The flexibility and spontaneity of road trips transform getaways into one-of-a-kind experiences. Each one is inimitable, incorporating last-minute explorations, delectable dining at local holes-in-the-wall, and a host of people you serendipitously come across during your travels. You can take a short trip, leaving early in the morning and arriving before midnight. This makes it so you’re home in time to sleep in your own bed, a full day’s worth of new memories swirling around in your brain. Or you can pack up your car and fill it to the brim with luggage, blankets, pillows, and snacks, so you’re all set to go explore the open road.
Everyone needs a little break from routine once in a while and when air travel isn’t in the budget, a road trip can scratch that get-away itch. You can go alone, with another person, or bring the whole crew along. No matter where you go, you’re inundated with new scenery. Sometimes it’s the bustling downtown of a major city and sometimes it’s a mountainous landscape that calls you further into the wilderness. You get to enjoy new sights and snap photos while spending quality time with the people you enjoy the most. (Looking for ideas? Here is the strangest roadside attraction in every state.)
These road trip trivia questions are appropriate for the whole family and cover a range of topics. Some are about geography, others are about animals, and others are more niche, covering topics like literature, music, movies, and games. There’s a pinch of history in the trivia questions as well. Overall, the questions are general, focused on pieces of information you should already have some knowledge on. Once you get through these, you can move on to other road trip games, like 21 questions, the counting game, or the name game.
To compile this list of road trip trivia questions, 24/7 Tempo reviewed several sources, including forums like Reddit and social media sites like Facebook to find the trivia questions fellow road trippers enjoy while they’re out and about exploring new places.
Q: The state of New York has how many Finger Lakes?
A: There are 11 Finger Lakes in New York.
Q: What is the fear of dogs called?
A: Cynophobia.
Q: How many pips are there on a six-sided dice?
A: 21.
Q: Which is the only state that doesn’t have a rectangular flag?
A: Ohio (the flag has a swallowtailed burgee).
Q: What country is known for the dish poutine?
A: Canada.
Q: What interstate highway is known as the ‘Main Street of America’?
A: Interstate 40.
Q: What wealthy country has no general speed limit?
A: Germany.
Q: Bottom and Titania are two characters in which Shakespeare play?
A: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Q: What famous statue was gifted to the U.S. by France in 1886?
A: The Statue of Liberty.
Q: What is the tallest human-made structure in the world and where is it located?
A: Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Q: Canada is famous for which sport?
A: Ice hockey.
Q: What was David Bowie’s real name?
A: David Robert Jones.
Q: The ‘thumbs up’ hand sign is considered an insult in which country?
A: Iran (it means “sit on it,” a meaning similar to the middle finger gesture).
Q: Name the seven continents.
A: South America, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.
Q: What city in the U.S. is known as ‘The Big Easy’?
NEW ORLEANS - FEBRUARY 20: Floats in the Rex parade roll along St. Charles avenue on Mardi Gras Day, February 20, 2007 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is the second Mardi Gras celebration since Hurricane Katrina devasted the Gulf Coast region. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A: New Orleans, Louisiana.
Q: What language is spoken in Brazil?
A: Portuguese.
Q: Antarctica is a desert. True or false?
Emperor Penguins in Antarctica
A: True (because it receives little snowfall or rain).
Q: The first iPhone was released in what year?
CUPERTINO, CA - SEPTEMBER 12: Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during an Apple special event at the Steve Jobs Theatre on the Apple Park campus on September 12, 2017 in Cupertino, California. Apple is holding their first special event at the new Apple Park campus where they are expected to unveil a new iPhone. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
A: 2007.
Q: The Empire State Building has how many floors?
A: 102 floors.
Q: What year did the Titanic sink?
A: 1912.
Q: Name the largest hot desert in the world.
A: The Sahara Desert.
Q: How many bones does a great white shark have?
Great White Shark, photographed from the safety of a cage in South Africa
A: Zero.
Q: List the four deserts found in the U.S.
A: Chihuahuan, Sonoran, Great Basin, and Mojave.
Q: What legendary creature symbolizes protection and good luck in Chinese mythology?
A: The dragon.
Q: Who wrote ‘Brave New World’?
A: Aldous Huxley.
Q: How many time zones does Russia have?
A: 11.
Q: What do you call the popular frozen dessert in Italy?
A: Gelato.
Q: What is the national dish of Taiwan?
A: Stinky tofu.
Q: How many states start with ‘New’?
A: Four states (New York, New Mexico, New Jersey, and New Hampshire).
Q: Which state capital is called the Mile High City?
A: Denver, Colorado (its official elevation is exactly 1 mile).
Q: Name the longest river in the world.
A: The Nile River.
Q: What is a ‘black box’ and where is it kept?
A: A recording device kept on airplanes.
Q: What do you call a baby kangaroo?
A: A joey.
Q: In what year did the Berlin Wall fall?
A: 1989.
Q: Which planet in our solar system is the largest?
A: Jupiter.
Q: Name the longest highway found throughout the world.
A: The Pan American Highway.
Q: What country is the largest?
A: Russia.
Q: What Greek mythological figure flew too close to the sun?
A: Icarus.
Q: How many ancient world wonders are there?
A: Seven.
Q: Name all the ancient world wonders.
A: Great Pyramids of Giza, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (pictured), the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
Q: Which president delivered the Gettysburg Address?
A: President Abraham Lincoln.
Q: What theory is Albert Einstein well-known for developing?
circa 1955: Mathematical physicist Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) delivers one of his recorded lectures. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
A: The Theory of Special Relativity.
Q: Which two countries share the longest international border?
A: The U.S. and Canada.
Q: Which state has the longest coastline?
A: Alaska.
Q: Name the four presidents carved into Mount Rushmore.
A: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.
Q: Nemo, the clown fish, is born in which well-known Australian landmark?
A: The Great Barrier Reef.
Q: What marine mammal is known as a sea cow?
A: The manatee.
Q: Name the highest peak in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro.
Q: Are any snakes native to New Zealand?
A: No.
Q: What is photosynthesis?
Young plant in the morning light on nature background
A: The process by which plants make their own food.
Q: What is the primary function of the human heart?
A: To pump blood.
Q: What are the three Baltic countries?
A: Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
Q: In what country do the tallest people in the world live?
A: The Netherlands.
Q: What country is the most mountainous in Europe?
A: Switzerland.
Q: How many dimples are in your typical golf ball?
A: 336.
Q: What sci-fi film grossed the most in the history of cinema?
A: “Avatar” (2009).
Q: Haggis is a national dish in which country?
A: Scotland.
Q: Where is Machu Picchu?
A: Peru.
Q: To calculate the speed of an object, there’s a formula. What is it?
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 23: Juan Pablo Montoya of Columbia, driver of the #2 Team Penske Chevrolet Dallara, celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 23, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
A: Speed = Distance/Time.
Q: Earth’s atmosphere is made up of primarily which gas?
A: Nitrogen.
Q: The Rosetta Stone sits in which museum?
A: The British Museum.
Q: Who wrote ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’?
A: Harper Lee.
Q: What is the most populated city in the world?
A: Tokyo, Japan.
Q: What is the name of the famous poem by Robert Frost?
A: “The Road Not Taken.”
Q: The Rocky franchise produced how many movies?
A: Nine. (Ready for more trivia? Try to answer these questions about the United States.)