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64% of American families will take a road trip this summer, according to the American Automobile Association.
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To determine the best states for a summer road trip,WalletHub evaluated more than 30 data points related to cost, safety, and activities.
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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 $US718 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 have 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.
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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