U.S. route sign
A white shield with a black route number on a black square. It marks a U.S. numbered highway.
Easily confused with
- State route signA route marker with the number of a state highway. Each state designs its own, so the shape varies; the MUTCD’s default is a black number in a white circle on a black square.
- Route 66 signA U.S. highway shield with the number 66. It marked U.S. Route 66, the highway from Chicago to Los Angeles, from 1926 until the number was retired in 1985.
How to read it
The MUTCD sets its design, black numerals on a white shield against a black rectangle without a border, and uses it on every U.S. route. U.S. route numbers are assigned by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials on the states' recommendations. State route signs are designed by each state, which is why they differ: Pennsylvania's is a keystone.
Also searched as: US highway shield.
Rules vary by state and country. This explains the sign's standard meaning in the U.S. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; it isn't legal advice.
Read next
- Next in Road signsHospital signA blue general service sign that directs road users to a hospital.
- The same shape in Accessibility symbolsClosed captioning symbol (CC)CC means closed captioning: the dialogue and other sounds of a programme shown as text on screen, which viewers can turn on or off. It is mainly for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
More road signs
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with letters and numbers or squares and rectangles.
Sources
- MUTCD 2009 Edition, Chapter 2D: Guide Signs for Conventional Roads, MUTCD 2009, Part 2, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Sections 2D.09, 2D.11
- Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, Chapter 2: Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, p. 21
- The Evolution of MUTCD, Updated December 2023; after H. Gene Hawkins, Jr., ITE Journal, 1991–1994, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Prologue
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 25, 2026. How we research
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