# Your geographical misconceptions

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 30, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294 "2020-12-30T20:58:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 253

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**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/253 "2021-01-12T20:56:11Z")

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> [@WildaBeast](#):
>
> I had the same problem when I moved here. I would get completely discombobulated when I saw signs on the freeway directing you to “I-80 West – San Francisco” and “I-80 East – Reno”, since those directions seemed backwards to me. Not only did my brain think east meant “towards the ocean”, west meant “towards the mountains”, which are also on the wrong side here. It took me years to get that sorted out.

In the East Bay (Berkeley), there is a north-south-oriented section of freeway where I-80 and I-580 run concurrent - both freeways are East-West by designation, but when you are traveling south on this roadway, you are on I-80 West/I-580 East, and when you are traveling north on this roadway, you are on I-80 East/I-580 West. 🤪

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