WalletHub recently released its rankings for the best states for summer road trips in 2024. To find the best road-trip destinations for summer, WalletHub compared the 50 states across three key dimensions: 1) Costs, 2) Safety and 3) Activities.
WalletHub evaluated those dimensions using 32 relevant metrics, such as gas prices, camping and hotel costs, vehicle travel data, road safety and quality, theme parks and attractions, parkland, historic sites, summer weather, and more. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for summer road trips. They then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score.
“Taking a summer road trip can be a very exciting way to experience a new place, but with the prices of gas, food and accommodations heavily impacted by inflation, you’ll want to be in a state that makes this type of vacation affordable. Safe roads are also key, and so is having plenty of worthwhile attractions to stop at along the road. The best states for summer road trips therefore are those that keep costs low while providing the best driving experience and most fun activities,” explains Cassandra Happe, Wallethub analyst.
For the lowest costs associated with gas, car repairs, and more. Head to the Southeastern states: Louisiana is the cheapest state according to WalletHub’s cost rankings, followed closely by Mississippi, the state with the lowest gas prices and lowest costs for camping. Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas all have some of the best prices on fuel. Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama also ranked high when it came to affordability (6th, 7th, and 10th respectively).
Even when cutting costs, trips can still be fun: Louisiana ranked 4th best state for summer road trips overall, thanks to its great activities (9th in that category). Florida ranked 5th overall, and has long been a favorite destination for travelers, especially families. It ranked 2nd for the best activities, and tied in first place for state with the highest percentage of park land. North Carolina also ranked 7th overall, thanks to a great showing in all three categories (cost, safety, and activities).
Wyoming and Maine, although in very different regions of the country, both share a couple things in common. They both ranked high in WalletHub’s study (8th and 9th respectively), and they both have amazing mountain views. Wyoming is the second cheapest state for camping, and has the most federal land of any states. A roadtrip through the national parks of Wyoming’s northwestern corner is a classic road trip.
Head north on your road trip to Acadia National Park in Maine, and don’t worry about breaking down in New England: Maine also has the cheapest average cost of car repairs, as well as some of the lowest rates for car thefts (along with neighboring states New Hampshire and Vermont).
States in the Rocky Mountains also made an impression showing in the rankings. Colorado (17th overall) had the second lowest gas prices, and Utah (12th overall) had the third most scenic byways.
New York is the third-best state for summer road trips, due to having an extremely large number of attractions and nightlife activities. It also is at the top of the country when it comes to accommodations and restaurants per capita.
One especially unique thing about New York is that it has the second most National Historic Landmarks per capita, so it’s easy to plan a fun road trip exploring the rich history of the state and how it has impacted our country, from George Washington’s headquarters in Newburgh to the Empire State Building in NYC.
Finally, New York has the third-lowest share of uninsured motorists. It also has the third-most protective driving laws and the fourth-lowest prevalence of using a phone while driving, which helps make the roads safer for road-trippers.
Minnesota is the second-best state for summer road trips, and it’s great for people who want to be outdoors because it has the fifth-highest spendings per capita on parks and recreation. In addition, Minnesota has the fourth-most fairs and festivals per capita during the summer, so there’s always something unique to check out.
Driving in Minnesota is very safe, too. The state has the third-fewest vehicle fatalities per million miles traveled, along with the third-best bridge quality in the country and the 9th-lowest prevalence of speeding. To top things off, taking a road trip isn’t overly expensive in Minnesota. The state has the eighth-lowest camping costs, and 10th-lowest 3-star hotel cost during mid-July. Its gas prices and car repair costs rank as the 12th-lowest and 13th-lowest in the nation, respectively.
Texas is the best state for summer road trips, leading the country when it comes to the number of available attractions, especially things like zoos, botanical gardens and amusement parks. There are plenty of things to make stops at for a day or even just a few hours while taking a road trip. Even in between activities, the act of being on the road in Texas can be very enjoyable, since the state has over 9,500 miles of scenic byways.
Accommodations and food are very important during road trips as well, and the Lone Star State has those things covered. Texas has the second-cheapest 3-star hotel room prices within a 10-mile radius of city centers during mid-July, and it’s at the top of the country when it comes to accommodations and restaurants per capita, where road trippers can enjoy the state’s famous Tex-Mex cuisine and other southern fare.
—Read more about the best and worst states for summer road trips at WalletHub.com.
Source link
