(WWJ) — It’s almost spring in Michigan, which means one thing: pothole season.
And according to a new study, Michigan is among the worst states in the country when it comes to potholes. Michigan ranked No. 3 on USA Today Blueprint’s list of states with the worst pothole problems.
The state sits behind only Washington and Minnesota, and just ahead of Tennessee and Indiana.
While pothole data for each state isn’t exactly available, USA Today Blueprint used online searches for pothole-related terms, analyzing Google Trends data from 2020 to 2023.
“Colder, northern states, where winter precipitation and temperature fluctuations wreak havoc on roadways, top the charts,” the report says.
That’s not surprising to Michigan drivers, who are all too familiar with dodging potholes, which pop up all over the state, thanks to our never-ending freeze-thaw cycle. Just look at last week’s weather whiplash that saw record-breaking temperatures quickly followed by blustery cold and snow.
Potholes cost Michigan drivers thousands of dollars per year, as they cause any type of damage from flat tires to cracked wheels to misaligned suspension. The USA Today Blueprint report says the average cost of a pothole repair in the U.S. was $406 in 2022.
As for specific cities with the worst pothole problems, Michigan had five in the top 40: Lansing (26), Grand Rapids (28), Detroit (29), Flint (34) and Cadillac (38). New York City, Los Angeles and Minneapolis topped the list, according to Google Trends data.