Some good info here on getting started. For many a top question is range, or how far will a radio transmit. To help set expectations, here are some typical examples:

• Baofeng or CB using “rubber duck” antenna: 1 mile under average conditions, a few miles under ideal conditions.
• CB with tuned antenna(s) mounted properly on vehicle: 5 miles average, 10 miles ideal conditions.
• CB with tuned base station antenna on tower or roof, and good ground connection: 15-20 miles average, 50 or more at night, under ideal conditions.
• Baofeng with tuned base antenna on tower or roof, good ground connection: 10-20 miles average, 50-100 under ideal conditions.
• Baofeng and other portable ham rigs can be boosted through use of an amplifier (legally if you have ham ticket). CB can also use an amp (not legally). Using higher wattage and tuned high and in the clear antenna, ranges can be extended somewhat further.
• Ham base station rigs on any of the HF bands, with good antenna and ground (like above) and typical 100 watts transmit: 500-1000 miles minimum, at night, world wide range is common.

To recap, factors influencing your transmit range:

1. Frequency and time of day (ham HF bands at night are the best by far). Baofeng does VHF/UHF only, which does not travel far. CB is technically near upper end of HF so longer distances (>100 miles) possible but not dependably so in most cases.
2. Antenna tuned for transmit frequencies and mounted high and in the clear, along with a good ground connection.
3. Transmit power in watts output. Can make a big difference but only with 1 and 2 already implemented.
4. As an after thought, repeaters can also extend range, doubling it or better, as they are usually installed by expert hams with optimum location and antenna, and retransmit both sides of a conversation. There also are ham satellites, which take this idea to an extreme. :)