂😂😂
for the same reason .... 80 would not be signed for Joliet and Chicago at the 74/280 interchange. that's the ONLY reason 80 is signed for Chicago there ... cuz 80 doesn't pass through ANYTHING signable.
and I'm glad that funding FINALLY was found for replacing the 80 Des Plaines River bridge, although traffic there will be a HOT mess for about 4 years til it's replaced.
I think I-88 should be signed for just Chicago and 80 should be signed for just Peoria until I-74.
Explaining why Angola is on the I-69 sign
There is a pretty significant Outlet Mall on the southwest corner of the interchange, with no eastbound Toll Road access, so you need to go south on I-69 to the Angola exit, and double back