Baltimore, MD to Moab Utah- Fastest Route????

[sharveycraft]

We are planning to drive to Moab, Utah from Baltimore, MD next Month. We are just looking to make the best time and plan to drive 10-12 hr days between the two of us. The goal is to get there by afternoon of 5/22. Is I-80 or I-70 faster?

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

It's only a 30 mile difference between the I-80 and I-70, over a trip that is 2000 miles. That's really such a small percentage that they are basically the same. A difference in when you go through a city and traffic, a construction project, and accident, etc are enough for one or the other to be "faster" on any given day.

Having said that, I'd lean towards I-70. You'd mostly avoid tolls, where I-80 is has tolls basically all the way to Chicago. It also avoids the frequent traffic of the Chicago areas, although you would have the potential to be slowed down in Indy, St.L, or KC.

If it is a round trip, I'd use one route one direction, and the other for the trip home.

In any case, you'll need to plan for this trip to take at least 3.5 days.

[glc]

You can avoid virtually all tolls by taking I-70 to I-68 to I-79 back to I-70.

Take the southern bypasses around Columbus and Indy. Take the north bypass around St. Louis. Kansas City is a tougher call - I'd ordinarily say just go straight through on I-70 but it's torn up. Take I-470 south to I-435. Your only toll road will be the short stretch of I-70 between KC and Topeka. Take I-70 straight through Denver.

Get an early start and plan on overnights around Indy, KC, and Denver. Try to stay on the west side of each city so you won't be fighting rush hour traffic on the way out in the morning.

I'd recommend you take UT-128 into Moab instead of going all the way to US-191. It's a shortcut of sorts and is very scenic.

[sharveycraft]

Great! Thanks for the input!

[sharveycraft]

Thanks for the info! We do take UT-128. What a great drive and introduction to the area!