There's something undeniably magical about a road trip-the sense of boundless freedom, the ever-changing scenery, and the thrill of the unknown. It's not just about reaching a destination; it's about the experiences along the way. The hum of the engine, the wind rushing through open windows, and the endless stretch of asphalt ahead create a rhythm that lulls you into a state of adventure.
The Beginning: Anticipation and Excitement
Every road trip starts with anticipation. The night before departure is filled with last-minute packing, checking maps (or GPS), and that giddy excitement that makes sleep elusive. The car is loaded with snacks, playlists, and a mix of essentials and just-in-case items. As the engine starts the next morning, the journey truly begins-windows down, music up, and the open road calling.
The first miles are electric. The cityscape fades into suburbs, then into open countryside. The world feels full of possibilities. Conversations flow easily-plans, memories, jokes, and comfortable silences. The road is a companion, always moving forward, urging you to see what's around the next bend.
The Middle: Unexpected Discoveries
A road trip is never just about the highway. It's the detours that make it unforgettable. A hand-painted sign for a roadside attraction, a local diner with the best pie you've ever tasted, or a scenic overlook that wasn't on the itinerary-these unplanned moments become the heart of the journey.
Small towns welcome you with their quirks-a vintage gas station, a Main Street frozen in time, or a friendly waitress who calls you "hon." The landscape shifts: rolling hills give way to deserts, forests morph into plains, and mountains rise in the distance. Each mile brings new textures, colors, and stories.
There are challenges, too-wrong turns, sudden rainstorms, or that one rest stop with questionable bathrooms. But even these become part of the lore, the tales you'll laugh about later. A flat tire in the middle of nowhere leads to an encounter with a kind stranger. A missed exit becomes a chance to explore a hidden gem.
The Rhythm of the Road
Hours blend together in the best way. The playlist shifts from upbeat anthems to mellow tunes as the sun dips low. Golden hour bathes everything in warmth, and the world feels slower, softer. Conversations deepen as the miles pass-dreams, fears, and the kind of talks that only happen when you're untethered from daily life.
Night driving has its own magic. The road is quieter, lit only by headlights and the occasional glow of a distant town. The stars seem brighter out here, away from city lights. A 24-hour truck stop becomes a beacon of coffee and greasy comfort food, the neon sign a welcome sight in the darkness.
The Destination-and the Journey Home
Eventually, the destination appears, whether it's a national park, a coastal town, or a loved one's doorstep. There's satisfaction in arriving, but also a quiet longing for the road itself. Because the truth is, the trip isn't just about where you're going-it's about who you become along the way.
And then, there's the return. The road back is different-familiar yet changed. You're wiser, wearier, but full of stories. The car smells like adventure: sunscreen, fast food wrappers, and the faint scent of pine from that hike days ago. Home feels both comforting and strange after so much movement.
Why We Keep Going Back
A road trip is more than travel; it's a reminder of life's spontaneity. It's about control and surrender-planning the route but embracing the detours. It's about connection-to the people beside you, the strangers you meet, and the land unfolding outside your window.
And when it's over, you'll find yourself dreaming of the next one-because the road never really leaves you. It whispers in the everyday, calling you back to where the horizon never ends, and the journey is everything.
In the report below, the county's county seat is used as a starting point for a county. From there, all county seats within 250 straight-line miles from that county seat orgination point are shown. In those instances where a county does not have a county seat, than the largest city within that county is used as a reference point. There are a few cases where a county has two county seats, in that case, one is arbitrarily selected.
Seattle (King County, WA) |
Dallas (Dallas County, TX) |
|
Manhattan (New York County, NY) |
|
Albuquerque (Bernalillo County, NM) |
|
Chicago (Cook County, IL) |
|
Atlanta (Fulton County, GA) |
|
Pueblo (Pueblo County, CO) |
|
Lake City (Hinsdale County, CO) |
|
Greeley (Weld County, CO) |
|
Fort Collins (Larimer County, CO) |
|
Denver (Denver County, CO) |
|
Colorado Springs (El Paso County, CO) |
|
Boulder (Boulder County, CO) |
|
Los Angeles (Los Angeles County, CA) |
|
Alamosa (Alamosa County, CO)
Aspen (Pitkin County, CO)
Boulder (Boulder County, CO)
Breckenridge (Summit County, CO)
Brighton (Adams County, CO)
Broomfield (Broomfield County, CO)
Canon City (Fremont County, CO)
Castle Rock (Douglas County, CO)
Central City (Gilpin County, CO)
City of Creede (Mineral County, CO)
Colorado Springs (El Paso County, CO)
Conejos (Conejos County, CO)
Cortez (Montezuma County, CO)
Craig (Moffat County, CO)
Cripple Creek (Teller County, CO)
Del Norte (Rio Grande County, CO)
Delta (Delta County, CO)
Denver (Denver County, CO)
Dove Creek (Dolores County, CO)
Durango (La Plata County, CO)
Eads (Kiowa County, CO)
Eagle (Eagle County, CO)
Fairplay (Park County, CO)
Fort Collins (Larimer County, CO)
Fort Morgan (Morgan County, CO)
Georgetown (Clear Creek County, CO)
Glenwood Springs (Garfield County, CO)
Golden (Jefferson County, CO)
Grand Junction (Mesa County, CO)
Greeley (Weld County, CO)
Gunnison (Gunnison County, CO)
Hot Sulphur Springs (Grand County, CO)
Hugo (Lincoln County, CO)
Kiowa (Elbert County, CO)
La Junta (Otero County, CO)
Lake City (Hinsdale County, CO)
Las Animas (Bent County, CO)
Leadville (Lake County, CO)
Littleton (Arapahoe County, CO)
Meeker (Rio Blanco County, CO)
Montrose (Montrose County, CO)
Ordway (Crowley County, CO)
Ouray (Ouray County, CO)
Pagosa Springs (Archuleta County, CO)
Pueblo (Pueblo County, CO)
Saguache (Saguache County, CO)
Salida (Chaffee County, CO)
San Luis (Costilla County, CO)
Silverton (San Juan County, CO)
Steamboat Springs (Routt County, CO)
Telluride (San Miguel County, CO)
Trinidad (Las Animas County, CO)
Walden (Jackson County, CO)
Walsenburg (Huerfano County, CO)
Westcliffe (Custer County, CO)
Albuquerque (Bernalillo County, NM)
Aztec (San Juan County, NM)
Bernalillo (Sandoval County, NM)
Estancia (Torrance County, NM)
Gallup (McKinley County, NM)
Grants (Cibola County, NM)
Las Vegas (San Miguel County, NM)
Los Alamos (Los Alamos County, NM)
Los Lunas (Valencia County, NM)
Mora (Mora County, NM)
Mosquero (Harding County, NM)
Raton (Colfax County, NM)
Santa Fe (Santa Fe County, NM)
Taos (Taos County, NM)
Tierra Amarilla (Rio Arriba County, NM)
Castle Dale (Emery County, UT)
Duchesne (Duchesne County, UT)
Loa (Wayne County, UT)
Manila (Daggett County, UT)
Moab (Grand County, UT)
Monticello (San Juan County, UT)
Price (Carbon County, UT)
Vernal (Uintah County, UT)
Laramie (Albany County, WY)
|
742
734
835
781
855
842
795
836
816
694
828
728
598
746
804
720
660
845
591
632
922
749
776
860
912
805
721
829
648
869
711
796
900
855
874
679
892
762
834
713
663
867
660
678
823
740
758
761
655
777
651
811
810
802
776
673
618
679
707
558
606
756
698
665
752
827
810
713
742
692
545
613
484
677
585
573
571
659
861
|
179
102
0
55
25
12
109
50
21
175
84
207
257
126
88
173
175
27
251
237
170
87
68
38
79
32
116
20
188
37
136
45
113
63
168
177
173
77
32
140
176
148
190
213
126
142
111
195
200
89
199
201
73
167
131
348
266
333
366
365
365
306
291
370
281
302
221
304
252
240
312
272
360
244
251
265
296
228
90
|
114
114
84
81
76
77
38
36
76
137
0
141
232
187
24
119
179
62
237
202
110
122
71
117
109
77
146
65
205
107
119
110
72
37
90
150
100
86
52
186
169
70
168
165
42
92
71
121
173
156
178
118
152
85
63
280
225
265
292
319
307
227
222
302
203
218
138
231
177
179
337
313
373
301
259
257
327
277
174
|
167
111
27
64
15
16
93
27
33
172
62
195
260
151
72
164
185
0
257
237
143
103
70
55
67
43
132
18
202
45
138
68
87
37
143
178
147
83
14
161
183
122
192
207
104
134
104
179
202
114
202
180
100
147
117
336
264
321
351
362
357
288
278
358
264
280
200
290
236
230
330
293
375
269
263
273
315
251
113
|
217
133
38
89
43
41
146
82
57
211
117
245
291
131
125
210
203
55
282
273
188
112
104
0
70
66
139
56
211
18
170
64
129
89
195
212
198
111
66
153
207
175
223
250
159
180
148
232
235
93
233
235
65
202
168
386
302
371
403
401
402
342
328
407
317
335
255
341
289
278
329
282
381
246
275
294
310
235
60
|
212
138
37
92
31
35
138
72
58
212
107
239
294
147
117
207
210
45
287
274
171
121
105
18
53
69
149
52
221
0
173
74
112
76
181
214
182
114
58
167
213
161
227
249
148
177
146
225
237
108
236
224
82
192
162
381
303
366
396
402
400
333
323
402
309
324
244
335
282
274
342
297
392
262
285
301
324
251
76
|
87
85
177
123
191
180
117
162
156
24
150
96
83
173
126
57
66
178
89
61
248
115
109
212
244
146
105
164
100
214
42
156
221
179
205
0
222
101
164
144
43
194
20
55
148
64
79
118
24
172
28
165
195
141
101
205
91
192
236
191
200
203
157
224
179
242
176
179
148
100
217
222
237
242
127
111
217
206
244
|
88
136
126
115
118
119
35
78
116
129
42
112
226
221
45
103
191
104
236
191
100
152
100
159
144
116
171
107
221
148
127
148
86
75
61
148
77
113
94
215
176
46
167
148
0
84
77
86
169
193
176
76
192
45
47
246
210
231
255
297
280
187
188
267
164
176
96
195
141
152
352
336
381
331
268
259
345
303
216
|
1229
1297
1226
1259
1202
1214
1202
1195
1236
1289
1183
1234
1376
1352
1204
1257
1359
1203
1396
1338
1073
1301
1253
1226
1156
1244
1328
1219
1387
1208
1294
1271
1119
1174
1107
1311
1091
1269
1207
1363
1344
1121
1331
1290
1168
1248
1245
1203
1329
1314
1338
1151
1291
1171
1212
1267
1341
1262
1234
1384
1334
1186
1246
1276
1193
1115
1147
1229
1208
1263
1519
1494
1548
1470
1435
1420
1510
1453
1268
|
1011
1020
924
974
901
915
954
915
941
1055
921
1029
1151
1035
945
1030
1093
909
1158
1118
829
1011
976
906
845
952
1040
926
1111
893
1038
967
849
895
880
1070
862
991
919
1059
1088
885
1088
1074
927
1009
991
996
1093
998
1098
950
967
952
973
1123
1135
1111
1106
1213
1180
1036
1079
1140
1030
969
956
1071
1028
1068
1235
1186
1284
1140
1172
1177
1217
1138
926
|
169
283
348
305
351
346
244
311
330
190
280
141
189
377
264
179
265
336
223
164
316
314
287
386
388
323
309
330
295
381
238
345
329
317
263
205
279
287
323
348
242
268
210
150
246
208
239
160
195
371
206
187
389
203
219
0
139
15
42
122
67
87
58
22
95
158
174
54
107
111
373
406
358
440
288
242
385
402
432
|
1716
1733
1638
1687
1615
1629
1662
1627
1655
1763
1631
1731
1859
1750
1655
1736
1806
1623
1868
1825
1534
1725
1689
1621
1559
1665
1753
1640
1825
1608
1749
1681
1559
1607
1584
1779
1565
1704
1632
1774
1799
1590
1798
1779
1634
1717
1701
1698
1802
1713
1807
1650
1681
1655
1681
1812
1839
1802
1789
1911
1873
1725
1773
1827
1721
1654
1653
1763
1724
1768
1949
1901
1997
1854
1885
1888
1931
1853
1640
|
608
715
687
694
666
675
614
640
686
670
613
602
738
800
626
637
756
660
765
700
518
732
680
705
646
689
751
672
790
688
694
722
576
623
523
694
515
694
657
795
735
543
712
656
581
641
652
577
705
769
716
531
759
562
613
588
693
586
549
710
654
520
584
591
535
459
519
562
559
618
911
911
920
911
820
790
911
883
763
|
1089
969
998
988
1019
1009
1069
1042
997
1030
1068
1103
995
881
1056
1061
941
1024
962
1025
1168
950
1002
984
1051
992
933
1011
907
1002
996
960
1110
1060
1158
1007
1167
989
1026
888
964
1138
993
1057
1101
1049
1034
1120
1004
913
992
1158
925
1124
1073
1183
1045
1175
1223
1090
1140
1208
1154
1195
1186
1248
1174
1177
1155
1102
811
785
834
773
897
941
799
805
931
|
Sources: STI: PopStats and STI: Colossus
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