The best states for a summer road trip, ranked

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The best states for a summer road trip, ranked

Road Trip

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California and North Carolina are tied for having the most scenic roadways.

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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.

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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.

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50. Rhode Island

50. Rhode Island
Costs score: 48 Safety score: 6 Activities score: 49

49. Connecticut

49. Connecticut
Costs score: 46 Safety score: 26 Activities score: 42
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48. Delaware

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

47. Hawaii

47. Hawaii
Costs score: 50 Safety score: 33 Activities score: 17
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46. New Mexico

46. New Mexico
Costs score: 23 Safety score: 49 Activities score: 23

45. Indiana

45. Indiana
Costs score: 29 Safety score: 21 Activities score: 43
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44. Kentucky

44. Kentucky
Costs score: 24 Safety score: 32 Activities score: 35

43. Alaska

43. Alaska
Costs score: 45 Safety score: 47 Activities score: 5
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42. Kansas

42. Kansas
Costs score: 25 Safety score: 20 Activities score: 46

41. Alabama

41. Alabama
Costs score: 4 Safety score: 43 Activities score: 40
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40. Arkansas

40. Arkansas
Costs score: 3 Safety score: 44 Activities score: 41

39. Montana

39. Montana
Costs score: 19 Safety score: 40 Activities score: 34
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38. Mississippi

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

37. Oklahoma

37. Oklahoma
Costs score: 13 Safety score: 42 Activities score: 36
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36. West Virginia

36. West Virginia
Costs score: 8 Safety score: 30 Activities score: 47

35. Iowa

35. Iowa
Costs score: 27 Safety score: 14 Activities score: 38
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34. Missouri

34. Missouri
Costs score: 12 Safety score: 46 Activities score: 29

33. Maryland

33. Maryland
Costs score: 42 Safety score: 31 Activities score: 11
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32. Vermont

32. Vermont
Costs score: 28 Safety score: 3 Activities score: 50

31. North Dakota

31. North Dakota
Costs score: 16 Safety score: 7 Activities score: 45
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30. New Jersey

30. New Jersey
Costs score: 37 Safety score: 23 Activities score: 28

29. South Carolina

29. South Carolina
Costs score: 5 Safety score: 50 Activities score: 24
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28. Tennessee

28. Tennessee
Costs score: 18 Safety score: 35 Activities score: 30

27. Idaho

27. Idaho
Costs score: 39 Safety score: 16 Activities score: 25
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26. Pennsylvania

26. Pennsylvania
Costs score: 44 Safety score: 17 Activities score: 9

25. Massachusetts

25. Massachusetts
Costs score: 41 Safety score: 13 Activities score: 20
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24. New Hampshire

24. New Hampshire
Costs score: 22 Safety score: 5 Activities score: 37

23. Ohio

23. Ohio
Costs score: 38 Safety score: 25 Activities score: 15
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22. Wisconsin

22. Wisconsin
Costs score: 26 Safety score: 9 Activities score: 31

21. Arizona

21. Arizona
Costs score: 14 Safety score: 45 Activities score: 13
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20. Nevada

20. Nevada
Costs score: 30 Safety score: 29 Activities score: 12

19. Michigan

19. Michigan
Costs score: 21 Safety score: 24 Activities score: 26
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18. Georgia

18. Georgia
Costs score: 7 Safety score: 36 Activities score: 27

17. Nebraska

17. Nebraska
Costs score: 9 Safety score: 10 Activities score: 39
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16. Maine

16. Maine
Costs score: 32 Safety score: 2 Activities score: 32

15. South Dakota

15. South Dakota
Costs score: 6 Safety score: 22 Activities score: 33
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14. Virginia

14. Virginia
Costs score: 35 Safety score: 15 Activities score: 16

13. Illinois

13. Illinois
Costs score: 33 Safety score: 11 Activities score: 21
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12. California

12. California
Costs score: 47 Safety score: 41 Activities score: 1

11. Oregon

11. Oregon
Costs score: 40 Safety score: 12 Activities score: 8
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10. Colorado

10. Colorado
Costs score: 17 Safety score: 27 Activities score: 18

9. Utah

9. Utah
Costs score: 34 Safety score: 8 Activities score: 14
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8. New York

8. New York
Costs score: 49 Safety score: 4 Activities score: 3

7. Washington

7. Washington
Costs score: 43 Safety score: 18 Activities score: 4
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6. Louisiana

6. Louisiana
Costs score: 10 Safety score: 37 Activities score: 10

5. Florida

5. Florida
Costs score: 20 Safety score: 48 Activities score: 2
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4. Texas

4. Texas
Costs score: 15 Safety score: 34 Activities score: 6

3. Minnesota

3. Minnesota
Costs score: 31 Safety score: 1 Activities score: 19
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2. North Carolina

2. North Carolina
Costs score: 11 Safety score: 28 Activities score: 7

1. Wyoming

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