These states have the best and worst roads in America
No matter where you live, bellyaching about potholes and road quality is an American tradition. It’s not hard to find people in every state who claim their roads are the worst, but Pennsylvania pesonal injury firm Munley Law recently studied data from the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics to determine which have the highest average rates of acceptable road quality.
Bad roads aren’t just an annoyance. They can wreak havoc on tires, suspension systems, and can cause vibrations that loosen cosmetic components. With 94.78 percent of its roads meeting the acceptable quality standard, Idaho was found to have the best roads in the country. Georgia wasn’t far behind, with 94.5 percent, and Tennessee came in third at 94.17. The complete list appears below.
The states with the best roads likely invest more in highway maintenance. Tennessee, for example, funds its highway improvements with vehicle excise taxes, and the burden of paying for roadwork is shared by federal, state, and local governments. The state has managed to go 45 years without needing to borrow money for road construction, indicating that its funding is stable and robust. Of course, there are exceptions in every state, such as my hometown of Knoxville; Tennessee’s roads have seen better days, despite I-40 seemingly being under construction since the early 1980s when I was born.
On the other end of the spectrum, New Jersey had the worst roads, with just 50.71 percent meeting the standard. Rhode Island had 51.51 percent and Connecticut landed at 58.14 percent. The law firm blames heavy traffic and bad weather, saying they contribute heavily to potholes and deteriorating road surfaces in those Northeast states.
Ranking states with the best and worst roads:
State
Avg. % of acceptable roads
1
Idaho
94.78
2
Georgia
94.5
3
Tennessee
94.17
4
North Dakota
93.96
5
Nebraska
92.47
6
Wyoming
91.51
7
Kentucky
91.24
8
Alabama
90.77
9
Montana
89.6
10
Oregon
89.44
11
Kansas
89.23
12
Florida
89.11
13
Nevada
88.95
14
North Carolina
88.06
15
South Dakota
88.03
16
Texas
87.78
17
Minnesota
87.03
18
Ohio
86.15
19
Iowa
86.13
20
South Carolina
85.32
21
Arizona
84.79
22
Michigan
84.57
23
Indiana
84.14
24
Arkansas
84.02
25
Virginia
82.64
26
Utah
82.45
27
Delaware
82.24
28
Illinois
80.02
29
Vermont
79.11
30
Alaska
78.49
31
New Hampshire
78.38
32
Colorado
78.2
33
Maryland
78.1
34
Missouri
77.96
35
Maine
76.16
36
Louisiana
75.74
37
Wisconsin
73.86
38
Oklahoma
73.85
39
New York
73.74
40
Pennsylvania
72.29
41
Mississippi
72.16
42
New Mexico
71.83
43
West Virginia
71.3
44
Washington
70.44
45
Massachusetts
63.47
46
California
59.65
47
Hawaii
59.27
48
Connecticut
58.14
49
Rhode Island
51.51
50
New Jersey
50.71
