The US Interstate System: More than 40,000 Miles of Open Road

And when we say "open road," we are obviously not counting the New Jersey turnpike.

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[kathyastrom]

Before she passed, my grandma told me about a road trip she and her family went on in 1924, when she was 12. They drove from Chicago to upstate New York to visit her uncle. Since motels weren’t a thing yet, they usually camped on the side of the road, which wasn’t always paved, and stocked up on provisions when they got the chance, since restaurants weren’t always available. It took them about a week or more to drive there and the same back. Luckily, Great-Grandpa Jesse ran his own barbershop and just shut it down for their vacation.

[thetrapboy]

Born and raised in america. Road trips were a regular part of my childhood. And yes, it is EXACTLY how it is in the movies. You can really drive for an entire day and still not be at your destination. I love it.

[TV-vzrf]

The 2006 “Cars” animated movie, funnily enough, outlines the issue of the loss of the beautiful American town experience that was mentioned. Lol

[klonkimo]

Hey Simon, truck driver here. I have to correct you on your terminology; a spur route is a branch off from the system to reach a town. A bypass is what you described, that goes around a busy city while the main route goes through it.

[hankadelicflash]

"The 405 just means 4 out of 5 times your ass ain't going anywhere...' -Carrot Top

[dave]

The US Interstate road system is insanely good. I moved from New York State to AZ (2, 400 miles) and got there in three days. Left Friday morning and got there Sunday night. I took one day off from work to move 2, 400 miles!

[gilbertvehicleservices]

Being an American from the Midwest born in 1974, I took our highway system for granted until I traveled to Brazil in 2001. Their lack of highways between major cities greatly limits ground travel and shipping. The US Highway system is very unique and a key enabler to individual transit.

[jonfromstearns]

I’m a Kentuckian. I’ve traveled to every state (except Hawaii) as a long haul trucker. It’s truly amazing how vast America truly is.

[NorthernChev]

The 405 is not a highway, it's a parking lot.

[Echowhiskeyone]

The Interstate System will never be done. Resurfacing and widening and upgrading. Some part, many parts, seem to be always under construction.

[lyfandeth]

Why did you forget to mention it was called the Interstate and Defense Highway System, and it was also a Cold War military project. The roads specifically have flat straight runs, capable of emergency aircraft operations. All overpasses were high enough to allow tank transporters to pass under them. Grades and curves were laid out to allow courier (car) traffic at sustained speeds of 90mph, and heavier vehicles at 70mph.
It was designed to allow effective military operations in the event that the Cold War went atomic. Later segments in later times were allowed to miss some of these requirements.

[HPSmugscraft]

My family and I were once followed by an outbreak of tornadoes along I-70 from Kansas all the way to Ohio. Saw a stop sign in St. Louis get bent to a right angle by the wind.

I think I broke the world record for "most Hail Marys ever prayed in a day that day".

[Bubbaist]

A Southern California valentine once read, “I would get on the 405 at 5PM for you.” Many people who saw it replied, “The Hell I would.”

[judeman]

Honestly I think you could make a whole series of videos on the interstate systems in America. There is so much more information you could address. Like the roads that go through mountains and the steep inclines in some areas. Thanks...

[flyingcaddy]

I grew up while the interstate highway system was being built and saw the transition from the old US highway system to the interstate system. Our travel plans etc. changed drastically and I saw many small towns die off and new areas build up around interstate interchanges. Looking back it was a very interesting transformation to watch. The old US highways are still there for the most part and are very interesting to drive if you want to get a pre interstate travel experience. Nice video.

[bob]

There is an Interstate segment designated as "1" its on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu running from Pearl Harbor to Waialae Kahala. While it has the H-1 designation (all Hawaiian Interstates use H) it is techically an Interstate (by its being part of the system) since the port connects commercially with other States' ports.

[davidcarpenter]

My grandfather's farm was seized by Eminent Domain to build 195 in MA. You can't stop progress was the phrase of the day

[theclockworksolution]

This is the first video I’ve clicked in forever that has to do with the something in the US which isn’t explicitly negative about it. Kinda refreshing, I wasn’t expecting it.

[kingjellybean]

Fun fact odd number interstates run north to south and even goes east to west

[carlopton]

When I was a small child I watched the Interstate and access ramp being built near my home. I also remember a vacation trip before I.75 and I.40 were finished. My sister and I were in the back seat of the NON-AIR Conditioned auto. With windows down and moving, no problem. We were stuck in mid summer heat, as in hot and humid, and we were melting. We were in a long line of vehicles making a RIGHT turn in a small, tiny, town. We finally got to the right turn, waited for our turn, and then we started moving and the breeze felt so so so good. I give a HELL YA to the Interstate System. As for the right turn, it was illegal at that time to make a right turn against a red light. Even if you were the only car anywhere to be seen. Speed Trap communities loved that. One thing you left out, tourism. It was a boon for tourism. My father took us to the south east coast one year. It took two days of driving, and an overnight stay. When I was an adult stationed in Augusta, GA, I was able to drive from my home town, to my station, which was an hour away from the old vacation destination, in less than a day. I think good public transportation is not incompatible with the Interstate System. But I love my highway. I love driving. When I was stationed in Berlin, I had no car for three years. But I still dreamed of driving on a regular basis. I love me a good long drive.