About US Trip Planner
US Trip Planner is an independent road trip planning tool built for drivers in the United States. We turn raw route data into practical trip intelligence — drive time, elevation profiles, road character, fuel budgets, on-route stops, climate-based timing, and honest assessments of what each drive actually feels like.
Most trip planners give you a distance and a blue line on a map. We go further: we analyze the roads you will drive, map the elevation changes along the way, estimate your fuel costs with real state-level gas prices, show you restaurants and attractions near the route, tell you the best month to go, and compare driving against flying, train, and bus — so you can pick the option that actually fits your trip.
What We Do
Route Intelligence
Every route is analyzed for drive character, highway share, road complexity, and a 1-10 drive score. Not just distance — the actual driving experience.
Elevation Profiles
See the full elevation profile of your route with min/max altitude, total ascent and descent, and notable mountain passes — so you know what the terrain looks like before you drive.
On-Route Stops
Discover restaurants, cafes, viewpoints, historic sites, and overnight options near your route. Each stop shows the detour distance and time so you can plan breaks without guessing.
Cost Clarity
Fuel cost estimates using real state-level gas prices. Regular, premium, diesel, and EV charging costs — so you know your budget before you leave.
Best Time to Drive
Month-by-month climate analysis using real weather station data along your route. Temperature, precipitation, seasonal hazards, and ideal departure windows — not generic state averages.
Drive vs Fly vs Train vs Bus
Compare driving against flying, Amtrak train, and FlixBus for every route. Door-to-door time, total cost, CO2 emissions, and a clear recommendation based on real schedule and fare data.
By the Numbers
79,372
Trip Routes
42,122
US Cities
51
States Covered
Our Data Sources
Want the full breakdown of how US Trip Planner builds route times, stop suggestions, fuel budgets, climate scoring, and transit comparisons? Read the full methodology.
Route Data — OpenStreetMap + OSRM
All routes are calculated using the Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM) built on OpenStreetMap data. This gives us accurate turn-by-turn directions, road names, distances, and drive times based on real road network data maintained by a global community of contributors.
On-Route Stops — OpenStreetMap via Overpass API
Restaurants, cafes, viewpoints, historic sites, and overnight options are sourced from OpenStreetMap through the Overpass API. Each point of interest is matched to the nearest mile marker on your route, with detour distance and time calculated so you know exactly what a stop costs you.
Elevation Data — U.S. Geological Survey
Elevation profiles are generated using the USGS Elevation Point Query Service. We sample points along each route to build a continuous profile showing altitude changes, total ascent and descent, and notable mountain passes.
Fuel Prices — U.S. Energy Information Administration
Gas prices are sourced from the EIA and updated regularly. We use state-level averages for regular, mid-grade, premium, and diesel fuel to calculate route-specific fuel budgets.
Climate & Weather — NOAA Climate Normals
Best Time to Drive analysis uses climate normals from NOAA, sampled from weather stations along each route. Monthly temperature, precipitation, and seasonal hazard data are combined into a route-specific driving score — not broad state-level averages.
Flight Data — Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Drive vs Fly comparisons use historical fare and performance data from the BTS DB1B database. This includes average ticket prices, nonstop availability, on-time rates, and cancellation percentages for US airport pairs.
Train & Bus Schedules — GTFS Feeds
Amtrak and FlixBus routes, stations, and schedules are synced from their public GTFS feeds. We match nearby stations to your origin and destination, check for direct connections, and estimate fares based on distance. Ticket prices are estimates — check the carrier for exact pricing.
City Photography — Pexels
City photos are sourced from Pexels, a free stock photography platform. All images are used in accordance with the Pexels license and photographer attribution is displayed on each page.
An Independent Project
US Trip Planner is built and maintained by COD Solutions Oy, an independent software company based in Helsinki, Finland. We focus on making road trip planning more practical and transparent. Every route page is generated from real data — not marketing copy. We do not accept paid placements in our route recommendations or stop suggestions.
Hotel links on some pages use Booking.com affiliate partnerships, which help support the site's hosting and data costs. These never influence route analysis, stop suggestions, or drive character assessments.
Have feedback or a question? Get in touch.