Well, I found something that may count as an exit along US 2. The place is Ponderay ID, just north of Sand Point. At that point, US 2 is concurrent with US 95. They’re headed south with US 2 being nominally west. At the point US 2 breaks off, it takes a marked Exit. But here’s the thing: it’s not an exit from US 2, but rather US 2 exits from US 95. You have to take the exit to stay on US 2. I checked going the other way: there’s a split from ID Hwy 200, where US 2 takes a big loop like in a cloverleaf, but that split is not marked with an exit sign.
So I’ll let @Czarcasm decide if this counts as an exit in the way he wants. If it does, then that cuts off a hundred or so of so miles from the longer Spokane to Bimidji. Instead it’d be Ponderay ID to Bimidji MN.
Terminology seems to vary in different parts of the country. To me, a highway is anything with a number. the number could come from the US, the state, or the county. It could have four or more lanes each way and limited access. It may not even be wide enough to have a painted line down the middle. A freeway, on the other hand, has entrances, exits, ramps, and interchanges. The term originated as a distinction from back east. Those roads had tolls. Our roads did not. They were freeways.
That’s a common misunderstanding of the origin of the word “freeway”. As I posted upthread, it was not because of tolls. Rather, it was a highway free of cross traffic.
Here’s what Google’s Gemini said about it when I asked if there were any regulations about maximum distance between exits in the Interstate Highway System. (Boo! Hiss! AI!)
What I found to be the most interesting was the distinction between no exits and no services (toward the bottom). I didn’t realize that was a thing.
There is no federal legal maximum distance that an interstate highway can go without an exit.
While the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides strict guidelines for the minimum spacing between interchanges (to prevent traffic weaving and accidents), it does not mandate a maximum distance. As a result, exit spacing is largely determined by the geography, population density, and available connecting roads in the area.
However, in practice, there are specific stretches that are famous for their extreme isolation.
The Longest Stretches Without an Exit
If you are strictly looking for the distance between one off-ramp and the next, these are the longest gaps in the U.S. Interstate and turnpike systems:
Florida’s Turnpike (~49 miles): The longest specific stretch without an exit is on Florida’s Turnpike (Ronald Reagan Turnpike). Between Exit 193 (Yeehaw Junction) and Exit 242 (Kissimmee) , there is a gap of approximately 48.9 miles . Drivers on this segment are frequently warned by signage to check their fuel levels before entering.
Interstate 80 in Utah (~37 miles): Crossing the Great Salt Lake Desert (the Bonneville Salt Flats), I-80 goes 37.4 miles without an exit between Exit 4 (Bonneville Speedway) and Exit 41 (Knolls) . This is generally considered the longest exit-free gap on a free (non-toll) federal interstate.
Massachusetts Turnpike / I-90 (~30 miles): A well-known gap in the Northeast exists on I-90 between Exit 10 (Lee) and Exit 41 (Westfield) . For roughly 29.9 miles, drivers traverse the Berkshire Mountains with no legal way to get off the highway.
The Critical Distinction: “No Exit” vs. “No Services”
It is common to confuse “no exits” with “no gas/services.” The most famous lonely stretch of road in America actually does have exits—there is just nothing at them.
Interstate 70 in Utah (~106 miles without services): Between Salina and Green River, motorists face a 106-mile stretch with no gas stations, food, or bathrooms.
Does it have exits? Yes. There are several exits (such as Exit 73 for Salina Creek or Exit 91 for SR-10), but these lead to ranch access roads, dirt trails, or routes that travel dozens of miles further before reaching civilization.
Summary of Rules
Minimum Spacing: Federal guidelines generally recommend interchanges be spaced at least 1 mile apart in urban areas and 3 miles apart in rural areas .
Maximum Spacing: None exists. If you are building a highway through a desert or mountain range where there are no local roads to connect to, you are not required to build an exit to nowhere.
OK, I did some loose figuring on the distances between exits on US 2. For Ponderay ID to Bimidji MN, I get about 1200 miles. I did this based on the length of US 2 in Montana, North Dakota and half of Minnesota, plus 50 miles of Idaho. Distances acquired from U.S. Route 2 - Wikipedia. If the exit in Idaho doesn’t count, add about 50 miles to extend to Spokane.
AIUI, the definition of an exit for this thread has nothing to do with gas or food or even side roads, but rather a sign on the side of the highway with the word EXIT on it. In order to qualify, the highway must have at least two such.
So I don’t know why @Czarcasm is ignoring my contribution of US 2. It certainly qualifies under that rule. I suspect it’s the longest in the US.
For what it’s worth, there are some city streets, with 35 MPH speed limits and intersections with traffic lights, that nonetheless also have exit ramps. For instance:
What you see on the right is a ramp that goes nowhere but over that bridge. But it’s a 35 MPH road, and the intersection before that and the one after that are both traffic lights.
Surely, for the over 1,200 miles on US-2 between Ponderay ID and Bemidji MN, if one missed the marked exit for Ponderay there are many many intersections where one can make a legal U-turn before the very next marked exit which is apparently not until Bemidji. Or am I missing something?
I interpret “longest stretch of highway”, from the OP’s subject line, to be a stretch of highway that has only limited access, meaning the only access comes from official on-ramps and exits, or off-ramps.
If you miss an exit, you’re screwed for X miles until the next exit. What is the greatest number for X?
Sorry, but I’m not buying US-2 for the 1,200+ miles from Ponderay to Bemidji.
He was quoting my earlier post (using quote marks instead of a quote box) while telling me that I didn’t understand what he was asking for. A bit confusing. OK, a lot confusing.
The problem with this thread is that you seem to have a misunderstanding of the difference between limited vs non-limited access highways. It’s only on limited access highways where you’ll be screwed by missing an Exit. Yet you want to consider non-limited access highways too.