The term "infrastructure" is a stand-in for a great variety of national and local concerns—from clean water to electric grids to access to the internet—but traditionally the term has referred to the condition of the nation's roads, bridges, and highways. In that regard, the United States is not faring so well—the American Society of Civil Engineers gave U.S. roads a D+ overall on their 2025 infrastructure report card. Additionally, the most recent data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics reveals that 18.9% of roads across the country are not in acceptable condition.
But perhaps that's not surprising when you consider how much wear they get, particularly highways. Additional data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics shows that Americans traveled more than 5 trillion miles on highways in 2022—nearly 170 times more than all forms of transit combined and more than seven times the mileage traveled by air.
The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act dedicated $110 billion to building, expanding, and improving roads, bridges, and other major surface transportation projects nationwide. At the time of the IIJA's approval, approximately 40% of all roads and bridges across the U.S. were classified as being in poor or mediocre condition.
Among the IIJA's most notable investments is $40 billion for the repair, rehabilitation, and/or replacement of structurally deficient bridges, which is the single largest financial infusion into this aspect of surface transportation since the construction of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s. As bridges and viaducts are crucial components of every highway, this investiture offers even more bang per buck, benefiting both roads and bridges at once.
Citing an April 2023 report from the Reason Foundation, Stacker compiled a ranking of all U.S. states by the condition of their highways, from best to worst, with lower rankings indicating highways are in worse condition. This index looks at a variety of factors including infrastructure condition, funding, and crash fatality data to create the ranking. Subrankings for some of those categories are included for each state.
The ranking considers each state's resources, geographic conditions, size of the highway system, and traffic. The comparative performance scores are calculated based on road system performance and expenditure per mile. States with the highest-rated highway systems would thus be expected to favor both road users (due to higher-quality infrastructure) and taxpayers (because of lower maintenance costs per mile). This assessment method allows for a more standardized comparison of states and, therefore, results in a mix of large and small states at the top of the ranking.
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Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
1 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #1 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #5 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #19 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #24 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #10 best
- Rural fatality rank: #24 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #10 best
Sharkshock // Shutterstock
2 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #11 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #15 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #15 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #11 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #21 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #22 best
- Urban fatality rank: #20 best
Kevin Ruck // Shutterstock
3 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #9 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #12 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #10 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #22 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #11 best
- Rural fatality rank: #23 best
- Urban fatality rank: #4 worst
Canva
4 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #8 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #18 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #5 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #11 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #6 best
- Rural fatality rank: #16 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #14 worst
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
5 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #12 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #13 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #8 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #9 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #22 best
- Rural fatality rank: #25 best
- Urban fatality rank: #11 best
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f11photo // Shutterstock
6 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #5 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #19 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #3 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #17 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #23 best
- Rural fatality rank: #1 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #21 worst
Rotorhead 30A Productions // Shutterstock
7 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #14 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #16 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #16 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #19 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #25 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #24 best
- Urban fatality rank: #11 worst
Mia2you // Shutterstock
8 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #8 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #1 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #9 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #18 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #8 best
- Rural fatality rank: #6 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #2 worst
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
9 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #13 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #7 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #2 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #4 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #8 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #19 best
- Urban fatality rank: #5 best
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
10 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #11 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #4 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #20 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #13 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #5 best
- Rural fatality rank: #16 best
- Urban fatality rank: #13 best
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TommyBrison // Shutterstock
11 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #2 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #9 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #24 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #13 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #12 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #17 best
- Urban fatality rank: #9 worst
Canva
12 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #18 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #17 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #24 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #12 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #12 best
- Rural fatality rank: #2 best
- Urban fatality rank: #2 best
Canva
13 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #15 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #14 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #16 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #25 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #20 best
- Rural fatality rank: #18 best
- Urban fatality rank: #7 best
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
14 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #19 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #6 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #1 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #21 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #17 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #3 best
- Urban fatality rank: #1 best
Kevin Ruck // Shutterstock
15 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #24 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #23 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #15 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #10 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #9 best
- Rural fatality rank: #15 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #13 worst
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LBill45 // Shutterstock
16 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #25 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #20 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: # best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: # best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: # best
- Rural fatality rank: # best
- Urban fatality rank: # best
Canva
17 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #16 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #18 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #19 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #21 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #16 best
- Rural fatality rank: #11 best
- Urban fatality rank: #15 best
Canva
18 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #17 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #22 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #25 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #24 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #22 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #5 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #6 worst
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
19 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #20 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #22 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #21 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #4 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #3 best
- Rural fatality rank: #11 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #17 worst
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
20 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #3 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #20 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #23 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #3 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #14 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #15 best
- Urban fatality rank: #8 best
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randy andy // Shutterstock
21 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #7 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #2 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #17 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #11 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #2 best
- Rural fatality rank: #3 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #19 worst
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
22 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #13 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #14 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #25 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #14 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #17 best
- Rural fatality rank: #21 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #24 worst
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
23 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #14 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #12 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #20 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #22 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #24 best
- Rural fatality rank: #14 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #24 best
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
24 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #21 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #23 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #9 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #17 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #14 best
- Rural fatality rank: #1 best
- Urban fatality rank: #25 best
Mihai_Andritoiu // Shutterstock
25 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #19 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #25 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #13 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #3 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #23 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #4 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #14 best
Katherine Welles // Shutterstock
26 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #24 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #10 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #22 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #8 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #15 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #23 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #17 best
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
27 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #20 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #10 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #8 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #16 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #9 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #5 best
- Urban fatality rank: #23 worst
JohnDSmith // Shutterstock
28 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #18 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #8 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #4 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #5 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #4 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #22 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #20 worst
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
29 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #17 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #25 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #17 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #6 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #13 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #14 best
- Urban fatality rank: #25 worst
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
30 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #5 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #17 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #14 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #24 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #1 best
- Rural fatality rank: #10 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #3 worst
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
31 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #9 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #21 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #18 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #2 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #2 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #10 best
- Urban fatality rank: #22 best
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
32 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #23 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #24 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #7 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #8 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #7 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #8 best
- Urban fatality rank: #4 best
Mihai_Andritoiu // Shutterstock
33 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #22 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #15 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #14 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #13 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #24 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #12 best
- Urban fatality rank: #9 best
Charles Knowles // Shutterstock
34 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #3 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #19 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #11 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #7 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #19 best
- Rural fatality rank: #8 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #3 best
Real Window Creative // Shutterstock
35 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #10 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: Not applicable
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #7 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #8 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #4 best
- Rural fatality rank: #13 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #8 worst
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
36 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #7 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #11 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #23 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #16 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #18 best
- Rural fatality rank: #20 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #1 worst
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
37 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #12 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #11 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #21 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #18 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #13 best
- Rural fatality rank: #9 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #18 worst
Albert Pego // Shutterstock
38 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #16 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #21 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #6 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #19 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #7 best
- Rural fatality rank: #6 best
- Urban fatality rank: #12 best
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
39 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #4 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #7 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #6 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #6 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #1 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #21 best
- Urban fatality rank: #21 best
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
40 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #6 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #8 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #2 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #23 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #6 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #20 best
- Urban fatality rank: #5 worst
ESB Professional // Shutterstock
41 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #21 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #9 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #12 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #19 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #5 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #9 best
- Urban fatality rank: #22 worst
George Wirt // Shutterstock
42 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #22 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #3 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #18 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #5 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #3 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #25 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #16 best
Canva
43 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #23 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #4 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #11 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #20 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #21 best
- Rural fatality rank: #19 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #15 worst
Mihai_Andritoiu // Shutterstock
44 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #6 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #24 best
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #5 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #1 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #20 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #13 best
- Urban fatality rank: #18 best
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
45 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #10 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #16 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #13 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #10 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #10 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #18 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #16 worst
Agnieszka Gaul // Shutterstock
46 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #1 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #6 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #22 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #16 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #15 best
- Rural fatality rank: #4 best
- Urban fatality rank: #6 best
Marek Masik // Shutterstock
47 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #15 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #5 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #4 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #7 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #25 best
- Rural fatality rank: #12 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #23 best
Canva
48 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #25 best
- Rural interstate pavement rank: Not applicable
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #1 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #25 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #18 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #2 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #12 worst
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
49 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #4 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #13 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #3 worst
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #2 worst
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #11 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #7 best
- Urban fatality rank: #19 best
Canva
50 / 50- Capital and bridge disbursements rank: #2 worst
- Rural interstate pavement rank: #3 worst
- Urban interstate pavement rank: #12 best
- Urbanized area congestion rank: #15 best
- Structurally deficient bridges rank: #16 worst
- Rural fatality rank: #7 worst
- Urban fatality rank: #10 worst
Story editing by Brian Budzynski. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.
