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There are more than 200 million licensed drivers in the United States, with many getting in the driver's seat nearly every day to commute to work, run errands, go out to eat, or undertake other driving-dependent tasks. With how often most people drive, the miles spent on the road can and do add up. These miles, of course, mean increased costs for auto insurance, gas, and car maintenance, not just for those drivers, but for all drivers on the road.
While odometers climb ever upward for drivers all across the country, factors like public transportation access, population density, highway infrastructure, and more mean that drivers in certain states rack up more miles behind the wheel than their peers in other states.
To find the states where people drive the most and least on average over the course of a year, our research team at FinanceBuzz evaluated Federal Highway Administration data on highway usage and the number of licensed drivers in every state.
Key Findings
- In Wyoming, the average driver drives 21,986 miles annually, the most of any state. Wyoming is the only state where annual driving averages exceed 20,000 miles.
- Wyoming also has the lowest number of licensed drivers of any state at 441,195.
- New York is the state where people drive the fewest miles per year, 9,815. No other state averages less than 10,000 miles annually.
- There are more than 15 million licensed drivers in three states: California (27,742,348), Texas (19,159,360), and Florida (17,018,351).
How many miles do Americans drive every year?
The amount of time someone spends driving over the course of the year can have a significant impact on their bottom line. Those who drive more spend more money on gas, while spending more time on the road also increases the opportunity to get into an accident, which can lead to higher insurance costs.
According to our analysis, we found that the average American driver drives 13,932 miles annually, although in some states that number can be much higher or lower.
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States with the most driving
1. Wyoming
Drivers in Wyoming are the nation's leading road warriors, with the average driver in that state clocking nearly 22,000 miles (21,986) behind the wheel annually. That is more than 50% more time spent driving than the national average.
2. Mississippi
The state with the second-highest rate of driving is Mississippi. Magnolia State drivers average 19,910 miles annually, which is more than 2,000 miles less per year than drivers from Wyoming.
3. Indiana
Indiana takes the bronze in the driving Olympics, with drivers clocking 19,296 miles driven per year. Of the top three states in this metric, Indiana has far and away the highest number of licensed drivers, at more than 4.7 million, compared to 2 million in Mississippi and 441,000 in Wyoming.
Missouri is in fourth place with an average of 19,049 miles driven per year, and New Mexico rounds out the top five at 18,321 miles driven annually, more than 3,500 miles less than Wyoming.
States with the least driving
On the flip side, residents of certain states drive at such low rates that a switch to low-mileage insurance may be in order.
1. New York
Drivers in New York State average just 9,815 miles annually, the lowest rate of any state in the country. New York is the only state where drivers average less than 10,000 miles driven per year.
2. Washington
The state where people drive at the second-lowest rate in the country is on the other side of the country, with drivers in Washington state motoring an average of 10,125 miles annually.
3. Rhode Island
While New York and Washington are relatively large states in terms of land area, they are joined by the smallest state in the country at the top of the list of places where people drive the least. Rhode Island residents drive an average of 10,411 miles annually, ranking third here.
Delaware is the only other state where drivers average less than 11,000 miles annually, at 10,854. The final state in the top five when it comes to the fewest miles driven is Hawaii, as residents of the islands cover just 11,115 miles on the road per year on average.
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Average rate:
States with the most driving: Complete state-by-state data
| State | Total Miles Driven (last 12 Months) | Number of Licensed Drivers | Annual Miles Per Driver |
| Alabama | 72,470,000,000 | 4,087,885 | 17,728 |
| Alaska | 5,868,000,000 | 525,195 | 11,173 |
| Arizona | 78,980,000,000 | 5,849,992 | 13,501 |
| Arkansas | 39,879,000,000 | 2,306,921 | 17,287 |
| California | 326,802,000,000 | 27,742,348 | 11,780 |
| Colorado | 55,756,000,000 | 4,486,899 | 12,426 |
| Connecticut | 31,519,000,000 | 2,632,273 | 11,974 |
| Delaware | 9,617,000,000 | 886,022 | 10,854 |
| Florida | 241,303,000,000 | 17,018,351 | 14,179 |
| Georgia | 128,931,000,000 | 7,691,537 | 16,763 |
| Hawaii | 10,489,000,000 | 943,671 | 11,115 |
| Idaho | 20,471,000,000 | 1,398,007 | 14,643 |
| Illinois | 104,911,000,000 | 8,631,485 | 12,154 |
| Indiana | 91,083,000,000 | 4,720,185 | 19,296 |
| Iowa | 33,500,000,000 | 2,379,791 | 14,077 |
| Kansas | 32,272,000,000 | 2,024,483 | 15,941 |
| Kentucky | 49,008,000,000 | 3,001,191 | 16,330 |
| Louisiana | 56,013,000,000 | 3,404,603 | 16,452 |
| Maine | 15,112,000,000 | 1,065,361 | 14,185 |
| Maryland | 57,294,000,000 | 4,331,165 | 13,228 |
| Massachusetts | 60,703,000,000 | 4,867,225 | 12,472 |
| Michigan | 99,576,000,000 | 7,715,581 | 12,906 |
| Minnesota | 59,268,000,000 | 4,152,710 | 14,272 |
| Mississippi | 41,242,000,000 | 2,071,414 | 19,910 |
| Missouri | 82,078,000,000 | 4,308,768 | 19,049 |
| Montana | 13,863,000,000 | 878,798 | 15,775 |
| Nebraska | 22,057,000,000 | 1,455,283 | 15,157 |
| Nevada | 28,693,000,000 | 2,256,437 | 12,716 |
| New Hampshire | 13,646,000,000 | 1,090,706 | 12,511 |
| New Jersey | 79,071,000,000 | 6,854,574 | 11,536 |
| New Mexico | 28,228,000,000 | 1,540,741 | 18,321 |
| New York | 120,867,000,000 | 12,314,191 | 9,815 |
| North Carolina | 122,781,000,000 | 8,078,941 | 15,198 |
| North Dakota | 10,201,000,000 | 580,918 | 17,560 |
| Ohio | 112,584,000,000 | 8,436,370 | 13,345 |
| Oklahoma | 46,837,000,000 | 2,597,517 | 18,031 |
| Oregon | 37,810,000,000 | 3,146,632 | 12,016 |
| Pennsylvania | 102,204,000,000 | 9,134,289 | 11,189 |
| Rhode Island | 7,936,000,000 | 762,276 | 10,411 |
| South Carolina | 61,777,000,000 | 4,098,108 | 15,075 |
| South Dakota | 10,619,000,000 | 688,477 | 15,424 |
| Tennessee | 84,822,000,000 | 5,122,784 | 16,558 |
| Texas | 308,939,000,000 | 19,159,360 | 16,125 |
| Utah | 36,156,000,000 | 2,299,291 | 15,725 |
| Vermont | 7,230,000,000 | 480,463 | 15,048 |
| Virginia | 88,097,000,000 | 5,921,532 | 14,877 |
| Washington | 60,850,000,000 | 6,009,842 | 10,125 |
| West Virginia | 15,947,000,000 | 1,131,687 | 14,091 |
| Wisconsin | 68,728,000,000 | 4,411,182 | 15,580 |
| Wyoming | 9,700,000,000 | 441,195 | 21,986 |
| Whole Country | 3,303,788,000,000 | 237,134,657 | 13,932 |
Bottom line
Whether you drive a lot or a little every year, there are plenty of ways to keep costs down while keeping yourself and your vehicle protected.
- Get the right coverage. Nobody plans on getting in an accident, but it's smart to make sure you have the best car insurance for your needs should something unfortunate happen.
- Maximize your insurance savings. There are several ways savvy customers can save money on car insurance without compromising the quality of their coverage.
- Save at the pump. Paying to fill the gas tank is an unavoidable part of driving a non-electric car, and using one of the best gas credit cards is a great way to maximize discounts and rewards every time you fill up.
Methodology
FinanceBuzz used the most recent 12 months of Traffic Volume Trends reports published by the Federal Highway Administration to determine the number of miles driven in each state over the last year. We then used the most recent data available from the Department of Transportation to find the number of registered drivers in each state. Finally, we divided the total miles driven by the number of licensed drivers in each state to determine the average number of miles driven per driver in each state.
Average rate:
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