Longest Road in America Starts (or Ends) in Boston

Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England contributor and may contain the individual's views, opinions, or personal experiences.

If you think about it, of course the longest road in the United States is going to be coast to coast, but with so many coastal states, it's pretty cool that Boston, Massachusetts is where it begins (or ends), depending on your drive. For New Englanders, I think it's safe to say it starts here.

Microsoft Maps

We know that our national highways and roadways have been a patchwork since they started to be the main way to get around. According to 24/7 Tempo, Tempo, that changed when with the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, otherwise known as the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.

Whew, that's mouthful, but there's a reason I shared it, so stay with me here.

The United States has nearly 45,000 miles of highways, says 24/7 Tempo, and interestingly, the longest highway in the entire country is not part of that interstate system. It actually comes from the patchworking system, and it's US Route 20.

Microsoft Maps

Yes, according to the Department of Transportation, U.S. Route 20 is the longest highway in the country at 3,365 miles, going coast to coast from Massachusetts to Oregon.

It begins in Boston at a junction with Massachusetts Route 2 and ends in Newport, Oregon, at a junction with U.S. 101. Because U.S. numbered highways are not designated with National Parks, U.S. 20 is divided into an East Section ending at the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park and a West Section beginning at the west entrance to the park.

The DOT says that it runs through 12 states: Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon.

24/7 Tempo says it's actually quite a famous route for more than just being the longest in the country, and there's even a nonprofit called The Historic US Route 20 Association that has detailed history, newsletters, and a store.

If you're into long distance road trips that take longer than a traditional highway, this just may be your next adventure.

These 30 Seacoast NH and ME Restaurants Have Opened in the Last Three Years

LOOK: How Halloween has changed in the past 100 years

Stacker compiled a list of ways that Halloween has changed over the last 100 years, from how we celebrate it on the day to the costumes we wear trick-or-treating. We’ve included events, inventions, and trends that changed the ways that Halloween was celebrated over time. Many of these traditions were phased out over time. But just like fake blood in a carpet, every bit of Halloween’s history left an impression we can see traces of today.

Source: Longest Road in America Starts (or Ends) in Boston