Wheel of Misfortune: Washington the 2nd Worst State to Drive in

According the recent US Census figures, average commute in the State of Washington takes an average of 27 minutes. Here in the Wenatchee Valley it takes an average of 17 minutes to get to work. Commuter Traffic was a factor in Washington coming in 49th best (or 2nd worst) to drive a car.

Personal finance website WalletHub looked at traffic, road conditions, cost of ownership, vehicle maintenance and overall safety.

Wallethub looked into 31 factors, including:

Average gas prices: It was recently reported that Washington State infamously leads the nation in highest gas prices…yes, we passed California for that dubious title. AAA of Washington blamed an offline oil refinery as the main reason for the spike in prices.

The share of rush-hour traffic congestion: I’m gonna blame the congested Puget Sound region for this.

Number of days with precipitation: Once again, this is going on you Seattle!

Road quality: The bumpy bad roads are a scourge everywhere in this state

Traffic fatality rate: The bad “bermuda triangle of accidents” near Orondo is playing a factor

Car theft rate: Watch Out! Here are Washington State’s most stolen vehicles.

Auto-repair shops per capita: Looking for a great place to repair your vehicle in Wenatchee? Here’s some great places

Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 being the best.

When the scores were added up: Washington ranked 49th overall among 50 states, making it the second-worst state to drive in. The state ranked 47th for cost of vehicle ownership & maintenance. 39th overall for traffic and infrastructure.