America is home to some of the most spectacular road trips in the world, but there are still some dangers to contend with when deciding to travel through some of the most deserted routes in the US. Some routes have very high numbers of missing person cases, but how can so many people just mysteriously vanish? With this in mind, Forbes Advisor determined which of America’s iconic road trip routes are responsible for the highest number of missing people.
They utilised the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System listing over 20,000 missing persons in the United States to identify the top ten road trips with the most number of missing person cases.
The Pacific Coast Paradise road trip reveals to have the highest number of missing people – with 142 reported. With the missing cases equating to just the average age of 35, 93 males and 49 females have gone missing whilst close by to this route. But how can so many people mysteriously vanish and never be found?
Deemed as one of the most beautiful routes in the US and a firm favourite amongst TV and music lovers, the Pop Culture Crusin’ road trip has the second highest missing person cases, with a total of 105. Out of the 105 cases, 70 males have been reported missing and 35 females.
Not far behind is Surfing California with 86 missing people. This route ticks off some of the best surfing spots in the US as well as many great landmarks, but apparently comes at a price of safety – the average age of the victims is just 36 and the data reports that 58 males and 28 females are missing.
Road trips with the MOST missing people
| Route | Number of Missing Cases | Average Age |
| Pacific Coast Paradise |
142 |
35 |
| Pop Culture Cruisin’ |
105 |
38 |
| Surfing California |
86 |
36 |
| The Weird, Weird West |
86 |
32 |
| Getting Your Kicks (Route 66) |
73 |
35 |
| Into the Valleys |
63 |
31 |
| The Oregon Trail |
40 |
37 |
| The Rocky Mountains Road |
39 |
34 |
| The Grand Circle |
35 |
38 |
| The Stargazing States |
34 |
34 |
“*Figures represent reported cases within 2km of a road trip excluding those within 30km of a major city
Source: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)”
Fancy a road trip that has way more to offer than natural beauty? At the opposite end of the scale sits The Dakotas road trip with only 9 missing person cases reported nearby! The route goes between North and South Dakota and offers many scenic views throughout, as well as being close to many great national parks.
The Sounds Of The South road trip is amongst the road trip with the fewest missing people, with only 10 missing person cases reported. For lovers of southern blues and jazz music, this route travels through some of the most celebrated musical hotspots.
Road trips with the fewest missing people
| Route | Number of Missing Cases | Average Age |
| The Dakotas |
9 |
36 |
| Sounds of the South |
10 |
32 |
| The Road to Civil Rights |
15 |
37 |
| Best of the Midwest |
18 |
38 |
| Colorado Ski Adventure |
20 |
37 |
“*Figures represent reported cases within 2km of a road trip excluding those within 30km of a major city
Source: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)”
