Route 66 gets the songs, the souvenir shops and the nostalgia. Meanwhile, a longer road runs across the same country with far less fanfare. Most people couldn’t tell you where it starts or ends.
That road is US Route 20. It’s the sort of highway you can drive across without ever hearing it called a destination.
The Longest Road in the Country
US 20 is currently the longest numbered highway in the country, at an estimated length of 3,365 miles between Boston and Newport, Oregon.[1] The federal highway agency’s own history pages note that the route is 3,365 miles long according to the 1989 log.[2] Newer measurements differ a little. One current tally puts it at about 3,254 miles.[3]
So the exact mileage depends on who’s counting and when. What isn’t in doubt is the ranking. It isn’t an interstate, though it does cross a dozen states.[4]
Why the Zero in the Name Matters
US highways follow a numbering logic. The zero in its route number indicates a major coast to coast route.[3] Yet the story is a bit messier than the number suggests.
Oregon is a good example. US 20 was not a planned coast to coast route, while US 30 was.[3] Early planning had the road ending in Astoria, Oregon, or even at Yellowstone National Park, depending on the proposal. Over time it was extended, and it eventually became the country’s longest road.
Starting at the Pacific in Newport
The western end sits in a small Oregon coastal town. The terminus is in Newport, at an intersection with US 101, within a mile of the Pacific Ocean.[3] You can start your drive with the Yaquina Bay Bridge and its lighthouse nearby.
Newport is also proud of its place on the map. In 2016, officials and residents held a ribbon cutting for a sign marking Boston’s distance at the far end of the road.[5] Beyond the signs, Newport has beaches, whale watching and attractions like the Oregon Coast Aquarium.[6]
Oregon’s High Desert and the Rockies Beyond
Heading inland, the road doesn’t stay green for long. Driving across Oregon covers around 451 miles, and the eastern half takes you through the High Desert, a contrast to the forested image most people have of the state.[6] It’s a useful reminder that the Pacific Northwest isn’t all rain and evergreens.
From there the route continues through Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. The full list of states is Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts.[3] Along the way it gets close to Yellowstone, and one travel guide notes that the road will take you right to the natural wonders of Yellowstone.[6]
The Plains and the Midwest in the Middle
The middle of the country is where US 20 feels most like a road for people who aren’t in a hurry. Through Nebraska and Iowa it passes farm towns and open country, the sort of landscape interstates tend to skip past at high speed. Services are fewer and distances longer, so it pays to check your fuel gauge more often than you’d expect.
Closer to the Great Lakes, the road threads through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. In Ohio it turns east again on the east side of Elyria and runs through western suburban Cleveland.[7] Here the highway starts to feel less like open country and more like Main Street for the towns it connects.
Upstate New York and Old New England
New York is where US 20 shows its history most clearly. It was assigned in 1926 and was the state’s main east to west route until the Thruway was completed in the 1950s.[8] It remains the longest surface road in New York.[8] Further east, it goes right through downtown Albany, the largest city along its route in the state.[8]
Then comes Massachusetts, where the road covers 153 miles[6] before reaching Boston. Two stops stand out for travelers: Old Sturbridge Village, a living history museum, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.[6] In several towns west of Boston, the road is still locally known as the Boston Post Road.[1]
Why It Stays Under the Radar
Part of the answer is that US 20 isn’t one clean, branded corridor. It often runs near Interstate 90, the longest Interstate Highway in the country,[3] so most long distance drivers are on the faster road instead. Stretches of US 20 are also sprinkled with business routes, bypasses and shared sections with other highways.
That’s also what makes it appealing. You won’t find a single museum or a theme park built around the whole thing. You’ll find a patchwork of small towns, state parks and local diners, and the trip is better for it. Plan on a long haul too: one guide estimates 52 to 60 hours of driving time[6] for the full 3,365 miles, before any stops.
Final Thoughts
US 20 doesn’t need a catchy nickname or a famous song to earn its spot among American road trips. It starts within a mile of the Pacific and ends in Boston, where a sign in Kenmore Square tells visitors they can follow the road west for 3,365 miles.[5] In between, it crosses a dozen states at a pace that lets you notice them.
Whether you drive all of it or just a favorite stretch, it’s a quieter way to see the country. Some roads are famous because people talk about them. This one is worth driving because hardly anyone does.
