Newcomer's guide to Houston freeway names (Baytown, Galveston: live, move to, maps)

[travelguy_73]

I thought I would put together a simple guide for those who can't make heads or tails of our freeway names. If you notice any errors, please feel free to correct. Names for freeways aren't related to direction of travel (i.e., eastbound is the same name as westbound).

Gulf Freeway: I-45 between downtown and Galveston
North Freeway: I-45 between downtown and The Woodlands
Baytown East Freeway: I-10 between downtown and Baytown
Katy Freeway: I-10 between downtown and Katy
Southwest Freeway: 59 between downtown and Sugarland
Eastex Freeway: 59 between downtown and Kingwood
South Freeway: 288
Northwest Freeway: 290
Beltway: Sam Houston Tollway and Beltway 8 names are used interchangeably
Hardy: Hardy Tollway
West/South/North/East Loop: western, southern, et al, sections of 610

Some freeways have more obscure names (like part of 288 being the Nolan Ryan Expressway), but for the most part these are the names you will hear most often.

[Reivax]

Thank you!

Hardest part for me, once I move to Houston, will be not adding "the" in front of freeway names.
in California, we refer to a freeway like "the 405" or "the 55"

[travelguy_73]

With the exception of Hardy, which I know a lot of people call The Hardy, you never hear 'the' in front of a freeway name. Whenever you do hear it, you just assume you are speaking to someone from CA.

Also, for anyone that has a Windows-based or Blackberry smartphone, Microsoft Live has a terrific program with a real-time traffic map. I can't tell you how many times I have saved myself grief by checking it on the way to run errands.

Just point your browser to Live Search for mobile and download the program, and set your city to Houston. Google maps has a nice smartphone app, but I think Live is more polished and a bit quicker.

[timtemtym]

Houstonians do add "the" when saying the freeway's name. You hear "The Southwest Freeway" but not "The 59" or "The 69" now. Are people calling it 69 yet? I don't think I would ever get used to saying that. St. Louis turned US 40 into I-64 decades ago but you still hear "Route 40" on traffic reports and no one would ever call if 64.

It always sounds a bit excessive in quick traffic reports when they say "Baytown East Freeway." That is too much name. You don't hear that with other freeways.

[wiley9]

Thank you for this thread!