Rhode Island Takes Top Spot For Nation’s Worst Roads. Where Does Your State Rank?

Drivers across America are fed up with potholes, cracked pavement, and bone-jarring commutes. Now, research reveals exactly which states are failing to maintain their roads. Rhode Island leads the nation with more than a third of its major roads in poor condition, part of a broader infrastructure crisis that’s costing drivers hundreds of dollars annually in vehicle repairs and wasted fuel.

Research by Swiftdrain examined 10 key indicators of road quality across all 50 states, from pavement roughness and bridge health to maintenance spending and pothole complaints. Rhode Island earned the dubious distinction of worst roads in America, with 37.2 percent of major routes in poor condition and nearly 14 percent of bridges in poor condition. Louisiana, Illinois, California, and Massachusetts round out the top five states where drivers face the roughest rides.

Ankit Sehgal from Swiftdrain explained the problem: “In many parts of the country, roads today are simply wearing out faster than we can fix them. Traffic is heavier, weather is more unpredictable, and a lot of our highway networks were built decades ago with materials and designs that weren’t intended for today’s level of use.”

Heavy Traffic and Harsh Weather Take Their Toll

Several factors contribute to poor road conditions. States with heavy traffic volumes, measured by vehicle miles traveled per capita, see accelerated wear and tear on their highways. Weather plays a major role too. Freeze-thaw cycles in northern states like Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Illinois cause water to seep into pavement cracks, freeze, expand, and create potholes. By the time spring arrives, roads that seemed fine in autumn are riddled with damage.

Louisiana faces different challenges. With 3,411 miles of highway in poor condition and high pavement roughness levels, the state battles coastal flooding, heat-related wear, and storm damage. Even with substantial capital spending, Louisiana can’t keep pace with deterioration across both urban and rural routes.

Washington state reported an astonishing 61.67 pothole complaints per capita, the highest in the nation. That’s about 60 percent higher than Michigan, traditionally known for its troubled roads. Rainfall, freezing temperatures, and exploding traffic volumes in Seattle and Tacoma contribute to rapid surface erosion.

Complete State Rankings: Worst to Best Roads

Rank	State	Total Score	Share of Major Roads in Poor Condition (%)	Miles of Highway in Poor Condition	Pothole Complaints Per Capita
1	Rhode Island	55.96	37.2	860	38.00
2	Louisiana	55.38	20.9	3,411	26.75
3	Illinois	53.52	16.4	6,218	27.00
4	California	51.14	26.6	14,220	27.67
5	Massachusetts	50.74	27.0	1,194	24.75
6	Washington	50.43	20.8	5,469	61.67
7	Michigan	49.70	12.5	7,300	38.60
8	Missouri	49.19	12.1	7,576	41.00
9	Mississippi	49.12	14.5	5,840	31.75
10	Iowa	48.71	8.7	403	39.67
11	Pennsylvania	47.47	17.3	7,540	31.30
12	New Jersey	45.12	17.5	3,995	52.00
13	New York	44.71	23.7	7,292	20.00
14	Wisconsin	44.29	20.8	1,949	28.25
15	Colorado	42.05	18.0	3,600	29.50
16	Arkansas	41.80	6.3	6,700	28.00
17	Arizona	41.73	16.2	3,100	21.00
18	West Virginia	41.10	7.9	3,200	34.75
19	South Carolina	40.17	9.9	7,292	32.00
20	New Mexico	39.86	19.5	3,822	24.50
21	Tennessee	39.11	5.9	270	28.38
22	Texas	38.78	16.3	19,400	22.00
23	Hawaii	38.47	26.5	664	32.00
24	North Carolina	38.28	9.9	3,116	28.50
25	Alabama	37.93	4.3	2,950	31.50
26	Maryland	37.74	21.2	2,201	25.00
27	Ohio	36.90	14.0	4,925	24.83
28	Maine	36.83	8.7	1,438	34.00
29	Connecticut	34.92	20.4	2,100	22.50
30	New Hampshire	33.77	10.3	698	40.75
31	Oklahoma	33.61	14.2	1,004	24.75
32	Indiana	33.56	2.7	5,478	31.00
33	Oregon	33.56	6.0	1,287	32.50
34	Florida	32.16	6.5	3,564	31.30
35	Kentucky	31.83	6.1	1,322	25.00
36	Virginia	31.75	9.1	2,124	45.50
37	South Dakota	31.42	3.9	2,013	33.50
38	Minnesota	31.41	5.1	4,986	44.50
39	Nebraska	31.37	6.9	1,125	23.75
40	Kansas	29.91	2.9	1,995	35.00
41	Georgia	29.42	4.3	2,260	22.50
42	Montana	28.20	4.7	1,485	29.00
43	Idaho	26.58	4.8	1,102	27.00
44	Utah	25.19	6.1	2,064	22.00
45	Nevada	25.15	6.5	1,090	40.00
46	North Dakota	22.99	4.2	830	27.40
47	Wyoming	21.87	2.9	380	24.50
48	Alaska	20.74	15.3	570	20.00
49	Vermont	19.31	5.1	666	25.25
50	Delaware	17.91	11.3	250	23.50

Note: Higher total scores indicate worse road conditions. The total score is a weighted composite of 10 different metrics including r

High Spending Doesn’t Guarantee Better Roads

Some states spend heavily on highway maintenance yet still rank among the worst. Pennsylvania invests $820 per capita on highway maintenance and $27.57 per lane mile in capital outlays, but still has 17.3 percent of major roads in poor condition and over 7,500 miles of highway deteriorating. Massachusetts spends $488 per capita but faces a 27 percent poor-condition rate on major roads.

“What we typically see is that once small cracks start forming, moisture gets in, freezes, expands, and the road surface begins to break apart,” Sehgal said. “Over time, that turns into potholes, rough patches, and larger sections of pavement failure. When states fall behind on basic maintenance, the damage multiplies quickly, and the costs rise with it.”

Throwing money at roads doesn’t guarantee results when dealing with decades-old infrastructure backlogs. Rhode Island spends $620 per capita on highway maintenance but can’t overcome years of deferred repairs. California invests billions annually in transportation infrastructure but has 14,220 miles of poor-condition highways, second only to Texas.

The Hidden Costs of Driving on Damaged Roads

Poor road conditions cost drivers in multiple ways. Vehicle owners face accelerated tire wear, requiring replacements more frequently than expected. Suspension systems, wheel alignments, and undercarriage components all suffer damage from potholes and rough pavement. Drivers in states with the worst roads can spend hundreds of dollars annually on vehicle repairs directly tied to poor road quality.

Fuel efficiency drops on rough pavement as vehicles work harder to maintain speed. Cracked, uneven surfaces create more rolling resistance, forcing engines to burn more gas to cover the same distance.

Safety concerns mount as well. Drivers swerving to avoid potholes can cause accidents, especially in heavy traffic. Rough pavement reduces tire traction, extending stopping distances. Bridge deterioration poses structural risks, particularly for older spans carrying more weight than originally designed to handle.

“Drivers feel this in very real ways,” Sehgal said. “Poor road conditions can shorten the life of tires and suspension systems, reduce fuel efficiency, and increase accident risks, especially when drivers swerve to avoid potholes or loose debris. Good maintenance doesn’t just make roads smoother; it makes them safer and far more affordable for the people using them every day.”

Regional Patterns Show Midwest and Northeast Hit Hardest

Midwest and Northeast states dominate the worst-roads rankings. Illinois has 6,218 miles of highway in poor condition and the worst pavement roughness score of any state, with 518 miles measured above the federal roughness threshold. Michigan follows with 7,300 miles of deteriorating highways. Missouri contributes 7,576 miles, the third-highest total nationally.

Southern states face their own challenges. Mississippi has 24.38 percent of pavement showing serious cracking, the third-worst rate in the country. Arkansas has 29.28 percent of pavement showing serious cracking, the worst cracking rate in the country.

Iowa stands out for an unusual problem. While the state has just 403 miles of highways in poor condition, it leads the nation with 18.65 percent of bridges in poor condition. Rural bridges built decades ago are aging faster than funding allows for replacement.

Not every state struggles equally. Vermont, Delaware, Wyoming, and Alaska rank among the states with better-maintained roads despite harsh weather conditions in some cases. Lower traffic volumes, newer infrastructure, and higher per-capita maintenance spending may help explain why some of these states fare better.

Poor road conditions affect everyone from daily commuters to commercial trucking operations. Delivery times stretch longer, freight costs climb higher, and productivity drops when vehicles spend more time navigating damaged roadways instead of reaching their destinations efficiently.

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