>>> OUR NEWS EXPLAY SERIES HAS ALREADY GIVEN YOU THE LOW DOWN ON CHICAGO'S GRID SYSTEM.

WHAT ABOUT WHEN YOU ARE ON ONE OF OUR LOCATE AM EXPRESSWAY?

THEY CONTAIN SOME USEFUL INFORMATION YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF WHEN YOU ARE ON THE ROAD.

HERE IS NICK TO EXPLAIN HOW THE INTERSTATE EXITS ARE NUMBERED.

>> WHEN YOU ARE CRUISING ALONG ONE OF CHICAGO LAND'S HIGHWAYS WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?

WHAT SONG IS PLAYING NEXT.

WHERE THE NEAREST BURGER PLACE IS?

WHEN ALL THIS CONSTRUCTION WILL BE DONE?

TO YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF WONDERING HOW THE EXITS GOT THEIR NUMBERS?

IT'S RELATIVELY SIMPLE.

FOR INTERSTATES THAT RUN NORTH SOUTH, LIKE 555, THE NUMBERING SYSTEM STARTS AT THE SOUTHERN MOST POINT THE HIGHWAY ENTERS ILLINOIS.

FOR THOSE RUNNING EAST WEST OKAY I-80 THEY START AT THE WESTERN MOST POINT.

A LOT OF TIMES THE FIRST TURN OFF IS EXIT 1 BUT THE NEXT ONE ISN'T NECESSARILY GOING TO BE EXIT 2.

THAT'S BECAUSE THE NUMBERS GO NOT TO HOW MANY EXITS THERE ARE BUT TO HOW MANY MILES AWAY FROM THE BORDER THEY ARE.

SO BY FOLLOWING THE EXIT SIGN NUMBERS YOU CAN ACTUALLY TRACK HOW FAR YOU ARE FROM THE STATE BOUNDARY LINE.

SOMETIMES THINGS GET A LITTLE TRICKY WHERE TWO INTERSTATES MERGE THE NUMBERING SYSTEM FOR ONE SUPERSEDES THE OTHER.

IF YOU ARE GOING DOWNTOWN ALONG I-90 WHERE IT MEETS I-94 THE EXIT NUMBERS JUMP FROM 84 TO 44 WHICH BRINGS US TO ONE MORE WRINKLE IN THE SYSTEM.

AROUND THE CITY I-90, THAT'S SKYWAY, DAN RYAN AND I-94, MOSTLY RUN NORTH AND SOUTH BUT THE SIGNS ALL WAY EAST AND WEST.

WHAT GIVES?

WELL, DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE INTER PART OF INTERSTATE.

OUR HIGHWAYS ARE PART OF A NATIONWIDE SYSTEM AND 90 AND 94 BROADLY RUN EAST WEST ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THEY JUST GOT TO CURVA ROLLED LAKE MICHIGAN SO THEY MOVE NORTH SOUTH THROUGH THE WINDY CITY.

THE NEXT TIME YOU FIND YOURSELF STUCK IN TRAFFIC YOU MAY NOT KNOW HOW LONG YOU WILL BE SITTING THERE BUT AT LEAST YOU WILL KNOW HOW FAR YOUR BUMPER IS FROM THE BORDER.

>> AND NOW YOU GET IT.

YOU CAN