Interstate 80: route guide

I-80 runs west–east across the United States, from its junction with U.S. 101 in San Francisco to its junction with I-95 in Teaneck, New Jersey. West of Cheyenne it is signed as the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The route crosses eleven states and links San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Reno, Salt Lake City, Cheyenne, Lincoln, Omaha, Des Moines, Chicago, Toledo and the Newark/New York City area.

It intersects most major north–south interstates, including I-5, I-15, I-25, I-35, I-55, I-75, I-90 and I-95, so you can join or leave the corridor almost anywhere. To continue east past Teaneck, follow I-95 over the George Washington Bridge into Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

Two stretches are notably straight and empty: 75 miles between Grand Island and Lincoln in Nebraska, and 44 miles across the Utah Salt Flats. Plan fuel and food before each.

West of the Rockies the drive is the point: San Francisco Bay, the Sierra Nevada climb past Donner Pass, then the Nevada desert into Reno. Salt Lake City is the natural overnight before the long, high, windy run across Wyoming to Cheyenne. From there the plains flatten out through Nebraska and Iowa — Lincoln, Omaha and Des Moines are the main stops — before Chicago, where traffic and tolls begin in earnest.

East of Chicago the corridor turns industrial: Toledo, Cleveland, the Pennsylvania mountains, then the approach to Newark and New York. This last third is the least scenic and the most congested, so treat it as transport rather than a road trip.

If you have only a few days, choose one region: the California–Nevada crossing, the Utah–Wyoming high desert, or the Chicago–New York run. Mixing all three in one trip means you see little beyond the windshield.

May to October is the practical window. The Sierra Nevada around Donner Pass and the high sections in Wyoming get severe winter weather, and parts of I-80 there see some of the coldest conditions in the US. If you drive in winter, carry chains and antifreeze, and make sure the battery can start in freezing temperatures.

Summer brings heat in Nevada and Utah rather than cold, plus holiday traffic around Chicago and the Northeast. Spring and autumn give the mildest conditions overall, but watch for wind on the Wyoming plains at any time of year.

Check state transport department road conditions before crossing the Sierra or Wyoming in winter; closures and chain controls are common and change by the day.

The corridor is built for car travel, so most accommodation sits right off the exits: chain motels and hotels in Reno, Salt Lake City, Cheyenne, Lincoln, Omaha, Des Moines, Chicago, Toledo and Cleveland. Book ahead in Chicago and the New York end, where prices and demand are highest.

In the empty stretches — Nevada, the Utah desert, western Wyoming and western Nebraska — plan your overnight before you set out, because exits with services can be 50–100 miles apart. Small towns along the route often have one or two motels and fill up in summer.

Camping is possible in national forest and public land areas, but not at interstate exits. If you camp, carry water and check fire restrictions.

This is a long-distance drive across desert, mountains and plains, so prepare for the worst section rather than the average one. Never head far into the desert without reserve water and fuel: allow about a gallon of water per person per day in an emergency, plus sunscreen and a first aid kit.

Cell service is spotty or absent in rural Utah and other remote areas. Carry an alternative means of communication — satellite messenger, CB radio, amateur radio, or signalling equipment — if you plan to leave the main corridor.

Snakes and scorpions are common in rural Utah, so watch where you step when walking, camping or using roadside facilities. In winter, add chains, antifreeze and a cold-weather battery check. Tolls apply in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey; check current rates and payment methods before you go.