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What’s the best route from Maryland to California?

Our teenager is going to college in California next fall, and we’re renting a U-Haul to move him there. What’s the best route from Maryland to the West Coast?

avatar
Jacqulyn Graber · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
What an exciting trip! The best route from
Maryland
to
California
depends on your final destination in the Golden State but will likely take you across Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. Note that you’ll need to plan for stops as this cross-country trip will take you several days.
Here’s a sample route that breaks up your ~42 hours of driving time into digestible chunks over 5 days:
  • Day 1: Drive about 6 hours from Maryland to
    Cleveland
    .
  • Day 2: Drive about 10.5 hours from Cleveland, through
    Chicago
    , to
    Des Moines
    .
  • Day 3: Drive about 9 hours from Des Moines, through Omaha, to
    Cheyenne
    .
  • Day 4: Drive about 6.5 hours from Cheyenne to
    Salt Lake City
    .
  • Day 5: Drive about 10 hours through Reno if you’re headed to Northern California or
    Las Vegas
    if you’re headed to Southern California.
Of course, you can personalize your route based on factors like how quickly you’d like to complete the trip, how long you’d like to drive each day, and what cities you’d like to pass through or stay the night. In short, the best route from the East Coast to the West Coast is really up to you.
While you’re planning the best route, make sure you have the best
car insurance
so that if anything unexpected happens to your U-Haul, you’re undoubtedly protected.
Jerry
is the easiest and
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