People who have walked across the United States

Throughout American history, individuals have undertaken the extraordinary challenge of walking from coast to coast, often driven by personal missions, charitable causes, or the simple desire to accomplish something remarkable. These modern-day pioneers have covered thousands of miles on foot, inspiring others while raising awareness for important social issues and demonstrating the power of human determination and endurance.

Aaron Huey (American, born 1976): Left Encinitas, California, on January 22, 2002, and arrived in New York City 3,349 miles and 154 days later on June 25. His only travel companion was his dog Cosmo. He did not carry a cell phone and had no support team.

Anthony "Silverback" Roddy (American, born 1959): Retired USDA Forest Service worker who, at age 56, walked from Wells Beach, Maine, to Imperial Beach, California, between April 19 and December 15, 2015. A US Army veteran of the war in Iraq, he crossed 13 states in 244 days, walking approximately 3,073 miles for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Arthur Hitchcock (American): Documentary-editorial photographer who, at age 19, walked from Long Beach, California, to Augusta, Maine, between May 11 and November 2, 2011. He walked approximately 4,100 miles, crossing through 17 states in 175 days to raise funds for breast cancer research in honor of his deceased parents.

Barbara Moore (Russian-born, 1903-1977): Health enthusiast who walked 3,387 miles from San Francisco to New York City in 85 days in 1960, departing on April 13 and arriving on July 6.

Barrett Keene (American): PhD student at Cornell University who walked from Miami to San Francisco (through Nashville, Denver, and Salt Lake City) in 2012 to raise awareness and support for orphaned and abandoned children through the Global Orphan Project.

Ben Walther (American): Beat cancer and walked across America between May and November 2017, from California to Delaware, then rode a bicycle back home from Florida to California using Interstates 10 and 8.

Benjamin Lee (Australian): Walked from San Francisco to Delaware Bay between May 18 and November 30, 2013. Lee began his walk with a partner but continued solo and unsupported after his partner quit. He raised money for the charity Oxfam.

Bill Bucklew (American): Departed Tybee Island, Georgia, at 8:30 am, November 24, 2017, and arrived at Imperial Beach, San Diego, on January 31, 2018. Bucklew set the record for walking coast to coast in 67 days. He has Parkinson's disease and walked an average of 1.5 marathons per day, raising over $120,000 for the Michael J. Fox foundation.

Bjorn Suneson (Swedish, born 1948): Stockholm native who finished at age 71 his seventh unsupported run across the United States in 2019.

Bob Wieland (American): Vietnam War veteran who lost his legs to a mortar mine in 1969. He "ran" across America on his hands, taking three years, eight months, and six days to travel from coast to coast and raise money for Vietnam war veterans.

Bradford Lyttle (American): Organizer with the Committee for Non-Violent Action who walked from San Francisco to New York City, and then through parts of Europe to Moscow, Russia, from December 1960 until late 1961 as part of the San Francisco to Moscow March for Peace.

Chad Sigmon (American): Was 38 years old when he ran across America starting April 1, 2013, from Jacksonville, Florida, and ending August 1 in San Diego, California. He ran to help end mental health stigma, averaging around 22 miles a day for a total of 2,650 miles.

David Green (American, age 57): Left Jax Beach, FL on March 22, 2021, with his Brazilian stray dog Lucky, with the goal of raising awareness for adopted animals. Green touched the Pacific on September 26, 3,340.59 miles later, after Lucky succumbed to cancer during the journey.

Elliott Lannen and Graeme Jeffrey Lithgow (British): Walked from San Francisco, California, to St. Augustine, Florida, from 2013 to 2014. The party began with three members, but Julio Lopez abandoned the project after traversing the California coast.

Emily Haag (American, age 29): Began her run across the United States in Jacksonville Beach, FL on May 1, 2022. Her 2,500-mile run through seven states ended 85 days later in Santa Monica, CA on July 24, 2022, to raise money and awareness for Students Run LA.

Erwin Erkfitz (American): 47-year-old health food distributor who walked from Los Angeles, California to New York City in 1958, traveling 3,000 miles in 67 days, promoting a shoe and attempting to set what would be the record at the time.

Gary Cantrell "Lazarus Lake" (American): Co-creator of The Barkley Marathons who did a solo walk (LazCon) across America from Newport, RI to Newport, Oregon. The walk was a total of 3,365 miles and took him from May 10, 2018, to September 13, 2018.

Granny D (American, 1910-2010): Doris Haddock achieved international fame in February 2000 when, at age 90, she completed her walk across the U.S. to support campaign finance reform. She started the walk January 1, 1999, in Pasadena, California, and completed it on Leap Day of 2000, having traversed over 3,200 miles across nine states.

Hannah Bacon (American, age 27): Left from San Clemente, California on November 21, 2020 and arrived at Virginia Beach on June 12, 2021. Raising money for Sunrise Movement, a youth-led organization dedicated to solving issues around climate change, she walked for 207 days logging 3,081 miles.

Helga Estby (American, 1859-1942): A 36-year-old from Spokane, Washington, and her 18-year-old daughter Clara walked from Spokane to New York City in 1896, setting off on May 5, 1896, and arriving on Christmas Eve. She did so in response to a $10,000 challenge from a sponsor. She brought with her a compass, red-pepper spray, a revolver, and a curling iron.

Holden Ringer (American): Began his trek in Washington state and, over the course of a year, walked across 20 states to Washington, DC. Ringer carried his belongings in a stroller he named "Smiley" and wanted to promote walking as a form of transit and encourage cities to develop more walkable infrastructure.

Isaiah Glen Shields (American): Began walking from his home in Provo, Utah, on May 13, 2021. He walked to the western-most point of the continental United States, reaching the Pacific Ocean at Cape Alava in Washington State's Olympic Peninsula on August 1, 2021, then turned around to walk to the Eastern-most point.

James Harry Pierce (American): Writer, street performer, and tour guide who began his walk across the United States on May 30, 2011, at age 41 just south of Seattle, Washington, arriving in Key West, Florida, on February 7, 2012.

Jeff Grabosky (American): From January 20 to May 20, 2011, ran solo and unsupported for over 3,700 miles from Oceanside, California to Smith Point, New York. He took prayer intentions from people all around the world and prayed a decade of the rosary for each of the approximate 3,500 intentions he received.

Joe "Tiger" Patrick II (American): Peace Dale, Rhode Island, Army veteran who walked approximately 3,000 miles across the United States beginning in April 2013 in the City of Coronado, California and ending in Washington, D.C., in October 2013. He carried a memorial panel displaying the faces of over 6,600 color images of U.S. service members.

John Ball (American): Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, aka "The Walking Aggie," who walked coast-to-coast across America from March 1, 2015 to August 17, 2015. Beginning at Scripps Park in La Jolla, California and ending at Daytona Beach, Florida, Ball walked 2,686 miles, crossing 8 states in 170 days to raise money for Texas A&M University.

John Lees (British): Gained the world record for walking across the USA, starting at Los Angeles City Hall on 11 April 1972, he walked for 53 days, 12 hours and 15 minutes to New York City Hall, finishing on 3 June 1972.

Katie Visco (American): From March 29 through December 29, 2009, Pave Your Lane's founder ran across America, from Boston to San Diego to publicize her campaign which empowers people to find their passions. At age 24, Visco became the second-youngest and 13th woman overall to run from coast to coast.

Kevin B. Fern (American): Founder of Kevin's IV Pole, walked across the United States in 2018 pushing his IV Pole to raise awareness and funding for Childhood Cancer. He departed Manhattan Beach, California, on March 25, 2018, and arrived in Carson Beach, South Boston on November 9, 2018, covering 3,300 miles.

Louis Michael Figueroa (American): In 1982, at age 16, became the fastest and youngest person to run across the United States, covering the route from New Brunswick, New Jersey to San Francisco in 60 days to fulfill a promise to a friend who was dying of bone cancer. He later made additional walks for AIDS awareness and victims of child abuse.

Luke Woolfolk (American, age 24): Iowa native who began his journey on April 1, 2018, at Cape Henlopen, Delaware, embarking upon the American Discovery Trail. He reached San Diego, CA, on or around December 1, 2019, having walked over 3,000 miles.

Mark Baumer (American): Walked across the USA during 81 days in 2010. While attempting a barefoot walk several years later, he was killed by an SUV in Florida.

Matty Gregg (American, age 41): Ran from Apple Park in Cupertino, California, to Concord, New Hampshire, from November 6, 2018, to August 7, 2019. The run spanned a total of 275 days through 24 states, totaling 5,425 miles, interviewing hundreds of people for his sequel to Alexis de Tocqueville's essays, Democracy In America.

Max and Zac Prizant (American, age 24): Identical twins who started their journey May 21, 2020. The twins crossed the Brooklyn Bridge on New Year's Eve of 2020, raising $15,000 for Heart to Heart International's Covid-19 Relief Fund. They encountered obstacles including ten charging wild stallions in Nevada and the incineration of their support vehicle in Nebraska.

Michael Ross (American, age 18): From Manchester, Connecticut, walked from Danbury, Connecticut, to Huntington Beach, California. This walk took 297 days and was in an effort to raise funds and awareness for the Livestrong Foundation. Over $13,000 was raised.

Michael Wardian (American, age 48): Ran across the United States in 62 days, starting on May 1, 2022, and finishing on July 1, 2022. He primarily followed Route 50 from west to east, covering a distance of 3,234 miles to raise money for World Vision.

Mike Maczuzak (American): President of SmartShape Design, walked solo and unsupported from Coney Island to Santa Monica Pier, covering more than 3,600 miles in 125 days, and traveling through 15 states, from March to July 2016.

Mike Posner (American): Internationally famous musician known for his hit pop songs like "Took a Pill in Ibiza," undertook the journey in May 2019 to honor his late friend Ronnie. He was bitten by a snake along the way and delayed for nearly a month in Colorado, finishing the walk on October 18, 2019.

Nels Matson (American): In 2024, ran from San Francisco to New York City in 46 days, 17 hours and 26 minutes. His goal was to raise money and awareness for the country's veterans in honor of Chris Campbell, a U.S. Navy SEAL who tragically lost his life in Extortion 17.

Noah Barnes (American, age 11): Became the youngest person to walk across the United States when he and his father, Robert Barnes, walked some 4,240 miles from Key West, Florida, to Blaine, Washington, in 2017 to raise awareness and funds for diabetes research. Noah was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 16 months old.

Noah Coughlan (American, age 33): From Vacaville, California, became the third person to run across the United States three times in 2015, completing a 3,000-mile solo trek from New York City to San Diego in 127 days to raise awareness for rare diseases.

Peace Pilgrim (American, 1908-1981): Mildred Lisette Norman was an American pacifist, vegetarian, and peace activist. Starting on January 1, 1953, she walked across the United States for 28 years until her death in 1981. She carried no money, would not even ask for food or shelter, and at the time of her death was crossing the United States for the seventh time.

Pete Kostelnick (American, age 29): In October 2016, set the current world record for fastest run across America; he ran the 3,067 miles from San Francisco's City Hall to New York's City Hall in 42 days, 6 hours, 30 minutes.

Phil Cihiwsky (American, age 59): From Loveland, Colorado, walked from San Diego, California, to York Harbor, Maine, starting his walk on March 4 and completing it on October 4, 2013. He walked 3,300 miles, crossing 15 states in 7 months while raising awareness about food insecurity issues among older adults for Meals On Wheels.

Richard Noble (American): Gay rights activist who walked with a rainbow flag from San Francisco to Jacksonville Beach, Florida, from March 12, 2011, through June 9, 2012.

Robert Pope (British, age 39): In April 2018, became the first person to complete the Forrest Gump run, 15,621 miles, 5 times across America, in 422 days of running. This remains the biggest continuous run in history in a single country.

Sean Clancy "SubwaySean" (American, age 26): Walked across the United States eating nothing but food available from the Subway chain of restaurants. His walk began on May 1, 2022 at Boston Harbor, MA and ended 176 days later at Santa Monica Pier, CA on October 23, 2022, in aid of the Big City Mountaineers charity.

Shane Moore (American): Did a solo walk from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, to Ocean Beach, California, to raise awareness and money for homeless veterans. He began his walk on October 10, 2017, and officially completed his journey on May 12, 2018, walking between 2,600 and 2,700 miles.

Stephan Foust (American, age 30): From Elkhart, Indiana, walked 3,506 miles across the United States between January 28, 1979, and September 6, 1980. He began his journey on the Atlantic Ocean beach at Nags Head, North Carolina, and ended on the Pacific Ocean beach of Point Reyes National Seashore.

Steve Fugate (American): From Vero Beach, Florida, walked across the U.S. eight times spreading awareness on depression and suicide. He began walking across the U.S. carrying a big sign that says "Love Life," after his son's suicide in 1999.

Ted G. Stone (American): Southern Baptist evangelist and recovering amphetamine addict who walked across the United States three times and was on his fourth trip when he died in 2006 in Nashville, Tennessee. He made the walks to raise awareness for his ministry to addicts.

United Souls of Awareness (American group): A creative production team from Los Angeles that embarked on a year-long walk from Venice Beach, California, to Manhattan, New York, from April 1, 2006, to April 1, 2007. The core members were Kevin Smith II, Kam Talbert, Jordon Cooper, and Jonathan White, covering more than 4,000 miles.

Walter McGill (American, age 69): Also known as Pastor "Chick" McGill, the "Freedom Walker" and the "Cross Country Flagman," a pastor and Vietnam War-era veteran who walked across the United States from April 23, 2014, at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, to April 29, 2015, at Santa Monica Pier, California, carrying the United States flag by hand the entire way.

William Shuttleworth (American, age 71): US Air Force veteran who walked from his hometown of Newburyport, Massachusetts, to San Diego, California, from May 15, 2019 to September 1, 2019. He intended to raise awareness for veterans' issues and raised over $58,000 for the Disabled American Veterans charity.

Yijoo Kwon (Korean-American): From Palisades Park, N.J., ran 95 days from Los Angeles to New York City in 2010 to raise awareness of diabetes.

Zachary Bonner (American): Homeless youth advocate who started a non-profit at age 6 called the Little Red Wagon Foundation. At age 12 he completed his mission to become the youngest to walk coast to coast by walking from Jacksonville Beach to the Santa Monica Pier, taking 7 months to complete the journey.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_who_have_walked_across_the_United_States