As gas hovers around its lowest level in decades and temperatures remain moderate, this summer is shaping up to be the perfect time for road trips.
If you live in North Carolina, this is especially good news, as our state has just been ranked the #1 best state in America for Summer road trips, according to WalleHub (up from #2 last year and #4 in 2017).
The site compared all 50 states across three key dimensions; costs, safety, and activities, using 22 relevant metrics.
The Tar Heel state received a combined score of 57.57, landing us at the number 1 spot, just behind Wyoming and Minnesota;
| Overall Rank (1 = Best) |
State | Total Score | ‘Costs’ Rank | ‘Safety’ Rank | ‘Activities’ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina | 57.57 | 9 | 30 | 8 |
| 2 | Wyoming | 57.26 | 1 | 19 | 20 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 56.95 | 25 | 3 | 19 |
| 4 | Virginia | 56.52 | 16 | 12 | 16 |
| 5 | Texas | 56.52 | 4 | 42 | 7 |
| 6 | New York | 55.44 | 48 | 4 | 2 |
| 7 | Louisiana | 55.29 | 2 | 40 | 11 |
| 8 | Oregon | 55.14 | 39 | 10 | 6 |
| 9 | Utah | 55.02 | 22 | 18 | 12 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 54.70 | 8 | 8 | 31 |
| 11 | Washington | 53.45 | 45 | 20 | 4 |
| 12 | Maine | 52.96 | 32 | 2 | 26 |
| 13 | Michigan | 52.93 | 18 | 15 | 28 |
| 14 | Ohio | 52.65 | 29 | 22 | 13 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | 52.47 | 43 | 11 | 9 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | 50.64 | 41 | 7 | 24 |
| 17 | Illinois | 50.37 | 38 | 13 | 22 |
| 18 | Nebraska | 50.08 | 15 | 14 | 38 |
| 19 | Florida | 50.05 | 31 | 50 | 3 |
| 20 | Iowa | 50.02 | 23 | 5 | 40 |
| 21 | South Dakota | 49.67 | 11 | 25 | 34 |
| 22 | Georgia | 49.57 | 20 | 33 | 27 |
| 23 | Idaho | 49.48 | 44 | 9 | 23 |
| 24 | South Carolina | 49.31 | 5 | 49 | 25 |
| 25 | Colorado | 49.20 | 35 | 35 | 10 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | 49.03 | 6 | 34 | 36 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | 48.74 | 30 | 6 | 37 |
| 28 | Maryland | 48.36 | 40 | 31 | 14 |
| 29 | Vermont | 48.26 | 28 | 1 | 50 |
| 30 | Nevada | 48.18 | 34 | 32 | 18 |
| 31 | New Jersey | 47.68 | 36 | 21 | 30 |
| 32 | Tennessee | 47.65 | 12 | 43 | 32 |
| 33 | California | 47.39 | 50 | 37 | 1 |
| 34 | Missouri | 47.37 | 13 | 45 | 29 |
| 35 | New Mexico | 47.28 | 14 | 48 | 21 |
| 36 | West Virginia | 46.97 | 7 | 29 | 47 |
| 37 | Arizona | 46.96 | 24 | 47 | 15 |
| 38 | Alaska | 46.60 | 46 | 46 | 5 |
| 39 | Kentucky | 46.45 | 26 | 26 | 35 |
| 40 | North Dakota | 46.03 | 17 | 17 | 44 |
| 41 | Montana | 45.20 | 21 | 38 | 33 |
| 42 | Alabama | 44.31 | 3 | 44 | 39 |
| 43 | Mississippi | 43.65 | 10 | 41 | 43 |
| 44 | Kansas | 43.54 | 27 | 27 | 45 |
| 45 | Indiana | 43.12 | 33 | 24 | 42 |
| 46 | Arkansas | 43.07 | 19 | 39 | 41 |
| 47 | Hawaii | 42.63 | 49 | 28 | 17 |
| 48 | Connecticut | 39.41 | 47 | 16 | 46 |
| 49 | Delaware | 39.05 | 37 | 36 | 48 |
| 50 | Rhode Island | 39.02 | 42 | 23 | 49 |
One of North Carolina’s biggest ranking boosts was in the ‘scenic byways’ category – the Blue Ridge Parkway and our Outer Banks simply can’t be matched (check out the ‘Backroads of North Carolina Guide‘ to plan the ultimate scenic trip).
Road Tripping in North Carolina (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
- 23rd – Number of Attractions
- 4th – Lowest Price of Three-Star Hotel Room
- 12th – Avg. Gas Prices
- 20th – Nightlife Options per Capita
- 13th – Car Thefts per Capita
- 4th – Access to Scenic Byways
- 18th – Lowest Price of Camping
- 7th – Driving Laws Rating
- 28th – Fatalities per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled
Do you agree with the results?
