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|language = English(de facto), ''Spanish, French (unofficial State level)''widely spoken in southwest and Florida|capital = [[WashingtonD.C.|Washington DC]]|pop = 303317,893791,000

|hitch BW = US|map= <map lat= {{Good}} ('39.44525647027036'goodlng='-98.6623687744132') to {{Average}} (zoom='3'averageview='0' />|hitch = <rating country='us')/>

'''''For specific state informationHitching, have a look at like everything else in America, varies greatly depending on what type of area and what part of the bottom of this pagecountry you are passing through.'''''[[Image:Kasper-hitch-nh.jpg|thumb|250px|[[User:guaka|guaka]]<small>^{[http://guaka.org site]In general you can get rides fairly easily if you hitchhike the right way; in fact, often you can find more than just rides, [[user talk:guaka|wikitalk]]}</small> hitching in New Englandsuch as offers for free meals, taken by [[amylin]]invitations to homes and parties, September 2007]]etc.

In most states you can´t hitch from the interstates Many Americans have a limited worldview. (motorways) themselves, but you I can always stand on the on-ramp (entry rampsay this because I am one.) like We think there are two places in [[Europe]]the world: America and other places. In a select few areas (such as certain towns or municipal areas) hitching Don't waste your time explaining that "American" is illegal everywhere, however de facto it is still allowedan incorrect demonym. The police in a region may interpret laws related And get used to hitchhiking differently, at times forcing a hitchhiker to choose an alternate route by walking or using other means our senseless system of transportationmeasurement. In most cases, though, hitchhiking is legal or tolerated as long as you are not on the interstate itself, where it is rightly considered It's a safety issue. There are also many limited-access highways (i.e. with on ramps and off ramps) that are not part of the interstate system; these typically prohibit hitchhiking as well (other than at the on ramp)our culture.

In Despite a large number of immigrants all across the West Coast it's generally easier country, most Americans are still curious about people from different parts of the world, fascinated by foreign accents, and eager to introduce visitors to hitchhikeAmerican culture. In [[Oregon]] it's even legal Despite an undercurrent of xenophobia and racism in rural parts of the country, Americans tend to hitchhike right on the interstateshave a pragmatic view towards foreigners: Americans might profoundly dislike your country of origin, but they will rarely hold that against you as an individual.

A lot of Relative to other Western countries, people in the '''rural United States''' are profoundly religious. People who pick you up might inquire about your religion. If you're notreligious, try to deal with it in a positive way and accept the difference. More often you will be picked up by really cool Despite a level of religious intolerance much higher than in Europe, Americans tend to have a pragmatic approach to people! Most of the time [[Userunfamiliar religious backgrounds:Guaka|Guaka]] was dropped off exactly at his point Americans tend not to judge you badly even if they might be suspicious of destinationyour religion.

Every === Cars ===''Driving in the United States are issuing is similar to driving in Canada, but very different from driving in Europe. It is not uncommon for Americans to drive more than an hour each way to work, and 77 percent of Americans drive alone to their own specific car platesjobs... For example, a car from Alabama will Most states allow people to drive unaccompanied once they have a specific reached the age of 16.'' -[httphttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/License_plates_of_the_United_States Car licenseDriving_in_the_United_States Wikipedia: Driving in the United States] tagged as such.

==Long vsThere are more than 250 million registered vehicles in the USA, the most of any country. short distance==If you're going for speed over Everyone has a long distance (3+ hours)car, then the best bet and gas is to stay on the interstates (designated by "I-##) instead so cheap that people drive everywhere. As a result there are a lot of local roads and highways. Try Sometimes you may need to stick change your technique to accommodate unfamiliar infrastructure. Sometimes it can be hard to on-ramps that have truck stopsfind a place with slow traffic! Although traffic is heavy, rest stops, or any other reason for drivers to stop there hitchhiking is also hard because nobody trusts somebody with no car. (restaurants, gas stations, etcWhy don't you have a car? There must be something wrong with you.) You can also It would help to look for rides at the truck stops themselveslike a foreigner, but be discreet about it don't go so far as some staffs or customers are rather unfriendly to hitchers wave a foreign flag around. Hitchhiking is not as common as in Europe and will rudely ask you Latin America, so expect to have to explain yourself, possibly to leave their property or call the police . (See the section on youpolice below).

If you are only going a few hundred kilometers, you can often make better time on state or local roads. There are many more places to wait at, and there is much more potential traffic. Most of the traffic on the Interstate == Transportation system won't be able to notice you while on the on-ramp. Even if you are going long distances, if you aren't concerned about making good time then getting off the interstates can be a very rewarding experience. Local highways and smaller roads will grant you a better picture of what local life is like in that area, and typically offer a greater variety of drivers.==

==Police=Interstates ===[[File:2006-interstate-map.png|right|A map of the interstate system in 2006. ]]OftenAn 'interstate', particularly close to major citiesalso known as an '''expressway''', the police will ask you for photo ID'''freeway''', but as long as you have one with you or (such as a passportconfusingly) there shouldn't be ''highway''', is a problemlarge, multilane road that covers vast distances, and passes through major cities. Most of If you aren't planning on going to the time they will be friendly when you come up cleancountryside, sometimes even driving you probably won't need to a better spotstray far from the interstate system.

In some statesInterstates are designated on maps by "I-..." and have road signs [http://hitchwiki.org/en/File:InterstateSign.svg#file like this]. Even-numbered routes run from west to east and are numbered from south to north. For example, like [[New JerseyI-10]] runs across the south from [[L.A.]] and to [[New York StateJacksonville, FL]], on and I-90 across the East Coast and North from [[NevadaSeattle]] and to [[ArizonaBoston]] in the West. Likewise, hitchhiking is illegal odd- though in most it's notnumbered expressways start with [[I-5]] along the west coast (Seattle to L.A. Even if it's not actually illegal, ) and I-95 along the police can ticket you for ''loitering'' or ''vagrancy''east coast ([[Maine]] to [[Miami]]).

The main interstates have two or three numbers, as in I-8 or I-76. Offshoots or ring roads will have a preceeding digit, for example, I-295, which runs along I-95.  ==EatMethods for catching rides ==On If you're going for speed over a long distance (3+ hours), then the best bet is to stay on the interstates. Highways are better for shorter or more senic trips.  === Interstates ==='''Thumbing it on on-ramps''' is sometimes the best way to hitchhike the interstates. Standing along the shoulder with a thumb or sign can take a few hours so bring something to read. Try to stick to exits that large towns, truck stops, [[rest area|rest stops]] or any other reason for drivers to stop there (restaurants, [[petrol station hitchhiking|gas stations]], hotels, etc.). Ask a driver to drop you off at on on-ramp with plenty of traffic.  For this same reason, be prepared to turn down a ride with someone who's "just going to the next exit". Getting dropped off on a low-traffic exit is the back gravest danger when hitching on interstates. It can easily lead to long, long delays of a car every ten minutes and none of receipts at all Burger King restaurants them stopping. Eventually you may give up and stand on the highway or walk a few miles to the next exit. Since pedestrians are not allowed along interstates in most states, you are likely to be picked up by a state trooper. In the best case, your ID will be check and you may will be given a lift to the next exit. See the section on police.  When making '''signs''' in the Ustates, it best to use the two-letter state abbreviations, which are universally understood, notable exceptions being OK, HI, and LA. The first two could be confused for words, the last ([[Louisiana]]) could be confused with ([[Los Angeles]]). Additionally:  *"Philly" = [[Philadelphia]]*"D.C." = [[Washington, D.C.]]*"N.Y.C." = [[New York City]]*"S.F" = [[San Francisco]]*"L.A." = [[Los Angeles]]*"NOLA" = [[New Orleans]] (not universally understood, but in the South at least) '''Asking for rides at rest areas or gas stations''', is often one of the quickest ways to get a very long distance ride, but soliciting and loitering is might be prohibited there and sometimes you will be kicked out before finding a ride. A good way to avoid being kicked out is to greet everyone entering the building with a friendly smile and give them a friendly nod, then ask them for a ride as they leave the building. This gives them time to become comfortable with your presence and prevents them from having the opportunity to complain about your solicitation to the employees.  '''Asking for rides at truck stops''' is the same way. As a rule, Love's, Petro, and TA will be the quickest to kick you out. Pilot/Flying J truck stops and smaller locally owned truck stops are generally a lot more lenient. You may even find signs that prohibit you from soliciting a ride, so caution is necessary like asking instead of showing them a sign to your destination. === US/State Highways ===If you are only going a hundred miles or less, you can often make better time on US highways, state highways, or even local roads. Even if you are going long distances, if you aren't concerned about making good time, getting off the interstates can be a very rewarding experience. Local highways will grant you a better picture of what local life is like in that area, and typically offer a tollgreater variety of drivers and scenery. To hitchhike on these highways, it is best to stand at the edge of town right before the speed limit picks up, even walking on the highways also helps as shoulders most of the way are pretty wide. Standing at stop lights outside of towns along these highways is also a great way to catch a ride, even if the speed limit is quite high. === Urban and Suburban Short Distance ===If you are hitchhiking within a large metropolitan area and trying to get to another part of the city, it is best to stay on the interstate on-ramps unless you want to do a lot of walking. Most larger cities have interstates passing through them and often have one or more spur or circumferential interstates surrounding them. These spur and circumferential interstates are designated by a three-digit highway number with signs that look just like normal blue interstate signs. When hitchhiking on these roads, it is best to accept every ride, even if they are only going a mile, as each exit you get to is closer to your destination and you are unlikely to get stranded on any of these ramps due to the amount of traffic. An alternate method to hitchhiking within urban areas is to walk up to cars stuck at red lights and ask them in person if you can have a ride in the direction they are going. This works best if they already have their window down, but usually people will roll their window down to talk to you if you stand in front of their car trying to get their attention. Another way is to pay a small amount for public transportation to drop you off outside the city(check your map/GPS). You may also wish to try asking for rides at smaller local gas stations, but you are unlikely to make as much progress doing this. === Getting out of big cities ===You may find yourself in very sprawled out cities like LA or Phoenix, then try your luck on Craigslist! I (http://hitchwiki.org/en/User:Nora) crossed the US and found a few rides on Craiglist, messaging people who offer rides and asking if they would take me for free phone number . Probably works best as a foreigner and a blank coupongirl, but is worth a try. And maybe you can 'pay' in stories or music! == Police/Laws ==[[File:Unitedstateslaws.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Overview of hitchhiking laws by state.<br> Green: Hitchhiking legal while on the shoulder of the road <br> Yellow: Hitchhiking legal while off the traveled portion of the road, stay in the grass to be safe. <br> Red: Hitchhiking is completely illegal.<br> Gray: Specific laws, check the respective state article(s).]] The legal status of hitchhiking in the United States is a bit of a difficult topic; laws and their enforcement differ greatly from state to state as does the information available online and in general knowledge. Call Many people (including police officers) mistakenly believe hitchhiking is illegal anywhere in the number US; sometimes you'll get away with holding a cardboard sign but not with holding out your thumb, and sometimes nobody will hassle you even if you stand or walk right on the interstate. The specific articles on states will give you more information on this topic. === Police === Many police in this country have arrest quotas, not to mention many police (not all!) are assholes. That being said, you may encounter an officer of the law who is a rather enthusiastic about giving you a hard time. Keep in mind that even foreigners have rights, such as the right to refuse being searched. For good information about dealing with the police, check out https://www.flexyourrights.org/  Being in a state which permits hitchhiking does not guarantee that the police will not harass you. Most police don't know the laws and will tell you it is illegal to hitchhike in that state. [[User:Thewindandrain|Thewindandrain]] argues with cops on a regular basis and refuses to stop hitchhiking where it is legal. He has been innocently arrested for this twice, but has remained confident and never been taken to jail even after being cuffed and in the car and continuing to stand up for his rights. They are usually bluffing right to the very end. If you know the law in that state, don't be connected afraid to tell the police they are wrong! Frequently when confronted with your response, law enforcement officers will react unprofessionally and occasionally aggressively and even in a discriminatory way if you are not their race (sad but true: white people will have an automated customer satisfaction polleasier time than blacks or latinos). They may curse, call you names, and/or threaten to arrest you if they see you hitchhiking again and then leave the scene. This is usually a bluff. They may even cuff you then give you a ride out of their jurisdiction. Occasionally they may admit to their mistake and leave you alone. If you are uncomfortable and feel threatened by the officer, you may request to speak to his/her supervisor. Supervisors will show up to talk with you about the law openly and professionally. === National laws ===The only nationwide law (Code of Federal Regulations) that prohibits hitchhiking is 36 CFR 4.31 which states that hitchhiking is illegal on any property under jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior: National Park Service. At This includes but is not limited to National Parks, National Scenic Byways, and National Recreation Areas. This law is often amended to allow hitchhiking at the end discretion of each park. Check with the park's respective state article for information === State and local laws ===Look to the map pictured above which indicates each state's laws. Most often, the laws state that the hitchhiker may not "solicit a ride" "on a roadway". The word roadway is usually defined in state statute books as "exclusive of a shoulder" or "the traveled portion of the highway", making these statutes easy to circumvent. In most states it's illegal to hitch from the interstates ([[highway|motorways]]) themselves (though enforcement of this rule varies), but you can typically stand at [[on-ramp]]s (highway entries). That being said, understand that the ramps are still technically considered interstate property and are illegal for pedestrians to be on, although it is almost without exception permitted if you stand in front of the "no pedestrians" sign.  In some areas (such as certain towns or municipal areas) hitching is illegal everywhere, however, it is still allowed de facto. In most cases, hitchhiking is legal or tolerated. There are also many limited-access highways (i.e. with on-ramps and [[off-ramp]]s) that are not part of the interstate system which prohibit pedestrians as well. [[California]] is notorious for prohibiting pedestrians on many of its controlled access highways. Even in states where hitchhiking is illegal, the law is rarely enforced. Wyoming Highway Patrol reports that in 2010, they approached 524 hitchhikers but only cited eight of them (note that hitchhiking is no longer illegal in Wyoming as of 2013!) If the police pass you walking or sitting by the side of the pollroad without soliciting in any way, they may still stop to check IDs, but you are not required to identify yourself unless there is suspicion that you could have committed a crime. You may wish to hide your thumb or sign when a police car is approaching to avoid being hassled. Often, particularly close to major cities, the [[police]] will ask you for photo ID, but as long as you have one with you (such as a passport) there shouldn't be a problem. Most of the time they will be given polite when you come up clean, and not too rarely they'll give you a lift out of their area to get rid of you. Especially in smaller towns and in the countryside, the officer stopping you is likely to never have seen a code passport before. If that's your form of ID, bear with the delay caused, help the poor guy out by point out which is your name and your birth date and enjoy the confusion and the hilarious misconceptions that arise. Tourists who intend to cross into the USA by hitchhiking should note that the US immigration department will log that you have been hitchhiking, should they discover that you are. This log will be visible to any guard who subsequently checks your immigration status. If you decide to leave and enter the USA again, it may make your entry back into the blank spot USA more difficult if it is not a hitchhiker friendly state. == Personal Experiences == [[File:Unitedstateshitchhiking.jpg|thumb|400px|''Relative Ease of Hitchhiking Each State of America (based on a survey of hitchhikers with 114,000 miles cumulative experience.)''.<br> Green: Easy <br> Yellow: Average <br> Red: Difficult]] ''Haven't hitched extensively there, but where I have, the coupon experiences have been unique. I've hitched Oregon to Mexico along the famous highway 101. I also hitched from Oregon to Chicago on i90 in the back dead of winter. Lots of your receiptclothes for that one, and a warm place to retreat to at every stop. The coupon most remarkable thing about hitching in the States is that you get picked up by REALLY interesting people. Not all the time. But our beloved weirdos are more common in the US than anywhere else I've hitched. Regardless of what you think about the States, it's easily one of the most interesting places to hitchhike, especially if you LIKE adventure.'' - [[User:Chael777|Chael]]  ''Have hitchhiked moderately in US, about 9,000 miles(including ferries and train hopping). Its a diverse country so generalizing a state or even a county(as I have been picked up in the most conservative counties) would not be right. I have been picked up by really awesome people(some of them are now my friends), Friendly cops(who offered me water and money) to discriminatory cops(who just wanted to get rid of me), people who turned out to be gay(asked sexual favors), bored people looking for a good conversation(what you have to do is just listen and and ask question to acknowledge that you are listening), people who saw me as a curious and tired foreigner etc. It was a great experience and helped me learn a lot about the culture here. One thing I learned is that if you are having fun then you get picked up easily as compared to when you are not. My personal favorite states are [[Alaska]] and [[Missouri]].'' - [[User:Keep_trying|Tarun]]  ''I hitchhiked over 200,000 miles in 50 states of the US, 19 states of Mexico, and 8 provinces of Canada I would say in general that it is easy to hitchhike in all those countries but some of the most difficult places are in America. Each state varies greatly in geography and ease of hitchhiking. In the south, for example it is easier to hop freight trains since the hitching is so difficult. My favorite states for travelers are [[Colorado]], [[California]], [[New Mexico]], [[Oregon]], and [[Arkansas]]. I have hitched alone, and with numbers of other people. Hitchhiking with two people or large equipment like a free chicken sandwich bicycle or small whopper kayak seems to give shortest waits. I would rank hitchhiking as a slightly more risky activity than cycle touring on windy highways with no shoulder. These days I prefer to ride freight trains and motorized bicycles, and I recommend you do the same.'' - [[User:Thewindandrain|Thewindandrain]]  ''I hitchhiked from Panama to the US, intending to go through the whole of the US by hitchhiking with purchase my little brother. I cannot recommend to hitchhike in pairs. It takes _days_ to find rides. We looked like regular guys, did 20k+ miles in more than 10 countries. If you do it, do it alone.'' - Summer '14  ''I crossed the US from Boston to San Francisco the southern way. The north east is tough, prepare for some waits and looks as if you were not worth anyone's attention. Luckily it gets better soon! Texas was the best state for me, lots of rides even from women, and basically no waites. Also California is pretty good to hitchhike, though more tourists. To all girls - it's definitely safe enough in my opinion, though I was asked for sex a drink or friesfew times by people not understanding hitchhiking much. And in general - for me waites for longer than in Europe (when alone I have to hardly wait longer than 10 minutes ever), but still the longest wait during the whole trip were ~2 hours at a bad spot. Pick up '' - [[user:Nora|Nora]] ''These experiences are from a large cup outside voyage undertaken during Autumn of 2023. Approximately 6 weeks in length, 41 rides, 3000 miles. Los Angeles to New Orleans with lots of detours. For context, I am young, male, Asian, clean shaven and have short hair. I travelled with only a backpack. It was difficult to get rides, whether I was standing on an onramp, walking on the interstate, asking at gas stations, waiting after traffic lights, standing on the rubbish shoulder etc. I tried pretty much every method of hitching, and refill would like to say none of them have good chances of getting a ride quickly. For me, it inside free was an even split between getting rides easily (matter of chargeminutes) and waiting HOURS for rides. At There is no State that was particularly easy, not even California along the 1 and 101 was easy, in fact some Burger Kingsof my longest waits were in California. But of course, no one goes to the US and expects hitching to be smooth sailing. Public opinion towards hitchhikers is terrible, the vast majority don't give a damn who you are, where you're from and where you're trying to get to. Expect to be given ugly looks and get used to being ignored, since people see you as just another homeless person, your meal which you are. Asking at gas stations is free if arduous, people are often scared and a lot simply won't take you no matter how nicely you ask. Mexicans will save you time and time again, they are often the only people who will pick you up on the side of the interstate or will actually hear you out at a gas station. Asking Mexicans or other Latinos in Spanish works beautifully, even a couple phrases will get you a vastly more positive response than using English. I often freedom camped in towns and rural areas, never in cities though. No bad experiences from that, but it does get cold. I preferred hitching at on ramps over gas stations just because I didn't want to run the goddamn gauntlet everytime I approached someone. Walking along the Interstate is an act of desperation, I don't recommend it (but have done it many times) because it is FUCKING DANGEROUS, and loud. Now the good parts: The people who do give you rides will be fucking AMAZING. Food, weed, beer, work, money, parties, couches to surf, fishing invites, intriguing conversations, crazy people, funny people, random people. WOW. The US has got it all, a receipt (therekaleidescope of humanity in overflowing abundance. When that ride finally comes, it will be awesome so HANG IN THERE. Cops didn't care if they were driving past and I was on an onramp but State troopers will give you a hard time if you're on an interstate, I got two rides from cops to their county border and also had the police called on me thanks to some Karen in Texas. Racism is to be expected in the South if you're a person of colour, but the blacks will be so much more friendlier if you aren't white. I was never threatened or harmed, but most of my drivers were terrible at driving, some drank, some were high. Be wary of that. In conclusion, this country is NOT a walk in the park to hitch. It's no way you hard. You'll need determination, the patience of a saint and a little courage, but it'll pay off. Trust me.''-The Falling Leaf. Hitchhikernick - I have hitched around the US many times, only 3 short of doing every state 3 times 😁. WOW what can loseI say, definitely the most generous nation. I have been given money and bought food so many times without asking, several times being 100$ bills😁. I'm actually there now on a skiing trip (Feb 2024) and same thing has happened on this trip. Waiting times have been from instant pickups where I haven't had time to put my bag down to waiting 2 days consecutively (highway 6 Nevada in Feb 2014). Never spend my own money and always leave with some money left over 😁. Average waiting time about 3.5hrs, though a lot less around ski areas. Definitely the only nation where I get checked by the cops, though many times they have proven to be helpful. Some times I have had to walk up the onramp but never got into trouble for doing so, if cops arrived they would generally give me a ride to a better spot, never been given a ticket. Definitely some of the greatest experiences too...drinking and partying with the natives in Monument valley, hitching and winging a ticket into Burning Man, crusing on a boat around Kachemak Bay and hiking to the magic bus in Alaska, camping and hiking around the Grand Canyon, Sedona and Yosemite, skiing all big ski resorts, experiencing city life and experiencing life with the homeless to name a few...!)!! You could spend a lifetime experiencing, travelling and tasting the USA 😉 == Links == Analyses of hitchhiking in the USA by [[User:Korn|Korn]] on warmroads.de [https://warmroads.de/en/hitchhiking-in-19-the-usa/ - Hitchhiking in the USA.]  == Nomadwiki & Trashwiki == {{nomadwiki}}

[[Category:United States|*]][[Category:North America]][[Category:Americas]]

[[fr:Etats États-Unis d'Amérique]]