Budget Travel | Best States for Summer Road Trips

WalletHub just lately launched its rankings for the best states for summer road trips in 2024. To search out the perfect road-trip locations for summer season, WalletHub in contrast the 50 states throughout three key dimensions: 1) Prices, 2) Security and three) Actions.

WalletHub evaluated these dimensions utilizing 32 related metrics, resembling fuel costs, tenting and lodge prices, car journey knowledge, street security and high quality, theme parks and points of interest, parkland, historic websites, summer season climate, and extra. Every metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a rating of 100 representing probably the most favorable circumstances for summer season street journeys. They then decided every state’s weighted common throughout all metrics to calculate its total rating.

“Taking a summer season street journey is usually a very thrilling solution to expertise a brand new place, however with the costs of fuel, meals and lodging closely impacted by inflation, you’ll wish to be in a state that makes the sort of trip reasonably priced. Protected roads are additionally key, and so is having loads of worthwhile points of interest to cease at alongside the street. The most effective states for summer season street journeys subsequently are people who hold prices low whereas offering the perfect driving expertise and most enjoyable actions,” explains Cassandra Happe, Wallethub analyst.

For the bottom prices related to fuel, automobile repairs, and extra. Head to the Southeastern states: Louisiana is the most affordable state based on WalletHub’s value rankings, adopted carefully by Mississippi, the state with the bottom fuel costs and lowest prices for tenting. Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas all have a number of the greatest costs on gasoline. Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama additionally ranked excessive when it got here to affordability (sixth, seventh, and Tenth respectively).

Even when reducing prices, journeys can nonetheless be enjoyable: Louisiana ranked 4th greatest state for summer season street journeys total, because of its nice actions (Ninth in that class). Florida ranked fifth total, and has lengthy been a favourite vacation spot for vacationers, particularly households. It ranked 2nd for the perfect actions, and tied in first place for state with the best proportion of park land. North Carolina additionally ranked seventh total, because of a fantastic displaying in all three classes (value, security, and actions).

Wyoming and Maine, though in very totally different areas of the nation, each share a pair issues in frequent. They each ranked excessive in WalletHub’s research (eighth and Ninth respectively), and so they each have superb mountain views. Wyoming is the second least expensive state for tenting, and has probably the most federal land of any states. A roadtrip via the nationwide parks of Wyoming’s northwestern nook is a traditional street journey.

Head north in your street journey to Acadia Nationwide Park in Maine, and don’t fret about breaking down in New England: Maine additionally has the most affordable common value of automobile repairs, in addition to a number of the lowest charges for automobile thefts (together with neighboring states New Hampshire and Vermont).

States within the Rocky Mountains additionally made an impression displaying within the rankings. Colorado (seventeenth total) had the second lowest fuel costs, and Utah (Twelfth total) had the third most scenic byways.

New York is the third-best state for summer season street journeys, attributable to having a particularly massive variety of points of interest and nightlife actions. It is also on the prime of the nation in terms of lodging and eating places per capita.

One particularly distinctive factor about New York is that it has the second most Nationwide Historic Landmarks per capita, so it’s straightforward to plan a enjoyable street journey exploring the wealthy historical past of the state and the way it has impacted our nation, from George Washington’s headquarters in Newburgh to the Empire State Constructing in NYC.

Lastly, New York has the third-lowest share of uninsured motorists. It additionally has the third-most protecting driving legal guidelines and the fourth-lowest prevalence of utilizing a cellphone whereas driving, which helps make the roads safer for road-trippers.

Minnesota is the second-best state for summer season street journeys, and it’s nice for individuals who wish to be outside as a result of it has the fifth-highest spendings per capita on parks and recreation. As well as, Minnesota has the fourth-most festivals and festivals per capita through the summer season, so there’s at all times one thing distinctive to take a look at.

Driving in Minnesota may be very secure, too. The state has the third-fewest car fatalities per million miles traveled, together with the third-best bridge high quality within the nation and the Ninth-lowest prevalence of rushing. To prime issues off, taking a street journey isn’t overly costly in Minnesota. The state has the eighth-lowest tenting prices, and Tenth-lowest 3-star lodge value throughout mid-July. Its fuel costs and automobile restore prices rank because the Twelfth-lowest and Thirteenth-lowest within the nation, respectively.

Texas is the perfect state for summer season street journeys, main the nation in terms of the variety of out there points of interest, particularly issues like zoos, botanical gardens and amusement parks. There are many issues to make stops at for a day and even just some hours whereas taking a street journey. Even in between actions, the act of being on the street in Texas may be very pleasant, for the reason that state has over 9,500 miles of scenic byways.

Lodging and meals are crucial throughout street journeys as nicely, and the Lone Star State has these issues coated. Texas has the second-cheapest 3-star lodge room costs inside a 10-mile radius of metropolis facilities throughout mid-July, and it’s on the prime of the nation in terms of lodging and eating places per capita, the place street trippers can benefit from the state’s well-known Tex-Mex delicacies and different southern fare.

—Learn extra about the perfect and worst states for summer season street journeys at WalletHub.com.