How do you define a block?
 

How is a block defined in the US (in navigational sense I guess). Do you count every single minor road as a block or is a block between two major roads (5th and 6th).

As an example I'd consider the below to be three blocks from the strip, but it could be 12 if you count the small roads....?

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.asp...rner&mkt=en-GB

You should ask Jenny, shes from the block.http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/cool1.gif

[thumbup] very good. This made me lol.

That wouldn't be three blocks, it's over 3 miles!

My query is what is termed as a block in the US. Is is a thing constrained by highway boundaries or understood as a term that varies dependent on area. I can't even explain what I want to know lol.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_big_is_one_city_block

That helps.

Oh, that's confusing because people from Vegas always seem to say it's two blocks to the hilton or stuff like that.

I see what you mean. I think it's pretty loose. I would probably take it to mean that if you can walk all the way around a group of buildings on roads that are clearly for cars, then that is a block.

Im not sure what the standard form of a block is.

My term of a block is from intersection to intersection that have red lights on them in the city.

You should play Minecraft

probably because the strip is closer to be laying out like a traditional block format city.

unfortunately I think it does vary by area and once you get into rural areas, or where there is no "block" form, they get tossed out the window

Wow is this really such a hard thing to define? Over here a block is always defined as the distance between one street to the next, regardless of how important/large a street is. So say you live on the corner of Downer street and 2nd ave. If you walk to the corner of Downer street and 3rd ave then you will have walked a total of 1 block.

Here is an example of one square block
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4661790

And an example of walking 3 blocks.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4661794

I understand that fine, but this is one block, two, three?

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4661968

I'd say that's one block. Now, then one to the left would be more confusing. I'd guess that one to be 4 blocks.

I agree with you, since being from Wisconsin...

And DM, I would say that it's 3 blocks, maybe a little over.
The only difference I could think of was a country block, which of course is probably about a mile in distance, maybe a little more or a little less...

So realistically, when people say it's 2 blocks walk or whatever, it's only really applicable in a truly grid city like New York City?

I would consider that 3 blocks. Two roads in between the two major ones break it up into 3 larger parcels.

I vote for 3 blocks too

Blocks are boring

A little late to this thread, but people are getting residential and city blocks confused when they are separate. A city block is between 2 lighted/main streets. A residential block is distance between any 2 streets. If the area in question is not a residential area, expect to walk farther.