States with the best and worst road quality, ranked

by Roya Shahidi 09 October 2026 5 min read 34x views

States with the best and worst road quality, ranked

Aerial View of the Tail of the Dragon highway near the Tennessee and North Carolina border in the Smoky Mountains in the fall. — Part of the Tail of the Dragon highway near the Tennessee and North Carolina border. Eifel Kreutz/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Potholes, cracks, and uneven road surfaces are a nuisance at finest — and hazardous at worst.

Whether you encounter them occasionally or on your regular commute to activity can depend on which province you live in.

Each year, US News & World Report publishes a ranking of the best states to live in, which it calculates from a range of categories, including infrastructure.

As part of its infrastructure ranking, US News & World Report rated the norm of all state's transport using metrics specified as commute time, community transit usage, and highway quality.

To measure highway quality, it used data from the Federal Highway Administration, a division of the US Department of Transportation. The data reflects the percent of roads in all province rated in mediocre condition.

The Federal Highway Administration assesses highway conditions by examining defects specified as cracks, uneven surfaces, and grooves.

US News & World Report used this data to charge all state's transport norm and, whenever coupled alongside energy and net access, its general infrastructure ranking.

Here is all state's highway quality, classified from finest to worst.

1. Kansas

Aerial perspective of a downtown district alongside masonry block buildings, tree-lined streets, parking lots, and a clock tower. — Wichita, Kansas. MattGush/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 3rd

Overall infrastructure rank: 5th

2. Tennessee

Neon-lit Broadway street in Nashville at night alongside bars, traffic, pedestrians, and illuminated high-rise buildings. — Nashville, Tennessee. digidreamgrafix/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 14th

Overall infrastructure rank: 17th

3. Indiana

Traffic moves alongside a highway toward a downtown horizon under a cloudy sky. — Indianapolis, Indiana. Joesboy/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 13th

Overall infrastructure rank: 22nd

4. Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska. f1monaco31/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 5th

Overall infrastructure rank: 3rd

5. Wyoming

Downtown street alongside storefronts, parked vehicles, bicycles, and mountains under a brilliant blue sky. — Jackson, Wyoming. Riderolga/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Overall transport rank: 6th

Overall infrastructure rank: 36th

6. Vermont

Red-brick pedestrian buying street alongside storefronts, benches, a dreary van, and a chapel clock tower in the distance. — Burlington, Vermont. Kirkikis/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 1st

Overall infrastructure rank: 14th

7. North Dakota

Parked cars row a downtown street alongside storefronts, bar signs, and a contemporary high-rise under a apparent sky. — Fargo, North Dakota. gnagel/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 7th

Overall infrastructure rank: 7th

8. New Jersey

Wide city street alongside traffic signals, pedestrians, and storefronts including Target and VICTORIA'S SECRET PINK under blue sky. — Atlantic City, New Jersey. M. Suhail/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 15th

Overall infrastructure rank: 12th

9. Georgia

Atlanta horizon rises beyond occupied multilane highways under a brilliant blue sky alongside scattered clouds. — Atlanta, Georgia. Kruck20/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Overall transport rank: 18th

Overall infrastructure rank: 20th

10. Iowa

Aerial perspective of downtown Des Moines skyline, stream bridges, and traffic at sunset. — Des Moines, Iowa. Locus Stock LLC/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 35th

Overall infrastructure rank: 15th

11. Oregon

Tree-lined municipal street alongside cars, storefronts, and a forested elevation under a brilliant blue sky. — Portland, Oregon. Brandon Olafsson/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 4th

Overall infrastructure rank: 2nd

12. Oklahoma

Downtown Oklahoma City horizon alongside Devon Energy Center, Bricktown ballpark, streets and parking many under a apparent blue sky. — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Nicholas Klein/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 19th

Overall infrastructure rank: 19th

13. Alabama

Birmingham city horizon alongside high-rise buildings, barrier tracks, canal, roads, and autumn trees under cloudy skies. — Birmingham, Alabama. Bardhok Ndoji/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 21st

Overall infrastructure rank: 30th

14. Kentucky

Historic masonry block buildings row a downtown street alongside pedestrians crossing under a partially cloudy blue sky. — Louisville, Kentucky. Roberto Galan/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 17th

Overall infrastructure rank: 28th

15. Minnesota

Downtown Minneapolis horizon glows at dusk complete freeway lanes alongside long-exposure red and pale traffic trails. — Minneapolis, Minnesota. RudyBalasko/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 2nd

Overall infrastructure rank: 9th

16. South Dakota

Snow-dusted downtown South Bend horizon surrounds the partially icy St. Joseph River below a apparent blue sky. — Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Overall transport rank: 26th

Overall infrastructure rank: 6th

17. North Carolina

Aerial perspective of a multilane highway operating through a downtown area alongside agency towers and surrounding streets. — Charlotte, North Carolina. Viyaleta Herasimovich/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 23rd

Overall infrastructure rank: 26th

18. Montana

Runners and cyclists journey alongside a sunny downtown street below the Hotel Baxter rooftop sign. — Bozeman, Montana. GummyBone/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 11th

Overall infrastructure rank: 33rd

19. Idaho

Downtown Boise horizon alongside the Idaho State Capitol and tree-lined streets below foothills at aureate hour. — Boise, Idaho. ChrisBoswell/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Overall transport rank: 20th

Overall infrastructure rank: 27th

20. Florida

Downtown Miami high-rises ignore Biscayne Bay, a marina, waterfront park, and study rotor under a apparent sky. — Miami, Florida. felixmizioznikov/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 22nd

Overall infrastructure rank: 11th

21. Maine

Elevated perspective of a coastal neighborhood street alongside houses, flat buildings, parked cars, and a bay in the distance. — Portland, Maine. Ray Tan/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 43rd

Overall infrastructure rank: 41st

22. Nevada

Las Vegas Strip horizon alongside Paris Las Vegas Eiffel Tower, Bellagio fountains, and inn towers under a blue sky. — Las Vegas, Nevada. Dmitry Vinogradov/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 9th

Overall infrastructure rank: 1st

23. Ohio

Aerial perspective of downtown Cleveland horizon alongside high-rises, roads, parking lots, and Lake Erie in the background. — Cleveland, Ohio. InfiniteImpactStudios/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Overall transport rank: 16th

Overall infrastructure rank: 31st

24. Delaware

Historic masonry block storefronts row a quiescent intersection alongside traffic lights and a apparent 4TH street sign. — Wilmington, Delaware. Dmitry Vinogradov/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 8th

Overall infrastructure rank: 13th

25. New Hampshire

Red masonry block waterfront buildings and a city horizon are lit by heated sunlight below a apparent blue sky. — Manchester, New Hampshire. MarkNH/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 41st

Overall infrastructure rank: 18th

26. Utah

Elevated freeway ramps curve through an municipal manufacturing area alongside vehicles, waterways, and mountains in the distance. — Salt Lake City, Utah. Gunnar Larsen/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 10th

Overall infrastructure rank: 4th

27. Illinois

Chicago, Illinois. Iryna Olkhova/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 29th

Overall infrastructure rank: 21st

28. South Carolina

Historic downtown street alongside palm trees, parked cars, and a pale chapel steeple below a colorful sunset sky. — Charleston, South Carolina. Bodhichita/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 40th

Overall infrastructure rank: 29th

29. Virginia

Aerial perspective of beachfront high-rise buildings, a bridge, and waterways alongside a coastal neighborhood at sunset. — Virginia Beach, Virginia. Kyle Little/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 34th

Overall infrastructure rank: 39th

30. Texas

Downtown Houston horizon rises rearward illuminated freeways and ray trails at dusk. — Houston, Texas. Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Overall transport rank: 27th

Overall infrastructure rank: 16th

31. Michigan

Downtown high-rises and a lengthy chief avenue extend toward a brilliant sunset under theatrical clouds. — Detroit, Michigan Vadym Terelyuk/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 38th

Overall infrastructure rank: 42nd

32. Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri. Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 36th

Overall infrastructure rank: 35th

33. Alaska

Snowy downtown Anchorage street framed by the Anchorage Mushing District arch alongside mountains apparent in the distance. — Anchorage, Alaska. Serhii Horban/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 12th

Overall infrastructure rank: 48th

34. Wisconsin

Downtown Milwaukee riverfront alongside bridges, skywalks, historic buildings, and a green-roofed extend tender tower. — Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Nicholas Klein/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 31st

Overall infrastructure rank: 37th

35. Colorado

Cars row a downtown Denver street below high-rise buildings and the Denver Pavilions under a blue sky. — Denver, Colorado. otman lazrak/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 24th

Overall infrastructure rank: 10th

36. New York

Traffic fills a broad municipal avenue lined alongside lofty buildings and apparent E 11 St and E 12 St signs. — New York City, New York. deberarr/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Overall transport rank: 32nd

Overall infrastructure rank: 34th

37. Arizona

Downtown street alongside building barriers, vehicles, a historic tan building, and high-rises including a UnitedHealthcare tower. — Phoenix, Arizona. Jaclyne Ortiz/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 25th

Overall infrastructure rank: 23rd

38. West Virginia

Downtown Charleston horizon at sunset alongside illuminated buildings, elevated walkways, highways, and long-exposure traffic trails. — Charleston, West Virginia. Sean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Overall transport rank: 49th

Overall infrastructure rank: 50th

39. Louisiana

Colorful historic storefronts alongside balconies row a sunny city street filled alongside parked cars. — New Orleans, Louisiana. Marcus Jones/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 48th

Overall infrastructure rank: 46th

40. Pennsylvania

Golden-hour airborne perspective of Philadelphia highways, rowhouses, Delaware River, and Benjamin Franklin Bridge. — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tomoyuki Maruyama/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 47th

Overall infrastructure rank: 43rd

41. Arkansas

Downtown street perspective alongside Markham St alongside parked cars, trees, mid-rise buildings, and a cloudy sky. — Little Rock, Arkansas. csfotoimages/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 33rd

Overall infrastructure rank: 40th

42. Massachusetts

Boston horizon at sunset alongside the Longfellow Bridge, Charles River, and Zakim Bridge apparent in the distance. — Boston, Massachusetts. Chris LaBasco/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Overall transport rank: 45th

Overall infrastructure rank: 38th

43. Maryland

Parked cars row a business street alongside storefronts, trees, and an AVAILABLE sign on an upper-floor facade. — Baltimore, Maryland. ASphotowed/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 44th

Overall infrastructure rank: 24th

44. Mississippi

Illuminated downtown street at night alongside historic buildings, a clock tower, streetlights, and a speed bounds sign. — Jackson, Mississippi. Leonid Andronov/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 46th

Overall infrastructure rank: 49th

45. Connecticut

New Haven horizon rises beyond an elevated roadway under a apparent blue sky. — New Haven, Connecticut. Sanghwan Kim/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 39th

Overall infrastructure rank: 25th

46. Washington

Modern pane high-rises increase complete a landscaped city street and pedestrian terrace at dusk. — Seattle, Washington. karandaev/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 30th

Overall infrastructure rank: 8th

47. New Mexico

Santa Fe street at dusk leads to the illuminated Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. — Santa Fe, New Mexico. Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 37th

Overall infrastructure rank: 45th

48. California

Downtown Los Angeles horizon rises complete multilane freeways and overpasses under a colorful sunset sky. — Los Angeles, California. Larry Gibson/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 42nd

Overall infrastructure rank: 32nd

49. Hawaii

Residential street alongside parked vehicles and power lines below steep green mountains partially covered by clouds. — Honolulu, Hawaii. Iryna Olkhova/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 28th

Overall infrastructure rank: 44th

50. Rhode Island

Downtown Providence horizon rises beyond a pedestrian extend complete the Providence River at sunset. — Providence, Rhode Island. Wirestock/Getty Images

Overall transport rank: 50th

Overall infrastructure rank: 47th