Roadside America
Roadside America, founded in 1996 and based in Novato, California, curates an editorial guide to 1,500+ offbeat U.S. tourist attractions across RoadsideAmerica.com and three paid iOS apps, monetized via one-time app sales, display advertising, and travel affiliate referrals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersNovato, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Roadside America does
Roadside America, founded in 1996 by Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, and Mike Wilkins, operates RoadsideAmerica.com, a long-running editorial guide to offbeat and quirky tourist attractions across the United States. The company maintains a curated database of more than 1,500 documented attractions built over 30 years of field research and reader contributions, and extends that content into a portfolio of iOS applications: the flagship Roadside America app ($3.99), Roadside 66 ($7.99) launched in March 2026 to coincide with Route 66's centennial, and Roadside Presidents ($3.99). Distribution is iOS-exclusive, with no Android counterpart. The product surface is content-led, relying on editorial narrative, location data, and traveler reviews rather than algorithmic personalization or social features.
The business model is a hybrid of three revenue streams: one-time paid app downloads, Google AdSense display advertising on the website, and affiliate referral income from travel booking partners. There is no subscription layer, no advertising sales team, and no B2B product. The company is privately held and operates with a small founder-team headcount (3-4 key people) based in Novato, California, consistent with a long-tenured lifestyle business rather than a venture-backed growth company. Roadside America has held Top 10 Travel iOS app status for more than 15 years, indicating durable category authority within its niche.
Strategically, the company has chosen depth over breadth: it has not pursued Android, has not introduced a subscription, and has not expanded headcount, but has incrementally launched themed spin-off apps tied to cultural milestones. This approach prioritizes editorial quality and operating simplicity over addressable market capture, leaving significant unrealized expansion optionality across platforms, pricing models, and AI-assisted features.
Roadside America firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Roadside America
- Legal name
- RoadsideAmerica.com
- Website
- https://roadsideamerica.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Roadside America, founded in 1996 and based in Novato, California, curates an editorial guide to 1,500+ offbeat U.S. tourist attractions across RoadsideAmerica.com and three paid iOS apps, monetized via one-time app sales, display advertising, and travel affiliate referrals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Roadside America industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Travel Guide Apps
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & City Guide Content Aggregators (MPACAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)
Keywords
Where Roadside America is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Novato
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Roadside America business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Mobile App Sales and In-App Purchases: Primary revenue stream from paid mobile applications. Roadside America app sells at $3.99 basic (1 region) with in-app purchases of $7.99 for all regions or $2.99 per region. Roadside 66 app at $7.99 one-time. Roadside Presidents app at $3.99 for all 50 states. No subscription/recurring fees.
- Advertising Revenue: Third-party advertising through Google AdSense partnerships. Ads displayed across the website to generate revenue while providing free content access to users.
- Affiliate Revenue: Referral links to trusted travel services partners such as hotel information suppliers. Affiliate cookies track referrals to display reservation options and commission revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Roadside America App - Basic Region |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Roadside America App - Full Access Upgrade |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Roadside 66 App (Route 66 Guide) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Roadside Presidents App |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Roadside America product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Roadside America curates and distributes a proprietary database of 1,500+ offbeat tourist attractions across the United States, Canada, and Mexico through its editorial website (RoadsideAmerica.com) and three paid iOS mobile applications: the Roadside America app (general offbeat attractions), Roadside 66 (Route 66-specific POIs launched for the 2026 centennial), and Roadside Presidents (U.S. presidential landmarks across all 50 states). Customers buy one-time app licenses and use the free website, which is supported by advertising and affiliate referrals.
Product overview
Roadside America operates a multi-platform portfolio centered on its flagship website (RoadsideAmerica.com) and three mobile apps (Roadside America iPhone/iPad App, Roadside 66 App, and Roadside Presidents App). The core platform provides curated guides to quirky, offbeat tourist attractions across the US and Canada, supplemented by trip planning tools (My Sights/Trip Planner, Map-a-City), a custom search feature called Roger, and a video archive. The mobile apps extend the web experience onto iOS devices, with Roadside 66 being a specialized Route 66-focused offering launched for the 2026 centennial, and Roadside Presidents serving users interested in presidential historical sites.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Roadside 66: Mobile app providing Route 66 attractions guide with 1,700+ points-of-interest, maps, photos, and trip planning features. Released March 2026 for Route 66 Centennial (1926-2026).
- Roadside Presidents
Products and services
- Roadside America iPhone/iPad App Mobile app for discovering quirky roadside attractions across the US and Canada. Provides on-route maps, directions, photos, stories, and tips with the ability to find and filter recommendations between two points, save places, and share across iPhone and iPad devices. Requires iOS 16.0+.
- Roadside 66 App Specialized mobile app for Route 66 travel featuring 1,700+ points-of-interest along the 2,448-mile Mother Road corridor. Includes maps, trip planning tools, filters by state and attraction category, Proximity Alerts, Expert Layer for completists, and Been There tracking.
- Roadside Presidents App Mobile app focused on U.S. presidential travel attractions including birthplaces, statues, graves, museums, and First Family locations across all 50 states. Includes President bios, Arcana trivia, On Route trip planning, and handoff to Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze for navigation.
- RoadsideAmerica.com Website Main website providing a free online guide to offbeat tourist attractions in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Features state-by-state attraction listings, embedded Google Maps, visitor tips, video content, and quirky themed roundups (Muffler Men, Mystery Spots, Cowlossus of Roads, Easter Island Moai, Smiley Face Water Towers, Pet Cemetery). Supported by advertising and affiliate referral revenue.
Quantifiable outcome
- Top 10 Travel iOS app ranking maintained for 15+ years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Roadside America
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Roadside America technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature4 records
Roadside America partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Google AdSensecoreThird-party advertising partnership for display ads across the website. Ad services used to show relevant ads to visitors and generate revenue to support free website content.
- Google Maps APIcoreMap functionality on the website uses Google Maps API to display attraction locations and enable route planning. Static maps used throughout site.
- YouTubecoreEmbedded video hosting for original Roadside America video content including interviews, field reports, and original productions. YouTube places cookies when videos are played.
- Apple App StorecorePrimary distribution channel for mobile applications. Apps available for iPhone and iPad through Apple's platform.
- Route 66 Tourism Bureaus and OrganizationsminorCollaborated with Route 66 tourism bureaus, photography partners, attractions, and organizations for Roadside 66 app content creation.
- Travel Services Partners (Hotel Suppliers)minorAffiliate referral partnerships with hotel information suppliers. Links provided to help users find accommodation options with referral commissions earned.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Roadside America competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- TripAdvisor: Largest travel platform globally covering attractions, hotels, restaurants, and reviews. Overlaps with Roadside America's attraction content but operates at much larger scale with mainstream coverage and booking capabilities.
- Foursquare: Location-based discovery platform with venue information, tips, and check-ins. Some overlap with attraction discovery functionality though focused on urban venues and restaurants.
- Yelp: Local business discovery and reviews platform covering attractions, restaurants, and services. Overlaps with Roadside America's attraction listings but emphasizes mainstream consumer businesses with extensive review infrastructure.
- Lonely Planet: Established travel guide publisher with destination content, books, and digital platforms. Overlaps with Roadside America's editorial content approach but covers mainstream destinations globally with larger production scale.
- Google Maps: Dominant mapping platform with points of interest, reviews, photos, and route planning. Competes for road trip planning attention and now surfaces user-generated content for offbeat attractions, eroding specialty curation advantages.
Emerging players
- Afar Media: Travel media brand focused on immersive, authentic travel experiences with editorial content and recommendations. Shares editorial-first approach with Roadside America but targets higher-end experiential travelers.
- The Dyrt: Campground and outdoor recreation discovery platform with trip planning tools. Targets similar road trip audience but specializes in camping and outdoor activities, with subscription model and booking integration.
- AllTrails: Trail discovery and outdoor activity platform serving hikers and road trippers seeking nature-based attractions. Partial overlap with Roadside America's nature/folk art content but focused specifically on hiking and outdoor recreation.
Direct peers
- Roadtrippers: Road trip planning platform with route optimization, attraction discovery, and trip booking. Directly competes for the same road trip enthusiast audience with overlapping content on quirky roadside stops, though with stronger booking integration and broader mainstream coverage.
- Atlas Obscura: Online platform dedicated to discovering unique, hidden, and offbeat places worldwide. Direct competitor to Roadside America with very similar mission of curating unusual attractions, though with global scope and broader content categories including food, culture, and events.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Roadside America social profiles
Digital presenceRoadside America financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Roadside America leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Roadside America funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Roadside America M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Roadside America
What does Roadside America do?
Roadside America curates and distributes a proprietary database of 1,500+ offbeat tourist attractions across the United States, Canada, and Mexico through its editorial website (RoadsideAmerica.com) and three paid iOS mobile applications: the Roadside America app (general offbeat attractions), Roadside 66 (Route 66-specific POIs launched for the 2026 centennial), and Roadside Presidents (U.S. presidential landmarks across all 50 states). Customers buy one-time app licenses and use the free website, which is supported by advertising and affiliate referrals.
Is Roadside America a public or private company?
Roadside America is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Roadside America founded?
Roadside America was founded in 1996. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Roadside America based?
Roadside America is headquartered in Novato, United States, in the North America region.
How does Roadside America make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Mobile App Sales and In-App Purchases are the primary driver. The others are advertising Revenue and affiliate Revenue.
Who are Roadside America's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are TripAdvisor, Foursquare, Yelp, Lonely Planet and Google Maps. Emerging players are Afar Media, The Dyrt and AllTrails. Direct peers are Roadtrippers and Atlas Obscura.
Does Roadside America have an API?
No public API is recorded for Roadside America.
What industry is Roadside America in?
Roadside America's product category is Travel Guide Apps. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAKAJ, Local & City Guide Content Aggregators, with a secondary code of THAAAGAD, Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers). Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 7990.