Is there a noticeable difference between the US states when traveling?

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chrislon_geo@reddit

I am going to disagree with a lot of people and say ‘no’. The differences are subtle. Things are pretty homogenous. You may notice small differences, but nothing is immediately or drastically different when crossing from one state to another. Som things you may notice (physical road conditions change, there may be a toll booth you have to go through, speed limits may change slightly, etc…)

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TemporalOasis@reddit

I agree. There are differences but under an overall frame of being very, very similar TBH. I actually think the biggest difference would just be that if/when you drive long enough in the colder seasons, the weather will change.

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InterPunct@reddit

Especially on interstate highways, everything is standardized and regulated.

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citrus_sugar@reddit

95 is garbage from Maine to Florida.

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Muvseevum@reddit

I’d like to drive the whole length of I-95 just for fun. I like interstates for some reason.

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cptjeff@reddit

I-95. "Fun". Does not compute.

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Osiris32@reddit

The chunk between Jacksonville and Cape Canaveral is pretty nice. But my memory may be rose tinted due to driving it A) to go see Cape Canaveral and nerd the fuck out, and B) on my way back having nerded rhe fuck out at Cape Canaveral.

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imnot_qualified@reddit

Fredericksburg, VA, NH, Boston, all of CT, Rocky Mount. I hate the whole thing.

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Muvseevum@reddit

🤷‍♂️

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cptjeff@reddit

If you want a long north-south interstate trip, do 85. Much nicer scenery, it's nearly all through the mountains, and while there are a lot of trucks, traffic moves. Took it twice a year driving to and from college back in the day going from NC to upstate NY. Hop on at Roanoke, get off at Watertown.

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eddiestarkk@reddit

I totally agree, 81 is much nicer drive than 95. 81 goes smaller cities: Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Bing, Syracuse. Less traffic, less assholes, nicer views. PA turnpike is nice to 76 & 476.

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Muvseevum@reddit

I specifically want to do I95, but I’ve been on 81 and there is some great scenery.

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idkidc28@reddit

Just focus on the “F-U” part of fun, for the accurate description of 95.

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Curmudgy@reddit

The good news is that 95 doesn’t actually go through Boston. The bad news is that it does go through Providence, southwestern CT, NYC, Baltimore, and probably other places that are no fun to drive. If you want fun, take the Merritt Parkway and drive some of the older parkways north of NYC. They’re pretty, if you can avoid the traffic. But get used to tiny on-ramps with stop signs.

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InterPunct@reddit

I do the NY to Boston trip to see family about every two months and typically curse Connecticut's two roads every time. Friday afternoons in the summer are the terrible but at least I don't have to do that morning commute south on the Merritt. Thanksgiving to Boston took me 7 hours once, I can make it in 3 plus a little without traffic. Beautiful road, otherwise.

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Curmudgy@reddit

We prefer the Merritt for one main reason: at our age, we need the convenient bathroom stops.

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InterPunct@reddit

Some of those entrances back onto the Merritt will take years off your life. It's nice they modernized the bathrooms and shops, but how about upgrading that entrance that was designed in 1920?

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SpaceCrazyArtist@reddit

Just not during rush hour, Merritt is a nightmare

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mwhite5990@reddit

I’ve done Virginia to Boston with most being on I-95 before. I don’t recommend it. Doing the entire length would be awful.

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jfchops2@reddit

My cousin wants me to come up and visit him in Boston from NoVa over Labor Day Weekend. A reasonable flight is $448 which is high but seems worth not needing to spend 10hrs each way driving.

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citrus_sugar@reddit

I used to drive from Norfolk to Boston and would take the Eastern Shore route so at least it was nice that part of the drive.

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bgraham111@reddit

It's not as long (second longest north-south), but im partial to I-75. Canadian border in the UP of Michigan, all the way to Florida. There's a stop on I-75. (Mackinac bridge) I remember someone telling me the directions to thier in-laws house. Get on I-75 in Michigan, so south. Get off at exit (whatever), turn right, turn left at the next road. That was it. Only thier in-laws lived in Florida.

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Intrin_sick@reddit

Did that with I-10, would not recommend.

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el_goate@reddit

Masochist

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DiscardedPizza@reddit

I've done it before. Not in one trip. But I've done Fort Lauderdale to Boston a few times. It sucks.

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SpaceCrazyArtist@reddit

Agreed 100%

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Happy_Harry@reddit

And extra-garbage in South Carolina. Badump...badump...badump... the whole way.

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Munrowo@reddit

eh, as a mainer 95 is only horrible during tourist season because traffic gets so bad. the road itself isnt in terrible shape

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Acrobatic_End6355@reddit

Except the drives near my place. They aren’t regulated well at all.

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Neracca@reddit

> but nothing is immediately or drastically different when crossing from one state to another Unless you travel from Maryland to Pennsylvania, in which case you will be IMMEDIATELY notified of that with tons of fireworks billboards.

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Awdayshus@reddit

This is the correct answer. I have driven across many parts of the country, and the differences between states are subtle, especially when the border just follows a straight line. But even when there is a physical boundary, like a river or mountain pass, it's not usually any different than crossing a river or mountain pass anywhere else. Some of the biggest transitions I've experienced were exactly those regional changes. Like driving across eastern Colorado, which is just as boring as Nebraska, and then reaching the Rocky Mountains at Denver. Or driving from Minnesota to Florida through the Appalachians. It's farmland, then rolling hills that become small mountains, then coastal plains. But none of those transitions obviously happen at state borders.

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

I mean I never been to Delaware... so maybe this is more true for your experience (I have been to every Northeastern state besides DE, MD, VT... and not a state but DC) but in a lot of the other states I find it to be true, depending on what state and what highway The transition from Colorado to New Mexico on I-25 is one of the sharpest I ever seen. Hell, even Texas to Louisiana on I-20. Even Iowa to Minnesota... as soon as you cross into Minnesota... there starts to be more trees. I-35 Kansas to Missouri. The Missouri side is a lot hillier.

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velociraptorfarmer@reddit

I-35 from Iowa to Minnesota is fun because you see nothing but corn fields for hours in Iowa, and within 10 miles of entering Minnesota you cross a lake on a causeway.

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chrislon_geo@reddit

So I am from Delaware, but have been to over 40 states and have done multiple cross country road trips from different starting locations. I stand by my original statement. Unless you know what to look for, most state boarders are easily missed. So compared to Europe where the literal language changes from one country to the next, the changes at state boarders may not even be noticed if OP drives around.

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arbivark@reddit

delaware has that toll booth on 95, but you can get around it by taking elkton road.

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cptjeff@reddit

Well that's a good tip!

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

I mean the state borders themselves may not be drastic, for obvious reasons (its an invisible line... at most a river) but it really doesn't take long after crossing a state line to see the differences. Even Wisconsin I notice how much hillier they are then us in general. Or how much fewer trees Iowa has. It also makes more a difference if you travel north/south. Travelling in shoulder seasons can also show very strong changes. I have roadtripped from Minnesota to Texas in September and it was incredible how every leaf we saw between Texas and Missouri was green, except a couple of random trees in Missouri that were starting to change colour. Not long after entering Iowa... most of the trees were yellow or orange all the way home.

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Saltpork545@reddit

Yeah, this is pretty true if you're running on interstates the whole time. The scenery will change, the hills or elevation or the backdrop will change, but driving 500 miles on the Interstate to cross a state or two or 5 isn't going to change all that much. You will have exits with food and gas. You will have rest stops now and again. The whole system is built around this with extra pieces attached like hotels or local attractions or whatnot. City traffic is likely to be worse at times than other Interstate traffic because they're often also used as artery roads for the city.

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bbctol@reddit

Also, if OP is comparing this to driving through Europe, the changes are simply smaller overall. People from outside the US often underappreciate its diversity, so this subreddit tends to emphasize that in answers, but there's no question that cultural differences between US states are much smaller than between different European nations.

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chrislon_geo@reddit

Perfect explanation! Many Europeans think that the US is similar to Europe where different states are comparable to different countries (significantly different cultures and laws). But in reality, US states are something in between counties in Europe and states/regions within counties in Europe.

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jlt6666@reddit

States compare to countries in size and population. Culturally there are some differences but I'd say the two most different states are more alike than the two most similar European countries. Language alone almost mandates it.

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mr_mcgibblets12@reddit

Yeah, I agree with this. I’ve traveled between Maryland and Ohio probably 50 times over the last 15 years and, just as an example, a very subtle difference I’ve noticed is when you cross the border into Maryland from West Virginia on I-68, the road color changes to like a pinkish red color. Once you’re in MD, you don’t really notice after a while, but there is a color change as soon as you cross into MD. Other than that, the landscape and mountains and stuff are virtually indistinguishable between the two states. One other example I thought of is when we vacationed in GA a few years ago, driving south on I-95, I just remember thinking North Carolina is very well groomed, like grass is cut, flowers in the median area between the north and southbound roads and then when we crossed into South Carolina everything was all over grown like they’d never spent any money cutting grass or something. Maybe that was just my experience from one trip like 6 years ago but it was something that came to mind.

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w84primo@reddit

Same thing I noticed while driving from Florida to Georgia. It was noticeable when I crossed into Georgia, and coming back home I knew I was back in Florida. The grass was just brown as soon as I crossed the border into Georgia. I noticed something similar going from Alabama into Florida. Only it was trash after a storm. The Florida side was cleaned up faster. On I-10 the Florida side has been noticeably better and as soon as you cross into Alabama it is just bumpy. Although I haven’t been going that way for a while, and I believe they were paving it. Also building regulations are very different. Along the Alabama coast there are buildings that touch the sky they are so tall. You can’t even see anything.

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Majestic-Macaron6019@reddit

North Carolina DOT is much better funded than South Carolina. The state gas tax is about 1.5x as high (40 cents vs. 28 cents)

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chrislon_geo@reddit

There are definitely those changes like the plant maintenance you mentioned. But that sometimes even changes within a state.

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scolfin@reddit

I think that's the same in Europe, though. I don't think you'd notice big differences within former-Prussia or former-Austrian Empire, or even between Germany and Austria.

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stalovalova@reddit

No, there are massive differences between Galicia (modern Ukraine and former Austria-Hungary) and Bavaria.

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moralprolapse@reddit

I agree unless you’re entering Nevada from anywhere. It feels like you’re driving into a theme park.

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Huffnagle@reddit

You’ll find the laws around alcohol to vary a lot and are generally incomprehensible.

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GokuVerde@reddit

Yeah everywhere east of the Mississippi I've been feels like a Neverending forest. But if you take a plane ride from the Midwest to Northeast or California you're going to feel like you're in a different country culturally.

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otterpop21@reddit

I just did a 2 1/2 month cross country road trip. Started on the East Coast area (NC was the first stop) then Atlanta, Austin, California, Oregon, etc. You sir are wrong. I actually made a comment while road tripping how amazing it was that the line of separation for the states make no sense on a map. when you’re actually crossing them on the ground the changes and differences are so noticeable it’s absolutely beautiful and astonishing at time.

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captainstormy@reddit

Agree. I'm surprised people would say there are a lot of differences when crossing one state into another. By the time you cross several states sure, but one? Nah.

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SeaBearsFoam@reddit

The symbols for state routes are the biggest difference I typically notice.

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Eudaimonics@reddit

Seriously, the road signs might change a little but that’s about it unless you’re on a much longer road trip. Like the same national and regional chains will be there. The only drastic thing that might change is tolling

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5timechamps@reddit

This. There are differences between states for sure, but at the borders they tend to blend together. So it isn’t a sudden “oh, I’m in X state now!” it is more of a gradual change.

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BigBobbiB@reddit

Yea, you’ll get more variation crossing regions, or mountains to flat land to beach or whatever. Aside from the giant sign that says “Welcome to XYZ” the interstate signs, mile markers, cars, gas stations, most restaurants and more are the same. If I put a blind fold on you and dropped you in Georgia and then blind folded you again and dropped you in Alabama you’d have no clue.

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chrislon_geo@reddit

Thanks for the reminder about regions. I added a link to that great regional map to my original comment.

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Far_Blueberry_2375@reddit

It's like in a video game. Say Minecraft. It's been ages since I played, but there were like 7-8 biomes. All super different, and you noticed when you went from one to the other. But say you take those 7 biomes and break the total area into 50 separate states, you don't necessarily notice when you go state-to state. The noticeable differences are more on a regional level than a state level.

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TillPsychological351@reddit

The biggest immediate difference will be felt in how much each state prioritizes road maintenance. The ones that stick out in my mind are Missouri vs. Kansas, and NY vs all of its neighbors. You might see some economic differences immediately as well. For example, along thr Vermont and New Hampshire border, all the big box stores lie on the NH side, probably due to the lack of a sales tax. Cultural and geographic differences, though, tend to be more regional. There probably isn't a distinct "Georgia' style of house, but houses in that state will likely be built differently from those in New England or the desert southwest.

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OO_Ben@reddit

>The ones that stick out in my mind are Missouri vs. Kansas I appreciate that call out for Kansas there. Our interstates are top notch. It's the whole reason I don't mind pay our tolls to use them. You can see the results! Driving across Kansas East/West can be boring, but at least the roads are nice! Even Kansas to Colorado is night and day as well.

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DrBlowtorch@reddit

Obviously Kansas is gonna have good roads, they’re literally the only thing in your entire state.

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dAKirby309@reddit

Have you been to KC? Because no, Kansas City is very populated and there is a strong emphasis on road quality on the Kansas side, especially Johnson County - to a fault sometimes. So many detours and road closures so they can shut them down to fix them up or add on to them.

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DrBlowtorch@reddit

The roads are worse because we have things other than roads and empty fields to worry about

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dAKirby309@reddit

Yet the reason why Kansas prioritizes and funds road construction doesn't mean anything? Like, that people drive on them often? I said Kansas City, and Johnson County - neither of which are known for fields and farms, as the metro is urban and suburban. That means no, you haven't spent time in KC. It would take quite awhile of driving before I find farmland or fields - nearly outside the metro area, of which there are PLENTY of in KS and MO.

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ElCaminoLady@reddit

I guess the eastern side of Missouri is slightly better.. or so it seems that way because Illinois roads are worse 😂

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dAKirby309@reddit

I would just say the Missouri roads I've driven on (eastern and southern Missouri) are overall a lot more hit-and-miss with the road quality than western KS roads. Western KS is by far the most populous and hilly area of the state, so I'm glad they intentionally maintain and fix the roads often.

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ElCaminoLady@reddit

That’s cool. Only drove through Kansas once on a major interstate so I have no idea.. But if you have to come to my neck of the woods avoid 255 in Illinois. Makes Missouri roads seem real nice in comparison 😬

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Melenduwir@reddit

Untrue. There are also endless fields of corn.

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OO_Ben@reddit

Lol fix your roads Missouri. I've damn near blown a tire driving out to my company's headquarters quarterly. The highway near Kearney are especially bad lol

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TillPsychological351@reddit

Missouri and Kansas, at least in my memory, have the starkest difference in road quality between two neighboring states that I have ever experienced. And just to be clear, yes, Kansas is the good one.

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austexgringo@reddit

Have you visited Louisiana before?

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Saltpork545@reddit

Yeah, MoDot isn't the most well funded thing and over time with how much traffic goes across the 2 major interstates, the roads get pretty fucked up in certain spots.

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Sewer-Urchin@reddit

If you're riding from North Carolina to South Carolina, I promise you can have your eyes closed and know when you've crossed the state line. Their roads are terrible :o

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DiscardedPizza@reddit

Plus, "Pedro Says: Chili Today, Hot Tamale"

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cptjeff@reddit

Has anyone actually been to south of the border?

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NerdTrek42@reddit

I stopped there when I was truck driving. It was off season and none of the rides were running. They had a trucker area, which was weird. The showers were sketchy. I also found an advertisement sign from 60’s/70’s. It was advertising spending your honeymoon at Pedro’s. Had complete photos of shag carpeting…lol. Even though the rides were close, all the shops were open. I wandered between them. I was mostly the only customer in each shop. Felt very dystopian. The food was pretty much what you expect in normal amusement parks, low quality. I stayed there the night and made a delivery in Myrtle Beach the next day.

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purplechunkymonkey@reddit

I thought it was amazing as a kid. It's nothing more than an overhyped tourist trap.

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Endy0816@reddit

I have and it was very disturbing. Do not recommend.

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ElectronicAmphibian7@reddit

I went as a kid in the early 90s and remember it being so fun. My sister and I decided to go on a road trip in the late 00s and it was absolutely miserable. I couldn’t tell if it was always miserable and I was just older and wiser or what.

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Kenderean@reddit

I've stopped there a few times. The first time was the most fun because I was 21 or 22 and on my first road trip with my then boyfriend. Once, I stopped in the off season and that was kind of cool. Everything was closed and we were the only people there so we spent a little time wandering around and looking at all the weird statues. Now that I've been there a few times, I'm good. No need to ever stop there again. Plus, I can't remember the last time I drove on 95 so far south.

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MostDefinitelyLost@reddit

I took a picture under the sombrero with some international guests. I’ve had my fill. Supposedly it was way cooler and in better shape in the 60s. My mom has fond memories of going on a ride on their long summer drives down to Florida.

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Anianna@reddit

We stopped one time about ten years ago and it had a very creepy vibe. Despite it technically being open at the time, nothing seemed to be running and it felt dead. We've never stopped there again despite making the trip past it numerous times. We always try to catch that last rest stop out of North Carolina instead.

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kr1ssy22@reddit

I've been there twice!

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TillPsychological351@reddit

I've stopped. I won't stop again.

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rhubes@reddit

Awww. Where else are you going to buy a sombrero shaped ashtray that says SOB on it? Or a shot glass with a racist stereotype of a Hispanic person.

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areyoustilltherefren@reddit

Same

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Tsquare43@reddit

I've been. It's a tourist trap in its ultimate form.

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Sweet_Cinnabonn@reddit

I've been! Multiple times. It is at a convenient distance to stretch legs and get a bathroom break. And check out the gift shop if you are there during open hours. It does not live up to the hype, but it is kinda cute.

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Iamonly@reddit

Same from the GA side. Plus the whole going from 3 lanes to 2 on 95. Although 17 going to Charleston isn’t as bad.

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FemboyEngineer@reddit

Thing is, as a Raleigh resident, going south through SC means I have to go through Fayetteville & Lumberton first. So, I know I'm in SC when things have improved considerably.

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Dazzling_Honeydew_71@reddit

Fayetteville highways are actually pretty nice. With the exception of I-95 heading south. I was stationed at Bragg, and the highways were the one thing in Fayetteville I remember being decent

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Meschugena@reddit

Far right lane of I-95 through the entire state of South Carolina is pure trash. My cargo trailer suspension was damaged from it last summer.

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funniefriend1245@reddit

That literally happened to my husband. We were driving from the UP to Illinois, and when we crossed into Illinois, he woke up and said "oh, we're in Illinois now."

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DUUUVAAALLL@reddit

I drive from FL to NC to see family pretty often and this was my immediate thought. Come on SC! Get it together! The yellow signs with red lettering telling me I’m going to hell is always the other fun way to know I’m in SC.

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WinterBourne25@reddit

They really are. I’m so sorry.

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LadyDouchebag@reddit

I-95 in SC is brutal in the summertime and holidays. Two lanes each way aren't enough!!

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stubrocks@reddit

Don't be. We drive there anyway for the cheaper gas.

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Mean_Connection7813@reddit

It's funny you mention the NY vs it's neighbors. I've lived in the Eastern part of NY. All my life and travel for work so I've gone from NY to VT or MA many different ways and which side has better roads depends on so many factors I can't even tell which side you're implying is better/ worse XD.

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HereComesTheVroom@reddit

Ohio and Indiana roads are also jarringly different. Crossing from Ohio into Indiana is like going from freshly paved to gravel roads.

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Majestic-Macaron6019@reddit

Same from Ohio into Michigan

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RupeThereItIs@reddit

I do like our governor, voted for her twice, but she's so far failed to "Fix the damn roads" which was a major campaign promise for her first term.

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Swimming_Panic6356@reddit

It's a work in progress. Construction all along I-75

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Topsyturvy12@reddit

I feel like there’s road construction everywhere.

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ThisMeansWarm@reddit

As a Michigander, I can confirm the accuracy.

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Prof_Acorn@reddit

That one also however comes with a sudden increase in trees. Going into Michigan is a reminder that forests exist. Indiana to Michigan is even more stark.

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Lord_Voltan@reddit

[This gets me every time)[https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7319181,-83.4889009,74m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu]

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Majestic-Macaron6019@reddit

I can HEAR the ca-chonk

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OceanPoet87@reddit

They probably don't want to make the school down south feel welcome in Ann Arbor.

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chicagotodetroit@reddit

Man you should see it from the opposite side! Going from Indiana to Illinois on I94 is dystopian universe of non-stop billboards for strip clubs, casinos, and fireworks. Oh and 5,000+ semi trucks all going what feels like 90mph. The closer you get to the border, the more chaotic is it gets. I missed an exit because I couldn't break through the line of speeding semis heading into Chicago. It's a relief to cross from Indiana into Michigan where all the billboards are fewer, and for wineries and restaurants instead of vices.

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GreatValueProducts@reddit

Also in my memory Ohio turnpike rest area was very nice compared to Pennsylvania turnpike or Indiana toll road

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schmerpmerp@reddit

Thanks, Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence. See: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-indiana-toll-road-how-did-a-good-deal-go-bad/.

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Swimming_Panic6356@reddit

Driving from Ohio into Michigan on Interstate 75, you immediately get hit with a huge decline in road quality.

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spikeiscool2015@reddit

Md vs Pa Maryland roads are regularly fixed and maintained while the pa highway looks like it’s made of 4 different materials

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beaner117@reddit

Pa here and I agree 100000%

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

Omg I drove across Texas when they had their big freeze in 2021 and the Texas side was horrible. So unplowed... the second we cross into Arkansas the roads were clear. Northern Arkansas was a little dicey but in Missouri theh were clear again and despite the Midwest having received more snow, it was perfectly plowed everywhere.

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Figgler@reddit

Pretty much the only area of Texas that has snow plows is Amarillo because it’s the only city that regularly sees snow. Anywhere near DFW the strategy is just “let it melt on its own.”

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

Yep. But "let it melt on its own" didnt work very well during a stretch of freezing temps like in 2021. However... the irony is... I DID see a snowplow! On I-30 westbound near Texarkana. I-30 west was 100% plowed. Decently. I-30 east? A disaster!

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jfchops2@reddit

It's really expensive to set up a statewide road plowing program in a state as big and populated as Texas. Quick search says that the Texas DOT has 30 snowplows. Meanwhile Michigan has 330 for a much smaller state - Texas might need closer to 1000 to have the same ability to clear the roads. If you're a Texas voter do you really want to pay more in taxes or lose something else the state funds in order to be prepared for a snow dump that maybe happens once a year?

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Rhomya@reddit

Even if Texas had 330 to plow out the significant metro areas and interstates, that would help the majority of its population

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

Northern Texas is snowier than ppl give it credit for. It may not get a ton of snow every year but you know Dallas has gotten snow every year since the 1890s? Its not a rarity. They should plan at least a little better.

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jfchops2@reddit

But so much of that is little dustings that melt off in a day anyways that nobody thinks is worth maintaining a full fleet of plows to deal with. It's a crazy high fixed cost for a program that would be actually useful 0-1 days a year most of the time. The people I know that live there enjoy the odd day or two at home each winter while the roads melt off. https://www.weather.gov/fwd/dmosnow

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

Idk I am just saying. I lived in Florida for 18 and a half years and in Texas for 2 and a half years. I saw about as many accumulating snowfalls in those couple winters in Texas (even spring. I recall it snowing right before spring break once) if not more, than I saw hurricanes in hurricanes in my entire time in Florida. Now I am not comparing a snowfall to a hurricanes in any way. Unless we are talking like a major Nor'easter like what sank the Fitz or what brought coastal flooding to Massachusetts 5 years ago... But my point is, you are more likely to wake up to snow in Texas than a hurricane in Florida. So maybe a little bit of preparation beyond "lets wait for it to melt." I get it... hurricanes are different, tornadoes even, but it doesn't change that roads will be treacherous in Texas and not everybody can afford to stay home. I dont expect small towns to be able to plow either but Texarkana is not that small and if the Arkansas side, a state that's poorer btw, can do it... what the hell, Texas? Southern Arkansas is not anymore snowy than Northeast Texas.

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Figgler@reddit

I grew up mostly in the Dallas area. We got about 2 snow days a year and it was mostly ice.

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ehs06702@reddit

It probably wouldn't be an issue if you had competent governance that wasn't robbing y'all blind for Riddler-esque death traps on the border.

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jlt6666@reddit

Hey, they only have the one plow and it's a big state.

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OceanPoet87@reddit

Does El Paso have it's own plows?

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Figgler@reddit

Not that I’ve ever seen. The snow they get is mostly a dusting on top of the mountains.

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OceanPoet87@reddit

During that same storm tons of photos from Texarkana were shared on social media. The Texas side was shut down and roads were snow covered while the Arkansas side was working as normal with restaurants and stores open.

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Ornery_Celt@reddit

In some of the northern states you will see a big difference all winter long because one state will use sand to keep roads from getting ice, and the other state will use salt.

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dj_narwhal@reddit

Sand is cheaper so they call it a "drinking water protection area".

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Emily_Postal@reddit

NJ roads are much better than NY in my opinion.

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eman00619@reddit

Especially in those really rural upstate areas, some of those roads feel like they are more potholes than road LOL

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TillPsychological351@reddit

I agree.

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HolmeonSpaulding@reddit

I don't think it has to do with lack of sales tax. It was just Vermont resisting big box stores.

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TillPsychological351@reddit

Vermont has big bix stores, just not close to the NH border.

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HolmeonSpaulding@reddit

Yep, but way fewer. I remember the battles over Walmart and big box stores in the 1990s. And then the battle over dollar stores. Vermont has 3 Home Depots and NH has dozens. Walmart had like 30 stores in NH and Vermont has about 5. Vermont has the lowest per capita big box stores and fast food chains in the US. It's why Vermont has great hardware stores and independent restaurants compared to NH.

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Green_Mountaineer@reddit

Still too many of em here for my taste.

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Meschugena@reddit

One of the things I noticed in the DFW area in TX is they have this odd aversion to striping their roads - both freeway and side streets.

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sleepfordayz679@reddit

It is instantly noticeable when you pass into Massachusetts from New Hampshire because of the sharp decline in road quality

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dAKirby309@reddit

I'm surprised a point of Kansas vs Missouri made the top comment. It's not strictly the case but when going between the KS side of Kansas City and the MO side. Namely, it's more likely that I'll feel like I'm in Missouri when crossing the border without even realizing since things sometimes feel older or more run-down on the Missouri side especially if you're coming from the Johnson County side of Kansas, which is notoriously upscale.  Contrastly, you can distinguish KS vs MO by seeing all the road construction that seems much more common on the KS side. Especially this year there has been a TON of road construction all over Johnson County.

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twoScottishClans@reddit

>The biggest immediate difference will be felt in how much each state prioritizes road maintenance. of course, this is nothing foreign to people who live near belgium.

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TillPsychological351@reddit

Specifically, Wallonia. The roads in Flanders are as good as anywhere else, but cross that language border...

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twoScottishClans@reddit

that's definitely not true. i was just in antwerp and the difference in road condition was night and day from the netherlands.

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TillPsychological351@reddit

Antwerp, maybe. I've lived in Limburg and spent a lot of time in Vlaams Brabant, and the roads there are generally in very good condition.

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twoScottishClans@reddit

[I found myself in Rekem in Limburg too](https://www.reddit.com/r/GeoPuzzle/comments/15hj8ew/where_was_i/), (check like the exif filedata or something idk) and the roads were also noticeably worse than in the towns in Dutch Limburg. Can't say about Vlaams Brabant though.

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austexgringo@reddit

I've driven a lot of places in the world, and live in mexico, and Brussels was easily the hardest driving place I've ever been

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KaleidoscopeEyes12@reddit

Going from MA to NH, the road immediately gets better (shockingly) and there are a shit ton of state-run liquor stores and firework stores and stuff lol

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HyruleJedi@reddit

Funny story but the VT/NH thing has more to do with the fact VT did not allow big box stores into the state for a VERY long time, but that has changed. You will now find a limited number of Home Depot's and Targets.

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fattoush_republic@reddit

Strongly agree with you on the NY roads point in particular - they are the worst

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Realtrain@reddit

Woah woah, clearly you've never crossed the NY-PA border.

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t_bone_stake@reddit

As a New York resident, I’m not disputing that. Some local roads where I live are just garbage and seems like they’d been neglected since being laid down originally

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lefactorybebe@reddit

I grew up in CT in a town that bordered NY and was crossing over all the time. NY does this weird thing where they will repave half of a lane, usually the outside half. I guess it buys you some time having to replace the entire road, but I never saw it done in CT.

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TouristCommercial839@reddit

Is NY worse or better than its neighbors?

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TillPsychological351@reddit

Worse. PA isn't great, and Vermont's pretty bad on some secondary roads, but at least their interstates are immaculate. Connecticut and NJ generally maintain their roads very well. I daresay, between smooth roads, lack of billboards and covenient rest stops, the Garden State Parkway is probably one of the most pleasent highways to drive in the northeast, particularly the southern portion.

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videogames_@reddit

All casinos are in Nevada so a good example to add on is Lake Tahoe. California side all houses. Nevada side casinos and outlets.

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ThreeTo3d@reddit

This past January, the family and I were headed back east driving from Colorado Springs area. There was supposed to be some snow, so we charged a more southernly route. We turned back north too soon and ended up driving through some pretty covered smaller highways (US-40). Stopped in a small town gas station just for a break and some gas. Asked if they knew how much farther until the snow breaks. Answer of “you’re about 20 miles from the Kansas border. They pretreat the roads and you’ll be clear.” They weren’t kidding. You could clearly see where Kansas began judging by the highways. They were cleared and had no snow on them.

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i-touched-morrissey@reddit

I came here to mention this. I live in Kansas and travel frequently to Oklahoma and Missouri. They have much more tourist activities, but the absolutely suckiest highways. I have pictures of under bridges in Missouri that should scare anyone traveling with a boat or camper. The bridges at Table Rock are 1 lane each way and all patchy and bumpy. In Kansas, we have fabulous roads and bridges. I have always thought that our roads were really good because people just wanted to drive across Kansas as fast as they can.

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DooDiddly96@reddit

On that “Georgia” house thing— I feel like I can def tell when someone from the South builds or designs a building up here. For some reason it just feels incongruous to the surroundings/sticks out like a sore thumb

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metalliska@reddit

Yes there's a big black dark line you gotta drive over like it shows on the map.

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JustTheSpaceMan@reddit

HUGE differences. texas is humid, kansas is empty, colorado has mountains, new york has sky scrapers, every state is different (except nebraska and kansas lol)

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thatismattistaken@reddit

You travel between Colorado and Kansas, the difference is night and day. No mountains, different time zone, different terrain, and different weather.

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Wu-Tang_Killa_Bees@reddit

At least on the east coast, there is not really a difference state to state. It's more like a large gradient with arbitrary borders. Of course there are some slight differences in state's culture, pride, food, but when you drive from PA through a sliver of West Virginia into Ohio, it's not like you notice some exotic and wild difference at each border. I would say the most noticeable exception is New Jersey, as soon as you enter the state it is either incredibly rural, industrial, or suburban, and it stands out greatly from a lot of places just on the other side of the border. I find it funny because my wife who's from Jersey is always shocked that there's not a noticeable difference between other states

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ShelterTight@reddit

It’s quite easy to tell if you look at the environment, quality of the Highway, economic development, etc.

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ElCaminoLady@reddit

As advertised the UNITED states of America.. Although there’s slight differences in governing that can be seen from the road (upkeep, billboards, etc) we all have a common culture.. What differences exist are more by geographical region than by borders..

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G00dSh0tJans0n@reddit

Some but less than you think. If you’re traveling on the interstate all the exists tent to attract the same chains. I just did a 5k mile road trip from North Carolina to South Dakota to New Mexico and back. On the interstate sections the exits closer to cities will have similar chains of fast food, casual dining (Outback, Olive Garden, Applebees etc) and hotel chains. When interstate traveling I tried to stick to the same gas stations for convenience, Love’s my first choice then Pilot Flying J. Off interstate you see a lot more variety including Casey’s in the Midwest and Sinclair more in the west. In NM a lot of gas stations have a small kitchen and great fried empanadas. If you travel by interstate you’ll see little difference when traveling between states.

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ElCaminoLady@reddit

Agree with this 100%… but to add if there’s waffle houses.. you’re definitely in the South :D (I recommend the fiesta omelet, an “off menu” item) Off subject but I think that’s why there’s a fascination with Route 66, a time when roadside stops where unique and not homogenized..

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

Travelling across NM or West Texas for us means Allsup's chimichangas

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G00dSh0tJans0n@reddit

Yeah I definitely had some of those in Lubbock I think it was

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boingboingdollcars@reddit

The “look and feel” of different parts country more follows the cultures that settled there. [The 11 nations of The United States](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Nations)

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Groundbreaking-Put73@reddit

Besides roads, I’ll address culture. I’m from Arizona and moved to Northern California in 2016. Assuming as a tourist you stick to the big cities/tourist destinations- yes. It’ll be subtle at first. From CA to Charleston: I noticed the “southern, kinda Bible Belt” attitude after a day. My close family lives in Boston. While I am used to it, compared to CA, they are far more blunt if they don’t like you. With a county this big, the regions have their cultural attitudes. But someone who is a foreigner will be welcomed and not held to any standards of local behavior so please don’t worry about that. Any region in the US would welcome you!

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Glenncinho@reddit

There are states that have wawa… and then we have wastelands

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gratusin@reddit

I live about 20 miles north of the New Mexico border and notice the difference instantly. Other states, not so much right when you cross the border.

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

Raton, NM is barely south of Colorado and already looks super different from a little north.

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gratusin@reddit

So true, I feel like they drew a line and were like, see them trees? Colorado gets all that, see them rocks, NM gets that. There’s also a huge difference in snow removal in the winter.

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lizphiz@reddit

I've thought similarly driving from California into Arizona. California side, shrubs. Cross into Arizona, saguaros everywhere; welcome to AZ!

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Puzzleheaded-Oil2513@reddit

As a Coloradan, there is a bigger difference between states in this part of the country than out East, though it's still a gradient more than a sudden change.

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BigMaraJeff2@reddit

Going from Texas to Louisiana there is.

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Raineythereader@reddit

I've got a story for you. Last winter, I drove from Montana to Idaho to visit some friends before Christmas. Much of the boundary between them follows the Continental Divide, and there happened to be a storm on the Pacific (Idaho) side that day. Immediately when I went over the pass, the sky went from 90% clear to completely overcast, and within a couple of miles it started snowing hard. When I drove back a few days later, the road was covered in snow and ice on the Idaho side, but cleared up pretty quickly when I crossed back into Montana.

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CP1870@reddit

Somewhat but it's more regional differences than state to state. For example going from Kentucky to Ohio or Indiana you will notice a difference because Kentucky is a southern state while Indiana and Ohio are Midwest states but you won't notice much of a difference going from Kentucky to Tennessee. Speaking of Tennessee you definitely notice a difference when you go from Knoxville to Memphis: Memphis literally has more in common with Jackson Mississippi than it does with the rest of Tennessees major cities

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FemboyEngineer@reddit

Granted my only major road trip was going all the way across I-40 (CA-AZ-NM-TX-OK-AR-TN-NC). But at every state border besides AZ/NM, the cultural change was pretty immediate and stark.

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spilledbeans44@reddit

It’s more regions. And the differences are just better or worse road maintenance, sign design, and chain restaurants

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DisgruntledGoose27@reddit

No. The united states has a pretty intense sameness in the urban planning everywhere you go relative to anywhere ive ever visited. That said the geography changes quite a bit.

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Dear_Jump_21@reddit

No. USA is a melting pot - Europe has landwars for integration

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Fappy_as_a_Clam@reddit

It's immediately noticeable when you cross over from NC to SC

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Stircrazylazy@reddit

The quality of the road?

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Fappy_as_a_Clam@reddit

The materials of the road

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ArsenalinAlabama3428@reddit

Same crossing into Mississippi from Alabama. The roads go from black and smooth to red, ridged, and bumpy. I’m sure there’s a sexual joke in there but I’m to tired to think of it lol.

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youngathanacius@reddit

South of the Border

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Stircrazylazy@reddit

Haha! I am always on I-85 when I go through SC. Entering the state is like a test to see how well my shocks are performing. Between that and the miles and miles of cement barricades, I've usually aged a good 10 years from stress by the time I get to my sister's place in NC.

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dongeckoj@reddit

Yep. All the American flags become Confederate flags.

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ArsenalinAlabama3428@reddit

Lmao so clueless

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Fappy_as_a_Clam@reddit

Not really. There are just as many confederate flags in NC as there is SC, believe me

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pgcooldad@reddit

Definitely a difference in speed limit. While driving through Michigan everyone is trying to break the speed of sound but as soon as we cross into Ohio, we're forced to slow down to a snails speed of 65mph (105kph). Many of us risk falling asleep while driving in Ohio freeways 😴

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CaprioPeter@reddit

State borders that are also natural borders ie the Rockies or Sierras tend to be pretty different

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notyogrannysgrandkid@reddit

Everyone here saying “there’s no real change from state to state, it’s just regional,” has clearly never driven from Nevada to California on I-80.

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PacSan300@reddit

To be fair, when I-80 enters California from Nevada, it also pretty much corresponds to going from desert to mountains. The freeway enters the Sierras basically as soon as it crosses the border. Highway 395, however, has little change when crossing between CA and NV, as it stays east of the Sierras the whole time.

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Spencer2091@reddit

There's sometimes even differences between cities. Colors of street signs or font often changes, but I once jokingly said you can tell you're now in Provo instead of Orem when there's more potholes. My friend laughed, but I was only exaggerating a little, Orem does have better upkeep of our roads. With states there's often large "Welcome to [state]" signs on the highways. They aren't directly on the border, but they're close to the borders, so you'll know.

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LansingBoy@reddit

Yes, entering Nevada = casino, entering wyoming = firework, entering colorado = weed

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wents90@reddit

And entering California = checkpoint for fruits/pests

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wistful_walnut@reddit

Entering Utah = no fun

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motypl@reddit

Also entering Oklahoma from Texas = casino

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wents90@reddit

The only state you feel like you’re crossing into another country is California. The only time I ever had to stop at a checkpoint, because they check for fruit or pests and stuff like that. Definitely caught me off guard

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ProfessionalNose6520@reddit

i’ve been to 41 states. I will say that each state has its own unique “vibe”. Mostly subtle changes in geography and culture. It’s like the vibe of where I am changes slightly When i cross from Ohio into Kentucky. The vibe changes from corn midwest to slight southern with more hills and spread out cities. When I cross from Arkansas to Texas. It feels like leaving a toothless deep south and going into yee haw cowboy state. You mostly feel the “degree” of culture change if that makes sense. You enter Oklahoma and you feel a little less south. then you get to Missouri and feel kinda southern but more midwest. When you get to Illinois it feels more midwest. Then you get to Indiana and the midwest corn is heavier. Then you get to Ohio and corn but more rust belt.

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Marrymechrispratt@reddit

From one state to the next, not really. But then you get to a different region…yep. Driving through Michigan is much different than driving through Washington.

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Few_Explanation_4697@reddit

I always start seeming minimum speed signs in SC, I never see them in NC.

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hasbeenwriting@reddit

One thing I notice for Missouri is the fireworks store. Rock Port is a town of maybe 1,000 but has a huge fireworks store. It’s right on the border with Iowa and across the river from Nebraska. Another thing I notice though now some in Nebraska have them, but most South Dakota gas stations have low budget casino gaming machines or sections for it.

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Ok-Dish-17@reddit

In some places, yes, for example, I live in Maine and we don't allow billboards, we have a very small population, and relatively little development (compared to other states), our biggest highways have only two lanes in one direction. We are also not very religious, so we don't have mega churches, billboards about abortion etc... It feels very peaceful here and there is rarely bad traffic. We joke that traffic here is when you see more than three cars on the road at the same time. Compare that to states, where there are billboards everywhere and highways with eight lanes, housing developments as far as the eye can see, and traffic that is bumper to bumper for hours, and it's quite a culture clash. I think maybe the differences are regional rather than state by state. New England where I live feels very different from the Southwest or South, but the states in New England feel pretty similar.

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

We drove from Boston to Portland last month and it was interesting how different the vegetation started to look even in far southwest Maine. The vegetation in Massachusetts has some overlap with Minnesota (sumacs, maples, honey locusts, oaks) but also different (sycamores is what stood out) but it lacked the big spruce trees that we have here. Maine had the spruce trees and more maples. Looked a lot like home. Portland reminded me of Duluth but less rusty and less hilly.

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Ok-Dish-17@reddit

I grew up in Minnesota and agree completely. Maine feels like "up north" and Boston feels like the Twin Cities!

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

Nice! How would you say Saint Paul feels in relation to New England? Saint Paul always gave me a slight "East coast" vibe. More historic homes, old brown brick buildings downtown, more tree lined streets. The neighbourhood I lived in had a similar ethnic demographic to a lot of New England. (Irish, Italian, French-Canadian even some Puerto Ricans)

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Ok-Dish-17@reddit

Agree, St. Paul definitely has east coast vibes. Cathedral Hill (really miss Nina's) and the downtown area (love the St. Paul farmer's market) feel like they could be in New England. Have you been to Providence, Rhode Island? It has a similar feel as St. Paul, though it is significantly older so the architecture is different but extremely beautiful. It is more lively than St. Paul because of Brown and RISD, but the overall feel is very similar in areas. It is also considered a less exciting and less expensive companion city to Boston, as they are about 45 minutes apart, so it's got a similar smaller city relationship to a larger neighboring city. The demographic leans Italian, Jewish, and Dominican.

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

Agree about Cathedral Hill. I was in that area recently and a little park there reminded me of Salem Common. Also, a lot of streets are paved with bricks.

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w3woody@reddit

Because interstate highways use signage specified by the Federal Government, there are no immediate differences in the signs, unlike (say) when traveling between Denmark and Sweden, where all the signs changed. You may pass a "Welcome to Virginia" sign, and that's it. That said, in some places the differences can be stark: traveling between California (where gambling is mostly illegal) to Nevada (where it's legal) on Highway 15 [and suddenly casinos line the highway.](https://goo.gl/maps/zecF7qAFvSQhHJYk9) (The little town of Primm is ready to take your money.) Between North Carolina (where fireworks are highly regulated) and South Carolina (where it's not), and [plenty of folks are there ready to help you with your fireworks needs.](https://goo.gl/maps/mwQc3CeVhxHBjTp27) I'm sure there are plenty of examples of this sort of thing around the country: borders between states where something is legal verses not legal, and by God they're right on the border ready to sell you that thing. You can sort of see something similar between cities; I recall right across the railroad tracks in Glendale a large strip club: strip clubs were illegal in the city of Glendale--but the other side of the railroad tracks were technically the city of Los Angeles.

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Watercress-Dizzy@reddit

Yes

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Elitealice@reddit

Depends where you’re going

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Gertrude_D@reddit

When I cross the border into Missouri I'd know immediately because there are huge signs everywhere advertising fireworks and several huge sellers set up just over the border. Fireworks are illegal in my state :) Same now with states that border mine that have legal marijuana.

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

You know when you cross into MN because we have the best welcome sign in America ;)

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velociraptorfarmer@reddit

Yep. The giant carved stone sculptures with spotlights on them at night. Meanwhile Iowa uses cheap white steel signs, and Wisconsin has the log cabin-y looking ones. Also, Iowa's road sign poles are just wood 4x4 posts, while Minnesota uses steel posts.

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

Also you may have not noticed but the Iowa welcome sign on I-35 is technically on the Minnesota side lol

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Emily_Postal@reddit

Same with the NJ/Pennsylvania border.

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PaulHaman@reddit

There's usually a subtle feeling you're in a different state. Road signs are a bit different, rest stops might be designed/maintained differently. Gas station nozzles might look a bit different depending on state regulations. Police cars are painted differently. Some states (like Arizona) have more digital road signs warning of freeway issues/construction. In Oregon, you'll notice attendants fill up your gas for you rather than let you do it yourself (I hate this one). Roads might be maintained better or worse depending on the state. Billboards might be different or not even allowed depending on state regulations. You'll see differences in types of advertisements (religious/casinos, etc.), but that's more region-based than state-based.

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CategoryTurbulent114@reddit

Not really noticeable unless you drive from say the Midwest to the coast or the mountainous west… or to the great planes. I think the differences are more geographical than cultural, although Louisiana is quite a bit different than other states due to the local accents

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detection23@reddit

I think depends on how you looking at your traveling. For example going from NJ boarder into PA you probably find everything pretty similar, but on the other side near the Pittsburgh side of PA you probably start noticing lot more difference in dialects, verbiage used and general attitudes of people.

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Doctor-Malcom@reddit

Other than the qualities others have describes such as roads, the US is fairly homogenous when crossing state borders. I have traveled all 50 states and most of Canada by motorcycle and car. Even with scenic backroads can barely tell the difference between northern Florida and Georgia or Washington state vs. Oregon, etc. That said, US and Canada have 15 distinct regions (obviously more to the experts in geography) that are appreciable to the lay person. Alaska vs. Key West vs. New England vs. the Great Plains.

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WelcomeT0theVoid@reddit

I've almost seen the whole US and certain part of the country are more noticeable on the differences, especially with the South (just going over the border of Tennessee and Alabama was shocking how quickly a difference the two were)

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nine_of_swords@reddit

Driving south on I-65 from Nashville is odd. It gets pretty empty-rural and big-hilly. Then you hit Alabama and it gets more populated, but flattens out. Then you cross the Tennessee river, and it goes back to big-hilly until past Birmingham. It's more like the area around the western side of Huntsville feels out of place.

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Jonny_Zuhalter@reddit

You will see slight differences in road signs usually due to being either newer or older signs, blacktop quality of the road changes, mile markers restart either at a high number or at 1. And of course you can't miss the "Welcome to <US state> , the <nickname> state!".

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amcjkelly@reddit

Hilariously back in the 80s when you crossed the mason Dixon line into the South some of the southern states had really put in an effort to plant some nice flowers and stuff by the road.

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OceanPoet87@reddit

They also really like to do the state signs with the governor's name on it. Western states don't do that.

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Evil_Weevill@reddit

When you're just crossing the border between neighboring states? Not so much. If there was no "Welcome to New Hampshire" sign on the road over the border, you'd be hard pressed to tell where Maine ends and New Hampshire begins. You might notice subtle differences. Like no helmet law in NH. No sales tax in NH. But just driving through there's nothing that really jumps out as that different between Western Maine and eastern New Hampshire. Now if you're driving across country you'll notice differences. Like going down through NH into Eastern Mass it will get noticeably less mountainous, less forested, more populated cities. And if you keep going down into New York and Pennsylvania you'll start seeing more change in landscape, more farmland, etc. So not much dramatic differences on opposite sides of bordering states, but it's a truly massive country so if you keep going long enough you'll see gradual changes in landscape and culture.

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OceanPoet87@reddit

No seatbelt law either in NH once you turn 18.

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cometssaywhoosh@reddit

For us here in Texas, federal highways wise it's not much different. It's standardized. State highways - New Mexico and Oklahoma suck. Arkansas is fairly decent. Louisiana is just swamps half the time lol

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austexgringo@reddit

If you enter Louisiana from any of the bordering states, you can immediately tell the difference because of the utter lack of road maintenance. But in general the US is very homogeneous.

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IntroductionAny3929@reddit

Yep! There are plenty of differences, Texas has it's own Unique culture in fact!

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girlonaroad@reddit

Agriculture is a top industry in California, and we protect against pests. This when you cross into California by road, you have to stop at an agriculture inspection station. You ding havd to show papers, but you do get asked what produce you are carrying, and you might have to show your produce to the inspector. I've had cherries and lettuce seized.

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RavenNorCal@reddit

When you go out of California roads are getting better, although we have many decent roads, too. Less homeless if not Oregon, Portland in particularly. Nature is changing. Gas is getting cheaper. But gas stations mostly are look the same, EV chargers look the same, shopping malls look almost the same, maybe a few regional chains or other nation wide chains which are not popular in California. Less Asian and Indian people, too. Also less speaking Spanish as in California it’s common. In Oregon you will be served at gas stations, but other states the same self service.

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thephoton@reddit

> In Oregon you will be served at gas stations, but other states the same self service. That (mostly) ended last month.

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thephoton@reddit

Mark Twain explained it best in *Tom Sawyer Abroad* as Tom and Huck Finn travel by hot-air balloon: >Huck Finn: “... if we was going so fast we ought to be past Illinois, oughtn’t we?” > Tom Sawyer: “Certainly.” > Huck: “Well, we ain’t.” > Tom: “What’s the reason we ain’t?” > Huck: “I know by the color. We’re right over Illinois yet. And you can see for yourself that Indiana ain’t in sight.” > Tom: “I wonder what’s the matter with you, Huck. You know by the color?” > Huck: “Yes, of course I do.” > Tom: “What’s the color got to do with it?” > Huck: “It’s got everything to do with it. Illinois is green, Indiana is pink. You show me any pink down here, if you can. No, sir; it’s green.” > Tom: “Indiana pink? Why, what a lie!” > Huck: “It ain’t no lie; I’ve seen it on the map, and it’s pink.”

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OceanPoet87@reddit

Neighboring states not too much but the further you drive the more the land with change and the mannerisms will slowly as well. Particularly if you go west to east and north/south or vice versa. Main difference would be politics, some states tax certain items at a lowr rate or not at all so you'll have cross state shoppers going to Oregon to buy big purchases but not cars. Or Nevada residents will drive 45 mins to CA to play the lottery which is still banned in NV but it's in the process of repeal.

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Happy_Harry@reddit

Road maintenance can be pretty noticeable. Most obvious I've seen is going from Pennsylvania (state notorious for poor road quality) to Delaware (state with excellent road maintenance and low taxes thanks to DuPont). [Example 1](https://www.google.com/maps/@39.8389581,-75.5395584,3a,75y,340.68h,66.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1szHoYGyyN0N7mHh1XiLAZsA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) [Example 2](https://www.google.com/maps/@39.7729243,-75.7391357,3a,75y,260.86h,68.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seSp-T1MUfk9g_cat4L5v6Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) [Example 3](https://www.google.com/maps/@39.7329102,-75.768943,3a,75y,68.18h,64.01t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLMexSklDHe67m5yQ17Z0TA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu)

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dongeckoj@reddit

The most noticeable difference for me was crossing from North Carolina to South Carolina and all the US flags turned instantly into Confederate Flags

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NomadLexicon@reddit

Sometimes. Entering West Virginia from Northern Virginia feels very different because theres a sudden change in geography (smaller roads, switchbacks over mountains), a cultural shift (Appalachia has a distinctive culture), your cell phone stops working (mountains plus the national radio silence zone), the weather gets colder (higher elevation), houses get smaller and older, giant satellite dishes are everywhere, and the economy/public infrastructure are noticeably poorer (Northern Virginia’s exurbs relatively close to the border have thrived as part of the larger DC metro region so there’s lots of new construction, as WV has faced long term population/economic decline). Some of those changes start before crossing the border, but the total effect of changes after you’re over feels very different. Probably less of a change if you’re traveling from Southwestern Virginia.

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Wingoffaith@reddit

Yes for me personally, I can especially tell because of the color of the roads and road conditions in my case. When I've entered another state in the past with my dad, I've noticed some roads are red and most of the state roads I've seen have been in better condition than the ones in my state.

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Vulpix_lover@reddit

The differences are very subtle. Unlike Europe you're crossing into a different state, not a different country. The roads might be a different quality but overall nothing out of the ordinary

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Up2Eleven@reddit

The billboards are certainly telling. Go to the Midwest or the South and you get a ton of Trumpy ones. I was driving through Missouri recently and saw a full-sized billboard with let's go Brandon on it. I don't see much of that in Arizona or California. When I see that shit, I feel like I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone.

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iRep707beeZY@reddit

I am legit trying to remember anything that stood out while driving from Colorado to Tennessee, but in the places we stopped in different states, you can definitely feel the "outsider" vibe in the Southern states. And large cities and suburbs are not that close together, versus driving through California and passing lots of cities and suburbs at almost every exit. The most noticeable is the weather changes state to state, because by the time we got here to West Tennessee there was a lot of ice on the road, and in Colorado it was a lot of snow. And as someone who is a native Californian, both of these conditions are totally new to me (and hella scary to drive)!

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iRep707beeZY@reddit

The culture from state to state are very different though, and it was a total culture shock in TN for me

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Squirrel179@reddit

I've driven between Oregon and Colorado a lot, and I definitely feel like there's a pretty big shift when you leave Colorado and enter Wyoming, again when you enter Utah, again when you reach Idaho, and when you enter the Oregon gorge. The terrain shifts very closely with the political borders. The first and most obvious sign, however, are the symbols on the highway signs. Each state (at least out west, and I imagine it's true everywhere) has a unique highway marker, and when I start to see George Washington's profile or the outline of Idaho on all the signs I know I've crossed the state boundary

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spikeiscool2015@reddit

The moment you cross from Maryland to Pennsylvania you’ll feel it (Pennsylvania highways are crap compared to marylands)

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yungmoneybingbong@reddit

Anytime I cross the Delaware into PA I can feel the weird envelope around me.

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Inevitable_Usual@reddit

The most condensed version I can think of is NY - from LI into Queens then Queens/Brooklyn into Manhattan, Manhattan to the Hudson valley, Hudson valley into upstate. A 4 hour drive can take you from ocean beach’s, wine country into dense city and right up into mountain ranges with waterfalls. You’ll also notice in the NE cultural and accent changes from one state or part of a state to another.

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CptS2T@reddit

Speed limit enforcement. Lots of stories about Californians getting criminal speeding tickets in Arizona for stuff that would have been ignored back home.

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jtscira@reddit

People who say no are not paying attention. Go to Portland Oregon. Then go to Huntsville Alabama. Tell me they are the same.

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nine_of_swords@reddit

I didn't know Alabama and Oregon were neighboring states. The question was about noticing a difference as you pass state lines.

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jtscira@reddit

Not the way it was written.

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mandy_mae91@reddit

I've traveled from Massachusetts to South Dakota and back multiple times. I've noticed that once I've hit Ohio from Pennsylvania it's more flat/more farmland.

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Key_Set_7249@reddit

Some yes like when you cross the border between Kentucky and Indiana after a few miles the land suddenly becomes super flat

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verruckter51@reddit

Just drove from Ohio to South Dakota and back this weekend. Didn't notice any major differences in the five midwest states. 14 hours at 120 to 130km/h and pretty much nothing but straight roads and corn and soybeans. Little more soybeans this year than previous years. Road signage and speeds are standard across nation, so other than maintenance no real differences.

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itsnotimportant2021@reddit

Nope, I've lived most of my life in cities near borders, sometimes the boundary is a river, but otherwise the only thing to let you know you changed states is a sign that says "Welcome to Indiana". Especially in the midwest it's hard to spot a difference between Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, etc.

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lilwebbyboi@reddit

Yes. From the roads, to the architecture, down to the culture. Every state is different & it's definitely noticeable

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Curmudgy@reddit

On surface streets, one of the annoying differences is on some of the local signs. For example, MA spells out [NO TURN ON RED](https://signkings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/TRAFS06-.jpg). But in other regions, there might be [this sort of sign](https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/2984780_NO_TURN_RED.jpg) which is confusing when you’re not used to it.

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EclipseoftheHart@reddit

It can really depend, even ignoring signage & roads. For example I grew up on the very edge of the prairies/plains in Minnesota. Therefore when I crossed over into the Dakotas or Iowa they felt very similar. However, when we would go visit my grandma who lived in northern Minnesota or now days my in-laws cabin there is a gradual to distinct difference as the farmland becomes trees and forests. There are lakes everywhere in MN, but they have a different vibe up north in my opinion. Crossing over from there to parts of Wisconsin and then Michigan would feel more similar than the Dakotas to the opposite side of the state. Road maintenance is something that I don’t notice as much, but I’m usually checked out in the car and my wife drives, haha.

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yozaner1324@reddit

State to state isn't necessarily a big difference, but if you go from a state in one region to a state in another, you'll notice a pretty big difference. Example: Oregon to Washington isn't much different, California to Montana is, as would be Washington to Texas. You'll see radically different landscapes and plants, architectural styles, different chain businesses, different road signs, and just generally different vibes.

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Multidream@reddit

A lot of states have some fanfare around the border but then it goes back to a gradual change. They try to make that border feel important but usually after a few miles its mostly the same. Florida’s interesting to me cause they like to plant palm trees EVERYWHERE.

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350RDriver@reddit

Yes and no. If you go from North Dakota to South Dakota, the only real difference is that the speed limit goes from 75 to 80mph and there's more billboards in South Dakota. If you go from Rhode Island to Massachusetts, the only immediately noticeable change is the pavement usually gets nicer. But in some states (or even individual cities) stop lights may be sideways. But, if you skip 3 or 4 states, there will be a much more noticeable difference. Being quite large, the differences in landscape and climate can take a few states to change significantly, especially on the east coast where the states are pretty small. Like the others have mentioned, it's more of a regional thing to see changes in the U.S. than every individual state. One obvious change is where alcohol is sold. In many states, you can get it in a gas station. In some, you can buy it in only in regular stores like a Walmart or target or dedicated liquor location with a separate entrance within those stores. Other states have only dedicated liquor stores. It's actually a fairly noticeable difference because it can affect the size of gas stations quite a bit in those states that allow alcohol to be sold in them.

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Curmudgy@reddit

> If you go from Rhode Island to Massachusetts, the only immediately noticeable change is the pavement usually gets nicer. Also, traffic usually drops, at least at the hours we travel, until you get to the stadium / 495 area.

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puppetmaster216@reddit

This depends on how far you're traveling. The different regions have different climates and different foods that they specialize in. For example, if your traveling from New Mexico to New England it's going to be a night and day difference. If you're going from New Mexico to Arizona, still a difference but a little bit less.

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Wood_floors_are_wood@reddit

Less noticeable than Europe but still noticeable

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Individualchaotin@reddit

As my host dad from Iowa said: "The air smells different in Nebraska".

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Mission-Coyote4457@reddit

yes, but the bigger difference is between regions. the border regions of states aren't like, you cross a line and there's a noticeably immediate difference, but it's also the case that Iowa is noticeably different then Missouri and Arkansas is very different to both of them, as is Illinois etc. Georgia has a very different vibe than South Carolina but the parts where they border eachother are similar too.

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PuzzleheadedAd5865@reddit

Ohio and Kentucky border at Cincinnati is the least gradual one I can think of. The Ohio side has no mountains. The Kentucky side has large hills that I think are technically considered mountains.

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Weave77@reddit

That, and a big ass river.

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Muvseevum@reddit

You’ll have that when borders were based partly on natural features. When you enter VA from NC, you go from rollong country into mountains very quickly.

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CabinetChef@reddit

Agreed. Upstate SC and NE Georgia are very similar in appearance and culturally, but the further west toward Atlanta you get it starts to feel like a completely different place.

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Yankee_chef_nen@reddit

Seeing some of the responses, made me think specifically about crossing the state line from Georgia into South Carolina on I-85. The area around Lake Hartwell looks the same in both states, nothing to say you’ve crossed a state line, however the road condition lets you know you have. The road surface in Georgia is well maintained and smooth, the road surface in South Carolina is terrible, poorly maintained and full of pot holes. Georgia’s highway rest areas are better maintained too.

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WashuOtaku@reddit

That's a subtle difference though, not a "noticeable difference." Its the same crossing into North Carolina too, roads suddenly improve, for most people though it goes unnoticed until you think about it.

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Yankee_chef_nen@reddit

True

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BlindPelican@reddit

State to neighboring state, not so much. Region, though? If you make a drive from, say, Huntsville Alabama to Indianopolis Indiana, the difference is significant and that's only an 8 hour drive.

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DooDiddly96@reddit

Idk I can def tell when I drive into CT or VT or Maine. They’re distinct.

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DooDiddly96@reddit

When you drive into VT it feels different because billboards are illegal and all their highways are two lanes. Also the roads are better. When you drive into CT it feels different because the roads are better. For some reason driving from New Hampshire into Maine feels very very distinct for me and I think that’s because of a lack of road signage and the beautiful tall evergreens that line the highways. Driving out west is interesting because instead of hills/mountains/strip malls you just see land and sky. I was shook driving in Idaho because of the lush green trees that were soooooo uniform as they made a blanket across the Rockies. Driving in Western New York you feel like you’re in a Currier & Ives print. Driving through Ohio is just plain depressing. Same w Tulsa. Just fucking hideous. Like to the point where it makes me angry, frankly. Driving in Minnesota everyone drives 55 like lunatics. Wisconsin looked like a Land O Lakes ad (ironically?) with it’s rolling hills That’s all I can think of off the top of my head.

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youngathanacius@reddit

Not really. Sometimes the geography changes pretty rapidly but usually it’s gradual. Highways are pretty standardized so the change of signage is pretty subtle on state highways, and practically non-existent on interstate highways. Sometimes speed limits change. Sometimes there’s a noticeable difference in maintenance of the roads. Most border crossings will have a sign welcoming you to the state, or a batshit crazy roadside attraction (looking at you South Carolina), but it’s usually not a super notable difference. I’ve asked what state we are in on long road trips where I wasn’t driving.

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AdFinancial8924@reddit

Not really. The mile markers on the side of the road start over. Sometimes the number of the highway/name of the street you're on ends and it turns into something else depending on what type of highway you're on. If you're on a street with houses/ buildings on it the numbers start over. But the types of stores or gas stations/ etc. tend to be regional, so that would be more gradual. I go to Pennsylvania a lot and we have Royal Farms and they have Rutters, but they have some Royal Farms too, and we both have WaWa so it's not really that abrupt of a change. Most of the differences between states are geographical landscape and cultural and more gradual.

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mwhite5990@reddit

I don’t think there are massive differences on the highway. You may not even notice right away if you don’t see the sign saying you are entering a different state. The biggest indicator with bordering states is the liscense plates on the cars. Or sometimes the name of a highway will change. There are also places like New Jersey where you can’t pump your own gas. But for the most part you may not even notice if when you crossover from Massachusetts to Connecticut, for example. There are much more noticeable differences between regions. Florida, Arizona, and New York all look very different from each other. They are completely different climates and have different types of plants. But neighboring states, especially along the border of each other look very similar.

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Blasian_TJ@reddit

I’d say it’s more noticeable moving region to region, urban to rural and back. The biggest differences I’ve noticed were when I traveled from places like middle of nowhere WV, to NY, to SoCal, and Alabama. It was always “city folks”, “suburbanites”, or “country folks”; and all variants of that.

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papercranium@reddit

It really depends on the state! In most cases, it's fairly similar. Passing from Ohio to Indiana isn't a major shift, for example. But there are some notable exceptions! One is passing from Vermont into New York. Billboards are illegal in Vermont, but as soon as you hit New York, they're EVERYWHERE. It's quite a jarring difference.

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ghjm@reddit

Back when North Carolina was the "good roads state," the difference in road quality was very obvious at the state lines. But generally speaking no, there's not really much of a sudden change going across a state border. These aren't "real" borders - there's been Constitutionally protected freedom of travel and commerce for 250 years. It's not like crossing from France to Germany where the language on signs, style of houses etc all changes.

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rojotoro2020@reddit

California and Texas roads are very different

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Pinwurm@reddit

There's always the obvious things like [Big Signs](https://www.klfy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2019/05/istockphoto-91778530-612x612_1559125871065_89666356_ver1.0.jpg) which may include other languages, associated with the State. Smaller example: Interstate 90 (or I-90) is the longest highway in the country, over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) long stretching from Boston to Seattle. In Massachusetts, this portion of road is called the Massachusetts Turnpike (or Mass Pike for short). Crossing from another State, you will notice ['Mass Pike' signs](https://www.bostonherald.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2008/07/23/6bb42ab609_pike07242008.jpg?w=535), featuring a [Colonial Pilgrim](https://www.northwindprints.com/p/473/pilgrim-settlement-plymouth-massachusetts-5877896.jpg.webp) *hat*, a symbol closely tied with the State's history and early culture. Maine is a subtle one. A lot of the highway road signs have both, mileage and *kilometers*. [Here is an example](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dli8t_vUwAArH5E?format=jpg&name=4096x4096). You could argue this is due to it's proximity to Canada, but there was a campaign in the 70's across the country to acclimate folks to the Metric system and this is a holdover from that. Afterall, it's neighbors in New York don't do that, despite also bordering Canada. Funny enough, in Northern New York - the [exit signs](https://townsquare.media/site/40/files/2014/10/100_0601.jpg?w=1200&h=0&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89) will say Sortie in French because of it's proximity with Quebec, despite distances still being in miles. If you cross into New Jersey, you cannot pump your own gas. An attendant has to do it for you. This also used to be the case in Oregon, but was just changed. Maine, Vermont, Alaska and Hawaii have banned billboards. So if you're coming from New Hampshire into Vermont for example, it may be something you notice. [No ads, just green mountains](https://i.etsystatic.com/16443554/r/il/658cc1/4232805401/il_fullxfull.4232805401_kra2.jpg). Some states have specialty shops located along the border for legality's sake. For example, New Hampshire has low alcohol prices and no sales tax - so there's big ol' [State Liquor stores](https://www.fosters.com/gcdn/authoring/2019/05/30/NFDD/ghows-FD-8a1bd797-e612-3735-e053-0100007f4c51-ff68b848.jpeg?width=660&height=398&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp). Or South Carolina has [fireworks shops](https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/6289388_wtvd-070120-SOB-img.jpg?w=1600). And now there are border pot shops throughout the country. You may also notice different regional businesses. If you're driving from Kansas into Oklahoma, you'll start seeing Whataburgers pop up. Of course, the US is spread across several time zones. So if you're driving from Texas to New Mexico or something, the hour will change. So that's a biggie. Overall... the differences are pretty meaningless with neighboring States. Most stuff looks the same and if it wasn't for a sign or two, you might not know you've left. Across big regions - yes - huge differences.

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secretly_an_octopus@reddit

As someone who has lived in both Europe and the states, I would say that the differences between states is not nearly as noticeable as between countries in Europe. There will be subtle changes state to state that Americans might be more in tune to, but it’s nothing like driving through Europe.

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GreenTravelBadger@reddit

Same language, very gradual geographical changes.

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Werewulf_Bar_Mitzvah@reddit

I'm also going to say that they're largely not different, especially if you're driving. You generally don't cross a border and all of a sudden everything is completely different. The changes are gradual as you progress state to state. That's not to say North Carolina and California are very similar, but North Carolina and say Georgia/Virginia are similar enough, just as say Northern California and southern Oregon share some similarities. Change in culture as you travel is gradual as opposed to sudden, maybe excluding outliers like Nevada vs. Utah.

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good-lard@reddit

There can be a noticeable geography difference depending on the type of border you’re crossing. If the border follows a body of water, you may see much flatter terrain on one side of it than the other, for example. But for the most part, differences are broadly regional, changing gradually rather than an abrupt change at the border

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darthjkf@reddit

I'd say the border crossing from New Mexico and Colorado at I24 is pretty stunning. You already start in mountainous terrain, but it get much more scenic right when you pass into Colorado.

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TheVentiLebowski@reddit

Yes. Driving through Texas or New Mexico feels very different than driving through New England.

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scolfin@reddit

Much like in Europe, neighbors are similar, especially within historical regions. Can anyone really tell what side of the German-Austrian border he's on?

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kimjongev@reddit

Oh hell yes. I notice it particularly when I get into South Carolina, no street lights when you get off the highway at rest stops - SO dark there. Also, the further south you go the more the Jesus billboard signs multiply.

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blipsman@reddit

No, not really... maybe some slight difference in the highway distance marker signs, but overhead and major road signs are the same, things like street name signs, street lights, whether roads are concrete or asphalt, etc. change from town to town so not something one would notice by crossing a state line.

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AdFinancial8924@reddit

Yes. When you get to Pennsylvania it starts raining. :) Seriously though. I think Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia look a lot different than Maryland because of the mountains. They only hit the western tip of Maryland but are very prominent and beautiful in the other states.

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MyWorldTalkRadio@reddit

Driving from northern Kentucky across the Ohio River to Indiana or Ohio is kind of insane. You go from the rolling hills of Kentucky to the absolutely flat corn fields of those states within a few minutes and it’s kind of jarring. Also in Ohio you feel like you’re entering a police state because every time you look ahead. Miles away through the corn, up the road, you see a cop and you start to slow down so he won’t ticket you, but he stares right back, and that’s when you get a ticket, not from the front, but from behind you, from one of the other two police officers who you didn’t even know were there.

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Acrobatic_End6355@reddit

Roads and road signs look different here, gas stations sometimes change as well. But it doesn’t feel different for me.

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CVK327@reddit

This is a really complicated answer. Yes and no. When literally driving through states, it's a very gradual change. Especially if you're taking interstates, they're so standardized that the differences are minimal throughout the country. You'll obviously see some cultural changes, some weather differences, and landscaping will change the longer and longer you travel. There are very few points in the country where you cross from one state to another. You're never like "Oh there's the line from North Carolina to Virginia, now I'm going to get shot!" That said, if you look at separate sections of the country, there are MAJOR differences. If you fly from one of the big cities in Florida to West Virginia, especially in the winter, it will feel like you went to a different world. Then hit Arizona, Southern California, Detroit, and Chicago, and you'll feel like you just traveled around the world, except mostly everyone speaks English or Spanish. The climates are drastically different, there are major cultural, political, and economic differences, and the landscaping ranges greatly. You can go from a desert, to a hot beach town, to a frozen tundra, to a deep forest. You can also go from the biggest cities in the world with skyscrapers everywhere to miles and miles of woods with nothing but trees as far as you can see. Hell, just within New York there are places where it costs $5k a month for a studio apartment to places where you can buy 100s of acres of land dirt cheap because nobody wants it.

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MoonieNine@reddit

Regions vs. States, like others have said.

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TheBimpo@reddit

It truly depends. In many areas, you might notice the only real difference is the change in state designated roadway markers and maybe the brand of gas station, drive from rural Indiana to rural Illinois…it’s indistinguishable. In others you might cross a border and enter a large metro area immediately. The city of Toledo and it’s metro borders with Michigan, but development more or less changes right at the border.

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arbivark@reddit

In 1835 Ohio and Michigan had a war. Ohio lost, so they had to take Toledo.

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lfcmosalah11@reddit

I think it depends on the states. Between some there might not be much of a difference for a little while. Between others, the difference can be almost immediate. I live in Delaware and you always know Pennsylvania roads from ours. PA has more hills and a lot more countryside look to it compared to Delaware. However I think if you’re just traveling the interstate from, say, North Carolina to South Carolina, there’s generally not much of a difference in landscape until you start hitting populated areas

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PsychologicalCan9837@reddit

The US is regional. Florida and Oregon are pretty different. Florida and Georgia have a lot of similarities. I think that goes for most of the US.

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Dapper-Most-924@reddit

When I drive from my vantage point in Illinois to MO or KY, no. But if I go to Minnesota or Louisiana, sizable differences

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sullivan80@reddit

The differences are subtle but they are there. It's mostly just related to the roads. A few states have adopted the new font for highways. For example when I cross from MO into Arkansas - Arkansas uses the new font so all the roadsigns are a little different. Missouri has mile markers every 0.2 miles that show the road and which segment you're on so you can identify the location to law enforcement or emergency personnel. I don't think other border states have these. Some states have better or worse roads. Or the roads are a different material. A good example of this is that many of the roads in Mississippi have a kind of tan color but you don't see this when you cross into Arkansas, just regular gray concrete or black asphalt. Some states allow more or less billboards. In some instances scenery will change but that doesn't tend to follow borders very neatly. You cross into Colorado from Kansas and it's still plains for a couple hundred miles.

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bassjam1@reddit

Our State and county road signs are for the most part standardized, but you might see different private advertising billboard signs. Likewise, some of our gas stations are regional so you might see different brands. And depending on local geology, occasionally the road might be a slightly.different color.

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bjb13@reddit

State and county road signs are definitely different. Interstates and US highways are standardized. Some states such as Wisconsin even. use letters rather than numbers for county roads

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Equivalent-Bend6628@reddit

The only difference between interstate signs in different states is that some states use a font called Highway Gothic and others use a font called Clearview: https://www.vnews.com/Vermont-Highway-Sign-Updates-Caught-Up-in-Font-Twist-4763590

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wrinkledirony@reddit

Yep. Here are the State highway signs: https://images.app.goo.gl/bjuZSQBbAoz7XtwE7

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bassjam1@reddit

Yeah, I wasn't referring to the naming conventions but you're right. I was talking about the shapes and colors, which are pretty much standardized so you easily know what you're looking at.

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Bad_wit_Usernames@reddit

I lived in Europe for a number of years, and I didn't really notice the changes you mention until you got really deep into the country. I would argue that there is almost like a buffer zone on either side of the boarder where you'll notice a mix of both countries blended in. When I would drive to Slovenia from Italy, I couldn't immediately tell I was in a different country. Traffic signs were often pretty similar and would often have both languages since you were right at the boarder. The states are pretty similar. When I drive from Nevada to Arizona, I see zero changes. But if you were to drive from Nevada to Idaho, you'll start seeing less desert and more greenery. It's only after you really get deep into a state that you'll really notice the differences and usually that's a mix of customs and language accents.

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RodeoCat@reddit

There is more distinction between the city and country in one state than when driving between borders in different statea.

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E22MT406@reddit

Washington state alone has a diversity I’ve never seen in any other state.

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EightOhms@reddit

Here in the North East you'd never know you were in a different state if not for the signs that tell you. All the highway signs are standard across the country. So same colors, same font, same layout. For example, if you were a passenger in a car and maybe you were looking down to get something out of a bag and missed the giant Welcome to the state sign and then looked up again, you'd have no idea you were in a new state. Off highway is much the same. I grew up in a town in Rhode Island right in the border with a city and town from a different state and other than the small signs saying so, you wouldn't know you were in a different state. Obviously when your grow up somewhere you learn where the borders are but a random street from either side of the border basically looks the same.

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tcrhs@reddit

You don’t even notice you’re crossing state lines except for a sign on the highway. Yes, there are some differences, but it’s nowhere near the same as crossing borders between countries.

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MattieShoes@reddit

Naw. Not that there aren't differences, but they tend to be subtle or geographical rather than state-border related. Road quality can change around a state border... When I used to drive between CA and AZ, the ride was always smoother on the AZ side. Obviously, state flags change. Sometimes regional chains start showing up or disappear. Most other changes tend to happen over hundreds of miles.

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

I think so. Its not usually RIGHT at the border, with some exceptions. The western states have more drastic geography so in some cases like New Mexico to Colorado... the difference can be stark. But you certainly feel a change as you cross. Sometimes its like the quality of the roads, the signage. The vegetation may start to change. Sometimes its within a state itself that the change is abrupt. In South Dakota... crossing the Missouri River is wild. East of the river is more farmland, akin to the stereotypical Midwest. West of the river... its more desolate, similar to the general interior West. In most states, differences appear as you get further from the state line. Also, as you travel, somethings are kinda similar but others become different. For example lets say Minneapolis to Chicago. Everywhere on this trip is in the Midwest. Minnesota and Wisconsin are part of the Upper Midwest. Northern Illinois has Upper Midwest influences but I hesitate to still call it the true Upper Midwest. Similarities include similar accents, esp in MN and WI, a little less so in IL. Lots of farmland, lots of trees, lakes of lakes here and there. Demographics do shift a bit. The whole area is very German as a base, but MN and the top 2/3 of Wisconsin have a lot of Scandinavians. Southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois are more Polish though. The biggest difference to me is trees. If you travel in winter, the trees are bare and you may not notice. If the entire area is covered in snow, it will look more uniform. If you travel in summer, you can tell. Different tree species, not all of them, but enough to notice. Chicago is in USDA zone 6, due to Lake Michigan but the rest of northern Illinois is USDA zone 5 and Minnesota is USDA zone 4. This means there are trees that can handle the Illinois winters but not the Minnesota winters. So you see some variation in vegitation. Likewise, Minnesota has some more northerly trees that arent as common in northern Illinois and absent in the southern half of the state. Such as paper birch or Norway spruce. Two species of trees that are extremely abundant in the far north.

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An_Awesome_Name@reddit

It’s not that noticeable at all, especially here in the Northeast with small states. I can be in New Hampshire in 20 minutes and you could stumble right over the border and not notice. Keep going for another 20-30 minutes and you’ll be in Maine. The only reason you might notice because you’ll have to go across a big bridge. The road signs and markings all look the same, gas stations work the same, architecture is the same, etc. It’s a way more gradual change as you go across the country before you start to notice differences.

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WaaaaghsRUs@reddit

For Utah and it’s neighbors definitely, for others, less so.

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PlatinumElement@reddit

Everything around you gets dramatically different very quickly when you drive out of Hawaii.

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slingshot91@reddit

It’s basically not noticeable, especially when comparing it to Europe. If you’re road -tripping here over long distances, the best thing is noticing the geographical differences because there is such stunning landscape here. But when crossing the border between states, you’ll just see a “you’re entering X!” And maybe your GPS will say “welcome to X state.” Nothing else notable will have changed.

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Eudaimonics@reddit

Mostly no. But the farther away you get from your starting point, yes. Like you’ll see the same chains over and over again, the same types of rest stops (though some states are better than others). The biggest change might be tolls and how they’re paid. However, if you’re on a trip across the country, you see a shift in geography, regional chains and changes in accent and maybe local popular brands.

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State_Of_Franklin@reddit

It really depends. Usually, there are gradient areas along the borders.

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accountofyawaworht@reddit

There are regional differences, whether in culture or landscape or certain brands, but these things aren't neatly divided by state borders. Certain states will have different laws - you can't pump your own gas in New Jersey, and you'll have a vastly different experience buying alcohol in Missouri vs Utah. Overall these are small differences, and it all feels part of the same country.

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The_Real_Scrotus@reddit

It's generally not that noticeable (in most cases) when you cross a state border. There are differences between states, but the differences between states that border each other aren't generally huge. You might notice some small things. Road signs (particularly for state routes) might look a little different. The speed limit might change by 5 or 10 mph. That sort of thing. There are a few instances where you'll see some significant changes. For example if you're driving North on I-75 and cross the border from Ohio into Michigan, you'll immediately notice dozens of billboards for cannabis dispensaries, because it's legal in Michigan and isn't in Ohio.

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tarheel_204@reddit

It’s not that drastically noticeable while you’re traveling. It’s not like you’ll go from driving through a desert and it immediately turns into the bayou

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RanjuMaric@reddit

Depends on how closely you stick to the Interstate system.

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NickFurious82@reddit

Every time I cross into Ohio, there's an immediate sense of despair and loathing in the air. So there's that.

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SomeGoogleUser@reddit

Sudden, stark geographic changes in the US rarely follow territorial lines like they do in Europe. In Europe, borders were dictated by defensible terrain and two thousand years of war. In America, they were negotiated on a map using either crude landmarks (which is why Minnesota has one tiny piece attached to Canada) or just raw lat-longs. When you drive into the driftless zone, or the badlands, or you hit the mountains in Denver, the transition is sudden, but there is no territorial boundary associated with it.

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Livvylove@reddit

It's more when you go to different climates you notice more of a difference. Like going from the east to west coast it looks very different. Utah looks amazing and so different. But like South Carolina vs Georgia. More like the SC police will harass you more and their roads are rough. The state borders are not where you see much difference but the different climates are

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jephph_@reddit

Rarely but sometimes there’s a huge and noticeable difference.. like, going from New Jersey to New York through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel. You will immediately know you’re no longer on mainland USA

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bmbmwmfm@reddit

If you get on I40 and travel from one end to the other, you'll notice the differences, IMO. I think if memory serves, 7 states. But it's geographical changes mostly. It's also a very long journey so you notice when you go from mountains to Delta to different mountains to plains to altitude/weather changes to desert. Road maintenance changes at state levels. Some speed limits change for same type stretch of road. Gas station chains, fast food can change regionally. Welcome centers structures look quite different in Tennessee than California. Obviously language stays the same, though you may see some billboards incorporate a little Spanish the farther west you go, but it's not govt signage. I don't recall seeing elevation listed on state signs in the east but do as you go west.

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QuitePoodle@reddit

There’s usually a sign, if on a major road. Sometimes the quality of the road changes right at that sign. There are federal interstate roads, state roads, and county roads. The last two types can have different road signs that name the roads but the speed limit sign is the same every state I’ve been. Some brands of gas are only in specific states and regions, but that’s about it. I’ve driven south to north and east to west. I agree with others that there are differences but they are subtle and could be regional cultural changes.

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naliedel@reddit

It's subtle. You head south of my state, flat Midwestern accents, and it slowly changes. The landscape, the language, accents. It's not abvuept, but it's noticable.

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3mptyspaces@reddit

Sometimes you don’t know until your GPS says, “Welcome to ________.” On the highway there will be a sign.

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Cw2e@reddit

Crossing the state line rarely made me feel too different, save for the speed limit drop from Montana to North Dakota. I definitely notice more differences when I’m off the interstate/highway as to how the towns look, the roads, etc. Every state/region tends to have their own little flair.

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vvooper@reddit

road signs throughout the us are much more similar than they are different. a very small different might be the symbol used to denote state routes. in pa, they’re denoted by [a keystone shape](https://flic.kr/p/8BAP9N). in some other (more boring) states, I’ve seen just a circle. in utah I think it was beehives lol. at major state border crossings (highways, etc) there will usually be a sign that says [“welcome to <state>”](https://flic.kr/p/J9usHr) so you can’t really miss it in that case. on smaller roads there might not be any immediate official indication. road quality can feel immediately different upon crossing a border in my experience as well

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coloradancowgirl@reddit

Yes there is. Some states are similar in culture and environment like Indiana & Ohio, Washington & Oregon, etc. But a lot of them are very different, like Florida and Colorado, Texas and New York are pretty opposite of each other, you probably get the gist lol. Every state and region has what makes them unique, they have their own government, a lot of them differ politically, have different climates, their set of history and events and celebrations, etc. In fact I think the different states are almost like their own countries in a way but that’s my opinion, my German cousin is the one who pointed that one out to me. You’ll definitely see it taking a roadtrip though the US, I’ve been on plenty 🙂

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realmozzarella22@reddit

It’s not bad. Hopefully the border patrol guys are cool. Just show them your passport and be quiet. The crossing fees have increased so that’s another headache.

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