# Canadians in Ontario: Why do most of the highways start with 4?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-in-ontario-why-do-most-of-the-highways-start-with-4/101209>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 1, 2002, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-in-ontario-why-do-most-of-the-highways-start-with-4/101209 "2002-04-01T15:35:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-in-ontario-why-do-most-of-the-highways-start-with-4/101209/21 "2016-05-07T14:30:09Z")

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> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#):
>
> With the exception of putting “the” in front, these conventions are all standard in the US as well.

Using the definite article for freeway/expressway numbers is the norm in Los Angeles and Buffalo, too - “The 405”, “Da thirty-tree”, etc.

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**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-in-ontario-why-do-most-of-the-highways-start-with-4/101209/22 "2016-05-07T16:53:16Z")

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> [@Baffle](#):
>
> Essentially any public road is a highway in Ontario. “Freeway” is not defined in the Act.

[Freeway](https://www.ontario.ca/laws?search=freeway&filteroption=current&filterstate%5B%5D=current&filteryear=&source_type%5B%5D=public&source_type%5B%5D=regulation&pit_date=&filtertype=Statute%2CRegulation&sort=relevance&sort_letter=) is not defined in the Highway Traffic Act, but it is used in regs under that act, and is used in a couple of other acts, one of which defines the term.

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**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-in-ontario-why-do-most-of-the-highways-start-with-4/101209/23 "2016-05-07T18:26:18Z")

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> [@elmwood](#):
>
> Using the definite article for freeway/expressway numbers is the norm in Los Angeles and Buffalo, too - “The 405”, “Da thirty-tree”, etc.

For highways \<400, we wouldn’t use the definite article. So not that we have a thirty-three, but it would “I took highway 33”. (Only, more likely 10, 7, 2, 4 or 5.) But it’s probably a generational thing, because as alluded to up thread, the provincial highways (which had the numbers I listed) were downloaded to the municipalities, so I don’t know that today’s yutes would still speak of them that way.

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-in-ontario-why-do-most-of-the-highways-start-with-4/101209/24 "2016-05-08T20:39:46Z")

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Some provincial highways were downloaded. Some weren’t. It depends which specific ones you’re referring to.

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