Quick Facts About Average Mileage Per Year
- The average American drove about 12,200 miles in 2023, with daily commuting as the main factor.
- Driving habits and mileage vary by state and demographic, with rural states logging the most miles.
- Annual mileage affects car insurance rates — driving more miles potentially raises rates because of increased accident risk.
Average annual miles indicate the number of miles drivers typically travel during the year. When shopping for a used car, you can use this number on the odometer to determine whether a vehicle gets used less than or more than usual.
However, insurance companies use average car mileage per year data points as one factor influencing your rate. Why? Because the more you drive, the more likely you’ll be involved in an accident.
Understanding your average per-year mileage and other driving habits can help you keep your insurance rates in check.
- What Are Average Miles Driven Per Year?
- Factors That Determine How Many Miles You Drive
- Average Miles Per Year and Insurance Rates
- What Are Commuting Miles?
- Demographics and Annual Mileage Driven
- What Do Insurance Companies Consider Low Mileage?
- Average Annual Mileage by State
- Increased Average Driven Mileage and Car Prices
What Are Average Miles Driven Per Year?
Americans covered roughly 2.9 trillion light-duty vehicle-miles in 2023, according to the most recent data available in July 2025 from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). When that mileage count is divided by the approximately 238 million licensed drivers on the road, it works out to be about 12,200 miles per driver for the year. That’s 1,015 miles a month or 33 miles per day.
Previously, the FHWA reported 14,489 miles in 2022, about 13,500 miles in 2021, and slightly more than 12,700 miles in 2020. Those higher figures came from the National Household Travel Survey, which asks people to log their driving. That survey records distances traveled by an entire household, and the resulting “average” runs higher than the distance you get by dividing roadway mileage by the number of licensed drivers.
Simply, the old series reflects miles per household, while the calculation we’ll use reflects miles per driver. Even with the shift in methodology, the trend is still upward. The mileage in 2023 was roughly 2% higher than 2022 and more than 10% higher than the low during the pandemic in 2020. However, it’s still below the pre-pandemic peak of roughly 17,800 miles per household recorded in 2017.
Factors That Determine How Many Miles You Drive
People rely on their cars because public transportation systems vary by location. Without vast public transportation systems to depend on for many Americans, cars allow many drivers to get to work, school, or recreation.
Driving an average of 33 miles per day seems like a lot to many people, while others might not think twice about driving that distance. Daily commuting is the primary contributor to your average miles driven yearly, even with many workers having hybrid options for telecommuting. In addition to work commutes, the miles add up from out-of-town road trips, driving to visit friends, weekly shopping, and other errands. While the reliance on delivery services during the pandemic is slowing, the increase in miles traveled post-pandemic is gradual, rather than an immediate return to previous years’ levels.
Where you live plays a part in your average mileage per year. For example, people living in rural areas might need to drive many miles to reach the nearest grocery store, school, post office, or pharmacy. Commercial establishments are likely closer to those living in more densely populated towns and cities, where walking, biking, or using public transportation are viable options.
Personal finances also contribute to how many miles people drive in their cars. Fuel costs can be prohibitively expensive for some car owners, who may limit driving to only necessary trips.
How Does Average Annual Mileage Affect Insurance Rates?
Your annual mileage directly affects how much you pay for car insurance. Motorists who spend more time on the road have a greater risk of filing an insurance claim than infrequent drivers who are less likely to have an accident.
Insurance companies use your average miles per year and other criteria like age and experience to predict your risk and set your premium accordingly. Typically, insurers ask about the average miles driven per year when drivers apply for a policy. Making an honest mileage estimate for how much you drive is best.
While there might not be a legal consequence for underestimating your average annual miles driven on the application, it could become problematic if you get into an accident. The insurer will learn the vehicle’s mileage if a claim is made. Some companies request odometer reading updates. Other carriers may perform random mileage checks to avoid “soft fraud” when figures reach below-average miles.
Be sure to let your insurer know if your driving circumstances change. Having a shorter commute might produce a lower premium. For commuting, business, or pleasure, the type of driving you do affects how much you pay for car insurance coverage.
What Are Commuting Miles?
Commuting to work is the primary reason many people drive an automobile. “Commuting miles” is the term used for the miles it takes for a policyholder to get to work and back. Insurance companies use the figure to help determine whether an applicant’s annual mileage estimate is realistic.
Insurance carriers often allow up to 20 miles each way for commuting before increasing rates. Daily commuters who travel more than that might see higher rates because of additional time spent on the road, which often occurs in densely populated areas with higher instances of accidents.
What is the National Average Commute to Work?
The U.S. Census Bureau reports the average one-way travel time to work in 2023 was 26.8 minutes, down slightly from 27.6 minutes in 2019. Almost 9% of workers commute 60 minutes or longer. The average commute time for males was 28.4 minutes in 2023, compared to 25 minutes for female commuters.
Do Different Demographics Play a Role in Annual Mileage?
Actuaries at insurance companies crunch numbers to predict the risk among policyholders and set policy premiums accordingly. One thing they consider is the average car mileage per year.
The most recent estimates from the DOT show significant differences in driving behavior exist according to sex and age group.
- Using self-reported figures from 2022, the estimate for average daily miles is 20% more for males than for females.
- Males ages 34-54 drive the most — 44% more than the average.
- Females over age 65 drive half as much as their male counterparts.
- Working-age males drive about one-third more than working-age females each year.
- Drivers ages 16 to 19 drive 48% less than the average daily miles.
- Motorists drive more each year until retirement, when annual mileage drops 30%.
What Do Insurance Companies Consider Low Mileage?
Infrequent drivers may find savings if they drive less than the average annual mileage. Insurers typically give the highest discounts to drivers who log less than 7,000 miles annually on their vehicles.
Low-mileage car insurance works by tracking miles electronically, either with a telematics device installed in the vehicle or through a mobile app installed on your smartphone. Premiums for this type of insurance involve a flat monthly rate and a small fee per mile.
Some motorists might have privacy concerns about the tracking, while others find the cost savings outweigh any perceived intrusion. Don’t worry, though; they don’t care about where you are driving to, just how many miles it takes you to get there.
Select insurers offer standalone low-mileage policies, or you can enroll in mileage-based discount programs through a standard insurance carrier.
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Low-Mileage Discounts and Other Savings
What qualifies as low mileage varies with insurance companies. Check with your carrier for potential mileage-based auto insurance discounts. Reductions can vary by state, but driving fewer than average annual miles may bring about 3% in policy savings.
Other insurance based on vehicle usage can create savings of up to 15% by using telematic devices, similar to those used for pay-as-you-go low-mileage policies.
Insurance companies often promote usage-based insurance and telematics to monitor teen drivers and offer tips on vehicle maintenance and safe driving.
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Each State’s Average Annual Mileage
Looking at annual vehicle-miles of travel per capita by state shows more than just driving distances. The figures offer clues into transportation habits, infrastructure, economy, and more.
- Density/urbanization — Lower miles in urban states means more transit options, and higher figures in rural states indicate longer drives for services.
- Transit infrastructure — High miles can mean limited public transportation.
- Economic/lifestyle factors — Higher numbers indicate reliance on cars for work, recreation, and services.
- Insurance/safety — More road mileage increases accident risk, which can affect insurance costs.
Here are the per capita annual miles of vehicle travel by state for 2023, the most recent data available from the FHWA.
| State | Miles Per Capita |
| Alabama | 14,388 |
| Alaska | 7,659 |
| Arizona | 10,529 |
| Arkansas | 12,984 |
| California | 8,008 |
| Colorado | 9,466 |
| Connecticut | 8,459 |
| Delaware | 9,816 |
| Dist. of Columbia | 5,048 |
| Florida | 11,105 |
| Georgia | 11,794 |
| Hawaii | 7,171 |
| Idaho | 10,722 |
| Illinois | 8,029 |
| Indiana | 12,557 |
| Iowa | 10,423 |
| Kansas | 10,834 |
| Kentucky | 10,873 |
| Louisiana | 11,929 |
| Maine | 10,928 |
| Maryland | 9,285 |
| Massachusetts | 8,641 |
| Michigan | 9,753 |
| Minnesota | 10,172 |
| Mississippi | 13,827 |
| Missouri | 13,132 |
| Montana | 12,636 |
| Nebraska | 10,846 |
| Nevada | 8,947 |
| New Hampshire | 9,811 |
| New Jersey | 8,398 |
| New Mexico | 13,303 |
| New York | 5,944 |
| North Carolina | 11,711 |
| North Dakota | 12,702 |
| Ohio | 9,596 |
| Oklahoma | 11,557 |
| Oregon | 8,689 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,700 |
| Rhode Island | 6,893 |
| South Carolina | 11,877 |
| South Dakota | 11,667 |
| Tennessee | 12,069 |
| Texas | 10,305 |
| Utah | 10,571 |
| Vermont | 11,153 |
| Virginia | 10,164 |
| Washington | 7,761 |
| West Virginia | 8,899 |
| Wisconsin | 11,410 |
| Wyoming | 16,501 |
What State Do Residents Drive the Most Miles Per Year?
Residents of Wyoming log the most annual miles, on average. The state’s population is spread across the plains in farming and ranching towns, and its drivers travel almost 50% more per year than the national average. Other states with high miles per year averages are more rural than urban.
Here are the states whose residents drive the highest average annual miles, according to the most recent 2023 data:
- Wyoming — 21,575 average annual miles per driver
- Mississippi — 19,766
- Missouri — 18,758
- New Mexico — 18,283
- Indiana — 18,052
Which State’s Residents Drive the Least Miles Per Year?
On the other end of the average annual mileage range is the District of Columbia. Its residents drove fewer than 6,700 miles in 2023, the least in the United States. Here are the states with the lowest average miles driven per year:
- District of Columbia — 6,678 average annual miles
- New York — 9,750
- Rhode Island — 9,923
- Washington — 9,951
- Alaska — 10,696
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Does Increased Average Annual Mileage Impact Car Prices?
The average miles driven per year two decades ago was about 3,000 miles less than today’s average. This increase in average miles driven per year impacts the way Americans choose to buy cars, too, with many choosing more fuel-efficient hybrids and electric vehicles.
In addition, when you sell a car, high or low mileage will impact the sales price, along with vehicle depreciation and a host of other factors.
Drivers who lease their vehicles must recognize their average miles driven in a year. Leases commonly have annual mileage allowances of 10,000 miles or 12,000 miles. However, high-mileage leases are available. This type of lease agreement costs more, allowing Americans to drive additional miles without exceeding their lease terms.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated since its initial publication.