There is a moment, somewhere past the last Minneapolis exit, when the city finally lets go and I-35, I-40 and I-17 opens up ahead of you. That is the start of one of the most driven routes in America: roughly 1,640 miles and 24 hours of wheel time to Phoenix. Done right, it is not a slog. It is a string of good towns, better food stops and a couple of sights worth the detour.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Minneapolis
Aim to clear Minneapolis before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 452 miles to Kansas City.
The headline stop on this route is Kansas City barbecue. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Kansas City
Kansas City sits about 452 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Route 66 in Amarillo and Albuquerque is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Amarillo
Amarillo sits about 980 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Albuquerque, the last stretch
Albuquerque sits about 1,279 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Rolling into Phoenix
The final 362 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Sedona detour off I-17; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Kansas City barbecue, Route 66 in Amarillo and Albuquerque and Sedona detour off I-17, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
Split the drive near the halfway mark. Most travelers sleep in Kansas City, MO, Amarillo, TX and Albuquerque, NM, which keeps each day under eight hours and leaves time for the stops that make the trip.
Check live gas prices along I-35, I-40 and I-17 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
