The Autobahn in Germany is over 8000 miles long and is arguably the most famous stretch of road in the world. And while those of us in the western hemisphere can’t boast about the Autobahn’s most famous feature, the seemingly endless miles of ‘no speed limit’ roadways, the Americas can beat Europe’s infamous highway in distance. Here’s a few facts about the well-known stretch of road called the Pan-American Highway.

The Beginning: Prudhoe Bay

We start our incredibly long journey in the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Prudhoe Bay is the northernmost town in the continental United States and probably wouldn’t exist if not for the oil fields. Dalton Highway is the stretch of road that connects Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks in central Alaska and from there, the rest of the Americas.

The Middle: Facts, Figures and the Darien Gap

Technically, there is no one stretch of road that connects the Americas – rather a network of roads designed to be the connective tissue to allow travel from one end to the other. Here are some other fun facts about the Pan American Highway:

• The estimated length of the highway from Prudhoe Bay to the tip of Argentina in Ushuaia is roughly 19,000 miles.
• The highway runs through 14 countries.
• Estimated cost of gas for the entire trip is around $2,400.
• The Darien Gap is 60 miles of jungle between Panama and Colombia that is home to everything from jaguars to drug smugglers and paramilitary groups – making this one of the most dangerous areas in the world.

The End: Ushuaia

Our long journey ends in Ushuaia, Argentina. Nicknamed “the southernmost city in the world”, they come by it honestly. Ushula is less than 700 miles from the coast of Antarctica. The city sees every season and the coastline of the bay is large enough that when you look out into the ocean you’ll certainly feel like you’ve reached the tip of the world.

For more information on places to go and things to see around the world, be sure to check out more of our blog posts.