U.S. Route Shield - Variations

Variations

Several states have experimented with variations on the U.S. route shield to aid in navigation. Several states have used color to denote additional information besides just the route class and number. Arizona experimented with colors indicating the signed cardinal direction of the highway (orange for north, green for south, brown for east, and blue for west). Florida, too, used colored signs for its U.S. Highways beginning in 1956, with each highway retaining a single color for its entire length in the state. No two routes using the same color crossed, though an extension of US 192 took it to US 27 (both green). In the 1980s the MUTCD was revised so that these signs were no longer eligible for Federal funds. On August 27, 1993, the decision was made to stop producing colored signs.

During the era of the 1948 shield, states often modified its design. Several states omitted the letters "U S", leaving only the state name and route number. Other states moved the letters "U S" into the crown of the shield, along with the state name, which was often abbreviated.

California continues to use a different U.S. Highway shield from the MUTCD standard. The black background is eliminated in favor of a simple black line bordering a cutout of the shield design. Also the letters "US" have been retained above the number on the top of the shield.

Many U.S. highways have loop or spur routes sharing the same number, known as special or bannered routes. These routes typically use the same shield as the mainline route with a "banner" indicating the type of route above the shield. Some states will occasionally indicate the type of the route directly on the shield itself, often in the crown of the shield. Maryland uses green shields with the word "BUSINESS" in the shield's crown for U.S. business routes, reflecting a similar practice used nationwide for business Interstate shields.