Top 5 States With The Worst Roads in the U.S. 

Why focus on the states with the worst roads in America? Because your first point of contact between your car and the road is your tires. Tires are responsible for bearing the brunt of the potholes, cracks, debris, sharp objects, and anything else that’s on the road. If you drive in an area that has especially bad roads you need to be aware of what these roads can do to your tires. 

If your tire does have irreparable damage, Tire Agent is your first stop for finding a new set of tires.

We’ll cover the 5 states with the worst roads in the U.S., why these roads are so bad, and what you can do about it. We’ll also include some tips for avoiding tire damage as you drive. 

There isn’t a single top authority on U.S. roads, but our sources rank road quality based on a few factors. We used Federal Highway Administration data, American Society of Civil Engineers road report cards, and other public data. We compared rankings across Consumer Affairs, Construction Coverage, and U.S. News for these top 5 states with the worst roads in the U.S. 

1. Rhode Island 

Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but 32.2% of the rural roads and 37.2% of major roadways are considered in “poor” condition. With most of the residents living near the coast, this starts to make sense. Across all three of our sources, Rhode Island ranks among the top three spots for worst roads in the U.S. Why is this?

Water is one of the biggest culprits for poor road conditions, especially in areas that experience freezing winters. As water seeps into the cracks of roads, it can erode the inside of a road, which expands the cracks and creates a larger weakness. This is even more true in the winter, when water expands as it freezes, turning small cracks and weak points into massive potholes as heavy vehicles repeatedly drive over them. 

Residents in Rhode Island report that insurance rates are high and potholes are everywhere on the state's roads. 

• Percentage of urban roads in poor condition: 39.3%
• Percentage of rural roads in poor condition: 32.2%
• Traffic fatalities per 100M miles traveled: 0.69

2. Hawaii

Hawaii has a unique problem in this list: A lot of coastlines, frequent rain and flooding, as well as volcanoes! It’s in the top 5 on all of the sources’ worst road quality lists.

With salt water frequently covering and eroding the roads, it’s difficult for Hawaii to keep up with the cracks, potholes, and other damage. Hawaii is also a volcanic chain of islands that experiences a lot of earthquakes and seismic activity. It’s the roads that suffer, and Hawaii’s infrastructure budget is spread thin as the state deals with many other issues that result from the turbulent weather. 

• Percentage of urban roads in poor condition: 44.3%
• Percentage of rural roads in poor condition: 28.5%
• Traffic fatalities per 100M miles traveled: 1.13

3. New Mexico

New Mexico, as one of the largest states in the U.S., has mostly rural roads. It’s high on most of the bad-roads lists because of how difficult it is for the state to maintain the hundreds of miles of rural roads. Although the state has a $1.3 billion Department of Transportation budget, this is a relatively low budget for a state with so many miles of roads to maintain and repair. 

With a lot of highway traffic as goods are shipped through the state, New Mexico roads wear down over time, becoming unstable, cracked, and riddled with potholes. 

• Percentage of urban roads in poor condition: 41.7%
• Percentage of rural roads in poor condition: 30.7%
• Traffic fatalities per 100M miles traveled: 1.74

4. California

Construction Coverage reports that as much as 26.6% of California’s more than 386,604 miles of roads (2nd most in the U.S.!) are in poor condition. With the state being the most populated and with such a strong economy, why is this? 

California takes up a significant portion of the western U.S. coast and is located directly on the San Andreas Fault, which is the junction between the North American and Pacific tectonic plates. Besides the periodic earthquakes, California also experiences seasonal flash floods and mudslides. The huge population is also a factor, as California is notorious for its heavy traffic, especially in the major cities (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco). 

• Percentage of urban roads in poor condition: 46%
• Percentage of rural roads in poor condition: 20.3%
• Traffic fatalities per 100M vehicle miles traveled: 1.28

5. Mississippi

Mississippi has the highest number of miles (18,000) of rural roads among the states named on the worst roads list. The problem with Mississippi’s roads is attributed to the clay soil beneath the road throughout the state. When it rains, the clay expands, creating bubbles and deformities underneath the roads. As it drains, the clay contracts, but the repeated expansion and contraction do serious harm to the roads. 

• Percentage of urban roads in poor condition: 40.9%
• Percentage of rural roads in poor condition: 27.6%
• Traffic fatalities per 100M miles traveled: 1.76

How to Prevent Tire Damage From Bad Roads

Potholes are not unique problems to these 5 states. Even outside of these states, you’re still likely to encounter potholes while driving on the road. Potholes can cause a lot of damage to your tires, wheels, and even the internal mechanics of your vehicle when you drive over them. 

To avoid or reduce the chances of puncture, dent, or tire bubble caused by driving over potholes:

• Increase your stopping distance between you and the vehicle in front of you so you can spot the pothole and have time to react to it.
• Slow down and then coast over the pothole and don’t brake while in the pothole.
• Keep your tires properly inflated and maintained to reduce the chances of weak points forming.
• If you can’t avoid a pothole, firmly grasp the steering wheel and don’t suddenly swerve — the best strategy is to hit the pothole head on.

If you do roll over a pothole, you should check your tire afterward for any damages or tire bubbles. Even if you don’t immediately lose tire pressure, there still may be a scratch or bulge that is a result of the damage. If you don’t replace your tire immediately, the tire may burst while you’re driving and damage your car — or worse, injure you! 

Who Has the Best Roads in the U.S.?

Curious to know which states have the best roads? These five states have the best roads in the U.S., based on the same key stats reported by the FHWA and ASCE. These states tend to have higher infrastructure budgets that may be supported by toll roads or general government funding. Better roads do end up saving drivers money, as smoother roads mean less tire wear, fewer potholes damaging vehicles, and better fuel efficiency. 

Indiana — Taking the #1 spot on all three of the sources we consulted, Indiana has an impressively low 2.7% of major roadways that are considered to be in poor condition. It has a high infrastructure budget, and very few traffic-related deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (1.05). 

Kansas — Falling within the top 5 of all sources consulted, 96% of Kansas roads are in acceptable condition, which is impressive, given how many rural roads are in the state. This is in part due to the 2025 initiative to modernize roads in Kansas. 

Wyoming — As many as 75.9% of Wyoming roads are considered to be in good condition, which makes sense given the very high average of 44.7 miles traveled daily per capita. This may be in part due to the size of the state, especially considering that Wyoming has the lowest population out of any U.S. state!

South Dakota — South Dakota ranks in the top 5 best roads, with 71.7% of roads in good condition and only 3.9% in poor condition. The state is currently undergoing a four-year transportation plan (started in 2026) with more than $1.1 billion invested in road and bridge projects. 

Vermont — With only 5.1% of Vermont roads considered to be in poor condition, this may be because of how few roads are in the state, but this isn’t the full picture. Vermont received $1.6 billion from 2021 to 2026 to improve its highways and bridges, which has paid off!

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