Earhart Made History As The First Woman To Fly Nonstop Across U.S.

When Amelia Earhart landed at Newark Airport on August 25, 1932, an enthusiastic group of about 150 onlookers met her. “They made up in enthusiasm what they lacked in numbers,” the United Press reported, stating the group, “rush[ed] past police guards onto the field and surrounded the plane.”

The group was celebrating Amelia Earhart making history … again. Earhart had just completed the first non-stop transcontinental flight by a woman pilot. This came on the heels of Earhart making history as the first woman and second person after Charles Lindbergh to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean just months before in May 1932.

Earhart took off from Los Angeles the afternoon of August 24, 1932,  to accomplish the transcontinental flight. Flying across the country, Earhart completed the 2,477 mile journey in 19 hours and 5 minutes, travelling an average of 128 miles per hour. Earhart’s plane was only spotted from the ground twice during the 19-hour flight, likely due to her cruising altitude of 10,000 feet.  

This flight was the second time Amelia Earhart attempted to cross the country nonstop. Her first attempt took place a month earlier on July 13, 1932. She was forced to make one stop due to a faulty gasoline pump. Although she didn’t accomplish her goal of flying nonstop across the country on that attempt, she did set a new women’s speed record for crossing the country: 19 hours, 15 minutes, and 35 seconds. In doing so, she bested the previous speed record, held by Ruth Nichols, by over 10 hours. 

On her second, and successful solo –cross-country attempt, Earhart broke her own record by about 10 minutes. She did not, however, beat the men’s speed record for crossing the country. That was held by Frank Hawks, who completed the journey in 17 hours, 39 minutes, and 59 seconds. However, Earhart’s goal was not to break this record—simply to demonstrate women pilots could fly solo cross-country.  

When asked about the flight itself, Earhart told reporters “It was a beautiful trip. If I had the weather I had on my first attempt, I would have broken the record.” It is worth noting that Earhart did break Hawks’ record later that same year. She completed a transcontinental solo flight in just 17 hours and 7 minutes, beating Hawks by 32 minutes. This set a new record for both men and women pilots.

Earhart’s first comment to the press wasn’t about her speed, though, it was to ask for water. The water she carried on her journey became too hot, so she couldn’t drink it. Instead, Earhart just had tomato juice, leaving the cocoa and sandwich she packed untouched.

When the press asked Earhart what she planned to do next she quipped “I’m going to my home in Rye, and rest.” Of course, after that rest came many more record-breaking flights. 

This blog was adapted from it’s original version, published in 2016. In 2025, Dorothy Cochrane and Amelia Grabowski updated the blog to add more information. You can read the original version via Internet Archive.