Most States in One Day by Road

[leroys73]

On our recent family trip we hit eight states in one day without really trying.  These in the order we drove through them:  VA, WV, MD, PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI.  We did 5 and 6 other days on the same road trip. 

We totaled 15 states, 5542 miles in 15 days.  In two different locations we spent three nights at each place and two nights in one location. The remaining nights were each in different locations.

The longest mileage in one day for this trip was over 900 miles.

[jp the roadgeek]

As a passenger 7: NC, VA, MD, DE, NJ, NY, CT
As a driver 6: CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD

[cpzilliacus]

Most states I have done driving is 7 8 in one sitting - Md., Del., N.J., N.Y., Conn., R.I., Mass. and N.H., a little over 500 miles.

Also Md., Pa., W.Va., Ohio, Ind., Ill., and Mo. (less states, but more miles, at about 850).

[halork]

10: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia.

[DandyDan]

I imagine the record would be from somebody who was driving in the Northeast, with all the small states there.

As far as the Midwest goes, I got Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas (which was essentially a trip across the Missouri River at St. Joseph and back), Illinois and Kentucky, for 6.

[SignGeek101]

Only 3 for me:

NY, PA, NJ, coming from ON.

But considering I've only been in the US twice by car, it's not bad.

[noelbotevera]

Back in 2009, my family and I (5 years old at the time) had went to Providence for family stuff. We stayed in a hotel in Massachusetts, after staying in NYC. Starting from Pennsylvania, here's the states I vividly remember.

PA
NJ
NY - stayed
CT
RI
MA - stayed

Six states.

[froggie]

I've had two, both a 9 and a 10.  The 9 was a marathon drive from the DC area to Minneapolis the day after my father passed:  VA-WV-MD-PA-OH-IN-IL-WA-MN

The 10 was a couple of drives from Vermont back to the DC area and Norfolk when I was still active duty, and took a side detour into New Hampshire:  VT-NH-MA-CT-NY-NJ-PA-DE-MD-VA

[JakeFromNewEngland]

When me and my family went to DC back in 2010 these are the states we went through:

CT- Started here
NY
NJ
PA
MD
DC- Ended (not technically a state but whatever)

[Jim]

If we're talking any 24-hour period, at least some of my Williamstown, MA, to Naples, FL, trips went MA-VT-NY-NJ-PA-DE-MD-VA-NC-SC-GA-FL, for 12 states, and it would take under 20 hours to hit the FL line (though it's 7 more to Naples once you get into FL).  More recent trips start in NY and hit 9 or 10 states, depending on route.

I never did it, but it appears possible to hit ME-NH-MA-RI-CT-NY-NJ-PA-DE-MD-VA-NC-SC-GA-FL in under 24 hours.

[1995hoo]

The most I can think of is nine. We were driving up to Portland so that we could take the ferry to Nova Scotia the following morning. Portland is a pretty easy single-day drive from the DC area. If we'd had to push on to Bar Harbor (the other ferry terminal at the time), that might have been tougher for a one-day drive.

Nine states that day: Virginia (starting point), Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine (end point).

Come to think of it, I guess we did nine states on the way home two weeks later as well except we went through Pennsylvania instead of Delaware. We took the ferry back to Portland, stayed overnight at the same motel we'd visited on the way north, and then drove all the way home.

I routinely drive a longer distance than that in a single day but pass through fewer states because, as has been noted above, the states in the Northeast are so small. In general, I'll do up to about 700 miles in a day (give or take maybe 30 miles depending on where I'm going and where I am come dinnertime), although I tend to think more in terms of the number of hours spent in the car. I'll generally do up to 12 hours, including stops, but Ms1995hoo gets pretty grumpy after about 10 hours unless we're almost to our destination. Driving south, it's about 700 miles to Jacksonville and it usually takes about 10 hours, including stops. It's only 160 miles further to my sister-in-law's house, but we've never made it all the way in a single day. We'd rather stop around 6:00 to 7:00 PM, relax, have dinner at a sit-down restaurant, etc.

[jeffandnicole]

I've done NJ-DE-MD-DC-VA-NC-SC-GA-FL (9) many times.  I could easily alter my trip adding an extra 5 minutes and take in PA as well, but never done so.

There is at least one other thread on this subject.  I believe the 24 hour record is 21 states. 

[hotdogPi]

There is at least one other thread on this subject.  I believe the 24 hour record is 21 states.

One day, but 26 hours (time zone change, daylight savings time change)

[leroys73]

I thought there was another thread on this but couldn't find it so started this one. 

Prior to the above trip my record was 7 by car and 7 by motorcycle in the NE. 

Agree the NE makes high numbers a little easier.  Out west, southwest, south, and mid west things might be a little tougher.  Texas it is over 600 miles by I-10 from one side to the other. 

I think the most states in one day I have done in the above regions is 6 taking 17 or 18 hours by motorcycle from Dallas, TX to near St. Cloud, MN. Also 6 in the south by motorcycle once and several times by car, FL, AL, MS, LA, TX, OK.   

Gotta love road trips.  It is like baseball in the statistics department, always something to keep track of:  most miles, most states, most National Parks, most speeding tickets in one trip  ....

[Alps]

Probably six for me: NJ-NY-CT-MA-NH-ME, or NC-VA-WV-MD-PA-NJ.

[dfilpus]

Six during one day: NC-VA-WV-KY-OH-MI and if DC counts: NC-VA-DC-MD-DE-PA, NC-VA-DC-MD-DE-NJ
Seven in 24 hours: NM-TX-OK-MO-IL-IN-MI

[leroys73]

I started the thread and I'd count DC, might even throw in provinces.  The Iron Butt Association counts them.  This is by road not air.

[1995hoo]

If DC counts, then my total goes up to ten in one day by virtue of the smidgen of DC airspace I-95 crosses between Virginia and Maryland.

[cl94]

One day? 8. NY-NJ-PA-MD-WV-VA-NC-SC.

[Ian]

On the times that I don't stay over night at my buddies place on the North Shore, my drive to and from Maine includes 7 states; PA-NJ-NY-CT-MA-NH-ME. There have been a few times where I've cut through Rhode Island on my trips to Maine, so there's 8.

[hbelkins]

Off the top of my head, I can think of a trip that involved seven: CT-NY-NJ-PA-MD-WV-KY.

And now that I think about it, here's eight: SD-IA-NE-IL-IN-OH-KY

[jas]

Last year's trip to Orlando - NJ, DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA and FL - left Carney's Pt, NJ around 5:30 and arrived in Yulee, FL around 7:30...and long and tiring drive.

[hobsini2]

IL, IN, OH, PA, NJ, NY, CT in one trip as far as states go from Bolingbrook IL to Groton CT. 934 miles.

But the longest I have driven in one day is from Park City UT to Bolingbrook IL. 1366 miles.

[Zzonkmiles]

As a driver, my record is six: NY-PA-MD-VA-NC-SC and then SC-GA-FL the very next day, all with no cruise control.

But yeah, I think driving from one end of Texas to the other along I-10 or the entire length of I-5 through California is much more impressive than driving from Maryland to Maine and hitting all those tiny states along the way.

[Darkchylde]

For me, ID-UT-WY-CO-OK-TX-LA in a 24 hour span, splitting driving duties.