I’ve always been slightly aware that the streets west of Minneapolis go in alphabetical order – something you tend to notice casually when you’re driving around, but I had no idea the pattern repeated itself at least 7 times.

Here’s the exercise- start at Lyndale Ave, just west of the River, in Minneapolis.  Going west, stretching all the way out past Plymouth/Maple Grove, you’ll see the streets below.  It may actually continue further west, but things start to fall apart once you get out that far.  BTW, I compiled this list from Google Maps, so this is original research, kiddies.

I’ve included some major N/S roads for reference.  Also, the only deviation from the pattern that I could tell was that Winnetka is supposed to be a ‘T’, but isn’t for some reason. (See update below)

  • *Lyndale
  • Aldrich
  • Bryant
  • Colfax
  • Dupont
  • Emerson
  • Fremont
  • Girard
  • Humboldt
  • Irving
  • James
  • Knox
  • Logan
  • Morgan
  • Newton
  • Oliver
  • Penn
  • Queen
  • Russell
  • Sheridan
  • Thomas
  • Upton
  • Vincent
  • Washburn
  • Xerxes
  • York
  • Zenith
  • Abbot
  • Beard
  • Chowen
  • Drew
  • Ewing
  • France
  • Grimes
  • Halifax
  • Indiana
  • June
  • Kyle
  • Lee
  • Major
  • Noble
  • Orchard
  • Perry
  • Quail
  • Regent
  • Scott
  • Toledo
  • *100
  • Unity
  • Vera Cruz
  • Welcome
  • Xenia
  • Yates
  • Zane
  • Adair
  • Brunswick
  • Colorado
  • Douglas
  • Edgewood
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hampshire
  • Idaho
  • Jersey
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Nevada
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Quebec
  • Rhode Island
  • Sumter
  • *Winnetka
  • Utah
  • Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Xylon
  • Yukon
  • Zealand
  • Aquila
  • Boone
  • Cavell
  • Decatur
  • Ensign
  • Flag
  • Gettysburg
  • Hillsboro
  • Independence
  • Jordan
  • *169
  • Kilmer
  • Lancaster
  • Monticello
  • Nathan
  • Orleans
  • Pilgrim
  • Quaker
  • Revere
  • Saratoga
  • Trenton
  • Union Terrace
  • Valley Forge
  • Wellington
  • Ximines
  • Yorktown
  • Zachary
  • Arrowood
  • Balsam
  • Cottonwood
  • Deerwood
  • Evergreen
  • Forestview
  • Goldenrod
  • Hemlock
  • Ives
  • Jonquil
  • Kirkwood
  • Larch
  • Magnolia
  • Norwood
  • Oakview
  • Pineview
  • Quinwood
  • Rosewood
  • Sycamore
  • *Northwest Blvd/61
  • Teakwood
  • Underwood
  • Vinewood
  • Wedgewood
  • *494
  • Xenium
  • Yucca
  • Zinnia
  • Annapolis
  • Berkshire
  • Cheshire
  • Dallas
  • Empire
  • Fernbrook
  • Glacier
  • Harbor
  • Ithica
  • Juneau
  • Kingsview
  • Lanewood
  • Minnesota
  • Niagara
  • Orchid
  • Polaris
  • Quantico
  • Ranchview
  • Shenandoah
  • Terraceview
  • Upland
  • Vicksburg
  • Weston
  • Xene
  • Yuma
  • Zanzibar
  • Archer
  • Blackoaks
  • Comstock
  • Dunkirk
  • Everest
  • Fountain
  • Garland
  • Holly
  • Inland
  • Jewel
  • Kimberly
  • Lawndale
  • Merrimac
  • Narcissus
  • Olive
  • Peony
  • Queensland
  • Ranier
  • Shadyview
  • Troy
  • Urbandale
  • Vagabond
  • Walnut Grove
  • Xanthus
  • Yellowstone
  • Zircon
  • And on and on?

Update: I love it when I find fellow geeks on the internet.  Here- a collection of images of all of the road signs, and here a history of the namesakes of the first set.  Here, a wikipedia entry to Minneapolis native Prince’s song Alphabet Street, which was written in iambic pentameter and cycles through the street names.  Actually it doesn’t, but wouldn’t that be awesome?

Update 2: I see that the street signs guy has some different names.  He gets Texas in place of Winnetka, which solves the missing T problem, and he also gets Alabama instead of Adair.  And his second set it almost totally different than mine.  Conspiracy?