Most Americans rely on cars to get around, as “87% of daily trips take place in personal vehicles,” according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. While driving offers a more private and comfortable commute, though, it is often a major hassle and expense. Drivers annually spend an average of more than 373 hours on the road. That’s 15.5 days. Add the costs of wasted time and fuel due to traffic congestions, and our collective tab comes to about $869 per driver each year.
Road quality is another big factor in how pleasant one’s driving experience is. America’s highways and bridges are underfunded overall, with a backlog of hundreds of billions of dollars in repairs needed, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. The World Economic forum ranks U.S. roads at 17th in quality out of 141 economically developed nations, too. It’s clear there’s room for improvement.
Some cities are better for those behind the wheel, though. To determine those places, WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 30 key indicators of driver-friendliness. Our data set ranges from average gas prices to annual hours in traffic congestion per auto commuter to auto-repair shops per capita.
Main Findings
Best & Worst Cities to Drive in
Overall Rank | City | Total Score | Cost of Ownership & Maintenance | Traffic & Infrastructure | Safety | Access to Vehicles & Maintenance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Corpus Christi, TX | 68.50 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 73 |
2 | Raleigh, NC | 66.49 | 5 | 35 | 14 | 38 |
3 | Boise, ID | 65.28 | 11 | 27 | 9 | 83 |
4 | Plano, TX | 65.24 | 20 | 37 | 4 | 29 |
5 | Scottsdale, AZ | 65.18 | 57 | 1 | 10 | 26 |
6 | Greensboro, NC | 64.50 | 1 | 18 | 69 | 33 |
7 | Laredo, TX | 64.10 | 26 | 40 | 1 | 99 |
8 | Lubbock, TX | 63.40 | 16 | 2 | 58 | 59 |
9 | Lincoln, NE | 63.12 | 12 | 56 | 8 | 89 |
10 | Jacksonville, FL | 63.05 | 6 | 20 | 62 | 40 |
11 | Winston-Salem, NC | 62.61 | 2 | 23 | 50 | 95 |
12 | El Paso, TX | 62.44 | 50 | 25 | 2 | 66 |
13 | Tampa, FL | 62.35 | 34 | 26 | 56 | 3 |
13 | Garland, TX | 62.35 | 25 | 60 | 22 | 17 |
15 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 62.26 | 8 | 39 | 24 | 96 |
16 | San Antonio, TX | 62.13 | 13 | 32 | 46 | 31 |
17 | Chandler, AZ | 61.65 | 49 | 8 | 19 | 93 |
18 | Birmingham, AL | 61.31 | 3 | 9 | 97 | 8 |
19 | Arlington, TX | 61.29 | 24 | 57 | 28 | 19 |
20 | Orlando, FL | 61.12 | 56 | 3 | 83 | 2 |
21 | Durham, NC | 61.11 | 9 | 49 | 35 | 87 |
22 | Oklahoma City, OK | 61.06 | 30 | 30 | 37 | 36 |
23 | Wichita, KS | 61.02 | 19 | 5 | 59 | 90 |
24 | Austin, TX | 60.94 | 41 | 24 | 45 | 18 |
25 | Mesa, AZ | 60.94 | 62 | 13 | 13 | 63 |
26 | Gilbert, AZ | 60.77 | 64 | 16 | 3 | 97 |
27 | Tulsa, OK | 60.43 | 29 | 6 | 80 | 34 |
28 | St. Petersburg, FL | 60.39 | 21 | 33 | 55 | 39 |
29 | Fort Worth, TX | 60.20 | 40 | 62 | 26 | 20 |
30 | Toledo, OH | 60.13 | 7 | 44 | 73 | 72 |
31 | Buffalo, NY | 60.05 | 22 | 53 | 29 | 75 |
32 | Irving, TX | 59.83 | 14 | 65 | 31 | 54 |
33 | Fort Wayne, IN | 59.34 | 32 | 45 | 39 | 65 |
34 | Virginia Beach, VA | 59.33 | 37 | 78 | 15 | 85 |
35 | Charlotte, NC | 59.25 | 27 | 61 | 47 | 30 |
36 | Columbus, OH | 58.78 | 10 | 63 | 67 | 49 |
37 | Dallas, TX | 58.38 | 17 | 70 | 68 | 15 |
38 | Kansas City, MO | 58.05 | 28 | 14 | 91 | 68 |
39 | Omaha, NE | 58.03 | 39 | 73 | 23 | 57 |
40 | Chesapeake, VA | 57.99 | 45 | 80 | 11 | 92 |
41 | Las Vegas, NV | 57.91 | 73 | 15 | 36 | 11 |
42 | Madison, WI | 57.86 | 31 | 69 | 21 | 98 |
43 | Norfolk, VA | 57.39 | 38 | 64 | 34 | 91 |
44 | Reno, NV | 57.38 | 75 | 29 | 5 | 74 |
45 | Irvine, CA | 57.27 | 87 | 4 | 7 | 28 |
46 | Nashville, TN | 57.26 | 23 | 34 | 85 | 50 |
47 | St. Paul, MN | 57.16 | 33 | 71 | 53 | 60 |
48 | Colorado Springs, CO | 56.54 | 48 | 66 | 33 | 71 |
49 | Atlanta, GA | 56.34 | 35 | 43 | 96 | 4 |
50 | Tucson, AZ | 56.31 | 59 | 11 | 75 | 55 |
51 | Henderson, NV | 56.29 | 79 | 19 | 6 | 81 |
52 | Phoenix, AZ | 56.23 | 61 | 21 | 60 | 52 |
53 | Pittsburgh, PA | 56.05 | 44 | 77 | 52 | 22 |
54 | Glendale, AZ | 55.56 | 66 | 12 | 61 | 64 |
55 | Louisville, KY | 55.39 | 52 | 42 | 70 | 61 |
56 | Cincinnati, OH | 54.99 | 46 | 58 | 88 | 13 |
57 | Anchorage, AK | 54.51 | 51 | 92 | 12 | 100 |
58 | St. Louis, MO | 54.40 | 15 | 55 | 100 | 6 |
59 | Houston, TX | 54.36 | 43 | 81 | 63 | 24 |
60 | Baton Rouge, LA | 54.17 | 58 | 36 | 92 | 23 |
61 | Indianapolis, IN | 54.05 | 42 | 68 | 81 | 44 |
62 | Minneapolis, MN | 54.05 | 54 | 72 | 54 | 58 |
63 | Albuquerque, NM | 52.75 | 36 | 51 | 95 | 69 |
64 | Memphis, TN | 52.67 | 18 | 41 | 98 | 53 |
65 | Riverside, CA | 52.14 | 81 | 31 | 48 | 14 |
66 | Jersey City, NJ | 52.09 | 60 | 98 | 20 | 43 |
67 | Chula Vista, CA | 52.02 | 95 | 22 | 18 | 41 |
68 | Cleveland, OH | 51.86 | 47 | 84 | 89 | 10 |
69 | Bakersfield, CA | 51.83 | 76 | 17 | 87 | 48 |
70 | Anaheim, CA | 51.51 | 89 | 54 | 42 | 5 |
71 | North Las Vegas, NV | 51.36 | 85 | 28 | 44 | 70 |
72 | Portland, OR | 50.51 | 55 | 87 | 74 | 35 |
73 | Miami, FL | 50.46 | 74 | 79 | 86 | 1 |
74 | Fresno, CA | 50.16 | 84 | 10 | 77 | 79 |
75 | Sacramento, CA | 50.02 | 91 | 46 | 51 | 16 |
76 | Milwaukee, WI | 49.99 | 67 | 82 | 66 | 56 |
77 | Hialeah, FL | 49.81 | 68 | 90 | 76 | 12 |
78 | Honolulu, HI | 49.78 | 80 | 76 | 25 | 27 |
79 | Aurora, CO | 49.69 | 53 | 88 | 79 | 76 |
80 | Newark, NJ | 49.66 | 69 | 94 | 49 | 21 |
81 | Santa Ana, CA | 49.57 | 98 | 47 | 32 | 7 |
82 | Fremont, CA | 49.53 | 92 | 52 | 30 | 32 |
83 | New Orleans, LA | 49.07 | 65 | 75 | 78 | 94 |
84 | Long Beach, CA | 48.81 | 93 | 59 | 41 | 9 |
85 | San Diego, CA | 47.72 | 96 | 48 | 27 | 25 |
86 | San Jose, CA | 47.58 | 86 | 67 | 40 | 86 |
87 | Denver, CO | 47.20 | 70 | 86 | 82 | 47 |
88 | Boston, MA | 47.17 | 71 | 95 | 38 | 88 |
89 | Baltimore, MD | 46.99 | 63 | 83 | 94 | 77 |
90 | San Bernardino, CA | 46.94 | 94 | 38 | 72 | 46 |
91 | Stockton, CA | 46.52 | 90 | 50 | 64 | 84 |
92 | Seattle, WA | 44.52 | 82 | 85 | 71 | 80 |
93 | New York, NY | 42.23 | 83 | 100 | 16 | 67 |
94 | Chicago, IL | 41.44 | 88 | 99 | 43 | 42 |
95 | Philadelphia, PA | 41.29 | 77 | 96 | 84 | 82 |
96 | Los Angeles, CA | 40.68 | 97 | 91 | 57 | 37 |
97 | Washington, DC | 40.47 | 72 | 97 | 93 | 78 |
98 | Detroit, MI | 38.87 | 78 | 89 | 99 | 51 |
99 | San Francisco, CA | 38.15 | 99 | 93 | 65 | 62 |
100 | Oakland, CA | 38.14 | 100 | 74 | 90 | 45 |
Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.
- Lowest
- T-1. Wichita, KS
- T-1. Lubbock, TX
- T-3. Tulsa, OK
- T-3. Greensboro, NC
- T-5. El Paso, TX
- T-5. Lincoln, NE
- Highest
- T-65. New York, NY
- T-65. Miami, FL
- T-65. Philadelphia, PA
- T-65. Boston, MA
- T-65. Chicago, IL
- Fewest
- T-1. Las Vegas, NV
- T-1. Henderson, NV
- T-1. North Las Vegas, NV
- 4. Long Beach, CA
- T-5. Anaheim, CA
- T-5. Santa Ana, CA
- Most
- 96. Portland, OR
- 97. Pittsburgh, PA
- T-98. Seattle, WA
- T-98. Cleveland, OH
- 100. Buffalo, NY
- Lowest
- 1. Boise, ID
- 2. Laredo, TX
- 3. Madison, WI
- 4. Colorado Springs, CO
- 5. Scottsdale, AZ
- Highest
- 96. Oakland, CA
- T-97. Los Angeles, CA
- T-97. Washington, DC
- T-97. Boston, MA
- T-97. Baltimore, MD
- Lowest
- 1. Gilbert, AZ
- 2. El Paso, TX
- 3. Laredo, TX
- 4. Irvine, CA
- 5. New York, NY
- Highest
- 95. Bakersfield, CA
- 96. Aurora, CO
- 97. St. Louis, MO
- 98. Denver, CO
- 99. Oakland, CA
- Most
- 1. Birmingham, AL
- 2. San Bernardino, CA
- 3. Baton Rouge, LA
- 4. Hialeah, FL
- 5. Glendale, AZ
- Fewest
- 96. Houston, TX
- 97. Boston, MA
- 98. Chicago, IL
- 99. Los Angeles, CA
- 100. New York, NY
- Most
- T-1. Orlando, FL
- T-1. Atlanta, GA
- T-1. Miami, FL
- T-1. Tampa, FL
- T-1. Las Vegas, NV
- Fewest
- 96. St. Paul, MN
- 97. Irving, TX
- 98. Madison, WI
- 99. Boston, MA
- 100. Jersey City, NJ
- Lowest
- 1. Corpus Christi, TX
- 2. Laredo, TX
- 3. Baton Rouge, LA
- 4. New Orleans, LA
- 5. Houston, TX
- Highest
- T-94. Anaheim, CA
- T-94. Santa Ana, CA
- T-94. Irvine, CA
- T-97. San Diego, CA
- T-97. Chula Vista, CA
- T-99. Los Angeles, CA
- T-99. Long Beach, CA
- Lowest
- 1. Jacksonville, FL
- 2. St. Louis, MO
- 3. Columbus, OH
- 4. Greensboro, NC
- 5. Durham, NC
- Highest
- 96. Fremont, CA
- 97. San Francisco, CA
- 98. Baton Rouge, LA
- 99. Chicago, IL
- 100. Boston, MA
- Lowest
- 1. St. Petersburg, FL
- 2. Anaheim, CA
- T-3. Jacksonville, FL
- T-3. Corpus Christi, TX
- T-3. Reno, NV
- Highest
- 78. Chicago, IL
- T-79. Boston, MA
- T-79. Philadelphia, PA
- T-79. San Diego, CA
- T-79. New York, NY
Why Corpus Christi Is the Best City to Drive in
Many factors contribute to Corpus Christi, TX, being the best city to drive in overall. Perhaps most importantly, Corpus Christi has the lowest average gas price among any of the cities we included in our study, at $3.358 per gallon. In addition, Corpus Christi is the third least expensive city for parking, with 2 hours of parking in the heart of the city only costing an average of $1.
Being the best city for driving isn’t all about costs, though. Congestion is a huge issue, and Corpus Christi drivers only spend an average of 8 hours per year in traffic during their daily commutes. Compare that to Chicago at a whopping 155 hours!
Safety is key, too, and the accident rate in Corpus Christi is 8.3% lower than the national average. And if you do happen to get into a fender-bender, the city is tied for first place when it comes to the number of auto repair shops.
Overall, Corpus Christi has a great balance of low costs, low congestion and high safety, making it the best city to drive in.
Ask the Experts
With cost, safety and environmental impact ranking among the top concerns for the auto industry, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:
- What money saving tips do you have for drivers, as gas prices have been on an upward trend over the last few months?
- When do you think there will be more self-driving cars than human-driven?
- Considering all potential consequences, do you think that automated vehicles will be a net benefit or net negative for society?
- What can local authorities do to reduce traffic and improve safety?
- What are some of the biggest infrastructure challenges in U.S. cities?
Ask the Experts
Methodology
In order to determine the best and worst cities for drivers, WalletHub compared a sample of the 100 most populated U.S. cities across four key dimensions: 1) Cost of Ownership & Maintenance, 2) Traffic & Infrastructure, 3) Safety and 4) Access to Vehicles & Maintenance. Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area.
We evaluated those dimensions using 30 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for drivers. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at the state level only. For metrics marked with two asterisks (**), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.
Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance – Total Points: 30
- Cost of New Car: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- Average Gas Prices: Double Weight (~8.57 Points)
- Average Monthly Car Insurance Premium: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- Auto Maintenance Costs: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- Total Extra Vehicle Operating Costs per Driver: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
Note: Additional vehicle operating costs (VOC) are the “result of driving on roads in need of repair, lost time and fuel due to congestion-related delays, and the costs of traffic crashes in which roadway features likely were a contributing factor,” according to transportation research firm TRIP. - Average Parking Rate: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
Traffic & Infrastructure – Total Points: 30
- Annual Hours Spent in Congestion per Auto Commuter: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
- Number of Days with Precipitation: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
- Number of Cold Days: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Note: This metric specifically measures the average number of days with a minimum temperature of 32 degrees F or lower. - Average Commute Time by Car (in Minutes): Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
- Number of Alternative-Fuel Stations per Capita: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
- Quality of Roads: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
- Quality of Bridges*: Quarter Weight (~0.91 Points)
- Roadway Miles per 1,000 Persons: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
- Waze Driver Satisfaction Rating: Full Weight (~3.64 Points)
Safety – Total Points: 30
- Accident Likelihood in City vs. National Average: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
- Traffic Fatality Rate per 100,000 Population: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
- Share of Adults Who Always or Nearly Always Wear a Seatbelt: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
- Number of Hard-Braking Events per 1,000 Miles: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
Note: Hard-braking data is based on customers voluntarily enrolled in Allstate’s Drivewise® telematics program from 2016-2017. - Share of Uninsured Drivers*: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
- Rate of Car Thefts: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
- Rate of Larceny: Full Weight (~3.53 Points)
- Strictness of DUI Punishment*: Half Weight (~1.76 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Strictest & Most Lenient States on DUI” ranking. - Punitiveness of High-Risk Driver’s Insurance*: Half Weight (~1.76 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “States with the Highest & Lowest Insurance Premium Penalties for High-Risk Drivers” ranking. - Driving Laws Score*: Half Weight (~1.76 Points)
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance – Total Points: 10
- Car Dealerships per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
- Auto-Repair Shops per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
- Car Washes per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
- Gas Stations per Capita**: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
- Parking Lots and Garages per Capita: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Council for Community and Economic Research, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, INRIX, National Centers for Environmental Information, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Automobile Association, The Road Information Program, Federal Highway Administration, Waze Mobile, Allstate Insurance Company, U.S. Department of Energy, QuinStreet Insurance Agency, Yelp, TrueCar, Insurance Information Institute and WalletHub research.
WalletHub experts are widely quoted. Contact our media team to schedule an interview.