With traffic congestion costing the average U.S. driver around 50 hours of their time each year, leading to hundreds of dollars in productivity losses, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2024’s Best & Worst States to Drive In. Maryland came in ranked 40th overall, and dead last in the “Traffic & Infrastructure” category.
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. Iowa | 41. Montana |
| 2. Georgia | 42. Vermont |
| 3. Kansas | 43. Rhode Island |
| 4. Oklahoma | 44. Nevada |
| 5. Alabama | 45. Massachusetts |
| 6. North Carolina | 46. California |
| 7. Ohio | 47. West Virginia |
| 8. Tennessee | 48. Delaware |
| 9. Texas | 49. Washington |
| 10. North Dakota | 50. Hawaii |
Best vs. Worst
- Maryland Ranks 40th overall and 50th in the Traffic & Infrastructure category
- West Virginia has the least rush-hour traffic congestion – 14.5 times less than California, which has the most.
- Texas has the lowest average gas price – 1.8 times lower than California, which has the highest.
- New Hampshire has the fewest car thefts per capita – 11.7 times fewer than Colorado, which has the most.
- California has the most auto-repair shops per capita – 7.8 times more than Hawaii, which has the fewest.
- Ohio has the lowest average car insurance rate– 2.5 times lower than Florida, 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