What’s the most BORING drive between two major American cities?

[u/SeattleThot]

I’ll go first.

Denver, CO to Kansas City, MO.

8+ hours of straight flat nothing (no offense to anyone living in Kansas or Eastern Colorado).

Of course this is subjective. Is there one worse?

[u/lemmeatem6969]

As a professional driver with more than 2 million miles, it’s sure hard to get more boring than driving across Kansas, though I’ve always particularly hated the stretch of I-80 between Omaha and Des Moines.

[u/kashegg13 → u/lemmeatem6969]

I came here to say this. I live and work in KC, and my family lives in Colorado Springs, so I-70 is a part of my life.

I recently did the I-80 between Omaha and Davenport and wanted to tear my eyes out.

[u/Seattle_gldr_rdr → u/kashegg13]

Imagine taking all summer to do it in a covered wagon.

[u/281-330-80-04 → u/Seattle_gldr_rdr]

I think about this all the time... you pull up to Denver after months on the dusty trail and in the distance you see the INSANELY large mountains across the horizon. I'd start unloading the wagons right then & there.

[u/CinephileJeff → u/281-330-80-04]

That's a common joke about the front range in Colorado. As dad said, "This is where the mule died." Or after surviving winter in Denver, I'm sure most of the people just said "Yeah, this isn't too bad."

[u/Tetriic1 → u/281-330-80-04]

The funny thing about it is this is exactly what Denver looks like and WAS. I flew into Denver for the first time and got to see the skyline/mountains on the plane and started laughing because it is literally: Flat Nothingness, City, Wall of Gargantuan Mountains.

[u/snaxrobotwoodside → u/Tetriic1]

As someone who has never been to Denver other than a layover, I literally couldn’t ever really picture the topography of the region until you just described it.

[u/Tetriic1 → u/snaxrobotwoodside]

Seeing the literal wall of mountains stretch north beyond the horizon from the air is something I’ve struggled to describe with words for years since I took that flight. You can Google Search “Denver skyline looking west” to get an idea but the view from the air was 1000x better. And the photos don’t give you a true since of scale. This wall of mountains goes in a line north breaking from the plains in an almost uniform fashion. It is a view I WILL see again before I die. It was breathtaking and beautiful. As a History major and a huge fan of the era of Westward expansion it is the closest I’ve felt to knowing how the settlers felt because you see it and it looks like the edge of a map in a video game.

[u/Seattle_gldr_rdr → u/281-330-80-04]

"Wagonnnssss... EAST!"

[u/ihateroomba → u/Seattle_gldr_rdr]

Only to die of dysentery

[u/bluggabugbug → u/kashegg13]

Wife and I went from Pueblo to Wichita once. I have to say, that’s worse than I-70. Two lane highway that is surprisingly busy. There was about a 5 mile stretch where I didn’t touch the steering wheel once and this was before lane keep assist was available.

[u/LabGrownPeopleMeat → u/bluggabugbug]

I did KC to Springfield, CO once. Can confirm. The only thing that kept it interesting was not knowing what all those bright red lights were at night that seemed to flare up in huge groups. It went back to boring when I realized they were windmills

[u/Krusherx → u/LabGrownPeopleMeat]

Dude gets his wheel alignment at NASA

[u/ExaminationPutrid626 → u/LabGrownPeopleMeat]

Those flashing red lights almost put my ass to sleep

[u/Worth-Club2637 → u/ExaminationPutrid626]

Real shit they say that red is a color that pumps you up but I sleep best with a red night light. Blue keeps me up tho

[u/Card_Board_Robot5 → u/LabGrownPeopleMeat]

You should see them in heavy fog. War of the Worlds type beat

[u/LabGrownPeopleMeat → u/Card_Board_Robot5]

That's what it felt like that night! The shadows of the blades going made it extra eerie

[u/Card_Board_Robot5 → u/LabGrownPeopleMeat]

I loved it. Its a very particular kind of feeling. You only get it that first time, but it's as close to seeing an alien invasion as any of us are prob gonna get lol

[u/Consistent_Truth6633 → u/lemmeatem6969]

We’re thinking of driving from NO to San Antonio in November. We will be over from Scotland. Is it worth a drive?

**edit - thanks everyone for your comments. A lot to pour over here. Amazing

[u/palebd → u/Consistent_Truth6633]

New Orleans to San Antonio? Absolutely. Not too bad at all. Many things to see along the way.

[u/Consistent_Truth6633 → u/palebd]

Thanks. Our mate said it was boring but we’ve never driven across the States before and think it would be a good experience

[u/candcshow → u/Consistent_Truth6633]

Been up and down this part of I-10 all the time. The only part I’d call boring is the section between Houston and San Antonio because its just a bunch of ranches and fields but even then it’s just a couple hours and the novelty of it alone should make it interesting enough.

[u/JustTheWorst42 → u/candcshow]

That, and a Buc-ee’s!

[u/AutVincere72 → u/JustTheWorst42]

And a Buffalo ranch. And another Bucs. And a few gas stations. And a few McDonald's in gas stations. And its over 3 hours later.

But if you time it right BBQ in Luling 2 miles off highway.

Plenty to see in do in San Antonio though.

3 million people come every year to see the dirty creek. Most visited tourist attraction in Texas. Lol

[u/[deleted] → u/Consistent_Truth6633]

As a Houstonian, I wouldn't call it the most boring, as long as it's during the day, but it is 8 1/2 hours. Coming from New Orleans, you're going along/over Lake Pontchartrain for a bit, & you'll cross some tall bridges, wide rivers, & such at several spots along the way. There are definitely spots that are a bit tunnel-like in Louisiana, where there are tall trees on either side of the road, but it's not that prolonged... between Lake Charles & Beaumont, it seems like they're always in hurricane recovery mode, & there were still quite a few damaged buildings when I went through a month ago.

Between Beaumont & Houston, there's a lot of nothing, but it's fairly high speed so it goes quickly. Houston is roughly the full size of London, as a comparison... fortunately, you're cutting across the middle instead of at an angle, but I strongly encourage getting through by 3pm if you're not staying the day (if you can get to the west side of town, you can at least take the HOV on I-10). West of the city, it's fairly blah...I prefer taking US90, as it meanders back & forth across I-10 & has some views, but that'll add even more time to an already long drive.

[u/bigusdikus2 → u/Consistent_Truth6633]

New orleans resident here- that drive can be a foodies dream, if you're into that. Between New Orleans and Beaumont you have a ton of historic food places. I won't list any of the New Orleans spots because that's an entire sub. On route I can recommend:

Poches Meat Market for great boudin and lunch

Herberts specialty meats- birthplace of the turducken

Famous Foods near Lake charles- awesome pork rinds

Rosie's Soul Food in Beaumont ridiculously good. Blast from the past soul food diner.

Houston has an awesome viet-cajun and Latin American food scene and once you're past that then you're in bbq country.

On your way out of NOLA I recommend stopping at Williams Seafood in Kenner for a badass and affordable Oyster or shrimp po boy. (Many spots in nola but I promised not to go down that road)

I hope you're not a vegan! Feel free to dm.

P.s. plenty of options for alligator, nutria, frog legs, and turtle on the Louisiana side if you're into more exotic or local stuff.

[u/Distinct_Teaching → u/Consistent_Truth6633]

Check out anahuac national wildlife refuge just south of Winnie Texas. They have a great wildlife drive if you are interested in seeing some gators and cool birds.

[u/[deleted] → u/lemmeatem6969]

"stretch of I-80 between Omaha and Des Moines"

The small patch of wind turbines isn't enough?!?!

[u/FCBStar-of-the-South → u/[deleted]]

Drove on that stretch at night. The array of red lights suspending in midair stretching out for miles is, not going to lie, awe-inspiring

[u/virtuousunbaptized]

i think you started with the worst. hard to top.

[u/SillyFlyGuy → u/virtuousunbaptized]

I rode a motorcycle cross country and back on the hiways and byways, staying off the Interstates so I could see America. In Nebraska, it was just before harvest so the corn was taller than I could see over.

It was like riding down a never-ending green hallway. The dullest part of the entire trip.

[u/ultramaybenot → u/SillyFlyGuy]

Sounds creepy. Children of the Corn.

[u/greatmagneticfield → u/ultramaybenot]

https://preview.redd.it/uyzt0m4efhed1.jpeg?width=871&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b062d4e16a63f4821f567490fd2c464ff588ddc2

[u/coydog33 → u/greatmagneticfield]

He wants you too, Malachi! He wants you too!

[u/[deleted] → u/ultramaybenot]

Which is set in a fictional Nebraska town! That movie rules.

[u/ultr4violence → u/ultramaybenot]

Yea but at least children of the corn 4 had a young naomi watts. Worth the risk of facing some demon children or whatever they were.

[u/hoofglormuss → u/SillyFlyGuy]

my wife and i took a trip without going on any interstates and we saw all the local sites like what dollar stores and check cashing places and walmarts look like all over the country

[u/Card_Board_Robot5 → u/hoofglormuss]

This is why I don't bother with most small towns. Like cool you got a Subway and a Pilot. No need to see your square. I got the gist off the onramp

[u/Pretty_Eater → u/SillyFlyGuy]

I've driven through this corn hell and I swore I would never again. I will gladly add hours onto a road trip if it means never doing that again.

It's so weird, like there are no trees for hundreds of miles it seems. Like do the people that live there only see trees in books and movies? Is there a town tree that they gather at? Just a weird area.

[u/AnastasiaNo70 → u/Pretty_Eater]

It’s called the Great Plains. If you grow up there, you’re very used to it.

[u/playbyk → u/AnastasiaNo70]

I’m from the Great Plains. I will never forget driving through Georgia and South Carolina for the first time and being completely overwhelmed by the number of trees. It was honestly quite intimidating. I felt like I was being swallowed.

[u/[deleted] → u/Pretty_Eater]

"It's so weird, like there are no trees for hundreds of miles it seems."

A lot of trees were cleared out for farming. Some of the cities/towns have a lot of old trees, but outside of there, forests don't exist. There are some efforts to have more trees. Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts give out free ones each year. My parents have an acreage and my father gets a bunch each year.

[u/Dogwood_morel → u/[deleted]]

Forests shouldn’t exist there. It’s the prairie. There is kind of forest in the extreme NW corner but even there is scattered somewhat and nothing compared to say northern Minnesota. There are and should be trees or large bushes along water, but it’s the middle of the prairie, the planes.

[u/Devtunes → u/Dogwood_morel]

Exactly, there has never been forest there, at least in human history. I'm sure there were trees but not thick forests like you'll find in the east. I'm sure it was less monotonous than miles of corn but we all need to make a living. All that corn feeds a lot of people, if not directly.

[u/Card_Board_Robot5 → u/[deleted]]

Kanarado is just extra Kansas. We make this drive annually. Every single time we call that stretch the Kansas Remix

[u/mrdude817 → u/virtuousunbaptized]

Nebraska is worse. I actually like driving through Kansas because you can see for endless miles around across the plains.

[u/PrettyPossum420 → u/mrdude817]

I can see how it would be boring to do more than once, but a bit of novelty makes it more interesting. My husband and I (both East coast born and raised) did a cross country road trip and I remember that stretch of the drive so fondly. We’d never seen any place so flat before, it was like driving on the ocean. We spent the whole time oohing and ahhing about seeing faraway thunderstorms, and when the sun started setting in western Kansas we were both blown away. I hadn’t ever seen a sunset like that before, nothing blocking the view and the entire sky on fire. 

[u/d6punk → u/PrettyPossum420]

Also an east coaster, but living outside Kansas City now. 100% agreed with the sunsets - they are spectacular out here. I miss the mountains... and easy access to the beach even more... but the plains definitely have their own unique charm.

[u/ScuffedBalata → u/d6punk]

Denver is on the plains with the "big sky" visible, but with the bottom 2% of the view snow-capped mountains.

It's a nice mix.

[u/Broad_Parsnip7947 → u/PrettyPossum420]

Did the lack of mountains bother you too? Cause that was my least favorite part having grown up surrounded by mountains

[u/High_Flyers17 → u/Broad_Parsnip7947]

Might sound like some hippy nonsense, but something about seeing forest covered mountains everywhere I look (in the heart of Pennsylvanian Appalachia) feels mentally healing. Find myself staring at them from the porch all the time. Would miss the hell out of that.

[u/OldeFortran77 → u/mrdude817]

Drove across Kansas once, and the thunderstorms at night in the distance were quite impressive.

Also, there were no hotel vacancies. Me and plenty of other people ended up sleeping in highway rest areas. To this day I wonder what was going on that had all the hotels fully booked.

[u/nubi78 → u/OldeFortran77]

I just drove from Iowa to Denver and the hotels in Nebraska along I80 were more expensive than the ones in Denver. I think it is just a supply demand thing and they can charge higher rates especially to business travelers.

[u/aGuyNamedScrunchie → u/mrdude817]

Some of the best sunsets I've seen as well

[u/uLL27 → u/virtuousunbaptized]

I see you've never driven through North Dakota or South Dakota.

[u/biddily → u/uLL27]

I really like driving through south Dakota.

No corn.

[u/flat_dearther → u/uLL27]

South Dakota has the black hills & the badlands. That immediately made it better than Kansas. I can't speak to North Dakota though.

[u/jacobvso → u/virtuousunbaptized]

It depends what you like. I for one don't mind a bit of all-encompassing nothingness.

[u/MukdenMan → u/virtuousunbaptized]

I drove this route from Ohio (to Oakland CA) and i actually kinda appreciated the flat nothingness of this Kansas/Eastern Colorado part. Kinda meditative. To me the part from Columbus to Kansas City is way worse because it’s just like 12 hours of boring Ohioness.

[u/SilphiumStan]

Denver to Omaha is substantially worse in my opinion. 70 has a bit more "scenery"

[u/CocoLamela → u/SilphiumStan]

Nebraska is a state that I never think about

[u/SilphiumStan → u/CocoLamela]

Great rivers, and hidden gems throughout the state. The northern part along the Missouri and Niobrara, the Missouri on the eastern side, the Sandhills, and parts of the panhandle all have lots of beauty. The platte river valley along I-80 is pretty fucking dull though.

[u/aGuyNamedScrunchie → u/SilphiumStan]

Lewis and Clark State Park (by Niobara) is bonkers! It's like a legitimate coastline. And it's in NEBRASKA.

[u/tanhan27 → u/aGuyNamedScrunchie]

https://preview.redd.it/src4eav9wfed1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0804be7340cd71bfe83a2ed2f02d790ef14fd249

Wow

[u/un_verano_en_slough → u/tanhan27]

What are we looking at here lol

[u/burnfifteen → u/un_verano_en_slough]

It's a man-made reservoir that people are very excited about for some reason.

[u/jaxjag088 → u/un_verano_en_slough]

lol a lake? Wow!

[u/TurtlemanScared → u/aGuyNamedScrunchie]

same with lake mac

[u/caniac322 → u/SilphiumStan]

The drive from Ogallala to the Badlands thru Nebraska was exceptionally (and shockingly) beautiful

[u/DEEP_SEA_MAX → u/SilphiumStan]

Also some of the nicest people in the country. I went to my buddy's wedding there and they were all such welcoming happy people.

Honestly, Nebraska is a hidden gem of a state.

[u/smn61151 → u/DEEP_SEA_MAX]

Can confirm this as a born and bred Nebraskan from Omaha. I no longer live there and will be leaving the US this year, but Omaha really is a hidden gem with a great food scene

[u/Joeuxmardigras → u/smn61151]

My husband and I visited Omaha in 2012 and we loved it

[u/smn61151 → u/Joeuxmardigras]

Great city, but I’ll fully agree that the stretch of I-80 to get to Colorado is boring and SMELLY the further west you go.

[u/Captain_Softrock → u/smn61151]

I agree, there are some really good restaurants in Omaha. I was shocked when traveling there for business.

[u/deezalmonds998 → u/CocoLamela]

It is one of the 3 states I've never been to lmao (Hawaii, Alaska, and Nebraska)

[u/aurorasearching → u/deezalmonds998]

Mine are North Dakota, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

[u/TanagerOfScarlet → u/aurorasearching]

I’m missing sixteen, impressed you’ve been to 47! Re: Wisconsin, I was genuinely surprised by Milwaukee. Beautiful lakeshore, lovely old houses nearby, compact and easily navigable. Some great restaurants, too.

Re: West Virginia, man, the NE quarter of the state is gorgeous. Spruce-covered mountains, bogs, trails, etc. One beautiful spot after another.

[u/DependentSun2683 → u/TanagerOfScarlet]

My first time in Milwaukee i drove through at night and remember how epic looking the old churches/cathedrals were from the interstste.

[u/waxbolt → u/deezalmonds998]

Wow! Practically the same for me. I also skipped north Dakota. Once we did a family vacation that literally circled Nebraska.

[u/Artarious → u/CocoLamela]

One of my favorite jokes is about Nebraska.

"Did you hear about the new scenic highway they're building through Nebraska? Yeah it's all underground.

[u/JExmoor → u/SilphiumStan]

As someone who has done the Kansas route in the OP multiple times I struggle to even imagine what a more boring drive might be like. 70 Through Kansas is like, "Look, another grain elevator" for so many hours.

[u/NaughtyStrangers → u/JExmoor]

The Omaha to Denver drive is substantially better than the kc to Denver drive in my opinion.

[u/MarshmellowBear29 → u/SilphiumStan]

Done this several times and yeah it’s no picnic, but there is a fantastic golf course about halfway that makes it all okay if you have time to spare

[u/GreaseproofDoor → u/SilphiumStan]

I have done Denver to Omaha and I can agree, it’s like grass and corn for 9 hours

[u/chittIincupcake → u/SilphiumStan]

I’ve driven both many times, I feel like Kansas is far more boring

[u/Plastic_Salary_4084 → u/SilphiumStan]

Having lived in Omaha and dated someone in Denver I made that drive a lot, I mostly agree. Denver to Scottsbluff is pretty scenic, though.

[u/bus_buddies → u/Plastic_Salary_4084]

Wow. And I thought dating someone 3 hours away was more than enough lol

[u/streamlinedsuicide → u/SilphiumStan]

The Denver to Omaha route misses the better Nebraska panhandle scenery and eastern Wyoming especially if you’re traveling on 76. 80 is more boring then 70 imo but I feel like I’m less likely to fall asleep on 80 due to the traffic.

[u/Tacos_Andre_619 → u/SilphiumStan]

I don’t know man, they got that bridge to discovery on I-80

[u/pichael__thompson → u/SilphiumStan]

How does this have so many upvotes? I’ve done both multiple times and Kansas is so much worse

[u/rozmarymarlo]

Grand forks ND to Kansas City via I-29. Flat, barren, boring.

[u/uLL27 → u/rozmarymarlo]

A lot of people in this sub have never driven through North Dakota or South Dakota and it shows.

[u/velociraptorfarmer → u/uLL27]

Western South Dakota on I-90 is beautiful though.

When people ask what the difference is between the Midwest and Great Plains, the stark contrast in landscape as soon as you cross the Missouri River in South Dakota makes it clear.

[u/advicenotsogood → u/velociraptorfarmer]

By the time you reach western SD you’re just happy to see trees, or Wall Drug Store.

[u/iSkiLoneTree → u/rozmarymarlo]

Grand Forks to Billings is brutal as well. At least you get a little break at Teddy Roosevelt

[u/mglyptostroboides]

That I-70 route is responsible for why Kansas has the reputation it does.

People elsewhere in the country have no idea what Kansas is actually like. But as someone who's lived in eastern Kansas his whole life, this is what Kansas really looks like in my mind:

https://imgur.io/a/Is8XofR

https://imgur.io/a/PHxyO

(Note: these are both albums, not single images. The mobile site and the app don't show that very well.)

Kansas also isn't that flat in the grand scheme of things.

What happened was Eisenhower chose to start building his interstate highway system across his home state of Kansas. So the Kansas stretch of I-70, being the flagship of the entire interstate system, was built to be an example of how an interstate should be built. Thus the flattest and straightest sections of land were chosen.

This isn't a problem out in Western Kansas where the land really is very much like what you'd expect it to look like, but in eastern Kansas, I-70 mostly follows the Kansas River valley, which is pretty wide and you can't see the hills on the horizon very well. You get a few glimpses of the Flint Hills along its route (mostly in Wabaunsee, Riley and Geary counties) and then a little bit of the Smoky Hills out by Salina, but otherwise, you're only seeing the flattest, most boring parts of the state from Missouri to Colorado.

And that's how Kansas got it's reputation for being flat - coastal travelers only see the parts conducive for building a concept highway.

I'll leave you with a factoid that I think best illustrates the topographic reality of Kansas: there are states that are flatter (by any metric) than Kansas (e.g. Iowa) that have ski resorts. The only reason there are none in Kansas is because it's not cold enough!

[u/timcooksdick → u/mglyptostroboides]

This guy Kansases

[u/kaliforniakratom → u/timcooksdick]

This guy this guy's!

[u/Turbulent_Crow7164 → u/mglyptostroboides]

I guess similar to how New Jersey’s reputation is heavily inspired by the I-95 route most people take through it

[u/new_account_5009 → u/Turbulent_Crow7164]

Agreed. A huge number of people's experience of NJ is arriving at Newark Airport, spending a fortune to take a cab to Manhattan, getting stuck in intense traffic, driving through some areas that look downright crappy, and hating everything about NJ in the process.

It's telling that Jersey locals absolutely love NJ despite the reputation it has. The real NJ is a great place. In some cases, you don't have to go far to find it. The eastbound Holland Tunnel into NYC is on 12th Street in Jersey City, and it's a clogged arterial road with way too much traffic that's filled with ugly gas stations, fast food restaurants, and shady motels. Go three blocks south to 9th Street in Jersey City, and you'll find a beautiful residential neighborhood filled with 19th century brownstones surrounding the absolutely beautiful Hamilton Park. It'll take you maybe five minutes to walk those three blocks, but it's night and day different. Unless you're specifically visiting Jersey, most people will see the ugliness of 12th Street without seeing the beauty of 9th Street.

[u/superdad0206 → u/new_account_5009]

Grew up in NY, raised my family in NJ. My son is an Eagle Scout. NJ is an amazingly beautiful, diverse state. From the Delaware Water Gap in the northwest to Cape May and the shore. I’ve loved living here. My theory is the state maintains its terrible reputation to keep the New Yorkers out.

[u/tractiontiresadvised → u/new_account_5009]

A friend who grew up in Oregon went to NJ for the first time a while back. They were surprised to discover that the southern part of the state reminded them of the Willamette Valley (the portion of Oregon between Portland and Eugene that people were willing to risk traveling the Oregon Trail to settle), full of farms and green trees.

[u/recoil1776 → u/mglyptostroboides]

Just dropping my Google street view guy anywhere in Kansas like 20 times just now, every single time is more hilly than basically anywhere you could possibly look at in Florida.

It’s not even close, Kansas looks like the Rocky Mountains compared to Florida.

[u/onion_wrongs → u/recoil1776]

Dawg, as a native Kansan, driving through the top third of Florida felt like driving through the parking lot of an abandoned mall covered with Mad Max levels of tire shrapnel.

I don't live there anymore, but Kansas is rural but beautiful in most parts.

[u/mdherc → u/recoil1776]

Florida is the flattest state, but driving through central Illinois definitely feels like what people think Kansas is. You have to get right down to the Kentucky border in that state before you see a goddamn hill.

[u/Blowsephine → u/mglyptostroboides]

Bro out here defending his state like a dissertation. I got respect for it, I wanna visit Kansas now

[u/mglyptostroboides → u/Blowsephine]

I will die on this hill.

And yes, there are hills here in the Sunflower State. I promise you we have hills, trees and civilization.

[u/Entraprenuerrrrr → u/mglyptostroboides]

I truely appreciate your passion for kansas's non-flatness. but as a washingtonian, I cant comprehend how kansas isnt flat.

[u/N0_Swear → u/Entraprenuerrrrr]

As a native Kansan living in Florida, Florida takes the cake for "flattest state"

[u/Big_Muffin42 → u/N0_Swear]

My friends in Florida used to do hill sprints on highway overpasses as that was the most elevation they could find

[u/FiveFootOfFresh → u/Big_Muffin42]

The highest points in S. Florida that aren’t buildings are garbage dumps. There’s a real beauty around Ft. Pierce. You can smell that fucker from miles away.

[u/trombones_for_legs → u/mglyptostroboides]

Those albums make Kansas look European, you could almost mistake the first album for UK or Ireland, and the second looks kinda like central/northern Spain.

I’m not from the US and always just assumed it was just cornfields, but it really does look beautiful!

[u/Eubank31 → u/trombones_for_legs]

The interesting thing about US geography is that Kansas doesn’t even do that much corn! Kansas is famous for their wheat. Nebraska and Iowa are known for corn, and (where I live) Missouri does a lot of feed corn and soy beans

[u/trombones_for_legs → u/Eubank31]

Interesting, that’s something I’ll remember playing geoguessr now

[u/ZombieCheGuevara → u/Eubank31]

Kansans: "Okay, so we'll name this state 'Kansas' and we'll give it the nickname 'The Wheat State'"

Outsiders: "I bet they grow a lot of corn there."

[u/mglyptostroboides → u/trombones_for_legs]

The first images are from the Flint Hills, where I live. I like to think of them like The Shire from Lord of the Rings. In spring, it's very Middle-Earth-y when everything's green. Sublime.

[u/sintrastes → u/mglyptostroboides]

Honestly, I really enjoy the first part of this drive through the eastern part of the state. You come up on a big hill and you can just see everything around for miles. It's kind of a surreal experience. It feels like you're out on the ocean.

But yeah, once you get to the west where it's completely flat, things get boring real quick.

[u/MandoBaggins → u/mglyptostroboides]

I can definitely see where a lot of RDR2 scenery came from in those images. Looks gorgeous

[u/Several-Ad-68]

Lincoln to Cheyenne is basically the same just I 80 instead of 70.

[u/laguna_redneck → u/Several-Ad-68]

Did this drive a month ago and had to resist the temptation to run myself into a telephone pole lol

[u/Several-Ad-68 → u/laguna_redneck]

Understandable.

[u/TittyTwistahh]

San Antonio to El Paso. West Bumblefuck Texas

[u/satans_toast → u/TittyTwistahh]

Was gonna say Dallas to El Paso. Praying for death by the end.

[u/RevolutionEasy714 → u/satans_toast]

I’ve done this twice driving to San Diego from Dallas. The awfulness is really noticeable in stark contrast to how pleasant the second half from El Paso to San Diego is. I hope to never do it again

[u/ReplacementActual384 → u/RevolutionEasy714]

I think the key point is that it really is half the trip. Any drive across Texas is just so insanely long, with almost no public rest stops and just miles of nothing interspersed with speed traps.

[u/communityneedle → u/satans_toast]

Can confirm, Dallas to El Paso is far worse than SA to EP.

[u/Shadowslipping → u/satans_toast]

Dallas to El Paso on I10 starts with something to Abiline continues with nothing, and ends with nothing. At least San Antonio route takes you through a lot of striking hill country with some fantastic state parks out to Sonora. Then the trip is pretty much the same.

[u/ixnayonthetimma → u/TittyTwistahh]

Ever make that drive at night? When approaching that truckstop just east of Van Horn. The red sign is like a beacon of Gondor for miles around.

[u/Ihac182 → u/ixnayonthetimma]

The only thing I remember is 1 o clock in the morning about 2 or 3 years ago a little past halfway through Texas westbound on 20, my wife and baby in the car and all of a sudden it’s just rumble strip for what felt like the rest of eternity. It actually went on for more than an hour I swear it had to. The sound of the entire road being one big rumble strip no matter where you drove in the road, with an unbelievably angry wife powered even more by the VERY upset baby. Sauron himself would not dare traverse that hell.

[u/WishboneDistinct9618 → u/ixnayonthetimma]

Wait bro, did you just say Gondor calls for aid???

[u/Ody_Odinsson → u/WishboneDistinct9618]

And Rohan will answer!

RIP Bernard

[u/svaldbardseedvault → u/TittyTwistahh]

I did this drive every single summer of my childhood in a ford Aerostar without AC. The only saving grace of that whole stretch is Balmorhea.

[u/Gloomy-Routine-1040 → u/TittyTwistahh]

I love that drive 😭

[u/spartikle → u/TittyTwistahh]

Far from the worst. I did that drive regularly. West Texas has mountains, hills, and such. That's much better than the Great Plains or the South East.

[u/fdlowe]

I’m from Scotland and these things always blow my mind. I could practically drive the entire length of the uk in that time

[u/Norva → u/fdlowe]

In Britain, 100 miles is a long way.

In America, a 100 years is a long time.

[u/[deleted] → u/Norva]

I like that!

[u/fujiian_ → u/fdlowe]

I’m semi-normal conditions, you could burn through an entire gas tank without breaking cruise control.

[u/americanslang59]

I used to tour manage bands and have done basically any drive in the US that you can think of.

OP's is a good one but I think El Paso to San Antonio/Austin takes it for me, personally.

[u/SeattleThot → u/americanslang59]

Ya I’ve done that San Antonio stretch before too. After Fort Stockton there’s literally nothing lol

[u/Dennis_4k]

My god, USA is crazy huge.

[u/Competitive-Ad1437 → u/Dennis_4k]

I can drive for 5 straight hours without leaving my state 😂 (Pennsylvania)

[u/palebd → u/Competitive-Ad1437]

12 hours across Texas.

[u/TheHistorian2 → u/palebd]

Entering TX from the east on I-10, I recall one of the first signs I saw said El Paso 847 miles.

I cried.

My tears immediately evaporated from the heat.

[u/goteed → u/palebd]

Drove from Austin Texas to San Diego California once. You know where the half way point it? STILL FUCKING TEXAS!!! El Paso to be exact.

[u/srsimpson]

Atlanta to Savannah. Snore...

[u/peachy921 → u/srsimpson]

I-16 is boring, that’s for sure. After driving in New Brunswick between Maine and Nova Scotia, I have embraced 16.

[u/jsu9575m → u/srsimpson]

Also Atlanta to Augusta. Atlanta to Birmingham. I'd honestly take the flat plains over infinite pine trees on both sides.

[u/Schwesterfritte]

It always amazes me how fricking far it is from city to city in the US. Almost a 10h drive?! That will put me through multiple countries in the EU... And they are by no means small countries.

[u/ubeor → u/Schwesterfritte]

Think of the US as a continent, not a country.

For Americans in the northeast (think New York, Boston, etc.), a trip to Mexico would be longer than a trip to Cairo would be for Brits.

[u/CotswoldP]

Chicago to St Lois is pretty horrific

[u/UnderstandingOdd679 → u/CotswoldP]

I agree it is not great, but a little shorter than the 70 stretch from Fort Riley KS to Denver that is the most boring part of that drive.

I’d actually throw in Chicago to Memphis via 57 and 55. I-57 is underrated in the boredom category, then you throw in the flat stretch of the SE Missouri and NE Arkansas.

[u/JessePinkman-chan → u/UnderstandingOdd679]

Underrated in the boredom category is such a fucking hilarious accolade to have. So completely uneventfully boring that they forgot to include it in the Boringest Shit Ever Competition.

[u/velociraptorfarmer → u/UnderstandingOdd679]

Central Illinois takes the cake for horrible drives, no matter which one you're on.

I-72, I-39, I-55, I-57, they're all miserable.

Everyone shits on Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas for being flat, Illinois is infinitely flatter than any of them.

[u/mdherc → u/velociraptorfarmer]

If you asked people what Iowa, Nebraska, or Kansas look like 99 percent of them are going to describe central Illinois to you. The very southern edge Illinois might look like Pennsylvania or West Virginia, but the rest of the state is exactly what people picture when they think about Kansas.

[u/ScottShatter]

I've seen crazy weather on this route you mentioned. I was scared for my life in a hail and wind storm.

Having that said somewhere in Texas felt like a more boring route.

[u/WishboneDistinct9618]

My mother always said driving across Texas, especially West Texas, was boring AF. She said you drive for hundreds of miles, and everything looks like the same damn thing, as if you hadn't gone anywhere.

[u/Potential_Estate6207]

There was one cool aspect of this drive. There was a law that was changed earlier this year in Kansas that required all wind turbines (which can be common in western KS) to have a red lights on the top of each one that flashed every 3 seconds. If you drove through a certain part of I-70(around Hays, I think) at night, you would come up to hundreds of red lights in the sky flashing in unison. If you didn't know they were there before they could trip you up a bit haha.

The law was changed earlier this year and I don't think they have the lights on anymore.

[u/TrueBrees9]

Hard to top that one but ill try. Off the top of my head Dallas to Little Rock absolutely sucks

[u/JExmoor → u/TrueBrees9]

I got so bored on a portion of that route that I decided to see how long I could go steering with only my knees. I think I made it 100 miles.

[u/palebd → u/TrueBrees9]

Hills and truck traffic. But it's kinda pretty. As a professional driver, Memphis to Dallas is on of my most hated routes purely because of the bad roads and traffic. Same thing with i95 through South Carolina.

[u/Zornock]

I actually enjoy this drive. The vastness of the Great Plains is hard to wrap your head around. It’s mystical in a way only the ocean can match. Also, I like to think about all the prehistoric creatures that would be swimming around me when the area was a great inland sea!

[u/B_R_U_H]

Jacksonville to about Mobile Alabama on I-10 is fucking brutal

[u/The_Saddest_Boner]

A lot of confusion about what constitutes a “major American city” in these replies…

[u/Golf-Beer-BBQ → u/The_Saddest_Boner]

Would you say Albuquerque is a major city because I would argue KC to ABQ is a worse drive.

You go through Amarillo and thats about it besides the slaughter plant you drive by that smells like nothing you ever want to smell.

[u/velociraptorfarmer → u/Golf-Beer-BBQ]

I just did KC to ABQ, and we didn't even go through Amarillo. Only major city we hit was Wichita, and then it was absolutely nothing 2 lane roads until we hit I-40 in Tucumcari.

[u/borealis365]

Has no one here driven Tok to Fairbanks? 200 miles of straight nothing. Fort St. John to Fort Nelson on the Alaska highway is very boring too with tons of semis driving the route and keeping you on your toes. #nortbernhighways

[u/a116jxb]

Interstate 85 between Durham NC and Richmond VA is completely fenced by enormous pine forests on both sides. It's like driving thru a giant trench. No curves and no scenery to speak of.

[u/RobotTiddyMilk]

I will throw a ringer - Los Angeles to Sacramento. The 5 through the valley in California is fuckin gross and boring.

[u/bouncemom → u/RobotTiddyMilk]

I just did this drive today, except all the way up to southern Oregon. Mt Shasta was a sight for sore eyes

[u/valledweller33 → u/bouncemom]

Getting past Redding is a breath of fresh air

[u/StoicFable → u/valledweller33]

Well, not this time of year with all the smoke.

[u/Successful_Injury869 → u/RobotTiddyMilk]

Naw, you see mountains on that drive at least.

[u/bus_buddies → u/Successful_Injury869]

Yeah as a Californian, these commenters live in a bubble. I'll take i-5 any day over most drives across the Midwest.

[u/Successful_Injury869 → u/bus_buddies]

I feel like the people who are picking the 5 if it’s the most boring drive they’ve done and they haven’t been to the vast expanse of the Great Plains.

[u/All-696969 → u/RobotTiddyMilk]

It’s brutal no one should be forced to see Fresno. But the drives across the endless planes just make you snap in a way California can’t replicate

[u/seaotter1978 → u/All-696969]

You only see Fresno if you take 99, which has more cities, but is less direct.

[u/FiveFootOfFresh]

San Antonio to El Paso sucks pretty bad

[u/Hopeful_Extension_49]

I made that drive once in the summer and I remembered eastern Kansas being pretty in sort of a "Dances with Wolves" kind of way. Rolling hills and streams etc. It looked like the old Sioux Indian territory you always see in movies. But I agree Colorado east of Denver is fairly flat and ugly

[u/Adon1kam]

I know this says American, but I raise you Adelaide to Perth in Australia. 2696km's (1675 miles) relatively in a straight line. And I can not express this enough, there is literally fuck all inbetween.

[u/theboyqueen]

I got a ticket for going 110 through this by the largest cop I've ever seen. He could have easily arrested me, but I was pretty obviously just passing through (as quickly as I could). He seemed to have some sympathy.

[u/spartikle]

Florida sucks. It's flat, the highways are lined with trees, and it's and a bitch to get out of.

[u/LikeToSpin2000]

I always found something about the rolling plains of Kansas to be really soothing. Also we got to be part of the out skirt of a tornado which was actually really pretty to look at, before it got scary 😅. The Nebraska drive was more boring

[u/bflakes4986]

I've done that exact drive a couple times, my deal with my friend was I would do the long stretches if he did the city driving in Denver. I found it fun as long as I had something I was engaged with music wise and if not we just did a lot of life talking. Looking forward to the next one

[u/Mike420666]

All of Nebraska

[u/Economy-Bid-7005]

For me it's traveling to the Florida Georgia line from south Carolina VIA I-95.

Your gonna find a whole lotta nothing ALL the way down the coast from SC to the GA-FL Stateline.

8 hours of nothing but a flat interstate with trees lining both sides of the road. Hardly any exits or anything to see in the distance it's a brutal drive.

Oh did I mention Traffic Jams on I-95 are also pretty common ? The ones where traffic is stopped on the interstate your just sitting there in the baking sun for 30 minutes waiting to move a few feet before u stop again for ANOTHER period of time. Stop-go-Stop-Go Making the drive to the State line longer than 8 hours.

Yeah I hate I-95...

[u/misomochi]

Not the worst but I-5 from NorCal to SoCal is hella boring

[u/theboyqueen → u/misomochi]

At least there's In n Outs. I-70 through Kansas there's absolutely nothing.

[u/HNP4PH → u/theboyqueen]

Good Indian food places too.

[u/theboyqueen → u/HNP4PH]

Yeah all the truck stops and gas stations are stealth Punjabi dhabas, and they're amazing.

I-70 has something similar in that all the motels along the way are run by Gujurati families, but they don't feed you so Cali for the win.

[u/[deleted]]

oh man I've made that drive once

yes it sure is fields

[u/Perfect-Resort2778]

The reason there is nothing in Kansas is because you are on the interstate highway. You don't have to drive the Interstate. There are plenty of roads that run along I-70 that you can drive and hit all the little towns that span the state. You will also discover that Kansas isn't all that flat.

I rather enjoy that drive from KC to Denver. It's an easy drive. Just kick back, set the cruse and listen to some tunes. It's much better than KC to Dallas-Ft. Worth, or KC to Memphis or KC to Minneapolis or KC to Indianapolis, each are about 8 hour drives.

As for the worse, I would say Salt Lake City to Sacramento on I-80 is the worse. I haven't driven much in the upper Northwest so there might be worse but that drive is a killer to me. I loathe driving I-80.

My point is, you are driving an interstate highway. It's suppose to be flat and nothing.

[u/Ilikehowtovideos → u/Perfect-Resort2778]

It’ll also take 16x as long to get through the state taking local roads

[u/uproareast → u/Perfect-Resort2778]

I wrote this same thing in a post a few weeks ago. I drove from Little Rock to Yosemite a few years back and did not take the freeway at all when in Kansas. It was late in the day into sunset into night and I thought it was gorgeous and so serene. I love some of the photos I took through there. But that was the whole point of my trip, to take the interstate as little as necessary and enjoy the drive rather than be dead set on getting to my destination as fast as possible.

[u/avian-actuary-8]

Re KC to Denver, in the early 2000’s Kansas changed their tourism slogan to “Kansas: as big as you think”. The KC Star promptly lampooned this as “Kansas: as long a drive to Denver as you think”

[u/new22003]

Your example wins. I have taken many USA road trips and visited 42 states (I'm not American) and when I left Denver heading to Kansas City I remember my GPS said something crazy like "turn right in 800 km." Holy hell there is nothing, and I mean nothing on that drive. Flat, when you see a tree you take notice, and the few restaurants along there are terrible.I went back through Oklahoma and that was pretty boring but at least there is a lot of fun Route 66 stuff.

[u/Effective-Luck-4524]

Oh that drive is brutal. Absolutely nothing on the route. But to be fair, a lot of I70 is boring. The St Louis to Columbus stretch all looks the same with corn fields.

[u/CALJUMAI]

Just made this drive 4 times in 30 days. (There and back, there and back). I don’t know if I’m just weird but it’s not an awful drive. You can zone out so hard, barely deal with cars, and can focus on those murder podcasts with no distractions.

[u/[deleted]]

Heyyyyy, I love the Open plains.