Longest One Can Drive & Still Not Leave The State

[MikeTheActuary]

It's a shame that the roundabout/loop at the west/east end of US 1 in CT aren't wholly in CT.

Then an infinite distance could have been claimed. 

[kphoger]

It's a shame that the roundabout/loop at the west/east end of US 1 in CT aren't wholly in CT.

Then an infinite distance could have been claimed. 

Between what two points?

Implied in the "while going the fastest way" is that there are actual endpoints to measure between.

[Bickendan]

Brookings to Imnaha, about 685 miles
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Brookings,+OR/Imnaha,+OR/@43.7977008,-122.9137741,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x54daa508527f4317:0xb1b3476200f47a9f!2m2!1d-124.2839819!2d42.0526114!1m5!1m1!1s0x54a14ebc894e8fe1:0x70011826675fcab1!2m2!1d-116.8332066!2d45.5593227!3e0?hl=en

[michravera]

In your state, without leaving interstates, U.S. highways, or state highways, what is the longest amount of time (not distance) you can drive and not leave your state while going the fastest way?

My understanding of this quote is that we're excluding trips in which the fastest way involves leaving the state.

If not, I could plan a dandy trip for Washington involving Point Roberts...

Correct.  And the most obvious choice, I was trying to prevent the likes of Prudhoe Bay to Hyder, AK which would run for a long time in another country much less another state. 

To specify my intents with the OP:

• Take only Interstates, U.S. Highways, or State Highways as I could increase the time a lot if I picked some of the hard 4WD roads here in Colorado that might take 45 minutes to drive 5 miles
• Do not leave the state as per above
• Go the quickest way possible.  If you have to have to select more than a starting point and a destination in Google Maps (a.k.a. a simple one way, not a multi-destination), that's not the point.  Sure I could drive from Denver to Cortez via the Nebraska border, but that could go on ad infinitum with other waypoints.  So something like Grand Portage, MN to anything in southeastern Minnesota would not qualify as it goes through Wisconsin the fastest way.  Sure, you could route it through the Twin Cities, but that's "cheating"

Chris

Its going to be tough to beat Colorado River and I-8 near Yuma to the Oregon border near Crescent City in California. It's just about 1000 miles and 16 hours. You can do it (and probably would) using only Interstates and US-101. By way of contract, Goose Lake near the Oregon border to San Ysidro is only about 750 miles. It's actually longer from Primm on the Nevada border to Crescent City than from Goose Lake to San Ysidro.

[Scott5114]

The route of OK-3 is basically this. You could probably lengthen the distance and time by continuing west of Boise City and ending at New Mexico instead of Colorado, and taking a slower route instead of the concurrencies with the interstates through Oklahoma City.

[michravera]

Not that I want to start a thread about it necessarily, but almost all of these obviously are one rural corner to another.  I wonder which state has the longest intrastate "commute" between the largest city and another area in the state.  (Obviously Alaska, Texas, and California jump to mind, but I wonder if Denver to extreme SW Colorado might be right behind them.)

Chris

This is similar to my previous Louisiana answer. New Orleans to Shreveport: 4hr55min

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Shreveport,+LA/New+Orleans,+LA/@31.273137,-92.787303,7.75z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x86312a8d1798e91f:0x2ebd2c1687a49cdd!2m2!1d-93.7501789!2d32.5251516!1m5!1m1!1s0x8620a454b2118265:0xdb065be85e22d3b4!2m2!1d-90.0715323!2d29.9510658!3e0?hl=en

Indio and Redding California both have populations over 90000. Direct road distance: 668 miles. Time: 9:00
I couldn't do any much better than about 7:00 for cities of over 100000 population. I used Temecula to Santa Rosa.
If we allow cross-border or cross-frontier suburbs, Calexico, a cross-frontier suburb of Mexicali (which is over 1 million population) to Santa Rosa, is shorter than Indio to Redding, but clocks in just a bit over 9 hours.

[wanderer2575]

Michigan:
US-2 at the Wisconsin line (Ironwood) to I-75 at the Ohio line is 647 miles (10 hr 4 min) using US-2, M-69, US-2, I-75, US-23, I-96, I-275, and I-75. It is less than a half hour quicker to go over the Mackinac Bridge than going via the Chicago area.
US-41 at its beginning near Copper Harbor to I-75 at the Ohio line is 643 miles (10 hr 18 min) using US-41, M-28, M-77, US-2, I-75, US-23, I-96, I-275, and I-75.

Just a hunch, but I'd think that having the end in SW Michigan rather than SE Michigan would garner longer "quickest times", because it's not all interstate driving.

Correct.  US-41's northern terminus to US-12 at the MI/IN state line is 666 miles at 10 hours and 56 minutes, via US-41, M-28, M77, US-2, I-75, US-127, M-55, US-131, I-196, I-94, and US-12.

[NWI_Irish96]

Michigan:
US-2 at the Wisconsin line (Ironwood) to I-75 at the Ohio line is 647 miles (10 hr 4 min) using US-2, M-69, US-2, I-75, US-23, I-96, I-275, and I-75. It is less than a half hour quicker to go over the Mackinac Bridge than going via the Chicago area.
US-41 at its beginning near Copper Harbor to I-75 at the Ohio line is 643 miles (10 hr 18 min) using US-41, M-28, M-77, US-2, I-75, US-23, I-96, I-275, and I-75.

Just a hunch, but I'd think that having the end in SW Michigan rather than SE Michigan would garner longer "quickest times", because it's not all interstate driving.

Correct.  US-41's northern terminus to US-12 at the MI/IN state line is 666 miles at 10 hours and 56 minutes, via US-41, M-28, M77, US-2, I-75, US-127, M-55, US-131, I-196, I-94, and US-12.

The OP indicated that the route must meet two criteria (1) not leave the state and (2) be the fastest route. Any route from the Northern Terminus of US 41 to any point on Michigan's southern border west of I-69 violates at least one of the two criteria. The longest I could find that clearly meets both criteria is 10 hours 10 minutes to the southern end of M 49.

[wanderer2575]

Michigan:
US-2 at the Wisconsin line (Ironwood) to I-75 at the Ohio line is 647 miles (10 hr 4 min) using US-2, M-69, US-2, I-75, US-23, I-96, I-275, and I-75. It is less than a half hour quicker to go over the Mackinac Bridge than going via the Chicago area.
US-41 at its beginning near Copper Harbor to I-75 at the Ohio line is 643 miles (10 hr 18 min) using US-41, M-28, M-77, US-2, I-75, US-23, I-96, I-275, and I-75.

Just a hunch, but I'd think that having the end in SW Michigan rather than SE Michigan would garner longer "quickest times", because it's not all interstate driving.

Correct.  US-41's northern terminus to US-12 at the MI/IN state line is 666 miles at 10 hours and 56 minutes, via US-41, M-28, M77, US-2, I-75, US-127, M-55, US-131, I-196, I-94, and US-12.

The OP indicated that the route must meet two criteria (1) not leave the state and (2) be the fastest route. Any route from the Northern Terminus of US 41 to any point on Michigan's southern border west of I-69 violates at least one of the two criteria. The longest I could find that clearly meets both criteria is 10 hours 10 minutes to the southern end of M 49.

I interpreted the criteria to be the fastest route that stays within the state, not the fastest route period.

[NWI_Irish96]

Michigan:
US-2 at the Wisconsin line (Ironwood) to I-75 at the Ohio line is 647 miles (10 hr 4 min) using US-2, M-69, US-2, I-75, US-23, I-96, I-275, and I-75. It is less than a half hour quicker to go over the Mackinac Bridge than going via the Chicago area.
US-41 at its beginning near Copper Harbor to I-75 at the Ohio line is 643 miles (10 hr 18 min) using US-41, M-28, M-77, US-2, I-75, US-23, I-96, I-275, and I-75.

Just a hunch, but I'd think that having the end in SW Michigan rather than SE Michigan would garner longer "quickest times", because it's not all interstate driving.

Correct.  US-41's northern terminus to US-12 at the MI/IN state line is 666 miles at 10 hours and 56 minutes, via US-41, M-28, M77, US-2, I-75, US-127, M-55, US-131, I-196, I-94, and US-12.

The OP indicated that the route must meet two criteria (1) not leave the state and (2) be the fastest route. Any route from the Northern Terminus of US 41 to any point on Michigan's southern border west of I-69 violates at least one of the two criteria. The longest I could find that clearly meets both criteria is 10 hours 10 minutes to the southern end of M 49.

I interpreted the criteria to be the fastest route that stays within the state, not the fastest route period.

OP clarified in Reply #50.

[wanderer2575]

Michigan:
US-2 at the Wisconsin line (Ironwood) to I-75 at the Ohio line is 647 miles (10 hr 4 min) using US-2, M-69, US-2, I-75, US-23, I-96, I-275, and I-75. It is less than a half hour quicker to go over the Mackinac Bridge than going via the Chicago area.
US-41 at its beginning near Copper Harbor to I-75 at the Ohio line is 643 miles (10 hr 18 min) using US-41, M-28, M-77, US-2, I-75, US-23, I-96, I-275, and I-75.

Just a hunch, but I'd think that having the end in SW Michigan rather than SE Michigan would garner longer "quickest times", because it's not all interstate driving.

Correct.  US-41's northern terminus to US-12 at the MI/IN state line is 666 miles at 10 hours and 56 minutes, via US-41, M-28, M77, US-2, I-75, US-127, M-55, US-131, I-196, I-94, and US-12.

The OP indicated that the route must meet two criteria (1) not leave the state and (2) be the fastest route. Any route from the Northern Terminus of US 41 to any point on Michigan's southern border west of I-69 violates at least one of the two criteria. The longest I could find that clearly meets both criteria is 10 hours 10 minutes to the southern end of M 49.

I interpreted the criteria to be the fastest route that stays within the state, not the fastest route period.

OP clarified in Reply #50.

Yes, he did.

In your state, without leaving interstates, U.S. highways, or state highways, what is the longest amount of time (not distance) you can drive and not leave your state while going the fastest way?

My understanding of this quote is that we're excluding trips in which the fastest way involves leaving the state.

If not, I could plan a dandy trip for Washington involving Point Roberts...

Correct. And the most obvious choice, I was trying to prevent the likes of Prudhoe Bay to Hyder, AK which would run for a long time in another country much less another state. 

To specify my intents with the OP:

• Take only Interstates, U.S. Highways, or State Highways as I could increase the time a lot if I picked some of the hard 4WD roads here in Colorado that might take 45 minutes to drive 5 miles
• Do not leave the state as per above
• Go the quickest way possible. If you have to have to select more than a starting point and a destination in Google Maps (a.k.a. a simple one way, not a multi-destination), that's not the point.  Sure I could drive from Denver to Cortez via the Nebraska border, but that could go on ad infinitum with other waypoints.  So something like Grand Portage, MN to anything in southeastern Minnesota would not qualify as it goes through Wisconsin the fastest way.  Sure, you could route it through the Twin Cities, but that's "cheating"

Chris

[bassoon1986]

Michigan:
US-2 at the Wisconsin line (Ironwood) to I-75 at the Ohio line is 647 miles (10 hr 4 min) using US-2, M-69, US-2, I-75, US-23, I-96, I-275, and I-75. It is less than a half hour quicker to go over the Mackinac Bridge than going via the Chicago area.
US-41 at its beginning near Copper Harbor to I-75 at the Ohio line is 643 miles (10 hr 18 min) using US-41, M-28, M-77, US-2, I-75, US-23, I-96, I-275, and I-75.

Just a hunch, but I'd think that having the end in SW Michigan rather than SE Michigan would garner longer "quickest times", because it's not all interstate driving.

Correct.  US-41's northern terminus to US-12 at the MI/IN state line is 666 miles at 10 hours and 56 minutes, via US-41, M-28, M77, US-2, I-75, US-127, M-55, US-131, I-196, I-94, and US-12.

The OP indicated that the route must meet two criteria (1) not leave the state and (2) be the fastest route. Any route from the Northern Terminus of US 41 to any point on Michigan's southern border west of I-69 violates at least one of the two criteria. The longest I could find that clearly meets both criteria is 10 hours 10 minutes to the southern end of M 49.

I interpreted the criteria to be the fastest route that stays within the state, not the fastest route period.

OP clarified in Reply #50.

Yes, he did.

In your state, without leaving interstates, U.S. highways, or state highways, what is the longest amount of time (not distance) you can drive and not leave your state while going the fastest way?

My understanding of this quote is that we're excluding trips in which the fastest way involves leaving the state.

If not, I could plan a dandy trip for Washington involving Point Roberts...

Correct. And the most obvious choice, I was trying to prevent the likes of Prudhoe Bay to Hyder, AK which would run for a long time in another country much less another state. 

To specify my intents with the OP:

• Take only Interstates, U.S. Highways, or State Highways as I could increase the time a lot if I picked some of the hard 4WD roads here in Colorado that might take 45 minutes to drive 5 miles
• Do not leave the state as per above
• Go the quickest way possible. If you have to have to select more than a starting point and a destination in Google Maps (a.k.a. a simple one way, not a multi-destination), that's not the point.  Sure I could drive from Denver to Cortez via the Nebraska border, but that could go on ad infinitum with other waypoints.  So something like Grand Portage, MN to anything in southeastern Minnesota would not qualify as it goes through Wisconsin the fastest way.  Sure, you could route it through the Twin Cities, but that's "cheating"

Chris

Yep. For Louisiana, anything from the northeast part of the state to say, New Orleans area, normally travels through Mississippi and back down to reach NO. But for the purpose of this game, would need to back track west and south through Louisiana's "waist"  and be the quickest route goi by that direction to qualify.


iPhone

[OracleUsr]

US 64 in NC is 583 miles from Tennessee to Whalebone Junction

[DandyDan]

Since no one did this for Iowa, the best that I could find is 454 miles, or 7 hours and 18 minutes, from the Grand Falls Casino NW of Larchwood on IA 9 at the South Dakota border to Victory Park on US 136 in Keokuk before it crosses the bridge to Illinois. The time could be even longer, as the suggested route I got from Google Maps involved a long section of US 20 and the Avenue of the Saints.

[kphoger]

The route of OK-3 is basically this.

No it isn't.  According to Google Maps, at least, taking OK-3 all the way adds about 45 minutes on top of the fastest route.

[roadman65]

In Florida go from Pensacola to Key West and its like driving the distance of I-10 from NM to La.   Plus Key West is a dead end so one must go back 135 miles to reach the Florida Turnpike so really add that distance to it and you have over 900 miles easily.

[hobsini2]

I am surprised that Nebraska has not come up. Or I may have missed it.
From US 159 at Rulo to US 20 NE/WY border near Van Tassell WY via US 159, US 73, US 75, NE 2, US 77, I-80, US 26, NE 92, NE 79E, US 26, NE 29, US 20 is 583 miles at 9 hours, 7 minutes.

[kphoger]

In your state

I am surprised that Nebraska has not come up.

How many members live in Nebraska?

Also, in general:

it's crazy how few posts there are on here about Nebraska's highways.

[CoreySamson]

Looks like Texas's is 14 hours and 23 minutes (936 miles!) from Texline to South Padre Island:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/26.2318274,-97.1836631/36.5002386,-103.0412391/@29.6880878,-101.7217122,6.1z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-103.0256124!2d36.4842877!3s0x8705648dfcd26dbb:0x33095eaf8b90cd!1m0!3e0

I tried El Paso to Texarkana and Orange, but that was nowhere as long as this route.

[Scott5114]

The route of OK-3 is basically this.

No it isn't.  According to Google Maps, at least, taking OK-3 all the way adds about 45 minutes on top of the fastest route.

What's the deviation? US-281 and spur down to Geary?

[paulthemapguy]

Illinois: 8 hours or so. Near Cave-in-Rock and Elizabethtown to East Dubuque, without traveling thru Iowa

Had to force Google Maps to take an all Illinois routing

I got slightly longer times doing East Dubuque to Cairo, but it almost isn't worth mentioning.  The difference was like 5 minutes.

[Road Hog]

I finally broke down and did Arkansas.

From CR 413 outside Eudora, AR to the border at Southwest City, MO is 6:14 going the fastest and shortest route via US 65, I-40 and I-49 (395 miles).

So you ask, doesn't AR 43/OK 20 take you into Oklahoma a short ways? That is true. But the fastest and most direct route avoids that route. Instead, it follows Honey Creek Road off AR 72 west of Gravette up to the corner.

I tried the other diagonal – Blytheville to Texarkana – and while it seems to be a popular playoff trip that AR high school football fans like to ridicule for its travel, it's all interstate and only 328 miles and 5:04 by car. AR 137 east of Blytheville at the MO state line to the AR/LA/TX corner where the liquor store is located is 5:38 and 375 miles.

[webny99]

it's crazy how few posts there are on here about Nebraska's highways.

I mean, there's I-80 (which is discussed plenty IMO) and... not much else.

The Dakotas at least have I-29. Nebraska doesn't even have that. I believe it's the only state in the lower 48 with no N/S 2di.

[DandyDan]

it's crazy how few posts there are on here about Nebraska's highways.

I mean, there's I-80 (which is discussed plenty IMO) and... not much else.

The Dakotas at least have I-29. Nebraska doesn't even have that. I believe it's the only state in the lower 48 with no N/S 2di.

FWIW, I used to live in the Omaha area until 4 years ago. There isn't a whole lot to say about Nebraska's highways somebody else hasn't said already.

[ethanhopkin14]

The lazy answer is if you drive I-10 the entire way across Texas it's 881 miles, plus driving into another time-zone.  If you stay on US-83, it's 893 miles.  In both instances it's not the fastest route, I know, but it brings up a project I have wanted to do for some time.  I have wanted to got to Orange, TX on the summer solstice, wake up an hour or so before sunrise, drive to the Louisiana side of the Sabine River Bridge, then when the first light of dawn happens, start driving west on I-10.  Then, with obeying all speed limits (even temporary ones) I drive completely on I-10 (no bypasses) and see if I can beat the sun to the Texas/New Mexico state line.  It seems like I could do it with time to spare when you first think about it, but considering the solstice is a revolving date, it could occur on a weekday so factor in Houston and San Antonio traffic, it might not be as easy as a person would think.  My wedding anniversary is June 24th, occurring pretty close to the solstice so the chance of me actually accomplishing this is very slim, because what wife wants to hear their husband tell them their anniversary trip is to dive across Texas to try and beat the sun?

I have been fascinated with it because it's weird to think there is a drive in Texas, depending on the time of year, that no matter how much time you give yourself, you can't make it out of the state in the daylight.