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The longest national highway in the Western Hemisphere is the Trans-Canada Highway. The highway goes all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and is the ultimate Canadian road trip. For a much smaller Canadian road trip, consider just visiting the Canadian Pacific Northwest.
If one is looking for even more extreme road trips around the world, then Australia's Highway 1 is the longest national highway in the world - the highway circumvents the country. But the longest "motorable" road in the world is the Pan American Highway which runs all the way from Alaska to the southern end of Argentina.
Trans-Canada Highway - The Longest In The Americas
The main route of the Trans-Canada Highway travels through nine of ten of Canada's provinces (but not its territories). It connects most of the country's major cities including Quebec City, Fredericton, Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Montreal.
The main route stretches from St. John's in Newfoundland on the Atlantic Ocean and runs all the way to Victoria in British Columbia on the Pacific Ocean. The highway system is signed by the distinctive white-on-green maple leaf route markers.
There are a number of other routes that make up the Trans Canada Highway system, but this article is mostly concerned with the main route and not the spurs. Over the years, a number of multiple alternative routes have been added to the main route (Yellowhead Highway being the largest). Other major offshoots include Highway 17 in Ontario and the Confederation Bridge that connects the tenth province - Prince Edward Island.
- Beginning And End: The Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean
- Beginning Cities: St. Johns and Victoria
- Main Route Length: 7,476 km (4,645 mi)
- Full Length: 12,800 km (7,950 mi)
In all the Trans-Canada Highway is considered the fourth-longest highway in the world and the second-longest national highway (after Highway 1 in Australia). While the main route is 7,821 kilometers long, with the spurs and alternative routes it is some 12,800 kilometers.
Driving The Trans-Canada Highway
Driving the Trans-Canada Highway is likely to be easier than driving Australia's Highway 1. That is because vast distances of Australia's Highway 1 are extremely remote and don't really connect large population centers in the country. The drive from Darwin to Perth is likely to be a very lonely road. But the Trans-Canada Highway connects most of the major cities of Canada and follows the most populated parts of the country.
The climatic challenges are the opposite of Highway 1 in Australia. Australia's roads can be exceptionally hot (so take plenty of water), but parts of Canada's highways can become very hazardous in the winter during blizzards. In the Prairies, one can plan for around 12-14 hours of daylight in the summer but only around 6 hours in the depth of winter.
If one would like to drive the Trans-Canada Highway, then drive it in the spring or summer.
- When To Go: Spring Or Summer
Driving the Trans-Canada Highway is a rewarding experience. One will see much of Canada's diverse landscapes and scenery. See everything from the stunning rolling hills of the Maritimes to the Canadian Shield to the vast prairie provinces to the majestic Rockies of British Colombia.
Along the route, one will see some of the best of Canada's national parks and an innumerable number of Tim Horton's.
- Note: The 401 is not part of the Trans Canada Highway
How Long To Drive The Trans Canada Highway
Canada is a big country - a huge one and only Russia is larger. Canada has a slight each over the United States and China in geographic size. To drive all the way across Canada takes determination and a lot of time.
How long it takes to drive the Trans Canada Highway depends on which route one takes (if one just drives the main route or also some of the spurs) and how long one is willing to spend driving each day.
Driving from Newfoundland's St John's to BC's Victoria it takes around 20 days. It takes around 100 hours of pure driving time to travel the whole Trans Canada Highway
Time To Travel The Trans Canada Highway:
- Pure Driving Time: Around 100 Hours
- Time Needed: Around 3 Weeks (Average of 250 miles a day and Some Sightseeing)
If one is feeling more adventurous and if one could like to terminate one's trip on the Alaska border it would take around 23 days.