Route-shaped starts
Routes
Browse Route 20 route-shaped starts, including the overview, state gateways, bounded trips, weekend drives, and sampler pages.
Routes
Use this page when you want a ready-made Route 20 drive instead of starting from a blank map. Weekend routes work well when you want fewer decisions, state pages help when you know the broad area, and segment pages are better when you are building your own town-to-town day.
Easy first trip
Start with a weekend
Choose a weekend route when you want one clear plan with anchor towns, supporting stops, and a manageable pace.
Build your own
Use segments for town-to-town planning
Open segments when you want to decide which stretch is the actual drive and where you should slow down or reset.
Broad area
Compare state gateways
Use states when you know the region but still need the strongest towns and route sections in that part of Route 20.
Trips and samplers by area
Illinois
Weekend
Route 20 Road Trip Weekend: Jo Daviess + Stephenson
A practical Illinois weekend built around Galena, Freeport, and nearby connector towns.
Sampler
One-Day Galena + Freeport Sampler
A shorter Illinois route day for travelers who want one clear first outing.
Iowa
State Layer
Iowa
The full Iowa corridor, connecting Dubuque, the early inland chain, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Iowa Falls, Fort Dodge, and the Sioux City side, with Nebraska continuing the route west from South Sioux City toward Harrison.
Weekend
Dubuque to Waterloo Route 20 Weekend
A first Iowa weekend built around the Mississippi-side start and the eastern Iowa backbone.
Weekend
Fort Dodge to Sioux City Route 20 Weekend
A western Iowa weekend built around the stronger Fort Dodge anchor and the Sioux City endpoint.
Weekend
South Sioux City to Harrison Route 20 Weekend
A Nebraska bridge-state weekend built around the Iowa handoff, Randolph, and the Harrison endpoint.
Wyoming Yellowstone east approach
State Layer
Wyoming
The Wyoming corridor runs from the Nebraska handoff to the Yellowstone East Entrance, with Cody as the western gateway base and Wapiti Valley as the scenic final approach.
Scenic Drive
Cody to Yellowstone East Entrance Scenic Drive
A bounded east-of-Yellowstone outing built around Cody, Wapiti, and the Yellowstone boundary.
Yellowstone west re-entry, Idaho continuation, and Oregon handoff
State Layer
Montana
A short park-west connector state layer that makes the West Yellowstone handoff legible before Idaho takes over as the next real state continuation.
State Layer
Idaho
The first Idaho state layer spans Island Park, Ashton, St. Anthony, Rexburg, Idaho Falls, Arco, Carey, Picabo, Fairfield, Mountain Home, Boise, Caldwell, and Parma west of Yellowstone.
State Layer
Oregon
The Oregon state layer starts at the border handoff and reaches Nyssa, Ontario, Vale, Burns, Bend, Sisters, Santiam Pass, Albany, Corvallis, and Newport.
Scenic Drive
West Yellowstone to Ashton Scenic Drive
A bounded park-west connector outing built around West Yellowstone, Island Park, and the first fuller Idaho gateway at Ashton.
Weekend
Ashton to Rexburg Route 20 Weekend
A fuller east Idaho weekend built around Ashton, St. Anthony, and Rexburg after the Yellowstone-side handoff.
Weekend
Rexburg to Arco Route 20 Weekend
A broader Idaho weekend built around Rexburg, Idaho Falls, and Arco before the interior continuation.
Weekend
Arco to Fairfield Route 20 Weekend
The interior Idaho weekend built around Arco, Carey, Picabo, and Fairfield as the lead-in to the newer west approach.
Weekend
Fairfield to Caldwell Route 20 Weekend
The Idaho west-approach weekend built around Fairfield, Mountain Home, Boise, and Caldwell before the border handoff.
Weekend
Caldwell to Vale Route 20 Weekend
The Idaho-to-Oregon handoff weekend built around Parma, Nyssa, Ontario, and Vale as the lead-in to the deeper Oregon continuation.
Weekend
Vale to Bend Route 20 Weekend
The deeper Oregon weekend built around Vale, Burns, and Bend across the high-desert continuation.
Weekend
Bend to Newport Route 20 Weekend
The western Oregon weekend built around Bend, Sisters, Santiam Pass, Albany, Corvallis, and Newport.