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) |
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Manhattan (New York County, NY) |
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Reno (Washoe County, NV) |
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Fallon (Churchill County, NV) |
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Chicago (Cook County, IL) |
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Atlanta (Fulton County, GA) |
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Visalia (Tulare County, CA) |
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Stockton (San Joaquin County, CA) |
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Santa Rosa (Sonoma County, CA) |
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San Jose (Santa Clara County, CA) |
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Salinas (Monterey County, CA) |
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Sacramento (Sacramento County, CA) |
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Oakland (Alameda County, CA) |
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Modesto (Stanislaus County, CA) |
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Los Angeles (Los Angeles County, CA) |
|
Fresno (Fresno County, CA) |
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Alturas (Modoc County, CA)
Auburn (Placer County, CA)
Bridgeport (Mono County, CA)
Colusa (Colusa County, CA)
Downieville (Sierra County, CA)
Fairfield (Solano County, CA)
Fresno (Fresno County, CA)
Hanford (Kings County, CA)
Hollister (San Benito County, CA)
Independence (Inyo County, CA)
Jackson (Amador County, CA)
Lakeport (Lake County, CA)
Madera (Madera County, CA)
Mariposa (Mariposa County, CA)
Markleeville (Alpine County, CA)
Martinez (Contra Costa County, CA)
Marysville (Yuba County, CA)
Merced (Merced County, CA)
Modesto (Stanislaus County, CA)
Napa (Napa County, CA)
Nevada City (Nevada County, CA)
Oakland (Alameda County, CA)
Oroville (Butte County, CA)
Placerville (El Dorado County, CA)
Quincy (Plumas County, CA)
Red Bluff (Tehama County, CA)
Redding (Shasta County, CA)
Redwood City (San Mateo County, CA)
Sacramento (Sacramento County, CA)
Salinas (Monterey County, CA)
San Andreas (Calaveras County, CA)
San Jose (Santa Clara County, CA)
San Rafael (Marin County, CA)
Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz County, CA)
Santa Rosa (Sonoma County, CA)
Sonora (Tuolumne County, CA)
Stockton (San Joaquin County, CA)
Susanville (Lassen County, CA)
Ukiah (Mendocino County, CA)
Visalia (Tulare County, CA)
Weaverville (Trinity County, CA)
Willows (Glenn County, CA)
Woodland (Yolo County, CA)
Yuba City (Sutter County, CA)
Battle Mountain (Lander County, NV)
Carson City (Carson City, NV)
Elko (Elko County, NV)
Ely (White Pine County, NV)
Eureka (Eureka County, NV)
Fallon (Churchill County, NV)
Goldfield (Esmeralda County, NV)
Hawthorne (Mineral County, NV)
Lovelock (Pershing County, NV)
Minden (Douglas County, NV)
Reno (Washoe County, NV)
Tonopah (Nye County, NV)
Virginia City (Storey County, NV)
Winnemucca (Humboldt County, NV)
Yerington (Lyon County, NV)
Klamath Falls (Klamath County, OR)
Lakeview (Lake County, OR)
|
328
162
107
206
201
160
0
32
89
88
121
231
20
50
131
153
191
52
89
173
184
150
211
145
226
269
296
143
154
102
108
117
170
125
197
89
117
256
248
41
321
230
169
191
307
164
354
318
281
194
155
136
245
151
191
167
175
310
155
390
375
|
529
368
296
410
406
356
206
174
258
195
327
428
224
255
332
344
396
255
289
367
390
336
417
352
432
475
502
322
357
259
314
296
357
288
388
295
318
460
443
168
526
434
371
396
464
362
493
412
403
377
263
312
426
350
390
288
372
481
343
595
574
|
267
87
107
121
134
71
89
117
58
164
51
142
69
57
97
66
109
37
0
84
112
67
132
76
158
187
215
67
69
74
41
50
85
73
108
41
29
194
159
129
238
145
82
109
300
125
357
350
301
175
206
143
222
114
146
208
137
289
137
319
317
|
272
100
168
100
146
36
150
173
78
230
89
95
130
125
145
17
102
101
67
37
121
0
125
102
164
166
193
18
69
81
89
40
21
56
54
102
52
203
109
188
209
121
67
100
345
165
405
411
359
220
273
202
261
157
178
273
175
326
188
308
321
|
208
31
124
53
78
37
154
184
118
215
41
85
134
110
89
53
41
103
69
49
53
69
64
38
98
118
146
83
0
130
51
90
69
114
67
71
42
136
102
194
169
76
17
41
280
101
341
358
302
157
237
154
195
96
110
232
110
259
130
253
257
|
337
155
171
175
204
111
102
113
17
190
124
177
88
107
170
94
170
77
74
117
181
81
194
148
227
243
271
65
130
0
116
43
101
30
135
113
91
264
190
130
288
198
137
169
371
199
426
409
365
247
252
208
295
187
220
260
211
363
208
382
386
|
297
118
157
132
167
68
117
137
38
201
92
135
98
102
145
51
129
73
50
74
142
40
153
114
188
200
228
27
90
43
87
0
61
25
93
92
54
226
149
153
245
155
95
128
348
170
406
400
352
223
252
193
268
160
189
257
182
335
186
340
347
|
239
93
190
64
128
39
197
222
131
270
105
43
176
163
157
45
78
145
108
24
106
54
95
105
139
122
148
70
67
135
112
93
34
108
0
130
82
177
56
236
159
79
54
75
342
167
404
425
369
223
302
221
256
162
171
298
175
317
197
265
287
|
246
65
116
93
114
44
117
146
78
188
39
114
97
81
94
44
82
65
29
58
90
52
106
59
136
160
188
59
42
91
38
54
65
80
82
51
0
174
131
158
210
117
54
82
297
117
356
359
307
171
223
151
215
108
134
223
129
281
137
294
296
|
363
202
133
247
239
200
41
18
120
71
161
271
60
88
165
192
231
93
129
213
223
188
250
185
264
309
336
179
194
130
147
153
209
157
236
128
158
292
288
0
362
270
209
232
324
197
366
317
286
219
150
157
270
184
224
168
207
332
182
428
409
|
2032
2057
1957
2106
2042
2110
1995
1990
2083
1907
2042
2156
2009
2001
1990
2116
2083
2030
2057
2125
2054
2123
2082
2042
2049
2118
2124
2124
2079
2097
2037
2103
2137
2117
2146
2022
2072
2033
2171
1972
2154
2116
2094
2087
1840
1985
1780
1724
1784
1933
1851
1925
1919
1986
1991
1850
1980
1883
1951
2098
2025
|
1686
1758
1676
1800
1732
1821
1741
1746
1822
1658
1754
1850
1751
1733
1698
1831
1779
1763
1782
1834
1749
1842
1771
1748
1732
1793
1793
1848
1785
1838
1753
1832
1852
1852
1852
1743
1791
1707
1863
1729
1818
1803
1798
1782
1515
1685
1452
1432
1484
1629
1587
1640
1601
1690
1683
1578
1677
1550
1656
1738
1667
|
168
129
87
174
109
194
194
223
230
185
132
224
187
151
78
207
152
176
175
206
121
220
148
120
120
190
204
230
157
247
136
223
226
247
223
135
171
118
238
219
236
182
169
155
125
56
185
209
150
0
147
66
51
64
57
127
48
117
40
246
205
|
139
80
96
118
52
147
191
223
204
208
97
168
179
142
60
162
97
159
146
158
66
178
91
76
64
134
150
190
110
220
105
189
180
214
171
112
134
74
182
224
182
125
119
100
171
28
233
266
207
57
190
97
85
41
0
174
20
149
57
210
184
|
2395
2472
2391
2513
2445
2535
2455
2460
2536
2372
2469
2563
2466
2448
2413
2546
2493
2478
2497
2548
2462
2557
2484
2462
2444
2505
2503
2562
2500
2553
2468
2547
2566
2566
2566
2457
2505
2418
2575
2443
2528
2516
2512
2496
2228
2399
2165
2147
2198
2343
2301
2355
2314
2404
2396
2292
2391
2262
2371
2443
2373
|
1435
1420
1314
1473
1416
1465
1332
1322
1421
1245
1398
1520
1349
1347
1351
1467
1450
1373
1404
1480
1423
1472
1453
1404
1428
1498
1510
1469
1438
1433
1391
1446
1488
1456
1503
1374
1424
1419
1536
1304
1541
1487
1454
1453
1238
1354
1185
1103
1164
1308
1201
1286
1305
1352
1365
1205
1351
1284
1317
1510
1440
|
433
606
666
582
561
647
760
792
745
775
645
594
745
710
630
665
586
719
693
644
581
681
563
619
536
514
487
698
627
756
658
714
666
736
634
673
668
504
587
795
476
560
619
587
552
599
570
688
644
590
732
656
549
612
571
708
590
513
620
374
388
|
Sources: STI: PopStats and STI: Colossus
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