# US Rt 202 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715 "2015-12-17T18:22:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/1 "2015-12-17T18:22:29Z")
Why is it signed as running East/West? It runs much closer to North/South. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/2 "2015-12-17T18:26:21Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > Why is it signed as running East/West? It runs much closer to North/South. I live pretty close to route 202 in New Jersey. It is labeled north/south. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/3 "2015-12-17T18:34:41Z")
Labeled north/south in southeastern Pennsylvania as well… ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/4 "2015-12-17T18:36:00Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > Why is it signed as running East/West? It runs much closer to North/South. It’s labeled on a state by state basis, depending on how it runs through each state. > **[U.S. Route 202](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_202)** > > U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware in the south to Maine in the north and traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The highway has borne the number 202 since at least 1936. Before this, sections of the highway were designated U.S. Route 122, as it intersected US 22 in New Jersey. It intersects its parent route, US 2, in Bango Thi... It’s N-S in MA, E-W elsewhere in New England. It looks like it’s E-W in NY, N-S in NJ, and I can’t tell in PE and DE. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/5 "2015-12-17T18:36:01Z")
That highway runs through eight states, from Delaware to Maine. So it might help if you specified where you’re seeing east-west signage. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/6 "2015-12-17T19:46:22Z")
Coincidentally I am looking out the window right now at cars driving north and south on 202. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/7 "2015-12-17T19:58:48Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > That highway runs through eight states, from Delaware to Maine. So it might help if you specified where you’re seeing east-west signage. His location indicates New England, so I assume he’s not in Massachusetts. In CT, MA, NH, and ME it runs at about a 45 degree angle, so either labeling would work. Of the four states, it’s most clearly E-W in NH. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/8 "2015-12-17T19:58:53Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > It’s N-S in MA, E-W elsewhere in New England. It looks like it’s E-W in NY, N-S in NJ, and I can’t tell in PE and DE. As I mentioned earlier, it is marked as N-S in Pennsylvania, although it runs very close to NE-SW based on where it crosses state lines. However, many (non-Interstate) highways, county lines, and township lines in southeastern Pennsylvania run “diagonally”: NE-SW or NW-SE. Drives my wife (who is from relatively “orderly” Massachusetts) nuts. Probably due to the fact that the border (Delaware River) flows NE-SW in our corner of the state (and then NW-SE after it bends at Trenton)… ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/9 "2015-12-17T19:59:12Z")
Being in the land of the Capitol Beltway, our major Interstates (I-x95) Run in all four directions. One minute, you’re on 695N, the next minute you’re on on 695E. It confuses a lot of GPS (and drivers). Giving directions around here is somewhat less than awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/10 "2015-12-17T20:03:21Z")
> [@GiantRat](#): > > Being in the land of the Capitol Beltway, our major Interstates (I-x95) Run in all four directions. One minute, you’re on 695N, the next minute you’re on on 695E. It confuses a lot of GPS (and drivers). Giving directions around here is somewhat less than awesome. I vaguely remember driving somewhere (maybe Raleigh, NC?) years ago where the ring road was very helpfully marked “CW” and “CCW”. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/11 "2015-12-17T20:08:50Z")
U.S. 101 in California is signed north/south along its entire route, including the heavily traveled portion in Los Angeles which runs entirely east/west. Adding to the confusion, the guide signs on surface streets mark the freeway onramps as “eastbound” and “westbound”, while the freeway itself is marked “north” or “south”. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/12 "2015-12-17T20:14:28Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > I vaguely remember driving somewhere (maybe Raleigh, NC?) years ago where the ring road was very helpfully marked “CW” and “CCW”. Just looked it up. It was I-440 in Raleigh, and it was marked “Inner” and “Outer” for the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. The markings were discontinued in 2002. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/13 "2015-12-17T22:37:57Z")
There are two major US Routes running near us. Both East-West. Problem. One is a North-South (odd number) highway. Runs E-W for a long ways. Confuses some people. E.g., **MrsFtG** used to work at a place on the north side of the “N-S” highway. Giving directions that referred to local geography confused people who insisted on wanting to know whether it is on the east or west side of the road. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/14 "2015-12-17T22:56:40Z")
That’s true in Connecticut as well. I-95 is the big interstate highway that runs up the East Coast from Florida to Maine. But in Connecticut, it runs east-west along the coastline. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/15 "2015-12-17T23:28:09Z")
Near Newport, Maine, there is a small section of I-95 where you travel the opposite direction of the sign. It takes a dip to the south on the way to Bangor, so for a few miles, the signs will say you are traveling North, and GPS say south. (or vice versa) ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/16 "2015-12-18T00:47:12Z")
In [Berkeley, CA](https://goo.gl/maps/pXrarVJmxqw), if you’re on I-80 heading toward Sacramento, you are simultaneously on I-80 eastbound and I-580 westbound, and your actual direction of travel is north. Fortunately, traffic moves so slowly through there that you have plenty of time to figure out which way to go. ---
**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:** [December 18, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/17 "2015-12-18T23:46:07Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > In [Berkeley, CA](https://goo.gl/maps/pXrarVJmxqw), if you’re on I-80 heading toward Sacramento, you are simultaneously on I-80 eastbound and I-580 westbound, and your actual direction of travel is north. Fortunately, traffic moves so slowly through there that you have plenty of time to figure out which way to go. While traveling in the other direction on that same stretch of road at certain hours, traffic moves so slowly that you aren’t moving in any direction at all. The same is true on that above-mentioned section of US-101 in the San Fernando Valley mentioned by **buddha\_david** above. I remember that being the case even 50-some years ago when I was growing up in that area. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2015, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/18 "2015-12-19T05:25:07Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > U.S. 101 in California is signed north/south along its entire route, including the heavily traveled portion in Los Angeles which runs entirely east/west. Adding to the confusion, the guide signs on surface streets mark the freeway onramps as “eastbound” and “westbound”, while the freeway itself is marked “north” or “south”. :smack: In Washington, U.S. 101 is signed north/south from the Oregon border to Forks where it becomes an east/west route across the Olympic Peninsula until it’s junction with (I believe) State Route 20 when it goes back to north/south. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2015, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/19 "2015-12-19T06:46:33Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > Near Newport, Maine, there is a small section of I-95 where you travel the opposite direction of the sign. It takes a dip to the south on the way to Bangor, so for a few miles, the signs will say you are traveling North, and GPS say south. (or vice versa) These things happen every now and again. Probably the most famous, as far as these things go is the dip in I-25 near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Also, in Chicago, I-90/94 runs north-south, but is signed as east-west, since that is the “big picture” direction of both highways. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2015, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715/20 "2015-12-19T07:37:27Z")
I lived half my life within walking distance of 202 in PA and NY. I’ve traveled it from DE into CT. Obviously over it’s entire length it runs north-south, but for many miles at a time it can be running in any direction, and it was distinctly running east-west passing through NY. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-rt-202/740715.md?page=2)