Wisconsin’s Roads Now Among The Worst In The Country

At certain times of year, the phrase "How are the roads?" becomes pretty common around Wisconsin.

This question is usually specifically referring to how snowy or icy the roads might be during the winter months. The answer to that question is often downplayed by seasoned winter drivers, saying something like "Ah, they're not too bad".

When it comes to the overall state of the roads in Wisconsin, they aren't so good.

The most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) places Wisconsin's roads among some of the worst in the country when it comes to the overall quality of roads.

While some people might not be too surprised that a cold-weather state has some issues, wait until you see how Wisconsin compares to other states in the region.

How does the quality of Wisconsin's roads compare to other states?

Looking at the percentage of roads at "acceptable" quality according to BTS data, Wisconsin has the 14th-worst roads in the country.

READ MORE: Which Wisconsin Counties Have The Highest Alzheimer's Rates?

Only 75.12% of Wisconsin's roads meet the "acceptable" quality threshold, which places them toward the bottom of the list across the country. At least the Badger State is better off than the 5 worst states, with even lower percentages of "acceptable" roads.

States with the worst quality roads in the country

1. Rhode Island - 55.25% acceptable quality roads
2. Hawaii - 60.91% acceptable quality roads
3. New Mexico - 67.03% acceptable quality roads
4. Connecticut - 70.03% acceptable quality roads
5. Mississippi - 70.15% acceptable quality roads

How Wisconsin compares to other states in the region, however, is the real eye-opener.

How do Wisconsin's roads compare to other states in the region?

As I shared in a similar story about neighboring Minnesota's roads, Wisconsin is the outlier in the region. Here's a look based on the percentage of "acceptable" roads:

Indiana: 97.38%
South Dakota: 95.10%
North Dakota: 93.33%
Iowa: 91.26%
Minnesota: 90.54%
Michigan: 84.14%
Illinois: 80.43%
Wisconsin: 75.12%

Bottom of the regional list. Ouch.

The most recent data year (2023) of 75.12% might not sound good, especially considering Wisconsin's neighbors, but things have certainly been worse.

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Back in 2014, Wisconsin's roads bottomed out (no pun intended) at a rough 57.97% of the state's roads being acceptable. That's a far cry from the peak of 88.46% in 1995.

The good news for Wisconsinites is that after a 10-year high of 83.36% in 2018 and a decline down to 74.32% in 2022, things started moving back in an upward direction. Here's to that path continuing to trend upward, right?