6:00 AM ET · Sun Sep 27
Mile 0
🚦 Depart Bloomsburg, PA
Full tank before leaving. Head west on I-80 W — you'll ride I-80 for nearly the entire 2,465 miles. Early Sunday morning departure means clean roads through Pennsylvania.
↓
220 mi
3h 32min
I-80 W — Milton · Bellefonte · Clearfield · Clarion · Sharon, PA
9:52 AM ET · Sun Sep 27
Mile 220
⛽ Fuel Stop #1 — Youngstown / Hubbard, OH
Cross into Ohio. Quick 20-min fuel stop — 24hr stations right off I-80 in Youngstown. First driver rotation. Coffee run. Get back on the road fast.
↓
100 mi
1h 32min
I-80 W / I-90 W Ohio Turnpike → Toledo, OH
11:45 AM ET · Sun Sep 27
Mile 320
Toledo, OH — I-80 / I-90 Split
Stay on I-80 W — do not follow I-90. No stop needed here. Pass through and continue into Indiana. Chicago bypass is 135 miles ahead.
↓
135 mi
2h 04min
I-80 W through Indiana → Illinois → Joliet
2:09 PM ET · Sun Sep 27
Mile 455
⛽⚠️ Fuel Stop #2 — Joliet, IL (Chicago Bypass)
Stay on I-80 W. I-80 skirts south of Chicago via I-294 — follow the signs, don't let GPS route you into the city. Sunday afternoon traffic around Chicago can back up — budget an extra 20–30 min buffer here if needed. Fuel up in Joliet. Rotate drivers. 20 min.
↓
165 mi
2h 25min
I-80 W across Illinois → cross Mississippi River → Davenport, IA
4:35 PM ET · Sun Sep 27
Mile 620
Davenport, IA — Mississippi River Crossing
You've crossed the Mississippi. Milestone only — no stop needed. Iowa is flat and fast. Cruise on I-80 W at 70–72 mph. Next fuel stop is Omaha, 300 miles ahead.
↓
300 mi
4h 24min
I-80 W straight across Iowa → Council Bluffs → cross Missouri River → Omaha, NE
9:20 PM ET · Sun Sep 27
Mile 920
⛽ Fuel Stop #3 — Omaha, NE
Halfway point. Real food stop — 20 min. You've crossed the Missouri River into Nebraska. Speed limit bumps to 75–80 mph. Nebraska is 450 miles of flat, straight road ahead — the easiest stretch of the trip. Rotate drivers. Overnight push begins here.
↓
450 mi
6h 15min
I-80 W — Grand Island · North Platte · Ogallala · Sidney, NE → Cheyenne, WY
3:55 AM ET · Mon Sep 28
Mile 1,370
⛽ Fuel Stop #4 — Cheyenne, WY
3:55 AM ET = 1:55 AM MT. Cross into Wyoming — enter Mountain Time, clocks go back 1 hr. Fuel here — Wyoming has long gaps between exits. Speed limit is 80 mph on WY I-80. Critical driver rotation — overnight fatigue is the biggest risk right now. 20 min stop.
↓
440 mi
6h 17min
I-80 W — Laramie · Rawlins · Rock Springs · Evanston, WY → Salt Lake City, UT
10:32 AM ET · Mon Sep 28
Mile 1,810
⛽ Fuel Stop #5 — Salt Lake City, UT
10:32 AM ET = 8:32 AM MT / 7:32 AM PT. Morning now — good time for a real breakfast. 20-min stop. After SLC you hit the Nevada desert — 80 mph speed limit and dead flat. Rotate drivers. 520 miles to Reno.
↓
520 mi
7h 13min
I-80 W — Bonneville Salt Flats → Nevada border → Elko · Winnemucca · Battle Mountain · Reno, NV
~2:30 PM ET · Mon Sep 28
~Mile 2,100
⚠️ Nevada Desert — Winnemucca or Battle Mountain
Do not skip fuel if the tank is under half. Nevada has 60–90 mile gaps between gas stations. Speed limit is 80 mph — use it across the flats. Winnemucca and Battle Mountain both have 24hr stations right off I-80.
↓
continuing across Nevada to Reno...
6:05 PM ET · Mon Sep 28
Mile 2,330
⛽ Fuel Stop #6 — Reno, NV
6:05 PM ET = 3:05 PM PT. Last major fuel stop. 135 miles and ~2h 20min from Elk Grove. The Sierra Nevada climb over Donner Pass (I-80, ~7,200 ft) will slow a loaded minivan to 45–55 mph on the grade — plan for it. Don't speed downhill on the other side. Top up the tank fully here.
↓
135 mi
2h 19min
I-80 W — Donner Pass · Truckee · Auburn · Sacramento → CA-99 S → Elk Grove, CA
8:25 PM ET · Mon Sep 28
Mile 2,465
🏠 ARRIVAL — Elk Grove, CA
5:25 PM PT · Monday September 28, 2026
A full day ahead of the Sep 29 AirBNB check-in. Drop bags, hit the pool, decompress. Aftershock starts October 1st. You made it. 🤘
Full Trip — Segment Summary
Segment
Miles
Drive Time
Arrive (local clock)
Bloomsburg, PA → Youngstown, OH ⛽
220 mi
3h 32m + 20m
9:52 AM ET Sun
Youngstown → Toledo, OH
100 mi
1h 32m
11:45 AM ET Sun
Toledo → Joliet, IL ⛽
135 mi
2h 04m + 20m
2:09 PM ET Sun
Joliet → Davenport, IA
165 mi
2h 25m
4:35 PM ET Sun
Davenport → Omaha, NE ⛽
300 mi
4h 24m + 20m
9:20 PM ET Sun
Omaha → Cheyenne, WY ⛽
450 mi
6h 15m + 20m
3:55 AM ET Mon (1:55 AM MT)
Cheyenne → Salt Lake City, UT ⛽
440 mi
6h 17m + 20m
10:32 AM ET Mon (8:32 AM MT)
Salt Lake City → Reno, NV ⛽
520 mi
7h 13m + 20m
6:05 PM ET Mon (3:05 PM PT)
Reno → Elk Grove, CA ⛽
135 mi
2h 19m + 20m
5:25 PM PT Mon Sep 28
TOTAL
2,465 mi
36h 05m drive + 2h 20m stops
38h 25m · Arrive Sep 28
🕐 Time Zones
You leave in Eastern Time. Enter Central at the OH/IN border (~mile 320). Enter Mountain at the WY state line (~mile 1,370) — clocks go back 1 hr. Enter Pacific at the CA state line (~mile 2,350) — back another hour. Net gain: +3 hours westbound. Your body runs on ET the whole trip — plan rest stops accordingly.
👥 Driver Rotation
With 8 people, rotate every 2 hrs max overnight. Mandatory swaps at: Youngstown, Joliet, Omaha, Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, Reno. The Omaha → Cheyenne overnight stretch (6h 15min) is the highest fatigue risk — set phone alarms for driver changes every 2 hrs through Nebraska.
⛽ Fuel Budget
2,465 miles at ~15 MPG = ~164 gallons. National avg ~$3.50/gal, higher in CA/NV: ~$580–620 total = roughly ~$75 per person. Fill up before entering Nevada from Utah — Bonneville/Wendover area is cheapest. Nevada and California have the highest pump prices on the route.
⚠️ Critical Warnings
Donner Pass (I-80 near Truckee): 7,200 ft grade, loaded vans slow to ~45–55 mph — budget extra time. Nevada gas gaps: 60–90 mi between stations — fill at Winnemucca if under half. Chicago bypass: follow I-80 W signs, not city GPS shortcuts. Nebraska overnight: rotate drivers every 2 hrs — fatigue is the #1 risk on this drive.