{"id":724,"date":"2026-01-15T06:48:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T06:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/?p=724"},"modified":"2026-01-21T03:01:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T03:01:19","slug":"pothole-statistics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/pothole-statistics\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Alarming Pothole Statistics Every American Needs to Know (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"724\" class=\"elementor elementor-724\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f5868ca elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f5868ca\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-44a0020\" data-id=\"44a0020\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d82f949 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d82f949\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.14.0 - 26-06-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">America. Home to some of the most iconic highways and stunning scenic roads in the world, right? This may be true, but the everyday reality for most drivers is a little less romantic.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The nation, and its cities in particular, seems to be facing a growing pothole crisis. A huge number of our roads are in substandard condition and deteriorating fast. It\u2019s costing us money, and sometimes even lives.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve put together 8 of the most alarming pothole statistics that every American should know. We\u2019ll also delve into the reasons why potholes form, as well as what measures you can take to avoid them &#8211; and a costly repair bill.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e824a9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"4e824a9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.14.0 - 26-06-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"664\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/pothole-statistics-america.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-732\" alt=\"Pothole Statistics America\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/pothole-statistics-america.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/pothole-statistics-america-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/pothole-statistics-america-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-04b6829 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"04b6829\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.14.0 - 26-06-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1. 40% of major roads in the US are in poor or mediocre condition<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b52c822 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b52c822\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly half of all major roads across the country are in disrepair. A sprawling network of almost 4 million miles of streets and highways stretches across the US. And some estimates put the number of potholes on those roads at <\/span><b>55 million<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. That\u2019s more than <\/span><b>13 potholes per mile<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem is at its worst in cities, which have to deal with over two thirds of all the nation\u2019s traffic. 32% of urban roads and highways are judged to be in poor condition, and a further 24% are in mediocre condition.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1712a8e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1712a8e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-many-potholes-on-american-roads-and-economic-impact.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-1050\" alt=\"how many potholes on American roads and economic impact\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-many-potholes-on-american-roads-and-economic-impact.png 2500w, https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-many-potholes-on-american-roads-and-economic-impact-300x120.png 300w, https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-many-potholes-on-american-roads-and-economic-impact-1024x410.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-many-potholes-on-american-roads-and-economic-impact-768x307.png 768w, https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-many-potholes-on-american-roads-and-economic-impact-1536x614.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-many-potholes-on-american-roads-and-economic-impact-2048x819.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-143aa95 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"143aa95\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2. 44 million drivers in 2022 had to pay for damage caused by potholes<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4f2f621 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4f2f621\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2021, <\/span><b>one in 10<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> US motorists had to fork out to repair damage caused to their cars by potholes. That was around 28 million drivers. But in 2022 the same figure rose sharply to 44 million, suggesting that the pothole crisis on America\u2019s roads is becoming more severe.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Worse still, these same drivers report experiencing pothole damage to their vehicles <\/span><b>more than once<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Sometimes up to 3 times in 5 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking at age groups, drivers aged 35-44 appear to be the worst-affected. 31% report having to pay for pothole-related repairs.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-977a452 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"977a452\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3. 11% of roadside help calls to the AAA are for tire damage<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dcb13be elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"dcb13be\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In the winter and spring of 2021 the American Automobile Association (AAA) received\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">1.8 million help calls<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0from the side of the road from vehicles with damaged tires. That was 11% of the AAA\u2019s total calls during that period.<\/span><\/p><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">When a car hits a pothole it\u2019s the suspension, wheels, of course, the tires which feel the brunt of the force. With US roadways littered with potholes it\u2019s no surprise that so many drivers have needed roadside rescue due to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/tire-blowout-statistics\/\">damaged tires<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ef02f88 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ef02f88\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">4. Potholes now cost US drivers $26.5 billion per year<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c5c4b57 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c5c4b57\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A survey by the AAA found that <\/span><b>the average cost per vehicle for repairs caused by potholes was $600<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In 2021 this added up to an astonishing $26.5 billion in total repair costs for US motorists.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A decade ago, that annual figure was only at around $3 billion &#8211; a startling indication of the worsening problem on our roads.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eb6884f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"eb6884f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">5. The US state with the most potholes is Rhode Island<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a0f88aa elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a0f88aa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A 2021 study by Clunker Junker looked at complaints on Twitter as a way of determining which state is suffering from the most potholes. They first gathered every pothole-related tweet from every US state over the course of a year. Then they worked out the total length of road in every state. Put both bits of data together and you\u2019ve got a pretty solid method of determining which state has the most potholes.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With <\/span><b>23.4 complaints per 1000km of road<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Rhode Island tops the rankings. And the city with the most complaints? That was Atlanta, Georgia with a shocking 529.1 Twitter complaints per 1000km of road.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-039c8bd elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"039c8bd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">6. The City of San Diego, CA filled 30,000 potholes in 2013<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d682c91 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d682c91\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our deteriorating road surfaces are costing governments as much as individual drivers. Back in 2013 the City of San Diego <\/span><b>spent $1.3 million repairing over 30,000 potholes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> across its urban area. We can only expect that number to have risen in recent years.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s reported that Oklahoma City, OK may even fill as many as 90,000 potholes per year.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a91a449 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a91a449\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">7. 64% of US drivers are concerned about potholes<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-addc3a3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"addc3a3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than two thirds of all drivers are worried about potholes and the state of our roadways. That statistic varies regionally too. 74% of motorists in the Northeast are concerned, while only 57% in the West have the issue on their minds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a68c661 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a68c661\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">8. One third of traffic fatalities are caused by poor road surfaces\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53a94b6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"53a94b6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The financial burden of repairs aside, it\u2019s no wonder drivers are concerned about the dangers of potholes. Between 30,000 and 40,000 people sadly die on our roads each year. And more than 30% of those incidents are caused by roads which could be in better shape.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The US has a <\/span><b>multi-billion dollar backlog of necessary road repairs to carry out<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. A 2017 report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that making these repairs could dramatically reduce t<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/how-many-car-accidents-occur-each-second-minute-hour-day-month-and-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">r<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/how-many-car-accidents-occur-each-second-minute-hour-day-month-and-year\/\">affic accidents<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0and save thousands of lives.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ee9e662 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ee9e662\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">9. January 15th is observed as national pothole day. <\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c7c2a10 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c7c2a10\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Potholes are a worldwide problem that has existed for centuries &#8211; even Romans had potholes (<a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/discoveries\/roman-roads-have-oldest-potholes-and-ruts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>). To create awareness and encourage community involvement January 15th is celebrated as national pothole day in UK and US.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a9cb1f4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a9cb1f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What causes potholes to form?\n<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-722af2a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"722af2a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Potholes mostly begin to appear on roads during winter and spring. That\u2019s because it\u2019s a combination of moisture and temperature change that creates the <a href=\"https:\/\/waldmaneng.com\/2023\/02\/21\/asphalt-what-is-the-freeze-thaw-cycle\/\">freeze-thaw cycle<\/a> that\u2019s responsible for forming them.<\/p><p>Rainwater or snowmelt makes its way in through the cracks in the asphalt. That moisture then freezes, expands, then melts again. Repeat a few times over and you\u2019ve got a void beneath the surface that has severely weakened the pavement. The weight and pressure of vehicles driving over that fragile spot will eventually cause the surface to break away, leaving a pothole.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5402c51 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5402c51\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What can drivers do about potholes?\n<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-83cc05f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"83cc05f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the AAA one of the key things you can do to protect yourself from potholes is to ensure your tires are inflated to the correct pressure and that the tread depth is sufficient.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you find yourself in a situation where it\u2019s impossible to avoid a pothole, the best thing to do is slow down, take your foot off the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/brake-failure-statistics\/\">brakes<\/a> and keep the steering wheel straight before impact.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-337a3d5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"337a3d5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Conclusion\n<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3167204 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3167204\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the above insights show a worsening trend in the state of America\u2019s roads, there is still hope the situation can improve. From 2022 to 2026, the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) plans to provide $454 billion in funding to be invested in improving roads, bridges and transit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the meantime, there are measures we can take as individual drivers, from making sure our tires are correctly inflated, to reporting potholes to our state departments. Some states have dedicated hotlines for this very purpose, like New York State Department of Transportation &#8211; 1-800-POTHOLE.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-45ced95 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"45ced95\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Sources:<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/tripnet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Transportation-Funding-Fact-Sheet-March-2022.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/tripnet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Transportation-Funding-Fact-Sheet-March-2022.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.aaa.com\/2022\/03\/aaa-potholes-pack-a-punch-as-drivers-pay-26-5-billion-in-related-vehicle-repairs\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/newsroom.aaa.com\/2022\/03\/aaa-potholes-pack-a-punch-as-drivers-pay-26-5-billion-in-related-vehicle-repairs\/<\/span><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lincoln.ne.gov\/files\/sharedassets\/public\/ltu\/transportation\/maintenance-operations\/apwa-pothole-fact-sheet.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.lincoln.ne.gov\/files\/sharedassets\/public\/ltu\/transportation\/maintenance-operations\/apwa-pothole-fact-sheet.pdf<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/publicaffairsresources.aaa.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Pothole-Fact-Sheet.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/publicaffairsresources.aaa.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Pothole-Fact-Sheet.pdf<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/aaa-puts-warning-georgia-drivers-153524745.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/aaa-puts-warning-georgia-drivers-153524745.html<\/span><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transportation.gov\/NRSS\/SafetyProblem\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.transportation.gov\/NRSS\/SafetyProblem<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>America. Home to some of the most iconic highways and stunning scenic roads in the world, right? This may be true, but the everyday reality for most drivers is a little less romantic. The nation, and its cities in particular, seems to be facing a growing pothole crisis. A huge number of our roads are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.10 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>8 Alarming Pothole Statistics Every American Needs to Know (2025)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We\u2019ve put together 8 of the most alarming pothole statistics that every American should know. 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We\u2019ll also delve into the reasons why potholes form, as well as what measures you can take to avoid them - and a costly repair bill.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/pothole-statistics\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"LookupAPlate\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-15T06:48:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-21T03:01:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/pothole-statistics-america.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"664\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jason L Arthur\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jason L Arthur\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/pothole-statistics\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/pothole-statistics\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jason L Arthur\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/92dba4a4850bb4694cf2699f61e8aa7c\"},\"headline\":\"8 Alarming Pothole Statistics Every American Needs to Know (2026)\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-15T06:48:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-21T03:01:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/pothole-statistics\/\"},\"wordCount\":1166,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Insights\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/pothole-statistics\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/pothole-statistics\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/pothole-statistics\/\",\"name\":\"8 Alarming Pothole Statistics Every American Needs to Know (2025)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lookupaplate.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-15T06:48:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-21T03:01:19+00:00\",\"description\":\"We\u2019ve put together 8 of the most alarming pothole statistics that every American should know. 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