Capitol Christmas Tree Rolls 2,000 Miles to D.C. in Kenworth T680
Capitol Christmas Tree begins 2,000-mile journey to Washington behind custom Kenworth T680
The 2026 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree began its journey to Washington, D.C., on October 29, when a 76-foot Engelmann spruce departed Grangeville, Idaho. The tree is scheduled to travel approximately 2,000 miles before arriving at the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building on November 20.
Boise Cascade, an Idaho-based building materials manufacturer and distributor, is serving as the tree’s hauler. Four experienced transportation professionals from the company are sharing responsibility for the trip: Monte Cook, Phillip Cramer, Fred Holmes and Tianne Larrimer. Together, they bring more than 100 years of driving, logistics and transportation experience to the route.
Cook is a Boise Cascade operations leader and veteran driver with 33 years of experience and nearly 3 million miles on the road. Cramer is a Boise Cascade operations manager whose 22-year career includes 1.5 million safe driving miles. Holmes, a former Boise Cascade driver and current product manager, has more than 20 years of industry experience. Larrimer is a military-trained logistics professional with more than three decades of experience that includes Army service, heavy hauling and flatbed transportation.
The drivers are operating a specially decaled Kenworth T680 supplied by Kenworth Truck Company. The tractor is equipped with a 76-inch sleeper and a PACCAR powertrain consisting of a PACCAR MX-13 engine, PACCAR TX-12 automated transmission and PACCAR DX-40 tandem rear axles.
Before the truck began the cross-country trip, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration inspectors checked the vehicle to confirm that it was prepared for the journey. The inspection was part of the safety planning surrounding the transport of the oversized holiday display and the communities hosting the truck along the route.
The tree’s trip is designed as a whistle-stop tour, giving residents opportunities to see the truck and tree before they reach the nation’s capital. Events are free and open to the public. Visitors can take photographs, sign a banner, purchase official U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree merchandise and learn more about the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests and Idaho.
The first scheduled stops were in Grangeville on October 29, followed by Lewiston on October 30 and Moscow on October 31. The route then continues through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
- Nov. 1: Orofino and Kamiah, Idaho
- Nov. 3: Lolo, Montana
- Nov. 4: Salmon, Idaho
- Nov. 5: Craters of the Moon National Monument and Twin Falls, Idaho
- Nov. 6: Idaho Falls, Idaho
- Nov. 7: Gardiner, Montana
- Nov. 9: Sheridan, Wyoming
- Nov. 10: Custer, South Dakota
- Nov. 12: Mitchell, South Dakota, and Albert Lea, Minnesota
- Nov. 13: Peoria, Illinois
- Nov. 14: Richmond, Indiana
- Nov. 16: Morgantown, West Virginia
- Nov. 17: Hagerstown, Maryland, and Littlestown, Pennsylvania
- Nov. 19: Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, with access limited to those with military identification
The U.S. Forest Service selected the tree from the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. Officials kept the tree’s precise location confidential until the harvest in late October. After the harvest, crews prepared the spruce for its public tour through Idaho and across the country.
For the professional drivers handling the move, the assignment combines long-distance hauling, route planning, public events and careful attention to the cargo. The tree will be transported through multiple states and communities before reaching Washington, where it will become the Capitol’s official Christmas Tree.