Milestone

A milestone or kilometre sign is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road at regular intervals, typically at the side of the road or in a median. Milestones are constructed both to reassure the traveller that the proper path is being followed and to indicate distance travelled, or the remaining distance to the desired destination. They are alternatively known as a mile marker, milepost, or mile post (sometimes abbreviated MP), notably in the United States.

The historical term milestone (from the Latin milliarium) is still used today, even though the "stones" are typically metal signs. More closely spaced signs, with fractional numbers, and signs along a railway or beach also occur.

In Europe the distance measured typically starts at a city or town, as many roads were named for the towns at either end. In the United Kingdom, a plaque near the Eleanor cross at Charing Cross in London is the reference point from which distances to other towns and cities are measured. In the US Interstate highway system the numbers usually measure the distance to the southern or western state line, while other highways use the county line as the benchmark. Often, the exits are numbered according to the nearest milepost, known as the mile-log system. Some historic and scenic routes use mileposts to mark points of interest, such as along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia, and the Overseas Highway of the Florida Keys.

Milestones were originally stone (granite or marble or whatever local stone was available) obelisks and later concrete posts. They were widely used by the Roman Empire roadbuilders, an important part of any Roman road network when the distance travelled per day was only a few miles in some cases. The first Roman milestones appeared on the Appian way. At the centre of Rome the "Golden Milestone" (actually bronze) was erected that marked the metaphorical centre of the empire. This milestone has since been lost. The Golden Milestone inspired the Zero Milestone in Washington, D.C., intended as the point from which all road distances in the United States should be reckoned.

Milestones on Indian highways

Milestones on Indian highways typically have white background with a yellow or green top. The names of cities and distances are painted in black. The names of nearest towns and cities are written along with distance in kilometers. On undivided highways, both sides of the milestones are used, telling the distance to the nearest cities in each direction. The head of the milestone has a number which is a sort of milestone number as it keeps on incrementing or decrementing along the route of journey. The side of the milestone has a number which is the sum of distances of two nearest cities in each direction from the milestone.

See also

• Boundary marker

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