Google Shotput

[PyTom]

A new game I came up with, early in the morning. Exactly how early will become apparent when I describe the rules.

"Google Shotput"

The goal of the game is to find the longest drive possible using the driving directions feature of google maps.

Rules:

1) The start and end point must be city names or landmarks. Street addresses are not allowed.
2) Google maps is authoritative. The distance it gives (in miles) is the official distance of a city-pair. If it says something is drivable, it is. If it says something is not drivable, it is not... regardless of what common sense says.
2a) Most notably, we allow swimming from Boston to France.

The current best distance is 11,566 miles. Can you match it? Can you beat it?

[dizzcity]

Best I've managed to get is Anchorage, Alaska to Helsinki, Finland - which is 9,545 miles. I've been trying to jump across the Pacific Ocean, or head down into Africa/South America, but I can't find a route.

-Dizzy-

[PyTom]

I wasn't able to get a jump across the Pacific, to a place outside US territory. I also wasn't able to figure out a way to drive from Hawaii to the US proper.

My current best path is from a place in North America, to a place in Europe. (There's actually one small part of Africa it will let you drive to, a Spanish exclave.)

I'd imagine variations of this game could be played with additional rules, such as finding the longest driver in North America, or Europe, or the USA without going through Canada.

[denzil]

I got to 11,527 miles from Unalaska to Nordkapp, but that's as far as I go.

[PyTom]

My new record is now 13,359 miles: Unalaska, AK to Biysk, Russia

(Google added more data.)

[NetGenSuperstar]

My new record is now 13,359 miles: Unalaska, AK to Biysk, Russia

I was three miles away from beating that with Dutch Harbor, Alaska -> Biysk, Russia. Curses!

[PyTom]

I'm now up to 13,727 miles: unalaska, ak to ташанта, russia