Average miles driven per year by state

What is the average number of miles driven per year? The short answer is: 13,476, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA). Put another way, the average driver racks up over 1,000 miles each month, or almost the equivalent of two roundtrips from New York City to Los Angeles.

But to understand driving habits nationwide, you need to look at who is driving how much and where. FHWA and other federal research data underscore the following trends:

Most states are seeing motorists drive more miles: Nearly 70 percent of states recorded an increase in vehicle miles traveled. Oregon is tops for the highest increase (16 percent) over the three-year period from 2011 to 2014.

Men drive more miles than women: The average male driver logs 16,550 miles a year – 63 percent more than the average for women, 10,142.

Fewer teens are getting licenses: The number of teens with drivers’ licenses has dipped significantly since the 1980s – from 46 percent to 24 percent – for drivers aged 16.

Senior drivers are staying on the road longer: Motorists over age 65 are driving more miles and keeping their licenses longer, and drivers over 85 comprise the fastest growing age group -- and the trend is projected to continue.

Miles per capita by state show motorists driving more

The majority of states, nearly 70 percent, saw an increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita from 2011 to 2014, according to FHWA data. VMT per capita is calculated by taking the total annual miles of vehicle traveled divided by the total population of the state. The national average for VMT per capita averaged 9,455 in 2011 and was up to 9,772 in 2014.

The uptick in driving is not spread evenly among the states. Some states are seeing a much bigger increase than others and almost a third are in decline. The mileage you drive affects your insurance rates, because companies figure the more you drive, the higher your risk of being in an accident. Therefore, state car insurance rates may be generally affected by these trends.

Oregon was the big winner when it comes to VMT per capita with a 19 percent increase. Alaska and Georgia are tied for second with a 16 percent increase, Texas was No. 3 at 14 percent and West Virginia came in fourth with a 12 percent bump.

A number of states are still in decline when it comes to VMT per capita. North Dakota managed to shave 16 percent off their VMT numbers to claim the top spot. Louisiana was No. 2 with a 10 percent decline with Montana and Alabama tied for third place with a 6 percent drop.

You’ll see in the chart below we calculated the percent change in VMT for each state, based on FHWA data:

State	2011 Miles per capita	2014 Miles per capita	Change	% Change

Alabama	13,516	12,713	-803	-6%
Alaska	6,355	7,369	1,014	16%
Arizona	9,190	9,701	511	6%
Arkansas	11,216	10,912	-304	-3%
California	8,511	9,053	542	6%
Colorado	9,108	9,712	604	7%
Connecticut	8,713	9,033	320	4%
D.C.	5,774	6,115	341	6%
Delaware	9,952	10,524	572	6%
Florida	10,067	9,519	-548	-5%
Georgia	11,050	12,828	1,778	16%
Hawaii	7,322	7,055	-267	-4%
Idaho	10,055	10,467	412	4%
Illinois	8,022	8,283	261	3%
Indiana	11,736	11,655	-81	-1%
Iowa	10,213	10,059	-154	-2%
Kansas	10,456	10,465	9	0%
Kentucky	11,000	11,582	582	5%
Louisiana	10,167	9,143	-1,024	-10%
Maine	10,727	11,138	411	4%
Maryland	9,646	9,474	-172	-2%
Massachusetts	8,318	8,316	-2	0%
Michigan	9,594	9,840	246	3%
Minnesota	10,606	10,693	87	1%
Mississippi	13,044	12,495	-549	-4%
Missouri	11,444	11,990	546	5%
Montana	11,681	10,956	-725	-6%
Nebraska	10,362	10,568	206	2%
Nevada	8,882	8,828	-54	-1%
New Hampshire	9,650	9,734	84	1%
New Jersey	8,286	8,016	-270	-3%
New Mexico	12,262	12,512	250	2%
New York	6,562	6,801	239	4%
North Carolina	10,746	11,120	374	3%
North Dakota	13,351	11,241	-2,110	-16%
Ohio	9,700	9,328	-372	-4%
Oklahoma	12,519	12,567	48	0%
Oregon	8,619	10,234	1,615	19%
Pennsylvania	7,785	8,333	548	7%
Rhode Island	7,515	7,976	461	6%
South Carolina	10,414	11,350	936	9%
South Dakota	10,924	11,183	259	2%
Tennessee	11,049	11,554	505	5%
Texas	9,248	10,554	1,306	14%
Utah	9,308	10,120	812	9%
Vermont	11,399	11,202	-197	-2%
Virginia	10,001	10,568	567	6%
Washington	8,339	9,048	709	9%
West Virginia	10,221	10,643	422	4%
Wisconsin	9,525	10,678	1,153	12%
Wyoming	16,272	16,410	138	1%

Vehicle miles driven per licensed driver by state

You’ll see in the chart below how states rank for miles by driver for each state, according to the FHWA. Wyoming leads in this category with 21,821, while Alaska has fewest miles per licensed driver at 9,915.

State	Registered vehicles	Total licensed drivers	Licensed drivers per 1,000 driving age population	Vehicle miles per licensed driver

AL	3,960,149	3,521,444	1,020	16,054
AK	594,399	465,256	1,016	9,915
AZ	3,794,538	3,433,995	879	14,493
AR	1,840,193	1,947,867	940	14,974
CA	27,697,923	21,243,939	830	14,435
CO	3,626,012	3,107,258	935	13,443
CT	2,853,449	2,652,593	1,001	11,595
DE	630,446	556,688	913	14,802
DC	242,081	348,216	742	10,045
FL	11,781,010	12,853,428	1,009	11,836
GA	7,155,006	5,550,176	888	18,920
HI	737,551	769,383	811	11,104
ID	1,177,700	883,546	912	15,318
IL	8,972,584	7,961,046	835	12,921
IN	5,570,942	3,976,241	849	17,821
IA	3,106,223	1,952,508	856	15,074
KS	2,296,135	1,908,117	927	14,742
KY	2,826,403	2,694,469	852	17,370
LA	3,556,982	2,759,120	813	14,805
ME	1,024,096	920,235	911	15,420
MD	3,847,538	3,382,451	828	14,834
MA	5,265,399	4,489,695	897	11,759
MI	8,435,721	6,925,246	908	14,121
MN	4,629,940	2,940,789	777	17,887
MS	2,289,411	2,007,746	930	17,699
MO	4,579,629	3,856,271	898	17,396
MT	1,026,226	678,899	968	14,556
NE	1,618,933	1,195,219	909	15,128
NV	1,219,725	1,370,643	891	12,869
NH	1,051,751	929,630	967	12,931
NJ	6,390,031	5,654,973	864	11,927
NM	1,528,510	1,239,043	904	18,369
NY	10,234,531	10,871,344	735	11,871
NC	6,222,503	5,690,494	905	15,729
ND	693,860	458,944	914	15,725
OH	10,467,476	8,205,524	934	12,906
OK	3,014,491	2,295,036	861	18,891
OR	3,021,574	2,495,059	933	14,032
PA	9,259,967	8,229,490	849	12,435
RI	759,570	654,035	791	12,781
SC	3,094,729	2,842,553	913	16,020
SD	792,509	543,817	942	15,505
TN	4,819,799	4,251,228	956	15,462
TX	14,070,096	13,462,023	862	16,347
UT	1,627,606	1,463,366	915	15,442
VT	514,883	506,085	1,057	13,458
VA	6,046,127	4,836,993	875	15,464
WA	5,115,866	4,154,501	912	12,837
WV	1,441,735	1,347,207	926	14,283
WI	4,365,525	3,770,453	907	15,188
WY	585,690	370,740	971	21,821
All of U.S.	221,475,173	190,625,023	878	14,425

Average annual miles driven by age groupHere is how many miles people drive, broken down by age group, per year, according to federal data:

Age 16 to 19 – 7,624
Age 20 to 34 – 15,098
Age 35 to 45 – 15,291
Age 55 to 64 – 11,972
Over age 65 – 7,646

While middle-aged drivers log the most miles, it’s interesting to note that senior motorists as a group have been driving a lot more since 1990. The trend is expected to continue to 2040, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA).

Drivers over 85 comprise the fastest growing sector of motorists, reports the FHWA.

Data from the FHWA show:

Drivers over 50 years old reached nearly 93.5 million in 2013 – an increase of 22 percent since 2003 – resulting in 44 percent of total licensed drivers.

Drivers over 85 years old remain the fastest growing demographic group, nearly doubling from 1.76 million in 1998 to 3.48 million in 2013 – the second-highest amount ever recorded.

Drivers age 60 and older represented almost 26 percent of all licensed drivers in 2014, up from 20 percent in 2004.

On the other hand, teens are driving less and fewer are getting licenses. The number of licensed teen drivers is at its lowest ever, and drivers age 16 are down significantly, according to the FHWA. Of the 8.5 million teen drivers with a license in 2014, just about 1 million were age 16.

Other key data show:

• Total vehicle miles driven by teen drivers have plummeted, not only because a smaller share of them are driving but also because miles per young driver have also declined.


• In 1990, each driver aged 16 to 19 drove an average of 8,485 miles per year. That compares to 6, 244 in 2009, according to the Fuels Institute “Driver Demographics” report.


• The share of 17-year-olds with driver's licenses dipped to 45 percent in 2014, from 54 percent in 2001, according to the Policy and Governmental Affairs Office of Highway Policy Information data. As you’ll see in the chart below, the trend holds for other teen drivers.

Driver age	2001: Drivers as % of age group	2014: Drivers as % of age group
16	34%	25%
17	54%	45%
18	68%	60%
19	75%	69%
Age 16 to 19	47%	40%

How do you compare?

If you’re not sure how many miles you drive per year, use the chart below to find out. Track your travels to see if you qualify for a low-mileage discount, as well as for your tax records if you will be claiming mileage as a deduction for business, medical, moving or charitable purposes.

Yearly mileage conversion table

Miles you drive in a typical day	Miles you drive in a typical week	Estimated yearly miles

3	21	2,000
6	42	3,000
9	63	4,000
11	77	5,000
14	98	6,000
17	119	7,000
20	140	8,000
22	154	9,000
25	175	10,000
28	196	11,000
31	217	12,000
33	231	13,000
36	252	14,000
39	273	15,000
42	294	16,000
44	308	17,000
47	329	18,000
50	350	19,000
53	371	20,000
55	385	21,000

How to get a low-mileage discountAny discount you get for low mileage depends largely on your insurance company, says CarInsurance.com consumer analyst Penny Gusner.

"The discount is typically 5 to 15 percent, and at some companies the discounts start at 10,000 miles, and others at 7,500 miles," she says, noting that the discounts usually apply to collision and liability coverages so it's not a full 5 to 15 percent off your total bill. "You may not see a line item on your policy that says ‘low mileage discount’ because many companies adjust your base rates, so you may  have to ask your agent or company to make sure your premium reflects any change."

Typically, a low-mileage discount translates into a savings on yourpolicy of up to 2 percent, depending on your insurer, but in some states it can be higher. In California, for example, you get a huge savings because mileage is chief among the factors insurers use to set rates. States with high savings from low-mileage discounts:

• California – 22% savings


• Massachusetts – 6% savings


• Wisconsin – 4% savings


• Pennsylvania – 3% savings

Some companies may require verification of your mileage. That could come from several sources: a form that you fill out; a photo you take and mail in; or service and emissions records.

If you drive an exceptionally small number of miles -- safely -- pay-as-you-drive insurance might save you even more. Insurers, such as Progressive, send you a device that plugs into your car and reports odometer readings and driving habits, then calculate a discount that can reach 40 percent in some rare cases.

The rise and fall of driving, and then rise

For roughly 60 years, the number of miles driven by Americans rose year after year, until 2004 when they topped out around 10,120 per capita.

Since then, the number of driving miles per capita was in decline in almost every state. In some states, it was a double-digit drop. Industry insiders, those that research driving trends for federal and private agencies such as auto clubs, referred to it as the end of the Driving Boom.

As driving miles dipped, so did accidents. According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the number of fatalities out on the road held pretty steady around 42,000 to 45,000 from 1986 all the way up to 2008, and then things started to change.

In 2008, the number of fatalities dropped to 37,423 and then plunged to 33,883 in 2009. It has hovered around the 32,000 mark ever since, until 2015, when Americans decided to put 3.15 trillion miles on their vehicles. Apparently, the “Driving Boom” is back.

“Americans drove 3.1 trillion miles in 2015, which was an all-time record and 3.5 percent higher than in 2014,” says Julie Hall with AAA National Office. As we move into summer, the roads will be both crowded and dangerous.

AAA says 38 million Americans traveled over Memorial Day weekend, which is the second-highest volume for the holiday weekend ever and the most holiday drivers out on the road since 2005.

All of this new driving is leading to an increase in accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) projects there were 26,000 fatalities in the first nine months of 2015, which is a 9.3 percent increase from 2014. The NHTSA reports that the third quarter of 2015 represents the fourth consecutive quarter that fatality rates have gone up.

Not all regions are created equal when it comes to fatalities out on the road. The Northwest region, which includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana saw a 20 percent increase in fatalities, the largest increase in the entire country.

Most experts expect the upward trend in miles driven to continue:

• New data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that U.S. driving reached 746 billion miles in the first three months of 2016, beating the previous record of 720.1 billion miles set last year.


• For a sense of scale, 746 billion miles is roughly 286.9 times as far as the International Space Station (ISS) has traveled since it began orbiting in 1998. In fact, Americans drive twice as far on any given day before noon as the ISS has ever flown.


• The seasonally-adjusted vehicle miles traveled for March 2016 were 268.2 billion miles, a new monthly record for seasonally-adjusted VMT.

What’s fueling the driving trend?

There is no definitive data on the reasons why motorists are driving more, but most experts feel that extremely low gas prices combined with an improving economy is largely responsible. “The great American road trip is back, largely due to cheaper gas prices,” says Hall.

AAA estimates that Americans have saved more than $18 billion on gas so far this year compared to the same period in 2015. Prices are at the lowest levels in 11 years.

Affordable gas is a big motivator when it comes to summer road trip planning. “Low gas prices increases travel, especially discretionary and long distance travel,” says David Levinson, CTS Chair in Transportation at the University of Minnesota.

A recent AAA survey found that 55 percent of Americans are more likely to take a road trip due to low gas prices.

Fatalities outpacing miles driven

While cheap gas is most likely responsible for the boom in driving numbers, fatality rates are shooting up much faster than the miles being driven rates, 3.5 percent versus a 9.5 percent increase in fatalities.

Young, inexperienced drivers may be the source of the large increase in fatality rates. Though some states rank better than others in terms of teen driver safety, young drivers as a group nationwide get into more accidents than other age groups.

According to Levinson, “The drivers who were priced off the system due to high gas prices and high unemployment were the marginal drivers, particularly younger drivers who had the least experience both in the workforce and behind the wheel. As young drivers enter the economy in greater numbers, crash rates go up.”

More research on teens spurning licensingDespite cheap gas and an improving economy, teenagers are still not flocking to the roads in numbers seen in previous generations.

According to research done by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, the number of 16-year olds with a driver’s license  has decreased over the last three decades, from 46 percent to 24 percent.

Even if graduated licensing programs have pushed up the age of licensure, data shows that Millennials are just not as interested in driving. About 87 percent of 19-year-olds in 1983 had their licenses, but more than 30 years later, that percentage had dropped to 69 percent. Those age 18 with a license fell from 80 percent in 1983 to 60 percent in 2014, and 17-year-olds decreased from 69 percent to 45 percent.

The repercussions: Higher car insurance ratesMore traffic almost always equals more accidents, as increasing fatality rates confirm. Unfortunately, an increasing number of accidents will eventually affect insurance rates.

“Insurers utilize a number of factors when calculating a premium; one of those would be loss data for a given geographical area, usually a ZIP code. A high rate of traffic collisions will result in a higher premium for that area. While a single-year spike in accident activity will not have an immediate impact on insurance rates, if the trend continues, your insurance premium will be headed up,” warns Kris Kristofer Kirchen, with Advanced Insurance Managers in Tampa.

That means that even with a clean driving record and discounts, the cost of your car insurance may go up. Rates for the same coverage vary significantly among insurers because they each use their own formula to calculate what you pay. You can save hundreds of dollars by switching to a company offering a lower rate.  In addition to seeing if you qualify for a low-mileage discount, compare pricing by using our average car insurance rates tool to see what you can expect to pay in your neighborhood.

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