With 56 percent of summer travelers driving to their destination and gas prices having increased by nearly 40 percent in the last four months, the personal finance websites WalletHub and CardHub today released a pair of reports to help folks find savings along the way: 2016’s Best & Worst States for Summer Road Trips and 2016’s Best Gas Credit Cards.
WalletHub’s road-trip report compared the 50 U.S. states in terms of 21 relevant metrics that speak to each state’s suitability to summer travelers with a dual mandate of fun and frugality. Our data set ranges from average gas prices to the quality of roads to the number of attractions.
| 2016’s Best Road-Trip States | 2016’s Worst Road-Trip States | ||||
| 1 | Oregon | 41 | Oklahoma | ||
| 2 | Nevada | 42 | Tennessee | ||
| 3 | Utah | 43 | Kansas | ||
| 4 | North Carolina | 44 | Arkansas | ||
| 5 | Minnesota | 45 | Delaware | ||
| 6 | Washington | 46 | Michigan | ||
| 7 | Idaho | 47 | North Dakota | ||
| 8 | Colorado | 48 | Mississippi | ||
| 9 | Louisiana | 49 | Alaska | ||
| 10 | Vermont | 50 | Connecticut | ||
Key Stats
- California has the highest number of scenic byways, which is 22 times higher than in Connecticut and Delaware, the states with the lowest.
- California has the highest average price of camping, $79, which three is times higher than in Nevada, the state with the lowest, $25.
- Hawaii has the highest price of a three-star hotel room, $148, which is three times higher than in Arizona, the state with the lowest, $47.
- South Carolina has the highest number of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, 1.65, which is three times higher than in Massachusetts, the state with the lowest, 0.57.
- Washington has the highest number of car thefts per 1,000 residents, 4.34, which is 11 times higher than in Vermont, the state with the lowest, 0.39.
- Nevada has the highest number of nightlife options per 100,000 residents, 35.63, which is seven times higher than in New Jersey, the state with the lowest, 5.29.
