Pack up the car, grab your cooler and cruise on some of the 164,000 miles of the National Highway System this vacation. The annual Highway Report Ranking from Reason.org is out just in time.
The website ranked the highway systems of every state in the nation, and along with identifying the worst, it also deemed which states offer travelers the best driving conditions.
Road performance, pavement conditions and the conditions of bridges and rural roads of the nation's infrastructure were all analyzed for the ranking. Traffic congestion and fatality rates were also criteria for the report.
These state-controlled highway miles, in ascending order, ranked as the best highway systems in the U.S.:
10. Utah
As the 39th largest state-controlled highway mileage, Utah did well for its rural interstate’s pavement condition. Utah’s highway rank has improved over the years, moving up three spots from 2013 and 19 spots from 2012.
9. Missouri
The state did well overall in total monetary disbursements per mile. Overall, the state ranked ninth in highway performance and cost-effectiveness. Missouri has the seventh-largest state-controlled highway system in the nation.
8. Wyoming
Urban congestion was not a concern in this state with drivers spending 5.86 hours per year during peak times in traffic. Wyoming’s fatality rate ranked poorly with 1.51 fatality per 100 million vehicle-miles. Wyoming has the 36th-largest highway miles in the U.S.
7. Idaho
The overall ranking for Idaho improved from 30th in 2012 to seventh in 2015. The state did well in highway performance and cost effectiveness. Idaho commuters spent 9.17 hours on average per year in cars during peaks traffic times.
6. Montana
Overall, the state ranked sixth in highway performance and cost effectiveness. Montana improved its ranking from ninth in 2012 to sixth overall in 2015. The state-controlled highway mileage is the 25th largest in the country.
5. South Carolina
The state did well in disbursements per mile. Spending $37,084 per mile, the state also ranked first in capital and bridge disbursement. However, the state ranked last in fatality rates.
4. Nebraska
Highway disbursements gave the state its high ranking. Administrative disbursement per mile was $2,068, making it second in that category. Nebraska also did well in total disbursements per mile at $79,397, and capital and bridge disbursement were $48,712 per mile.
3. South Dakota
The state has remained consistent in its highway ranking, maintaining its third spot for the second time since 2012. With 9,439 of state-controlled highway miles, South Dakota has the 32nd largest system in the country.
2. Kansas
Rural pavement conditions gave Kansas its solid rank. The condition of arterial rural roads, rural interstate and bridges gave Kansas a three spot jump in the ranking from 2012. Kansas has the 27th-largest state-controlled highway miles in the country at 10,530 miles.
1. North Dakota
The state has made improvements and jumped in its ranking. In 2012, North Dakota ranked sixth overall in the annual ranking. With 7,426 total of state-controlled miles, the total disbursement per mile was $100,608. Expect to spend 7.41 hours during peak hours per year in congested traffic.
The full report can be viewed here.
