Road trips are gaining momentum this summer as more Americans seek out cheaper and more flexible getaways.
Fortunately, new research could help travelers maximize their budget on their next driving adventure.
WalletHub recently compared all 50 U.S. states based on nearly three dozen key metricsfrom the number of attractions to road quality and gas pricesrevealing the best and worst places for a summer road trip in 2025.
Best US States for a Summer Road Trip
"Minnesota is the best state for summer road trips, and its great for people who want to be outdoors because it has the fourth-highest spending per capita on parks and recreation. In addition, Minnesota has the third-most fairs and festivals per capita during the summer, so theres always something unique to check out," WalletHub points out.
"To top things off, taking a road trip isnt overly expensive in Minnesota. The state has the 12th-lowest camping costs and 15th-lowest three-star hotel costs during mid-July. Its car repair costs also rank as the 13th-lowest in the nation."
Trailing Minnesota, which earned a total score of 59.84 out of 100, are New York and Ohio, followed by Utah and Louisiana.
New York ranks third overall for summer road trip activities, while Ohio ranks 12th nationwide for costs, including boasting the second-lowest average cost for car repairs.
Sunset over Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo Credit: Adobe/Ai)
"If you dont plan on just passing by, consider spending a couple of days, as Ohio boasts the second-highest number of fairs and festivals in the country during the summer months," the personal finance website notes.
Utah ranks third in the country for most scenic byways and Louisiana possesses the fifth-lowest average gas prices.
Rounding out the top 10 are Florida, Idaho, Texas, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
- Minnesota - 59.84
- New York - 59.66
- Ohio - 58.46
- Utah - 58.03
- Louisiana - 57.91
- Florida - 57.89
- Idaho - 57.62
- Texas - 57.60
- North Carolina - 57.41
- Pennsylvania - 55.65
Worst US States for a Summer Road Trip
On the other end of the spectrum, tiny Delaware ranks 50th in WalletHub's study, earning a total score of 36.08, nearly half that of first-ranked Minnesota. Only Connecticut has fewer scenic byways than Delaware, which ranks a dismal 47th out of 50 states for safety and 48th for summer road trip activities.
Lewes, Delaware (Photo via TimK MSI / Wikimedia Commons)
Other small destinations to fare poorly include New England states such as the aforementioned Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont, which round out the bottom four for a summer road trip in 2025.
Surprisingly, Montana, Hawaii and California also rank in the bottom 10. The latter two states are hampered by their expensive price tags, ranking 49th and 50th for costs, respectively.
- Delaware - 36.08
- Connecticut - 38.81
- Rhode Island - 40.74
- Vermont - 42.40
- Montana - 43.74
- Hawaii - 44.20
- California - 45.06
- New Mexico - 45.58
- Arkansas - 45.85
- Maryland - 47.03
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