Seattle area to Casa Grande I-5 or 93?

[Community Alumni]

Trying to do some route planning using the Good Sam planner and the route it serves up from Black Diamond, Wa. to Casa Grande Az., takes me over into Idaho and then down 93 through Nevada. I would have expected it to take me down I-5 through Oregon and California.
I-5 is of course a major freeway but I am unsure about 93. Can anyone tell me what 93 is like driving through Nevada? I will be heading that way in a couple weeks.
Thanks

[paulj]

Google Maps with terrain mode shows topography - shaded and contours when zoomed in. Curves, or lack there of, are also a good indicator of topograph. Roads curve to climb mountains or follow rivers. They go straight on flats - unless there are property boundaries to contend with.

Overall US93 is straighter and flatter than I5. There are grades on I84 through eastern Oregon.

[akrv]

The hard part about I-5 is the speed limits for pulling a trailer.WA=60 mph,OR=55 mph, CA=55 mph AZ=65. Take I-90 to WA-17 to WA-395 to I-82 to I-84. You can go I-90 to I-82 to I-84 just a lot hills fro Ellensbug to Yakima.Take to Bliss ID-30 to ID-93 (ID-30 is a good road with 10ft lanes or you can take the exit Twin Falls exit.).Take ID-93 to NV-93 to I-15 .If you do not want to drive thru Las Vegas and have a Federal park pass you can go thru Lake Mead National Park. Fill up at the Loves truck at 93 & I-15 gas is real costly until you get the other side of Kingman AZ. After you get on I-15 the next exit is Las Vegas Blvd (604)take this exit. Stay in the Left Lane and turn left on Nellis Blvd (612). Stay in the left lane go to Lake Mead Blvd (147) turn left go to the park. Once in the park follow the signs to Hover Dam. You will get back on NV-93 a mile or two west of the dam turn left and go over the new bridge. You are now on AZ-93. going down the hill into Kingmam stay in the left lane get on I-40 east to AZ-93.There are two truck stops east of Kingman that have the best prices for fuel Loves the first is usual 4 cents less.On AZ-93 to AZ-60 to AZ-303 to I-10. You have two choices go through Phoenix or bypass.Take the east I-10 exit to go through Phoenix. To bypass take the west I-10 exit to AZ-85 to I-8 east .

[obgraham]

Drifter: You can see the road surfaces on Google Maps, in the street view.

[obgraham]

Most of the Nevada routes are along the valley floors between the mountain ranges.
318 is 40 miles shorter.
The only climb is just east of Ely.
There are zero services on 318 however. On 93 you have Caliente.
Otherwise, road surface and remoteness are the same.

[Community Alumni]

Thanks obgraham,
Is SR 318 less remote than SR93 for that section of the state?

[Community Alumni]

I will be pulling my 33 ft 5th wheel so going 85 mph is way out of the question. I try to stay around 60-65. None of my resources really show what the road or geography is like on 93. Such as mountainous,flat,etc. I know on I-5 there are some passes such as the Siskiyou.

[obgraham]

I'm on the East side of WA, so for me 93 is more convenient. Been that way many times, will go again in a week.

After the interstate part, the route is most all 2-lane from Twin Falls to near Vegas, but the road surface is good. There is very little traffic on 93, and only a couple of climbs, none particularly difficult (Cabbage Hill on I-84 is the major climb of the trip.) Most of us prefer SR318 between Ely and Ash Springs.

However, 93 is very remote in places. Fuel up when you see it. And there can be some truly nasty winter weather. Checking the forecast is critical.

[paulj]

There are remote sections on I5?