Obviously, this will depend on what radio you're using. That being said, you can expect a range of somewhere in between 2 ad 18 miles from your radio. Obviously, the radios with that long range of 18 miles will be more expensive, but well worth it if you really need the range. I'd highly recommend you think carefully about how much distance you think you'll need your ham radio to cover. For example, if you work at a school or on a construction site, you probably won't need too much range from your radio. Of course, if you tend to drive a lot for work, or if you want to use your new ham radio for hobby nature exploring, then it's most likely a good idea to splurge for a radio that will really go the distance.