# Boring stretches of highways/x-ways **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 28, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272 "2016-08-28T13:54:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2016, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/21 "2016-08-28T22:43:13Z")
The Eyre Highway in Australia, which features a 90 mile stretch of entirely straight road and traverses a 77000 sq mile plain named for not having any trees, would have to have a high boredom rating. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2016, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/22 "2016-08-28T22:59:10Z")
I concur with I-80 and I-70, but will also add I-40 through the Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma. Endless flat nothingness. We had to switch drivers more frequently to avoid highway hypnosis. There was also an oddly grimy fog and an overpowering stench of urine approaching Amarillo that has stuck with me. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/23 "2016-08-28T23:20:34Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Must have killed a few thousand bugs on my windshield. Same joke went through my head each time. What’s the last thing to go through the bugs mind as he hits the windshield. His butthole. Bugs don’t have buttholes. As they don’t walk upright on their hind legs, most don’t even have buttocks. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2016, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/24 "2016-08-28T23:25:23Z")
Note that “I-70 through Kansas” actually means I-70 from about Salina KS to Limon CO. Eastern Kansas is actually kinda hilly, and eastern Colorado is just more of western Kansas. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/25 "2016-08-28T23:49:56Z")
You can always pass the time by looking for signs that are misspelled. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2016, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/26 "2016-08-28T23:52:48Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Come to think of it, in terms of boredom, Alaska is probably just Texas with much more snow. Not even close. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/27 "2016-08-29T00:00:28Z")
No kidding. The highways in Alaska are gorgeous, majestic and you never know when your car will get attacked by a ninja moose. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/28 "2016-08-29T00:02:09Z")
I agree with what everyone has said about I-70 from Washington PA to Colorado. But I also have to add that my daily 30ish mile commute from Burbank to Westlake Village on the 101 for the past 3ish yrs is also pretty boring. Sure, there are some sight to see if you’ve never done it. But doing it 14 times a week for years is getting reeeeaaaaal old. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/29 "2016-08-29T00:16:42Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Heh, I was going to comment that I expected Kansas to be extremely flat given its reputation but when I was on I-70 for the first time I was surprised by its relative hilliness compared to my expectations, and especially compared with the flatness of Florida. But I’ve only been on it three times so maybe it would become boring if I had to do it all the time. [A friend and colleague of mine recently did a GIS-based study showing how Kansas isn’t as flat as many think.](http://www.disruptivegeo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/FlatMap_GeographicalReview_DobsonCampbell_2013Nov.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/30 "2016-08-29T01:05:32Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > The Eyre Highway in Australia, which features a 90 mile stretch of entirely straight road and traverses a 77000 sq mile plain named for not having any trees, would have to have a high boredom rating. [Crossing the Nullabor](http://www.amusingplanet.com/2014/11/the-long-and-lonely-eyre-highway-worlds.html) ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/31 "2016-08-29T01:51:13Z")
The East coast interstates are all getting those sound barrier walls. My feelings on the matter are: 1. If you buy next to a highway, don’t complain about it being noisy. 2. Putting up these walls means the drivers don’t even get to see fields &/or power lines. Mind-nummingly boring, & IMHO, dangerous because it’s so boring it’s hard to stay focused on driving when there’s nothing to look away to. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/32 "2016-08-29T03:01:40Z")
I-84 from where the Columbia Gorge ends all the way down through Idaho, Utah and Arizona. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/33 "2016-08-29T03:17:16Z")
90 through Montana/Wyoming/South Dakota. Nothing but dirt to the horizon, not even any grass. It’s called ‘big sky country’ cuz that’s all there is to look at. I’ve driven it twice, and it makes any highway in Ohio (which I have driven on many times) look positively exciting. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/34 "2016-08-29T03:20:01Z")
I-5 Central Valley California - dull I-70 Across Missouri, Kansas and Colorado - very dull I-80 Across Nevada - they have highway signs telling drivers not to play Pokemon Go. I can’t blame drivers for playing Pokemon Go. Or strip poker. Or anything, really. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/35 "2016-08-29T03:35:35Z")
I-81 from Knoxville to Harrisburg, PA. Boring and poor, nothing much to look at except hard-scrabble Appalachian towns. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/36 "2016-08-29T05:45:33Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > The East coast interstates are all getting those sound barrier walls. My feelings on the matter are: > > 1. If you buy next to a highway, don’t complain about it being noisy. > 2. Putting up these walls means the drivers don’t even get to see fields &/or power lines. Mind-nummingly boring, & IMHO, dangerous because it’s so boring it’s hard to stay focused on driving when there’s nothing to look away to. There’s at least one place, somewhere, where the residents complained and had the wall taken down. They didn’t necessarily like the noise, but the traffic was more interesting to look at than a blank wall. IIRC it was also kind of a high-crime area and they liked that their houses had high visibility from the freeway. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/37 "2016-08-29T15:12:35Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > There was also an oddly grimy fog and an overpowering stench of urine approaching Amarillo that has stuck with me. Dozens and dozens of feedlots near Amarillo, from what I understand. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/38 "2016-08-29T15:15:11Z")
I’ve driven most of the interstates mentioned so far, haven’t found any of them particularly boring on any kind of consistent basis. I’ve never found any of them boring on the first run, just because it’s a new place and experience. ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/39 "2016-08-29T15:52:15Z")
El Paso to San Antonio, TX - 800 miles of NOTHING! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272/40 "2016-08-29T16:11:17Z")
Nothing at all interesting on the NJ Turnpike until you hit the Newark area and then you can see planes taking off and landing. And the NYC skyline and Metlife stadium. So about 100 miles of nothing. Not a lot compared to other roads but it’s a small state. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boring-stretches-of-highways-x-ways/764272.md?page=3)