Best & Worst States to Drive In

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

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.

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.