Our Nation’s Highways 2026

Safety, Condition, and Performance

Highway data about safety, infrastructure condition, and system performance is necessary to make informed decisions about infrastructure investments. These metrics are crucial to society because they directly impact our daily lives, the efficiency of the economy, and the overall quality of public services. Understanding the state of our highways ensures responsible stewardship of public funds, promotes economic competitiveness through reliable supply chains, and, most importantly, protects the safety of all road users.

Condition refers to the physical health of an infrastructure asset such as a road or bridge. It is a measure of physical integrity. Performance refers to the user experience and measures how well a system works. For example, mobility captures system throughput and travel delays while reliability has to do with variation in travel times to the same destination. Safety, which can be considered a performance measure, is FHWA’s top priority.

Drive Through History

July 29, 1870
Chemist Edward de Smedt lays the first asphalt pavement in the U.S. in Newark, New Jersey, revolutionizing roads by replacing muddy dirt tracks and jarring cobblestones with a smooth and weather-resistant surface. By eliminating deep ruts and offering reliable traction, asphalt dramatically improved travel safety and efficiency, laying the foundation for a reliable road network for the coming automobile era.

Condition

The state of the pavement on our 4.2 million miles of roads, especially the 220,790 miles of the U.S. NHS, is an important component of highway conditions. Various types of pavement data are collected and used to evaluate pavement condition. One such measure is the International Roughness Index (IRI), which commonly is used as an indicator of smoothness or ride quality. An IRI of less than 95 is considered good or very good ride quality, while an IRI rating of less than 170 is considered acceptable ride quality. An IRI value equal to or greater than 170 is poor ride quality. Table 8-1 shows the 48,830 miles of U.S. interstates by the pavement smoothness and by the State. Overall, 39,133 interstate pavement miles (80 percent) were rated “good,” 8,009 miles (16 percent) “acceptable,” and 1,534 (3 percent) “poor.” (Condition was not reported for less than 1 percent of the miles.) The States with the largest portion of interstates with “good” pavement condition are New Hampshire (95 percent) and Maine (94 percent). The District of Columbia reported less than a quarter of the interstate pavement as “good” (18 percent), and Hawaii reported less than half of the interstates with “good” pavement condition (35 percent).

Table 8-2 demonstrates the proportion of miles of the NHS by pavement condition across the 50 States and D.C. Overall, 139,614 miles (63 percent) were in “good” condition, 57,218 miles (26 percent) were “acceptable,” and 21,274 (10 percent) were “poor.” (Condition was not reported for about 1 percent of the miles.) As seen in the table, seven jurisdictions have a “good” condition on less than half of their road miles: California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. And in three of these seven, more than one-quarter of the road miles were in “poor” condition: California, District of Columbia, and Rhode Island.

Interstate and NHS Pavement Smoothness by State, 2024

Tables 8-1 and 8-2 : Highway Statistics Series

State	Interstate: Percent Good	Interstate: Percent Acceptable	Interstate: Percent Poor	NHS: Percent Good	NHS: Percent Acceptable	NHS: Percent Poor
Alabama	89%	9%	2%	83%	14%	3%
Alaska	56%	34%	10%	53%	33%	14%
Arizona	83%	14%	3%	64%	27%	9%
Arkansas	81%	16%	3%	71%	23%	6%
California	62%	31%	7%	37%	34%	29%
Colorado	58%	34%	8%	54%	35%	11%
Connecticut	84%	14%	2%	54%	35%	11%
Delaware	63%	31%	6%	68%	26%	6%
Dist. of Columbia	18%	58%	24%	3%	18%	79%
Florida	91%	8%	1%	77%	19%	4%
Georgia	87%	12%	1%	77%	20%	3%
Hawaii	35%	49%	16%	35%	41%	24%
Idaho	88%	11%	1%	71%	25%	4%
Illinois	84%	13%	3%	56%	30%	13%
Indiana	75%	21%	4%	74%	22%	3%
Iowa	78%	20%	2%	57%	35%	9%
Kansas	86%	13%	1%	85%	13%	2%
Kentucky	87%	11%	2%	81%	16%	3%
Louisiana	56%	36%	8%	44%	39%	17%
Maine	94%	6%	0%	82%	13%	5%
Maryland	78%	17%	5%	62%	22%	16%
Massachusetts	86%	11%	3%	43%	32%	25%
Michigan	79%	16%	4%	67%	24%	10%
Minnesota	84%	15%	1%	73%	24%	3%
Mississippi	85%	12%	3%	66%	26%	8%
Missouri	86%	11%	2%	76%	19%	5%
Montana	88%	11%	1%	73%	24%	4%
Nebraska	87%	12%	1%	71%	22%	7%
Nevada	92%	7%	1%	83%	14%	2%
New Hampshire	95%	5%	0%	83%	13%	4%
New Jersey	78%	17%	5%	51%	28%	21%
New Mexico	78%	17%	5%	67%	26%	7%
New York	73%	21%	6%	48%	32%	20%
North Carolina	89%	9%	2%	67%	28%	5%
North Dakota	89%	10%	0%	82%	16%	2%
Ohio	83%	15%	2%	67%	24%	9%
Oklahoma	80%	18%	3%	65%	28%	7%
Oregon	89%	10%	1%	70%	25%	6%
Pennsylvania	82%	15%	4%	56%	31%	13%
Rhode Island	91%	8%	1%	37%	31%	32%
South Carolina	86%	12%	2%	66%	29%	5%
South Dakota	92%	7%	1%	78%	19%	3%
Tennessee	93%	6%	1%	77%	18%	5%
Texas	75%	23%	3%	62%	30%	9%
Utah	83%	16%	1%	72%	25%	3%
Vermont	91%	8%	1%	81%	15%	4%
Virginia	82%	15%	3%	59%	33%	8%
Washington	73%	21%	5%	51%	34%	15%
West Virginia	81%	16%	3%	59%	33%	7%
Wisconsin	73%	24%	2%	55%	31%	14%
Wyoming	85%	13%	2%	81%	17%	2%

Performance

Table 8-3 demonstrates system travel density trends for urban interstates, other urban freeways and expressways, and rural interstates. The measure of density is the weighted annual average daily vehicles per lane. Travel density on rural interstate generally has increased since 2013 except for a dip in 2020. Travel density on urban interstates and other freeways and expressways show similar patterns. They both decreased until about 2014 and then rose until 2019. Travel density experienced a significant drop on the urban roads in 2020, and in 2024, density is almost back to 2019 values.

System Travel Density Trends, 2005-2024
(Weighted Average AADT per Lane)

Table 8-3: Highway Statistics Series

Year	Urban Interstates (vehicles per lane)	Urban Other Freeways & Expressways (vehicles per lane)	Rural Interstates (vehicles per lane)
2005	13,928	11,028	5,439
2006	13,866	10,988	5,466
2007	13,822	10,935	5,470
2008	13,355	10,564	5,212
2010	13,196	10,476	5,198
2011	13,109	10,395	5,198
2012	13,136	10,506	5,178
2013	13,072	10,367	5,124
2014	12,893	10,371	5,148
2015	13,180	10,660	5,260
2016	13,500	10,946	5,452
2017	13,646	11,127	5,586
2018	13,624	11,256	5,650
2019	13,710	11,304	5,731
2020	11,746	9,779	5,065
2021	12,963	10,709	5,761
2022	13,196	11,017	5,990
2023	13,375	11,210	5,883
2024	13,511	11,304	5,895

Table 8-4 shows the annual vehicle travel time delays per person on all arterial highways (including interstates) by State. Calculating delay involved analyzing two scenarios for all vehicle travel on arterial roadways. One is the ideal condition: how long it takes to drive free flow conditions at the posted speed limit. Two is the real world: how long it actually takes drivers based on real-world speeds. (The real world data is from the National Performance Management Research Data Set or NPMRDS.) The difference between the real world and the ideal condition is the delay. Delay per person is the total delay divided by the State’s population.

Annual Vehicle Travel Time Delays per Person by State, 2023

Table 8-4a: National Performance Management Research Data Set

State	Travel Time Delay (hours)
Alabama	42
Alaska	33
Arizona	51
Arkansas	45
California	77
Colorado	76
Connecticut	38
Delaware	26
District of Columbia	85
Florida	53
Georgia	47
Hawaii	31
Idaho	47
Illinois	49
Indiana	36
Iowa	38
Kansas	19
Kentucky	50
Louisiana	70
Maine	35
Maryland	47
Massachusetts	63
Michigan	64
Minnesota	37
Mississippi	37
Missouri	46
Montana	45
Nebraska	41
Nevada	69
New Hampshire	27
New Jersey	53
New Mexico	31
New York	54
North Carolina	32
North Dakota	49
Ohio	33
Oklahoma	30
Oregon	41
Pennsylvania	44
Rhode Island	31
South Carolina	42
South Dakota	49
Tennessee	40
Texas	51
Utah	40
Vermont	29
Virginia	44
Washington	45
West Virginia	34
Wisconsin	60
Wyoming	60

Table 8-4b: National Performance Management Research Data Set

Travel Time Delay (hours)	Number of States
10-29	4
30-49	32
50-69	11
70-89	4

The U.S. average delay is 51 hours per person. The largest value is 85 hours in the District of Columbia, followed by 77 hours in California and 76 hours in Colorado. The smallest value is 19 hours in Kansas, followed by 26 hours in Delaware and 27 hours in New Hampshire. Arizona and Texas are right at the national average, but most States have values between 30 and 50 hours.

Safety

Highway safety is of undeniable societal importance and stands as the FHWA’s foremost priority. Ultimately, protecting the safety of all road users, including drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists, is a foundational imperative. This focus is central to ensuring responsible and effective stewardship of public funds, as crashes impose substantial human and economic costs on communities. Moreover, a safe and reliable transportation network intrinsically is linked to promoting economic competitiveness by supporting efficient, predictable, and resilient supply chains, which are essential for the national economy.

One method of measuring safety performance is to quantify the number of fatal crashes and subsequent deaths in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the United States. Traffic fatalities include not just drivers and passengers of motor vehicles but also non-motorists such as pedestrians and bicyclists who are struck by motor vehicles. While counts of traffic fatalities provide useful information, they increase when travel (VMT) increases because there are more people on the roads. One method of controlling for differences in the amount of travel is the ratio of highway deaths to VMT, which at the national level is typically expressed as fatalities per 100 million VMT.

Highway Fatalities and Fatality Rate, 1900-2024

Table 8-5: Highway Statistics Series

Year	Number of Fatalities in thousands	Rate of Fatalities per 100 million Vehicle Miles Traveled
1900	0.04	36.00
1901	0.05	31.76
1902	0.08	25.48
1903	0.12	25.43
1904	0.17	22.93
1905	0.25	25.98
1906	0.34	27.26
1907	0.58	40.35
1908	0.75	40.59
1909	1.17	45.33
1910	1.60	44.66
1911	2.04	40.54
1912	2.97	40.16
1913	4.08	39.80
1914	4.47	31.78
1915	6.78	34.71
1916	7.77	30.03
1917	9.63	31.39
1918	10.4	28.10
1919	10.9	24.70
1920	12.2	25.54
1921	13.3	24.08
1922	14.9	21.95
1923	17.9	21.02
1924	18.4	17.55
1925	20.8	16.98
1926	22.2	15.77
1927	24.5	15.44
1928	26.6	15.36
1929	29.6	14.97
1930	31.2	15.12
1931	32.0	14.79
1932	28.0	13.95
1933	29.7	14.83
1934	34.2	15.88
1935	34.5	15.09
1936	36.1	14.33
1937	37.8	14.00
1938	31.1	11.46
1939	30.9	10.83
1940	32.9	10.89
1941	38.1	11.43
1942	27.0	10.07
1943	22.7	10.92
1944	23.2	10.89
1945	26.8	10.71
1946	31.9	9.35
1947	31.2	8.41
1948	30.8	7.73
1949	30.2	7.13
1950	33.2	7.24
1951	35.3	7.19
1952	36.1	7.03
1953	36.2	6.65
1954	33.9	6.03
1955	36.7	6.06
1956	38.0	6.05
1957	36.9	5.73
1958	35.3	5.32
1959	36.2	5.17
1960	36.4	5.06
1961	36.3	4.92
1962	39.0	5.08
1963	41.7	5.18
1964	45.6	5.39
1965	47.1	5.30
1966	50.9	5.50
1967	51.6	5.35
1968	53.8	5.29
1969	55.0	5.18
1970	53.8	4.85
1971	53.9	4.57
1972	55.6	4.41
1973	55.1	4.20
1974	46.0	3.60
1975	45.5	3.43
1976	45.5	3.25
1977	47.9	3.26
1978	50.3	3.26
1979	51.1	3.34
1980	51.1	3.35
1981	49.3	3.17
1982	43.9	2.76
1983	42.6	2.58
1984	44.4	2.58
1985	43.8	2.47
1986	46.1	2.51
1987	46.4	2.41
1988	47.1	2.32
1989	45.6	2.17
1990	44.6	2.08
1991	41.5	1.91
1992	39.3	1.75
1993	40.2	1.75
1994	40.7	1.73
1995	41.8	1.73
1996	42.1	1.69
1997	42.0	1.65
1998	41.5	1.58
1999	41.7	1.55
2000	41.9	1.53
2001	42.2	1.51
2002	43.0	1.51
2003	42.9	1.48
2004	42.8	1.44
2005	43.5	1.46
2006	42.7	1.42
2007	41.3	1.36
2008	37.4	1.26
2009	33.9	1.15
2010	33.0	1.11
2011	32.5	1.10
2012	33.8	1.14
2013	32.9	1.10
2014	32.7	1.08
2015	35.5	1.15
2016	37.8	1.19
2017	37.5	1.17
2018	36.8	1.14
2019	36.1	1.11
2020	39.0	1.34
2021	43.2	1.38
2022	42.7	1.34
2023	40.9	1.26
2024	39.3	1.19

Both the number of traffic fatalities and the fatality rate have changed significantly over time. As motor vehicle travel increased in the early twentieth century, traffic fatalities did as well. Economic factors in the 1930s affected traffic fatalities with notable declines in 1932 and 1938. However, by 1941, fatalities reached 38,142. World War II suppressed travel and traffic fatalities during the 1940s. From a low of 27,007 in 1942, traffic fatalities generally increased but did not surpass 38,000 again until 1962. After reaching a peak of 55,600 deaths in 1972, total fatalities trended downward and reached a low of 32,479 in 2011. Fatalities generally have increased since this low and have been around 40,000 in recent years. In 2024, fatalities dropped to 39,254. The fatality rate, however, tells a different story. After reaching a peak of 45 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 1909, the rate declined rapidly. By 1924, the rate dropped to below 20, and below 10 in 1946. The rate continued to decline throughout the remainder of the twentieth century with a low of 1.55 by 1999. The rate reached a low of 1.08 in 2014 but jumped to 1.34 in 2020. By 2024, the fatality rate dropped back to 1.19.

Table 8-6 breaks down the 39,254 fatalities in 2024 by the road’s functional classification. Over two-thirds of the fatalities (70 percent) took place on arterials, 19 percent on collectors, and 10 percent on local roads. (The road’s functional class was unknown for 1 percent of the deaths.) Fatality rates for the different functional classes come from dividing the number of deaths by the VMT in Chapter 3. While the overall rate in 2024 was 1.19 deaths per 100 million VMT, the rates varied by functional class: 1.14 for arterials, 1.66 for collectors, and 0.89 for local roads. Interstates, which are a subset of arterials, were comparatively safe with a fatality rate of 0.57 fatalities per 100 million VMT.

Fatalities by Functional System, 2024

Table 8-6: Highway Statistics Series

Functional System	Percent of Fatalities
Arterials: Interstate	12.4%
Arterials: Non-Interstate	57.2%
Arterials: All	69.6%
Collectors	19.3%
Local Roads	9.8%
Unknown	1.3%