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Traffic jams? Not a thing on these road trips.

Get Off the Beaten Path With the 10 Most Quiet and Scenic Road Trips in the US

scenic road trips in the united states
Whether you're riding solo or plan to hit the highway with bae, there's nothing quite like a road trip. There's something magical about the wind in your hair, feel-good tunes, and Insta-worthy views that just get better with each passing mile. On the other hand, there's nothing quite like traffic when it comes to totally ruining a road trip — being stuck in the car comes with both fumes and frustration. Since we love the open road as much as the next free-spirited gal, we were thrilled to get our hands on a study that ranks the quietest and most scenic routes in America.

Taking The Best Road Trip

The study, conducted by GeoTab, a leader in the Internet of Things and connected transportation, uses data from the Highway Performance Monitoring system and Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) score to list the top 10 American routes that are truly less traveled. To uncover the most beautiful roads, interstates, and freeways, the company teamed up with well-known nature photographer James “Q" Martin, who helped determine which quiet routes are the most picturesque.

The #1 Scenic, Quiet Road Trip Route

While the top 10 roads on GeoTab's list encompasses 10 different states, Alaska tops the list with its jaw-dropping State Route 11, The Dalton Highway.

Remarkably, the 414-mile long road only sees 196 vehicles on average each day — and Martin believes it's also the most beautiful. “I chose Alaska's Dalton Highway as my favorite scenic, quiet route; it's a road that reaches the top of the continent and would literally allow you to see a polar bear in the right circumstances." No plans to visit Alaska anytime soon? Don't worry; Martin promises that each road featured on the list “offers so much."

The Top 10 Quietest Scenic Routes in the U.S.

  1. Alaska, State Route 11 (414 miles long)
  2. Utah, US Route 50 (335 miles long)
  3. Maine, US Route 201 (157 miles long)
  4. Arizona, US Route 160 (256 miles long)
  5. California, State Route 139 (143 miles long)
  6. Virginia, State Route 90003 (23 miles long)
  7. Louisiana, US Route 65 (101 miles long)
  8. Wyoming, US Route 212 (35 miles long)
  9. New Hampshire, US Route 2 (35 miles long)
  10. Pennsylvania, State Route 32 (41 miles long)

Top 10 Quietest Highways Overall

scenic road trip highways in america

Image via Geotab

In addition to collaborating with Martin to profile the nation's most picturesque drives, the Geotab study compiled a list of the quietest routes in the US. These off-the-beaten-path roads are linked to Google Street views on an interactive map, which makes it easy to identify the quietest road in your state, along with can't-miss sights and stops along a road trip. Here's to uncovering all the hidden gems!

  1. Alaska, State Route 11
  2. North Dakota, State Route 24
  3. Alaska, State Route 98
  4. Montana, State Route 19
  5. Nevada, State Route 360
  6. Nevada, State Route 376
  7. South Dakota, State Route 73
  8. North Dakota, State Route 15
  9. North Dakota, State Route 21
  10. North Dakota, State Route 8

Are you planning to hit the road sometime soon? Share your snapshots with us on Instagram by tagging @BritandCo!

Featured image via Pierre Jeanneret / Unsplash

This post has been updated.

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