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U.S. Route 2

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Browning is a former town and current unincorporated community in Glacier County , Montana , United States. It is the headquarters for the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and was the only incorporated town on the Reservation. The population was 1,018 at the 2020 census .

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93-442: U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 ( US 2 ) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway spanning 2,571 miles (4,138 km) across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada . Unlike some routes, which are disconnected into segments because of encroaching Interstate Highways , the two portions of US 2 were designed to be separate in

186-425: A banner such as alternate or bypass —are also managed by AASHTO. These are sometimes designated with lettered suffixes, like A for alternate or B for business. The official route log, last published by AASHTO in 1989, has been named United States Numbered Highways since its initial publication in 1926. Within the route log, "U.S. Route" is used in the table of contents, while "United States Highway" appears as

279-514: A distinctively-shaped white shield with large black numerals in the center. Often, the shield is displayed against a black square or rectangular background. Each state manufactures their own signage, and as such subtle variations exist all across the United States. Individual states may use cut-out or rectangular designs, some have black outlines, and California prints the letters "US" above the numerals. One- and two-digit shields generally feature

372-535: A household in the town was $ 23,879, and the median income for a family was $ 25,000. Males had a median income of $ 24,375 versus $ 20,972 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 8,955. About 28.3% of families and 29.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 33.4% of those under age 18 and 23.6% of those age 65 or over. The area school district is Browning Public Schools , with its components being Browning Elementary School District and Browning High School District. The two districts, under

465-604: A main route. Odd numbers generally increase from east to west; U.S. Route 1 (US 1) follows the Atlantic Coast and US 101 follows the Pacific Coast. (US 101 is one of the many exceptions to the standard numbering grid; its first "digit" is "10", and it is a main route on its own and not a spur of US 1.) Even numbers tend to increase from north to south; US 2 closely follows the Canadian border, and US 98 hugs

558-441: A means for interstate travelers to access local services and as secondary feeder roads or as important major arteries in their own right. In other places, where there are no nearby Interstate Highways, the U.S. Routes often remain as the most well-developed roads for long-distance travel. While the system's growth has slowed in recent decades, the U.S. Highway System remains in place to this day and new routes are occasionally added to

651-449: A part of popular culture. US 101 continues east and then south to end at Olympia, Washington . The western terminus of US 2 is now at Everett, Washington . Browning, Montana The town was named in 1885 for Commissioner of Indian Affairs Daniel M. Browning. The post office was established in 1895. The town was disincorporated on September 26, 2018, after the town's government collapsed financially. According to

744-591: A rough grid. Major routes from the earlier map were assigned numbers ending in 0, 1 or 5 (5 was soon relegated to less-major status), and short connections received three-digit numbers based on the main highway from which they spurred. The five-man committee met September 25, and submitted the final report to the Joint Board secretary on October 26. The board sent the report to the Secretary of Agriculture on October 30, and he approved it November 18, 1925. The new system

837-648: Is semi-arid and continental . Temperatures above 90 °F (32 °C) occur an average of twice annually, temperatures below 32 °F (0 °C) occur an average of 196 days annually, and those below 0 °F (−18 °C) occur an average of 32 days annually. There is a large degree of diurnal temperature variation that occurs in the summer, but not as much in the winter. Large temperature swings are possible, especially in fall, winter, and spring. Arctic-air intrusions from western Canada can bring sudden, severe temperature drops, while chinook events, with Pacific-originating warmer air descending from mountain ranges to

930-617: Is a north–south route, unlike its parent US 22 , which is east–west. As originally assigned, the first digit of the spurs increased from north to south and east to west along the parent; for example, US 60 had spurs, running from east to west, designated as US 160 in Missouri , US 260 in Oklahoma , US 360 in Texas , and US 460 and US 560 in New Mexico . As with

1023-577: Is a vital northern corridor for Montana and has more mileage within Montana than in any other state. It intersects US 93 at Kalispell and passes through the southern end of Glacier National Park , crossing the Continental Divide at Marias Pass , before it enters the Great Plains west of Browning . It travels through Shelby where it meets I-15 , before it goes on to Havre , where it meets

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1116-439: Is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States . As the designation and numbering of these highways were coordinated among the states, they are sometimes called Federal Highways , but the roadways were built and have always been maintained by state or local governments since their initial designation in 1926. The route numbers and locations are coordinated by

1209-745: Is in the process of eliminating all intrastate U.S. Highways less than 300 miles (480 km) in length "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials can reach agreement with reference thereto". New additions to the system must serve more than one state and "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". A version of this policy has been in place since 1937. The original major transcontinental routes in 1925, along with

1302-644: Is less than a mile (1.6 km) long in the state. US 2 traverses the length of Grand Isle County and crosses Lake Champlain over several bridges until it reaches the mainland in Milton and Chittenden County . From there, it travels south to Burlington , where it begins to closely parallel I-89 all the way to Montpelier , in Washington County . At Montpelier, the road turns northeastward, crossing into Caledonia County and passing through St. Johnsbury . It then passes into Essex County and eventually crosses

1395-599: Is the northernmost all-season highway through the Cascade Mountains . It begins at I-5 and SR 529 in Everett and travels east via Stevens Pass . It intersects US 97 approximately four miles (6.4 km) east of Leavenworth and continues as a duplicate route crossing the Columbia River at Wenatchee , then continues north as far as Orondo , where US 97 splits north. US 2 continues to Spokane and

1488-552: The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), worked to form a national numbering system to rationalize the roads. After several meetings, a final report was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in November 1925. After getting feedback from the states, they made several modifications; the U.S. Highway System was approved on November 11, 1926. Expansion of the U.S. Highway System continued until 1956, when

1581-518: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The only federal involvement in AASHTO is a nonvoting seat for the United States Department of Transportation . Generally, most north-to-south highways are odd-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the east and the highest in the west, while east-to-west highways are typically even-numbered, with the lowest numbers in

1674-567: The Connecticut River from Guildhall into Lancaster, New Hampshire . Once into New Hampshire, the road continues southeastward, passing through Jefferson (home to several small amusement parks and roadside attractions, such as Santa's Village ) before heading more easterly, skirting the northern edge of the White Mountain National Forest into Gorham , where it meets Route 16 , the major north–south roadway through

1767-497: The Everett Turnpike . However, US Routes in the system do use parts of five toll roads: U.S. Routes in the contiguous United States follow a grid pattern, in which odd-numbered routes run generally north to south and even-numbered routes run generally east to west, though three-digit spur routes can be either-or. Usually, one- and two-digit routes are major routes, and three-digit routes are numbered as shorter spur routes from

1860-656: The Gulf Freeway carried US 75 , the Pasadena Freeway carried US 66 , and the Pulaski Skyway carries US 1 and US 9 . The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 appropriated funding for the Interstate Highway System, to construct a vast network of freeways across the country. By 1957, AASHO had decided to assign a new grid to the new routes, to be numbered in the opposite directions as

1953-448: The I-29 / US 81 concurrency at Grand Forks. US 2 is four lanes from North Dakota's eastern edge to just past Williston, a stretch of about 343 miles (552 km), leaving the remaining 12 miles (19 km) to the Montana border as a two-lane highway. In Rugby , just east of the route's intersection with North Dakota Highway 3 , the highway passes the location designated in 1931 as

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2046-522: The Interstate Highway System was laid out and began construction under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower . After the national implementation of the Interstate Highway System, many U.S. Routes that had been bypassed or overlaid with Interstate Highways were decommissioned and removed from the system. In some places, the U.S. Routes remain alongside the Interstates and serve as

2139-703: The Mackinac Bridge in St. Ignace. The eastern segment of US 2 traverses the northeastern part of New York and the northern New England states. The road starts at US 11 , just one mile (1.6 km) south of the Canadian border at Rouses Point in Champlain . From there, it crosses the Richelieu River at the outlet of Lake Champlain on the Rouses Point Bridge into Grand Isle County, Vermont . The road

2232-603: The New England states got together to establish the six-state New England Interstate Routes . Behind the scenes, the federal aid program had begun with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , providing 50% monetary support from the federal government for improvement of major roads. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 limited the routes to 7% of each state's roads, while 3 in every 7 roads had to be "interstate in character". Identification of these main roads

2325-528: The Pacific coast . Many local disputes arose related to the committee's choices between designation of two roughly equal parallel routes, which were often competing auto trails. At their January meeting, AASHO approved the first two of many split routes (specifically US 40 between Manhattan, Kansas and Limon, Colorado and US 50 between Baldwin City, Kansas and Garden City, Kansas ). In effect, each of

2418-531: The United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 0.27 square miles (0.70 km ), all land. Browning has a warm-summer humid continental climate ( Dfb ), bordering on a subarctic climate , as well as cold semi-arid . From January 23 to January 24, 1916, the temperature fell 100 °F (56 °C), from 44 °F (7 °C) to −56 °F (−49 °C), the world record for greatest temperature drop in 24 hours. Browning's climate

2511-627: The Upper Peninsula of Michigan , where it turned west along the northern tier of the country. This portion took the route past Duluth, Minnesota ; Minot, North Dakota ; Havre, Montana ; and Glacier National Park to Spokane, Washington . In order to reach Portland, Oregon, the highway turned south in Washington via Walla Walla to Pendleton, Oregon , where it headed west again via the Columbia River Highway to Portland. The last piece of

2604-415: The auto trails which they roughly replaced, were as follows: US 10, US 60, and US 90 only ran about two thirds of the way across the country, while US 11 and US 60 ran significantly diagonally. US 60's violation of two of the conventions would prove to be one of the major sticking points; US 60 eventually was designated as US 66 in 1926, and later it became

2697-409: The 1940s and 1950s to adopt the same number as the U.S. Route they connected to – mostly in the western provinces. Examples include British Columbia 's highways 93 , 95 , 97 , and 99 ; Manitoba 's highways 59 , 75 , and 83 ; or Ontario King's Highway 71 . The reverse happened with U.S. Route 57 , originally a Texas state highway numbered to match Mexican Federal Highway 57 . In the 1950s,

2790-464: The Bong Bridge and entering into the city of Superior , Wisconsin's western segment of the highway joins Belknap Street. After crossing the midsection of Superior, US 2 merges with US 53 for a few miles following East 2nd Street out of the city. US 53 and US 2 part ways 10 miles (16 km) outside of Superior. US 53 veers south toward Eau Claire , while US 2 continues to

2883-477: The Canadian border. A large portion of the western segment of US 2, and a shorter piece of the eastern segment, follows the old Theodore Roosevelt International Highway . This auto trail , named in honor of the late former president and naturalist Theodore Roosevelt , was organized in February 1919 to connect Portland, Maine , with Portland, Oregon . The route taken by this highway left Portland, Maine, to

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2976-478: The Gulf Coast. The longest routes connecting major cities are generally numbered to end in a 1 or a 0; however, extensions and truncations have made this distinction largely meaningless. These guidelines are very rough, and exceptions to all of the basic numbering rules exist. The numbering system also extended beyond the borders of the United States in an unofficial manner. Many Canadian highways were renumbered in

3069-596: The Northeast, New York held out for fewer routes designated as US highways. The Pennsylvania representative, who had not attended the local meetings, convinced AASHO to add a dense network of routes, which had the effect of giving six routes termini along the state line. (Only US 220 still ends near the state line, and now it ends at an intersection with future I-86 .) Because US 20 seemed indirect, passing through Yellowstone National Park , Idaho and Oregon requested that US 30 be swapped with US 20 to

3162-463: The Roosevelt Highway, the proposed US 2 traveled north to the international border at Sault Ste. Marie . It reappeared at Rouses Point, New York , following Route 30 and then rejoining the auto trail between Burlington and Montpelier. US 2 and the Roosevelt Highway both connected Montpelier to St. Johnsbury , but the latter took a direct path along Route 18, while the former

3255-739: The U.S. Highway grid. Though the Interstate numbers were to supplement—rather than replace—the U.S. Route numbers, in many cases (especially in the West ) the US highways were rerouted along the new Interstates. Major decommissioning of former routes began with California 's highway renumbering in 1964 . The 1985 removal of US 66 is often seen as the end of an era of US highways. A few major connections not served by Interstate Highways include US 6 from Hartford, Connecticut, to Providence, Rhode Island and US 93 from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, though

3348-529: The US Highway system, three-digit numbers are assigned to spurs of one or two-digit routes. US 201 , for example, splits from US 1 at Brunswick, Maine , and runs north to Canada. Not all spurs travel in the same direction as their "parents"; some are connected to their parents only by other spurs, or not at all, instead only traveling near their parents, Also, a spur may travel in different cardinal directions than its parent, such as US 522 , which

3441-477: The US highway, which did not end in zero, but was still seen as a satisfyingly round number. Route 66 came to have a prominent place in popular culture, being featured in song and films. With 32 states already marking their routes, the plan was approved by AASHO on November 11, 1926. This plan included a number of directionally split routes, several discontinuous routes (including US 6 , US 19 and US 50 ), and some termini at state lines. By

3534-633: The United States Numbered Highways system had a total length of 157,724 miles (253,832 km). Except for toll bridges and tunnels , very few U.S. Routes are toll roads . AASHTO policy says that a toll road may only be included as a special route , and that "a toll-free routing between the same termini shall continue to be retained and marked as a part of the U.S. Numbered System." U.S. Route 3 (US 3) meets this obligation; in New Hampshire , it does not follow tolled portions of

3627-426: The age of 18 living with them, 28.6% were married couples living together, 28.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 10.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.5% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.43. The median age in

3720-471: The approval of the states along the former US 60. But Missouri and Oklahoma did object—Missouri had already printed maps, and Oklahoma had prepared signs. A compromise was proposed, in which US 60 would split at Springfield, Missouri , into US 60E and US 60N, but both sides objected. The final solution resulted in the assignment of US 66 to the Chicago-Los Angeles portion of

3813-405: The auto trail associations were not able to formally address the meetings. However, as a compromise, they talked with the Joint Board members. The associations finally settled on a general agreement with the numbering plans, as named trails would still be included. The tentative system added up to 81,000 miles (130,000 km), 2.8% of the public road mileage at the time. The second full meeting

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3906-677: The border in Newport . Shortly after entering Idaho from the west, US 2 crosses the Priest River . US 2 follows Pend Oreille River to its source at Lake Pend Oreille . US 2 intersects State Highway 57 in the town of Priest River at mile 5.8. US 2 intersects US 95 at mile 28.4 in the town of Sandpoint . The two routes overlap for 36.2 miles (58.3 km) until just after Bonners Ferry . At Three Mile Corner, US 2 continues southeast for 15.8 miles (25.4 km) where it crosses into Montana . US 2

3999-470: The city of Ashland and ultimately to the Wisconsin–Michigan state line at the city of Ironwood . An eastern segment of US 2 re-enters Wisconsin four miles (6.4 km) northwest of Florence and proceeds concurrently with US 141 for 14.5 miles (23.3 km) until exiting Wisconsin again near Iron Mountain, Michigan . US 2 enters Michigan at the city of Ironwood and runs east to

4092-475: The country. It is the lowest primary-numbered east–west U.S. Highway, whose numbers otherwise end in zero, and was so numbered to avoid a US 0. Sections of US 2 in New England were once New England Route 15 , part of the New England road marking system . The western segment of US 2 extends west from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan across the northern tier of the lower 48 states. Most of

4185-609: The eastern half of the forest and past Mount Washington . From Gorham, the road travels east along the southern banks of the Androscoggin River to Shelburne and eventually crosses into Gilead, Maine . Throughout its entire 35-mile (56 km) stretch, the New Hampshire portion of US 2 is in Coös County . US 2 travels from Gilead to Houlton near Houlton International Airport . US 2 ends at I-95 just west of

4278-464: The first documented person to drive an automobile from San Francisco to New York using only a connection of dirt roads, cow paths, and railroad beds. His journey, covered by the press, became a national sensation and called for a system of long-distance roads. In the early 1910s, auto trail organizations—most prominently the Lincoln Highway —began to spring up, marking and promoting routes for

4371-426: The first segment of a new freeway opened between St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie. It ran from Evergreen Shores, north of St. Ignace, to present-day M-123 and replaced the former route on State Street and Mackinac Trail. Over the next six years, US 2 was moved from Mackinac Trail onto the new freeway as new sections opened. Beginning in 1961, the freeway was concurrently signed as an extension of I-75 . The freeway

4464-596: The geographical center of North America . The monument marking the geographic center had to be relocated in 1971 when US 2 was converted from two to four lanes. The portion of US 2 from Cass Lake to Bemidji is officially designated the Paul Bunyan Expressway. It also intersects US 169 and the Mississippi River in Grand Rapids . At the crossing between Duluth and Superior, Wisconsin ,

4557-509: The heading for each route. All reports of the Special Committee on Route Numbering since 1989 use "U.S. Route", and federal laws relating to highways use "United States Route" or "U.S. Route" more often than the "Highway" variants. The use of U.S. Route or U.S. Highway on a local level depends on the state, with some states such as Delaware using "route" and others such as Colorado using "highway". In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson became

4650-660: The highway crosses the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge , about 8,300 feet (2,500 m) in length—roughly 11,800 feet (3,600 m) in length when the above land approaches are included. Of the 266 miles (428 km) of US 2 in Minnesota, 146 miles (235 km) have four lanes, mostly located in the northwest part of the state. Legally, the Minnesota section of US 2 is defined as Routes 8 and 203 in Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.114(2) and 161.115(134) . After crossing

4743-515: The highway to be completed was over Marias Pass through Glacier National Park; cars were carried through the park on the Great Northern Railway until 1930. The first interstate numbering for the Roosevelt Highway was in New England , where the New England road marking system was established in 1922. Route 18 followed the auto trail from Portland northwest to Montpelier, where it continued to Burlington via Route 14 . Many of

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4836-461: The intended use, provide a parallel routing to the mainline U.S. Highway. Before the U.S. Routes were designated, auto trails designated by auto trail associations were the main means of marking roads through the United States. These were private organizations, and the system of road marking at the time was haphazard and not uniform. In 1925, the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , recommended by

4929-468: The latter is planned to be upgraded to Interstate 11 . Three state capitals in the contiguous U.S. are served only by U.S. Routes: Dover, Delaware ; Jefferson City, Missouri ; and Pierre, South Dakota . In 1995, the National Highway System was defined to include both the Interstate Highway System and other roads designated as important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. AASHTO

5022-475: The more colorful names and historic value of the auto trail systems. The New York Times wrote, "The traveler may shed tears as he drives the Lincoln Highway or dream dreams as he speeds over the Jefferson Highway , but how can he get a 'kick' out of 46, 55 or 33 or 21?" (A popular song later promised, " Get your kicks on Route 66! ") The writer Ernest McGaffey was quoted as saying, "Logarithms will take

5115-577: The name "Browning Public Schools," educate students from kindergarten through 12th grade. They are known as the Indians. Browning High School is a Class A school. Browning is home to Blackfeet Community College . In addition to the public school district operated in Browning and Heart Butte on the Blackfeet Reservation, there is also a language immersion program operated through Cutswood Academy and

5208-513: The new recreation of long-distance automobile travel. The Yellowstone Trail was another of the earliest examples. While many of these organizations worked with towns and states along the route to improve the roadways, others simply chose a route based on towns that were willing to pay dues, put up signs, and did little else. Wisconsin was the first state in the U.S. to number its highways , erecting signs in May 1918. Other states soon followed. In 1922,

5301-593: The north, and the highest in the south, though the grid guidelines are not rigidly followed, and many exceptions exist. Major north–south routes generally have numbers ending in "1", while major east–west routes usually have numbers ending in "0". Three-digit numbered highways are generally spur routes of parent highways; for example, U.S. Route 264 (US 264) is a spur off US 64 . Some divided routes , such as US 19E and US 19W , exist to provide two alignments for one route. Special routes, which can be labeled as alternate, bypass or business, depending on

5394-570: The northern terminus of US 87 , intersecting with US 191 in Malta , and then onward to Glasgow . The highway continues east and leaves the state near the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers. US 2 is an east–west highway that runs through North Dakota 's northern tier of larger cities: Williston , Minot , Devils Lake , and Grand Forks . US 2 intersects US 85 at Williston, US 52 and US 83 at Minot, US 281 at Churchs Ferry (west of Devils Lake), and

5487-545: The northwest, crossing New England via Littleton, New Hampshire , and Montpelier, Vermont , to Burlington, Vermont . It crossed Lake Champlain on the Burlington–Port Kent Ferry and headed west across Upstate New York , through Watertown and Rochester to Buffalo . After crossing Southern Ontario , the highway re-entered the U.S. in Detroit, Michigan , running northwest and north via Saginaw and Alpena to

5580-458: The numbering grid for the new Interstate Highway System was established as intentionally opposite from the US grid insofar as the direction the route numbers increase. Interstate Highway numbers increase from west-to-east and south-to-north, to keep identically numbered routes geographically apart in order to keep them from being confused with one another, and it omits 50 and 60 which would potentially conflict with US 50 and US 60 . In

5673-487: The optional routes into another route. In 1934, AASHO tried to eliminate many of the split routes by removing them from the log, and designating one of each pair as a three-digit or alternate route, or in one case US 37 . AASHO described its renumbering concept in the October 1934 issue of American Highways : "Wherever an alternate route is not suitable for its own unique two-digit designation, standard procedure assigns

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5766-584: The original 1926 highway plan. The western segment of US 2 begins at an interchange with Interstate 5 (I-5) and State Route 529 (Maple Street) in Everett, Washington , and ends at I-75 in St. Ignace, Michigan . The eastern segment of US 2 begins at US 11 in Rouses Point, New York , and ends at I-95 in Houlton, Maine . As its number indicates, it is the northernmost east–west U.S. Highway in

5859-453: The other states. Many states agreed in general with the scope of the system, but believed the Midwest to have added too many routes to the system. The group adopted the shield, with few modifications from the original sketch, at that meeting, as well as the decision to number rather than name the routes. A preliminary numbering system, with eight major east–west and ten major north–south routes,

5952-412: The place of legends, and 'hokum' for history." When the U.S. numbered system was started in 1925, a few optional routings were established which were designated with a suffixed letter after the number indicating "north", "south", "east", or "west". While a few roads in the system are still numbered in this manner, AASHO believes that they should be eliminated wherever possible, by the absorption of one of

6045-566: The road became US 104 , and the part southeast of Littleton, New Hampshire , to Portland, Maine, became US 302 , but by far the longest piece was that followed by US 2 between St. Ignace and Bonners Ferry. In 1946, US 2 was extended west of its original western terminus in Bonners Ferry in Idaho to Everett in Washington via Spokane along what was then US 10A . US 2

6138-589: The route and the nominal direction of travel. Second, they are displayed at intersections with other major roads, so that intersecting traffic can follow their chosen course. Third, they can be displayed on large green guide signs that indicate upcoming interchanges on freeways and expressways. Since 1926, some divided routes were designated to serve related areas, and designate roughly-equivalent splits of routes. For instance, US 11 splits into US 11E (east) and US 11W (west) in Bristol, Virginia , and

6231-630: The routes rejoin in Knoxville, Tennessee . Occasionally only one of the two routes is suffixed; US 6N in Pennsylvania does not rejoin US ;6 at its west end. AASHTO has been trying to eliminate these since 1934; its current policy is to deny approval of new split routes and to eliminate existing ones "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways can reach agreement with reference thereto". Special routes —those with

6324-500: The same large, bold numerals on a square-dimension shield, while 3-digit routes may either use the same shield with a narrower font, or a wider rectangular-dimension shield. Special routes may be indicated with a banner above the route number, or with a letter suffixed to the route number. Signs are generally displayed in several different locations. First, they are shown along the side of the route at regular intervals or after major intersections (called reassurance markers ), which shows

6417-488: The southwest to Oklahoma City , from where it ran west to Los Angeles . Kentucky strongly objected to this designated route, as it had been left off any of the major east–west routes, instead receiving the US ;62 designation. In January 1926, the committee designated this, along with the part of US 52 east of Ashland, Kentucky , as US 60 . They assigned US 62 to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, contingent on

6510-522: The splits in US 11 , US 19 , US 25 , US 31 , US 45 , US 49 , US 73 , and US 99 . For the most part, the U.S. Routes were the primary means of inter-city vehicle travel; the main exceptions were toll roads such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike and parkway routes such as the Merritt Parkway . Many of the first high-speed roads were U.S. Highways:

6603-431: The states along the route also assigned numbers to the highway; for instance, New York labeled their portion New York State Route 3 in 1924. The Joint Board on Interstate Highways distributed its preliminary plan in 1925, in which a long section of the highway was labeled US 2, from St. Ignace, Michigan , west to Bonners Ferry, Idaho . East of St. Ignace, instead of crossing to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan like

6696-430: The system. In general, U.S. Routes do not have a minimum design standard, unlike the later Interstate Highways , and are not usually built to freeway standards. Some stretches of U.S. Routes do meet those standards. Many are designated using the main streets of the cities and towns through which they run. New additions to the system, however, must "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". As of 1989,

6789-540: The time the first route log was published in April 1927, major numbering changes had been made in Pennsylvania in order to align the routes to the existing auto trails. In addition, U.S. Route 15 had been extended across Virginia . Much of the early criticism of the U.S. Highway System focused on the choice of numbers to designate the highways, rather than names. Some thought a numbered highway system to be cold compared to

6882-470: The town of Crystal Falls , where it turns south and re-enters Wisconsin northwest of Florence . It re-enters Michigan north of Iron Mountain and continues through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the cities of Escanaba , Manistique , and St. Ignace . Along the way, it cuts through the Ottawa and Hiawatha National Forests and follows the northern shore of Lake Michigan . It ends at I-75 , just north of

6975-563: The town was 29.8 years. 33.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.6% were from 25 to 44; 23% were from 45 to 64; and 10.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.1% male and 53.9% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,065 people, 360 households, and 254 families living in the town. The population density was 3,911.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,510.1/km ). There were 409 housing units at an average density of 1,502.0 per square mile (579.9/km ). The racial makeup of

7068-525: The town was 6.57% White , 90.52% Native American , 0.09% from other races , African American , 0.09% and 2.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population. There were 360 households, out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were married couples living together, 25.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who

7161-413: The town. The population density was 3,763.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,452.9/km ). There were 394 housing units at an average density of 1,459.3 per square mile (563.4/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 5.5% White , 92.7% Native American , and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.7% of the population. There were 360 households, of which 45.3% had children under

7254-543: The two routes received the same number, with a directional suffix indicating its relation to the other. These splits were initially shown in the log as—for instance—US 40 North and US 40 South, but were always posted as simply US 40N and US 40S. The most heated argument, however, was the issue of US 60. The Joint Board had assigned that number to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, which ran more north–south than west–east in Illinois, and then angled sharply to

7347-468: The two-digit routes, three-digit routes have been added, removed, extended and shortened; the "parent-child" relationship is not always present. AASHTO guidelines specifically prohibit Interstate Highways and U.S. Routes from sharing a number within the same state. As with other guidelines, exceptions exist across the U.S. Some two-digit numbers have never been applied to any U.S. Route, including 37, 39, 47, 86, and 88. Route numbers are displayed on

7440-471: The unqualified number to the older or shorter route, while the other route uses the same number marked by a standard strip above its shield carrying the word 'Alternate'." Most states adhere to this approach. However, some maintain legacy routes that violate the rules in various ways. Examples can be found in California , Mississippi , Nebraska , Oregon , and Tennessee . In 1952, AASHO permanently recognized

7533-488: The west, can result in dramatic temperature rises. Precipitation averages just over 14 inches per year, rendering the climate semi-arid. From November to March or April, the precipitation is primarily snow. Average monthly precipitation is lowest in winter and highest in the warm season. On average, June is the wettest month, with showers and thunderstorms most likely among all months. As of the census of 2010, there were 1,016 people, 360 households, and 243 families living in

7626-494: The western route was built roughly paralleling the Great Northern Railway . US 2 adopted the railway's route nickname "The Highline" as the most northern crossing in the U.S. The Adventure Cycling Association 's Northern Tier Bicycle Route is a bicycle touring route which follows or parallels US 2 for over 600 miles (970 km), most notably a 550-mile (890 km) stretch between Columbia Falls, Montana , and Williston, North Dakota . Within Washington , US 2

7719-450: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.40. In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.5% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.2 males. The median income for

7812-689: Was also chosen, based on the shield found on the Great Seal of the United States . The auto trail associations rejected the elimination of the highway names. Six regional meetings were held to hammer out the details—May 15 for the West , May 27 for the Mississippi Valley , June 3 for the Great Lakes , June 8 for the South , June 15 for the North Atlantic , and June 15 for New England . Representatives of

7905-456: Was assigned to Route 25 to Wells River , where it overlapped proposed US 5 north to St. Johnsbury. There, where the Roosevelt Highway turned southeast to Portland, US 2 continued east along Route 15 to Bangor and Route 1 to Calais , then heading north on Route 24 to end in Houlton . By the time the U.S. Highway system was finalized in late 1926, one relatively minor change had been made to US 2; it

7998-499: Was both praised and criticized by local newspapers, often depending on whether that city was connected to a major route. While the Lincoln Highway Association understood and supported the plan, partly because they were assured of getting the US 30 designation as much as possible, most other trail associations lamented their obsolescence. At their January 14–15, 1926 meeting, AASHO was flooded with complaints. In

8091-519: Was completed in 1923. The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), formed in 1914 to help establish roadway standards, began to plan a system of marked and numbered "interstate highways" at its 1924 meeting. AASHO recommended that the Secretary of Agriculture work with the states to designate these routes. Secretary Howard M. Gore appointed the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , as recommended by AASHO, on March 2, 1925. The Board

8184-1107: Was completed in 1963. The eastern terminus of US 2 in Michigan was truncated back to St. Ignace in 1983, removing it entirely from the I-75 freeway. Before being designated as US 2, most of the current alignment was called New England Interstate Route 15 from Danville, Vermont , eastward to Maine. The portion of the old Route 15 that did not become part of US 2 was designated as Vermont Route 15 . Other sections of US 2 in Vermont that were not part of New England Route 15 were parts of other former New England Interstate routes: Route 18 between Montpelier and Danville; Route 14 between Burlington and Montpelier; and Route 30 between Alburgh and Burlington. There have been at least three different three-digit child routes for US 2: United States Numbered Highway System The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways )

8277-418: Was composed of 21 state highway officials and three federal Bureau of Public Roads officials. At the first meeting, on April 20 and 21, the group chose the name "U.S. Highway" as the designation for the routes. They decided that the system would not be limited to the federal-aid network; if the best route did not receive federal funds, it would still be included. The tentative design for the U.S. Route shield

8370-509: Was deferred to a numbering committee "without instructions". After working with states to get their approval, the committee expanded the highway system to 75,800 miles (122,000 km), or 2.6% of total mileage, over 50% more than the plan approved August 4. The skeleton of the numbering plan was suggested on August 27 by Edwin Warley James of the BPR, who matched parity to direction, and laid out

8463-424: Was held August 3 and 4, 1925. At that meeting, discussion was held over the appropriate density of routes. William F. Williams of Massachusetts and Frederick S. Greene of New York favored a system of only major transcontinental highways, while many states recommended a large number of roads of only regional importance. Greene in particular intended New York's system to have four major through routes as an example to

8556-474: Was in the original 1925 U.S. Highway plan by the Bureau of Public Roads and was first commissioned in Michigan in 1926. US 2 originally ran in Michigan from Ironwood to St. Ignace , the same terminuses as today. The highway has undergone many realignments, mostly minor, between those cities since 1926. In 1933, the section between St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie was relocated along Mackinac Trail. In 1957,

8649-473: Was swapped with US 1 between Bangor and Houlton, Maine, placing US 2 along the entire portion of Route 15 east of St. Johnsbury. Several other major parts of the auto trail received numbers, most notably US 30 from Portland, Oregon east to Pendleton , US 195 in eastern Washington, and US 23 in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. In the mid-1930s, much of New York's portion of

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