Pittsburgh to Seattle - 3 days?

[Movinoutwest]

Hi everyone - this is a great forum and I'm definitely in need of some advice for my first road trip.

My father, husband, and I are planning to drive from Pittsburgh to Seattle at the end of August and we're hoping to make the trip in 3 days. My father is a mega-driver (has done 14 hours a day before, and can comfortable do 10 hours), my husband's max is 6 hours a day, and I only plan to drive 2 hours a day or so as needed. We don't want to drive much after dark, however. We need to get there quickly, so we only plan to stop and see Mt. Rushmore. Other than that, we'll just be stopping for bathroom breaks/gas/etc (unfortunately!)

My questions are:

1.) Is this trip doable in 3 days? If not, how long would you estimate that it will take?
2.) We plan to take the route suggested by googlemaps ( I-80 / I-90). Do you have any other suggestions (especially ones that will get us there more quickly)?

Thank you!

[Mark Sedenquist]

Hi everyone - this is a great forum and I'm definitely in need of some advice for my first road trip.

Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum!

My father, husband, and I are planning to drive from Pittsburgh to Seattle at the end of August and we're hoping to make the trip in 3 days.

As you probably know, by the shortest possible distance this is about 2600 miles. It will take you about 15 hours of travel each day to cover this distance. This includes stops for fuel, restrooms, stretches, food and traffic slow-downs. I am not sure you really have time to stop and see Mt. Rushmore...

The route you specified is the fastest possible one at this point.

Mark

[Midwest Michael]

One possible "shortcut" would be to take I-80 all the way to western Iowa and take I-29 north, rejoining I-90 again in Sioux Falls. You could possibly avoid some of the Chicago traffic and Illinois tolls. It wouldn't be a major savings, but if you'd rather travel through Iowa instead of Wisconsin and Minnesota, it is an option.

Regardless of which route you use, I would agree with Mark, you'll have to make some serious time to make this trip in 3 days, particularly if you want avoid driving at night. Making a stop at Mt. Rushmore might be just too much for this timetable.

[PNW Judy]

So I wrote the following tips. I think you should read The Art of the Speed Run to ensure you're doing this speed run safely. I think the tips will be a big help. And make sure you read Drive Safe with Uncle Bob. The link is in the speed run article (1st paragraph).

It can be done. It can even be fun. But you will probably all sleep for hours your first day in Seattle. Plan for extra sleep that day if you can. Just be safe, please!