interstate question (Seattle: live in, military, areas)

[flyingsaucermom]

This is a fun convo. I didn’t know California transplants have to add “the” [insert freeway].

I’m originally from Texas. There we would say “I-35”, “I-20”, etc. but roads also had names.

So I guess I don’t know why I just call I-90 “90”. It just seems weird to say the whole thing.

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by Gardyloo

In southern California to me it's still either the Golden State or Santa Ana freeway, depending on which part (north or south of downtown LA) you're speaking about.

Very few call LA freeways by their old names today. It is mostly all numerical to create less confusion. But the”I” is less common in SoCal because most know that most if not all traffic reports are interstate freeway reports as the LA area has the most freeways in the US. So it is the five or 405 or 10, on and on. It’s been this way for atleast 25 years.

[happygrrrl]

It's a stereotypical thing to SoCal, which to me was normal until I left. Some really old people referred to the freeways by names, like the 405 was the San Diego Fwy, the 101 was the Ventura, the 10 was the Santa Monica, the 5 the Golden State.

To commute from work I took the 805 north to the 5 split, then took the 5 north to the 78 east. Simple.

[pnwguy2]

QUOTE=happygrrrl;63143217]It's a stereotypical thing to SoCal, which to me was normal until I left. Some really old people referred to the freeways by names, like the 405 was the San Diego Fwy, the 101 was the Ventura, the 10 was the Santa Monica, the 5 the Golden State.

To commute from work I took the 805 north to the 5 split, then took the 5 north to the 78 east. Simple.[/quote]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt-tG6ufH90. Video from NBC Universal.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by Returning2USA

Here it's: I-5.

And only "I-5."

Anyone saying "the 5" will automatically out themselves as a Californian.

I called it “the 5” for the first year or so, having previously lived in California, and this is 100% correct. Whenever I’d say the 5 people would be like “oh you must be from California.” At some point I switched to I-5. I never called I-90 “the 90” though.

Interestingly, I still call I-405 “the 405.” It’s not even conscious. I-405 just sounds weird in my head for some reason.

[pnwguy2]

Atleast most traffic reports today identify the number. When I was growing up in Seattle it was many times just called “The Freeway”, even though even back there were multiple freeway routes in and around Seattle.

[dav51lin]

here its the traffic jam

[xemj]

read you're in northern CA, is it called the five there or I-5

[ScottStielow]

Its always been I-5 here in the northwest.

[rupp-certified]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

This is a fun convo. I didn’t know California transplants have to add “the” [insert freeway].

Southern California. Northern Californians would say I-5 like us.