Pan American highway: North America – Let’s explore here
What is the Pan American Highway?
The Pan American highway: North America is the first leg of a road trip that traverses the length of the Americas. The second leg of the Pan American Highway journey travels though South America.
The Pan American highway is the longest road in the world, stretching from Northern Alaska, USA down to the bottom of Argentina in South America. For the whole route, there isn’t only one specific road, as the journey through mainland USA can take multiple roads.
When you near the border of Panama in North America with Colombia in South America, you reach the impassable and dangerous Darien Gap. As there is no road through this area made up of mountains and dense rainforest, to continue the journey to South America, you have to ship your vehicle to Colombia.
Our route on the Pan American Highway route through North America is around 8,225 miles (13,235 km) long.
Map of our Pan American Highway route through North America
What is the route of the Pan American Highway through North America?
USA and Canada
Our chosen route on the Pan American highway: North America starts off in Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, USA, travelling down through Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehorse in Yukon territory, Canada. From there, the road travels south east to Edmonton and the south to Calgary, both in Canada. Our route then crosses the border into mainland USA, going roughly south to Billings in Montana, Denver in Colorado and Albuquerque in New Mexico, before heading south east to San Antonio in Texas.
Mexico and Guatemala
The road then enters Mexico and moves roughly south to Monterrey, Mexico City and Cuernavaca before heading south east to Huajuapan de León and Santo Domingo Tehuantepec. The road then travels east to San Pedro Tapanatepec, then north east to Chiapa de Corzo,and finally south east to Frontera Comalapa La Democracia on the border with Guatemala. Once in Guatemala, the road travels to the capital, Guatemala City, then south east to Cuilapa, east to Jutiapa and then crosses the border to Candelaria de La Fronter in El Salvador.
El Salvador and Honduras
Once in El Salvador, the road travels south east to the capital, San Salvador, before heading east to the border town of Santa Clarita. Crossing over into Honduras, the road travels east to Nacaome, south to Lorenzo, south east to Choluteca, arriving finally at the border town of Frontera La Fraternidad.
Nicaragua and Costa Rica
Crossing the border into Nicaragua, the route travels east to Yalaguina, then south to the capital, Managua and Jinotepe. The road then goes south east to the border town of Beña Blanca. Crossing over into Costa Rica, the highway goes roughly south east to Liberia, Canas, El Roble, before heading east to the capital San José. From there the road goes south east to Potrero Grande Buenos Aires, then west to Palmar Osa and finally south east to the border town, Canoas.
Panama
The highway then enters the final North American country, Panama, travelling south east through David and Santiago. The route then travels north east to Arraiján, close to the capital, Panama City. The road cross the Via Centenario bridge, and heads north east to Canita Chepo before heading south east to the final destination of Yaviza Pinogana, Darién.
We’re creating blogs for each country when we have data, or we can find decent wifi, and we have enough power!
If you’d like any information on any of these places the USA, please don’t hesitate to contact us!