With unlimited data and podcasts covering all sorts of topics, getting stuck in traffic isn’t nearly as bad as it was 20 years ago. However, it’s still a pain that no one actively looks to deal with. In cities like Los Angeles or Austin, traffic is just a way of life. But when looking at states as a whole, California and Texas are on opposite ends of the spectrum on WalletHub’s “Best and Worst States to Drive In” 2020 study.
Don’t Forget the Tires: Check to see if it’s time to get a new set of wheels
To determine which states were the best and worst to drive in, WalletHub compared all states across four key dimensions: Cost of Ownership & Maintenance, Traffic & Infrastructure, Safety, and Access to Vehicles & Maintenance. Within those four metrics, WalletHub then broke those down into 31 weighted, relevant metrics. Just a handful of these included average gas prices, number of icy days, bridge quality, driving laws, and likelihood of collision with deer.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top 10 best states to drive in:
- Iowa
- Tennessee
- North Carolina
- Texas
- Nebraska
- Georgia
- Virginia
- Indiana
- Arkansas
- Alabama
The worst 10 states to drive in included the following:
- Hawaii
- Rhode Island
- Washington
- California
- Colorado
- Maryland
- West Virginia
- New Jersey
- Alaska
- Montana
Rush Hour Luxury: Consider the all-new BMW X7 when you’re waiting in traffic
For a better perspective, the highest score (out of 100) was achieved by Iowa with 64.44 while the worst state to drive in, Hawaii, only got a total of 38.77. Mississippi, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Iowa were all praised for their low rush-hour traffic congestion. Hawaii was dinged for having a high average gas price, high auto maintenance costs, very few car washes per capita, a high car theft rate, and few auto repair shops per capita. I guess when it comes to the Aloha State, you’re better off walking!
Morgan [she/her] has lived all over the place and is now trapped living in Ohio. When she’s not writing about cars, she can be found spotting Canadian actors in film and television, testing her caffeine tolerance levels, or playing board games with her wife. See more articles by Morgan.
