The Worst States for Potholes

Swerve!

There's nothing to inspire anger from drivers — if not a case of outright road rage — quite like steering straight into a deep, craggy pothole. But where you live may determine how many of these hazards you're encountering (or at least how willing you are to complain about them). The Clunker Junker, a junk-car removal and buying service, analyzed a year's worth of Twitter data to determine where residents are grumbling about potholes the most. Here are the top 10 states, plus some bonus information on the most pothole-plagued cities.

Miami Skyline — RAUL RODRIGUEZ/istockphoto

10. Florida

The Sunshine State's roads generate 11.4 complaints per 1,000 kilometers on Twitter, placing it just inside the top 10. Miami is No. 5 on the list of cities inspiring the most pothole complaints, and Tampa is No. 19.

New England Highways East Hartford Connecticut Aerial — ChrisBoswell/istockphoto

9. Connecticut

Bucolic Connecticut may have charm and wealth, but it also has roads in need of repair. The Nutmeg State generates 12 Twitter pothole complaints per 1,000 kilometers of road.

Street in Bloomfield district, Pittsburgh PA — peeterv/istockphoto

8. Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is saddled with two pothole-ridden cities, it seems: Both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are in the nation's top 10. The state itself is the target of 15.4 Twitter pothole complaints per 1,000 kilometers of road.

For more smart auto stories, please sign up for our free newsletters.

Light Pole on Mt Vernon — lordtrini/istockphoto

7. Maryland

The Old Line State is the subject of 15.5 Twitter pothole complaints per 1,000 kilometers of roadway. Baltimore certainly has a hand in that, landing just outside the top 10 of most-complained-about cities.

Traffic on street with people walking on sidewalk in downtown Princeton — aimintang/istockphoto

6. New Jersey

New Yorkers have plenty to say about Jersey, but it appears that the Garden State is in better shape when it comes to potholes. There are 16.5 Twitter complaints per 1,000 kilometers of road here.

5. California

It may have perfect weather, but California doesn't have the perfect roads to match. There are 18.4 pothole complaints on Twitter for every 1,000 kilometers of Golden State roadway. As for its cities, San Francisco inspires the most grumbling, followed by Oakland.

4. Massachusetts

Brutal New England winters do a number on roads, and Massachusetts residents aren't shy about saying so on Twitter, where the state is the target of 18.7 pothole complaints per 1,000 kilometers of road. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Boston generates the seventh-most complaints of all U.S. cities.

3. New York

We doubt New Yorkers are surprised to see their home state in the top 10 — though some may be shocked it's not first. New Yorkers lodge 20.5 pothole complaints on Twitter per 1,000 kilometers of road, and the state lays claim to two cities that generate enough complaints to put them in the top 10 for cities: New York City and Buffalo.

2. Hawaii

There's trouble in paradise in Hawaii, at least when it comes to the state of the roads. The Aloha State inspires an impressive 20.6 Twitter pothole complaints per 1,000 kilometers of road, just edging out New York for the No. 2 spot.

Street in College Hill Historic District — Amy Sparwasser/istockphoto

1. Rhode Island

It seems like Little Rhody has a comparatively big problem with potholes. It generates 23.4 Twitter complaints per 1,000 kilometers of road, by far the most complaints of any state in the nation.

Two Lane Road Transportation Yellowstone National Park Wyoming — ChrisBoswell/istockphoto

States With the Fewest Pothole Complaints

Where do drivers have the privilege of smooth-as-silk roads — or residents who disdain complaining about potholes on social media? You'll need to head west to some of the nation's less populated states, which generate comparatively few complaints:

Idaho (0.4 complaints per 1,000 kilometers of road)
Wyoming (0.6)
Montana and New Mexico (tie, 0.8)
South Dakota (1)
Iowa (1.1)

Skyline of downtown Atlanta Georgia USA — benedek/istockphoto

Cities With the Most Pothole Complaints

City driving often comes hand in hand with potholes. Still, the metropolis that inspires the most complaints may surprise you, unless you live there, of course. (Sorry, Atlantans.)

Atlanta (529.1 complaints per 1,000 kilometers of road)
Washington, D.C. (451.4)
St. Louis (385.2)
New Orleans (324.4)
Miami (310.3)

Cities With the Fewest Pothole Complaints

Whether smaller cities have more responsive road crews, less vocal residents, or fewer potholes overall, here are the five that generate the fewest complaints: