Decrepit state of California’s highways. (Photo: Katy Grimes for California Globe)
Report: California Roads And Highways Rank Second Worst in Nation
Since 2018, we’ve been told that Californians spend $843 annually on vehicle repairs caused by poor road conditions
By Katy Grimes, March 29, 2026 5:04 am
A new study finds California has the second worst roads in America, ahead of only Alaska. I can validate this having just traveled 600 miles by car in California on Interstate 5, Highway 101, State Route 152, and many local boulevards, thoroughfares and roads in between.
Californians pay the highest gas taxes in the country, yet are forced to drive over deep potholes, deteriorating highways, crumbling shoulders, bumpy surfaces, damaged roads, patchwork fixes, uneven pavement, and deeply cracked asphalt.
California’s government is clearly broken—but so are our expensive tires, along with our bank accounts.
“California’s highway system now ranks 49th out of 50 states in overall condition and cost-effectiveness, Reason Foundation’s 29th Annual Highway Report finds,” Baruch Feigenbaum, senior managing director of transportation policy at Reason Foundation and lead author of the report detailed in the Orange County Register. “Only Alaska, which faces harsh winters and many geographic challenges that drive up costs, ranks worse overall.”
California has no excuse. Transportation funds have been “borrowed” for decades by the governor and legislature and reassigned to the General Fund, rather than used to repair and improve the state’s highways, roads and infrastructure.
“Given the money California generates from drivers, it should have a better road and highway system,” Feigenbaum said.
“The Legislative Analyst’s Office found that state sources of transportation funding, primarily fuel taxes and vehicle fees, brought in over $14 billion in 2023-24. Yet, California’s urban arterial road pavement condition is 50th, the worst in the nation. Not much better, the state’s urban Interstate pavement condition ranks 48th out of 50 states. California also ranks 47th in rural Interstate pavement condition and 39th in rural arterial road condition.”
Since 2018, we’ve been told that Californians spend $843 annually on vehicle repairs caused by poor road conditions. It’s as if no one wants to report the real cost in 2026. Whatever it is, it is higher than the national average.
“Tire blowouts, rim damage, and suspension wear are common expenses for drivers navigating damaged streets and highways,” Rate My Roads reported in 2025.
According to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, the 2025-2026 Budget includes roughly $31 Billion for transportation and one billion for transportation-related programs in 2025-26, including for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), California State Transportation Agency, local streets and roads (shared revenues), California Highway Patrol (CHP), Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA).
This is less funding than the 2024-25 transportation budget of $35.3 billion.
“Given the high gas taxes and vehicle fees they pay, Californians deserve higher-quality roads and bridges than they are getting,” said Feigenbaum. California “is the most populous state, has the nation’s busiest road network, and faces higher construction costs than most states. But those realities make it even more important to use transportation funding efficiently.”
A California native and Navy mom, Katy lives in Sacramento, CA.
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January 7, 2020
As Katy Grimes probably knows firsthand, the City of Sacramento and Sacramento County have awful streets and roads that are full of potholes, cracks, ruts, and crumbling asphalt and concrete. We pay high taxes and fees to maintain our streets and roads, so where’s it disappearing to?
Add this to the list of Newsom failures, the worst governor ever. Alaska I can understand having bad roads. The weather is extremely harsh. California on the other hand, has the opposite weather conditions, no snow and not even that much rain in most of the state. Yet, here we are with the 49th worst roads, and the highest gas taxes in the nation. This situation should be the centerpiece of any Republican running for governor in this state.
If you want to see nice, smooth roads, go to Republican run Utah. Even with snow, they still have nice roads.
Here is the link to the full Reason Foundation Annual Road Report.
https://reason.org/highway-report/29th-annual-highway-report/
Gas taxes are not for roads. Democrats put them into the general fund a long time ago. More likely they are paying for transgender surgery for illegal alien criminals than for pot hole repair. My rural county goes well over 50 years between repaving roads. We literally have patches on top of patches on top of patches. Only if a road become impassible will the county do any sort of significant repairs.
I know a few employees and know they need to be investigated for fraud. A lot of drinking and drugs. Contractors and Engineers side deals and money passing hands. The fraud happens on an everyday basis. The trucks go home and used for personal use.
Newsom and Democrats who control California ignore the state’s crumbling roads and highways the same way they ignore law-abiding, taxpaying Californians who are citizens. They’re too busy catering to illegal aliens, criminal thugs, drug addicts, and the obnoxious leftist LGBTQ++++ rainbow mafia.
Another insight goes back to Governor Jerry Brown’s first term. Before global warming scares, there was a determination to promote public transportation. Ridership was slow, if ever, to met expectations. Rows of homes were condemned for an anticipated Hwy 85 connecting 280 to 101. Brown’s Secretary of Transportation delayed the project as property taxes could not be collected on those deserted houses and roads were growing more impacted as Silicon Valley expanded. There’s a photo from the SJ Mercury News of a similar Plymouth like Jerry’s somehow suspended in air to rest above the freeway on an unconnected over ramp.
CARB is another ill intentioned public agency focused on limiting motorist mobility with irrational or ideological costly restrictions.
And why does the DMV issue commercial licenses to non English speaking illegals?
Who benefits?
Another insight goes back to Governor Jerry Brown’s first term. Before global warming scares, there was a determination to promote public transportation. Ridership was slow, if ever, to met expectations. Rows of homes were condemned for an anticipated Hwy 85 connecting 280 to 101. Brown’s Secretary of Transportation delayed the project as property taxes could not be collected on those deserted houses and roads were growing more impacted as Silicon Valley expanded. There’s a photo from the SJ Mercury News of a similar Plymouth like Jerry’s somehow suspended in air to rest above the freeway on an unconnected over ramp.
CARB is another ill intentioned public agency focused on limiting motorist mobility with irrational or ideological costly restrictions.
And why does the DMV issue commercial licenses to non English speaking illegals?
We know who is harmed. Who benefits?
Deferred maintenance is another “money tank” democrats siphoned dry for “other uses”. I’m still shocked to read about the leeway our kleptocracy gives officials to take earmarked money and shovel it out to their cronies.
The 215 freeway south bound in Riverside County 215 freeway and 60 freeway. The Road conditions are very bad pot holes