Country Songs for Every Region: Your American Road Trip Playlist

There’s nothing quite like hitting the open road with the windows down, the smell of gas station coffee in the air, and the perfect country song blasting through the speakers. Road trips and country music go together; it’s almost criminal to go on a road trip without listening to country songs. That’s where this guide comes in. We’re listing down the county songs for every region, mapping out the ultimate American road trip playlist to entertain you during your coast-to-coast trip.    

If your road trip involves driving through Southern states, you can’t miss songs that reflect Southern culture, hospitality, and the landscapes. After all, Tennessee and North Carolina are particularly significant for country music.  

Released in October 2024, Eric Church’s single “Darkest Hour” was his first solo performance after three years. He was supposed to release it in 2025, but after Hurricane Helene hit and devastated his home state of North Carolina, Church said it “didn't feel right to wait with this song.” He also promised that royalties from the song would go to the rehabilitation of the state.    

You can also go artist-centric with your playlist and include the whole catalog of Dolly Parton, or just songs she sang about East Tennessee.

The title track to her eleventh studio album, the track was Parton’s love letter to her hometown. She used specific memories from her childhood on the lyrics: “Honeysuckle vine clings to the fence along the lane / Their fragrance makes the summer wind so sweet / And on a distant hilltop, an eagle spreads its wings / And a songbird on a fence post sings a melody.”  

Released as a single in December 1972, the song reached No. 15 on the country singles chart.  

Featured in the movie Rhinestone, “Tennessee Homesick Blues” was also released as the lead single from the film’s soundtrack. It topped not only the country singles chart in the U.S., but also in Canada. The track also landed Parton’s 10th nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.   

OK, perhaps not a country song, but it deserves a spot on our list.

Miley Cyrus, who is from Nashville, also has a song that mentions her hometown: “So hard with my girls not around me / It's definitely not a Nashville party / 'Cause all I see are stilettos / I guess I never got the memo .”  

“Party in the U.S.A.” is a definite must-add to any playlist, as it reflects the journey of most artists who needed to leave their hometown to pursue a career in the music industry. It highlighted how, at the beginning, they feel out of place, but that didn’t stop them from chasing their dreams. This best-selling single is also one of Cyrus’s most well-known songs that she released at the beginning of her career.  

The following country songs are the perfect addition to your playlist if you’re embarking on a Midwest road trip.    

This song from the American Idol alum talks about typical Midwest towns where “everybody waves / church doors are the only thing that's open on Sundays / word travels fast, wheels turn slow,” depicting the laidback and simple lives in small towns.    

“The Wind” by Zac Brown Band is not a track that pays homage to a specific place, but more of a romantic tribute to the distances traveled for love: “Where the wind blows babe / You can bet / I'll be riding high with it.”   

No road trip playlist would be complete without Keith Urban’s “Long Hot Summer.” The track talks about summer road trips, especially trips with “your feet on the dashboard now / singing along with the radio / it's such a beautiful sound.”

Road trips have almost become synonymous with Western travel. If you’re traveling West, make sure to listen to these songs:   

“On the Road Again” is one of Nelson’s most recognizable tunes. The track, which is about life on tour, happened when the executive producer of the movie Honeysuckle Rose asked Nelson about writing a song for the movie’s soundtrack. It became his ninth Country & Western No. 1 hit.   

You can’t have a West Coast-inspired playlist without adding Bobby Troup’s “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,” which is about a literal westward road trip that “winds from Chicago to L.A. / More than two thousand miles all the way / Get your kicks on Route 66.”  

Several other artists have recorded the song, including Asleep at the Wheel.

If you also happen to time your trip, the West is home to several major music festivals you can attend, like South by Southwest (SXSW), Austin City Limits, and Willie Nelson's Luck Reunion in Austin, Texas, or the annual Country Jam festival in Denver, Colorado.    

Here’s a list of country songs about (or inspired by) the East Coast. These tracks capture everything about the East Coast.   

One of Kenny Chesney’s most underrated coastal gems, this song is a love letter to a woman who fell in love with Boston. What’s not to love: “Her toes dig deep and deeper in the sand / She's seduced by the sunsets and her new life at hand.”  

Eric Church’s “Carolina” is his heartfelt ode to his home state of North Carolina and how he feels grounded when he’s home, away from the crazy life on the road while touring. It’s the perfect addition to any road trip playlist or when you’re homesick, doesn’t matter if home is not North Carolina: “Like the sound of a siren song / Oh, Carolina, ya keep callin' me home / Callin' me home / Callin' me home / Callin' me home.”  

When it comes to country music, there's no shortage of travel and destination hits to enjoy. Add these to your list and Matching your music to the region you're traveling through is a great way to make new memories you'll forever associate with the tracks on your playlist.