2026’s Best & Worst States to Drive In

WalletHub compared the 50 states across 31 key metrics

With traffic congestion costing the average U.S. driver 49 hours of their time each year, leading to hundreds of dollars in productivity losses, the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on 2026‘s Best & Worst States to Drive In.

To determine the most driver-friendly states in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states across 31 key metrics. The data set ranges from average gas prices to rush-hour traffic congestion to road quality.

Best States for Driving	Worst States for Driving
1. Vermont	41. Pennsylvania
2. Iowa	42. Nevada
3. Kansas	43. New Hampshire
4. Nebraska	44. Missouri
5. Indiana	45. Colorado
6. Florida	46. Maryland
7. Alabama	47. California
8. Tennessee	48. Montana
9. North Carolina	49. Washington
10. Minnesota	50. Hawaii

Best vs. Worst

• West Virginia has the least rush-hour traffic congestion – 14.5 times less than California, which has the most.
   
• Mississippi has the lowest average gas price – 1.7 times lower than California, which has the highest. 
   
• Vermont has the fewest car thefts per capita – 7.8 times fewer than New Mexico, which has the most. 
   
• California has the most auto-repair shops per capita – 8.3 times more than Hawaii, which has the fewest.
   
• Maine has the lowest average car insurance rate – 2.5 times lower than Louisiana, which has the highest.

 
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-states-to-drive-in/43012

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