U.S. Miles Driven Rose by 1 Percent in 2024

Americans drove a total of 3.279 trillion miles in 2024, but per capita VMT stayed the same.

1 minute read

March 10, 2025, 11:05 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


American drivers drove 1 percent more miles in 2024 than in 2023, or 3.279 trillion vehicle-miles. According to the Eno Center for Transportation’s Traffic Volume Trends report, this is a return to pre-2004 norms, when driving grew by 2.5 percent per year.

Explaining the numbers, Jeff Davis notes that “At an individual level, using Census Bureau annual July 1 population estimates, VMT per capita in 2024 did not grow at all – 9,641 miles per person in 2024 versus 9,640 miles per person in 2023.” Per capita VMT peaked in 2004 at 10,117 miles.

The report also notes that the discrepancy between urban and rural total driving was nonexistent in 2024, and “The percentage of total VMT that took place on urban roads stayed the same at 68.9 percent.”

Thursday, March 6, 2025 in Eno Center for Transportation

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive