Traffic & Transit

Maryland Ranks Among 2020’s Worst States For Drivers

A new report by WalletHub breaks down which states are the best and worst for drivers. See how Maryland ranks.

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Maryland came in at No. 49 out of 50 states for traffic and infrastructure. The only state that ranked worse was Massachusetts, according to WalletHub.
Maryland came in at No. 49 out of 50 states for traffic and infrastructure. The only state that ranked worse was Massachusetts, according to WalletHub. (Elizabeth Janney/Patch File)

MARYLAND — Traffic congestion cost U.S. motorists an estimated $87 billion in 2018. A new study shows how the commute in each state stacks up.

WalletHub recently released its 2020 list of the most driver-friendly states in the U.S. To rank the cities, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 31 key metrics ranging from average gas prices to share of rush-hour traffic congestion and road quality.

Maryland came in near the bottom of the list with an overall ranking 45 out of 50 states.

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To determine a state’s overall ranking, WalletHub used 31 relevant metrics and graded states on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the best for drivers. Finally, WalletHub determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score.

Maryland's overall state ranking was calculated by averaging the same metrics, including rankings in the following categories:

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  • Cost of Ownership & Maintenance Rank: 31
  • Traffic & Infrastructure Rank: 49
  • Safety Rank: 25
  • Access To Vehicles & Maintenance Rank: 17

The worst state for driving was Hawaii, followed by Rhode Island and Washington state.

These are the 10 worst states for drivers, according to WalletHub:

  1. Hawaii
  2. Rhode Island
  3. Washington
  4. California
  5. Colorado
  6. Maryland
  7. West Virginia
  8. New Jersey
  9. Alaska
  10. Montana

Coming in at the top of the list of best states for drivers was Iowa, with an overall score of 64.44.

These are the 10 best states for drivers, according to WalletHub:

  1. Iowa
  2. Tennessee
  3. North Carolina
  4. Texas
  5. Nebraska
  6. Georgia
  7. Virginia
  8. Indiana
  9. Arkansas
  10. Alabama

Mississippi has the lowest share of rush-hour traffic congestion at 17 percent, five times lower than in California, the state with the highest at 85 percent. Maryland was right behind California when it came to rush-hour traffic, followed by New Jersey, Delaware and Massachusetts.

Gas prices also are least expensive in Mississippi, while Hawaii has the highest gas prices. Also, Maine has the lowest car insurance rates, while Michigan has the highest.

Experts say that to improve the safety, condition and congestion on roads, cooperation is essential between drivers, lawmakers and private industry.

— By Patch editors Megan VerHelst and Elizabeth Janney

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