The Driving Times

Many drivers view a long haul as a therapeutic stress release. But before undertaking the challenge of conquering I-90 from start to finish, consider this particular Interstate is long enough to cure one’s stress, induce insanity, then once again put the mind at ease, unparalleled in terms of sheer duration among single stretches of road in the United States. Exactly how daunting is I-90?The only Interstate to break the 3,000 mile barrier, I-90 runs for 3,099.07 miles in total. Beginning in the shadow of Qwest Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks, I-90 makes history soon after the pavement begins. Just after leaving Seattle, I-90 makes use of not just one but two of the longest floating bridges in the world. The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge (second longest) takes passengers from Seattle to Mercer Island, while the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge continues the journey from Mercer Island to Bellevue. As the scenic tour across the Pacific Northwest continues, the northeastern stretch of I-90 is a great drive for those who enjoy mountains and American lumber at its finest. Passing from Washington state, through northern Idaho into Montana, the road passes the famous site of General Custer’s Last Stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Montana takes the largest share of I-90 mileage with over 550 miles from border to border, before ceding way to Wyoming as the interstate then takes a turn towards the Heartland. After winding through South Dakota, the road runs parallel to the Iowa/Minnesota border, then ventures into the Northern Midwest, right through the eye of Chicago and its suburban surroundings. As it hugs the Great Lake looking on the map as if it might just fall in, travelers should actually take particular caution as I-90 makes its way into downtown Cleveland, making almost a 90-degree turn at what local residents refer to as “Dead Man’s Curve.” I-90 then strays from its holding pattern parallel to the Great Lake coast to cut across upstate New York, before heading into Massachusetts and it final destination.To from beginning to end of I-90 in a continuous manner would take approximately 2 days and 1 hour, according the standard flow of traffic.