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Best US Cities for a Road Trip Starting Point

You want to fly in, grab a rental car, and drive, not spend the trip in one city. You need a starting point with great routes fanning out in several directions, an easy airport, and a place to stock up before you hit the road.

The trade-off is epic mountain and coast drives versus how far and how expensive the base is to reach.

Trip type

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On a budget

On a budget? Nashville has cheap flights and opens Southern routes.

Short on time

Only a few days? San Francisco's Highway 1 is a day drive south.

Can't decide

Want routes everywhere? Denver reaches mountains in every direction.

For most road trippers, Denver is the best US starting point: fly in, rent a car, and the Rocky Mountains, I-70 ski towns, Rocky Mountain National Park and even Utah's parks are all within a day's drive.

San Francisco ranks second for the most iconic California drives, Highway 1 to Big Sur, wine country, Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. Portland launches the Oregon Coast, the Columbia River Gorge and Crater Lake.

Nashville starts the Natchez Trace and the Smokies, and Austin opens the Texas Hill Country and Big Bend. All five are domestic trips with no passport required. Plan to fly in, pick up a rental car, and put both the flights and the car on a points card.

Explore where you can go and for how much:

Where to go, ranked

1

Denver

Routes in every direction

9.3/ 10

A day's drive from the airport reaches a 14,000-foot pass, a ski town, a national park or the start of the road to Utah's red rock.

Best for

Road trippers who want the most options from one base: the Rockies, I-70 ski towns, Rocky Mountain National Park and Utah's parks, all within a day's drive.

Skip if

You want a coastal or flat-and-easy drive; Denver's routes are mountain roads, with high passes that can close in winter storms.

Budget:
$1,100-1,600 per person for 6 nights (incl. flights, rental car, lodging)
Flights:
From $110 round-trip from ORD or LAX (nonstop on Southwest or Frontier)
Flights to Denver →Compare side-by-side →Tours & tickets →
2

San Francisco

The iconic California drives

9.0/ 10

Highway 1 south to Big Sur, where the road clings to cliffs above the Pacific for 90 miles of the most famous drive in California.

Best for

Road trippers who want classic coastal and wine-country routes: Highway 1 to Big Sur, Napa and Sonoma, plus Yosemite and Lake Tahoe within a few hours.

Skip if

Your budget is tight; San Francisco airfare and California gas and lodging make it the priciest base of the five.

Budget:
$1,400-1,900 per person for 6 nights (incl. flights, rental car, lodging)
Flights:
From $150 round-trip from major hubs (nonstop on United or Alaska)
Flights to San Francisco →Things to do in San Francisco →Day-by-day itinerary →San Francisco travel guide →Compare side-by-side →Tours & tickets →
3

Portland

Coast, gorge and Crater Lake

8.6/ 10

A loop from the Columbia River Gorge waterfalls to Mount Hood and down the wild Oregon Coast, all on one tank-by-tank drive.

Best for

Road trippers who want Pacific Northwest variety: the Oregon Coast on Highway 101, the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood and Crater Lake, all loopable from one base.

Skip if

You're going in winter; Portland's best routes, the coast and the Cascades, are rainy and snow-blocked October through May.

Budget:
$1,100-1,500 per person for 6 nights (incl. flights, rental car, lodging)
Flights:
From $130 round-trip from major hubs (nonstop on Alaska or Southwest)
Flights to Portland →Tours & tickets →
4

Nashville

The Southern launch point

8.3/ 10

The Natchez Trace Parkway, 444 miles of no-billboard, no-truck two-lane road running from Nashville deep into the South.

Best for

Road trippers who want an affordable base for Southern routes: the Natchez Trace Parkway, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Music Highway to Memphis.

Skip if

You want mountains and coast; Nashville's drives are rolling Southern countryside and parkways, not big peaks or ocean.

Budget:
$800-1,200 per person for 5 nights (incl. flights, rental car, lodging)
Flights:
From $120 round-trip from major hubs (nonstop on Southwest or Delta)
Flights to Nashville →Things to do in Nashville →Day-by-day itinerary →Nashville travel guide →Compare side-by-side →Tours & tickets →
5

Austin

Hill Country and Big Bend

8.0/ 10

The Hill Country loop from Austin past wineries, Fredericksburg and spring-fed swimming holes, with San Antonio's missions an hour south.

Best for

Road trippers who want Texas routes: the Hill Country wineries and swimming holes, San Antonio's missions, and the long haul to Big Bend National Park.

Skip if

You don't want long drives between stops; Texas distances are huge, and Big Bend alone is a 6-hour drive from Austin.

Budget:
$850-1,250 per person for 5 nights (incl. flights, rental car, lodging)
Flights:
From $140 round-trip from major hubs (nonstop on Southwest or American)
Flights to Austin →Things to do in Austin →Compare side-by-side →Tours & tickets →
Plan your trip

Search flights & hotels to Denver

Search Denver

Side-by-side comparison

DestinationCost/person (5-6 nights, incl. flights)Signature routeBest monthsTerrainOne-way friendly?
Denver$1,100-1,600Rockies + I-70 to UtahJun-SepMountainsYes, to Salt Lake
San Francisco$1,400-1,900Highway 1 to Big SurMay-OctCoast + wineYes, to LA
Portland$1,100-1,500Coast, Gorge, Crater LakeJun-SepCoast + forestLoop
Nashville$800-1,200Natchez Trace, SmokiesApr-Jun, Sep-OctParkwaysYes, to Memphis
Austin$850-1,250Hill Country, Big BendMar-May, Oct-NovHill CountryLoop

The budget reality check

Under $1,250 per person (5 nights, incl. flights)

NashvilleAustin

Nashville and Austin have the cheapest flights and rentals, and their Southern and Texas routes keep gas and lodging affordable.

$1,100-1,600 per person (6 nights, incl. flights)

DenverPortland

Denver and Portland land mid-range; the cost swings on the rental car, gas for the long mountain miles and how much you camp.

$1,400 and up per person (6 nights, incl. flights)

San Francisco

San Francisco is the priciest base, with higher airfare and California gas and lodging, but the iconic drives justify it.

When to book

Reserve the rental car as early as the flights, since peak-season cars sell out in Denver and San Francisco and one-way drop-off fees are easier to lock in early.

Match the trip to the season: June-September for Denver, Portland and the mountain routes, spring or fall for Nashville and Austin before the Southern summer heat.

Ready to go? Find flights:

What to know before you book

Book the rental car with the flights

The car is the whole trip, and peak-season rentals sell out in Denver and San Francisco. Reserve it the day you book flights, compare one-way drop-off fees, and put it on a card with rental coverage.

Decide loop versus one-way early

Denver to Salt Lake, San Francisco to LA and Nashville to Memphis are great one-way drives, but one-way rentals cost more. If the budget is tight, plan a loop back to the start city instead.

Get a national-park pass

Western road trips hit several parks: an annual America the Beautiful pass covers entry to all of them for about the cost of three single visits, paying for itself fast on a Denver or San Francisco route.

Put flights and the car on a points card

Book both on a card like the Chase Sapphire or Capital One Venture. Flights plus a week's rental can run $700-1,200, earning 2,100-4,800 points toward the next road trip.

Mubboo Verdict

Our pick: Denver

Denver is the best all-around road-trip base, with the Rockies, I-70 ski towns, a national park and the road to Utah's parks all within a day's drive of the airport.

But if you want the iconic California coast, start in San Francisco; for an affordable Southern trip, start in Nashville.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best US city to start a road trip?

Denver. Fly in, rent a car, and the Rocky Mountains, I-70 ski towns, Rocky Mountain National Park and Utah's national parks are all within a day's drive. San Francisco is the close second for the most iconic California coastal and wine-country drives.

Which starting point has the most iconic drives?

San Francisco. Highway 1 south to Big Sur and Monterey, the wine country of Napa and Sonoma an hour north, plus Yosemite and Lake Tahoe within a few hours, make it the best launch point for classic California road trips.

Which road-trip base is the cheapest?

Nashville and Austin. Both have cheap flights, affordable downtowns and low rental rates, and they open Southern and Texas routes. A road trip launched from either runs under $1,100 per person including flights, a rental car and lodging.

How long should a road trip from these cities be?

Five to seven days. That's enough to fly in, do a loop or a one-way drive, and fly home. Denver, San Francisco and Portland reward a week given the distances; Nashville and Austin work for a tighter five-day Southern or Hill Country loop.

Do I need to rent a car?

Yes, that's the point. Fly into the city and pick up a rental for the drive. Book it early, since peak-season rentals sell out in Denver and San Francisco, and confirm one-way drop-off fees if you're not returning to the same city.

How do I save on a road trip?

Put both the flights and the rental car on a card like the Chase Sapphire or Capital One Venture, and book the car early for the best rate. Camping or basic motels along the route keep lodging cheap, and a national-park pass pays off fast on western drives.

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