Have you ever thought what it would be like to drive across the country? Perhaps it's a bucket list item of yours to rent an RV and travel in style. It takes about 45 hours, or six 8-hour days, to drive coast-to-coast.You will need to decide if you want to take one of four coast-to-coast interstates or traverse the country as the old-timers did on U.S. highways. If you have about three months to travel, you can even see all 48 continental states.And although it can take six days to drive across the country, you have more flexibility driving than evenriding a trainacross the U.S.
White Color Motor home Car Goes On Road On Background Of Mountains
This guide will begin with the most direct routes and also include a few fun (and more scenic) routes if you want to see more of the country. With each route, you can plan on driving between 2,500 and 3,500 miles each way. Of course, make sure you're maximizing your gas purchases with the best travel credit card.
Drive Across the Northern United States
The northern route is one of the longest routes because you have to navigate around the Great Lakes. The most extreme drive across the country is from North Quoddy, Maine to Sumas, Washington. This drive takes 53 hours to visit the easternmost and westernmost points of the northern continental U.S. This is a great start if you want to drive across the country in the spring or summer months.
Take I-90 and I-94 from Boston to Seattle: 45 Hours
The most northern route is taking I-90 beginning in Boston. You will then skirt along major eastern cities including Albany, Buffalo, and Cleveland. As you work yourway into the Midwest, you will turn north at Chicago on I-94 and drive through Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, and Idaho until you reach Seattle.This route is 3,054 miles and takes 45 hours to complete.
If you prefer to stay on I-90 the entire way, you will continue west on I-90 through Chicago and travel through southern Minnesota, South Dakota, and a portion of Wyoming before turning north into Montana and linking back up with I-94.
Driving cross country lets you pick where you can stop like Yellowstone National Park
To visit both the lower and upper peninsula of Michigan, you can also cross into Canada at Buffalo. At Flint, Michigan, you will take I-75 to Mackinac Island and eventually hop back onto I-94 west of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. This scenic detour adds an extra two hours of drive time to yourroute. Don't forget your passport if you plan on going this route.
I-80 From New Jersey to San Francisco: 43 hours
A slightly shorter route is Interstate 80 from Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area to San Francisco at 2,900 miles and 43 driving hours. This route is almost a beeline from the Atlantic to the Pacific. You may pass through Cleveland and Chicago, as well as through Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada before landing in California.
Tour the Mid-United States
I-40 from Wilmington to Los Angeles: 38 hours
To start in the mid-Atlantic, the only true coast-to-coast interstate is I-40 from Wilmington, North Carolina to Los Angeles. It's 2,590 miles long and takes 38 hours to drive. You will pass through many states that are considered the Mid-Atlantic and Mid-South until you enter the American Southwestern states of New Mexico and Arizona. By taking I-40, you're within driving distance of the Grand Canyon, which can also be a worthwhile detour.
I-70 from Baltimore to Cove Fort, Utah: 32 hours
You won't get to the Pacific Ocean, but I-70 is the longest interstate that goes through America's midsection. Starting in Baltimore, Maryland, you straddle the Maryland panhandle before dipping into West Virginia. Some major cities along the way include:
Columbus, Ohio
Indianapolis
St. Louis
Kansas City
Denver
I-70 ends near Cove Fort, Utah. At this point, you either need to go north or south on I-15 to continue west. The northern fork will put you on I-80 at Salt Lake City until you reach San Francisco after 12 hours of additional driving. Going south on I-15 takes you through Las Vegas until you reach Los Angeles. This route only takes 7.5 hours.
Drive Across the Southern United States
How long the southern route takes, depends on how far south you want to drive into Florida.
I-10 from Jacksonville to Los Angeles: 35 hours
This is one of the shorter routes you can take, plus you can drive from one coastline to the other. Interstate 10 goes from Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles and is 2,416 miles or 35 hours long. If you can drive 12 hours a day, you only have to spend three days in the car with minimal stops.
You will pass through Phoenix and Tucson in Arizona. Once you reach El Paso, you trace the Mexican border for a small stretch before turning inland to San Antonio and Houston. Staying on I-10 through Louisana lets you visit New Orleans, or you can bypass The Big Easy on I-12. Other southern cities you can visit include Mobile and Tallahassee.
The downtown area of New Orleans, Louisiana beyond the highway 90 bridge across the Mississippi... [+] River as shot from an altitude of about 700 feet during a helicopter photo flight.
Key West to Los Angeles: 42 hours
Instead of going to Jacksonville, maybe you want to go to the Southernmost Point in the Continental U.S. at Key West. Follow I-10 until you reach the I-75 junction and head south. This route takes 42 hours from Key West to LA.
Drive North to South
Maybe you just want to stay on one coastline. These two routes let you stick to either the Atlantic or Pacific Coast but still let you drive across the country, in a way.
West Quoddy Head, Maine to Key West: 33 Hours
To go from Maine to Key West will take you 33 hours on I-95 for 2,000 miles. You won't be on the Atlantic coast the entire time, but you will have the chance to see many historical cities and a drastic change of scenery along the way.
Las Sumas, Washington to San Diego, CA: 22 Hours
From the northern tip of Washington State in Las Sumas to the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego takes 22 hours to drive. You will drive 1,382 miles on Interstate 5.
Scenic U.S. Highways of Yesteryear
While the U.S. interstate system is the most efficient way to cover the United States, you might enjoy the original U.S. highway system more. Yes, it takes longer and you need to make a few more turns, but the route can be quieter in places.
These are some of the most scenic U.S. highways that you might hop on for a brief jaunt:
U.S. Route 40 (aka "Main Street of America"): Atlantic City, New Jersey to San Francisco
U.S. Route 50: Ocean City, Maryland to Sacramento, California
Historical U.S. Route 66: Chicago to Santa Monica
California State Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway): 655 miles of California coastline
How Long Will It Take You to Drive Across the Country?
The main advantage of driving across the country is that you can map your own route and stop wherever you desire. With minimal stops, it takes between 35 and 45 hours of drive time to reach each coast. Of course, you will also want to stop along the way to see other notable landmarks and also find a place to spend the night. To protect against the unexpected, don't forget to activate your roadside assistance benefits so you can keep on driving.
