Before the interstate system major highways were numbered like the interstates, even numbers for east to west (routes ending with 0 were coast to coast highways ) and odd numbers for the north to south highways. Befor that they had names. Most every one is familiar with The Mother Road ( Route 66 ) or the Lincoln Way (Route 30 ) but there were many more, US 54 called the Canon Ball . Another Major coast to coast route was The National Road ( US 40 ) But one of my favorite routes is the Midland Trail. It's the shortest transcontinental route but if you want to take Us 60 all the way across it's going to take a while. From the Los Angeles area to Phoenix is easy going but from Apache Junction to Salt River and Show Low is slow going . It's a lesser traveled route across New Mexico, Texas, and through the Nations to Tulsa, Across the Show me and just the tip of the Land Of Lincoln and through The Bluegrass to Charleston in the West By Gawd, through the Shenandoah and over the Blue Ridge to Newport News and Norfolk. It's one of the most scenic and historical roads in America