MileCheckWhat is 511? The free travel-info line
Dial 511 in most US states and you reach a free travel-information service — road conditions, closures, construction, and weather for that state's highways. Here's how it works and where the data comes from.
What 511 is
511 is a national, three-digit phone and web service for traveler information. The Federal Communications Commission set it aside in 2000 so every state could offer road conditions, crash and construction alerts, weather, and closures through one easy-to-remember number. Most states run their own 511 phone line, website, and app.
What you can get from it
A typical 511 service reports current road conditions (dry, wet, snow, ice), closures and construction, crashes and incidents, mountain-pass and chain requirements, and often live traffic cameras. Coverage focuses on interstates and major state highways — the roads a DOT actively monitors.
The catch: it's split across 50+ systems
Here's the friction: every state runs its own 511, with its own phone tree, website, app, and data format. Cross a state line and you're on a different system. Plan a trip through three states and that's three 511 sites to check — there's no single national feed a driver can just glance at.
MileCheck brings it into one place
MileCheck pulls normalized DOT alerts from all 50 states plus British Columbia into one app — closures, crashes, construction, weather, chain controls, and cameras — on a single map, tied to your exact mile marker as you drive. It's the 511 idea without the 50 different websites. Browse live highway cameras →
Know exactly where you are — live
MileCheck shows your nearest mile marker in real time as you drive, plus live DOT alerts and the nearest camera on your route. Free to start, works offline, runs on CarPlay and Android Auto.
Questions, answered
What is 511 used for?
511 is a free US traveler-information service. It reports road conditions, closures, construction, crashes, weather, mountain-pass status, and often live cameras for a state's highways, by phone or online.
Is 511 free to call?
Yes. 511 is the FCC's national traveler-information number and is free to call in participating states. Standard mobile minutes may apply, but there's no service charge.
Does every state have 511?
Most do, but each state runs its own 511 phone line, website, and app with its own coverage and format. A few states don't operate a full 511 service, and there is no single national system.
Is there an app that combines 511 from every state?
State 511 services are separate. MileCheck combines normalized DOT road alerts and cameras from all 50 states (plus British Columbia) into one app, tied to your live mile marker.