Interstate Highway System

American  

[in-ter-steyt hahy-wey sis-tuhm] / ˈɪn tərˌsteɪt ˈhaɪˌweɪ ˌsɪs təm /

noun

1. Official Name Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.  a network of U.S. highways connecting the 48 conterminous states, begun in the 1950s and estimated to carry about 25 percent of the nation's traffic: also established in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, but without physical connections to other states or territories.

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Example Sentences

He explained that, in some ways, this change is a throwback to the roadside dining culture that existed in the U.S. before the Interstate Highway System, which prioritized convenience over caliber.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

Within a year, President Eisenhower had signed the bill that would create the Interstate Highway System as we know it today.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2024

On Thursday, the departments of energy and transportation jointly announced $5 billion for states to build out a network of EV chargers along the Interstate Highway System.

From Salon • Feb. 27, 2022

It’s a historic investment that the president has compared to the building of the transcontinental railroad and Interstate Highway System.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 15, 2021

We must reorient the Federal mission from major new construction projects to the stewardship of the existing Interstate Highway System.

From State of the Union Address by Carter, Jimmy