Best & Worst Cities to Drive in 2026

Oct 7, 2025

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer

Oct 7, 2025WalletHub Financial Writer

Most Americans rely on cars to get around, as “87% of daily trips take place in personal vehicles,” according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. While driving offers a more private and comfortable commute, though, it is often a major hassle and expense. Drivers annually spend an average of more than 369 hours on the road. That’s 15.4 days. Add the costs of wasted time and fuel due to traffic congestions, and our collective tab comes to about $771 per driver each year.

Road quality is another big factor in how pleasant one’s driving experience is. America’s highways and bridges are underfunded overall, with a backlog of hundreds of billions of dollars in repairs needed, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. The World Economic Forum ranks U.S. roads at 17th in quality out of 141 economically developed nations, too. It’s clear there’s room for improvement.

Some cities are better for those behind the wheel, though. To determine those places, WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 30 key indicators of driver-friendliness. Our data set ranges from average gas prices to annual hours in traffic congestion per auto commuter to auto-repair shops per capita.

“Car prices have gone up significantly over the past few years, and gas remains expensive going into the summer travel season. Living in one of the best cities to drive in can make owning and maintaining a car much cheaper. However, costs aren’t the only factors that matter; the best cities for drivers also minimize commute times and traffic congestion, have accident rates well below the national average and keep their roads in good condition.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Best & Worst Cities to Drive in

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Cost of Ownership & Maintenance Rank	Traffic & Infrastructure Rank	Safety Rank	Access to Vehicles & Maintenance Rank
1	Corpus Christi, TX	66.81	2	6	26	85
2	Greensboro, NC	64.26	1	23	62	48
3	Boise, ID	64.18	14	36	2	88
4	Scottsdale, AZ	63.62	54	1	18	26
5	Laredo, TX	63.51	5	48	5	98
6	Lubbock, TX	63.12	17	2	59	65
7	Birmingham, AL	62.69	4	11	85	10
8	Plano, TX	62.61	26	31	15	29
9	Austin, TX	62.54	15	19	37	22
10	Winston-Salem, NC	62.03	3	32	40	86
11	Raleigh, NC	62.01	7	54	19	36
12	Lincoln, NE	61.66	20	59	4	83
13	Oklahoma City, OK	61.25	18	37	25	45
14	Tulsa, OK	60.69	27	14	47	40
15	Tampa, FL	60.59	44	27	38	6
16	Chandler, AZ	60.32	47	8	17	96
17	Gilbert, AZ	60.27	65	20	1	97
18	Arlington, TX	60.13	23	49	35	18
19	Jacksonville, FL	60.12	8	25	70	41
20	Wichita, KS	60.06	33	15	30	92
21	Fort Wayne, IN	59.96	34	39	21	61
22	Mesa, AZ	59.59	60	13	13	70
23	Las Vegas, NV	59.55	63	9	31	16
24	Garland, TX	59.48	24	67	28	20
25	San Antonio, TX	59.41	6	38	73	53
26	Orlando, FL	58.91	53	4	86	2
27	Fort Worth, TX	58.82	32	58	34	21
28	Lexington-Fayette, KY	58.48	13	45	41	94
29	Irving, TX	58.35	19	63	33	51
30	El Paso, TX	58.19	57	34	11	59
31	Atlanta, GA	58.05	12	46	91	4
32	Tucson, AZ	57.77	20	7	90	54
33	St. Petersburg, FL	57.37	29	56	50	44
34	Virginia Beach, VA	57.17	36	77	14	90
35	Toledo, OH	57.02	11	42	77	73
36	Reno, NV	56.59	70	33	10	66
37	Chesapeake, VA	56.55	51	79	7	95
38	Nashville, TN	56.34	9	52	83	50
39	Madison, WI	56.21	42	71	12	99
40	Durham, NC	56.10	16	65	55	89
41	St. Paul, MN	55.93	46	89	16	67
42	Irvine, CA	55.84	92	3	9	19
43	Henderson, NV	55.73	80	26	6	84
44	Norfolk, VA	55.64	38	68	36	93
45	Riverside, CA	55.61	69	28	45	13
46	Columbus, OH	55.60	30	61	64	35
47	Dallas, TX	55.51	25	69	71	24
48	Buffalo, NY	55.44	40	57	46	82
49	Kansas City, MO	55.43	37	18	88	57
50	Phoenix, AZ	55.29	59	22	58	87
51	Albuquerque, NM	55.09	10	43	92	68
52	Charlotte, NC	55.03	41	72	48	25
53	Anaheim, CA	54.98	86	10	29	3
54	Colorado Springs, CO	54.80	49	74	32	78
55	Baton Rouge, LA	54.70	35	44	84	27
56	Glendale, AZ	54.49	68	12	57	75
57	St. Louis, MO	54.15	22	50	97	7
58	Indianapolis, IN	53.94	52	55	66	31
59	Minneapolis, MN	53.66	50	73	42	69
60	Cincinnati, OH	53.22	43	60	89	9
61	Anchorage, AK	53.09	56	94	3	100
62	Louisville, KY	53.02	39	66	79	64
63	Miami, FL	52.95	58	70	87	1
64	Omaha, NE	52.78	48	78	54	71
65	Fresno, CA	52.31	76	17	60	79
66	Houston, TX	52.08	28	81	80	34
67	Bakersfield, CA	52.04	81	16	52	42
68	Hialeah, FL	51.81	55	90	65	11
69	Pittsburgh, PA	51.30	67	75	67	17
70	New Orleans, LA	51.16	61	64	61	91
71	Chula Vista, CA	51.16	99	21	8	23
72	San Bernardino, CA	50.92	79	5	81	39
73	Santa Ana, CA	50.69	93	40	27	5
74	Fremont, CA	50.36	88	30	20	30
75	North Las Vegas, NV	50.24	84	41	44	60
76	Portland, OR	49.99	64	76	72	32
77	Aurora, CO	49.67	45	93	75	72
78	Long Beach, CA	49.47	91	24	43	8
79	Memphis, TN	49.23	31	47	100	38
80	Denver, CO	48.76	62	85	74	47
81	Stockton, CA	48.28	75	53	78	62
82	Sacramento, CA	47.33	94	29	56	14
83	Newark, NJ	47.32	77	95	51	15
84	Cleveland, OH	47.13	66	80	93	12
85	San Diego, CA	46.98	98	35	23	28
86	Jersey City, NJ	46.85	78	98	24	43
87	Boston, MA	46.74	71	92	53	63
88	Milwaukee, WI	46.35	74	86	69	74
89	Honolulu, HI	45.82	89	84	22	33
90	Seattle, WA	45.43	82	87	49	80
91	Baltimore, MD	42.93	73	83	95	56
92	San Jose, CA	42.75	97	51	63	77
93	Los Angeles, CA	39.03	95	91	68	37
94	Detroit, MI	38.83	83	88	98	52
95	San Francisco, CA	38.72	96	82	82	49
96	Chicago, IL	37.60	87	99	76	55
97	New York, NY	36.56	90	100	39	81
98	Washington, DC	36.49	72	96	99	58
99	Oakland, CA	36.26	100	62	94	46
100	Philadelphia, PA	36.05	85	97	96	76

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Annual Hours Spent in Congestion per Auto Commuter

Lowest

Lowest
1. Lubbock, TX
T-2. Corpus Christi, TX
T-2. Greensboro, NC
T-4. Wichita, KS
T-4. Toledo, OH

Highest

Highest
65. Philadelphia, PA
66. Boston, MA
T-67. Los Angeles, CA
T-67. Chicago, IL
T-67. New York, NY

Days with Precipitation

Fewest

Fewest
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. Henderson, NV
T-1. North Las Vegas, NV
4. Long Beach, CA
T-5. Anaheim, CA
T-5. Santa Ana, CA

Most

Most
96. Portland, OR
97. Pittsburgh, PA
T-98. Seattle, WA
T-98. Cleveland, OH
100. Buffalo, NY

Accident Likelihood in City vs. National Avg.

Lowest

Lowest
1. Boise, ID
2. Laredo, TX
3. Madison, WI
4. Colorado Springs, CO
5. Scottsdale, AZ

Highest

Highest
96. Oakland, CA
T-97. Los Angeles, CA
T-97. Boston, MA
T-97. Washington, DC
T-97. Baltimore, MD

Car Theft Rate

Lowest

Lowest
1. Gilbert, AZ
2. Boise, ID
3. Irvine, CA
4. Scottsdale, AZ
5. Chandler, AZ

Highest

Highest
T-96. Washington, DC
T-96. Baltimore, MD
T-96. San Jose, CA
T-96. Omaha, NE
T-96. Oakland, CA

Auto-Repair Shops per Capita

Most

Most
1. Birmingham, AL
2. San Bernardino, CA
3. Hialeah, FL
4. Baton Rouge, LA
5. Garland, TX

Fewest

Fewest
96. Irvine, CA
97. Houston, TX
98. Chicago, IL
99. Los Angeles, CA
100. New York, NY

Car Washes per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Orlando, FL
T-1. Tampa, FL
T-1. Miami, FL
T-1. Riverside, CA
T-1. Atlanta, GA

Fewest

Fewest
96. Anchorage, AK
97. Fremont, CA
98. Irving, TX
99. Jersey City, NJ
100. Madison, WI

Avg. Gas Prices

Lowest

Lowest
1. Laredo, TX
2. Oklahoma City, OK
3. Corpus Christi, TX
4. San Antonio, TX
5. Lubbock, TX

Highest

Highest
T-96. San Diego, CA
T-96. Chula Vista, CA
98. Fresno, CA
99. Oakland, CA
100. San Francisco, CA

Auto Maintenance Costs

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Laredo, TX
T-1. Greensboro, NC
T-1. Tucson, AZ
T-1. Stockton, CA
T-1. Fresno, CA

Highest

Highest
96. New York, NY
97. Jersey City, NJ
98. Portland, OR
99. Boston, MA
100. Sacramento, CA

Parking Rates

Lowest

Lowest
1. Corpus Christi, TX
T-2. Lexington-Fayette, KY
T-2. Winston-Salem, NC
4. Lincoln, NE
T-5. Louisville, KY
T-5. Raleigh, NC

Highest

Highest
77. Boston, MA
78. Philadelphia, PA
T-79. New York, NY
T-79. Chicago, IL
T-79. San Diego, CA

In-Depth Look at the Best Cities to Drive in

Corpus Christi, TX

Corpus Christi, TX, is the best city to drive in, due in part to its low costs. It’s the third-cheapest city for gas and tied for seventh-cheapest for purchasing a new vehicle. It’s also the 11th-least expensive city when it comes to additional vehicle operating costs like lost time and fuel waste due to traffic congestion, or damage from poorly-maintained roads.

Speaking of maintenance, Corpus Christi has the best-maintained bridges in the country, and it ranks 25th out of the 100 cities in our study when it comes to road quality. Residents also enjoy the fourth-lowest average commute times and second-lowest hours spent in congested traffic per year.

Finally, Corpus Christi shines when it comes to safety. It has the highest percentage of adults who always or nearly always wear a seatbelt, at nearly 99%. It also has the seventh-lowest accident likelihood, at more than 8% below the national average.

Greensboro, NC

Greensboro, NC, is the second-best city to drive in, largely because it’s an inexpensive city. It ranks as the fifth-cheapest city when it comes to the average parking rate. It’s also the 21st-cheapest when it comes to extra vehicle operating costs such as damage from improperly-maintained roadways or lost time and wasted gas due to congestion. Greensboro also is the second-least expensive city for auto maintenance and 15th-least expensive for car insurance out of the 100 cities in our study.

Greensboro residents’ commutes aren’t too bad, as people only spend an average of 9 hours per year in congested traffic. That’s the second-fewest in the nation. In addition, Greensboro ranks as the 14th-best city for road maintenance.

Safety is also key while driving, and Greensboro has the seventh-lowest share of drivers that are uninsured. The city also boasts a relatively high number of auto repair shops per capita, offering residents convenient access to vehicle maintenance. Additionally, Greensboro has the fourth-highest number of roadway miles per capita, indicating strong road infrastructure and potentially lighter traffic congestion.

Boise, ID

Boise, ID, is the third-best city to drive in, boasting the lowest likelihood of having an accident, at nearly 23% below the national average. It also has the 20th-lowest traffic fatality rate in the country, the lowest percentage of uninsured drivers and the third-lowest prevalence of hard-braking incidents. This makes the city an extremely safe place for drivers. Vehicles are also safe even when unoccupied, as Boise has the second-lowest theft rate.

Boise is a relatively cheap city for drivers, too. It has the second-lowest average car insurance premium, 18th-lowest average cost of a new car and fifth-lowest additional vehicle operating costs.

On top of all that, Boise residents can enjoy smooth transit due to the 13th-shortest commute times and 21st-best roads in the country.

Ask the Experts

With cost, safety and environmental impact ranking among the top concerns for the auto industry, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

What money- saving tips do you have for drivers, with gas prices still relatively high?
When do you think there will be more self-driving cars than human-driven? How have recent advances in AI impacted that timeline?
Considering all potential consequences, do you think that automated vehicles will be a net benefit or net negative for society?
What can local authorities do to reduce traffic and improve safety?
What are some of the biggest infrastructure challenges in U.S. cities?

Ask the Experts

David Kack
Program Manager, Mobility & Public Transportation, Western Transportation Institute (WTI) - Montana State University
Read More

Scott S. Washburn
Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE – Professor Emeritus, University of Florida, Civil and Coastal Engineering
Read More

Andre Boehman
Professor, Mechanical Engineering; Vennema Professor of Engineering; Director, W.E. Lay Automotive Laboratory – University of Michigan
Read More

Raul Rojas
Professor, Fred D. Gibson, Jr. Endowed Professor in Science, Department of Mathematics and Statistics – University of Nevada, Reno
Read More

Kenneth Christopher
D.P.A., Professor – Program Director, B.S. and M.S., Homeland Security and Emergency Management, College of Law and Public Service – National University
Read More

Methodology

In order to determine the best and worst cities for drivers, WalletHub compared a sample of the 100 most populated U.S. cities across four key dimensions: 1) Cost of Ownership & Maintenance, 2) Traffic & Infrastructure, 3) Safety and 4) Access to Vehicles & Maintenance. Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area.

We evaluated those dimensions using 30 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 most favorable conditions for drivers. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at the state level only. For metrics marked with two asterisks (**), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Cost of Ownership & Maintenance – Total Points: 30

Cost of New Car: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
Average Gas Prices: Double Weight (~8.57 Points)
Average Monthly Car Insurance Premium: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
Auto Maintenance Costs: Full Weight (~4.29 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.
Average Parking Rate: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)

Traffic & Infrastructure – Total Points: 30

Annual Hours Spent in Congestion per Auto Commuter: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Number of Days with Precipitation: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Number of Cold Days: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Note: This metric specifically measures the average number of days with a minimum temperature of 32 degrees F or lower.
Average Commute Time by Car (in Minutes): Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Number of Alternative-Fuel Stations per Capita: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Quality of Roads: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Quality of Bridges*: Quarter Weight (~0.91 Points)
Roadway Miles per 1,000 Persons: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Waze Driver Satisfaction Rating: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)

Safety – Total Points: 30

Accident Likelihood in City vs. National Average: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
Traffic Fatality Rate per 100,000 Population: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
Share of Adults Who Always or Nearly Always Wear a Seatbelt: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
Number of Hard-Braking Events per 1,000 Miles: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
Note: Hard-braking data is based on customers voluntarily enrolled in Allstate’s Drivewise® telematics program from 2016-2017.
Share of Uninsured Drivers*: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
Rate of Car Thefts: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
Rate of Larceny: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
Strictness of DUI Punishment*: Half Weight (~1.76 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Strictest & Most Lenient States on DUI” ranking.
Punitiveness of High-Risk Driver’s Insurance*: Half Weight (~1.76 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “States with the Highest & Lowest Insurance Premium Penalties for High-Risk Drivers” ranking.
Driving Laws Score*: Half Weight (~1.76 Points)

Access to Vehicles & Maintenance – Total Points: 10

Car Dealerships per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Auto-Repair Shops per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Car Washes per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Gas Stations per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Parking Lots and Garages per Capita: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of September 9, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Council for Community and Economic Research, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, INRIX, National Centers for Environmental Information, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Automobile Association, The Road Information Program, Federal Highway Administration, Waze Mobile, Allstate Insurance Company, U.S. Department of Energy, QuinStreet Insurance Agency, Yelp, TrueCar, Insurance Information Institute and WalletHub research.

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Questions & Answers(1 question)

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How come you all dont even look at Needles, California or Fort Mohave, Arizona for for the good or bad.

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Best & Worst Cities to Drive in (2026)

Main Findings

Best & Worst Cities to Drive in

In-Depth Look at the Best Cities to Drive in

Corpus Christi, TX

Greensboro, NC

Boise, ID

Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

Methodology

Cost of Ownership & Maintenance – Total Points: 30

Traffic & Infrastructure – Total Points: 30

Safety – Total Points: 30

Access to Vehicles & Maintenance – Total Points: 10

Supporting Video Files:

Questions & Answers(1 question)

How come you all dont even look at Needles, California or Fort Mohave, Arizona for for the good or bad.

Important Disclosures