The old National Road and its western descendants: taverns, tollhouses, mountain crossings, and main streets built before the interstates.
Why take this road?
U.S. 40 rewards travelers who want to see how the country moved before limited-access highways. In the East it overlaps the historic National Road; farther west it crosses plains, Rockies, desert, and old resort corridors.
Signature chapters of the journey
- National Road landscapes in Maryland and Pennsylvania
- Wheeling’s river and bridge history
- Ohio and Indiana main streets and old road architecture
- Illinois and Missouri river crossings
- Kansas plains and Colorado mountain approaches
- Utah and Nevada desert history
- California’s older transcontinental-road connections
Roadside memory
Stone bridges, mile markers, taverns, tollhouses, diners, motor courts, and bypassed business districts show the road evolving from wagon route to automobile highway.
RV planning note
Modern U.S. 40 is fragmented and sometimes absorbed by other highways or interstates. Verify each historic segment, mountain pass, and town-center route for size and seasonal suitability.
Before departure: verify current closures, construction, wildfire or weather conditions, campground availability, vehicle restrictions, tolls, ferry rules, and attraction hours with the responsible agencies and operators.