interstate question

[MechAndy]

In NorCal we normally just say the number like 24,680,280 or whatever.
We don’t normally put an I in front of the number or a “The” in front of the number.
I think the traffic reports call them out the same way.

When I was younger the freeways were often referred to by names such as The MacArthur, The Warren, The Golden State and such.
These named roads usually had a “The” in front of their name.
They don’t use road names much anymore.

In SoCal I hear the roads called by the numbers.
The numbers normally follow “The”.
Examples would be The 405 or The 5 and so on.

[509]

In the 70's it was ALWAYS the name of the freeway....Nimitz, etc. in California. Yeah, I escaped to Idaho in the early 70's.

But I guess when California got woke....they changed the names of military hero's to numbers.

[jabogitlu]

Assigning freeways numbers, even auxiliary freeways, is a national practice and has nothing to do with whether California is "woke" or not. You sound like a perfect match for Idaho.

[MechAndy]

Did any other states or areas use WW11 hero names for their freeways?

I once read an old interview with Admiral Nimitz.
He lived in the Oakland Hills and said he hated that the freeway was named after him.
He said every time he saw it it was filled with traffic and he didn’t want to be remembered for that.
If only he could see it now .

BTW,
I think we quit calling the freeways names long before the current woke attitude.

[xPlorer48]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

I-5 - never heard it called anything else... unless maybe "the freeway" if sufficiently far from any other interstates.

Yep, born here and was a kid when it came through my town. It’s always been call the freeway because there aren’t any others as in Seattle. It can also be called I5 but never the “5”. That is coming from Californians.

The only time we say “the” is in front of several county roads like “the Guide”, “the Hannegan”, etc.

[pnwguy2]

Hmm. I-5 is a common description. I suppose some would call it “the five” but not usual. More likely would be “the 405” which is common. Other state freeways and highways are more specifically identified. And there are other freeways in Seattle. 509 is a good example, but seriously a pretty wimpy freeway.

[pnwguy2]

“0n the Five” is a total SoCal phrase. I-5 is the term just out of the 210 northbound junction.

[CARas2020]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

I-5 - never heard it called anything else... unless maybe "the freeway" if sufficiently far from any other interstates.

Yep always I-5 and I live in Portland and it's the same her.

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by CARas2020

Yep always I-5 and I live in Portland and it's the same her.

I think there may be an LA linguistic thing going on here. When everyone starts talking in LA freeway language it just becomes the norm. Hell, this is human nature. And it probably only happens in LA because the entire city is built on freeways! It definitely is a local culture and can seem very foreign to out of staters.

Look up SNL “The Californians” for a very funny version of what I just posted.