The 10 best states for road trips this summer, ranked
Talia Lakritz
- WalletHub released a report ranking the best US states for summer road trips.
- States were ranked according to 32 metrics in three categories: costs, safety, and activities.
Summer is road-trip season, and with seemingly endless destinations to choose from, WalletHub released a new report ranking the best US states for summer road trips.
All 50 states were ranked according to 32 metrics across three categories: costs, safety, and activities. By examining factors such as gas prices, road quality, crime rates, and the total amount of national parkland, WalletHub scored each state for its summer road-trip potential.
Here are the top 10 best states for summer road trips.
10. Maine
WalletHub ranked Maine first in safety and found it offered the lowest costs for car repairs out of any state, but it still ranked 32nd overall in costs and 30th in activities.
9. Minnesota
Minnesota earned solid scores all around: seventh in safety, 21st in activities, and 24th in costs.
8. Wyoming
Wyoming was ranked the fifth-safest state for summer road trips, and it placed 22nd in activities and 25th in costs.
7. Florida
WalletHub found that Florida had one of the largest amounts of designated national parkland in the US, but it also had some of the highest camping prices.
6. Louisiana
Louisiana had the second-lowest gas prices in the US, making it the most affordable summer road-trip destination according to WalletHub. It ranked 11th in activities, but its safety ranking came in at 46th.
5. Idaho
With the fourth-lowest amount of car thefts per capita, Idaho earned a high safety ranking of 6th place. It also ranked 20th in activities and 23rd in costs.
4. Ohio
Car-repair costs in Ohio are the second-lowest in the US after Maine, which contributed to its costs ranking of 18th overall, according to WalletHub. It also ranked 21st in safety and 12th in activities.
3. North Carolina
North Carolina has the fourth-most scenic byways out of all US states, according to WalletHub. With an activities ranking of seventh, a safety ranking of 36th, and a costs ranking of ninth, it earned third place overall.
2. New York
New York's activities and safety rankings both cracked the top 10, but it ranked 41st in costs.
1. Texas
WalletHub determined that Texas is the best state for a summer road trip. It features the third-lowest gas prices out of any US state, which contributed to its 7th-place costs ranking. It also ranked fifth overall in activities and 38th in safety.
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