USA road trip itineraries
America is best seen through a windshield. 15 routes, each mapped stop by stop with approximate drive times, where to sleep and what to book ahead.
The routes
- Route 66
- Pacific Coast Highway
- The Grand Circle
- The West Coast Classic
- The East Coast Cities
- Tetons, Yellowstone & Glacier
- The Deep South Music Trail
- New England in the Fall
- The Overseas Highway
- Utah’s Mighty 5 in 7 Days
- Colorado Scenic Byways in 5 Days
- Pacific Northwest Loop in 7 Days
- Arizona Beyond the Grand Canyon
- Vermont & New Hampshire in the Fall
- California Highway 1 in 5 Days
The great American road trips
Route 66
The Mother Road, from Lake Michigan to the Santa Monica Pier.
2,400 mi14–21 daysMay–Jun · Sep–Oct
Pacific Coast Highway
San Francisco to San Diego on Highway 1, with the Pacific always on your right.
640 mi5–7 daysApr–Jun · Sep–Oct
The Grand Circle
Utah’s Mighty 5, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon in one loop from Las Vegas.
1,300 mi10–14 daysApr–May · Sep–Oct
The West Coast Classic
Cities, canyons, desert and the Pacific: the first-timer’s two weeks in the West.
2,100 mi15–16 daysJun–early Oct
The East Coast Cities
Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington: four centuries of America in ten days.
450 mi10–12 daysMay–Jun · Sep–Oct
Tetons, Yellowstone & Glacier
Three of America’s wildest parks along the spine of the Northern Rockies.
600 mi10 daysJul–mid Sep
The Deep South Music Trail
Country in Nashville, rock ’n’ roll in Memphis, blues in the Delta, jazz in New Orleans.
650 mi8–10 daysApr–May · Oct
New England in the Fall
Red maples, covered bridges, white churches and lobster on the coast of Maine.
900 mi8–10 daysLate Sep–mid Oct
The Overseas Highway
From Miami to Key West across 42 bridges and a turquoise sea.
160 mi3–4 daysDec–May
One region, one week or less
Shorter loops that stay in one state or region: less driving, more time on the trail.
Utah’s Mighty 5 in 7 Days
Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands in one week, Las Vegas to Salt Lake City.
820 mi7 daysMay · late Sep–Oct
Colorado Scenic Byways in 5 Days
Trail Ridge Road, Independence Pass and the Million Dollar Highway, Denver to Durango.
680 mi5 daysMid-Jun–early Oct
Pacific Northwest Loop in 7 Days
Seattle, Olympic’s rain forest and wild beaches, the Oregon coast, Portland and Mount Rainier.
800 mi7 daysMid-Jul–mid-Sep
Arizona Beyond the Grand Canyon
Sedona’s red rocks, Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, Page and the saguaro forests of Tucson.
1,100 mi8 daysMar–Apr · Oct–Nov
Vermont & New Hampshire in the Fall
Six days of maple forests: Vermont’s Route 100, Stowe, Franconia Notch and the Kancamagus.
600 mi6 daysLate Sep–mid-Oct
California Highway 1 in 5 Days
San Francisco to Los Angeles along the coast: Monterey, Big Sur, Hearst Castle, Santa Barbara, Malibu.
470 mi5 daysApr–May · Sep–Oct