Best & Worst States to Drive in (2026)

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 $894 in 2025, thanks to an average of 49 hours spent sitting in traffic. The U.S. also has ten out of the world’s 25 worst cities for traffic, and 19 of the 25 worst in the Americas.

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.

“Owning a car can really squeeze your wallet if you’re not in the right location. On top of having pricey gas, maintenance and insurance expenses, some states can hurt you even more financially with excessive traffic congestion, which wastes both your fuel and your productivity. The best states to drive in are ones that are relatively rural, with smaller populations, a low cost of living, well-maintained roads and safe motorists.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Main Findings

Best & Worst Driving States

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.

% of Rush-Hour Traffic Congestion

Highest

• 1. West Virginia
• 2. North Dakota
• 3. Maine
• 4. Mississippi
• 5. New Mexico

Lowest

• 41. Florida
• 42. Delaware
• 43. New Jersey
• 44. Maryland
• 45. California

Best State vs. Worst State: 15x Difference

West Virginia vs. California

Days with Precipitation

Fewest

• 1. California
• 2. Arizona
• 3. New Mexico
• 4. Nevada
• 5. Texas

Most

• 46. Alaska
• 47. Vermont
• 48. West Virginia
• 49. Hawaii
• 50. New Hampshire

Best State vs. Worst State: 3x Difference

California vs. New Hampshire

Car Theft Rate

Lowest

• 1. Vermont
• 2. New Hampshire
• 3. Idaho
• 4. West Virginia
• 5. Maine

Highest

• 46. California
• 47. Washington
• 48. Nevada
• 49. Colorado
• 50. New Mexico

Best State vs. Worst State: 8x Difference

Vermont vs. New Mexico

Auto-Repair Shops per Capita

Most

• 1. California
• 2. Pennsylvania
• 3. New York
• 4. Texas
• 5. Florida

Fewest

• 46. Mississippi
• 47. Wyoming
• 48. Alaska
• 49. Delaware
• 50. Hawaii

Best State vs. Worst State: 8x Difference

California vs. Hawaii

Car Washes per Capita

Most

• T-1. Florida
• T-1. California
• T-1. Texas
• T-1. Illinois
• T-1. New Jersey

Fewest

• 46. Maine
• 47. Delaware
• 48. Alaska
• 49. Hawaii
• 50. Vermont

Best State vs. Worst State: 11x Difference

Florida vs. Vermont

Avg. Gas Prices

Lowest

• 1. Mississippi
• 2. Oklahoma
• 3. Arkansas
• 4. Louisiana
• 5. Texas

Highest

• 46. Nevada
• 47. Oregon
• 48. Washington
• 49. Hawaii
• 50. California

Best State vs. Worst State: 2x Difference

Mississippi vs. California

Auto Maintenance Costs

Lowest

• 1. New Mexico
• 2. Missouri
• 3. West Virginia
• 4. Vermont
• 5. Tennessee

Highest

• 46. Hawaii
• 47. Oregon
• 48. New Hampshire
• 49. Massachusetts
• 50. Montana

Best State vs. Worst State: 2x Difference

New Mexico vs. Montana

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In-Depth Look at the Best States for Drivers

Vermont

Vermont is the best state to drive in, in part due to the success it’s had in decreasing deaths on the road. Between 2022 and 2023 (the most recent years for which data is available), the state’s traffic fatality rate decreased by nearly 10%, the 12th-highest percentage in the country. Vermont also has the fewest motor vehicle thefts per capita.

In addition, Vermont has the lowest prevalence of incidents due to phone use and the fifth-lowest prevalence of harsh braking. Combined with well-maintained roadways, this helps reduce the danger of accidents. But if you do get into a crash in Vermont, you’ll be happy to know that only 11.8% of drivers are uninsured.

Vermont residents also can save a lot of money on their vehicle expenses. The Green Mountain State has the third-lowest average car insurance rate in the nation. It also has the fourth-lowest auto maintenance costs and the second-lowest miscellaneous vehicle operating costs.

Iowa

Iowa is the second-best state to drive in, boasting the eighth-best road quality and the sixth-lowest traffic congestion in the country. It also takes road safety very seriously, with the fifth-strictest driving laws. Iowa also has very low crime rates, with the 10th-fewest larcenies and the 11th-fewest motor vehicle thefts per capita.

Iowa makes it convenient to be a car owner, too. Everyone knows the nightmare scenario of not being able to find a gas station when you’re running on fumes, but Iowa has the 20th-most gas stations per capita. It also has the 17th-most auto dealerships, the 22nd-most auto repair shops, and the 12th-most car washes per capita. On top of all that, Iowa helps drivers keep their expenses low, with the 10th-lowest average car insurance rate and the 12th-lowest miscellaneous vehicle operating costs.

Kansas

Kansas is the third-best state for drivers, due in large part to the quality and safety of its roads. Kansas has the second-best road quality in the U.S., and well-maintained motorways are essential for minimizing crashes. Keeping roads paved well probably isn’t too hard, though, given that Kansas is “flatter than a pancake.” Drivers also stay relatively well-behaved, as the Sunflower State has the sixth-lowest prevalence of speeding, along with relatively few drivers who accelerate aggressively or brake harshly.

Kansas has the sixth-most roadway miles per capita in the country, yet its residents enjoy the seventh-lowest average commute time by car, at just over 20 minutes. That suggests that while the population may be spread out, people tend to live close to their jobs and don’t get stuck in traffic often. Since Kansas has a small population and lots of farmland, it makes sense that it has the seventh-lowest traffic congestion rate, too.

Finally, Kansas is a relatively cheap state for owning a car. It has the 12th-lowest average gas prices in the country and the fifth-lowest miscellaneous vehicle operating costs, which encompasses things like damage due to badly-maintained roads, as well as lost time and fuel due to congestion.

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.

1. What tips do you have for a person looking to keep the costs of car ownership low?
2. 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)?
3. In your opinion, when will self-driving cars be commonplace? What are the regulatory or policy hurdles?
4. How can states reduce the number of traffic fatalities?
5. What are your predictions for the automotive industry this year?
6. What are the top aspects that make a state more “driver-friendly”?

Ask the Experts

Panos D. Prevedouros
Ph.D. – Past Chairman and Professor Emeritus, Civil and Environmental Engineering - University of Hawaii at Mānoa
Read More

Arman Sargolzaei
Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of RANCS Research Group, College of Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering - University of South Florida
Read More

Subasish Das
Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Program, Ingram School of Engineering, Texas State University
Read More

Sarah L. Catz
Esq., Researcher at University of California, Irvine, Institute of Transportation Studies
Read More

Wes Kumfer
Ph.D., RSP1 – Engineering Research Associate – UNC Highway Safety Research Center
Read More

Elizabeth Deakin
Professor Emerita of City and Regional Planning and Urban Design – University of California, Berkeley
Read More

More 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 (2025 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 (2023 vs. 2022): 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 19, 2025 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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