Section 44 - Commercial zones determined generally, with exceptions.

The commercial zone of each municipality in the United States, with the exceptions indicated in the note at the end of this section, within which the transportation of passengers or property, in interstate or foreign commerce, when not under a common control, management, or arrangement for a continuous carriage or shipment to or from a point without such zone, is exempt from all provisions of Part II, Interstate Commerce Act, except the provisions of section 204 relative to the qualifications and maximum hours of service of employees and safety of operation or standards of equipment shall be deemed to consist of:

(a) The municipality itself, hereinafter called the base municipality;

(b) All municipalities which are contiguous to the base municipality;

(c) All other municipalities and all unincorporated area within the United States which are adjacent to the base municipality as follows:

(c)(1) When the base municipality has a population less than 2,500 all unincorporated areas within two miles of its corporate limits and all of any other municipality any part of which is within two miles of the corporate limits of the base municipality,

(c)(2) When the base municipality has a population of 2,500 but less than 25,000, all unincorporated areas within 3 miles of its corporate limits and all of any other municipality any part of which is within 3 miles of the corporate limits of the base municipality,

(c)(3) When the base municipality has a population of 25,000 but less than 100,000, all unincorporated areas within 4 miles of its corporate limits and all of any other municipality any part of which is within 4 miles of the corporate limits of the base municipality, and

(c)(4) When the base municipality has a population of 100,000 or more, all unincorporated areas within 5 miles of its corporate limits and all of any other municipality any part of which is within 5 miles of the corporate limits of the base municipality, and

(d) All municipalities wholly surrounded, or so surrounded except for a water boundary, by the base municipality, by any municipality contiguous thereto, or by any municipality adjacent thereto which is included in the commercial zone of such base municipality under the provisions of paragraph (c) of this section.

Note: Except: Municipalities the commercial zones of which have been or are hereafter individually or specially determined.