Man reveals how to read interstate exit signs on US highways and says you've been doing it wrong all your life
Published on Nov 22, 2025 at 9:22 AM (UTC+4)
by Grace Donohoe
Last updated on Nov 20, 2025 at 5:28 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Driving is an activity that most of us do every day on highways, but it turns out that there’s a hidden trick you could have been missing, and it’s all to do with exit signs.
Exit signs have little numbers above them, and it turns out that the placement of the numbers is the detail we’ve all been glossing over.
One creator revealed a clever trick online, revealing he wished he had known the simple fact earlier in adulthood.
In fact, many car enthusiasts simply couldn’t help but comment on the situation at hand.
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It turns out that you could have been reading exit signs wrong
One content creator revealed all the juicy details when it came to exit signs on US roads.
Sidneyraz explained that a little trick is used to help drivers on their journeys, which not many people actually know about.
“What is the significance of the position of the exit number sign on the top of the exit sign?” they asked.
“It’s an indication of whether the exit location is to the right, left, or straight.”
He went on to show diagrams of the signs on various roads, from where he grew up, which showed the numbers placed as he’d explained.
“Now I know where all of the exits are,” he said.
Here’s what the number placement really means
In fact, the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration also confirmed that this was the case.
It seems it really is that simple. If the exit number placement is on the top left, it means there is a left exit, and you guessed it, a right exit number means that direction.
The revelation from the content creator shocked many drivers across the country, and some had to share their thoughts on what they had learned.
“Nobody told me this. I just paid attention while driving,” said one user.
“Don’t forget the number is also the mile marker,” commented another person.
“I’ve been driving for 52 years, and you just taught a 68-year-old woman a handy lesson,” added a third.
So there you go. You really do learn something new every day.
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