Updated: May 25, 2026
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The average annual mileage for U.S. drivers is 13,596 miles, or about 37 miles a day and 1,133 miles a month, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Collectively, American drivers drove nearly 3.2 trillion miles in 2022, enough to drive to the sun and back more than 17,200 times.
Cars are the primary mode of travel in the U.S. How far Americans drive each year shapes insurance rates, fuel costs and vehicle maintenance schedules.
U.S. drivers average 13,596 miles a year.
Men drive about 6,000 more miles a year than women: 16,550 miles versus 10,142 miles.
Working-age drivers log the most miles, while younger and older drivers cover about half as many.
Wyoming drivers average the most miles a year at 21,589, while New York drivers average the least at 9,548.
Drivers ages 20 to 54 log the most miles, averaging 15,098 to 15,291 a year. Teen drivers (ages 16 to 19) average 7,624 miles a year, about half that figure. Drivers 65 and older average 7,646 miles, a comparable number. Mileage drops after age 55, with drivers ages 55 to 64 averaging 11,972 miles a year.
Age | Average Miles a Year |
|---|---|
16–19 | 7,624 |
20–34 | 15,098 |
35–54 | 15,291 |
55–64 | 11,972 |
65+ | 7,646 |
Source: Federal Highway Administration
Men drive more than women across all age groups. Men ages 35 to 54 average the most miles at 18,858 a year; women in that age group average 11,464 a year. Women ages 20 to 34 average the most miles among women at 12,004 a year, slightly more than women ages 35 to 54.
Younger and older drivers log the fewest miles regardless of gender. Women 65 and older average the fewest of any age and gender group at 4,785 a year.
Age | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
16–19 | 8,206 | 6,873 |
20–34 | 17,976 | 12,004 |
35–54 | 18,858 | 11,464 |
55–64 | 15,859 | 7,780 |
65+ | 10,304 | 4,785 |
Source: Federal Highway Administration
Driving habits vary by state. Wyoming leads the country at 21,589 miles a year. New York drivers average the least among states at 9,548 miles a year, less than half Wyoming's figure. Drivers in Washington, D.C., log even fewer miles at 6,694.
Source: Federal Highway Administration
Many states with the highest average annual mileage are in rural areas. Lower population density and limited public transit make driving necessary for work, errands and leisure.
21,589 miles a year
20,560 miles a year
19,517 miles a year
18,514 miles a year
17,786 miles a year
States with urban areas and developed public transit systems have lower annual mileage. Public transit availability, higher population density and proximity to services reduce the need for driving.
9,548 miles a year
9,819 miles a year
9,903 miles a year
10,510 miles a year
10,950 miles a year
A driver's annual mileage affects their car insurance premium. Insurers treat higher mileage as a risk factor, since more miles on the road means more exposure to accidents. Drivers who cover more miles a year pay higher insurance rates than those who drive less.
Low-mileage drivers pay less with a pay-per-mile policy, which charges based on actual miles rather than a fixed rate.
Some insurers also offer low-mileage car insurance discounts, which lower premiums for drivers who stay under a set annual threshold.
The standard method divides total odometer miles by years of ownership to get an annual mileage estimate. Without a known starting mileage, weekly totals multiplied by 52 yield a yearly figure.
Many insurers offer discounts for drivers who log fewer than 7,500 miles a year, as lower mileage correlates with lower accident risk. Pay-per-mile policies are another option for low-mileage drivers.
High mileage can lower a used car's value, but it's not the only factor. A car's maintenance history and driving conditions also affect what buyers pay.
A car crosses into high-mileage territory at 100,000 miles. Modern vehicles often last 150,000 to 200,000 miles with proper maintenance.
Nathan Paulus is the Senior Director of Content and SEO at MoneyGeek, where he leads content strategy and produces original data research across insurance, consumer costs, transportation safety, housing, public policy and personal finance. He also reviews published studies for methodology, source quality and factual accuracy before they reach readers.
Research and Analysis
In more than six years at MoneyGeek, Nathan has published more than 100 original studies and explanatory guides. His insurance research includes 50-state comparisons of health care outcomes, costs and access, plus an analysis of how uninsured rates track with state Medicaid expansion decisions and electoral patterns. He has analyzed full coverage auto rates across major insurers in all 50 states and tracked how premium trends relate to industry underwriting losses. The analysis draws on combined ratio data from Fitch Ratings and AM Best, plus Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI figures. Beyond insurance, his work spans vehicle pricing trends across the U.S. new car market, summer traffic fatality rates by state, homeowner underinsurance ratios using mortgage and policy data, and housing affordability across all 50 states.
His research has been cited by Bloomberg, the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Fast Company, the San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today and NBC Los Angeles. Harvard, MIT, Stanford and Yale have referenced his work.
Career
Nathan traces his interest in personal finance back to his grandmother, who ran her household on a simple rule: spend less than you make and save the difference before anything else. That rule shows up in his work today. His writing skips jargon and complex strategy in favor of the basics that help someone living paycheck to paycheck.
He joined MoneyGeek in July 2020 as Director of Content Marketing, where he led the content team and oversaw data journalism production across insurance and personal finance verticals. A promotion to Head of Marketing and Communications followed in December 2023. The new role added digital PR and communications strategy to his scope. He has held his current position, Head of Content and SEO, since January 2025.
Before MoneyGeek, Nathan served as Director of Content Marketing and SEO at Ventrix Advertising, where he helped build two content sites from scratch, contributed to link-building programs that generated more than 1,500 unique referring domains within a year and co-managed a marketing team of more than 20 people. Two and a half years at ABUV Media preceded that role. He advanced from Marketing Research Analyst to Senior Marketing Tactics Analyst, where he developed skills in audience research, content strategy and SEO.
