In section 2F-7, the
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways states that "
Freeways offer superior traffic service to population centers located on or near them. For this reason, the course of the freeway route and the major destinations of 'control cities' along it must always be clearly identified."
And further, that "
To provide continuity and consistency, the 'control city' should remain the same on all successive signs throughout the length of the route until that destination is reached. Continuity in signing for 'control cities' should be maintained as a route continues into another state."
The
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) lists the following cities as being "approved" control cities for US
Interstate highways as of
1998 (this list is re-published every five years):
5 San Diego, Santa Ana, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Redding, Mount Shasta City, Weed, Yreka, Ashland, Medford, Grants Pass, Roseburg, Eugene, Salem, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver B.C.
8 San Diego, El Centro, Tucson, Phoenix
10 Santa Monica, Los Angeles, San Bemadino, Riverside, Indio, Blythe, Phoenix, Tucson, Lordsburg, Deming, Las Cruces, El Paso, Van Horn, San Antonio, Houston, Beaumont, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Bay Saint Louis, Pascagoula, Mobile, Pensacola, Tallahassee, Lake City, Jacksonville
12 Baton Rouge, Hammond, Slidell
15 San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Barstow, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Ogden, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Butte, Helena, Great Falls
16 Macon, Savannah
17 Phoenix, Flagstaff
19 Nogales, Tucson
20 El Paso, Abilene, Ft. Worth, Dallas, Shreveport, Monroe, Vicksburg, Jackson, Meridian, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbia, Florence
24 Chattanooga, Nashville, Clarksville, Paducah
25 Sheridan, Cheyenne, Ft. Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Raton, Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, El Paso
26 Ashville, Spartanburg, Columbia, Charleston
27 Lubbock, Amarillo
29 Kansas City, Saint Joseph, Mound City, Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Fargo, Grand Forks, Winnipeg
30 Ft. Worth, Dallas, Texarkana, Little Rock
35 Laredo, San Antonio, Austin, Waco, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Kansas City, Des Moines, Ames, Mason City, Albert Lea, Saint Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth
37 Corpus Christi, San Antonio
39 Rockford, Bloomington-Normal
40 Barstow, Needles, Kingman, Flagstaff, Gallup, Albuquerque, Santa Rosa, Tucumcari, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Fort Smith, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Asheville, Statesville, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Durham, Raleigh, Benson, Wilmington
43 Beloit, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Green Bay
44 Wichita Falls, Lawton, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Joplin, Springfield, Rolla, Saint Louis
45 Galveston, Houston, Dallas
49 LaFayette, Opelousas, Alexandria, Shreveport
55 New Orleans, Hammond, McComb, Jackson, Grenada, Memphis, Blytheville, Sikeston, Cape Girardeau, Saint Louis, Chicago
57 Chicago, Cairo, Charleston, Sikeston, Memphis
59 New Orleans, Slidell, Hattiesburg, Laurel, Meridian, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Gadsden, Chattanooga
64 Wentzville, Saint Louis, Louisville, Lexington, Ashland, Huntington, Charleston, Beckley, Lewisburg, Lexington, Staunton, Richmond, Norfolk, Chesapeake
65 Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham, Huntsville, Nashville, Louisville, Indianapolis, Chicago
66 strasburg, Washington
69 Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Lansing, Flint, Port Huron
70 I-15, Grand Junction, Denver, Limon, Hays, Salina, Topeka, Kansas City, Columbia, Wentzville, Saint Louis, Indianapolis, Dayton, Columbus, Wheeling, Washington Pa., New Stanton, Breezewood, Hancock, Hagerstown, Frederick, Washington D.C., Baltimore
71 Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland
72 Springfield, Decatur, Champaign-Urbana
74 Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Peoria, Des Moines
75 Miami, Naples, Tampa, Lake City, Valdosta, Macon, Atlanta, Marietta, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Lexington, Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Sault Sainte Marie
76 Denver, Fort Morgan, Sterling, Omaha
Akron, Youngstown, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Valley Forge, Philadelphia
77 Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Marietta, Parkersburg, Charleston, Beckley, Bluefield, Wytheville, Statesville, Charlotte, Columbia
78 Harrisburg, Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, New York City
79 Charleston, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Morgantown, Washington Pa., Pittsburgh, Erie
80 San Francisco, Sacramento, Reno, Elko, Salt Lake City, Evanston, Cheyenne, Sidney, North Platte, Kearney, Grand Island, Lincoln, Omaha, Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Iowa City, Davenport, Chicago, Cleveland, Youngstown, Sharon, Clarion, Du Bois, Clearfield, Bellefonte, Williamsport, Bloomsburg, Hazleton, Stroudsburg, Delaware Water Gap, New York City
81 Knoxville, Bristol, Roanoke, Winchester, Martinsburg, Hagerstown, Chambersburg, Carlisle, Harrisburg, Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Binghamton, Syracuse, Watertown Canada
82 Yakima, Pendleton
83 Baltimore, York, Harrisburg
84 Boston, Hartford, Waterbury, Danbury, Newburgh, Scranton, Ogden, Twin Falls, Boise, Ontario, Baker, La Grande, Pendleton, The Dalles, Portland
85 Montgomery, Atlanta, Greenville, Spartanburg, Charlotte, Greensboro, Durham, Petersburg
86 I-84, Pocatello
87 New York City, Albany, Montreal
88 Binghamton, Albany, Chicago, Moline, Rock Island
89 Montreal, Saint Albans, Burlington, Montpelier, White River Junction, Concord
90 Seattle, Ellensburg, Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, Missoula, Butte, Billings, Sheridan, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Albert Lea, La Crosse, Wisconsin Dells, Madison, Janesville, Chicago, Toledo, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo, Albany, Boston
91 New Haven, Hartford, Springfield, Brattleboro, White River Junction, Saint Johnsbury, Newport, Sherbrooke
93 Quincy, Boston, Salem, Manchester, Concord, Plymouth, Littleton, Saint Johnsbury
94 Port Huron, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Wisconsin Dells, Eau Claire, Saint Paul, Minneapolis, Moorhead, Fargo, Bismarck, Billings
95 Houlton, Bangor, Augusta, Portland, Kittery, Portsmouth, Boston, Providence, New London, New Haven, New York City, Trenton, Philadelphia, Chester, Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Petersburg, Rocky Mount, Benson, Fayetteville, Florence, Savannah, Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, West Palm Beach, Miami
96 Muskegon, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Detroit
135 Wichita, Salina
185 Columbus, Atlanta
195 Providence, Fall River, New Bedford, Cape Cod, Trenton, Belmar
196 Chicago, Holland, Grand Rapids
270 Frederick, Washington D.C.
275 Toledo, Flint
280 Newark, Parsippany, Troy Hills
287 Rye, White Plains, Tappan Zee Bridge, Suffern, Mahwah, Morristown, Perth Amboy
295 Trenton, Wilmington, Boston, Warwick
380 Cedar Rapids, Waterloo
385 Greenville, Columbia
390 Corning, Rochester
395 Worcester, Norwich, New Haven
595 Atlanta, Canton
696 Lansing, Port Huron
985 Atlanta, Gainesville
H-1 Waianae, Honolulu
H-2 Wahiawa, Honolulu
H-3 Kancohe, Aica