Your total trip with all stops is around 2,880 miles / 4630 km, taking roughly 45 hours for the whole trip. If you want to see every small town along the way, you can get a full list of cities between SMX and IAD.
Start from Santa Maria Public Airport.
Bullhead City, Arizona is stopping point #1 after driving about 400 miles (650 km) or 6.5 hours.
Flagstaff, Arizona is stopping point #2 after driving about 180 miles (290 km) or 3 hours. Your total trip so far is about 580 miles or 940 km over roughly 10 hours of driving.
Albuquerque, New Mexico is stopping point #3 after driving about 320 miles (520 km) or 5 hours. Your total trip so far is about 910 miles or 1460 km over roughly 15 hours of driving.
Amarillo, Texas is stopping point #4 after driving about 290 miles (470 km) or 4 hours. Your total trip so far is about 1,200 miles or 1930 km over roughly 19 hours of driving.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is stopping point #5 after driving about 260 miles (420 km) or 4 hours. Your total trip so far is about 1,460 miles or 2350 km over roughly 23 hours of driving.
Memphis, Tennessee is stopping point #6 after driving about 470 miles (750 km) or 7 hours. Your total trip so far is about 1,920 miles or 3100 km over roughly 29.5 hours of driving.
Knoxville, Tennessee is stopping point #7 after driving about 390 miles (630 km) or 5.5 hours. Your total trip so far is about 2,310 miles or 3730 km over roughly 35.5 hours of driving.
Greensboro, North Carolina is stopping point #8 after driving about 290 miles (460 km) or 4.5 hours. Your total trip so far is about 2,600 miles or 4190 km over roughly 40 hours of driving.
Finally, Washington Dulles International Airport is your destination after driving about 280 miles (450 km) or 5.5 hours. Your total trip with all stops is around 2,880 miles or 4630 km, taking roughly 45 hours for the whole trip.
Travelmath helps you figure out where to stop when planning a long road trip from one location to another. The best stopping point for an overnight hotel stay or a break from driving often depends on how far or how long you want to drive before pausing to rest. You can find the closest city to your stopping point to look for hotels, or explore other cities and towns along the route. Use this as a road trip planner when you're driving cross-country or mapping a route with multiple stops.