Randal S. Olson · Optimal road trips
The optimal road trip across the U.S. according to machine learning
Restored in 2026 with open data. Originally published March 8, 2015. Read the original post . Routes are recomputed on OpenStreetMap, so distances can differ from the original.
Stops 51round trip
Distance 14,033 mi22,583 km
Time driving 283 hours11.8 days nonstop
Legs 51all by road
The original post quoted 13,699 mi and 224 hours.
Take the route with you
Google Maps Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
Apple Maps Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
Stops in order
1 Grand Canyon National Park Lodges 289 mi (465 km), 6 h 17 min driving to 2. Bryce Canyon National Park 2 Bryce Canyon National Park 530 mi (853 km), 9 h 17 min driving to 3. Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve 3 Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve 194 mi (312 km), 3 h 46 min driving to 4. West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center 4 West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center 674 mi (1,085 km), 14 h 33 min driving to 5. Pikes Peak 5 Pikes Peak 565 mi (910 km), 11 h 14 min driving to 6. Carlsbad Caverns National Park 6 Carlsbad Caverns National Park 462 mi (744 km), 8 h 10 min driving to 7. The Alamo 7 The Alamo 400 mi (643 km), 7 h 13 min driving to 8. Chickasaw National Recreation Area 8 Chickasaw National Recreation Area 375 mi (603 km), 6 h 43 min driving to 9. Toltec Mounds 9 Toltec Mounds 146 mi (236 km), 2 h 44 min driving to 10. Graceland 10 Graceland 237 mi (382 km), 4 h 23 min driving to 11. Vicksburg National Military Park 11 Vicksburg National Military Park 224 mi (361 km), 4 h 12 min driving to 12. French Quarter 12 French Quarter 145 mi (233 km), 2 h 45 min driving to 13. USS Alabama 13 USS Alabama 547 mi (881 km), 9 h 59 min driving to 14. Cape Canaveral 14 Cape Canaveral Reached via City of Cape Canaveral (6.6 mi away) 238 mi (383 km), 4 h 41 min driving to 15. Okefenokee Swamp Park 15 Okefenokee Swamp Park 226 mi (363 km), 4 h 46 min driving to 16. Fort Sumter National Monument 16 Fort Sumter National Monument Reached via the ferry departure at Liberty Square (4 mi away) 460 mi (741 km), 8 h 46 min driving to 17. Lost World Caverns 17 Lost World Caverns 380 mi (612 km), 7 h 33 min driving to 18. Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center 18 Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center 264 mi (424 km), 5 h 29 min driving to 19. Mount Vernon 19 Mount Vernon 17 mi (27 km), 33 min driving to 20. White House 20 White House 33 mi (52 km), 47 min driving to 21. Maryland State House 21 Maryland State House 86 mi (139 km), 1 h 58 min driving to 22. New Castle Historic District 22 New Castle Historic District 81 mi (131 km), 1 h 55 min driving to 23. Congress Hall 23 Congress Hall 93 mi (150 km), 1 h 58 min driving to 24. Liberty Bell 24 Liberty Bell 94 mi (151 km), 2 h 6 min driving to 25. Statue of Liberty 25 Statue of Liberty Reached via Battery Place by Castle Clinton (1.9 mi away) 115 mi (185 km), 2 h 45 min driving to 26. The Mark Twain House & Museum 26 The Mark Twain House & Museum 91 mi (146 km), 2 h 9 min driving to 27. The Breakers 27 The Breakers 74 mi (120 km), 1 h 48 min driving to 28. USS Constitution 28 USS Constitution 268 mi (432 km), 5 h 52 min driving to 29. Acadia National Park 29 Acadia National Park Reached via Sand Beach lot on the one-way Park Loop Road (2.1 mi away) 225 mi (362 km), 5 h 51 min driving to 30. Omni Mount Washington Resort 30 Omni Mount Washington Resort 120 mi (192 km), 2 h 43 min driving to 31. Shelburne Farms 31 Shelburne Farms 561 mi (903 km), 11 h 59 min driving to 32. USS Cod Submarine Memorial 32 USS Cod Submarine Memorial 168 mi (270 km), 3 h 14 min driving to 33. Olympia Entertainment 33 Olympia Entertainment 254 mi (409 km), 4 h 49 min driving to 34. Spring Grove Cemetery 34 Spring Grove Cemetery 197 mi (317 km), 3 h 50 min driving to 35. Mammoth Cave National Park 35 Mammoth Cave National Park 144 mi (232 km), 3 h 3 min driving to 36. West Baden Springs Hotel 36 West Baden Springs Hotel 241 mi (387 km), 5 h 23 min driving to 37. Lincoln Home National Historic Site Visitor Center 37 Lincoln Home National Historic Site Visitor Center 97 mi (156 km), 1 h 53 min driving to 38. Gateway Arch 38 Gateway Arch 282 mi (453 km), 5 h 30 min driving to 39. C. W. Parker Carousel Museum 39 C. W. Parker Carousel Museum 201 mi (324 km), 3 h 55 min driving to 40. Terrace Hill 40 Terrace Hill 255 mi (411 km), 5 h 12 min driving to 41. Taliesin 41 Taliesin Reached via Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 County Road C (0.7 mi away) 250 mi (402 km), 4 h 56 min driving to 42. Fort Snelling 42 Fort Snelling 391 mi (630 km), 7 h 41 min driving to 43. Ashfall Fossil Bed 43 Ashfall Fossil Bed 381 mi (614 km), 7 h 18 min driving to 44. Mount Rushmore National Memorial 44 Mount Rushmore National Memorial 370 mi (596 km), 7 h 27 min driving to 45. Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site 45 Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site 522 mi (840 km), 10 h 8 min driving to 46. Glacier National Park 46 Glacier National Park 440 mi (708 km), 9 h 46 min driving to 47. Hanford Site 47 Hanford Site 154 mi (248 km), 4 h 7 min driving to 48. Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area 48 Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area 631 mi (1,015 km), 12 h 39 min driving to 49. Cable Car Museum 49 Cable Car Museum 117 mi (188 km), 2 h 29 min driving to 50. San Andreas Fault 50 San Andreas Fault 476 mi (765 km), 9 h 32 min driving to 51. Hoover Dam 51 Hoover Dam 248 mi (399 km), 4 h 47 min driving to 1. Grand Canyon National Park Lodges