Americans drove 3.15 trillion miles in 2015, breaking the previous record of about 3 trillion miles set in 2007. Driving is certainly a major part of life in the United States. Driving habits vary considerably between states, however.
To determine in which states drivers travel the most, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the Federal Highway Administration and calculated the average mileage traveled per licensed driver. Drivers in Wyoming travel the greatest distance at 22,306 miles per driver. Alaskans only drive 9,134 miles a year, the lowest amount in the country.
One factor contributing to the amount of driving in a state is the percentage of people who live in rural areas. Nine of the 10 states where drivers travel the farthest have a higher share of the population living in rural areas than the national share. By contrast, states where the vast majority of residents live in urban areas tend to have shorter commutes and therefore drive less overall. Seven of the 10 states where drivers travel the least have a greater share of the population living in urban areas than in the nation as a whole.
Click here to see the states where people drive the greatest distances.
The more time spent on the road, the greater the risk of car accidents and fatalities. Wyoming has the most miles travelled per driver and the second highest fatality rate in the nation. Conversely, eight of the 10 states where drivers travel the least have fatality rates below the national rate.
To identify the states where drivers travel the farthest, 24/7 Wall St. calculated average miles traveled per licensed driver annually with data from the Federal Highway Administration’s 2014 Highway Statistics report. The proportion of the population living in urban and rural areas came from the 2010 Decennial Census. Annual cost of gasoline was calculated using each state’s total gallons of gasoline usage and total licensed drivers in that state, both from the Federal Highway Administration. Gas prices used in the calculation are from July 6, 2016 and are from the American Automobile Association.
These are the states where people drive the greatest distances.
Source: Thinkstock
50. Alaska
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 9,134
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,427.20 (23rd lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 150 (7th most)
Source: Thinkstock
49. Rhode Island
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 10,259
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,129.91 (the lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 68 (4th least)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
48. Washington
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 10,750
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,362.27 (12th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 80 (tied-10th least)
Source: Thinkstock
47. Pennsylvania
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 11,203
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,340.10 (9th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 120 (21st most)
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Thinkstock
46. Hawaii
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 11,272
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,410.80 (20th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 93 (tied-19th least)
Source: Thinkstock
45. New York
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 11,421
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,188.85 (2nd lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 80 (tied-10th least)
Source: Thinkstock
44. Massachusetts
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,077
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,304.57 (6th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 57 (the least)
Source: Thinkstock
43. New Hampshire
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,100
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,478.26 (21st highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 73 (5th least)
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Source: Wikimedia Commons
42. New Jersey
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,167
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,389.59 (19th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 74 (6th least)
Source: Thinkstock
41. Connecticut
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,267
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,363.24 (13th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 80 (tied-10th least)
Source: Thinkstock
40. Oregon
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,425
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,370.39 (17th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 103 (23rd least)
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39. Illinois
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,528
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,319.55 (7th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 88 (13th least)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
38. Colorado
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,614
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,275.80 (5th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 100 (21st least)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
37. Arizona
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,829
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,238.32 (3rd lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 123 (20th most)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
36. Vermont
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,945
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,340.87 (10th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 62 (2nd least)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
35. Delaware
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 13,104
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,274.98 (4th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 126 (16th most)
Source: Thinkstock
34. California
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 13,414
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,722.49 (8th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 92 (tied-16th least)
Source: Thinkstock
33. Maryland
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 13,621
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,497.25 (19th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 78 (7th least)
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32. South Carolina
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 13,803
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,455.49 (23rd highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 165 (the most)
Source: Thinkstock
31. Michigan
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 13,820
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,526.19 (17th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 93 (tied-19th least)
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30. Maine
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,036
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,783.67 (5th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 92 (tied-16th least)
Source: Thinkstock
29. Virginia
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,038
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,453.04 (25th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 87 (12th least)
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28. Nevada
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,084
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,587.96 (13th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 115 (tied-23rd most)
Source: Thinkstock
27. Iowa
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,100
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,699.46 (9th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 102 (22nd least)
Source: Thinkstock
26. Nebraska
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,174
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,455.10 (24th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 115 (tied-23rd most)
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25. Ohio
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,246
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,364.55 (14th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 89 (14th least)
Source: Thinkstock
24. Idaho
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,315
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,575.72 (15th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 115 (tied-23rd most)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
23. Wisconsin
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,339
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,466.00 (22nd highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 84 (11th least)
Source: Thinkstock
22. Florida
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,465
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,350.94 (11th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 124 (19th most)
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21. Louisiana
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,566
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,421.22 (21st lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 153 (5th most)
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20. South Dakota
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 15,125
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,725.45 (6th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 147 (8th most)
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19. Kansas
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 15,193
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,367.74 (16th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 125 (tied-17th most)
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18. North Carolina
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 15,375
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,327.80 (8th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 119 (22nd most)
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17. Texas
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 15,533
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,793.43 (4th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 146 (9th most)
Source: Thinkstock
16. Tennessee
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 15,680
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,424.52 (22nd lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 133 (14th most)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
15. Montana
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 15,815
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,582.49 (14th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 158 (3rd most)
Source: Thinkstock
14. Kentucky
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 15,954
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,536.86 (16th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 140 (tied-11th most)
Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtnorton/
13. Arkansas
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 16,111
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,384.53 (18th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 137 (13th most)
Source: Thinkstock
12. West Virginia
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 16,313
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,641.94 (12th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 142 (10th most)
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11. Missouri
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 16,509
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,496.17 (20th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 108 (25th least)
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10. Georgia
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 16,771
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,497.77 (18th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 104 (24th least)
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9. Alabama
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 16,918
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,366.81 (15th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 125 (tied-17th most)
Source: Thinkstock
8. Minnesota
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 17,095
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,648.84 (11th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 63 (3rd least)
Source: Thinkstock
7. New Mexico
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 17,543
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,449.21 (24th lowest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 151 (6th most)
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Thinkstock
6. Indiana
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 17,806
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,453.31 (25th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 94 (20th least)
Source: Thinkstock
5. Utah
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 19,327
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,817.47 (3rd highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 93 (tied-19th least)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
4. Oklahoma
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 19,453
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,677.61 (10th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 140 (tied-11th most)
Source: Thinkstock
3. North Dakota
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 19,925
> Annual gas cost per driver: $2,042.17 (the highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 128 (15th most)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
2. Mississippi
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 19,972
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,722.55 (7th highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 154 (4th most)
Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/denverjeffrey/
1. Wyoming
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 22,306
> Annual gas cost per driver: $1,917.34 (2nd highest)
> Fatalities per million miles traveled: 159 (2nd most)
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