Interstate 45

Template:Infobox Interstate Interstate 45 (abbreviated I-45 or in Texas IH-45) is an intrastate interstate highway located entirely within the state of Texas, United States. Like other interstates, it is commonly referred to as I-45. Its odd number indicates that it is primarily a north-south highway. Its southern end is in Galveston, Texas (where the mile count begins) at the intersection of Texas State Highway 87 and Spur 342; its northern end is in Dallas, Texas at Interstate 30. (Interstate 345, an unmarked interstate, seamlessly carries traffic from the I-45 terminus at I-30 to US 75's southern terminus at Spur 366.[1])

Unlike most of the other interstates ending in "5", it is not a border-to-border highway.

Length

Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs.

Unmarked Interstate 345 in Dallas, Texas. I-345 is less than one mile (1.6 km) long and connects the end of I-45 to the end of US 75 along the east side of downtown Dallas. It is signed northbound as US 75 and southbound as I-45.[3]

I-45 is not only an intrastate Interstate, but is also the shortest major Interstate (ending in 0 or 5). I-45 is also the longest intrastate Interstate not to touch any state or national borders (Interstate 87 in New York is longer but reaches the Canadian border).
Interstate 45 gained notoriety during Hurricane Rita in 2005. Thousands of Houston area evacuees jammed the roadway trying to leave. As a result, the freeway became a parking lot. Gas stations ran dry and hundreds of people's cars simply ran empty, their occupants having to spend the night along the shoulder. Four-hour drives suddenly became 24-hour drives. Even though the Texas Department of Transportation started contraflow lane reversal at FM 1488, it didn't alleviate the traffic jam deep into the city, as that starting point was even north of The Woodlands, which is close to Conroe, the northern terminus of the greater Houston area.

2005 Rand McNally "The Road Atlas 2005" - newest feature- interstate mileage by state

Template:Ed rightMain Interstate Highways (major in pink)														Image:I-blank.svg
4	5	8	10	12	15	16	17	19	20	22	24	25	26	27	29
30	35	37	39	40	43	44	45	49	55	57	59	64	65	66	68
69	70	71	72	73	74	75	76 (W)		76 (E)		77	78	79	80	81
82	83	84 (W)		84 (E)		85	86 (W)		86 (E)		87	88 (W)		88 (E)
89	90	91	93	94	95	96	97	99	(238)		H-1	H-2	H-3
Unsigned			A-1	A-2	A-3	A-4	PRI-1		PRI-2		PRI-3
Lists		Main - Auxiliary - Suffixed - Business - Proposed - Unsigned Gaps - Intrastate - Interstate standards