Freeway vs. Highway: How to Tell Them Apart

You might have heard drivers using the terms “freeway” and “highway” interchangeably. While the two types of roads have many things in common, they aren’t identical. Freeways and highways have enough differences to merit changing your driving behavior.

Driving on a freeway like you might do on a highway can land your in trouble, and vice versa. You can get a ticket and a fine if a police officer catches you breaking the law, even if you did so because of an honest mistake. Worse, you might end up in a car crash that damages your vehicle and injures you because you’re driving illegally.

Differentiating Between Freeway vs. Highway

Is it a highway? Or is it a freeway? Let’s look at the following characteristics that define the two types of roadways:

Official Federal Government Definition

The Department of Transportation (DOT) defines highways as broad roadways with several lanes for each direction taken by traffic. According to the DOT, a highway is “a general term for denoting a public way for purposes of vehicular travel, including the entire area within the right-of-way.” Such a broad definition means the road category includes many other types of roads, such as freeways.

By that definition, a highway with only two lanes can still qualify as one. The catch is that a two-lane roadway must have higher speed limits and more width than other roads to count as a highway. In particular, highways need wide shoulders, which are the emergency stopping lanes next to the right lane of a road or freeway. Large shoulders let drivers attain the speed limits while providing enough room for emergency stops caused by mechanical, medical, and other emergencies.

In comparison, the DOT defines a freeway as “a divided arterial highway with full control of access and with grade separations at intersections.” Simply put, freeways are a type of highway that limits who can access the roadway by controlling the entry and exit points.

A median strip divides a freeway down the middle. Also called a median, it separates traffic going in opposite directions and reduces the risk of head-on collisions. Median strips use painted lines or physical barriers like cable, concrete, and jerseys.

Speed Limit

Both highways and freeways allow higher speeds to enable faster travel over longer distances. However, they often have different speed limits.

Highways have higher speed limits than ordinary roads, including non-highway roads with two lanes. In turn, freeway speed limits exceed the top speeds permitted on highways.

The reason for the difference is that highways have areas that require drivers to slow down their vehicles. For example, you can find intersections and at-grade crossings on the same road level. Before you cross such areas, you need to look for incoming vehicles from the left and right of the intersection.

Many highways also have places that serve as rest stops, such as gas stations and dining facilities. You can even find pedestrian walkways on the side of some highways.

A freeway lacks areas that need drivers to slow down. It also has relatively few on-ramps and off-ramps, and these access points are often far between. Vehicles can quickly reach the freeway speed limit and stay there for long periods without drivers worrying about adjusting their speed for safety reasons.

Traffic Control

One of the most striking differences between highways and freeways is the presence or absence of devices that control the flow of traffic. Traffic control devices include warning signs and signaling devices like stop lights and full-fledged traffic lights.

Highways have many traffic signaling devices. They usually position the traffic control devices at intersections and other areas where drivers must slow down.

In contrast, freeways lack traffic lights and other traffic control devices. They have very few areas that require drivers to slow down, much less stop.

Accessibility

Highways don’t limit access to their entrance and exit ramps. There are more places where vehicles can enter and leave highways.

Furthermore, vehicles can enter highways through crossings and intersections at the same level as the road. Traffic signals regulate the movement in these areas, minimizing delays and the risks of car accidents.

Freeways have on-ramps and off-ramps that allow vehicles to respectively enter and leave them. You can’t access a freeway outside of its on-ramps, and you can’t leave it except through one of its off-ramps.

Drivers who want to cross a freeway must look for an overpass or an underpass that bypasses the controlled-access roadway.

Unfortunately, you can’t drive off a freeway except at one of the off-ramps. However, most freeways have several rest areas along the way. You can take a quick break while still staying on the road.

Prevalence

Highways easily outnumber freeways. After all, a freeway always counts as a highway, although the reverse isn’t always true.

Furthermore, highways appear all over the US. Two-lane and four-lane highways run through urban, suburban, and rural areas.

In the borders of a state, highways usually act as main arteries for relatively short travel distances. Some highways can cover longer distances.

Many highways go through rural areas. The high-speed roadways connect these remote regions, easing the burden of traveling between locations.

In contrast, freeways usually service urban areas, providing welcome shortcuts between cities. Freeways make shipping, trucking, and traveling from one city to another much faster if you plan on driving nonstop for several hours.

Some freeways pass through the countryside. However, these controlled-access roadways usually don’t allow access to these remote areas.

Instead, most freeways have on-ramps and off-ramps at a nearby city or larger towns. From there, drivers can take rural roads leading to smaller towns in the countryside.