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FHWA Home / Policy & Governmental Affairs / Highway Policy Information / Traffic Volume Trends / Travel Trends - August 2021

August 2021 Traffic Volume Trends

Travel Trends (August 2021)

Based on preliminary reports from the State Highway Agencies, travel during August 2021 on all roads and streets in the nation changed by 8.3% (21.0 billion vehicle miles) resulting in estimated travel for the month at 273.8** billion vehicle-miles.

This total includes 87.5 billion vehicle-miles on rural roads and 186.3 billion vehicle-miles on urban roads and streets.

Cumulative Travel changed by 12.2% (224.4 billion vehicle miles).

The larger changes to rural and urban travel are primarily because of the expansion in urban boundaries reflected in the 2010 census. Travel estimates for 2014 and beyond will also reflect this adjustment.

Travel for the current month, the cumulative yearly total, as well as the moving 12-month total on all roads and streets is shown below. Similar totals for each year since 1996 are also included.

Travel in Millions of Vehicle Miles All Roads and Streets
Year August Year to
Date
Moving
12-Month
1996 229,050 1,657,838 2,455,922
1997 233,496 1,715,864 2,540,227
1998 237,143 1,749,898 2,594,407
1999 241,503 1,778,200 2,653,665
2000 247,832 1,841,326 2,742,584
2001 253,274 1,868,154 2,773,754
2002 258,666 1,911,420 2,838,877
2003 260,687 1,926,486 2,870,575
2004 262,836 1,981,953 2,945,689
2005 265,323 2,006,928 2,989,764
2006 265,206 2,017,039 2,999,541
2007 271,225 2,036,366 3,033,442
2008 260,609 1,999,847 2,993,304
2009 260,297 1,985,728 2,959,390
2010 263,837 1,985,810 2,956,845
2011 260,526 1,973,090 2,954,546
2012 264,379 1,997,058 2,974,370
2013 268,061 2,005,705 2,977,217
2014 268,831 2,019,101 3,001,677
2015 272,209 2,063,547 3,070,101
2016 279,213 2,116,827 3,148,653
2017 282,558 2,142,130 3,199,711
2018 284,989 2,160,667 3,230,885
2019 286,793 2,175,158 3,254,817
2020 252,775 1,844,380 2,930,994
2021 273,784 2,068,821 3,052,814

Traffic Volume Trends is a monthly report based on hourly traffic count data. These data, collected at approximately 5,000 continuous traffic counting locations nationwide, are used to determine the percent change in traffic for the current month compared to the same month in the previous year. This percent change is applied to the travel for the same month of the previous year to obtain an estimate of travel for the current month. Because of the limited sample sizes, caution should be used with these estimates. The Highway Performance Monitoring System provides more accurate information on an annual basis.

** System entries may not add to give "All Systems" total due to rounding for Page 2 to 8.

 

Page last modified on June 9, 2021
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000