# How are distances for highway signs calculated?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-distances-for-highway-signs-calculated/230649
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 23, 2004, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-distances-for-highway-signs-calculated/230649 "2004-02-23T11:44:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JeremyCB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeremyCB)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2004, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-distances-for-highway-signs-calculated/230649/1 "2004-02-23T11:44:36Z")
I live in NC, but every state I’ve ever traveled through seems to work this way: say you see a sign saying “Richmond 10.” But you actually enter the city limits waaaaaay before that. I guess it could signify the distance to the _center_ of the town, but that doesn’t always seem right either. Any idears?
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### Author:  [@Gest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gest)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2004, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-distances-for-highway-signs-calculated/230649/2 "2004-02-23T12:27:41Z")
The centre can change as the boundary shifts. Most places use a more permanent landmark common to most towns like a cathedral, courthouse, main post office or the townhall being the most obvious.
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### Author:  [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-distances-for-highway-signs-calculated/230649/3 "2004-02-23T13:20:28Z")
Both Paris and Madrid have a “Kilometer Zero” marker from which all distances to the rest of the country is calculated. The one in Paris is located very near Notre Dame cathedral . In Madrid it is located in the Puerta Del Sol. I imagine other capital cities have similar markers. Does anyone know where the London one is located?
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### Author:  [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2004, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-distances-for-highway-signs-calculated/230649/4 "2004-02-23T13:43:06Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#):
>
> I imagine other capital cities have similar markers. Does anyone know where the London one is located?
The zero point for London is Charing Cross.
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### Author:  [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2004, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-distances-for-highway-signs-calculated/230649/5 "2004-02-23T13:46:13Z")
The Zero Milestone for the US is located between the White House and the Mall.
I don’t think Norway is organized enough to have such a thing 😛
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### Author:  [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-distances-for-highway-signs-calculated/230649/6 "2004-02-23T13:59:56Z")
There is a monument in Capitol Square in Richmond that is the point from which distances to Richmond are measured.
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-distances-for-highway-signs-calculated/230649/7 "2004-02-23T15:24:51Z")
For most cities in the US, the distance is measures from the city hall or main post office.
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### Author:  [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2004, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-distances-for-highway-signs-calculated/230649/8 "2004-02-23T16:20:53Z")
> [@friedo](#):
>
> For most cities in the US, the distance is measures from the city hall or main post office.
[nitpicky question]
Does that include getting off the freeway, riding around the cloverleaf, and driving to the landmark on surface streets?
Or is it mile (or km) 0 when you drive past it on the freeway?
[/nitpick]