With traffic congestion costing the average U.S. driver nearly $800 per year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst States to Drive In, with Maryland coming in ranked as the 11th worst state to drive in.
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. Kansas | 41. Missouri |
| 2. Idaho | 42. Nevada |
| 3. Indiana | 43. Delaware |
| 4. Iowa | 44. Massachusetts |
| 5. Oklahoma | 45. California |
| 6. Alabama | 46. Colorado |
| 7. North Carolina | 47. New Hampshire |
| 8. Ohio | 48. Montana |
| 9. Texas | 49. Washington |
| 10. Tennessee | 50. Hawaii |
Maryland was ranked 40th overall, coming in last in the “Traffic & Infrastructure” category. The state did come in ranked in the top 20 in two different categories– “Safety” and “Access to Vehicles and Maintenance” (both 18th overall).
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.
- 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 – 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