10 States Where It Costs the Most Just To Drive Through Them

©iStock.com

Commitment to Our Readers

GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.

20 Years
Helping You Live Richer

Reviewed
by Experts

Trusted by
Millions of Readers

Owning a car isn’t cheap. The overall cost to own and operate a new car in 2023 was $12,182, based on data from AAA. But depending on where you drive, you could be spending much more.

According to Wonderopolis, most roads are built with money raised from taxes by local, state or national governments. However, some highways, bridges, and tunnels require drivers to pay a fee. These are called toll roads, tollways, turnpikes or express toll routes. By charging drivers a toll, new roads can be built and maintained without raising taxes.

CarInsurance.org reported that most toll roads are in congested areas, including the New York City metro and some parts of Florida, but the most expensive toll roads are in various states.  Florida has the most toll road mileage (657 miles), according to EZ Freight Factoring, followed by Oklahoma (597 miles), New York (575 miles) and Pennsylvania (508 miles).

You can also choose to avoid some toll roads. Most navigation apps, including Waze and Apple Maps, have an option for drivers to avoid toll roads. You can also plan your trip ahead and map out alternative routes that help you avoid toll roads and save money on these expenses. To help, here are some of the most expensive toll roads, according to CarInsurance.org and EZ Freight Factoring.

• Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway (New York): $1.25 per mile
• Chesapeake Expressway (Virginia): $1.05 per mile
• 17-Mile Drive (California): 59 cents per mile
• Chicago Skyway (Illinois): 51 cents per mile
• Fort Bend Parkway (Texas): 51 cents per mile
• E-470 (Colorado): 33 cents per mile
• Delaware Turnpike (Delaware): 29 cents per mile
• SR-73 (California): 25 cents per mile
• Texas State Highway 130: 15 cents per mile
• Triangle Expressway (North Carolina): 15 cents per mile

Toll bridges aren’t as common, but these are pretty expensive, according to CarInsurance.org:

• Chesapeake Bay Bridge (Virginia): $30 round trip
• Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (New York): $15 one-way
• George Washington Bridge (New York): $13 one-way
• Golden Gate Bridge (California): $7 one-way
• Tacoma Narrows Bridge (California): $5.50 one-way

Three out of the five most expensive toll tunnels are located in New York, CarInsurance.org reported. Here are the country’s priciest tunnels:

• Lincoln and Holland Tunnel (New York): $13 one-way
• Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (Alaska): $12 one-way
• Fort McHenry Tunnel (Maryland): $8 round trip
• Hugh L. Carey Tunnel (New York): $7.50 one-way
• Queens-Midtown Tunnel (New York): $7.50 one-way

Share This Article: