Navigating the Interstate Highway System
2007
June
06
The Interstate Highway System, initiated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, connects most major cities in the United States. Primary routes are designated by a one-digit or two-digit integer with odd numbers representing north-south routes and even numbers representing east-west routes. The origin for numbering interstate highways begins in the south-west corner of the country, meaning that the north-south interstate designated by the smallest integer is located in California with interstate numbers increasing to the east.
When I was in Jackson, MS a few weeks ago for business, I noticed that routes I-20 and I-55 intersected nearby. I remembered that routes I-64 and I-95 intersect in Richmond, VA and calculated that I was 44 routes west and 40 routes south of my home. Unfortunately, this measurement is meaningless as routes are not uniformly spaced.
