Poll of the Day > How do you refer to highways in conversation?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Apparently its a Californian thing to add the word the in conversation when talking about highways. So some places would say i took 405 or highway 405 where here we would say I took the 405.

---

I took the m5 to work.
How did you get here? the m2?

---

Everyone in Northern Virginia / DC / Maryland called it I-95 (Interstate Highway 95)

---

I feel like everyone says all those things here in BC. Although Highway 1 gets referred to by # most frequently.

---

Joshs Name posted...

I took the m5 to work.
How did you get here? the m2?

This

the M25

The M1

---

85, 75, 285, 985

---

(Canada) for inner-city highways, usually just the short name but sometimes also the full name. if you refer to a numbered highway by number, it's "highway x".

---

I usually say either "The X" or "The X Freeway," with a couple exceptions.

Like there's "The Sierra Highway," which is really three stretches of road that turn on and off one another in a system half as convoluted as some Final Fantasy plots; thanks, California. Then there's a stretch of one freeway that I refer to, simply, as "Avenue D," and I generally tried to avoid that road or highway when I was learning how to drive. There was also the "Angeles Crest Highway," at one point, but no sane person talks about that one if they can help it.

---

DirtBasedSoap posted...

Apparently its a Californian thing to add the word the in conversation when talking about highways. So some places would say i took 405 or highway 405 where here we would say I took the 405.

Specifically a Southern Californian thing. You can distinguish a Californian Bay Area citydweller from a Southern Californian citydweller by whether they call it "101" or "the 101".

I've seen and heard some northern Utahns use "the" for highways. I'm unsure how many of them, or who among those number were just influenced by us SoCal folk, but I've heard "The I15" on occasion when I used to live in SLC.

---

Depends. Normally, by just the numbers. But it could change with certain ones...
---

Just the numbers, everyone does around here when giving directions

---

Zareth posted...

Everyone in Northern Virginia / DC / Maryland called it I-95 (Interstate Highway 95)

I definitely hear 495 more often.

---

Voted other.

Usually refer to it by the numbers + the direction (ex. 95 North, 95 South, 80 West, etc)

We have nicknames for certain routes. In Massachusetts we call the I-90 Turnpike "The Pike". Then there's places like in NYC with the Van Wyck, etc

---

Joshs Name posted...

I took the m5 to work.
How did you get here? the m2?

Detroit area?

FatalAccident posted...

This

the M25

The M1

M25? Would not have thought I would find a Thumb resident in these parts.

It varies.

---

For an interstate : I-whatever

For a state highway: route whatever, or just the number

I just say the highway. I cant remember all the different ones and I just use my phone for directions everywhere

---

"I-90" for Interstate 90, and so on.

For Highway xxx I usually call it "xxx" but sometimes I say the full name, depending on whom I'm speaking to.

---

Just the numbers if they're relatively local, I-xxx if we're talking about something several states away.

---

The LIE, the 495, etc.

---

I guess Ive never been THAT self-conscious to even know how I talk.

---

route 3
495
I-95

---

SunWuKung420 posted...

It varies.

Thank you for your super helpful and informative post

---

Well, in Southern California most of the freeways have names. You don't usually say I-5 or I-405 etc, you normally would say "the Golden State", "the San Diego", "the Harbor", "the Long Beach", "the Garden Grove", "the Foothill", etc.


---

By name and the number. For certain sections and specifics Ill use the name of the section.

You should never put the in front of something thats named, unless its part of the name.

For example, I would say Im taking Highway 1., not Im taking the Highway 1. The highway one what?

For numbers, Id say Im taking the number three. I have heard some people say Im taking number three road.

---

For most roads, I'll either just say the number or "route". So "I'm heading down 66 tomorrow" or "I'll be over on route 66 tomorrow". No real specific context for using one or the other, it mostly just pops out that way.

I don't think I've ever heard a single person ever in my life say "the 195" or anything along those lines (at least not locally - I know the British do). The closest to that is people saying "I'm going on the Parkway" or "I'm taking the Turnpike".
---

captpackrat posted...

Well, in Southern California most of the freeways have names. You don't usually say I-5 or I-405 etc, you normally would say "the Golden State", "the San Diego", "the Harbor", "the Long Beach", "the Garden Grove", "the Foothill", etc.

I often forget these freeways have names. Most people I converse with just refer to the number and only occasionally are the names used.

---

captpackrat posted...

Well, in Southern California most of the freeways have names. You don't usually say I-5 or I-405 etc, you normally would say "the Golden State", "the San Diego", "the Harbor", "the Long Beach", "the Garden Grove", "the Foothill", etc.

Yeah, and in more recent years the 14 I'd mentioned earlier became "the Antelope Valley Freeway." Much like a couple streets in the AV had been rebranded as Rancho Vista Blvd. and Challenger Way, rather than Avenue P and 10th St E. I want to say I could see some sense in the 14's new name, but... California. I'm basically done with the decisions made by that state for that state.

---

zebatov posted...

You should never put the in front of something thats named, unless its part of the name.

For example, I would say Im taking Highway 1., not Im taking the Highway 1. The highway one what?

What about when it's being used to replace part of something's name?

Like in Southern California, people tend to call Interstate 405 "the 405". I've never heard anyone say "the Interstate 405".

---

InfestedAdam posted...

I often forget these freeways have names. Most people I converse with just refer to the number and only occasionally are the names used.

If you listen to traffic reports on the radio (I'm looking at you, KNX), they tend to use the names almost exclusively.

It never made any sense that the 405 was called the San Diego Freeway, since it ends at the El Toro Y and never even comes within 15 miles of San Diego County.

---

I-95
US-1

I say it exactly like that.

Although, I also use "the" when referring to the 404.

It largely depends.

---

"Highway (number)."

---

Just the number of it or generically as "the interstate"

---

the pike
93
95
Route 3

Depends on the name or number.

In NY, if we said I-95, it would just be I-95.

But other times we would add, "the xx."

---