America’s Historic Roads
Puzzle 73 · Building and Remembering the Network · Page 103 in print
The US Numbered Highway System
On November 11, 1926, the American Association of State Highway Officials adopted the U.S. numbered highway system. Shared numbers helped drivers follow routes across state boundaries despite earlier local names.
Jump to a word
The words
Branch Routes
Secondary routes linked to a through route.
E W James
Engineer who helped organize and number the national routes.
Even Numbers
Numbers assigned to generally east–west U.S. routes.
Frank Rogers
Michigan official involved in the shield discussion.
Howard Gore
Agriculture secretary who authorized the board.
Joint Board
Federal and state body that developed the U.S. route proposal.
Letter Ballot
Written vote used in settling route disputes.
Lou Boulay
Ohio official who proposed selecting routes before numbering them.
Markham
William C. Markham, AASHO executive secretary.
Odd Numbers
Numbers assigned to generally north–south U.S. routes.
Prefixes
Leading digits added in the original branch-number scheme.
Route Log
Ordered written list of the proposed national routes.
Route Numbers
Shared identifiers assigned to highways.
Route Shield
Distinctive shield-shaped marker for the national routes.
William Fields
Kentucky governor who challenged the proposed route numbering.
Sources
- Names, Numbers, Origins: The U.S. Numbered Highway SystemFederal Highway Administration