Why do Wisconsin, Missouri and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina love to use letters instead of numbers for highways?

lol I don't know. I think, when you grow up in these places, it just becomes second nature. I remember a lot of the letter roads surrounding my hometown in Wisconsin and don't think anything of it. I should add that it probably beats the alternative.  So many of the roads and cities in Wisconsin have Native American names. When my ex husband and I would take trips back to my hometown, we'd make a game of it- to see if he could actually pronounce the names of things. He failed miserably most of the time, but it was good entertainment watching him try. If the highway names followed suit, only locals could pronounce them and maps would be hilarious.

Wisconsin uses letters for its county routes. Perhaps it uses letters to differentiate them from state routes, which use numbers. 

California uses numbers for state routes, but a combination of letters and numbers for county routes--the letters signifying what "zone" of California you're in. So the "G" zone corresponds to the southern Bay Area and northern Central Coast Region. And county routes G1-G21 are found here.

"The Quest to be Different?"  Like the state of Colorado posting the elevation of the town, instead of the population, on city limit signs.

This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at August 17, 2017 11:53 PM MDT

maybe they think its easier

It is wickedness.

I think, and don't quote me on this, in WI it's to distinguish between state hwy, and county roads. State hwys are numbers (like Hwy 23) which goes coast to coast (as it were) and is great for a driving trip. Others, like X, only are for a specific distance within a county. It get confusing when you have "X" and "XX" etc.

And South Florida


Florida Scenic Drive: A1A Coastal Highway

The A1A Coastal Highway offers travelers the opportunity to dip their toes in the ocean off the Florida coast. With miles and miles of white sand beaches, you will have plenty of space to spread out with buckets and blankets. You can charter a fishing boat and dangle a line for flounder, snook, whiting, snapper, or blues, just to name a few varieties. Or swing your feet over the pier while fishing from land.

If you don't want to get your feet wet but still enjoy watching the ocean, try jogging, biking, roller blading, or strolling along the 19-mile path from Marineland to the Volusia County line. Or stash your binoculars in your beach bag for views of wildlife and birds.

Explore the wonders of the Florida coastline, as the Spanish explorers did almost 450 years ago.
Archaeological Qualities of the A1A Coastal Highway

More than 75 archaeological sites have been formally recognized and recorded along this stretch of road, excluding the downtown St. Augustine area, which has hundreds more sites. Middens -- mounds or deposits containing shells, animal bones, and other refuse, indicating sites of prehistoric human settlements -- are located on publicly owned sites found in the River to Sea Preserve at Marineland, Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, Anastasia State Park, and Guana River State Park. Additionally, fossils have been found along the Intracoastal Waterway. These remains include mastodons, woolly mammoths, sloths, camels, birds, fish, beavers, snakes, tapirs, and deer.
Cultural Qualities of the A1A Coastal Highway

The A1A Coastal Highway stretches through an area whose culture is heavily influenced by its natural surroundings. The scenic ocean landscape certainly plays a part in this influence, as do the scents and sounds of the coast, giving shape to the art, architecture, and even livelihood of the inhabitants along the byway. This maritime culture is expressed in the byway's attractions, architecture, art, and festivals.
Historical Qualities of the A1A Coastal Highway

The byway traverses an area full of colorful history. Glorious hotels still stand as memorials to Henry Flagler's influence on tourism. Remnants of vast plantations allow views into the life of General Joseph Hernandez, Florida's first delegate to the U.S. Congress.

In 1565, Spanish Admiral Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles arrived with 600 soldiers and settlers, founding the city of St. Augustine at the site of the Timucuan Indian village of Seloy. He and the settlers successfully colonized Florida, 42 years before the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, and 55 years before the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts. St. Augustine today contains more than 2,500 historic structures.
Natural Qualities of the A1A Coastal Highway

The Atlantic Ocean, clean bays, rivers, marshes, and pristine beaches and dunes all play an important role in forming the natural qualities of the byway. These environmental characteristics have shaped and inspired the culture and livelihood of the area's inhabitants. Presently, numerous state parks and estuaries offer exceptional interaction with nature. Boardwalks and trails offer opportunities to explore the areas without damaging the habitat. Likewise, kayaking tours are available on the Intracoastal Waterway for an intimate look at the aquatic ecosystem.

The combination and variation of habitats in the area are home to an impressive variety of wildlife. More than 50 species of endangered or threatened animals live in the area, such as the gopher tortoise and tricolor heron. More than 300 species of fish and wildlife have been recorded in the area's reserves. Manatees, oystercatchers, green and leatherback turtles, dolphins, and even migrating northern right whales can be observed. The corridor has even been included on the Great Florida Birding Trail by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The marshes along the byway are home to their own unique animal life. Typical animals include marsh snails, fiddler crabs, otters, wading birds, ospreys, manatees, marsh wrens, alligators, turtles, great blue herons, and American egrets.
Recreational Qualities of the A1A Coastal Highway

There are miles and miles of beaches along the byway. Recreationalists can participate in beachcombing, sunning, beach strolling, and even beach driving; Crescent Beach allows motor vehicles on its expansive beaches.

With the ocean on one side and a river on the other along much of the byway, there is plenty of room for aquatic activities, including surfing, swimming, fishing, and boating, with free public boat launches such as the one found at Bing's Landing. Kayaking and canoeing are also popular activities, whether in the river or in shallow lakes and canals in the area. Other popular aquatic activities include sailing, taking a scenic cruise, and scuba diving. The traveler can even observe or interact with dolphins and sea turtles near the town of Marineland.
View Enlarged Image Follow this map of the A1A Coastal Highway to explore Florida's treasures: white sand beaches, ocean views, and coastal cities rich with history.
View Enlarged Image Follow this map of the A1A Coastal Highway to explore Florida's treasures: white sand beaches, ocean views, and coastal cities rich with history.
Find more useful information related to Florida's A1A Coastal Highway:

The UK, and many European countries, combine letters and digits.

In Britain, the letter prefix, A or B,  denotes the road classification; the digits are a sort of serial-number based on the trunk-roads (A) radiating from London, with those branching from them given numbers starting with their primary-road letter and leading digit.

There is a C class for minor roads, but not designated on road-signs or atlases - it's usually used only for roads maintenance control and other official purposes.

Motorways are all M-number; a few up-rated 'A'-roads are 'A number (M)'

The number applies throughout the road's length, irrespective of towns, counties and principalities.

To help the motorist, the A-road direction-signs have yellow letters on green background, the motorway signs are all white on blue; the rest are black on white.

These colours are repeated for the road-traces in road-atlases; in which further, the secondary A-roads are in red, B-roads in (usually) brown, then down by yellow then white (i.e. un-coloured between the outlines).


Continental Europe has various national schemes, but an international designation of E-number for selected trunk roads that cross borders: the E6 for example, goes from Trelleborg in Sweden, all the way via Oslo to Kirkenes in Northern Norway.

There is one, really absurd, E-road, the E18 - I've only just learnt of this! It is 1170 miles long, from Craigavon in Northern Ireland right across Britain and Scandinavia to St. Petersburg, in Russia. I have not seen it labelled in any UK road atlas, perhaps because with the Irish and North Seas in the way, and only one ferry service from one UK port to one Scandinavian port, and that only for freight, it is merely academic; a typical "Eurocrat" nicety devoid of point!  

BTW if you envisage navigating across France... beware. 'Autoroutes' apart, the French road numbering system is a nightmare because a single route can have many different numbers based on "department"; and their sign-posting for through-traffic is often pretty weak.