Utah’s Driving Ranks Reveal Surprising Challenges For Locals

Every year WalletHub releases its much-anticipated ranking of the best and worst states to drive in, and the 2026 edition is no exception. The analysis uses 31 different metrics — everything from average gas prices, insurance costs, and traffic congestion to road quality, safety records, and access to services like gas stations and repair shops — to see where drivers are most likely to enjoy smooth sailing versus where they’ll waste time and money on the road. The idea is simple: lower costs, better infrastructure, and safer conditions = happier drivers. Higher costs, congested roads, and sketchy safety numbers = misery with airbags.

At the top of the national list are states like Kansas and Idaho, which combine affordable driving costs with light traffic and solid safety scores. In these places, your commute is more likely to be scenic than soul-crushing, and you won’t need to remortgage your house just to fill the tank. At the other end of the spectrum, states like Hawaii, Washington, and California rank poorly in large part because of high ownership costs, heavier congestion, and poorer overall scores across multiple driving categories.

So Where Does Utah Stand In The Rankings?

So where does Utah land? Sitting at 37th out of all 50 states, Utah isn’t quite a national embarrassment in terms of driving conditions — but it’s definitely not in the “look at me, I’m great” tier either. Utah ranks fairly low in cost of ownership and maintenance, meaning it can be more expensive to fill up, insure, and maintain a vehicle here than in much of the country. On the plus side, the state performs much better in traffic and infrastructure as well as safety, showing that the roads themselves are decent and that drivers overall enjoy relatively solid conditions compared with some states further down the list.

Take a moment to compare Utah with its neighbors: Idaho, just one state away, ranks near the top for drivers thanks to excellent traffic and safety metrics. Arizona and Nevada both beat Utah as well, placing ahead in the rankings; Nevada’s lower scores still edged out Utah overall. Colorado, another nearby rival, sinks to near the bottom, plagued by weak rankings in cost and safety. Wyoming, though sparsely populated, manages a slightly lower overall score than Utah, partly due to safety issues.

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All of which makes Utah’s reputation for being a terrible place to drive even more entertaining. Locals and insurance data have frequently called out Utah drivers as some of the worst in the nation, pointing to high rates of speeding tickets, accidents, and DUIs. Even Salt Lake City lowered residential speed limits in response to those trends. So while the data on road conditions doesn’t paint Utah as the absolute worst, the anecdotal experience of merging onto I-15 at rush hour might leave you convinced otherwise. At least statistically, your drive isn’t that bad — but your neighbors’ driving habits might make you think you’re trapped in an unending demolition derby.