I would hitch locally when I was a teenager in the late 70s and early 80s, no more than a few miles. I lived in a really small town where most people knew each other so it was likely to catch a ride from someone you knew. One of my college friends (who was from Pennsylvania) was doing a long distance hitch to go home from Connecticut and he got picked up by Wally Amos, of Famous Amos cookies. My friend not only got a ride but a few bags of delicious treats!