U.S. drove 13 percent fewer miles in 2020

By Madi Hawkins / ASA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – According to new preliminary estimates by the Federal Highway Administration, Americans drove 13 percent fewer miles in 2020 than in 2019.

In urban areas, miles driven dropped by 14.1 percent, and there was an 11 percent drop in rural areas.

In total, Americans drove 3.3 trillion miles in 2019 and 2.83 trillion miles in 2020. This decrease equates to an estimated 170 million metric ton reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

This drop in miles driven can be mostly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, as many Americans transitioned to working-from-home and travel decreased significantly.

This significant decrease comes after six consecutive years of increases in vehicle miles traveled.

To read the Federal Highway Administration report, click here.

Madi Hawkins serves as a Legislative Analyst in the Automotive Service Association’s Washington, D.C. office.  She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a major in Public Policy Studies.  Madi is originally from Austin, Texas, where she was born and raised, but now resides in Washington, D.C.