No matÂter what counÂtry we live in, we’ve all fanÂtaÂsized about takÂing our own great AmerÂiÂcan road trip, conÂsidÂerÂing a variÂety of the infiÂniteÂly many posÂsiÂble routes. The most obviÂous would be driÂving between Los AngeÂles and New York, a disÂtance of 2,800 miles that would take a bit over 40 hours straight through. I myself once took a more southerÂly route, road-tripÂping from Los AngeÂles to Raleigh, North CarÂoliÂna over a week or two; these days, I dream of an east-coast jourÂney from Maine all the way down to Key West, a relÂaÂtiveÂly manÂageÂable 1,900 miles. But if you take your road-tripÂping seriÂousÂly, you’ve got to go to anothÂer conÂtiÂnent entireÂly.
Such is the conÂcluÂsion to be drawn from the Half as InterÂestÂing video above, which finds the longest driÂvable disÂtance on Earth. “The North AmerÂiÂcan road sysÂtem goes as far as PrudÂhoe Bay in Canada’s CanaÂda, AlasÂka, and as far south as YavÂiza in PanaÂma,” says the video’s creÂator Sam DenÂby, “but this only clocks in at 7,500 miles.”
That may require six straight days of driÂving, but it doesÂn’t set any records. A route from southÂern Africa and east Asia may seem promisÂing, but they can’t be driÂven withÂout passÂing through westÂern Europe. That requires pasÂsage across the MediterÂranean on a ferÂry, which — for the true road-tripÂper — taints the puriÂty of the endeavÂor.
StartÂing in Europe, then, you should begin in Sagres, PorÂtuÂgal, “the most extreme point on the conÂtiguÂous road netÂwork.” From there, you can driÂve as far east as “the banks of the Aldan RivÂer in RusÂsia,” a disÂtance of 8,437 miles. But wait, there’s longer: you could keep going to Khasan, “the only RussÂian town to borÂder North Korea,” and bring the mileage up to 8,726, thus comÂpletÂing “the longest direct driÂving route in the world.” If you go pedÂal-to-the-metÂal (to the extent posÂsiÂble while observÂing local speed limÂits, anyÂway) it will take six days and 19 hours — bookÂendÂed, ideÂalÂly, by one meal of catÂaÂplana and anothÂer of Khasan oysÂters.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
Why Route 66 Became America’s Most Famous Road
12 ClasÂsic LitÂerÂary Road Trips in One Handy InterÂacÂtive Map
A Brief HisÂtoÂry of the Great AmerÂiÂcan Road Trip
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities and the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
Some would disÂagree — long road around AusÂtralia is 9009 miles
I‑40 has been finÂished to Wrightsville Beach for some time now. You no long have to end your trip in Raleigh.
I secÂond the motion from Carmel, peoÂple genÂerÂalÂly (espeÂcialÂly from the US) forÂget about AusÂtralia & how big we are. It is over 9000 miles easÂiÂly.
The artiÂcle isn’t referÂring to cirÂcumÂnavÂiÂgatÂing, it’s a direct driÂve from point A to point B. If it was about cirÂcumÂnavÂiÂgatÂing AusÂtralia still wouldÂn’t even be in the top three worldÂwide.