Rest Stops Nearby

How far apart are rest stops on US interstates?

Updated October 2026

There is no national rule for how far apart rest areas must be. States decide where to build them, and many have closed older rest areas over the last twenty years. As a result, the spacing varies from a few miles on busy eastern interstates to well over 100 miles in parts of the West.

We calculated the gaps from our own list: rest areas, welcome centers and service plazas, ordered along each interstate. Distances use state mile markers where both stops have one, otherwise the straight-line distance plus 15 percent. Truck stops and gas stations are not counted, and they often fill the gaps.

Plan breaks before you need them

Safety agencies recommend a break about every two hours of driving. On a stretch with a long gap, stop at the last rest area before it, or plan a fuel stop in a town. Each rest stop page on this site shows the distance to the next stop in both directions.

Longest stretches without a rest stop

Across 43 interstates in our data, the typical (median) average distance between stop locations is about 33 miles.

InterstateLongest gapBetweenAverage spacing
I-15239 miLunt Park Rest Area (UT) and Kaysville Rest Area (UT)43 mi
I-70193 miVail Pass Rest Area (CO) and Arriba Rest Area (CO)36 mi
I-20≈ 188 miI-20 Rest Area near Ranger (TX) and Van Zandt County Rest Area (TX)41 mi
I-44≈ 178 miTexas Travel Information Center at Wichita Falls (TX) and E-Z Go Rest Area (OK)67 mi
I-85176 miGeorgia Visitor Information Center - West Point (GA) and Georgia Visitor Information Center - Lavonia (GA)39 mi
I-64≈ 158 miBlack River Welcome Center (IN) and I-64 East Simpsonville Welcome Center (KY)33 mi
I-35152 miMedina County Rest Area (TX) and Bell County Rest Area (TX)33 mi
I-40≈ 151 miHaviland Rest Area (AZ) and Parks Rest Area (AZ)43 mi
I-10≈ 139 miColorado County Rest Area (TX) and Chambers County Rest Area (TX)36 mi
I-43136 miElkhorn Rest Area 35 (WI) and Denmark Rest Area 52 (WI)52 mi
I-94≈ 132 miI-94 Rest Area near Beach (ND) and Hailstone Rest Area (ND)30 mi
I-75129 miGDOT Rest Area 22 (GA) and GDOT Rest Area 34 (GA)33 mi
I-25≈ 128 miWalking Sands Rest Area (NM) and I-25 Rest Area near Pecos (NM)45 mi
I-30≈ 120 miHopkins County Rest Area (TX) and Texas Travel Information Center at Texarkana (TX)54 mi
I-80≈ 117 miHunter Hill Rest Area (CA) and Gold Run Rest Area (CA)28 mi

Sources: NHTSA: Drowsy driving, FHWA/BTS: Truck Stop Parking dataset.

Frequently asked questions

How often are there rest stops on the interstate?

On average every 30 to 60 miles in our data, but the spacing varies widely. Each interstate page shows its average and its longest gap.

Is there a law that rest stops must be every 50 miles?

No. There is no federal spacing rule; each state decides where to build and keep rest areas.