Maine makes top 10 list for summer road trips

Map / Courtesy WalletHub The Pine Tree State is No. 10 on WalletHub's ranking of 50 U.S. states for summer road trips.

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Pack the car with the picnic basket and mountain bikes for the long holiday weekend, Maine ranks among the top 10 states for summer road trips as shown in a new WalletHub scorecard.

With road warriors in mind at the start of the summer season, researchers compared 50 U.S. states according to 32 key metrics in a bid to find the most fun, scenic and wallet-friendly road-trip destinations.

Texas topped the list, followed by New York and North Carolina.

But no one beat Maine's No. 1 ranking for safety, which is based on factors including vehicle miles traveled per capita and population density as well as the proportion of interstate congestion during peak hours and the quality of roads and bridges.

Overall, Maine came in at No. 10, sandwiched between Minnesota (No. 9) and Alaska (No. 11).

The Pine Tree State received a lower score for costs and activities despite having the lowest average cost of care repairs. For the activities score, researchers looked at factors including attractions, national parks and miles of shoreline.

Maine was far ahead of its New England peers in the overall rankings. As for the others, Vermont was No. 27, New Hampshire was No. 34, Massachusetts was No. 44, Connecticut was No. 48 and Rhode Island was dead last at No. 50.

Find the full WalletHub report and rankings here.