The world's longest road - 19,000 miles long through 14 countries

The world's longest road stretches over two continents (Image: Getty)

The world’s longest road connects two continents, covering 14 countries and over 19,000 miles in a road trip that would take weeks to complete. The Pan-American Highway is a series of interconnecting roads which runs from the top of the United States to Mexico and South America.

The almost uninterrupted route runs from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska before continuing down into Canada. The route splits into two at Edmonton, with half of one side covering Calgary before meandering down to the United States as it passes through Denver. The other ticks off Winnipeg before heading to Minneapolis, Dallas and connecting back up in San Antonio. 

The road runs from Alaska in the United States to Argentina (Image: Getty)

The road then heads south to Mexico City before ticking off a further 11 counties in South America. 

The Pan-American Highway then passes through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. 

The final stretches pass through Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile before heading into Argentina.

The route is accepted to end in Ushuaia, Argentina, which is based at the southern tip of South America. 

The route is mostly uninterrupted except for a small break at the aptly named Darién Gap. 

This is a section of dense rainforest located between Panama and Colombia, with drivers usually opting to travel by cargo ship between both countries. 

The idea for the Pan-American highway was born in the late 1800s but first began to take shape in the 1920s. 

The first section constructed was a chunk of road connecting Laredo, Texas to Mexico City.

Guinness World Records have even formally recognised the route, taking the title of the "longest motorable road".

Travelling across the entire Pan-American Highway would take weeks to finish, but some have proved the route can be toured in a little under two weeks. 

Rainer Zietlow, Carlos Fernandez and Marius Biela completed the Panamericana route in just 12 days. The team traversed the whole route in a 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDIl SUV three days faster than the last previous record-holder.

The route has also staged sporting events with the famous Carrera Panamericana motor race held in the 1950s. 

F1 world champion Juan Manual Fangio was among the competitors of the classic sportscar race which was staged between 1950 and 1954.

The nine-stage, five-day event was designed to help publicise the newly completed stretch of the Pan-American Highway in Mexico.