132 miles; from US 7 in New Milford to NY 97 in Barryville, N. Y. Goes the furthest west of any state highway from Connecticut. Only 2.64 miles in-state, though.

Commissioned in 1932; no changes since then.

Most Connecticut towns assign street names (such as Hebron Avenue or Cottage Grove Road) to non-expressway highways. In Sherman, however, Route 55 is known only as "Route Fifty-Five." Routes 37 and 39 are named similarly in town.

Route 55 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)

9.51 miles; from US 7/Route 107 in Georgetown to US 1 in Westport.

Commissioned in 1932. Until 1963, it took a different route north of its junction with Route 53 in Weston: Route 57 went northeast along the Newtown Turnpike (part of which is now Route 53), crossing Route 58 and ending at US 202 (which is now state Route 302). (In 1935, its north end was cut back to Route 58).

If you'd like to trace the Newtown Turnpike's original route, here's a self-guided bike tour.

18.58 miles; from US 1 in Bridgeport to Route 302 in Bethel.

Commissioned in 1932 from the old Route 124, Route 58 originally followed today's routes 302 and 53 into Danbury center (see portion of 1934 state map). Some maps showed Route 34 paired with 58 here.

The portion of Route 58 in Redding (the Bethel - Bridgeport Road) was constructed from 1918 to 1921.

When US 202 was commissioned in 1935, Route 58 was shortened to where it ends now in Bethel.

A short Route 58 freeway

In the 1960s, the state planned a 5-mile expressway linking downtown Bethel and Danbury with Interstate 84. A 1961 planning document calls it Route 58, but the more detailed planning studies don't assign a number.

For more information, see: Danbury - Bethel Connector.

8-ramp Merritt Parkway interchange modernized

Route 58 used to have a full cloverleaf with the Merritt Parkway (Route 15): all eight ramps, albeit poorly formed, with side streets intersecting the ramps.

In the late 1990s, for safety reasons, the state revised this 1930s-era interchange with a conventional four-ramp design.

Pinstripes to the left, as you drive northbound

Major league baseball defines specific territories for each team - usually a collection of city or county boundaries. (Some cities, like Chicago, are shared between AL and NL teams.) The New York territory, which extends into western Connecticut, is defined by two highways: in the state, it's south of I-84 and west of Route 58.

This fact came into play when a Massachusetts developer announced his intent to relocate the Montreal Expos to Connecticut. The New York teams' reserved area meant Bridgeport and Danbury would be ruled out.

Official team territories do not necessarily extend as far as the fan base. Although nearly all Connecticut fan loyalty is divided between the Yankees and Red Sox, the official Boston territory does not overlap the Nutmeg State at all.

• Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials
• Connecticut State Highway Department. "A Report to the Highway Users of Connecticut: 1960-1961."
• "Highway planning study of Bethel Connector to Route Interstate 84." Connecticut Highway Commissioner's Office, 1961 (13 pp)
• "Highway planning report : Danbury-Bethel connector to Interstate 84." Connecticut Highway Commissioner's Office. Division of Planning , 1963. (26 pp)
• "Opening of I-84 reconfigures region's retail economy." Danbury News-Times, Dec. 5, 1999.
• "Group looks to buy Expos, move them to Connecticut." New Haven Register, Mar. 17, 2004.

From 1932 to 1934, this was the number for Coal Pit Hill Road in Danbury; Route 58 followed today's Route 53 into downtown. In 1935, US 202 was commissioned, taking over part of Route 58, and Coal Pit Hill Road became US 202A.

In 1974, US 202 was moved, and 202A became unsigned route SR 842. In 1981, the road was turned over to the town.

12.03 miles; from US 1 in Bridgeport to Route 25 in Monroe. It has a short 4-lane divided section in Bridgeport.

Route 59 was commissioned in 1932 from part of the old Route 306. No route changes since.