Where do you stop calling a freeway by it's "Houston Given" name?

[JLWM8609]

I just thought about this. Houston's freeway system has us referring to freeways not by highway designations, but by their directional names, like Gulf, North, South, Southwest, etc. These names aren't just limited to street signs. When 59 N turns from Eastex to US 59 in Kingwood, folks still call the "US 59" portion "Eastex". In most cases, it's kinda simple, like most people who refer to 288 as the South Freeway start calling it simply "288" past the Beltway or "The Nolan Ryan Expressway" past 2234 if they want to get super literal.

Now, at what point do you stop calling I-45 North the North Freeway and start calling it I-45? I think the furthest I've ever heard anyone refer to I-45 N as the North Freeway is just south of Conroe. Past Katy, the Katy Freeway is simply I-10, past Baytown, it's no longer the East Freeway but I-10.

Now, as for the Southwest, Northwest, and Eastex Freeways, what's the general area where folks stop referring to them by the name and simply refer to their federal designation number? In the past, I'd hear folks say things like "take 59 past the Brazos", but now, I'm hearing folks say "The Southwest Freeway past the Brazos River." Maybe it has to do with the outward progression of the metro area?

[illusionescape]

As far as I'm concerned, I-10 is the Katy Freeway from downtown all the way to California.

[TheNiche]

I consider the City Limits or the ETJ, whichever is further, to be the cutoff. In most circumstances, that makes Harris County the boundary. I'd say that the Gulf Freeway may be an exception.

[CoolBuddy06]

I think those names belong to the feeder roads, the mainlanes always go by their freeway designations. That's what I conclude from street and directional signs. I could use some education here.

[ihop]

To the city limits, most of the time. And I only really refer to SW, Katy, & Gulf Freeways by their local names.

[TheNiche]

I think those names belong to the feeder roads, the mainlanes always go by their freeway designations. That's what I conclude from street and directional signs. I could use some education here.

Feeder roads are not themselves "freeways".

[CoolBuddy06]

Feeder roads are not themselves "freeways".

I used to think like that until I didn't see a park on St. Joseph's Parkway. Just kidding. You point makes more sense than mine.

[desirous]

I refer to freeways by their numbers, except the West Loop, which ends where it meets the North Loop; and the Gulf Freeway, which goes by that name all the way to Cuba.

[CDeb]

Colloquially, I think people stop using the "------- Freeway" name when it stops feeling like a freeway and more like a rural highway.

[plumber2]

I refer to freeways by their numbers, except the West Loop, which ends where it meets the North Loop; and the Gulf Freeway, which goes by that name all the way to Cuba.

In Galveston, businesses on 1-45 have Broadway addresses and the street signs on the feeder say Broadway also. I assume then that the Gulf Freeway designation starts at the causeway heading north. It's called the Gulf Freeway every were else in the county.

[LTAWACS]

When I'm out town is when I refer to them by their numerical designations.

[CDeb]

Of course, I usually refer to US 290 as "that @#%$@%&^$#@" but not for long.

[JLWM8609]

Colloquially, I think people stop using the "------- Freeway" name when it stops feeling like a freeway and more like a rural highway.

In 10-15 years, that may be pretty dang close to Huntsville when it comes to I-45. They're planning to expand its width all the way to the Walker Co. line.

[Geoff8201]

Personally I just call them all by number only. 59, 45, 610, etc And I'll add N or S depending on which direction I'm going, and the 610 part I will say North, West, South...

It was funny for me being out west in Arizona and California, cause every freeway was a number with "The" in front of it. "The 60", "The 101", "The 5", "The 8" etc you get the picture.

[samagon]

As far as I'm concerned, I-10 is the Katy Freeway from downtown all the way to California.

You know, I was out in LA last year and I said something about the Katy Freeway, and the person I was talking to got an even more confused look on their face than they normally had.

Then, when I said feeder, they thought I was speaking Russian.

[Suite8F]

The Katy Freeway ends in Katy for me. Anything past Katy is I-10.

I would call all of 45 south the Gulf Freeway ,45 N the North Freeway until somewhere between Conroe and the Woodlands. Calling it the North Freeway in Conroe just feels dumb.

288, 225 I just call by number.

Maybe they should all go by their freeway names only as far as the Transtar traffic sensors go.

[jgriff]

Personally I just call them all by number only. 59, 45, 610, etc And I'll add N or S depending on which direction I'm going, and the 610 part I will say North, West, South...

It was funny for me being out west in Arizona and California, cause every freeway was a number with "The" in front of it. "The 60", "The 101", "The 5", "The 8" etc you get the picture.

Me too. Who decided to come up with all these confusing names? Every road should have only one name. The Katy Freeway is "I-10 West" to me, on the other side of downtown it's "I-10 East". There are people that live their entire lives in Houston without ever even knowing where Katy is. Why should we name one of our roads after it? Why isn't 45 North called the Woodlands Freeway? None of it makes any sense to someone who is new to the city. I wonder if people in Beaumont call I-10 "The Houston Freeway".

[CDeb]

Why isn't 45 North called the Woodlands Freeway?

Because when they named it, the Woodlands wasn't there.

[IronTiger]

Northwest Freeway, I think ends shortly before the highway "splits" from the bypass freeway to older, two-way segment.

[jgriff]

Because when they named it, the Woodlands wasn't there.

It's there now, why not change it? If we're going to use all these arbitrary names why not name every road after where it goes?

Edited June 9, 2009 by jgriff

[CDeb]

It's there now, why not change it?

Every street name sign would need to be changed. Major public expense.

Every business would need to change its advertising, stationery, etc and update all of its business partners, customers, suppliers, etc. on the new address. Major private expense

It's not as easy as it sounds.

[crunchtastic]

It's there now, why not change it? If we're going to use all these arbitrary names why not name every road after where it goes?

You have a point. We could just called it the Dallas Highway. After all, we called the southbound side the Gulf Freeway.

[jgriff]

Every street name sign would need to be changed. Major public expense.

Every business would need to change its advertising, stationery, etc and update all of its business partners, customers, suppliers, etc. on the new address. Major private expense

It's not as easy as it sounds.

I brought it up as a stupid idea to point out that calling I-10 "The Katy Freeway" is a stupid idea. It confuses newcomers to the city.

The original poster by asking the question is pointing out the problem. Who knows where the "Katy Freeway" begins and ends? Why don't we call it the "Sealy Freeway"? It leads there too. Do people in Katy call the portion of I-10 to the West of them the "Brookshire Freeway"? If you visited Katy and heard people calling it that would you know what they were talking about? If they called it I-10 you would.

[CDeb]

I brought it up as a stupid idea to point out that calling I-10 "The Katy Freeway" is a stupid idea.

I see. I got twisted around in the thread.

[desirous]

Not freeways, but I get a big kick out of calling 1960, Jackrabbit Road; and calling Westheimer, 1093.

[plumber2]

I brought it up as a stupid idea to point out that calling I-10 "The Katy Freeway" is a stupid idea. It confuses newcomers to the city.

The original poster by asking the question is pointing out the problem. Who knows where the "Katy Freeway" begins and ends? Why don't we call it the "Sealy Freeway"? It leads there too. Do people in Katy call the portion of I-10 to the West of them the "Brookshire Freeway"? If you visited Katy and heard people calling it that would you know what they were talking about? If they called it I-10 you would.

The Katy Freeway is not named after the town of Katy. It is named after the railroad that it paralleled, the "Katy" railroad. "Katy is a familar, or shortened name for MK&T (Missouri, Kansas and Topeka). So people in Katy do call the Katy Freeway, the Katy Freeway!

[sevfiv]

The Katy, TX townsite was also named for the MK&T (K-T) railroad, too, wasn't it?

[Fringe]

Southwest freeway turns into 59 twenty seven feet past Bellfort.

[jgriff]

The Katy Freeway is not named after the town of Katy. It is named after the railroad that it paralleled, the "Katy" railroad. "Katy is a familar, or shortened name for MK&T (Missouri, Kansas and Topeka). So people in Katy do call the Katy Freeway, the Katy Freeway!

Then that's an even worse reason for calling it the Katy Freeway. Do they really call the section of I-10 to the West of Katy the Katy Freeway? Why would they do that? Every street or road should have only one name to avoid confusion.

What about the Gulf Freeway? What is that named after? I'm assuming it's because it leads to the Gulf Of Mexico. Maybe it was name after Gulf Oil, who knows? It's called I-45, it doesn't need a nickname.

[ernie5823]

I-45 between Houston & Galveston was named "The Gulf Freeway" several years before the Interstate Highway System existed. Maybe that's why people, especially "old timers" continue to call it that.