These North Carolina cities are among the most driver-friendly in the US, study finds

There may be no better state to get behind the wheel than North Carolina. It’s home to three of the most driver-friendly cities in the country, and two others in the top 40, according to a recent study.

Traffic congestion, gas prices, maintenance costs and available parking can make or break a driver’s day, and a new study by WalletHub looked at these factors and many more to determine which of the nation’s 100 largest cities are the best to drive in.

Raleigh ranked No. 1 in North Carolina, and No. 2 in the nation overall, performing especially well in the “cost of ownership and maintenance” category, placing 3rd, and in “safety,” where it ranked 8th.

Raleigh placed 22nd in “traffic and infrastructure,” meaning motorists should have an easy time getting around the city, without getting trapped in traffic too often, or having to dodge potholes.

The crown has actually been taken away from Raleigh this year, which placed first overall in 2019. The best city to drive in 2020 is Lincoln, Nebraska, according to the study.

North Carolina’s next best, and the nation’s 4th-ranked driver-friendly city is Greensboro.

Like Raleigh, Greensboro earned high marks for affordability, which includes the cost of the car itself, maintaining, and paying for things like gas and parking.

Greensboro is considered less safe than Raleigh, placing 30th in “safety.” It also earned 38th place for infrastructure, compared to Raleigh’s 22nd spot.

Winston-Salem is ranked No. 7 nationally, but owns the top spot in terms of vehicle ownership and maintenance affordability.

In the infrastructure and safety categories, it performed very similarly to Greensboro, placing 30th and 36th, respectively.

Charlotte deserves an honorable mention, earning 27th most driver-friendly city in the country — even though it was outperformed by Raleigh, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem in each major category.

Durham is the fifth and final North Carolina city on the list. With a better than average rating for affordability, and for safety, it earned 35th overall out of 100.