President Donald Trump’s administration is embracing “The Great American Road Trip” ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary, encouraging Americans to experience the “heart” of this great country.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is partnering with the American Road Trip Inc., producing a list of over 250 road trip locations across the nation in anticipation of the country’s 250th birthday celebration, more formally known as the country’s semiquincentennial. The list encourages travelers to visit areas in the heart of the country that they may not think of rather than well-known cities and tourist attractions. The list includes small towns, family-owned diners, hole in the walls, “hidden gems,” and more.
According to DOT, lawmakers will give constituents “The Great American Road Trip Passports,” described as “pocket-sized souvenirs Americans can ‘stamp’ featured at more than 250 road trip locations.” Each place will also feature a QR code with more information on each individual stop.
Dozens of visits are already visible on the website, highlighting the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut; the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts; the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin; the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas; the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia, and much, much more.
Americans are encouraged to go on a cheese tasting trip through Vermont, visit the Haystack Rock in Oregon, ride the Lumberjack Special Steam Train in Wisconsin, take part in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, or sightsee at Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.
“As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, the nation is confronting one simple but profound question: Who are we?” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, highlighting this partnership.
“Fierce debates over American identity are only intensifying on cable news panels and across social media. But you’ll never find the answer by listening to the nightly news or scrolling through TikTok,” he said. “America isn’t something you can understand from a screen. It has to be experienced—on its roads, in its towns, across its landscapes, and among Americans.
“Taking a road trip in America isn’t just a vacation. It’s a civic experience. It’s one of the most powerful ways to understand the vast, beautiful, complicated place we call home,” he continued.
“That’s why, in honor of our nation’s 250th anniversary, I accepted an invitation from The Great American Road Trip Inc. to rediscover the country—not through a cell phone or a headline, but mile by mile, window down and heart open,” Duffy added. “My hope is that other families will feel inspired to do the same. In this 250th anniversary year, let’s not just celebrate America. Let’s explore it.”
This is just one of several Freedom 250 initiatives embraced by the DOT as the nation’s 250th birthday approaches. Earlier this year, the department announced the 250 Grand Prix, as D.C. will host what has been described as the “first-ever IndyCar street race around the capital.” That event is set to take place August 21-23.
Of that event, Duffy said, “Freedom doesn’t ring, it revs!”
Festivities have already kicked off with a commemorative event that began December 31, 2025, featuring a midnight countdown illuminating the Washington Monument. The administration has also announced plans for a “Patriot Games” event this year, which will feature top high school athletes from each state competing in sporting events.
Other events Americans can look forward to this year include the “Great American State Fair” on the National Mall this summer – kicking off June 25 – as well as an Ultimate Fighting Championship event taking place at the White House on June 14.
The next event on the Freedom 250 calendar is the “Rededicate 250: National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving” celebration, taking place on the National Mall on May 17:
Join with neighbors and friends from every state in the Union in giving thanks and praise to God for 250 years of His Providence for the United States, in praying that God Bless and Protect America for the next 250 years, and in solemnly rededicating our country as One Nation under God. In speech, song, and storytelling, we will bear witness to the extraordinary story of how God has powerfully and wondrously shaped the United States of America—remembering the people, sacrifices, and defining moments in which God has powerfully manifested Himself in our history.
This is more than an event — it is a once in a lifetime national moment.
It is all part of the work of the nonprofit organization Freedom 250, established at the direction of President Trump.
