One of the Loneliest Roads in America Runs Through Augusta, Maine

If you have spent much time traveling around Maine, you have probably realized that many of the most special places in the state are off the beaten path.

Sure, there are many great things to see in the cities and towns that line the I-95 and I-295 corridors, but there are many more things on Route 1, Route 2, etc.

Even though parts of these roads are well-traveled, especially during the busy summer tourist season, there are sections that only see a few dozen cars a day.  You could go miles on some of these roads without encountering another vehicle.

Recently, Atlas Obscura put out their list of the 'loneliest' roads in each state.

The site explains that they used federal data to determine the least-traveled roads in each state.  The post says, in part:

Telematics specialists at Geotab gathered 2015 data from the U.S. federal government’s Highway Performance Monitoring System to find, for each state, the route with the lowest annual average daily traffic (AADT).

 

What is the loneliest road in Maine?

It was determined that the least-traveled road in Maine was Route 201.

The 157-mile-long road starts in Brunswick.  It travels through Gardiner, Augusta, Waterville, Skowhegan, and Jackman, before ending at the Canadian border.

Even though the road is one of the loneliest roads in the country, it is also one of the best roads for an exciting road trip.  The road shadows the mighty Kennebec River and takes you past some of the most beautiful vistas in New England.

Plus, if you are on a motorcycle or drive a sporty vehicle, it is a fun (and sometimes challenging) road to drive.

What are the loneliest roads in the country?

The article explains that the loneliest roads in the nation are:

• 5. South Dakota -  State Route 73 has an average daily traffic count of 556
• 4. Nevada. State Route 360 has an AADT of 517
• 3. Montana. State Route 19 has an AADT of 489
• 2. North Dakota. State Route 24 has an AADT count of 242
• 1. Alaska. State Route 11 is just over 400 miles long and has an AADT of 196

Check out the entire list of loneliest roads here.