There are 71 primary Interstate Highways in the Interstate Highway System, a network of freeways in the United States. These primary highways are assigned one- or two-digit route numbers, whereas their associated auxiliary Interstate Highways receive three-digit route numbers. Typically, odd-numbered Interstates run south–north, with lower numbers in the west and higher numbers in the east; even-numbered Interstates run west–east, with lower numbers in the south and higher numbers in the north. Route numbers divisible by 5 usually represent major coast-to-coast or border-to-border routes (ex. I-10 connects Santa Monica, California to Jacksonville, Florida, extending between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans). Auxiliary highways have an added digit prefixing the number of the parent highway.
Five route numbers are duplicated in the system; the corresponding highways are in different regions, reducing potential confusion. In addition to primary highways in the contiguous United States, there are signed Interstates in Hawaii and unsigned Interstates in Alaska and Puerto Rico.
Contiguous United States
There are 71 primary interstate highways in the 48 contiguous United States as well as five former and one future primary interstate highway. This number does not include auxiliary Interstate Highways.
Unfinished in Texas; Texas only; planned in four more: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia Planned associated routes: I-14N, I-14S, and I-214 in Texas
Served four states: Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky Associated routes: I-66 Spur in Kentucky The project was unpopular and ultimately cancelled without the interstate being completed; I-66 Spur eventually became I-165
Unfinished in North Carolina; North Carolina only; planned in one more: Virginia Associated route: I-587 Shortest Interstate highway in contiguous United States
Unfinished in Pennsylvania; serves two states: Pennsylvania, New York
Former
Proposed and unbuilt
Other regions
In addition to the 48 contiguous states, Interstate Highways are found in Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico. The Federal Highway Administration funds four routes in Alaska and three routes in Puerto Rico under the same program as the rest of the Interstate Highway System. However, these routes are not required to meet the same standards as the mainland routes:
Highways on the Interstate System in Alaska and Puerto Rico shall be designed in accordance with such geometric and construction standards as are adequate for current and probable future traffic demands and the needs of the locality of the highway.[4]
Hawaii
Map of Hawaii's Interstate Highways (excluding H-201)
The Interstate Highways on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii are signed with the standard Interstate Highway shield, with the letter "H-" prefixed before the number. They are fully controlled-access routes built to the same standards as the mainland Interstate Highways.
Puerto Rico signs its Interstate Highways as territorial routes, as the numbers do not match their official Interstate Highway designations. Many of the territory's routes are freeway-standard toll roads.[10]
^Nelsen, Carrie (July 9, 2015). "For Immediate Release"(PDF) (Press release). Illinois Department of Transportation. Archived from the original(PDF) on September 6, 2015.
