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There is no well-supported, current ranking of ten cross-country routes in the available official sources. For a history-focused drive, Route 66 is the best-documented choice; the Lincoln Highway offers another historic transcontinental thread, with a clearly defined scenic byway segment in Illinois. Both require planning around the roads that can actually be driven today. Here is what those corridors offer—and how to choose a route without treating a historic name as a guaranteed continuous highway.
Which route is best for a cross-country road trip?
Choose by the experience you want, not by a numbered ranking. Route 66 is the strongest fit for travelers seeking roadside history and varied community stops. The Lincoln Highway suits drivers interested in the story of early transcontinental travel, but the available sources establish a specific scenic segment in Illinois rather than a verified, continuous modern itinerary from coast to coast.
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These are historic corridors, not interchangeable alternatives to a modern interstate route. If your priority is a straightforward point-to-point drive, plan around current roads and conditions using state transportation information; use historic route maps to add sections and stops where the alignment remains accessible.
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Route 66 began in 1926 and was officially decommissioned in 1985 as interstates replaced sections of it. The National Park Service describes the historic route as about 2,400 miles long. It was assembled from existing local, state, and national roads, so it is not one uninterrupted modern highway. Travelers encounter surviving historic alignments alongside roads and interstate segments. National Park Service: Route 66 overview.
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The National Park Service says more than 250 buildings, bridges, road alignments, and other Route 66 sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places; its travel itinerary highlights more than 100 sites. These are NPS figures, and the pages do not identify a publication year. The NPS itinerary is a practical starting point for choosing historic stops rather than assuming every original section is drivable. National Park Service: Route 66 travel itinerary.
Route 66 makes the most sense if you are happy to mix historic road sections with newer roads and want the journey itself—its towns, alignments, and changing transportation history—to be the point. For a fixed arrival time or a direct crossing, build the itinerary around current roads instead of treating the old route as a single continuous highway.
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- Road Atlas, Adventure Edition
- Road Atlas, Adventure Edition
- National Geographic Maps
Lincoln Highway: an early transcontinental route with a defined Illinois byway
The Federal Highway Administration describes the Lincoln Highway as a prominent historic transcontinental highway. Its history includes passage across the Sierra Nevada by way of Donner Pass or an alternate route that had once been a pioneer stagecoach road. That history explains the route’s reach and character, but does not establish a fully verified present-day end-to-end itinerary. Federal Highway Administration: Lincoln Highway history.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallFor a defined modern segment, Recreation.gov identifies the Illinois portion as a 179-mile National Scenic Byway and says Illinois is the only state on the route to have achieved that national designation. That figure applies to the Illinois segment, not the full historic highway. Recreation.gov: Illinois Lincoln Highway.
Consider the Lincoln Highway if its early-road history appeals to you, or use the Illinois byway as a specific regional drive. Before setting out to follow longer portions, confirm the local alignment and road conditions; the historic name alone does not prove that every section is continuously drivable today.
U.S. Route 80: useful history, but not a verified modern itinerary
The Federal Highway Administration’s historical account documents U.S. Route 80 and early ideas about transcontinental motor travel. It recounts a 1927-era description of Route 40 as a direct motor route to California and a combination of numbered routes as a year-round transcontinental choice “for the present.” Those statements describe historical advice, not current road or seasonal conditions. The available account does not establish a modern, continuous U.S. 80 road-trip itinerary. Federal Highway Administration: U.S. Route 80 history.
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Should you take Route 66 or the interstate?
Take historic Route 66 when stops, older road alignments, and local history matter more than a simple, direct crossing. Use interstate and other current roads as the backbone when your main goals are efficient navigation and a predictable arrival. Many Route 66 sections were replaced by interstates, so the practical choice is often a combination rather than an all-or-nothing decision.
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How to plan a historic cross-country route without relying on a map app alone
- Choose a corridor and specific stops. Use the National Park Service Route 66 itinerary for historic sites, or treat the Illinois Lincoln Highway’s 179-mile byway as a defined segment. Do not assume that a historic route name supplies a complete, current itinerary.
- Check official road information for each leg. Confirm route continuity, access, construction, closures, and seasonal restrictions with relevant state transportation agencies and park authorities close to your travel dates. Conditions can change, and the historic sources above do not provide a current ten-route comparison or universal seasonal guidance.
- Use official directions for national parks. The National Park Service advises travelers to Sequoia and Kings Canyon to consult its driving map and regional maps. It warns that online map services and GPS devices can route drivers around entrance stations and onto remote roads that may damage a vehicle. Follow official park directions rather than accepting an app detour blindly. National Park Service: Sequoia and Kings Canyon directions.
- Carry a backup map. A U.S. road atlas or paper map can help if an app loses service or proposes an unsuitable detour. This is a practical backup recommendation based on the NPS navigation warning, not an NPS endorsement of a particular atlas.
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