#1 overall state
New Jersey leads the ranking with an overall score of 83.00.
Where drivers get the safest, smoothest and best supported trips
America's Best States for Road Trips
This 2026 state ranking compares road quality, crash safety, gas access, auto repair density, scenic byways and campground access to reveal where U.S. road trips are most likely to go right.
Top 10 states for road trips
Key Highlights
Northeastern states dominate
Northeastern states dominate the Top 10, with New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York clinching five of the top eight spots for road trip readiness.
Best road condition
Kansas has the highest share of acceptable roads, at 97%.
Most auto repair access
Rhode Island has 248.32 auto repair shops per 1,000 km².
Lowest road fatality rate
New York has 5.25 road fatalities per 100,000 vehicles.
Most scenic byways
Rhode Island has 3.73 scenic byways per 10,000 km².
Most gas station access
New Jersey has 116.66 gas stations per 1,000 km².
Most NPS campground access
Maryland has 21.88 National Park Service campgrounds per 10,000 km².
Best to worst states for road trips
Drag the car across the highway to compare every state from the top result to the bottom of the list.
Expert safety advice
“Summer is the peak season for the American road trip, but increased congestion and long hours behind the wheel bring unique safety challenges. With more families and travelers hitting the highways, it is critical for drivers to remain vigilant, perform vehicle safety checks, and stay focused on the road to ensure a smooth and safe summer journey.”
Justin Hosman
Personal injury attorney, Steele Adams Hosman
View Justin Hosman’s profileFull state rankings
Scan all 50 states and compare the metrics behind the final road trip score.
| Rank | State | Score | Acceptable roads | Repair shops | Fatalities | Scenic byways | Gas stations | NPS campgrounds |
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How the states were scored
Each state received a percentile rank across six metrics, then those ranks were averaged into the final score.
This study ranks the best states for road trips using six metrics: percentage of acceptable roads, auto repair shops per 1,000 km², road fatalities per 100,000 vehicles, scenic byways per 10,000 km², gas stations per 1,000 km² and National Park Service campgrounds per 10,000 km².
Higher values were treated as better for every metric except road fatalities, where lower values were treated as better. The individual percentile ranks were averaged to produce each final road trip score.
Road conditionBTS, 2024View source
Auto repair shopsU.S. Census Bureau, 2023View source
FatalitiesNHTSA FARS, 2024View source
Scenic bywaysFederal Highway Administration, 2026View source
Gas stationsU.S. Census Bureau, 2023View source
NPS campgroundsNational Park Service, 2026View source