# US cities served by 3 or more "primary" Interstate highways **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 28, 2021, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983 "2021-02-28T23:03:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/21 "2021-03-01T00:38:07Z")
New York state’s Capital District (Albany, Troy, Schenectady, and nearby towns) has three, but no one city has all three of the highways within its city limits. I-88 leads toward Binghamton; I-90 leads toward Boston or Buffalo; and I-87 leads toward New York City or the Canadian border south of Montreal. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/22 "2021-03-01T01:07:51Z")
Well, the town I live in has a population of about 40K and is served by 3 interstates. (Slidell, La.) I am trying to count the interstates serving DC, but there are a lot. some of them are functionally the same road, but have multiple designations (i-395 and I-695). I counted 6, but depending on your definition of interstate and in the city (ie I-270 is a commuter feeder to DC but terminates at the beltway), that number may vary. And I-95 goes right past DC, but loses it’s designation to other interstates for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/23 "2021-03-01T02:01:53Z")
In this case - only one and two-digit numbered Interstates count, and only within the city limits. DC seems to have only one - I-66 - and it’s only about a mile long. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/24 "2021-03-01T03:31:12Z")
Denver has 3: 70, 76, and 25. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/25 "2021-03-01T04:23:37Z")
[Interstate 20](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_20), [Interstate 75](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_75), and [Interstate 85](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_85) all intersect at Atlanta. All three are considered “major” highways. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/26 "2021-03-01T05:09:57Z")
A couple of my cartographer friends have created diagrammatic maps of what roadgeeks call 2di’s (two-digit Interstates). [This one by Cameron Booth](https://cambooth.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Interstates_4000px.jpg) makes it fairly easy to see that several cities, including Indianapolis and Birmingham, make it to four. As you might expect from knowing North American geography, though, the Chicago metro area is the champion with ten: 39, 41, 43, 55, 57, 65, 80, 88, 90, and 94. Four of those do enter the City of Chicago, if that’s the test. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/27 "2021-03-01T05:33:17Z")
What exactly are the “primary” interstate highways? I had always thought these were the major long-distance cross-country highways, all having one- or two-digit numbers ending in 0 or 5. What is the nature of the other two-digit interstates, that don’t end in 0 or 5? Are they long-haul cross-country roads? Or shorter more local-ish or regional highways that, say, connect cities not too far apart? Are they late-comers to the Interstate highway system? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/28 "2021-03-01T05:42:25Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > What exactly are the “primary” interstate highways? I had always thought these were the major long-distance cross-country highways, all having one- or two-digit numbers ending in 0 or 5. The OP defined them, for purposes of this thread, as interstates with one- or two-digit numbers, and that’s consistent with how the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials defines “[primary interstates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System#Primary_(one-_and_two-digit)_Interstates)” (as opposed to the three-digit “auxiliary” interstates). But, yes, you’re right, the longer “major” interstates are (intentionally) numbered ending in 0 or 5. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/29 "2021-03-01T12:26:48Z")
Was going to say the NY Capitol area, but ninja’d above. Binghamption NY has 81, 88, 86, which that last one is one of the newest interstates, it was a rebranding of Rt 17. Though this meets your standards, really it’s sketchy to call 88 and 86 ‘primary’ as they are each in the 2-3 hour mark to fully drive the entire highway end to end. (On Edit 86 is discontinuous, so longer and planned longer, so only 88 is short) ---
**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:** [March 1, 2021, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/30 "2021-03-01T13:27:02Z")
Great post! I was just teaching my “Maps and Society” students about parodies/maps inspired by Harry Beck’s iconic London Tube map. The “popular music acts and genres” drew their attention. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/31 "2021-03-01T13:36:54Z")
Baltimore is served by 70, 95, 83, and 97 (which is the shortest interstate, at 17 miles). ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/32 "2021-03-01T13:43:21Z")
Atlanta’s served by 20, 75, and 85 ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/33 "2021-03-01T13:48:13Z")
Oops. I missed that definition in the OP. Sorry. Slidell still counts (I-10,12,59). With this definition, the results will be determined almost entirely by geography. The city/town will have little to do with it. Though large cities like Dallas or Los Angles have a better shot since they cover more area. A more general question is where in the country do one or two digit interstates intersect? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/34 "2021-03-01T13:48:53Z")
On the opposite side of that spectrum, I remember when I lived in the Orlando area, there was only one interstate - interstate 4. And it was a total parking lot. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/35 "2021-03-01T15:01:17Z")
Detroit has I-94, I-96 and I-75 converging right downtown. ---
**Author:** ![Psychopants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Psychopants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psychopants)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/36 "2021-03-01T15:29:03Z")
Honolulu has 3. H1, H2, and H3. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/37 "2021-03-01T15:42:38Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > As you might expect from knowing North American geography, though, the Chicago metro area is the champion with ten: 39, 41, 43, 55, 57, 65, 80, 88, 90, and 94. Four of those do enter the City of Chicago, if that’s the test. 88 and 65 are just barely short, too. Each gets to within about five miles of the city limits. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/38 "2021-03-01T15:51:18Z")
I-80 is actually the only one within 5 miles. At its closest point, Google maps shows me it’s just under 5 miles (as part of 80/294). If you only want to count the part just before it joins 294, then just over 5.5 as the crow flies from the border of Chicago. I-88 is actually a little bit farther in its closest point to Chicago: about 6.5 miles. I-65 is about 12 miles or so from the city limits. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/39 "2021-03-01T16:11:17Z")
Does anyone actually call it I-69 though? I would imagine it’ll always be “59” until the end of time. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983/40 "2021-03-01T17:00:00Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > As you might expect from knowing North American geography, though, the Chicago metro area is the champion with ten: 39, 41, 43, 55, 57, 65, 80, 88, 90, and 94. Four of those do enter the City of Chicago, if that’s the test. 39 and 43 are stretches, in my mind. For 39, a whole lot of corn/soybean fields separate that interstate from any of Chicagoland metro area. And for 43, neither Milwaukee nor Beloit are generally considered to be Chicago metropolitan territory. Fantastic map, by the way. Thanks! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cities-served-by-3-or-more-primary-interstate-highways/933983.md?page=3)