Want to take a summer RV road trip that will give your family exposure to true Americana? Consider a cross-country adventure on the Lincoln Highway. The Lincoln Highway was America’s very first transcontinental highway, stretching over three thousand miles from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, California.
As you might imagine, when you cover over three thousand miles in an RV, there literally hundreds of stops you can make. However, to help you narrow down your options, we’ve listed twelve cities that offer something special along the historic Lincoln Highway.
RVing The Lincoln Highway
- New Brunswick, New Jersey. Stop in New Brunswick, home to Rutgers University, and take a walking tour of the 15-block historic district where historical school, church, and theater buildings back to the 1700s.
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Plan to spend a few days in Philadelphia to visit the Liberty Bell Center, Valley Forge National Historic Park, and Franklin Square. Franklin Square is one of 5 open-space public parks planned by William Penn when he laid out the city of Philadelphia in 1682.
- Newell, West Virginia. Although the Lincoln Highway did not enter West Virginia until 1927, and runs less than five miles through the state, you can stop in Newell to take a tour of The Homer Laughlin China Company Museum, that houses displays from the past 144 years of Homer Laughlin China history.
- Massillon, Ohio. Visit the Lions Lincoln Theatre, a beautifully restored theatre that originally opened in 1915 for motion pictures and now serves as a performing arts center.
- Fort Wayne, Indiana. The highway passes through Fort Wayne where you can see a replica of Lincoln’s Log Cabin in Foster Park.
- Dixon, Illinois. Stop in historic Dixon to take the Lincoln self-guided tour past landmarks that each held a place in Lincoln’s life. Visit the Crawford House, Dixon Telegraph Museum, Dixon Welcome Center, and Lincoln Statue & Historical Marker.
- Lowden, Iowa. In Lowden, where the Lincoln Highway meets the Hoover Highway, stop to see the Historic Lincoln Hotel Bed and Breakfast that was built in 1915. The hotel hosted workers and travelers on the Pacific and Northwestern Railroads and the Old Lincoln Highway.
- Boys Town, Nebraska. You can head 2.5 miles west of the village of Boys Town in Douglas County for a chance to drive on original Lincoln Highway bricks.
- Cheyenne, Wyoming. Visit the Lincoln Monument and Union Pacific Train Station when making a stop in Cheyenne.
- Salt Lake City, Utah. There are no strip malls in the hip and trendy community of 9th and 9th in Salt Lake City so it’s well worth taking a stroll through all of the unique shops and businesses.
- Reno, Nevada. Entrepreneur and Indianapolis Motor Speedway founder, Carl Fischer believed America needed a coast-to-coast highway. As an instrumental figure in the history of Lincoln Highway, you can honor him by stopping at the National Automobile Museum in Reno.
- San Francisco, California. As you reach the end of Lincoln Highway, don’t expect much in the way of a grand finale. While there is a marker adjacent to a golf course in San Francisco’s Lincoln Park, you might prefer to celebrate your destination by having a cold beverage at Elixir, one of the oldest saloons in the city of San Francisco.
If you’ve already traveled the Lincoln Highway and have another favorite stop, be sure to share your RV travel tips with us on the Easy Escapes RV Facebook Page.
