I will respond to this post to keep an important reply on the front page.

"NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission has logged a lot of flight miles since being lofted skyward on July 30 - 146.3 million miles (235.4 million kilometers) to be exact. Turns out that is exactly the same distance it has to go before the spacecraft hits the Red Planet's atmosphere like a 11,900 mph (19,000 kph) freight train on Feb. 18, 2021."

The 146 was only halfway.

Yes, they do in fact state that the total path distance is 292M miles.

The missing key to understanding is what "velocity" means (or in this case speed). Speed is always relative to something else. In this case, the speed of the probe at 24,600 mph is relative to the Earth. The speed when it arrives at mars relative to Mars will be 11,900 mph. The speed along the curved path of 292M miles relative to the Sun (or really to any stationary observer) is the speed of the Earth around the sun times the relative angle of the probes velocity vector (after fuel is spent) + the speed of the probe relative to the Earth (24,600mph) = 52,000 mph relative to the curved path (or a stationary observer measuring the speed along the curved path). Which means it will take 233 days to reach the Mars orbit when Mars reaches the same point in its orbit. It will arrive with a speed of 11,900 mph relative to Mars.

Fun note: the speed according to the probe's point of view is zero.

This btw is also the speed according to your point of view when sitting at your desk; for the exact same reason.