How far is the rage on a handheld CB radio?

Depends on the terrain in your area and where you are transmitting from (IE on a hill, in a valley, etc.) Some can do surprisingly well given the right conditions. Radio performance is greatly dependent on atmospheric conditions. Also, as with anything, performance will vary from unit to unit and depends on the location of the station on the other end's location and type (handheld, base, mobile etc) I'd say on average with quiet conditions, you could get as much as 5 miles or more out of one, while during the noisier daytime conditions you'd probably be more likely to get a couple miles due to static, other traffic etc.