US 6 Western Eastbound

US 6 is the second longest road in the US, and formerly the longest. Today we take a look at it's stunning western half between California and the Mississippi River. It's a great ride!

Thanks to everyone who made an exit request in this episode:
Stealthy Noctowl
Andrew Weishaar
Lukeeckles188
Jordan

Upcoming videos:
11/14 290 Buffalo (requests close 10/31)
11/21 485 Charlotte (requests close 10/31)
11/28 I-11 (probably, but could be postponed to next year. Otherwise, a Vegas gimmick. All requests will still be honored!)

All images of roads and signs come from Google Street View unless otherwise specified.

Music: Acoustic Sunrise, from the Apple iMovie sounds library
“Rocky Mountain High” Performed by John Denver

Control City Freak Episodes mentioned in this video:

US 75: Middle of the Map

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Twitter: @contrlcityfrk
Instagram: @controlcityfreak

Interstates, Interstate Highways, Control Cities, Signs, road signs, highway nerdery, geography, roads, roadgeek, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Denver, Lincoln, Omaha, Des Moines, Quad Cities, Davenport, mountains, desert, Chiefs, Broncos

[bobwhit]

I came of age (map age that is....meaning age 5 or 6) while living right near US 6 at Mohegan Ave, in Mohegan Lake NY. My school bus went along there and basically Rt 6 was EVERYTHING to this young map geek.

50 plus years later I'd love to see it on the Eastern episode.

I remember telling parents of my friends that our Rt 6 went all the way to California. They didn't believe me. Hah!

[danieledobish]

Thanks! I forgot about a GREAT little seafood restaurant everyone should visit...Moby Dick's at 3225 State Hwy 6/US 6 in Wellfleet, MA -- they're closed for the season now, but my son and I had some fresh little necks which were yanked from the bay in Chatham, MA that same day, on our last visit. Amazingly fresh chow there!

[danieledobish]

Thanks! One last one near the end...the exit for East US 6 (To 6A) Hyannis, Mass. to the Sagamore Bridge - US6 runs along side the Cape Cod Canal, but this is where you officially get on the Cape. My buddy used to live right over the bridge by Otis AFB. Best Super Bowl party I ever attended was down there for Packers-Patriots in a hot tub with 20-degree weather and plenty of adult beverages - lol

[danieledobish]

Thanks! It would be great to see anything Cedar Point related in Sandusky (name pronounced Dough-bish, by the way - lol) LOVE the channel. I live one town over from Benson, NC, and whistle that all the time on I-40 - haha

[danieledobish]

Thanks! Ha - one more, and then you're out of Cleveland and I'll leave you alone . US 6 goes over Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. on the east side of Cleveland. If you see the street view from MLK, US 6 is a really, really old time bridge/tunnel. We'd take MLK to go visit my brother-in-law at the VA Hospital nearby. Great part of the city. Thanks!

[danieledobish]

Thanks! It would be cool to see Miller Road Park in Avon Lake (off US 6 - Lake Rd) - my grandmother's ashes were spread in Lake Erie out there 🙂

[dhinton]

27:51 I crossed the new I-74/US 6 Mississippi River bridge in June 2022, shortly after the full span opened to traffic ... while driving from Chicago to Tucson, Arizona (by way of Denver) ... i actually took 280 to 74 just to cross over on the new bridge (either 80 or 280 are slightly faster) ... the new bridge is pretty spectacular.

I hope the new I-80 Mississippi River bridge is an upgrade too.

[JohnZoni]

Good stuff, Todd! Looking forward to US 6 Eastern half as it goes through where I currently live (Bristol, CT).

[insertchannelnamehere]

14:20 I can confirm, as a Coloradan who sees shows at Red Rocks a lot, that it is stunning and imo one of the best concert venues out there

[drivingbritt]

Originally I-70's western terminus was planned to be at I-25 in Denver, however the State DOTs of Colorado and Utah both wanted 70 to be extended westward, as to facilitate a road link between Denver and Salt Lake City. The DOTs proposed 70 to be extended along US-6's routing all the way to I-15 in Spanish Fork, UT. They sent this proposal to the federal government, but the government sent back to the DOTs another proposal that was influenced by military planners. The military felt that Southern California wasn't sufficiently connected to the (north)-Central US, and thus they thought the westward extension of I-70 would have been better fit to serve as a link between Denver and Los Angeles, rather than with Salt Lake City, as they felt that Denver and Salt Lake City were already sufficiently connected. Hence, this is the reason why I-70 passes through the San Rafael Swell and terminates at I-15 in Cove Fort, with westbound 70 angled for southbound 15.

[JeffreyReedy-tmxw]

Loving your intro song. I used to sing and play John Denver songs on my guitar back in my 20s.

[S_Over_Street]

I’ve done the drive on US 6 in UT between I-15 & I-70, beautiful scenery.

Also years ago in NV going south on US93, stopped in Ely to gas up & get dinner (that pic of US 93 / 50 / 6 at Love’s truck stop / Carl’s Jr) in the evening, while in that truck stop overheard a conversation between 2 young guys taking bout getting high in heroin 😳

[andysorensen]

Not signing US 6 Colorado? I wouldn’t expect anything else from a state that loves to sign LIMON!

[CSXEK]

I followed this route my 1st ever US hwy I’ve followed and my 1st cross country hwy i finished us 30 and now im following US 101 in honor of the warriors playing in the NBA Cup

[CoolERoadTrips]

Awesome. Can you show the US-6 exit with Ohio Route 2 (the interchange between OH-269 and OH-101) where there is a Margaritaville and access to Cedar Point?

[DMAN_]

Should be a fun matchup Todd

Go Broncos

Also the only memories of US 6 is when I went to Grand Junction with my now-late father's mother.

[thomasrinschler]

8:19 Wow, looking into it, you really should do an episode on US-191. I had no idea it went so far and went through so many interesting places. I've been on about five different segments of it (one section in southeast Arizona just three weeks ago), and didn't realize they were all part the same route until I just now looked it up.

[choporchubbzda]

I think when you do the Eastern portion of US 6, I’ll request you show the US 23 interchange as taking it south from 6 past Fostoria & Carey gets you to Upper Sandusky which is where I’m from

[mrath]

@12:37 Arrowhead (The "west" actually refers to US6 West) is a "base area" of nearby Beaver Creek Resort. History: The Arrowhead ski area actually predates the opening of Beaver Creek (the main base area) it was later acquired and incorporated into Beaver Creek.

[bigjarthur]

US 6 originally started/ended at Long Beach, California (via US 395 / CA 14/ I-5, I-110) making it the longest US highway in the US.