How Many Miles Does the Average American Drive Each Year?
A recent study has revealed the driving habits of many Americans.
Across both sexes and all age groups, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration has found Americans drive an average of 13,476 miles annually, a bit more than a flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo and back. Once you start to look at age and gender, the numbers tell an interesting story.
Drivers between the ages of 35-54 rule the roadways, driving an average of 15,291 miles per year, more than any other age group. On average, Male drivers age 35-54 drive 18,858 miles annually while female drivers of the same age group are turning in 11,464 miles. When you look at gender across all age groups, males drive over 60 percent more than females every year with females averaging 10,142 miles and males driving 16,550 miles.
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As for the female age group that drives the most, that would be those between 20-34, driving an average of 12,004 miles annually. The gap widens as drivers get older than 55, with significantly more males taking the wheel compared to females. For example, males over 65 drive an average of 10,304 miles while females over 65 are only putting in 4,785 miles. The gap between the two sexes is most narrow at a young age (16-19) when males are driving 8,206 miles and females are commuting 6,873 miles per year.
The study also found that residents of Wyoming drive the most, with the average driver adding 21,821 miles on their odometer each year. Alaskans drive the least, logging only 9,915 miles per year.
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Federal Highway Administration got the numbers from somewhere. i'm interested in seeing their metadata Least Likely from Census data. Most likely from all the service stations across the nation filing all VIN and mileage info on all customers, even for tire rotations.