• 158 questions

Trivia Questions for a Road Trip, Read From the Passenger Seat

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Which state calls itself the First State because it was first to ratify the Constitution?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with any school, exam board or quiz show. Bank checked September 19, 2026.

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All 158 questions with answers

States and capitals 36

  • The colony of Georgia was named for which British king? Answer: George II. Source: Wikipedia: Georgia (U.S. state)
  • From 1836 to 1846, which state was its own country with its own president? Answer: Texas. Source: Wikipedia: Republic of Texas
  • The geographic center of the 48 contiguous states is marked near Lebanon, in which state? Answer: Kansas. Source: Wikipedia: Geographic center of the United States
  • Helena, the capital of Montana, began in 1864 as what? Answer: A gold camp. Source: Wikipedia: Helena, Montana
  • In which year did the California gold rush begin? Answer: 1848. Source: Wikipedia: California
  • Lincoln is the capital of which state? Answer: Nebraska. Source: Wikipedia: Lincoln, Nebraska
  • The name of which state capital is French for "red stick"? Answer: Baton Rouge. Source: Wikipedia: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • The name Vermont comes from French words meaning what? Answer: Green mountain. Source: Wikipedia: Vermont
  • Texas is called the Lone Star State. Where does that single star appear? Answer: On the state flag. Source: Wikipedia: Texas
  • The United States bought Alaska in 1867 from which country? Answer: Russia. Source: Wikipedia: Alaska Purchase
  • Washington, D.C. stands on the bank of which river? Answer: The Potomac. Source: Wikipedia: Washington, D.C.
  • What is the capital of Kentucky? Answer: Frankfort. Source: Wikipedia: Frankfort, Kentucky
  • What is the capital of Michigan? Answer: Lansing. Source: Wikipedia: Lansing, Michigan
  • What is the capital of Vermont? Answer: Montpelier. Source: Wikipedia: Montpelier, Vermont
  • What is the capital of Washington State? Answer: Olympia. Source: Wikipedia: Olympia, Washington
  • What is the capital of Wyoming? Answer: Cheyenne. Source: Wikipedia: Cheyenne, Wyoming
  • Which city is the capital of Arizona? Answer: Phoenix. Source: Wikipedia: List of capitals in the United States
  • Which city is the capital of Idaho? Answer: Boise. Source: Wikipedia: List of capitals in the United States
  • Which city is the capital of Indiana? Answer: Indianapolis. Source: Wikipedia: List of capitals in the United States
  • Which city is the capital of Kansas? Answer: Topeka. Source: Wikipedia: List of capitals in the United States
  • Which city is the capital of New Jersey? Answer: Trenton. Source: Wikipedia: List of capitals in the United States
  • Which city is the capital of North Dakota? Answer: Bismarck. Source: Wikipedia: List of capitals in the United States
  • Which city is the capital of Tennessee? Answer: Nashville. Source: Wikipedia: List of capitals in the United States
  • Which city is the capital of Utah? Answer: Salt Lake City. Source: Wikipedia: List of capitals in the United States
  • Which city is the capital of Wisconsin? Answer: Madison. Source: Wikipedia: List of capitals in the United States
  • Which is the easternmost of the 48 contiguous states? Answer: Maine. Source: Wikipedia: Maine
  • Which is the only state named after a president? Answer: Washington. Source: Wikipedia: Washington (state)
  • Which is the only state that touches both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean? Answer: Florida. Source: Wikipedia: Florida
  • Which military school stands beside Annapolis, the capital of Maryland? Answer: The United States Naval Academy. Source: Wikipedia: Annapolis, Maryland
  • Which Spanish explorer landed in Florida in 1513? Answer: Juan Ponce de León. Source: Wikipedia: Florida
  • Which state calls itself the First State because it was first to ratify the Constitution? Answer: Delaware. Source: Wikipedia: Delaware
  • Which state capital cannot be reached by road from the rest of its state? Answer: Juneau, Alaska. Source: Wikipedia: Juneau, Alaska
  • Which state has an Upper Peninsula and a Lower Peninsula? Answer: Michigan. Source: Wikipedia: Upper Peninsula of Michigan
  • Which state is divided into parishes instead of counties? Answer: Louisiana. Source: Wikipedia: Louisiana
  • Which state's name comes from a Spanish word meaning snow-covered? Answer: Nevada. Source: Wikipedia: Nevada
  • Which was the last state to join the United States? Answer: Hawaii. Source: Wikipedia: Hawaii

Highways and road signs 33

  • A three-digit Interstate that starts with an even digit, such as I-495, is usually what? Answer: A loop that rejoins the main route. Source: Wikipedia: Interstate Highway System
  • The Alaska Highway, built in 1942, begins in Dawson Creek in which Canadian province? Answer: British Columbia. Source: Wikipedia: Alaska Highway
  • Before 1954, stop signs in the United States were usually which color? Answer: Yellow. Source: Wikipedia: Stop sign
  • The Blue Ridge Parkway links Shenandoah National Park with which other national park? Answer: Great Smoky Mountains. Source: Wikipedia: Blue Ridge Parkway
  • California State Route 1 hugs the cliffs of which famous stretch of coast? Answer: Big Sur. Source: Wikipedia: California State Route 1
  • The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, where drivers dip under the sea, is in which state? Answer: Virginia. Source: Wikipedia: Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel
  • The Dalton Highway runs north through Alaska and ends at Deadhorse, near which ocean? Answer: The Arctic Ocean. Source: Wikipedia: Dalton Highway
  • The Eisenhower Tunnel carries Interstate 70 under the Continental Divide in which state? Answer: Colorado. Source: Wikipedia: Eisenhower Tunnel
  • The first yield sign in the United States went up in 1950 in which city? Answer: Tulsa, Oklahoma. Source: Wikipedia: Yield sign
  • Going-to-the-Sun Road crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass in which national park? Answer: Glacier. Source: Wikipedia: Going-to-the-Sun Road
  • The Great River Road follows which river? Answer: The Mississippi. Source: Wikipedia: Great River Road
  • Historic Route 66 began in which city? Answer: Chicago. Source: Wikipedia: U.S. Route 66
  • In most states, the number on an Interstate exit sign matches what? Answer: The nearest mile marker. Source: Wikipedia: Exit number
  • Interstate 5 runs along which coast? Answer: The West Coast. Source: Wikipedia: Interstate 5
  • Interstate 95 runs down the East Coast from Maine to which Florida city? Answer: Miami. Source: Wikipedia: Interstate 95
  • Interstate H-1 never leaves a single island. Which state is it in? Answer: Hawaii. Source: Wikipedia: Interstate H-1
  • Interstates with odd numbers, such as I-5 and I-95, mostly run in which direction? Answer: North and south. Source: Wikipedia: Interstate Highway System
  • The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, one of the longest bridges over water anywhere, is in which state? Answer: Louisiana. Source: Wikipedia: Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
  • The Lincoln Highway, one of the first coast-to-coast car routes, started at which New York landmark? Answer: Times Square. Source: Wikipedia: Lincoln Highway
  • Lombard Street is known as a very crooked street with eight hairpin turns. Which city is it in? Answer: San Francisco. Source: Wikipedia: Lombard Street (San Francisco)
  • The Natchez Trace Parkway runs from Natchez, Mississippi, to the edge of which city? Answer: Nashville. Source: Wikipedia: Natchez Trace Parkway
  • On a standard traffic light, which color is at the top? Answer: Red. Source: Wikipedia: Traffic light
  • The Overseas Highway carries U.S. Route 1 across which chain of islands? Answer: The Florida Keys. Source: Wikipedia: Overseas Highway
  • Route 66 ended near the Pacific Ocean in which California city? Answer: Santa Monica. Source: Wikipedia: U.S. Route 66
  • Route 66 was officially taken off the U.S. highway system in which year? Answer: 1985. Source: Wikipedia: U.S. Route 66
  • The stretch of road called the Tail of the Dragon is famous for having 318 of what in 11 miles? Answer: Curves. Source: Wikipedia: Deals Gap, North Carolina
  • U.S. Route 1 runs from Fort Kent, Maine, to which city at its southern end? Answer: Key West, Florida. Source: Wikipedia: U.S. Route 1
  • U.S. Route 50 across which state is known as the Loneliest Road in America? Answer: Nevada. Source: Wikipedia: U.S. Route 50 in Nevada
  • What is the official name of the color of the Golden Gate Bridge? Answer: International Orange. Source: Wikipedia: Golden Gate Bridge
  • What nickname did the writer John Steinbeck give Route 66? Answer: The Mother Road. Source: Wikipedia: U.S. Route 66
  • Which coast-to-coast U.S. Route, from Boston to Newport, Oregon, is the longest road in the country? Answer: U.S. Route 20. Source: Wikipedia: U.S. Route 20
  • Which Interstate highway is the longest, running from Seattle to Boston? Answer: Interstate 90. Source: Wikipedia: Interstate 90
  • Which road sign is a triangle that points downward? Answer: A yield sign. Source: Wikipedia: Yield sign

Landmarks and national parks 24

  • The Alamo is in which Texas city? Answer: San Antonio. Source: Wikipedia: Alamo Mission
  • At the Wright Brothers National Memorial you can stand where the first airplane flew. Which state is it in? Answer: North Carolina. Source: Wikipedia: Wright Brothers National Memorial
  • The Biltmore Estate, the biggest house in private hands in the United States, is in which city? Answer: Asheville, North Carolina. Source: Wikipedia: Biltmore Estate
  • The bright white dunes of White Sands National Park in New Mexico are made of what? Answer: Gypsum. Source: Wikipedia: White Sands National Park
  • Carhenge, a copy of Stonehenge built from old cars, stands near Alliance in which state? Answer: Nebraska. Source: Wikipedia: Carhenge
  • The cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park are in which state? Answer: Colorado. Source: Wikipedia: Mesa Verde National Park
  • Crater Lake, the deepest U.S. lake, is in which state? Answer: Oregon. Source: Wikipedia: Crater Lake
  • Delicate Arch is the best-known sight in Arches National Park. Which state is it in? Answer: Utah. Source: Wikipedia: Arches National Park
  • El Capitan and Half Dome are granite landmarks in which national park? Answer: Yosemite. Source: Wikipedia: Yosemite National Park
  • General Sherman, the largest known single-stem tree on Earth by volume, is which kind of tree? Answer: A giant sequoia. Source: Wikipedia: General Sherman Tree
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park sits on the border of Tennessee and which other state? Answer: North Carolina. Source: Wikipedia: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
  • In 1906, which Wyoming rock tower became the first national monument in the United States? Answer: Devils Tower. Source: Wikipedia: Devils Tower
  • In which year did the Golden Gate Bridge open? Answer: 1937. Source: Wikipedia: Golden Gate Bridge
  • Monument Valley, with its red sandstone buttes, lies inside the land of which nation? Answer: The Navajo Nation. Source: Wikipedia: Monument Valley
  • Niagara Falls lies between New York State and which Canadian province? Answer: Ontario. Source: Wikipedia: Niagara Falls
  • Seattle's Space Needle was built for which event? Answer: The 1962 World's Fair. Source: Wikipedia: Space Needle
  • The tallest sand dunes in North America are in a national park in which state? Answer: Colorado. Source: Wikipedia: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
  • Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats are best known for what? Answer: Land speed records. Source: Wikipedia: Bonneville Salt Flats
  • Which Florida wetland is often called the River of Grass? Answer: The Everglades. Source: Wikipedia: Everglades
  • Which of these presidents is carved on Mount Rushmore? Answer: Theodore Roosevelt. Source: Wikipedia: Mount Rushmore
  • Which of these states does NOT touch the Four Corners? Answer: Nevada. Source: Wikipedia: Four Corners Monument
  • Which two documents were both debated and adopted at Independence Hall? Answer: The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Source: Wikipedia: Independence Hall
  • Work on which giant mountain carving in the Black Hills began in 1948? Answer: The Crazy Horse Memorial. Source: Wikipedia: Crazy Horse Memorial
  • The world's longest known cave system is in Mammoth Cave National Park. Which state is it in? Answer: Kentucky. Source: Wikipedia: Mammoth Cave National Park

Rivers, lakes and mountains 21

  • Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America, was cut by which river? Answer: The Snake River. Source: Wikipedia: Hells Canyon
  • In 1934 a wind gust of 231 miles an hour was measured on top of which New Hampshire mountain? Answer: Mount Washington. Source: Wikipedia: Mount Washington
  • Joshua trees grow mostly in which desert? Answer: The Mojave. Source: Wikipedia: Yucca brevifolia
  • Lake Tahoe lies on the border of California and which other state? Answer: Nevada. Source: Wikipedia: Lake Tahoe
  • The Missouri River joins the Mississippi just north of which city? Answer: St. Louis. Source: Wikipedia: Missouri River
  • Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in which state? Answer: Washington. Source: Wikipedia: Mount Rainier
  • Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980. Which state is it in? Answer: Washington. Source: Wikipedia: Mount St. Helens
  • The Ohio River flows into the Mississippi at the southern tip of which state? Answer: Illinois. Source: Wikipedia: Ohio River
  • The Outer Banks are a chain of barrier islands off the coast of which state? Answer: North Carolina. Source: Wikipedia: Outer Banks
  • The Ozarks cover much of southern Missouri and the north of which other state? Answer: Arkansas. Source: Wikipedia: Ozarks
  • Pioneers crossed the Appalachians on the Wilderness Road through which mountain pass? Answer: Cumberland Gap. Source: Wikipedia: Cumberland Gap
  • Rain that falls west of the Continental Divide drains toward which ocean? Answer: The Pacific. Source: Wikipedia: Continental Divide of the Americas
  • The tall saguaro cactus with raised arms grows wild in which desert? Answer: The Sonoran. Source: Wikipedia: Saguaro
  • The view from which Colorado mountain inspired the song "America the Beautiful"? Answer: Pikes Peak. Source: Wikipedia: Pikes Peak
  • What is the biggest U.S. estuary? Answer: Chesapeake Bay. Source: Wikipedia: Chesapeake Bay
  • What is the wide, flat grassland east of the Rocky Mountains called? Answer: The Great Plains. Source: Wikipedia: Great Plains
  • Which is the largest of the Great Lakes? Answer: Lake Superior. Source: Wikipedia: Lake Superior
  • Which is the only Great Lake that lies entirely inside the United States? Answer: Lake Michigan. Source: Wikipedia: Lake Michigan
  • Which mountain is tallest in the 48 contiguous states? Answer: Mount Whitney. Source: Wikipedia: Mount Whitney
  • Which river forms most of the line between Washington and Oregon? Answer: The Columbia. Source: Wikipedia: Columbia River
  • Which river forms the border between Texas and Mexico? Answer: The Rio Grande. Source: Wikipedia: Rio Grande

State nicknames and license plates 26

  • Colorado is the "Centennial State" because it became a state in which year? Answer: 1876. Source: Wikipedia: Colorado
  • "Live Free or Die" is the official motto of which state, and appears on its license plates? Answer: New Hampshire. Source: Wikipedia: Live Free or Die
  • Oklahoma is the "Sooner State". Who were the Sooners? Answer: Settlers who claimed land before the official start. Source: Wikipedia: Sooners
  • Plates from which place protest "Taxation Without Representation"? Answer: Washington, D.C. Source: Wikipedia: Vehicle registration plates of Washington, D.C.
  • Which state calls itself the "Sportsman's Paradise"? Answer: Louisiana. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state has printed "Birthplace of Aviation" on its license plates? Answer: Ohio. Source: Wikipedia: Vehicle registration plates of Ohio
  • Which state is "America's Dairyland"? Answer: Wisconsin. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is known as "Big Sky Country"? Answer: Montana. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is known as the "Old Dominion"? Answer: Virginia. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is nicknamed "Vacationland"? Answer: Maine. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is nicknamed the "Last Frontier"? Answer: Alaska. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is the "Aloha State"? Answer: Hawaii. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is the "Beehive State"? Answer: Utah. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is the "Bluegrass State"? Answer: Kentucky. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is the "Empire State"? Answer: New York. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is the "Golden State"? Answer: California. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is the "Grand Canyon State"? Answer: Arizona. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is the "Hoosier State"? Answer: Indiana. Source: Wikipedia: Indiana
  • Which state is the "Keystone State"? Answer: Pennsylvania. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is the "Land of Enchantment"? Answer: New Mexico. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is the "Land of Lincoln"? Answer: Illinois. Source: Wikipedia: Illinois
  • Which state is the "Ocean State"? Answer: Rhode Island. Source: Wikipedia: List of U.S. state and territory nicknames
  • Which state is the "Volunteer State"? Answer: Tennessee. Source: Wikipedia: Tennessee
  • Which state's license plates have read "Famous Potatoes"? Answer: Idaho. Source: Wikipedia: Vehicle license plates of the United States
  • Which state's license plates say "First in Flight"? Answer: North Carolina. Source: Wikipedia: Vehicle registration plates of North Carolina
  • Wyoming license plates have shown which picture since 1936? Answer: A bucking horse and rider. Source: Wikipedia: Vehicle registration plates of Wyoming

Cars and road history 18

  • The color of American school buses was chosen at a conference in which year? Answer: 1939. Source: Wikipedia: School bus yellow
  • The diesel engine is named after what? Answer: Its German inventor. Source: Wikipedia: Rudolf Diesel
  • Edward Hines of Wayne County, Michigan, is credited with which road safety idea in 1911? Answer: The painted center line. Source: Wikipedia: Edward N. Hines
  • The first cloverleaf interchange in the United States opened in 1929 in which state? Answer: New Jersey. Source: Wikipedia: Cloverleaf interchange
  • The first drive-in movie theater opened in 1933 in which state? Answer: New Jersey. Source: Wikipedia: Drive-in theater
  • The first electric traffic signal in the United States was installed in 1914 in which city? Answer: Cleveland. Source: Wikipedia: Traffic light
  • Five miles is roughly how many kilometers? Answer: Eight. Source: Wikipedia: Mile
  • How many feet are in a mile? Answer: 5,280. Source: Wikipedia: Mile
  • In 1903 Horatio Nelson Jackson made the first drive across the United States. Who rode along? Answer: A dog named Bud. Source: Wikipedia: Horatio Nelson Jackson
  • In 1974 the United States set a national speed limit to save fuel. What was it? Answer: 55 miles an hour. Source: Wikipedia: National Maximum Speed Law
  • In the United States, traffic moves around a roundabout in which direction? Answer: Counterclockwise. Source: Wikipedia: Roundabout
  • The raised bumps that mark lanes on some highways are named after Elbert Botts. What are they called? Answer: Botts' dots. Source: Wikipedia: Botts' dots
  • The three-point seat belt found in cars today was developed in 1959 by an engineer from which country? Answer: Sweden. Source: Wikipedia: Nils Bohlin
  • What are the grooved strips along the edge of a highway designed to do? Answer: Warn a drifting driver with noise and vibration. Source: Wikipedia: Rumble strip
  • Which instrument on the dashboard measures how far a car has traveled? Answer: The odometer. Source: Wikipedia: Odometer
  • Who coined the word "horsepower" to compare steam engines with working horses? Answer: James Watt. Source: Wikipedia: Horsepower
  • William Potts, who built the first traffic light with four ways and three colors in 1920, had which job? Answer: He ran the police department's signals. Source: Wikipedia: Traffic light
  • The word "motel" is a blend of which two words? Answer: Motor and hotel. Source: Wikipedia: Motel

How it works

These 158 trivia questions for a road trip are about the road itself, in six topics. Which state capital can no road reach? Why does I-95 have an odd number? Who were the Sooners? What are the raised dots between highway lanes called?

Read the full guide

Match the round to the road

Crossing a state line? Set Start from, below the question, to State nicknames and license plates and ask which state's plates were first to carry a slogan. On an Interstate, Highways and road signs explains what exit 120 tells you. Near a park gate, Landmarks and national parks asks which state holds the tallest sand dunes in North America.

Keep score without paper

For a scored game, set Start from back to All topics, pick Scored round and press Start the round. It marks 20 questions at the end, by topic, so the back seat can see that highways sank them. On a trip of several days, open More options at breakfast and press Question of the day. It is one shared question before the drive.

  • Give the driver a vote and never the phone. The front passenger reads, taps and keeps score.
  • Children in the back? States and capitals and the nickname topic hold 16 of the 29 easy questions.
  • Highways and road signs is the hard topic: 18 of its 33 are hard, such as the city with the first yield sign.

Questions and answers

Are these trivia questions for the car too hard for kids in the back seat?

Some are. The pack is mixed on purpose, because a car holds mixed ages. An easy one asks which state is the Aloha State, and the hardest should stump most adults. Every topic has all three levels, and the levels are our estimate.

Can we play where there is no phone signal?

Yes, if you open the page before the signal goes. All 158 questions arrive with the page and keep working through a dead zone while the tab stays open. A reload needs signal. To be sure, finish a set and press Print before you leave.

Will the answers still be right next year?

They should be. Each answer was read on September 19, 2026 in the Wikipedia article linked under it. Speed limits, tolls, populations and records are left out. States redesign their plates, so most slogan questions ask for words that have appeared on a plate.

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