The 15 Best Driving Long Distances Podcasts (2026)

If you have a long drive ahead of you, Dan Carlin's Hardcore History might be the single best companion you can bring along. Each episode runs anywhere from three to six hours, and some multi-part series clock in at over twenty hours total. That alone makes it ideal for eating up highway miles, but the real magic is how completely Carlin pulls you into the story. He has this intense, almost theatrical narration style that makes ancient battles and political collapses feel like you're watching them unfold in real time. His "theater of the mind" approach layers in dramatic pauses, hypothetical scenarios, and vivid descriptions that keep your brain locked in even through monotonous stretches of road. Carlin isn't a trained historian — he's a former radio broadcaster and self-described "fan of history" — and that outsider perspective actually works in his favor. He explains complex geopolitics and military strategy in a way that doesn't talk down to you but also doesn't assume you've read a shelf of textbooks. Series like "Blueprint for Armageddon" on World War I or "Supernova in the East" on the Pacific theater of World War II are genuinely gripping. New episodes drop only every four to seven months, which can be frustrating, but the backlog is massive. Older episodes get moved behind a paywall on his website, but the most recent handful are always free. The show has been running since 2006, and Carlin's style hasn't lost its edge. For long-distance driving, the combination of episode length and narrative intensity makes this one hard to beat.

Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant have been explaining how the world works since 2008, and after more than 2,000 episodes, Stuff You Should Know remains one of the most consistently interesting podcasts anywhere. The format is deceptively simple: pick a topic, research it thoroughly, then talk about it like two friends sitting on a couch. Topics range from how lasers work to the history of satanism to what actually happens during an El Nino event to why champagne bubbles the way it does.

For high school students, the show is like a cheat code for general knowledge. Each episode turns you into the person at the lunch table who knows a surprising amount about a random subject. Clark and Bryant have a laid-back chemistry that makes even dense material feel approachable. They crack jokes, go on tangents, and occasionally admit when they are confused by something, which makes the listening experience feel collaborative rather than lecture-like.

The show drops twice a week, with episodes running 40 to 70 minutes depending on the subject. It holds a 4.5 star average from over 76,000 Apple Podcasts ratings, making it one of the most reviewed podcasts in existence. The back catalog alone could keep you busy for years. If you want to learn something new about basically anything on any given day, SYSK rarely disappoints.

Radiolab has been redefining what a science show can sound like since 2002, and even after a host transition from founder Jad Abumrad to the current team of Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser, it remains one of the most creatively produced podcasts on the planet. The show takes a single question or idea and follows it through a chain of unexpected connections, blending interviews, archival recordings, original music, and a sound design that genuinely sounds like nothing else in podcasting.

Recent episodes give you a taste of the range: one explores how honeybees inspired internet infrastructure design, another digs into brain organoids and consciousness, and a third covers the story of moon trees planted from seeds that flew on Apollo 14. The show does not stay in one lane. A biology question might lead into law or philosophy. A physics puzzle might become a personal memoir. That willingness to follow the story wherever it leads is what keeps the show surprising after 835 episodes.

The Peabody Award sits on their shelf and the numbers back up the reputation: a 4.6 star rating from over 42,000 Apple reviews. Episodes run between 35 and 60 minutes and drop weekly. Some listeners find the rapid-fire editing style, where voices overlap and sentences get split between speakers, a bit disorienting at first. But for high school students who want science storytelling that feels more like a movie than a textbook, Radiolab sets the standard.

Robert Evans has a gift for making you simultaneously laugh and recoil. Behind the Bastards profiles history's most terrible people — dictators, cult leaders, con artists, corporate villains — and does it with the kind of dark humor that somehow makes the subject matter bearable. Evans, a conflict journalist by trade, brings real on-the-ground reporting instincts to his research, and you can hear it in the depth of his sourcing.

The format pairs Evans with a rotating cast of comedian guests who react in real time as he drops increasingly absurd facts about whichever monster he's profiling that week. It works because the guests aren't just laughing along — they're genuinely horrified, and that tension between comedy and genuine moral outrage keeps every episode gripping. Some two-parters on figures like Steven Seagal or the Koch brothers run well over two hours, and you won't notice the time passing.

With over 1,100 episodes and a 4.4-star rating from more than 15,000 reviews, the show has built one of the most devoted audiences in podcasting. It expanded to Netflix in video format, which says something about how well the concept translates. Evans doesn't just read Wikipedia entries — he pulls from obscure biographies, declassified documents, and first-person accounts that give you details you genuinely won't find anywhere else. Fair warning: once you start a multi-part series on someone like Saddam Hussein's novelist career, you're not going to bed on time.

Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark turned true crime fandom into a cultural movement when they launched My Favorite Murder in January 2016. The formula sounds like it shouldn't work: two comedians casually discussing serial killers, cold cases, and cults while cracking jokes and going on personal tangents. But it absolutely does, and over 1,100 episodes later, the Murderino community they've built is massive and fiercely loyal. The show's format alternates between full episodes where Karen and Georgia each present a case, and shorter "minisodes" featuring listener-submitted hometown crime stories. Full episodes can run up to an hour and 40 minutes, while minisodes clock in around 20 minutes. Karen brings the polished comedy writer's instinct for pacing and punchlines. Georgia's strength is her emotional honesty and willingness to say what everyone's thinking. Together they create a space where it's okay to be fascinated by dark subjects without being ghoulish about it. They openly discuss their own struggles with anxiety, addiction, and mental health, which gives the show a vulnerability that pure comedy or pure true crime podcasts lack. For car rides, MFM works because the conversational tone makes it feel like you've got two funny friends in the passenger seat. The show is explicit and occasionally intense in its subject matter, so it's best suited for adult listeners. With 170,000+ ratings and a 4.6-star average, this one has clearly resonated with a lot of people.

Hidden Brain is hosted by veteran science journalist Shankar Vedantam and consistently ranks as the number one science podcast in the United States. The show explores the unconscious patterns that shape human behavior, relationships, and decision-making. Rather than offering motivational advice directly, Hidden Brain teaches listeners to understand why they think and act the way they do — which turns out to be one of the most powerful forms of self-improvement available. Episodes release biweekly and tend to run about 90 minutes. Each one focuses on a specific psychological or behavioral phenomenon, supported by interviews with researchers and real-world stories that illustrate the science. Recent episodes have featured cognitive scientist Scott Barry Kaufman discussing intelligence, psychologist Leslie John exploring the power of secrets, and researcher Adam Alter breaking down creative blocks. Shankar has a gift for making complex research feel personal and accessible without oversimplifying it. The storytelling is careful and well-produced, with a narrative structure that builds toward clear insights. For Jay Shetty listeners looking to understand the science behind personal growth and human connection, Hidden Brain fills a unique niche. It does not tell you what to do; it helps you understand why you do what you already do, which often matters more. The show carries a 4.6-star rating from over 41,000 reviews. A premium tier called Hidden Brain+ offers exclusive episodes for subscribers.

Andrew Huberman is a Stanford neuroscience professor who somehow made a podcast about brain science one of the top ten shows in the world. Huberman Lab launched in 2021 and has grown to 381 episodes, frequently ranking number one in Science, Education, and Health & Fitness categories simultaneously. The show holds a 4.8-star rating from over 27,000 reviews, which is remarkable for content this technical.

The format has evolved from Huberman's solo deep-dives into specific topics to include more interview episodes with experts. Recent guests include behavioral geneticist Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden, neuroscientist David Eagleman, habit expert James Clear, and psychiatrist Dr. Paul Conti. Episodes can be long, often stretching past two hours, but Huberman structures them clearly enough that you can jump to the sections most relevant to you.

What makes this show work is Huberman's ability to translate dense neuroscience into practical protocols. He does not just explain how dopamine works; he tells you exactly what to do with that information to improve your sleep, focus, or recovery. The show covers neural plasticity, learning, fitness, nutrition, mental health, addiction, and emerging research on the nervous system. Rogan has had Huberman on JRE multiple times, and those episodes were consistently among the most popular. If you found yourself taking notes during those conversations, Huberman Lab gives you an entire library of that same content.

SmartLess runs on a simple gimmick that somehow never gets old: each week, one of the three hosts surprises the other two with a mystery guest. Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett have been friends for years, and you can hear it in the way they interrupt each other, talk over the guest, and generally act like overgrown teenagers at a sleepover. It sounds chaotic, and honestly it kind of is, but the chemistry makes it work.

The guest list reads like a Hollywood awards ceremony seating chart. Former presidents, A-list actors, tech billionaires, musicians, athletes -- the range is absurd. But what keeps people coming back isn't the celebrity factor alone. It's watching Bateman try to steer toward something thoughtful while Arnett cracks jokes and Hayes commits to some bit that derails the whole conversation. The surprise element means the hosts are genuinely reacting in real time, which strips away that rehearsed feeling you get from so many interview shows.

With over 330 episodes and a 4.6-star rating from more than 53,000 reviewers, SmartLess has clearly found its audience. Episodes run about an hour and drop weekly. The show moved to SiriusXM for exclusive early access, but free episodes still come out on all the usual platforms. If you want polished, tightly edited interviews, this probably isn't your thing. But if you like hearing famous people get genuinely caught off guard and then watching three comedians try to one-up each other with follow-up questions, it's hard to beat.

Last Podcast on the Left is loud, raunchy, and meticulously researched — a combination that shouldn't work as well as it does. Currently hosted by Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski, and Ed Larson (who stepped in after Ben Kissel's departure in late 2023), the show barrels through serial killers, cults, UFO sightings, cryptids, historical atrocities, and just about anything that falls under the umbrella of the dark and strange. Marcus handles the bulk of the research and keeps the facts straight, while Henry brings chaotic energy and wild character voices that can catch you completely off guard at 70 miles per hour. Ed has settled into the mix nicely, adding his own comedic flavor. The show releases two episodes per week — a main episode focused on a deep topic, and a side story covering shorter items. Main episodes on bigger subjects often stretch across two or three parts, giving you hours of content on a single case or event. Since launching in 2011, they've amassed over 1,200 episodes and more than 700 million downloads. The humor is definitely not for everyone — it's crude, irreverent, and occasionally uncomfortable. But the research quality behind the jokes is genuinely impressive. They cite sources, read court documents, and go deep into primary materials. For long drives, the energy level keeps drowsiness at bay better than most podcasts. Henry's sudden outbursts alone will keep you awake. Just maybe skip this one if you're driving with your grandmother.

Alaina Urquhart is an autopsy technician. Ash Kelley is a hairstylist. Together they host one of the most popular true crime podcasts in existence, and their two-part JonBenet Ramsey series (Episodes 33 and 34) is a fan favorite for good reason. Alaina's professional experience with forensic pathology means she can walk through the autopsy findings and physical evidence with an authority that most true crime hosts simply do not have.

The two-part format gives them room to cover the full story. Part one focuses on the Ramsey family background, the events of December 25-26, and the initial police response. Part two gets into the investigation, the suspects, and the various theories that have emerged over the years. Throughout both episodes, the hosts mix serious analysis with their natural rapport, cracking jokes and going off on tangents in a way that somehow makes the heavy material more manageable.

Morbid has grown into a massive show with over 830 episodes and a 4.4-star rating from nearly 97,000 reviews. The tone is not for everyone. If you want a strictly serious, documentary-style treatment, this is not it. But if you enjoy true crime presented by two people who clearly enjoy each other's company and bring genuine expertise to the forensic details, the JonBenet episodes are well worth the listen. The show updates twice a week and covers everything from historical crimes to paranormal tales.

Malcolm Gladwell has a gift for making you reconsider things you thought were settled. Revisionist History, his flagship podcast from Pushkin Industries, takes events, people, ideas, and songs from the past and asks a deceptively simple question: did we get it right the first time? The answer, almost always, is no.

Running since 2016, the show has produced 14 seasons and nearly 200 episodes. Recent seasons have gotten more ambitious in scope. The Alabama Murders, a seven-episode series from late 2025, investigated the 1988 murder of Elizabeth Sennett. Development Hell, dropping in February 2026, promised untold stories about Hollywood projects that never made it off the page. And a new season arriving in March 2026 covers everything from Paw Patrol to English muffins to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. That range is classic Gladwell.

Each episode runs about 30 to 45 minutes, and Malcolm's narration style is conversational but precise. He interviews historians, scientists, and ordinary people, then weaves their stories into arguments that are equal parts persuasive and provocative. The production from Pushkin is consistently excellent. With a 4.7-star rating from over 58,000 reviewers on Apple Podcasts, the audience is enormous and loyal.

Gladwell's critics will tell you he oversimplifies. His fans will tell you he makes complicated ideas accessible. Both are probably right. But there aren't many podcasts that can move from a meditation on country music to a reexamination of a Cold War strategy and make both feel equally urgent.

Sarah Marshall has a talent for making you realize how thoroughly the media warped your understanding of events you thought you knew. You're Wrong About started in 2018 as a collaboration between Marshall and journalist Michael Hobbes, though Hobbes left in 2021 and Marshall has continued with rotating guests. The premise is straightforward: take a person or event that the public got wrong — Anna Nicole Smith, the McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit, the satanic panic, the O.J. Simpson trial — and walk through what actually happened. Marshall does the research and presents the story in a conversational, informal style that feels like getting a really detailed text from a smart friend. The show gets downloaded around two and a half million times per month, which is remarkable for something that doesn't chase trending topics. Episodes run about an hour, and some subjects span multiple installments. The multi-episode book series are particularly good for long drives — Marshall reads a book (like Jessica Simpson's autobiography or Nancy Grace's legal memoir) and discusses it chapter by chapter with a guest. These arcs can fill an entire road trip on their own. Marshall's perspective tends toward empathy for people who were publicly vilified, and she's especially sharp on how gender, class, and media incentives shape public narratives. The tone stays accessible and often funny, but there's real intellectual substance underneath. For driving, the narrative structure gives you something to follow without requiring you to watch a screen or track complex visual information. You just listen and discover how wrong you were about something you were certain you understood.

Four researchers from the BBC show QI — Dan Schreiber, James Harkin, Andrew Hunter Murray, and Anna Ptaszynski — get together each week to share the most bizarre and surprising facts they have stumbled across in the last seven days. That is literally the whole premise, and it has been enough to rack up over 600 million downloads since 2014.

Each episode runs about 50 to 60 minutes, though they also put out shorter "Little Fish" bonus episodes at around 30 minutes based on listener-submitted facts. The four hosts have genuine chemistry that comes from years of working together on QI research, and the conversation bounces around unpredictably. One person's fact about medieval cheese regulations leads to someone else remembering a story about a con artist in 1920s Paris, and suddenly the whole group is arguing about whether dolphins can recognize themselves in mirrors.

The show has a 4.8 rating on Apple Podcasts from over 4,500 reviews. It is multi-award-winning and has done live shows around the world. For a few bucks a month through their "Club Fish" subscription, you get ad-free episodes and extra content, though the free version is perfectly satisfying. The tone is smart but never stuffy — think of it as the podcast equivalent of sitting at a pub with four extremely well-read friends who happen to be very funny. 761 episodes deep and still going strong every week.

Conan O'Brien might be even funnier on a podcast than he was on late night TV, and that's saying something. Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend launched in 2018, and the format is simple: Conan sits down with a celebrity guest for a long, winding conversation that goes wherever it goes. His assistant Sona Movsesian and producer Matt Gourley serve as sidekicks, and some of the best moments come from Conan's ongoing bits with them — the running jokes about Sona's work ethic and Gourley's encyclopedic knowledge become their own comedy universe over time. Each episode opens with the guest saying their name and how they feel about being Conan's friend, followed by The White Stripes' "We're Going to Be Friends" as the theme. It's a small touch that sets the tone perfectly. The interviews themselves are less structured than a typical talk show appearance. Without time constraints, guests open up in ways they rarely do elsewhere, and Conan's improvisational instincts keep the conversation from ever getting stale. He'll derail a serious moment with a perfectly timed absurd observation, then circle back to something genuinely meaningful. The ad reads deserve special mention — Conan turns them into comedy bits, sometimes introduced as "Conan O'Brien Pays Off the Mortgage on His Beach House." Episodes typically run about an hour, and the spin-off "Needs A Fan" segments add variety with fan questions over Zoom. For long-distance driving, few podcasts match the sheer density of laughs per mile. Conan's energy is infectious without being exhausting, and the conversational format means you can jump into any episode cold.

If you love movies and have hours to kill on the road, Blank Check with Griffin and David is a fantastic companion. Hosts Griffin Newman (actor, known for The Tick) and David Sims (film critic at The Atlantic) work through a director's entire filmography one movie at a time, focusing on filmmakers who earned a "blank check" from Hollywood after an early hit — the freedom to make whatever they wanted. Each miniseries gets a punny title combining "podcast" with the director's name or a film title, and the deep dives are genuinely thorough. They started in 2015 analyzing the Star Wars prequels and have since covered directors from James Cameron to Hayao Miyazaki to Kathryn Bigelow. Episodes typically run between 90 minutes and two-and-a-half hours, sometimes longer for major films. That length is either a selling point or a dealbreaker depending on your drive, but for an eight-hour haul, three episodes can eat up most of the trip. Griffin brings manic energy and an encyclopedic knowledge of box office numbers (a recurring segment called the "box office game" is a fan favorite). David offers more measured critical analysis grounded in film history. They have terrific chemistry — the kind of rapport that only comes from years of doing a show together. The podcast has built a devoted fanbase (called "Blankies") and a Patreon with additional content. You don't need to have seen every film they discuss to enjoy the episodes, though you'll probably end up adding a dozen movies to your watchlist by the time you arrive.