The shortest route from the US to Europe would be to head east across the Atlantic Ocean.
The shortest route would be a great circle route from the western most extreme of Europe to the eastern most extreme of the US.
East
southwest
New Mexico and Arizona.
If you wanted to traavel by car from Texas to California using the shortest route, you would pass New Mexico and Arizona.From Texas to New Mexico, Arizona and then California.
South...
the direction is north.
you would have to travel west
You would travel west.
You would travel due north.
West
East
northeast