Average miles driven per year, and your annual mileage
The average car, pickup, van, or SUV in the U.S. was driven 10,787 miles in 2024, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). That is about 900 miles a month, or 30 miles a day. Enter two odometer readings below to see your own miles per year and how you compare, and check your pace against a lease mileage limit.
On this page (9 sections)
How to use the calculator
- Two odometer readings. Enter an older reading and its date (from an oil change receipt, an inspection report, or a photo of the dashboard) and today’s reading. Or switch to miles driven over a period if you already know the miles.
- Read the result. You get your pace in miles per year, per month, per week, and per day, next to the U.S. average.
- Lease check (optional). Under More options, pick your lease’s yearly limit and term, and add the fee per extra mile from your contract to see the projected cost.
The longer the span between readings, the better the estimate. A few months can mislead if they include a road trip or a stretch of working from home.
The formula
- Miles per day = (odometer now − earlier reading) ÷ days between them
- Miles per year = miles per day × 365
- Miles per month = miles per year ÷ 12
Example: the odometer read 30,000 miles on November 12, 2025, and 42,000 miles on November 12, 2026. That is 12,000 miles in 365 days: 32.9 miles a day, 12,000 a year, and 1,000 a month. That is about 11% more than the 2024 U.S. average.
Average miles driven per year
FHWA’s Highway Statistics table VM-1 divides the miles driven on U.S. roads by the number of registered vehicles. The latest table, for 2024, shows:
| Vehicle type | Miles per year |
|---|---|
| All light-duty vehicles (cars, pickups, vans, SUVs) | 10,787 |
| Light-duty, short wheelbase (121 inches or less) | 10,812 |
| Light-duty, long wheelbase (over 121 inches) | 10,707 |
| All motor vehicles, including trucks and buses | 11,071 |
Source: FHWA, Highway Statistics 2024, Table VM-1 (updated February 2026). In 2023 the light-duty average was 11,106 miles.
Broken down, 10,787 miles a year is about 899 miles a month, 207 miles a week, and 29.6 miles a day.
Two things to keep in mind. First, this is an average per vehicle, not per driver: many households have more cars than drivers, and some cars sit most of the week. Second, it is an average across the whole country. Rural drivers and long-distance commuters often drive far more, and city drivers less.
Is 12,000, 15,000, or 20,000 miles a year a lot?
| Miles a year | Per month | Compared with average |
|---|---|---|
| 8,000 | 667 | 26% less |
| 10,000 | 833 | 7% less |
| 12,000 | 1,000 | 11% more |
| 15,000 | 1,250 | 39% more |
| 20,000 | 1,667 | 85% more |
12,000 miles a year is close to average. 15,000 is above average but common for commuters. 20,000 or more is high mileage: plan on maintenance coming due sooner by miles than by months, and on lower resale value.
How many miles is too many for a used car?
There is no cutoff. A useful check is to compare the odometer with the car’s age times the average. A 5-year-old car averages about 5 × 10,787 = 53,935 miles, so 54,000 miles is normal for that age, 90,000 is high, and 25,000 is low.
How the miles were driven and cared for matters more than the number. A high-mileage car with a full set of service records can be a better buy than a low-mileage one with none. Have an independent mechanic inspect any used car before you buy.
Lease mileage limits
Most leases limit the miles you can drive without an extra charge, often to 12,000 or 15,000 miles a year, according to the Federal Reserve Board’s leasing guide, and some leases set 10,000. Go over, and you pay an excess mileage charge at the end. The Federal Reserve says these charges can range from 10 to 25 cents a mile or more. Your contract states the exact limit and fee.
Example: a 36-month lease with 12,000 miles a year allows 36,000 miles. At 15,000 miles a year you would drive 45,000, which is 9,000 over. At 15 cents a mile, that is $1,350 at turn-in. If you know up front that you will drive more, ask the lessor what extra miles cost if you buy them when you sign, and compare that with the fee per mile at the end.
Check your pace a few months into the lease, while there is still time to adjust. To stay at 12,000 miles a year, keep to about 1,000 miles a month.
Common mistakes
- Using a short span. One month with a vacation drive can double your yearly estimate. Use 6 to 12 months if you can.
- Mixing up readings. Use the main odometer, not a trip meter that was reset.
- Comparing with a per-driver number. FHWA’s VM-1 figure is per vehicle. Averages per driver are a different measure and don’t match it.
Your yearly miles also drive your gas spending: the gas budget calculator turns them into dollars per month. If you drive for work, the business share of those miles belongs in a mileage log.
FAQ
What is the average miles driven per year?
10,787 miles per car, pickup, van, or SUV in 2024, according to FHWA’s Highway Statistics table VM-1. That is about 900 miles a month.
How many miles does the average person drive a month?
The average U.S. light-duty vehicle covers about 900 miles a month (10,787 a year ÷ 12, FHWA, 2024). Your own number depends mostly on your commute.
Is 15,000 miles a year a lot?
It is about 39% above the 2024 U.S. average of 10,787 miles, but common for people with a long commute. It is also a common lease limit.
How do I calculate my annual mileage?
Subtract an older odometer reading from today’s, divide by the days between them, and multiply by 365. A 12-month span gives the most reliable answer.
What happens if I go over my lease mileage?
You pay the excess mileage charge in your contract for each mile over the limit when you return the car. The Federal Reserve’s leasing guide says these charges can range from 10 to 25 cents a mile or more.
Sources
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Highway Statistics 2024, Table VM-1: Annual vehicle distance traveled in miles and related data (average miles traveled per vehicle; updated February 2026; checked November 12, 2026): fhwa.dot.gov
- FHWA, Highway Statistics 2023, Table VM-1 (2023 average): fhwa.dot.gov
- Federal Reserve Board, Keys to vehicle leasing: more information about excess mileage charges (12,000 or 15,000 miles a year; 10 to 25 cents a mile or more): federalreserve.gov