by Douglas Burger

If you were to ask 10 people about what makes a good driver, you would probably come away with 10 different answers. We went a different route and asked what makes a city a good and safe place to drive. Using 18 data points detailed below, we searched for the answer.

Here is how 166 cities with qualifying data stacked up in the five separate categories we studied. In all rankings below, a lower number is better than a higher number.

Overall Rank City Quality of Roads Impaired Driving Passenger Safety Ease of Commute Costs of Driving 1 Rochester, MN 47 47 1 11 9 2 Duluth, MN 72 47 1 41 21 3 Lynchburg, VA 103 25 46 47 1 4 Springfield, IL 89 57 24 27 25 5 Binghamton, NY 162 2 16 30 29 6 Roanoke, VA 106 25 46 62 2 7 Peoria, IL 94 57 24 55 22 8 Medford, OR 66 21 42 16 108 9 Pocatello, ID 62 63 84 12 36 10 Flagstaff, AZ 19 76 89 13 67 11 Richmond, VA 89 25 46 102 3 12 Sioux City, IA 107 82 64 7 7 13 Lewiston, ID 68 63 84 6 46 14 Waterloo, IA 113 82 64 3 8 15 Walla Walla, WA 109 30 5 1 126 16 Syracuse, NY 165 2 16 61 30 17 La Crosse, WI 98 114 38 20 5 18 Grand Junction, CO 63 41 70 28 77 19 Minneapolis, MN 55 47 1 125 53 20 Athens, GA 9 35 78 49 112 21 Mansfield, OH 85 86 50 34 33 22 Dubuque, IA 130 82 64 9 4 23 Rochester, NY 150 2 16 96 38 24 Burlington, VT 157 71 12 35 32 25 Columbus, GA 5 35 78 39 150 26 Evansville, IN 44 72 74 53 65 27 Salt Lake City, UT 3 1 49 122 135 28 Boise City, ID 59 63 84 85 24 29 Youngstown, OH 89 86 50 77 15 30 Macon, GA 5 35 78 54 145 31 Atlantic City, NJ 160 9 13 79 58 32 Yakima, WA 82 30 5 48 154 33 Albany, NY 161 2 16 115 27 34 Reno, NV 2 50 68 65 141 35 Green Bay, WI 115 114 38 50 13 36 Madison, WI 80 114 38 92 6 37 Akron, OH 86 86 50 97 12 38 Fort Wayne, IN 53 72 74 88 46 39 Rockford, IL 105 57 24 90 58 40 Portland, ME 137 81 58 45 14 41 South Bend, IN 57 72 74 63 75 42 Pueblo, CO 61 41 70 31 139 43 Wichita Falls, TX 29 126 123 4 63 44 San Angelo, TX 26 126 123 5 65 45 Columbia, MO 95 118 99 19 17 46 Waco, TX 39 126 123 20 40 47 Augusta, GA 4 35 78 102 129 48 Buffalo, NY 164 2 16 110 57 49 Santa Maria, CA 124 11 28 32 157 50 Savannah, GA 8 35 78 86 145 51 Dayton, OH 77 86 50 84 56 52 Abilene, TX 28 126 123 10 68 53 Tucson, AZ 17 76 89 140 33 54 Columbus, OH 56 86 50 121 43 55 Eugene, OR 109 21 42 69 122 56 Topeka, KS 74 79 116 46 50 57 Fairbanks, AK 108 7 97 7 148 58 Victoria, TX 45 126 123 43 30 59 Cincinnati, OH 75 86 50 135 22 60 Worcester, MA 143 28 10 126 62 61 Redding, CA 138 11 28 33 162 62 Gainesville, FL 14 106 108 39 105 63 Des Moines, IA 116 82 64 29 84 64 Midland, TX 25 126 123 25 79 65 Santa Maria, CA 129 11 28 57 157 66 Lincoln, NE 75 142 87 52 28 67 Toledo, OH 79 86 50 116 54 68 Colorado Springs, CO 68 41 70 95 111 69 Fort Smith, AR 64 122 147 35 17 70 Olympia, WA 147 30 5 73 131 71 Salem, OR 112 21 42 99 116 72 Lubbock, TX 27 126 123 18 97 73 Brownsville, TX 33 126 123 70 42 74 Huntsville, AL 32 144 118 71 37 75 Raleigh, NC 96 94 103 101 9 76 Fresno, CA 128 11 28 74 163 77 Asheville, NC 117 94 103 66 25 78 Greensboro, NC 101 94 103 93 15 79 Wilmington, NC 109 94 103 64 38 80 Spokane, WA 117 30 5 105 152 81 Las Vegas, NV 1 50 68 139 153 82 Deltona, FL 14 106 108 72 112 83 Bakersfield, CA 126 11 28 83 165 84 Muskegon, MI 120 52 59 60 123 85 Grand Forks, ND 51 164 144 2 54 86 Amarillo, TX 31 126 123 42 96 87 Boston, MA 140 28 10 160 84 88 Cleveland, OH 86 86 50 128 72 89 Lansing, MI 123 52 59 59 131 90 Williamsport, PA 155 66 92 38 74 91 Stockton, CA 132 11 28 91 163 92 Atlanta, GA 11 35 78 153 149 93 Springfield, MO 97 118 99 67 46 94 Charlotte, NC 92 94 103 131 11 95 Phoenix, AZ 12 76 89 155 99 96 Knoxville, TN 46 99 138 109 40 97 Corpus Christi, TX 34 126 123 82 69 98 Montgomery, AL 20 144 118 81 71 99 Tallahassee, FL 12 106 108 75 133 100 San Diego, CA 127 11 28 112 159 101 Portland, OR 100 21 42 151 124 102 Erie, PA 159 66 92 44 78 103 Nashville, TN 36 99 138 149 17 104 Cheyenne, WY 58 157 164 15 49 105 Anchorage, AK 119 7 97 78 144 106 Tampa, FL 7 106 108 130 94 107 Denver, CO 67 41 70 148 120 108 Fargo, ND 52 164 144 51 35 109 Casper, WY 88 157 164 24 17 110 Pensacola, FL 10 106 108 100 127 111 Chattanooga, TN 41 99 138 94 81 112 Grand Rapids, MI 130 52 59 98 116 113 El Paso, TX 24 126 123 106 81 114 Memphis, TN 20 99 138 141 64 115 Jacksonville, FL 14 106 108 120 114 116 Indianapolis, IN 50 72 74 147 120 117 Wichita, KS 72 79 116 89 108 118 Great Falls, MT 34 161 161 14 95 119 Sacramento, CA 134 11 28 134 160 120 Bismarck, ND 48 164 144 23 88 121 Albuquerque, NM 23 105 151 113 79 122 Flint, MI 121 52 59 108 136 123 Orlando, FL 18 106 108 146 101 124 Austin, TX 42 126 123 144 45 125 Milwaukee, WI 98 114 38 124 107 126 Chicago, IL 113 57 24 159 130 127 Los Angeles, CA 124 11 28 161 160 128 New York, NY 162 9 13 165 136 129 Hartford, CT 158 45 21 129 134 130 St. Louis, MO 93 118 99 136 43 131 Baltimore, MD 146 57 15 145 127 132 Seattle, WA 145 30 5 157 155 133 Kansas City, MO 81 118 99 119 75 134 Providence, RI 166 62 4 133 136 135 Omaha, NE 83 142 87 87 102 136 Missoula, MT 64 161 161 17 98 137 Mobile, AL 42 144 118 107 90 138 San Francisco, CA 135 11 28 162 166 139 Sioux Falls, SD 104 159 152 37 50 140 Birmingham, AL 36 144 118 123 86 141 Bridgeport, CT 154 45 21 150 139 142 Allentown, PA 153 66 92 114 87 143 San Antonio, TX 40 126 123 137 93 144 Pittsburgh, PA 156 66 92 127 81 145 Lexington, KY 84 103 142 75 118 146 Billings, MT 30 161 161 26 147 147 Rapid City, SD 102 159 152 22 91 148 Little Rock, AR 70 122 147 102 91 149 Greenville, SC 70 150 158 68 88 150 Columbia, SC 60 150 158 111 61 151 Miami, FL 22 106 108 156 150 152 Charleston, SC 54 150 158 131 50 153 Dallas, TX 36 126 123 158 100 154 Detroit, MI 121 52 59 164 155 155 Houston, TX 49 126 123 166 104 156 Philadelphia, PA 149 66 92 152 119 157 Honolulu, HI 139 125 23 154 143 158 Louisville, KY 77 103 142 138 124 159 Huntington, WV 148 124 122 58 142 160 Shreveport, LA 141 153 154 80 72 161 Lake Charles, LA 142 153 154 56 108 162 Jackson, MS 143 141 166 117 58 163 Tulsa, OK 135 148 149 118 102 164 Oklahoma City, OK 132 148 149 143 105 165 Baton Rouge, LA 151 153 154 163 69 166 New Orleans, LA 152 153 154 141 115

Top (and Bottom) Five Cities for:

There’s no question that driver safety is near the top (if not the top) priority for U.S. cites, but many of them certainly have room for improvement. Let’s take a look at where these cities ranked in three categories of importance in our study: weather, rush hour and theft.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 22% of all vehicle crashes are weather-related. Precipitation affects roadway capacity, traffic speed, travel time delay and accident risk. For this data point, we looked at the average number of days annually when there is precipitation of .01 inch or more. Cities with less precipitation (Las Vegas/first) scored better marks than cities with a lot of precipitation (Huntington/last).

For some people, precious extra minutes of sleep in the morning can mean the difference of having a good day or a bad day. That means less time spent in traffic on your way to work. We took a look at average travel time it takes a commuter to get to the office. Workers in New Orleans spend almost three times as many minutes (35.2) getting to work than those in Grand Forks, N.D. (13.1)

For most people, a vehicle is essential do their daily lives. People drive to work, pick their kids up from school and run errands. Because of a vehicle’s importance, we wanted to look at the theft rate in each city. Williamsport, Penn., had the lowest rate, at just under 38 thefts reported per 100,000 population while the Bay Area experiences about 17 times that rate.

Methodology

To determine the safest cities for driving, we sought out recent data from reputable sources. We ended our search with 18 data points from nine sources to form five categories related to good driving conditions. Below, we breakdown each statistic and point to its origin. In parenthesis is the stat's relative weighting.