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Vehicle miles of travel (VMT) on urban roadways in the United States grew by 13.7% from 2008 to 2018, while VMT on rural roadways decreased by 1%. Total VMT in 2018 was 3.2 trillion miles. The Federal Highway Administration classifies all roadways (interstates, other arterials, collectors, and local roads) as either urban or rural.

Graphic showing the number of vehicle miles traved from 1980 to 2018 on rural and urban roadways. VMT increased by 13.7% on urban roadways and decreased by 1% on rural roadways in that time period.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2018, Table VM-202.

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