Have you ever seen a street sign that left you mystified by its possible name origin? I know I certainly have on many Arizona streets and some of the origins behind their names are just as fascinating. Check out these 14 strange Arizona street names.
- Back Road, Wikieup
Johnida Dockens/Flickr When driving down this road, you can tell others you were actually on a Back Road in Wikieup.
- Bloody Basin Road, Mayer (also in Pine and Cordes Lakes)
Ms. Phoenix/Flickr I always see this sign when driving south from Flagstaff along the I-17 but only recently found out that the name comes from a battle (or ambush, depending on your perspective) between the US military and the Tonto Apache in the 1870s.
- Broomrape Lane, Lake Havasu City
matsubatsu/Flickr As cringeworthy as the name sounds, broomrape is actually a flowering plant native to the northern hemisphere. Perhaps using the scientific name orobanche would have made for a less confusing street name.
- Bucket of Blood, Holbrook
Eric J/Flickr Both the street and the town’s saloon along the street were renamed for murders that occurred following a poker game gone wrong at the turn of the century.
- Carefree Highway, Phoenix-metro
Sean_Marshall/Flickr When was the last time you enjoyed a mellow drive along this highway?
- Easy Street, Carefree
Arizona Shona/Flickr This is just one of the many strange street names in Carefree’s town limits.
- Glance Street, Globe
David Quigley/Flickr Don’t look at this sign too long!
- Ho Road & 9. Hum Road, Carefree
Michael Dorausch/Flickr Yet another contribution from Carefree! This sign almost doesn’t look real but it is–and so are dozens of other street names in the town.
- Inspiration Avenue, Miami
Joe Abbruscato/Flickr This could be just the place to write the next great American novel. (A similarly named street also exists in Globe.)
- Manlove Street, Tucson
Bill Walsh/Flickr This street probably gets a lot of giggling from the kids. However, the name actually came from Samuel A. Manlove, a homesteader, miner, and editor of a Tucson newspaper.
- Rural Road, Tempe
Jim Ellwanger/Flickr Maybe when Tempe was first founded, the street name was a little more applicable. But today, anyone who has driven down this road will tell you it’s definitely no longer rural.
- Snob Hill Road, Oatman
Chuck Coker/Flickr Hmm, who do you think lived on this road before Oatman became a ghost town?
- Toughnut Street, Tombstone
James Stutzman/Flickr This street was named in honor of the Tough Nut Mine that helped found Tombstone and perfectly describes the town’s demeanor.
What other strange street names have you come across in Arizona? Let us know in the comments!
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Johnida Dockens/Flickr
When driving down this road, you can tell others you were actually on a Back Road in Wikieup.
Ms. Phoenix/Flickr
I always see this sign when driving south from Flagstaff along the I-17 but only recently found out that the name comes from a battle (or ambush, depending on your perspective) between the US military and the Tonto Apache in the 1870s.
matsubatsu/Flickr
As cringeworthy as the name sounds, broomrape is actually a flowering plant native to the northern hemisphere. Perhaps using the scientific name orobanche would have made for a less confusing street name.
Eric J/Flickr
Both the street and the town’s saloon along the street were renamed for murders that occurred following a poker game gone wrong at the turn of the century.
Sean_Marshall/Flickr
When was the last time you enjoyed a mellow drive along this highway?
Arizona Shona/Flickr
This is just one of the many strange street names in Carefree’s town limits.
David Quigley/Flickr
Don’t look at this sign too long!
Michael Dorausch/Flickr
Yet another contribution from Carefree! This sign almost doesn’t look real but it is–and so are dozens of other street names in the town.
Joe Abbruscato/Flickr
This could be just the place to write the next great American novel. (A similarly named street also exists in Globe.)
Bill Walsh/Flickr
This street probably gets a lot of giggling from the kids. However, the name actually came from Samuel A. Manlove, a homesteader, miner, and editor of a Tucson newspaper.
Jim Ellwanger/Flickr
Maybe when Tempe was first founded, the street name was a little more applicable. But today, anyone who has driven down this road will tell you it’s definitely no longer rural.
Chuck Coker/Flickr
Hmm, who do you think lived on this road before Oatman became a ghost town?
James Stutzman/Flickr
This street was named in honor of the Tough Nut Mine that helped found Tombstone and perfectly describes the town’s demeanor.
