New York Is One of the Best States for a Labor Day Road Trip

If you are planning a Labor Day road trip, you may not have to leave New York to find one of the country’s best places to travel. New York ranked 10th in a new study of the best states for a Labor Day weekend road trip.

The state earned a Road Trip Joy Index score of 88.70. Researchers created the ranking using fatal crash information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, gas prices from AAA, and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

New York Roads Ranked Among the Safest

One reason New York made the top 10 was its low rate of fatal crashes over Labor Day weekend. The state averaged 0.38 fatal crashes for every 100,000 residents. That tied North Dakota and was one of the lowest rates among the states in the top 10.

New York averaged 76 fatal crashes during the holiday period in the years studied. While that may sound high, New York also has a much larger population than many other states on the list.

High Gas Prices Hurt New York’s Score

The biggest thing holding New York back was the cost of gasoline. The study listed New York’s average price for regular gas at $4.13 per gallon. That was the highest price among all 10 states included at the top of the ranking. Gas was listed at $3.59 per gallon in Indiana, which took first place. Louisiana had the lowest price in the top 10 at $3.57.

Indiana Takes the Top Spot

Indiana was named the best state for a Labor Day road trip with a score of 95.67. West Virginia finished second, followed by North Dakota, Texas, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Virginia, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New York.

For New Yorkers, the ranking comes with good and bad news. Our roads earned strong marks for safety, but filling the tank takes a bigger bite out of the holiday travel budget.