Seattle to Las Vegas (Urbanacuraboy's Thread)

[Mark Sedenquist]

Editor: A technical snafu resulted in the loss of this thread -- it has been re-entered manually.

I'm new to this site and would like to start by saying hi! my situation is i'm planning a road trip from Seattle to las vegas june 30-july 6 and want to know the fastest way. i'm not into the senery or anything like that i just want to get there this time around, i have taking the trip before goin i-5 to i-15 and it took me 24hours non stop this time i was thinking of goin i-90 to i-84 because on all driving direction sites it is telling me this is the fastest (i personaly don't see how but...) the more i look at maps though i'm starting to find all sorts of little back roads like i-84 to great basin hwy to route 6 then on to route 318 but i'm not sure if it is really faster it looks like so but i just don't know. if anyone could help me that would be great.

[Mark Sedenquist]

This message was originally posted by Moderator Bob

Hi yourself -- and welcome to the Forum! Here's how I'd do it, and I'd be willing to BET I could make it in 16 hours and 7 minutes. This is if you are a DRIVER and have discipline to stick to a plan. I don't have access to road construction information right at the moment, but in the absence of any (fat chance, I know):

Take the direct Interstate route to Twin Falls, Idaho. From there, take US93 south to the Nevada SR318 short cut, then back onto US93 south of Hiko. Follow that to I-15 and into Las Vegas. My choice of the route is based on directness, the speed of the interstate, and the fact that you can also still make great time on the federal highways in Nevada as there are few towns and they are typically wide open roadways.

You do not need to speed wildly to make this schedule. I figured 4 gas stops, 10 minutes each over the total 1,127 miles. Also, I've figured in time for having to slow down through the Nevada towns along US93 and SR318. Eating you'll have to do at the gas stops -- grab a cold sandwich you can wolf down while you fill the tank. Or save your eating for the buffet lines in Las Vegas! There you go. Be smart about it and don't endanger others. If you get fatigued, give up the schedule and get some sleep. There's no winning if you're injured or dead.

But I think I could do this...

Highway Bob

[Mark Sedenquist]

This message was orginally posted by Judy

I've made that run a few times. Figure about 12 hours (with minimal, very quick gas breaks and, basically eating on the run) from Seattle to Reno. Figure 9 hours at the same breakneck pace from Reno to Las Vegas.

It's about 1200 miles, by the way.

So, you can do it in 2 days with minimal stops. Or, if you want to stop and smell the roses, you should plan for 3 days. A good itinerary for a 3-day trip would be

* Seattle to Medford/Ashland (7 hours driving). Allowing a bit of time for a few stops along the way, if you're interested. Like a stop at the Oregon Vortex in the Gold Hill area, for example. Or, if you leave early in the morning, you would have time to stop at the Oregon Caves right before Medford. However, this would add about 2 hours to your drive for the day as it's almost an hour off the freeway to the Oregon Caves. They're worth it though. Kinda like a mini-Carlsbad Caverns.

* Medford/Ashland to Reno (5 hours driving) but allowing a full day will give you ample time to explore some of the neat little towns along the way and all the scenic viewpoints. There are tons of 'em here. Beautiful country.

* Reno to Las Vegas (9 hours driving)...there isn't tons to see along here although Tonopah is a neat little town. And Area 51 is a worthy detour if you get an early start and allow yourself enough time.

Now, if you really want to go the fastest way, you'd take I-90 to Ellensburg, I-82 to Oregon where it merges with I-84, then on through Bosie to Utah, taking I-15 through SLC all the way into Vegas. While it's actually almost 50 miles longer this way, you are on highways the entire time vs. going through the Shasta wilderness which slows you down quite a bit. So you can make this drive in about 19 hours of driving vs. the 21 hours the other route takes.

Remember, these times refer just to driving time. Add accordingly for stops no matter which route you take.

Hope this helps!

[urbanacuraboy]

Thank you for your help! If anyones got any other ideas don't be shy.....

[Mark Sedenquist]

Thank you for your help! If anyones got any other ideas don't be shy.....

Have you thought any more about extending this trip into a longer period? Or is this still going to be a speed run?

Mark

[urbanacuraboy]

I wouldn't say it's a speed trip but the misses would like to be in las vegas as long as possable this trip so I though I would try my hardest.