How Far Apart Are Rest Areas?

How far apart are rest areas on average?

We measured the distance from every rest area, welcome center and service plaza to the next one in the same direction of travel on 42 interstates – 1,330 gaps in total. The average gap is 48 miles, the median 40 miles. At highway speed, that’s a stop roughly every hour.

The average hides a wide spread. In the Northeast and on toll roads, service plazas can be 20 to 40 miles apart. In parts of the West, and on routes where states closed rest areas to save money, you can drive well over 100 miles without one.

Two details matter for these numbers. First, we measure one direction at a time: on a divided interstate, most rest areas only serve one side, so a rest area on the other side doesn’t help you. Second, distances are road miles by mile marker within a state; across a state line or where a mile marker is missing they are straight-line, which is slightly shorter than the road on winding routes. Some interstates, such as I-84 and I-76, exist as two separate pieces, and a few states have gaps in the data – so we leave out “gaps” that jump over a whole state or exceed 250 miles.

Is there a rule for rest area spacing?

There is no federal law requiring rest areas at a set distance. When the Interstate System was built, planners commonly aimed for a rest area about every hour of driving, and many of the original rest areas reflect that. Since then, states have built, rebuilt and closed rest areas based on budget and traffic, so spacing today varies a lot.

Federal law does restrict what rest areas on interstates can offer: commercial services such as fuel and restaurants are generally not allowed at interstate rest areas (23 U.S.C. 111), with exceptions for older facilities and vending machines. That’s why service plazas with fuel exist mostly on toll roads, and why the gaps between rest areas are filled by private truck stops at the exits.

The longest gaps between rest areas

These are the longest stretches without a rest area, welcome center or service plaza in our data, measured in one direction of travel. Plan your break before you get there.

1. 1I-15 · Southbound
   Brigham City Welcome Center, I-15 Southbound → Lunt Park South Rest Area249 mi
2. 2I-29 · Southbound
   Glacial Lakes Rest Area → I-29 Southbound Rest Area near Sergeant Bluff245 mi
3. 3I-15 · Northbound
   Lunt Park North Rest Area → Perry Rest Area, I-15 Northbound244 mi
4. 4I-70 · Westbound
   Burlington Rest Area & Colorado Welcome Center → CDOT Rest Area: Edwards234 mi
5. 5I-55 · Northbound
   I-55 Northbound Rest Area near Beauregard → I-55 Northbound Rest Area near Hernando209 mi
6. 6I-90 · Westbound
   I-90 Westbound Rest Area near Kirtland Hills → Ernie Pyle Travel Plaza (Westbound)209 mi
7. 7I-90 · Eastbound
   Ernie Pyle Travel Plaza (Eastbound) → I-90 Eastbound Rest Area near Kirtland Hills209 mi
8. 8I-75 · Northbound
   Rest Area #13 → Rest Area #34 (I-75 North / MP 308.0)199 mi
9. 9I-76 · Westbound
   Blue Mountain Service Plaza → I-76 Westbound Rest Area near Edinburg196 mi
10. 10I-70 · Eastbound
    CDOT Rest Area: Vail Pass → Arriba Rest Area193 mi
11. 11I-40 · Westbound
    Rattlesnake Draw Rest Area West Bound → I-40 Westbound Rest Area near Lupton183 mi
12. 12I-80 · Westbound
    Button Point Rest Area → I-80 Westbound Rest Area near Verdi180 mi

Average distance by interstate

Each interstate has its own pattern. Routes through dense states have short gaps; long routes across the Plains and the desert have long ones. Click an interstate to see all rest areas in order of travel, with the distance to the next stop.

How far is the next rest area?

The quickest way to answer “how far is the next rest stop?” while you’re on the road:

1. Open the rest stop map and allow your location – it stays in your browser, we don’t store it.
2. Look for stops on your side of the highway; the list shows the direction for each rest area.
3. Every rest area page shows the next rest area ahead and its distance, so you can plan two or three stops at once.

If you’re driving, let a passenger do it – or check before you leave and at each stop.

What to do when there’s a long gap

• Take a break at the last rest area before a long gap, even if you don’t feel tired yet.
• Use truck stops and travel centers at exits – they have restrooms, food and fuel, and many are open 24 hours.
• On toll roads, service plazas are usually closer together than rest areas on free interstates.
• Welcome centers at state lines are often the best-equipped stops of all.
• Don’t rely on a single stop: rest areas close temporarily for construction. Check the rest area’s page before you count on it.

How long should you drive between breaks?

Road safety organizations commonly recommend a break every two hours or every 100 miles on long drives. For truck drivers, federal rules are stricter: a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving, a maximum of 11 hours driving per shift, and 10 hours off duty between shifts. If your next rest area is beyond your break point, stop at the one before.