Everyone hates being stuck in traffic. It makes you late, and causes many people’s tempers to flare up. It’s also quite bad for your wallet – in fact, congestion cost the average driver $869 in 2022, thanks to an average of 51 hours spent sitting in traffic. The U.S. also has eight out of the world’s 25 worst cities for traffic, and 19 of the worst 25 in North America.
Congestion isn’t the only concern on the road, though. People want to know that they will be driving on safe, well-maintained roads before heading out, and while the U.S. has a fairly good track record, it certainly doesn’t top the list. For example, the World Economic Forum ranks the U.S. 17 out of 141 countries when it comes to road quality.
Road conditions naturally aren’t consistent across the entire country. To identify the states with the best driving conditions, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 31 key indicators of a positive commute. Our data set ranges from average gas prices to rush-hour traffic congestion to road quality.
Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst
Main Findings
Best & Worst Driving States
Overall Rank | State | Total Score | Cost of Ownership & Maintenance Rank | Traffic & Infrastructure Rank | Safety Rank | Access to Vehicles & Maintenance Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Iowa | 65.87 | 5 | 6 | 30 | 18 |
2 | Georgia | 63.95 | 2 | 34 | 22 | 9 |
3 | Kansas | 63.48 | 10 | 3 | 29 | 30 |
4 | Oklahoma | 63.26 | 7 | 9 | 35 | 27 |
5 | Alabama | 62.49 | 3 | 15 | 33 | 28 |
6 | North Carolina | 62.34 | 6 | 32 | 24 | 10 |
7 | Ohio | 62.31 | 4 | 29 | 38 | 7 |
8 | Tennessee | 61.97 | 1 | 26 | 42 | 22 |
9 | Texas | 61.91 | 19 | 42 | 17 | 4 |
10 | North Dakota | 60.91 | 14 | 1 | 43 | 47 |
11 | Indiana | 60.83 | 13 | 19 | 32 | 17 |
12 | Nebraska | 60.22 | 23 | 7 | 23 | 32 |
13 | Wyoming | 59.27 | 11 | 8 | 37 | 48 |
14 | Idaho | 58.91 | 25 | 4 | 34 | 42 |
15 | Wisconsin | 58.90 | 17 | 20 | 41 | 20 |
16 | Florida | 58.50 | 30 | 44 | 18 | 2 |
17 | Utah | 58.24 | 26 | 17 | 16 | 31 |
18 | New Mexico | 58.17 | 21 | 2 | 45 | 43 |
19 | Arkansas | 57.93 | 16 | 11 | 44 | 34 |
20 | Arizona | 57.66 | 33 | 22 | 11 | 25 |
21 | Virginia | 57.48 | 15 | 43 | 31 | 15 |
22 | Mississippi | 57.48 | 8 | 13 | 48 | 36 |
23 | Illinois | 57.47 | 40 | 37 | 5 | 5 |
24 | South Dakota | 57.45 | 12 | 10 | 47 | 39 |
25 | Minnesota | 57.34 | 18 | 39 | 25 | 19 |
26 | Kentucky | 57.08 | 24 | 24 | 19 | 33 |
27 | New York | 56.70 | 42 | 45 | 7 | 3 |
28 | Louisiana | 56.70 | 29 | 25 | 15 | 29 |
29 | Pennsylvania | 56.43 | 34 | 31 | 26 | 6 |
30 | South Carolina | 56.11 | 9 | 27 | 46 | 26 |
31 | Michigan | 56.09 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 11 |
32 | Maine | 56.08 | 35 | 18 | 9 | 35 |
33 | Connecticut | 56.05 | 39 | 36 | 2 | 23 |
34 | Alaska | 55.86 | 38 | 16 | 3 | 50 |
35 | Oregon | 55.31 | 44 | 12 | 20 | 24 |
36 | Colorado | 54.62 | 27 | 35 | 39 | 13 |
37 | Missouri | 53.90 | 20 | 28 | 49 | 14 |
38 | New Jersey | 53.45 | 36 | 48 | 6 | 12 |
39 | New Hampshire | 52.64 | 22 | 47 | 21 | 37 |
40 | Maryland | 52.33 | 32 | 50 | 10 | 21 |
41 | Montana | 52.20 | 28 | 5 | 50 | 44 |
42 | Vermont | 51.71 | 37 | 23 | 28 | 41 |
43 | Rhode Island | 51.52 | 41 | 46 | 1 | 46 |
44 | Nevada | 51.45 | 47 | 14 | 14 | 38 |
45 | Massachusetts | 51.39 | 46 | 49 | 4 | 8 |
46 | California | 49.75 | 50 | 40 | 12 | 1 |
47 | West Virginia | 49.23 | 43 | 21 | 40 | 45 |
48 | Delaware | 47.47 | 45 | 33 | 13 | 49 |
49 | Washington | 47.46 | 48 | 38 | 36 | 16 |
50 | Hawaii | 44.86 | 49 | 41 | 8 | 40 |
Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of each state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for each category.
- Lowest
- 1. West Virginia
- 2. North Dakota
- 3. Maine
- 4. Mississippi
- 5. New Mexico
- Highest
- 41. Florida
- 42. Delaware
- 43. New Jersey
- 44. Maryland
- 45. California
- Fewest
- 1. California
- 2. Arizona
- 3. Nevada
- 4. New Mexico
- 5. Texas
- Most
- 46. Alaska
- 47. Vermont
- 48. West Virginia
- 49. Hawaii
- 50. New Hampshire
- Lowest
- 1. New Hampshire
- 2. Maine
- 3. West Virginia
- 4. Idaho
- 5. Vermont
- Highest
- 46. Nevada
- 47. New Mexico
- 48. Oregon
- 49. Washington
- 50. Colorado
- Most
- 1. California
- 2. Pennsylvania
- 3. New York
- 4. Texas
- 5. Florida
- Fewest
- 46. North Dakota
- 47. Mississippi
- 48. Alaska
- 49. Delaware
- 50. Hawaii
- Most
- T-1. Florida
- T-1. California
- T-1. Texas
- 4. Illinois
- 5. New York
- Fewest
- 46. Maine
- 47. West Virginia
- 48. Hawaii
- 49. Alaska
- 50. Vermont
- Lowest
- 1. Texas
- 2. Mississippi
- T-3. Georgia
- T-3. Oklahoma
- 5. Louisiana
- Highest
- 46. Oregon
- 47. Nevada
- 48. Washington
- 49. Hawaii
- 50. California
- Lowest
- 1. Mississippi
- 2. South Dakota
- 3. Georgia
- 4. Missouri
- 5. North Carolina
- Highest
- 46. West Virginia
- 47. Vermont
- 48. Maine
- 49. Massachusetts
- 50. Delaware
In-Depth Look at the Best States for Drivers
Iowa
Iowa is the best state to drive in, due in part to the fact that it’s a rural state and has one of the lowest rush-hour traffic congestion rates in the country. Less than a quarter of urban interstates in Iowa experience congestion during peak hours. In addition, Iowa drivers tend to have short commutes, at less than 20 minutes on average.
Iowa residents also can save a lot of money on their vehicle expenses, given that Iowa is in the top 10 states when it comes to low gas prices and car insurance rates. Plus, the Hawkeye state has one of the lowest rates of vehicle theft and larceny, so residents can feel safe and secure.
Georgia
The second-best state to drive in is Georgia. Everyone knows the nightmare scenario of not being able to find a gas station when you’re on empty – but Georgia has the most gas stations and the ninth-most alternative fuel stations in the country per capita.
Georgia also takes the problem of driving while intoxicated very seriously, with the second-strictest DUI laws in the country, although Georgians still have a lot of work to do when it comes to speeding and distracted driving.
To top things off, owning a car can be pretty cheap in Georgia. Georgians have the third-lowest auto maintenance costs and gas prices in the country.
Kansas
Kansas is the third-best state for drivers, and one of the contributing factors is improving road safety. Kansas had one of the biggest year-over-year decreases in the traffic fatality rate, at over 12%, according to the most recent data. This may be partially due to the fact that Kansas drivers speed less frequently than people in most states.
Kansas has some of the most roadway miles per capita in the country, but keeps those roads well-maintained, with the 10th best road quality. Keeping roads paved well probably isn’t too hard, though, given that Kansas is “flatter than a pancake.”
Since Kansas has a low population and lots of farmland, it makes sense that it has a low traffic congestion rate, too. Clear roadways definitely contribute to the state’s third-place ranking.
Ask the Experts
Future improvements to the safety, condition and congestion of roads rely on cooperation between drivers, lawmakers and private industry. With that in mind, we asked the following key questions to a panel of experts. Click on the profiles below to read the experts’ bios and see their answers.
- What tips do you have for a person looking to keep the costs of car ownership low?
- Should states offer tax or other incentives to encourage people to purchase electric vehicles? What else can states do to support the adoption of low-emissions vehicles (e.g. charging station infrastructure for electric vehicles)?
- In your opinion, when will self-driving cars be readily available? What are the regulatory or policy hurdles?
- How can states reduce the number of traffic fatalities?
- What are your predictions for the automotive industry? Will home-based work and online shopping lead to a decline in car ownership?
Ask the Experts
Methodology
To help drivers identify the states that provide the best commuting conditions, WalletHub compared the 50 states across four key dimensions: 1) Cost of Ownership & Maintenance, 2) Traffic & Infrastructure, 3) Safety and 4) Access to Vehicles & Maintenance.
We evaluated those dimensions using 31 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the best for drivers.
Finally, we determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the following scores to rank-order the states.
For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across states.
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance – Total Points: 30
- Average Gas Prices: Triple Weight (~12.86 Points)
- Average Annual Car Insurance Premium: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- Auto-Maintenance Costs: Double Weight (~8.57 Points)
- Total Extra Vehicle Operating Costs per Driver: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
Note: Additional vehicle operating costs (VOC) are the “result of driving on roads in need of repair, lost time and fuel due to congestion-related delays, and the costs of traffic crashes in which roadway features likely were a contributing factor,” according to transportation research firm TRIP.
Traffic & Infrastructure – Total Points: 30
- Share of Rush-Hour Traffic Congestion: Double Weight (~6.00 Points)
Note: This metric refers to the share of urban interstates experiencing congestion during peak hours. - Increase in Vehicle Travel on Highways (2023 vs. 2000): Half Weight (~1.50 Points)
- Number of Days with Precipitation: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
- Number of Icy Days: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
Note: This metric measures the mean number of days with a minimum temperature of 32 degrees F or lower. - Number of Strong Wind & Hail Storms Reports: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
- Average Commute Time by Car (in Minutes): Double Weight (~6.00 Points)
- Road Quality: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
- Bridge Quality: Half Weight (~1.50 Points)
- Roadway Miles per 1,000 Persons: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
Safety – Total Points: 30
- Traffic Indiscipline: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Note: This is a composite metric that measures incidents due to poor behavior: phone use, speeding, aggressive acceleration, harsh braking, and poor turning. - Share of Adults Who Always or Nearly Always Wear a Seatbelt: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
- Traffic Fatality Rate: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
- Change in Traffic Fatality Rate (2021 vs. 2020): Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
- Car Theft Rate: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
- Larceny Rate: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
- Strictness of DUI Punishment: Half Weight (~1.36 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Strictest & Most Lenient States on DUI” ranking. - Strictness of High-Risk Driving: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “States with the Highest & Lowest Insurance Premium Penalties for High-Risk Drivers” ranking. - Driving-Laws Rating: Half Weight (~1.36 Points)
- Share of Uninsured Drivers: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
- Likelihood of Collision with Animals: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
- Animal Loss Claims per Total Number of Drivers: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance – Total Points: 10
- Car Dealerships per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Auto-Repair Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Car Washes per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Gas Stations per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Alternative Fuel Stations per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Parking Lots and Garages per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of December 20, 2023 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Energy, Council for Community and Economic Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Insurance Crime Bureau, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Prediction Center, American Automobile Association, The Road Information Program, Federal Highway Administration, State Farm, QuinStreet Insurance Agency, EverQuote, the Insurance Information Institute and WalletHub research.
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