How would you rank the major east-west interstates in America? (credit, beaches)

[AlexZaz.]

Hello to all,
I was just wondering how would you rank the major interstates that goes east-west in the US. The options are Interstate 10, Interstate 20, Interstate 40, Interstate 70, Interstate 80, Interstate 90, and Interstate 94. I know some of these don't go completely cross country, but these are the closest ones.

[Ben Around]

I'm partial to I-80. It's only the second longest (I-90 holds the #1 spot), and it ends 4 miles short of reaching NYC, but for diversity of scenery, it's the best. From practically the shadows of Manhattan skyscrapers it traverses the heavily wooded sparsely populated northern part of PA, through the industrial Midwest all the way to just south of Chicago, then the Midwest farm belt, the Great Plains (some argue that I-80 across Nebraska is the longest, most boring stretch of highway in the nation, though I'd give that honor to I-10 across TX), then through the Rockies, along the Great Salt Lake, through the Nevada desert, the Cascades, through California wine country and right into the heart of San Francisco.

[bus man]

I think I-70 is the best. Certainly, the stretch from Denver to Cove Fort, going through the Rockies and the Utah desert, is simply amazing. I-80 from Salt Lake City west is also very impressive, but I think I-70 is more interesting through the Midwest and the Appalachian Mountains than I-80 is.

And I suppose I ought to give some credit for the designers of I-20, who somehow managed to route this highway through the single most boring alignment this country has to offer. Honestly, with the exception of where it crosses the Mississippi River, it's just one big snoozefest.

[Mr. Joshua]

I-10 looks the coolest.

[Heel82]

I-40 is the main road for the Smokies and the Grand Canyon, and in large part covers the same ground as Route 66.

[Champ le monstre du lac]

I'd pick I-90 for a full coast to coast drive. Most cross country road trips will involve diverting off the primary E/W routes, but I think I-90 has the most interesting range of cities and landscapes -

Seattle
Cascades/Snoqualmie Pass
northern Idaho lakes
Rockies
Vast steppes and high plains of eastern Montana
Black Hills of South Dakota
Farmland in Minnesota and Wisconsin
Madison
Chicago
Cleveland
Lake Erie
Buffalo
Finger Lakes Region of NY
Berkshires in Western Mass
Boston

I-10 would be my second choice, particularly for the stretch through Arizona and New Mexico and also Louisiana.

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Originally Posted by Ben Around

I(some argue that I-80 across Nebraska is the longest, most boring stretch of highway in the nation, though I'd give that honor to I-10 across TX), then through the Rockies, along the Great Salt Lake, through the Nevada desert, the Cascades, through California wine country and right into the heart of San Francisco.

I'd add Wyoming to the tedious stretches of I-80; it doesn't go through the particularly scenic parts of the state. The northern Nevada deserts can get pretty dull after traversing several hours of it (it's a LONG way to Reno from SLC). The climb into the Sierra's through Donner Pass is pretty amazing though.

[TheTimidBlueBars]

Originally Posted by Champ le monstre du lac

I'd add Wyoming to the tedious stretches of I-80; it doesn't go through the particularly scenic parts of the state. The northern Nevada deserts can get pretty dull after traversing several hours of it (it's a LONG way to Reno from SLC). The climb into the Sierra's through Donner Pass is pretty amazing though.

Wow, you weren't kidding. Just dropped the streetview guy into different parts of I-80 through WY. It's that same dry, brown Great Plains atmosphere with gentle hills and mesas all the way across the state and even into northeast Utah.

It really speaks to how separated South Dakota's Black Hills are from the true Rocky Mountains, which I didn't quite realize.

[midwest1]

Originally Posted by Champ le monstre du lac

I'd pick I-90 for a full coast to coast drive. Most cross country road trips will involve diverting off the primary E/W routes, but I think I-90 has the most interesting range of cities and landscapes -

Seattle
Cascades/Snoqualmie Pass
northern Idaho lakes
Rockies
Vast steppes and high plains of eastern Montana
Black Hills of South Dakota
Farmland in Minnesota and Wisconsin
Madison
Chicago
Cleveland
Lake Erie
Buffalo
Finger Lakes Region of NY
Berkshires in Western Mass
Boston

I-10 would be my second choice, particularly for the stretch through Arizona and New Mexico and also Louisiana.

Add Gary Indiana and the Indiana Dunes National Park...

If you haven't seen the Chicago Skyline from Gary's beaches, you have no idea how beautiful water and buildings and sky can be.

[Borntoolate85]

CITIES

1. I-80
2. I-90
3. I-10
4. I-70
5. I-94
6. I-20
7. I-40

SCENERY/ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

1. I-40
2. I-70
3. I-90
4. I-80
5. I-10
6. I-20
7. I-94

TRAFFIC

1. I-94
2. I-20
3. I-90
4. I-40
5. I-10
6. I-70
7. I-80

OTHER (Climate, tolls, road quality)

1. I-10
2. I-20
3. I-40
4. I-70
5. I-94
6. I-80
7. I-90

OVERALL
1. I-10
2. I-90
3. I-40
4. I-70
5. I-20
6. I-80
7. I-94

Overall, I-10 is my pick due to the more favorable climate (just have A/C), the good road quality, being the only toll-free road that's truly coast to coast, and a nice lineup of cities including LA, Phoenix, San Antonio, Houston, and New Orleans. I-90 has the better scenery and a lineup of cities that are just as good or a bit better, thanks to Chicago, but the frequent tolls east of the Mississippi and weather keep it from the top. Next comes I-40, which may be a bit weak in the cities department (Nashville is the best it has to offer) and has a lot of freight traffic, but the lack of tolls, pretty favorable climate, road quality, and the numerous stopoff points including historic Route 66 are winners. I-70 comes in the middle, and its pretty average overall, with the highlights being the Rocky Mountain scenery and a decent collection of cities along it. Fifth comes I-20, which gets dinged through going through vast stretches of backwods Deep South areas, and except for a small portion around Birmingham, uninspiring scenery. I-80 isn't as high as you may expect; it has significant tolled sections in Indiana and Ohio, scenery that can be monotonous, and a climate that isn't exactly the best. Lastly is I-94; the harsh winters, flat Midwestern scenery, and lack of exciting attractions outside of Chicago, Detroit, the MN Twin Cities, and the WI Dells just don't do much for me.