This Map Reveals the Least-Traveled Road in Each State
"It's more fun to take the road less traveled."
It's what people like to say, and it's an aphorism that generally holds true as long as you're not relying solely on hitchhiking to get where you're going. But it also begs the question, what roads are quite literally the ones less traveled? Well, the data whizzes at the GPS software firm Geotab just did the math and put together a nifty interactive map that showcases the least-traveled routes in each U.S. state.
To determine which routes qualified as least-traveled, the folks at Geotab first decided that they would only look at US Routes and Interstates 10 miles or longer, then consulted data from both the Highway Performance Monitoring System and the Annual Average Daily Traffic score. Using those metrics they were able to identify which roads would be ideal to take if you prefer a quieter journey across the country, and put them on a map.
If you're curious, here are the routes that made the cut in each state, along with how long they stretch.
Alabama -- State Route 5 (198 miles)
Alaska -- State Route 11 (414 miles)
Arizona -- US Route 160 (256 miles)
Arkansas -- US Route 165 (183 miles)
California -- State Route 139 (143 miles)
Colorado -- US Route 385 (318 miles)
Connecticut -- State Route 83 (36 miles)
Delaware -- State Route 18 (19 miles)
Florida -- State Route 29 (76 miles)
Georgia -- State Route 24 (222 miles)
Hawaii -- State Route 19 (100 miles)
Idaho -- US Route 89 (44 miles)
Illinois -- State Route 96 (141 miles)
Indiana -- State Route 145 (45 miles)
Iowa -- State Route 4 (146 miles)
Kansas -- State Route 383 (74 miles)
Kentucky -- State Route 10 (118 miles)
Louisiana -- US Route 65 (101 miles)
Maine -- US Route 201 (157 miles)
Maryland -- US route 219 (48 miles)
Massachusetts -- State Route 32 (61 miles)
Michigan -- US Route 45 (55 miles)
Minnesota -- State Route 32 (145 miles)
Mississippi -- State Route 57 (91 miles)
Missouri -- US Route 136 (240 miles)
Montana -- State Route 19 (21 miles)
Nebraska -- State Route 71 (170 miles)
Nevada -- State Route 360 (23 miles)
New Hampshire -- US Route 2 (35 miles)
New Jersey -- State Route 49 (54 miles)
New Mexico -- US Route 56 (94 miles)
New York -- State Route 812 (81 miles)
North Carolina -- State Route 172 (39 miles)
North Dakota -- State Route 24 (211 miles)
Ohio -- State Route 571 (50 miles)
Oklahoma -- US Route 287 (41 miles)
Oregon -- US Route 395 (385 miles)
Pennsylvania -- State Route 32 (41 miles)
Rhode Island -- State Route 102 (44 miles)
South Carolina -- US Route 321 (217 miles)
South Dakota -- State Route 73 (255 miles)
Tennessee -- State Route 104 (114 miles)
Texas -- State Route 49 (61 miles)
Utah -- US Route 50 (335 miles)
Vermont -- State Route 103 (42 miles)
Virginia -- State Route 90003 (23 miles)
Washington -- State Route 127 (27 miles)
West Virginia -- State Route 93 (33 miles)
Wisconsin -- State Route 80 (163 miles)
Wyoming -- US Route 212 (35 miles)
Additionally, Geotab teamed up with renowned nature photographer James “Q” Martin to come up with the top 10 most scenic routes on the list. Martin selected Alaska's State Route 11 to take the top spot. And while it's undoubtedly a quiet and remote road (an average of just 196 vehicles travel it every day), it's also especially picturesque. "I chose Alaska's Dalton Highway as my favorite scenic, quiet route. It is a road that reaches the top of the continent, and would literally allow you to see a polar bear in the right circumstances," Martin said, per a press release. Here's what else made the top 10.
10. Pensylvania's State Route 22
9. New Hampshire's US Route 2
8. Wyoming's US Route 212
7. Louisiana's US Route 65
6. Virginia's State Route 90003
5. California's State Route 139
4. Arizona's US Route 160
3. Maine's US Route 201
2. Utah's US Route 50
1. Alaska's State Route 11
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