On any given day, there are plenty of vehicles traveling on Interstate 29, Interstate 90, Interstate 190 (Rapid City), or Interstate 229 (Sioux Falls) in South Dakota.

But what sets the state's main transportation arteries apart from interstates across the country is the lack of bumper-to-bumper traffic that is commonplace in much more populated areas.

According to Best Life, a new report from TRIP Net shows that the Mount Rushomre State is one of only five states that is considered to have no congestion on their interstates.

Alaska, Montana, Vermont, and Wyoming are the others.

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STATES WITH THE LEAST TRAFFIC

  1. Alaska
  2. Montana
  3. South Dakota
  4. Vermont
  5. Wyoming
  6. West Virginia
  7. North Dakota
  8. Maine
  9. Mississippi
  10. New Mexico

As for the places where gridlock is a way of life, California, to the surprise of no one, has the most traffic, with 87 percent of the Golden State's interstates congested.

Maryland (83%) and New Jersey (81%) are the only other states where traffic congestion tops 80 percent.

The national average is 47 percent.

STATES WITH THE MOST TRAFFIC

  1. California
  2. Maryland
  3. New Jersey
  4. Delaware
  5. Florida
  6. Massachusetts
  7. Rhode Island
  8. Connecticut
  9. Hawaii
  10. Washington

Other findings from the study:

  • Only one percent of the pavement on South Dakota's interstates is considered to be in poor condition (national average is three percent).
  • More than half (55%) of South Dakota's interstate bridges are more than 50 years old, but none are considered to be in poor condition.
  • Combination trucks account for 18 percent of the vehicles traveling on South Dakota's interstates (national average is 11 percent). Only five states had higher rates.

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