If you had to drive alone a long distance cross country,

[Barack2theFuture]

what is the longest stretch you would attempt to drive in one day?

How many hours?

[seabeyond]

1. i drove from ama, texas to barstow, ca. i have done a lot of long distance, though.

that one is off top of head.

ran map quest. that is 14 hours. i have done same distance often from amarillo to Lafayette Louisiana

[rug]

2. 500 miles or 12 hours, whichever comes first.

[mdmc]

57. yup .. thats what I do

I stop every 100 miles and get gas and stretch.. I can go 600 or 700 miles in a day, but I try to keep it at 500..

[REP]

3. I moved from KCMO to Silicon Valley CA by myself, driving a 30' truck

I generally drove 10-12 hours at a time. I had 5 cats with me; otherwise, I might have driven 14 hours a day.

[petronius]

4. Alone, or with someone?

I'll do 500+ miles on my own, especially if the landscape is interesting (maybe less if it's hot, stressful, and/or boring). My wife and I together will double that on occasion...

[amerikat]

5. It's not time or distance. It's how much you can do safely.

Are you driving alone? Always better to have a co driver. If not it's best
to pull over and nap if you need to.

I once worked an 18 hour shift then drove 20 hours from NJ to FL. That
was rather stupid on my part. Be Safe.

[valerief]

6. With or without crystal meth? nt

[Kaleva]

20. With

[Iggo]

35. 2.5 days.

3 days is a little too much.

[elleng]

7. Drove from Denver to Omaha.

Don't remember # hours. All day, tho! Next day to Chicago, where I stopped.

[flvegan]

8. I did 24 hours straight.

Florida to Mass. Extra special stupid thing to do.

[noamnety]

9. The longest I drove without another driver

was a 26 hour stretch, no breaks beyond bathroom and drive thrus for food. It was from Tampa to Detroit, the last few hours a raging blizzard that kept highway traffic to about 20 mph, it was brutal.

Wouldn't recommend that but it was a family emergency in the middle of a vacation, trying to get a foreign exchange student back to her passport and on a flight home. Once we got back here, my bf put us in his car and got us to the airport then amused my 5 year old for hours so I could sleep after we got back from the airport. (married him)

[Inchworm]

10. One Exit at a time

For as long as I could hold my wits.

:hi:

[Old Troop]

11. Heck, I've driven 24 hours straight to get home

[sammytko]

12. Drove from Tucson to San Antonio

way too far. Now maybe 500 miles tops with lots of stops, make it 400.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. Minneapolis MN to Livingston MT.

It was a really stupid, exhausting thing to do. Started having hallucinations somewhere near Casper WY.

[kwassa]

14. I did several 800 mile days on a cross-country trip.

About 16 hours a day, with stops for bathrooms, gas, and meals. I was headed west, and would pick up a time zone a day.

I've driven across the country three times, but this was the only time I did it alone.

The primary reason I drove so long is that I could see no reason to stop and stay in a motel until I was really tired. There isn't a lot to see in the middle of the country anyways.

[HipChick]

15. Miami to Washington DC

Took me all day..

[david13]

16. How old am I? When I was young, I'd drive 24 hours, and keep going,

but now that I'm a lot older, and still alive, I'm down to about 300 on the motorcycle and about 500 in the car (miles that is).
I don't need to be uncomfortable.
If I can't do that ... ever hear of an airplane?
dc

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. I fucking hate driving - I'd do 400 miles, and that's probably about it.

Fuck it - I'd rather take three days to get somewhere and have some decent reading time in hotel rooms and some drinking and eating time at the restaurants than try to drive the whole goddamn thing in one miserable, life-negating, soul-destroying schlepp.

I have a life to live - I don't need to spend it in a fucking car.

[raccoon]

37. Same here. I've had tendinitis in both arms, and driving too long wears my eyes out.

I'd do about that much. Also, helps me a lot to break it up--have long meal stops, say an hour.

[Bennyboy]

18. 8 hours with a one hour break in the middle...

bout all i can handle.

[Kaleva]

19. Have a brother who routinely drives about 27 hours straight.

He thinks nothing of driving from Michigan to Florida stopping only for gas and bathroom breaks.

[MiddleFingerMom]

21. I did three 1000+ mile driving stints with chemical assistance...

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...one from Philly to Jefferson City, MO and a round trip weekend
from Philly to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (going an hour out
of my way -- and an hour back -- for a Jackson MI Coney Island
hot dog). I was kinda rushed on the way back as my friend was
holding his semi-annual Shoot n' Toot party that weekend (may
describe those someday).
.
.
.
I used to regularly drive unassisted 500+ mile trips from Ft.
Campbell, KY to Jackson, MI. My roommate's hometown was
Indianapolis (about halfway in between), so I would drop him off
and pick him up on the way back.
.
We both enjoyed the road so much that we'd often overshoot the
post by an hour or so just to stay in that road groove.
.
.
.

[Angry Dragon]

22. Twin Cities, Minnesota to Austin Texas

about 22 hours ....... stopped for an oil change along the way

Hit ice storm in Oklahoma

Took a lot of back roads to see the country side

[Tuesday Afternoon]

23. no more than 12 hours at one time.

[Twillig]

24. Now that I have some sense, I'd say 600 miles.

That's 60 mph for 10 hours if you want me to do the math. (But who drives that slow? Take some breaks, though.)

Back in the past--in my college and then army days--I'd go till tired.

By 'tired,' I mean 'crawl under a comforter in the back seat and hope no rest-stop-killer takes an interest' tired.

I was able to read comic books while driving the interstate from like Colorado to my army post in Kansas. (the roads are too boring, give me a mountain and hairpin turns and I pay attention like Mario Andretti.)

Doing stupid shit like that points up the fact that that is exactly where I belonged.

[Initech]

25. Drove 15 1/2 hours last week - Detroit to Boston.

Quite fun but after hurting my ass after jumping off a boat the previous day, it soon became rather tedious.

[Mendocino]

26. I drove from Iowa City to Estes Park Colorado

Just a bit over 800 miles in about 12 hours.

[hibbing]

27. around 500 miles

Hi,
Again it depends on age and time of the day when you are driving. I find as I get older driving on the interstate at night is not fun. You can do 500 plus miles in a day before it starts getting dark with a stop for lunch somewhere and a few stops along the way with no problem has been my experience. Do you have a trip in mind?

Peace

[jberryhill]

28. Indianapolis to Denver. And would not recommend it. /nt

I was seeing things that weren't there.

When you see things like flying trucks or when you forget your name for a few minutes, it's time to pull over.

[proteus_lives]

29. Hmmmm. I would say ten hours.

Maybe 15 with breaks.

[cherokeeprogressive]

30. I can cover a thousand miles in a day of driving. I can leave my house in So. Cal. and be in Idaho

shortly after dinner. I love to drive, and make lots of stops. 5-10 minute stops. Stretch your legs, have a toke or a smoke, pee, then back on the road. I fucking love driving.

I've also covered more than 600 miles in a day on my Harley with my wife on the back. Boise to Bishop before sundown.

I got it from my Grandparents. We once went on a road-trip vacation that went from L.A.-OKC-NO-Lake Okeechobee-Altoona-Chicago-Calgary-Vancouver-Seattle-SF-L.A. 8 weeks, 6 people in a small cab-over camper. Tell me that's not travelin'.

I've also driven over 22 hours alone... but I prefer traveling with someone.

[GreenPartyVoter]

31. Given that I can't drive, it's gonna be a very short trip.

[Taitertots]

32. I drove over 375 miles a day for 2 months straight

Including several days that were over 500 miles.

The longest single day would be right around 1,000 miles. I was still ready to go further.

[northzax]

33. my longest single stretch

back in the day, was Omaha to DC, about 1200 miles, roughly 23 hours with the odd break. I don't recommend it. that was when cross country trips took me three days. this month it took me six.

[hayu_lol]

34. Short rest stops, usually at fuel stops, few meals...mostly snacks...

while moving. Ontario CA to Buffalo NY: 36 hours driving time/42 hours total time. A few short naps when necessary.

Datsun 280Z with cruise control made it a breeze.

Longest single leg was North Platte Nebraska to Buffalo.

[fizzgig]

36. probably 1,000 miles

it's 850 miles to my mom's and i've done that solo on a couple of occasions and it's no biggie

[av8rdave]

38. Did 850 miles on my motorcycle once

Not sure I would want to do that much in a car.

[driver8]

39. I drove across the country -- I tried to do about 500 miles per day.

By that time, I was fried!

[AngryAmish]

40. Manhattan to Chicago was my longest ever.

I drink a lot of pop so I have to go pee every hour or so.

[LaurenG]

41. The furthest I have ever driven alone in one day is 701 miles

I didn't like it but I did it and dealt with a flat tire outside of Albuquerque and further south but still in the US a border patrol road block in the middle of nowhere. They made me answer questions about where I was going and where I'd been. (Northern CO to W Texas). I still did it in 12 hours.

[Xithras]

42. Just did it recently. I can do about 800 miles the first day, and about 650 every day after that.

Get a full nights sleep, and take off right when you get up. At 65MPH, you can easily pull 750+ miles in your first 12 hour stretch.

The problem, after that, is that you won't be able to get the sleep you need to sustain it. On multi-day drives, I'm dead after about 10 hours behind the wheel.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

43. I did Rochester, NY, to Chicago via Canada non-stop once but I was still 30-something then.

At 52 I don't know if I'd push myself like that.

[Barack2theFuture]

44. 1200 miles . . .? 15 hours . . .?

insane?

[Xipe Totec]

45. 1400 miles 14 hours

From Brownsville to El Paso in 14 hours.

Of course, that was a while ago.

Like 1971.

[Barack2theFuture]

46. damn

we should just call you the Bandit.

[Xipe Totec]

47. It wasn't me, it was my dad

They called him leadfoot.

ETA:

My fastest run was Saltillo through Monterrey Mexico to Reynosa in 3 hours on a Datsun station wagon.

Somewhere in DU there is a thread about it.

Mexican highway patrol, 18-wheelers, driving on gravel shoulders.... The works.

I just can't find it anymore... :hi:

[Barack2theFuture]

51. I'm just planning 80 on the Interstate

but I'm thinking of making in one day a drive I usually do in 2 days.

[sammytko]

55. I don't think its that far - more like 900 miles nt

[Xipe Totec]

63. You're right; it was kilometers, not miles nt

[fishwax]

66. 1200 miles isn't insane, but not likely in 15 hours

That's averaging 80 mph, but without any time for refueling, getting food, or going to the bathroom, to say nothing of possible construction, slower traffic as you pass through cities, police officers, etc.

[Redstone]

48. I've done Philadelphia to Denver three times. But that was when

I was young, and could ingest amphetamines without having a coronary.

Redstone

[TK421]

49. Well, I drove 997 miles from Ft.Myers Beach to Philly back in 2001

and that was out of desperation, so......I think that would be my limit

[mnhtnbb]

50. I drove the car I bought from Cincinnati home to Chapel Hill, NC alone.

I flew up in the morning to the dealer, so I left in the afternoon--around 12:30 PM. Quit driving
around 6 PM and stayed in a motel over night. Left around 8 a.m. the next day and was home before lunch.

Driving by myself, I don't think I would try to drive more than 8 or 9 hours, at most.

On edit: I think the total trip was about 425 miles.

[pitohui]

52. i usu. put it at 600 miles which is less than 10 hrs w. lunch break

as others say driving is addictive and you'll be in the trance and want to go more but truly unless it's an emergency i try to put a cold stop around 650 miles

at 70/80 MPH it's a 9 hr day which you can do if you work normal work hours

[Joe Fields]

53. I have driven 850 miles in a day.

That is the longest stretch.

[struggle4progress]

54. Depends. I try to avoid long uninterrupted stretches nowadays, but I once

drove 1200 miles interrupted only by meals and a few short in-car naps: it was a terrible idea, and I'd never do it again. Since then, I've done a few other long drives alone in one stretch (say 850 miles), but I don't much like it: up before dawn, driving until well after dark, maybe 15 or 16 hours in the winter

I think the number of hours I can do safely depends on light, conditions, road interest, and speed. Driving in the dark is more difficult than driving in daylight, and I think it's much safer to do any dark driving first thing in the morning when alert, than late in the day when tired: starting an hour before dawn and driving to dusk this time of year will give you an upper limit of about 16 hours, but I don''t think I do much more than about 12 hours now. How much wet road and/or heavy traffic I encounter also affects my idea of what's safe, since driving in weather and/or with heavy traffic requires much more concentration, as does high speed driving. If I have to go a long way, I consider using US highways instead of interstate: the roads are slower, but they may be more direct, so you may not lose too much distance at the lower speed, and you'll be less exhausted because the scenery is likely to be more interesting and there may be less traffic. If it's only me in the car, I'll take a definite 10 minute break every 60 - 90 minutes for a soda or restroom or sandwich to avoid zombie-land. Personally I'd rather do 12 or 13 hours on slower road than 10 hours on interstate

[MajorChode]

56. I did 1544 miles back in June

But I was driving a plane instead of a car. I don't take long distance car trips anymore.

[MissHoneychurch]

58. I once drove

from Tallahassee, FL to Charlotte, NC in one day. With one break in Savannah, GA though.

[JCMach1]

59. 12-16hrs. before I start going batty...

[RockaFowler]

60. I drove from South Florida to the Florida Panhandle

That was a 10 hour trip. I did bring my dog with me, though. SHe was great company.

[supernova]

61. About 9-10 hours straight

with stops about every couple of hours for bathroom, stretching, snacks or meals, and gas. That's about my limit for sitting in a car and driving. I also prefer to get an extra special early start rather than drive late into the night. So getting on the road at 5 or 6 am is not out of the question.

If I have to drive that far, which hasn't been lately, I tend to take it on as a "job."

And as others point out, there's no need to kill yourself en route. Relax and enjoy the ride is my motto. If you have that much driving to do, the getting there is just as important as the destination.

Yep, I'm a planner. :-)

[ceile]

62. I think 8 hours

Anything longer than that I'd get really antsy...

[charlie and algernon]

64. Longest I did was 850 Miles in one day, Illinois to Pennsylvania

took me 16 hours to complete and I was sick as a dog the whole trip. I should've at least waited one more day to see if I was better. I stopped every 90 minutes or so. I think the best decision I made for that trip was buying the Hannibal Rising book on CD and listening to all 12 hours of it along the way. Wanting to pay attention to the book kept me alert and focused to the road.

[Rochester]

65. Until I got tired, unless...

...it was a drive that I do frequently enough to plan when I want to arrive the next day. I frequently visit Rochester, New York, where I lived for awhile as a teenager and still have some buddies there, and I normally start driving in the morning so that I can get at least past Cleveland the first day. Normally about a 10-11 hour drive to get past Cleveland. Then I can do the last few hours the next day and get to Rochester in early afternoon. There have been a few times when I have done it differently, once I drove straight through to Rochester in one day, about 15 hours drive.

[lazarus]

67. my longest was 28 hours

each way one 3 day weekend. Now, no more than 8 hours at a stretch.

[Alexander]

68. I drove from Boise, Idaho to Phoenix, Arizona in one day.

Left Boise at 6 am.

Arrived in Twin Falls, Idaho at around 9 am. Stopped for breakfast at an IHOP right by the falls.

Made it to Salt Lake City, Utah at about noon. Stopped there for a bit.

I remember stopping in various places, like Panguitch, Utah and Page, Arizona for gas and food and such. But my stops were pretty short.

Finally made it into Phoenix around 10 pm. There was a time zone change, since AZ doesn't have Daylight Savings. So I saved an hour.

I drove about 730 miles in one day in a cheap Toyota Echo. At that rate, I could've made it across the country in about 4 days.

[jobycom]

69. I did Austin to Atlanta, let someone else drive to about Richmond, then finished to Connecticut.

All in one stretch. I did sleep while the other person was driving, so I think that was about 15 hours and a 1000 miles.

I used to drive from Austin to Albuquerque a few times a year, so that was about 12 hours and 700 miles. I wrecked once doing that, though, when a porcupine ran in front of me at 2 am--I swerved, went into a fishtail, and hit the Pecos River bridge on I-10. So maybe that's a little much, at least for leaving late in the day.

[pitohui]

70. i do 600 miles/9 hrs routinely

more than that i prob catch a plane

[LSK]

71. drove from North Platte, NE to Chicago once

Also drove from the middle of New York to Chicago.

Both had to be over 600 miles.

[realisticphish]

72. I'm terrible estimating milage

but I am good at estimating time... maybe it's a midwest thing? I don't know. Anyway, I would say about 8-10 hours, assuming regular stops. I drove a route for an old job, and drove probably 7 hours/day, with lots of pickups. So, it depends on what road you're driving on (that is, how boring it is), what entertainment you have, and how tired you are :shrug:

[stray cat]

73. 17 was tough - I would keep it around 12 if you can

[joeybee12]

74. Interestingly, I will be doing that in about a week....Connecticut to Vegas...

I want to do 900 the first stretch to get to Chicago.

[CreekDog]

75. i've driven from Tucson to SF and SLC to SF in one day

It's long but very do-able.

If I get tired, I stop and take a nap.

I never attempt to keep going on these long stretches while tired. I've seen too many single vehicle rollovers from people dozing off.

The worst stretch for that is between Reno and Winnemucca on I-80.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

76. 15 hours, and I'd take 17 hours to do it

I gotta stop for some breaks, or I get too tired. Even a 10-minute cat-nap helps a great deal.

Good luck on your trip.

:hi:

[Deep13]

77. 11.5 was my longest.

Akron to Worcester, MA.

That's too long.

[Luciferous]

78. I did Northern IL to Fayetteville AR last year. 10 hours and 650 miles.

Then did the reverse drive the next day :)

In a couple of weeks I might be driving from Northern IL to San Antonio, but if I end up driving I'll split it between 2 days.

Make sure you have some good music. Audio books are also great for long trips.