Cross Country Road Trip: 12-day itinerary & map
New York to San Francisco the scenic way
A coast-to-coast drive is around 3,000 miles of freeway if you rush it. This version takes 12 days. It trades the fastest line for great stops: Chicago's lakefront, the Badlands, the Black Hills, Yellowstone, the Great Salt Lake and Lake Tahoe. Use it as a spine and swap in detours.
When to go: May–June or September, when mountain passes are open and the desert isn't at peak heat.
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Route line and mileage from OSRM over OpenStreetMap roads. Open this route in the planner to change the stops.
Day-by-day Cross-Country Road Trip itinerary
- Start
New York City
Leave via the George Washington Bridge and I-80 west.
Pass through - 462 mi · about 8 h 54 min from New York City
Cleveland
Stop at Pennsylvania's Delaware Water Gap, then the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
1 night here - 344 mi · about 6 h 24 min from Cleveland
Chicago
The Lakefront Trail, an architecture boat tour and deep dish.
2 nights here - 579 mi · about 10 h 42 min from Chicago
Sioux Falls
Take I-90 across Wisconsin's dairy country to the falls on the Big Sioux River.
1 night here - 348 mi · about 5 h 36 min from Sioux Falls
Rapid City
Badlands Loop Road, Wall Drug, Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park's Needles Highway.
2 nights here - 391 mi · about 7 h 6 min from Rapid City
Cody
Devils Tower, then over the Bighorn Mountains.
1 night here - 118 mi · about 3 h 18 min from Cody
Yellowstone (Old Faithful)
Enter at the East Entrance via Sylvan Pass, see the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and time a stop for Old Faithful.
2 nights here - 352 mi · about 6 h 36 min from Yellowstone (Old Faithful)
Salt Lake City
Drive through Grand Teton and down to Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake.
1 night here - 554 mi · about 9 h 30 min from Salt Lake City
Lake Tahoe
Cross Nevada's Loneliest Road (US-50) or I-80 to Tahoe's Emerald Bay.
1 night here - 203 mi · about 4 h 36 min from Lake Tahoe
San Francisco
Come down from the Sierra and over the Bay Bridge.
End of the trip
Before you drive
- Plan on 5–7 hours of driving on travel days. Driving more than that for several days in a row is where fatigue creeps in.
- A one-way rental often carries a large drop fee, so compare that against a round trip.
- Mountain passes in Wyoming, Utah and Nevada can see snow into June. Check the state 511 before each leg.
Fuel for this trip
At 28 mpg and $3.50/gal, 3,351 miles costs about:
$419
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Cross-Country Road Trip FAQ
How long does the Cross-Country Road Trip road trip take?
This itinerary takes 12 days and covers about 3,351 miles, or roughly 63 hours of driving without traffic or stops. You can drive it faster, but the nights listed leave time for the sights.
When is the best time for a Cross-Country Road Trip road trip?
May–June or September, when mountain passes are open and the desert isn't at peak heat. Check official road status before you go.
What is the longest driving day?
Chicago to Sioux Falls: about 579 miles, or 10 h 42 min of driving before stops. Leave early that day.
Where should I stay overnight?
The overnight bases in this plan are Cleveland, Chicago, Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Cody, Yellowstone (Old Faithful), Salt Lake City, Lake Tahoe.
