This New England Gem With Gorgeous Beaches And Vibrant Cities Was Named The Worst State For Summer Road Trips

Tunes blaring, windows down, novel scenery flashing by every instant — who doesn't love a summer road trip?  But let's face it: some U.S. states lend themselves to epic road trips better than others do. The gurus at WalletHub, a personal finance website and app, recently conducted research to identify the best and worst road trip states across America. After evaluating all states across 32 metrics in three dimensions — costs, safety, and the availability of fun activities — they ranked them from best to worst. 

While Minnesota snagged the study's top spot, the Ocean State — Rhode Island — came in dead last. This may come as a surprise, given the state's vibrant cities like Providence and Newport and its gorgeous Atlantic coastline. But the state's performance fell notably short in the costs dimension, where it was ranked No. 48. This metric reflects travel-related costs like fuel, car repairs, accommodations, and the cost of living. 

The study didn't provide a cost breakdown for each state, but evidence from other studies can help explain the finding. The travel review company Timeshare Exit Team (per Travel & Leisure) performed an analysis and found that Rhode Island was the 6th most expensive state for tourists. This result isn't shocking when you consider some of the opulent resorts along the coast. For example, one of the most luxurious and expensive resorts in the U.S. is the Ocean House in Newport, one of Rhode Island's most beautiful and nostalgic resort towns. A night here will set you back between $2,000 and $5,000 in the summer months. But at least you'll have access to croquet clinics, yachting and sailing adventures, and the opportunity to test drive BMWs. 

Rhode Island was also dinged in the activities dimension, where it was again ranked No. 48. To calculate the score for the activities dimension, WalletHub gurus assessed the number of scenic byways and the size of any national parks relative to a state's area, along with per capita measures for parks, gardens, zoos, amusement parks, nightlife options, and festivals. In the activities dimension, Rhode Island lost points for having only one scenic byway — the Revolutionary Heritage Byway, a 6-mile section of road in Bristol, an underrated all-American bayside town that's a hub for waterfront fun.

In brighter news, Rhode Island scored in the top 40% of states in the road safety dimension of the WalletHub study. This score was based on a wide range of metrics, from the rates of violent crime and car thefts in a state to its infrastructure quality and the share of insured drivers on the road. But the WalletHub results don't fully jibe with those from other studies. Allstate's 2025 America's Best Drivers Report listed Rhode Island's capital city, Providence, among the 10 riskiest driving cities in the U.S. In addition, a study by mapping software company eSpatial found that Rhode Island has the most chaotic driving conditions in the whole country. 

The moral of the story may be, when road tripping in Rhode Island, fasten your seatbelt, have your credit card handy, and don't expect many scenic byways. Better yet, drive straight to one of the state's resort towns or beaches, park your vehicle, and stay for a while! If you're looking for some guidance, a few of the best Rhode Island beaches are located in the charming town of Narragansett.