The best states for a summer road trip, ranked

Myelle LansatJun 28, 2018, 19:40 IST

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64% of American families will take a road trip this summer, according to the American Automobile Association.
To determine the best states for a summer road trip, WalletHub evaluated more than 30 data points related to cost, safety, and activities.
Wyoming is the best state for a road trip this summer, thanks to cheap gas and affordable camp sites and hotel rooms.

A successful summer road trip boils down to one essential task: planning.

Americans spend an average of $718 billion on vacations every year, but there are different factors to consider when planning a road trip compared to a destination vacation. Everything from the car you drive to the stuff you pack will impact your road trip experience.

Though gas prices are the highest they've been since 2014, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), 64% of American families plan to take a road trip this summer.

But with a car as your primary mode of transportation, you need to plan for emergencies like breaking down and theft. Sleeping in your car is a perk (for some), but probably isn't suitable for large families. Camping out is less expensive and provides an authentic road trip experience, but costs vary by state.

To determine the best destinations for a summer road trip, WalletHub evaluated cost, safety, and activities in all 50 states. Those themes were evaluated on 31 metrics (gas, crime, amusement, etc.) and graded on a 100-point scale (read the full methodology here).

Below, check out the best states for a summer road trip. The score for each category shows how the destination compares to the remaining 49 states, with 1 being the best and 50 being the worst.

See The best states for a summer road trip, ranked >>

50. Rhode Island

Costs score: 48 Safety score: 6 Activities score: 49

49. Connecticut

Costs score: 46 Safety score: 26 Activities score: 42

48. Delaware

Costs score: 36 Safety score: 39 Activities score: 48

47. Hawaii

Costs score: 50 Safety score: 33 Activities score: 17

46. New Mexico

Costs score: 23 Safety score: 49 Activities score: 23

45. Indiana

Costs score: 29 Safety score: 21 Activities score: 43

44. Kentucky

Costs score: 24 Safety score: 32 Activities score: 35

43. Alaska

Costs score: 45 Safety score: 47 Activities score: 5

42. Kansas

Costs score: 25 Safety score: 20 Activities score: 46

41. Alabama

Costs score: 4 Safety score: 43 Activities score: 40

40. Arkansas

Costs score: 3 Safety score: 44 Activities score: 41

39. Montana

Costs score: 19 Safety score: 40 Activities score: 34

38. Mississippi

Costs score: 2 Safety score: 38 Activities score: 44

37. Oklahoma

Costs score: 13 Safety score: 42 Activities score: 36

36. West Virginia

Costs score: 8 Safety score: 30 Activities score: 47

35. Iowa

Costs score: 27 Safety score: 14 Activities score: 38

34. Missouri

Costs score: 12 Safety score: 46 Activities score: 29

33. Maryland

Costs score: 42 Safety score: 31 Activities score: 11

32. Vermont

Costs score: 28 Safety score: 3 Activities score: 50

31. North Dakota

Costs score: 16 Safety score: 7 Activities score: 45

30. New Jersey

Costs score: 37 Safety score: 23 Activities score: 28

29. South Carolina

Costs score: 5 Safety score: 50 Activities score: 24

28. Tennessee

Costs score: 18 Safety score: 35 Activities score: 30

27. Idaho

Costs score: 39 Safety score: 16 Activities score: 25

26. Pennsylvania

Costs score: 44 Safety score: 17 Activities score: 9

25. Massachusetts

Costs score: 41 Safety score: 13 Activities score: 20

24. New Hampshire

Costs score: 22 Safety score: 5 Activities score: 37

23. Ohio

Costs score: 38 Safety score: 25 Activities score: 15

22. Wisconsin

Costs score: 26 Safety score: 9 Activities score: 31

21. Arizona

Costs score: 14 Safety score: 45 Activities score: 13

20. Nevada

Costs score: 30 Safety score: 29 Activities score: 12

19. Michigan

Costs score: 21 Safety score: 24 Activities score: 26

18. Georgia

Costs score: 7 Safety score: 36 Activities score: 27

17. Nebraska

Costs score: 9 Safety score: 10 Activities score: 39

16. Maine

Costs score: 32 Safety score: 2 Activities score: 32

15. South Dakota

Costs score: 6 Safety score: 22 Activities score: 33

14. Virginia

Costs score: 35 Safety score: 15 Activities score: 16

13. Illinois

Costs score: 33 Safety score: 11 Activities score: 21

12. California

Costs score: 47 Safety score: 41 Activities score: 1

11. Oregon

Costs score: 40 Safety score: 12 Activities score: 8

10. Colorado

Costs score: 17 Safety score: 27 Activities score: 18

9. Utah

Costs score: 34 Safety score: 8 Activities score: 14

8. New York

Costs score: 49 Safety score: 4 Activities score: 3

7. Washington

Costs score: 43 Safety score: 18 Activities score: 4

6. Louisiana

Costs score: 10 Safety score: 37 Activities score: 10

5. Florida

Costs score: 20 Safety score: 48 Activities score: 2

4. Texas

Costs score: 15 Safety score: 34 Activities score: 6

3. Minnesota

Costs score: 31 Safety score: 1 Activities score: 19

2. North Carolina

Costs score: 11 Safety score: 28 Activities score: 7

1. Wyoming

Costs score: 1 Safety score: 19 Activities score: 22

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