I am flying to Sacramento to pick up a car and then drive it back to Winfield, Kansas. My options are 1) take I-80 into Nebraska and then drive South down Highway 81; 2) take I-80 to I-25, drive South into Denver and then take I-70 into Kansas and then South on I-35; and 3) take I-5 out of Sacramento, go East on 58 into Bakersfield, take Highway 395 to I-40, take I-40 into Oklahoma City and the North on I-35.

My plans do not include stopping to see sites or attractions.

I am looking for the fastest and safest route. I have driven I-40 multiple times (Texas to California) but have never traveled I-80 or I-70. A previous post identified taking I-70 into Denver is not recommended. Google Map indicates Options 1 & 2 to be 25 hours and Option 3 to be 26 hours.

Any suggestions on the best route would be truly appreciated.

BTW, thank you to janisj and thursdaysd for their help and guidance!

Why would you detour off I-80? I-80 goes from the George Washington Bridge (Fort Lee NJ) to the Oakland Bay bridge.
It crosses I-5 about 6 miles north of Sacramento.
Go east on I-80 through Cheyenne all the way to US 183 south in Nebraska This avoids the traffic in the Denver area.
There is a YOLO bus to get you from SMF into downtown Sacramento.
If you have to spend the night in Sacramento, the HI hostel is at the corner of 10 & H. It is a Victorian mansion and is my favorite hostel.

I've driven I-70 twice and I-40 many times (I haven't ever driven I-80), and other than a very desolate stretch through Nevada, didn't have any issues with I-70. And the drive through the Rockies is great. I can't say that this route had fewer trucks than I-40, but that's my major beef with that particular interstate.

However, given that you are coming from Sacramento and going to Winfield, I-70 seems to me the most direct route.

Plan on 7 hours even from North Platte Nebraska to Winfield via Holdredge Nebraska (US 183).
Depending on the airfare to SMF and how much time you have, there is an Amtrak station that serves the California Zephyr in the small town of Holdredge. The Zephyr stops in Denver and Salt Lake City with a stop in downtown Sacramento on its way to Emeryville (San Francisco).

You want to drive UP and DOWN in Colorado? Go ahead and take 70 and enjoy the Denver thing, too.

OR take 70 and go up about one "hill" between Laramie and Cheyenne. Much flatter route across the Great Divide Basin.

Up to you and enjoy whatever route you take.

Dukey, I think you meant: "OR take 80" (not 70).

The OP didn't say when this is happening. If soon, then the weather could decide. It's possible that one of those routes will have the best conditions. Check wind as well as precip, then decide. Also, look at the state Department of Transportation websites for any planned delays or construction.

Have a good trip.

If the trip is to take place very shortly, it might be better to take the southern route to avoid potential winter storms. It's only one hour longer than the route taking I80 and I70 according to Google.

There isn't anything wrong with I70 and it is a pretty drive through the mountains. If you are going to Kansas, seems pretty straightforward.

Et Al:

Thank you for your replies and guidance, it is most appreciated!!!

I would never advise anyone to go through Bakersfield and over the Tehachapi Pass to Barstow on 58.

>>I would never advise anyone to go through Bakersfield and over the Tehachapi Pass to Barstow on 58.

I remember a trip from Bakersfield on an Amtrak bus. We headed out 58 and ended up turning around and going over the Grapevine and through the Antelope Valley to Palmdale.
The windmills you see in the Tehachapi Pass that are not turning were the property of Enron. They were built by GE which has no desire to fix them or tear them down.
I'll take my chances with the Donner Pass I-80 any day.

And the reason for the detour was that the windmills were not turning?

The winds were so strong in the pass that the highway was shut down about 15 miles out of Bakersfield.
The bus driver after a 10 minute wait drove over the median and back to Bakersfield to get on 99 south to I-5 and the Grapevine and went over 138 to get to Palmdale.

This isn’t surprising considering that the winds through the pass average 14 to 20 miles per hour from one year to the next. Wind speeds vary with the terrain, season, and time of day. Average wind speeds approach nearly 9 meters per second (about 20 miles per hour). This places much of the Tehachapi Pass in wind power class 6 (these classes range from class 1, the lowest, to class 7, the highest).

On any given day anything is possible with the weather--at least in my world. A bus and wind is different from a car and wind, IMO.

I also think snow storms are pretty easy to see in the forecast. 80 just seems too far north--and snow/blizzards happen there also.

We've driven through Tehachapi many times and at different times of year with no problems whatsoever. If it makes sense for you to take this route, don't hesitate to do so.

Lee Ann

This week is a textbook example of why keeping an eye on the weather is a good idea.

Yesterday, one of the routes would have been bad due to a red flag wind alert for hundreds of miles. Today that route would be the only option due to a spring blizzard closing the other two!

What a difference a day makes.