STATEWIDE — It is one of the major highways in Central Florida, but have you ever wondered why it is called U.S. 17-92?

“I don’t understand the names of the streets,” said Chris Mills, who has lived off U.S.-17/92 for his entire life.

“Me and my dad used to run sand dune buggies up and down this road on both sides,” he recalled.

Of course, now tens of thousands of cars use U.S. 17-92.

Blame the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. They approve all U.S. highway and interstate numbers.

“Here in Central Florida, 17-92 is north-east or south-west, whichever way you’re going,” said Tim Darnell, a local truck driving instructor.

U.S. 17-92 gets its name from two highways that come together: U.S. 17 from Jacksonville meets U.S. 92 from Daytona Beach and they combine just north of DeLand.

“And every town is going to name their street different,” Darnell said.

It’s true, in Volusia County U.S. 17-92 is also called Woodland Boulevard, Volusia Avenue and Charles Richard Beall Boulevard.

Down in Seminole County, U.S. 17-92 snakes its way down to Sanford where it picks up the names Monroe Road, 1st Street/State Road 46, French Avenue and Orlando Drive.

U.S. 17-92 makes its way down Seminole County to Maitland where it gets to be known as Orlando Avenue. It switches names south of Winter Park as Mills Avenue.

In downtown Orlando, U.S. 17-92 combines with Colonial Drive over to Orange Blossom Trail.

Through much of Orange County, U.S. 17-92 is known as OBT.

In Kissimmee, it becomes Main Street then U.S. 192, then south in Osceola County as John Young Parkway. At Pleasant Hill Road, U.S. 17-92 gets its OBT name back.

In Polk County, U.S. 17-92 remains together until U.S. 17 and U.S. 92 finally split near Lake Alfred and go their separate ways.

The highway may have an identity crisis, but Mills knows how important it is.

“Maybe they should change the name of 17-92. I don’t know what they would change it to, maybe Chaos Road,” Mills suggested.

U.S. 17-92 is a road with a lot of names, a lot of numbers, and a lot of drivers who depend on it.