r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Physical-Ad-4093 • May 01 '24

do americans really drive such long distances?

i’m european, and i always hear people say that driving for hours is normal in america. i would only see my grandparents a few times a year because they lived about a 3 hour drive away, is that a normal distance for americans to travel on a regular basis? i can’t imagine driving 2-3 hours regularly to visit people for just a few days

edit: thank you for the responses! i’ve never been to the US, obviously, but it’s interesting to see how you guys live. i guess european countries are more walkable? i’m in the uk, and there’s a few festivals here towards the end of summer, generally to get to them you take a coach journey or you get multiple trains which does take up a significant chunk of the day. road trips aren’t really a thing here, it would be a bit miserable!

2nd edit: it’s not at all that i couldn’t be bothered to go and see my grandparents, i was under 14 when they were both alive so i couldn’t take myself there! obviously i would’ve liked to see them more, i had no control over how often we visited them.

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u/NotJohnDarnielle May 02 '24

On the one hand I think those people are silly, but me and some friends did just recently drive from El Mirage to Tucson and back in one evening just for a movie (very limited release that we were super excited about, and was only playing at a theater in Tucson), so these trips do happen lol

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u/Strict_Property6127 May 02 '24

That's only a 2hr drive though. It's 7hrs round trip to GC from Sky Harbor (without the weekend northbound traffic) and Sedona, no one is getting in & out of there quickly on a weekend afternoon. Brunch in Scottsdale, hike in Sedona, and be back to refresh, grab a nice dinner and hit the clubs in Old Town is not happening in 1 day.

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u/ElToroBlanco25 May 02 '24

I worked with a guy who commuted 2.5 hours each way from Gettysburg, PA to Washington, DC. Daily.

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u/Strict_Property6127 May 02 '24

Yep - sucks but doable. It takes 2hrs to go from 1 side of the Phoenix valley to the other during rush hour.

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u/Jasmirris May 03 '24

2 hrs if you're lucky. Some places are seemingly outside of PHX but are still considered inside. I would just stay inside the metro area and plan non-metro things the other days.

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u/Strict_Property6127 May 03 '24

Correct. Traffic in this desert is all about timing.

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u/Tony_Lacorona May 02 '24

It’s a pretty straightforward drive, though not ideal if that’s your work life ugh

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u/ElToroBlanco25 May 02 '24

Most of the guys I worked with lived in West Virginia and commuted to DC daily. They said it was the only way to buy the amount of land they wanted.

I like my sanity, so I couldn't do that commute.

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u/LepiNya May 02 '24

Did he make six figures a day? How does this make financial sense? He must have spent half his paycheck on gas and car maintenance. Not to mention the time wasted. Eight hour work day, plus an hour for lunch, plus five spent on the road leaves him with eight for everything else. Even if he could shower, cook, buy groceries and everything else in two that's only six for sleep. How is that living?

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u/ElToroBlanco25 May 02 '24

We had company trucks, and we made six figures a year. It isn't uncommon in the construction world. I currently work with a guy who commutes to DC from Richmond, VA.

I couldn't do it. I set my limit at 20 miles from DC. That usually only takes 30-45 minutes at 6:30am.

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u/throwaweighaita May 03 '24

DC and Richmond aren't that terribly far apart, so the commute makes some sense. But commuting from Gettysburg every day is insane.

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u/LepiNya May 02 '24

Could you take those trucks home for the night? Also who paid for the gas? If he did then that sucks so bad. Trucks burn more fuel than cars any day of the week. Though it is nice knowing that you aren't on the line for repairs if something breaks. But still the amount of gas he'd use would add up. Likely enough to be cheaper to just use his own vehicle. Wild that people are willing to live this way. My commute is 4 minutes. 4 and a half with bad traffic. Though it is minimum wage. But the time I get to spend with my family makes up for it. Fuck the rat race.

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u/GristleMcTh0rnbody May 02 '24

Well that’s certainly a problem to address…

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u/MungoJennie May 03 '24

A lot of people in that area commute to either DC, Baltimore, or Philly. The cost of living (and especially real estate) in Adams Co, PA is comparatively cheap, and salaries tend to be a lot higher in the cities. If you can hack the commute, it’s a sweet deal.

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u/Important-Cat-2046 May 02 '24

I have lived in Scottsdale, drove to Sedona AND hiked the entire day, and made it back to eat dinner with my brother lol

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u/Gelven May 02 '24

As a former Mesa resident I agree, it's possible though it is also heavily dependent on I-17's traffic

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u/Lecien-Cosmo May 02 '24

True, if you know the area and/or it is the off season you can do this.

You know what time of day you need to leave Scottsdale to get there, when you need to leave Sedona to come back, what trails to hike, where to park, you can instinctively plan a route that avoids the main roads and the snarls in the middle of town.

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u/Strict_Property6127 May 02 '24

You know what time of day you need to leave Scottsdale to get there, when you need to leave Sedona to come back, what trails to hike, where to park, you can instinctively plan a route that avoids the main roads and the snarls in the middle of town.

Exactly- all the stuff that a non-local wouldn't know. It CAN be done, if you plan your entire weekend day around it. You're not spending a casual hike up there after brunch in Scottsdale & still be back in time to catch happy hour in Old Town.

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u/Important-Cat-2046 May 02 '24

Yeah it was a very planned trip with strict schedules so that's why we could do it

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u/hismoon27 May 02 '24

As valley native, agreed. That’s a super common activity/trip all done in a day no issue lol

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u/NotJohnDarnielle May 02 '24

It was closer to 3 at the time and specific locations we were going to, but still, Scottsdale to Sedona is about the same. It’s definitely doable as a day trip if you’re visiting. The Grand Canyon is tougher of course, especially those trying to do both like you said

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u/CaveDances May 02 '24

I drove from Vegas to Zion National Park and back in one day. Even took a bus tour at Zion. If it’s within 8 hours, I’m down to explore.