Pothole season is in full swing in Illinois as winter and spring fight for their place.
This means drivers will have to travel extra cautiously, especially as they get closer to Chicago. But how do Illinois streets compare to those in other states? Are they worse?
Online lending platform LendingTree analyzed data from the Federal Highway Administration Highway Statistics Series to evaluate the conditions of roads and bridges across the U.S.
Here’s what it found about conditions in Illinois.
Which states have the worst roads?
LendingTree found that 1 in 11 U.S. roads are in poor condition, or 8.9% of those evaluated.
The following states had the highest share of road miles in poor condition in 2024:
Where did road conditions worsen the most?
Road conditions improved slightly across the U.S. between 2019 and 2024, with the nationwide share of roads in poor condition shifting from 9.2% to 8.9%.
These states had the biggest change:
1. Idaho – 68.6%
2. Oklahoma – 29.9%
3. California – 28.6%
4. New Mexico – 25.5%
5. Arizona / Virginia / Oregon – 25%
8. Louisiana – 18.4%
9. Florida – 14.3%
10. Mississippi – 14%
How bad are road conditions in Illinois?
Illinois ranked No. 19 among states with the worst road conditions, with 9.4% of road miles in poor condition, according to the report.
This is actually an improvement since 2019, when the share of poor roads was 10.7%.
How bad are bridge conditions in Illinois?
Unfortunately, the Prairie State ranked fifth among states with the worst bridge conditions in 2025.
The report found that 11.2% of bridge area evaluated in Illinois was in poor condition, compared to 12.1% in 2020.
Again, this is an improvement, with a -7.4% change over the course of five years.
Which states have the worst bridge conditions?
The report found that 4.9% of bridge area across the U.S. is in poor condition, with the following states having the highest share of damaged bridges in 2025:
Where did bridge conditions worsen the most?
Bridge conditions improved nationally between 2020 and 2025, with the share of bridges in poor condition shifting from 5.2% to 4.9%. Utah saw the starkest level of degradation, however, with an astounding increase of 200%.
These states saw the sharpest incline:
How to avoid pothole damage
The American Automobile Association recommends the following tips for avoiding pothole damage to your car:
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: It’s pothole season. See which states have worse roads than Illinois
Reporting by Hannah Hudnall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
