The 7 best podcasts for road trips

A great road-trip podcast hits a specific rhythm — long enough to fill the highway, storied enough to make miles disappear, and never so taxing you forget you're driving. These picks do all three. Each comes with a paired follow-up for the return leg.

Updated: June 2026Picks: 7
  1. Stories - Scary

    Top match52% match

    Sol Good Network

    Dive into the chilling world of "Stories - Scary," where each episode transports you into the eerie and unsettling realms of horror fiction. This captivating podcast offers a vast collection of spine-tingling tales that range from classic ghost stories to modern horror narratives, each crafted to leave you on the edge…

    Pair with for the drive back
    Morbid
    Ash Kelley & Alaina Urquhart — It’s a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos! Morbid is a true crime, creepy history and all things spooky podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a…
  2. This American Life

    Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast…

    Pair with for the drive back
    Reply All
    Gimlet — "'A podcast about the internet' that is actually an unfailingly original exploration of modern life and how to survive it." - The Guardian. Hosted by Alex…
  3. Sleep Documentaries

    Sleep Documentaries brings you immersive, documentary-style storytelling in a calm, soothing tone built specifically for sleep. From ancient civilizations to world-changing discoveries, each episode unfolds slowly and without urgency.No suspense build-ups.No cliffhangers.No adrenaline spikes.Only steady narration and…

    Pair with for the drive back
    Radiolab
    WNYC Studios — Radiolab is on a curiosity bender. We ask deep questions and use investigative journalism to get the answers. A given episode might whirl you through science,…
  4. Radiolab

    48% match

    WNYC Studios

    Radiolab is on a curiosity bender. We ask deep questions and use investigative journalism to get the answers. A given episode might whirl you through science, legal history, and into the home of someone halfway across the world. The show is known for innovative sound design, smashing information into music. It is…

    Pair with for the drive back
    Freakonomics Radio
    Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher — Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom…
  5. RedditKing

    Welcome to 'True Crime Stories' – your podcast for gripping and detailed narratives about the most shocking killers and their crimes. Dive into the dark world of criminality as we uncover the most captivating stories of serial killers, unsolved cases, and mysterious deaths. Each episode takes you on a journey through…

    Pair with for the drive back
    Crime Junkie
    Audiochuck — Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie.…
  6. Darren Marlar

    Welcome to Retro Radio: Old Time Radio In The Dark! Here I bring you shows from the Golden Age of Radio in the darker genre. I’ll have classic radio of the macabre and horror, mysteries and crime, and even some dark science fiction.

    Pair with for the drive back
    The Magnus Archives
    Rusty Quill — “Make your statement, face your fear.” The Magnus Archives is a weekly horror fiction audiodrama podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus…
  7. As The Raven Dreams

    The As The Raven Dreams podcast is a show where we explore the darker parts of human existence through true and harrowing stories. I cover a diverse range of scary stories: stalker stories, paranormal encounters, unsettling mysteries, glitch in the matrix experiences and even the occasional true crime story. Turn down…

    Pair with for the drive back
    The Magnus Archives
    Rusty Quill — “Make your statement, face your fear.” The Magnus Archives is a weekly horror fiction audiodrama podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus…
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