What Are the Best and Worst States for Drivers?

Carmartz.com — Peace out, potatoes — here comes the corn. Finance-rate aggregator Bankrate.com has again named the best (and worst) U.S. states for drivers, and Iowa has uprooted Idaho from the top spot. Researchers ranked all 50 states for their driver friendliness based on commute times, annual insurance premiums, gas expenses, repair costs, auto thefts and traffic fatalities.

Related: Pedestrians, Watch Your Step in These Cities!

“Transportation is the second highest cost many households face, but that burden doesn’t fall equally across states,” said Bankrate analyst Claes Bell in a statement. “Americans should take into account their costs for insurance, gas and other factors, as well as safety concerns, when considering their daily travel options.”

Following the Hawkeye State to round out the top five were Ohio, Maine, Wisconsin and Vermont. Idaho, meanwhile, remains among the best driving states but drops to No. 13 this time out. Wisconsin and Vermont both made last year’s top five also, while Iowa, Maine and Ohio enjoy a promotion.

On the unfortunate end of the Bankrate rankings is California. The Golden State’s rep is tarnished by its status as the worst state for drivers. That should come as little surprise to anyone paying attention to such matters, as Cali is routinely among the worst places in the U.S. for auto theft, commute times and car-ownership costs — despite the earthquake-prone state being popularly regarded as the epicenter of car culture.

But misery loves company, and New Mexico, Nevada, Louisiana and Wyoming are not far behind California at Nos. 2 through 5 among the worst of the worst. Last year’s No. 1 worst state for drivers, Louisiana, is the only other returning member of the top five this go around, but it falls to fourth place.

Moving up in the world were Arkansas, Missouri, Oregon and Tennessee, all of which went from the top 25 worst-places list last year to the top 25 best-places list this time out. But in the zero-sum game of state rankings, someone wins and someone loses, and Alaska, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming this year were pushed to the worst-places list. Separating the good from the bad is Oklahoma, holding fast at No. 25 for its second year.

Bankrate gleaned its contributing statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, FBI, CarMD, Oil Price Information Service, U.S. Department of Transportation, National Association of Insurance Commissionersand U.S. Census Bureau.

See where your state ranks among the best and worst drivers below:

Best States for Drivers

25. Oklahoma

24. Arkansas

23. Oregon

22. Tennessee

21. Utah

20. Rhode Island

19. Missouri

18. Massachusetts

17. North Carolina

16. Pennsylvania

15. Virginia

14. Michigan

13. Idaho

12. Kansas

11. Illinois

10. Nebraska

9. Indiana

8. New Hampshire

7. South Dakota

6. Minnesota

5. Vermont

4. Wisconsin

3. Maine

2. Ohio

1. Iowa

Worst States for Drivers

25. New York

24. Kentucky

23. Alabama

22. West Virginia

21. Arizona

20. North Dakota

19. Connecticut

18. Colorado

17. Washington

16. Mississippi

15. South Carolina

14. Texas

13. Alaska

12. Delaware

11. Montana

10. Hawaii

9. Florida

8. New Jersey

7. Georgia

6. Maryland

5. Wyoming

4. Louisiana

3. Nevada

2. New Mexico

1. California