Traveling across the US is rarely ever dubbed as quick. After all, the country is around 2800 miles wide from the east to the west coast and would take you, on average, five days to travel by road. However, once you accept the country’s sheer size, you can begin to search for the best and the quickest routes possible and the quickest modes of transportation. You’ll likely want to take many things into account, such as the urgency of your trip and whether you intend to make the most of the journey by taking in some of the amazing sights along the way. Traveling to the wonderful city of Seattle on the west coast from the mid-western states, for example, requires a significant amount of time. To help you with this journey, we’ve listed some of the possible options to help you get there as quickly as possible via your preferred mode of transportation.
How Far Is Seattle From The Mid West?
As the crow flies, or in fact, the plane, the distance from Detroit to Seattle is around 2000 miles. From a city like Chicago, you’re looking at about 1700 to 1800 miles. Yet from the border of North Dakota and Montana, for example, you can knock off about 100 miles. However, you’re still looking at a 16-hour drive with no stops. The point is that the Mid West is a huge area, and the time it takes to travel from this area will vary greatly depending on the state you’re traveling from. We will attempt to give a number of different examples of routes and options for this journey to cover a number of different areas around the Mid-West. You can then tailor this advice to your own journey, joining car routes or transferring to specific airports and train stations from your current location.
Moving To Seattle
If you’re actually planning to move to Seattle rather than simply visit, you’ll have to take a number of other things into account during this time too. When hauling your furniture and your otherworldly possessions, you’re going to have to take into account the extra time this will add to your journey. And, over such a long distance, this can be very significant. For example, many states have a speed limit of just 55mph when towing a trailer. This could add roughly 50% to your travel time. Let’s say you drive to Seattle from Chicago at an average of 65mph. This would take you around 32 hours, give or take. Once you cut your speed by 10 to a 55mph average, it’s then going to roughly take you about 38 hours instead.
Hauling Your Own Possessions
If you do choose to haul your own possessions, there are still ways in which you can ensure that you take the quickest route possible. The best way to do this is to first make a plan. Remember that you’re going to have to stop to rest a few times during this time. Nobody should try to power through a journey like this with the aid of caffeine and loud music, for example, as it’s just dangerous to you and those around you. As part of your plan, you’ll want to choose some waypoints to stop off at. Your best bet to reduce your travel time is to choose some of the clearest, straightforward routes possible, some of which we’ll go into detail below. But at the same time, those routes will also need to provide access to some great rest stops for you to refuel both your vehicle and your own energy levels.
Hiring A Removal Company
To reduce your travel time when moving home, it may be worth hiring a removal company to handle the transportation of your possessions for you. Depending on what you prefer, you can then set off later or arrive earlier, but ultimately cut down the amount of time you must spend on the road. Alternatively, you could instead take the train or even book a much quicker flight. Taking one of these forms of transportation not only removes the stress of driving a vehicle for so long, but flying also gets you to your destination far quicker than driving. There are, of course, certain downsides such as the restrictions you may find on a flight such as the number of things you can bring with you, the inability to have your family pets with you, and also the risk of delays, but ultimately, this is going to be the quickest option.
Choosing A Flight
When deciding on a flight, there are a few things you’ll need to consider. First of all, price is an important factor for most people, and sometimes the quickest flights are going to cost the most. When flying from somewhere such as Chicago, you’re looking at a four-and-a-half-hour flight, no matter what. This is by far the fastest mode of transportation when traveling long distances around the USA, whether it’s from Raleigh to Sacramento or a shorter flight to a nearby state such as these flights from California to Seattle. Remember that to maximize your efficiency when traveling via plane; you’ll want to make sure you get to the airport at the optimal time so that you’ve both not rushing or waiting around for hours. It’s recommended to get to the airport between two to three hours before boarding.
Car Route 1: Heading North on the I-94
The first option we have via car is to take the higher road of the three: Interstate 94. This highway will take you up through Wisconsin and Minnesota and west through North Dakota, Montana, northern Idaho, and then into Washington. Without stopping, this would take you roughly 30 hours and is probably one of the quickest car routes you’ll be able to find if you’re traveling from the Northern states of the Mid-West. Don’t forget to take some breaks along the way, of course, and it may be worth taking some time to enjoy the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This route features a huge variety of landscapes, from dusty, arid deserts to luscious verdant forests, which keeps things very interesting.
Car Route 2: Straight Down The Middle Via The I-90
This route cuts right through the US, making a much more direct path to your destination. While it does head up into Wisconsin, the route instead diverts through South Dakota instead of North Dakota before reconnecting with the I-94 near the city of Billings in Montana. The difference with this choice of route is not so much time but more what you’ll be able to see along the way. You’ll be able to check out the famous Mount Rushmore in South Dakota as well as a few other national parks such as Badlands and Custer before you then get to enjoy the roads winding through the mountains like those on the previous route.
Car Route 3: South Through Salt Lake City On The I-80
When it comes to getting to Seattle quickly, this route might not be the best option for those traveling from Chicago. This would add a couple of hours to your journey; however, for the southern states in the Midwest, such as Nebraska or Kansas, this route will only take about 23 hours. However, choosing the I-80 will allow you to stop off in the iconic Salt Lake City of Utah as you head west through Wyoming. Then from Salt Lake City, you’ll head up through Idaho and Oregon and into Washington. There are plenty of fun and quirky places to visit along the way, so if you want to do some sightseeing, this might be the route for you.
