This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Those of us who are lucky enough to live in Utah know that between the red rock of the Colorado Plateau, the beauty of the Wasatch Front mountains and the open spaces of the West Desert, few places can match the state for a road trip. A new study confirms that notion.
Utah ranked second only to Oregon in a national survey by WalletHub comparing the 50 U.S. states in terms of 22 key indicators of a fun and frugal summer road trip. The data set ranged from average gas prices to quality of roads to the number of attractions.
The state ranked 30th in number of attractions, 15th for the lowest price of a three-star hotel, 22nd in vehicle miles traveled per capita, third in access to scenic byways, sixth in the driving laws ratings and 13th in fatalities for 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
A recent AAA survey said 79 percent of families are planning on traveling this summer, up 10 percent from a year ago.
The top 10 states were Oregon, Utah, Washington, North Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, Nevada, Minnesota, California and Colorado.
For the complete survey, visit wallethub.com.