Cost to drive between US cities
Real road distances and live US gas prices for 73 popular routes. See what any American road trip costs in a petrol, diesel or electric car — then price it for your exact car with the planner.
All 73 routes, cheapest first
Petrol, one way, in a typical car at 30 MPG and this week's official averages (2026-08-31). Together these routes cover 41,366 km of road.
Two places, your car, stops along the way.
What your exact car costs per mile and per year.
See road-trip costs across European countries.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to drive across the United States?
The longest route here, New York City to Los Angeles, needs about $404 of petrol one way in a typical car — 2,799 mi. The shortest, San Francisco to San Jose, costs about $9. Every route on this page is priced against this week's official average pump prices.
What does fuel cost per mile?
Across the 73 routes here, a typical petrol car burns about $0.149 of fuel per mile at current prices. Multiply that by your own distance for a quick estimate, or open a route for diesel and electric figures and the cost in your kind of car.
Are these real driving distances?
Yes — road distances and driving times come from OpenStreetMap routing, not straight lines between city centres. They assume no traffic and no stops, so real journeys take longer; the fuel figure does not change with traffic in the way the clock does.
Do the costs include tolls, parking or wear?
No. These are fuel and charging costs only, which is the part that moves week to week with pump prices. Tolls, parking, tyres and depreciation are real but they depend on your car and your route choices, not on the price of a litre.
