There are many overlooked costs when it comes to travel and one of them is getting around your destination without a vehicle or rental car.
If walking isn't an option, that's where ride-sharing services like Uber¡ªwhich is offering helicopter service now¡ªLyft and old-school taxis come into play. But how much you're forced to shell out for your next ride will likely depend on where you visit.
The team of experts at CashNetUSA recently crunched the numbers to reveal the cheapest and most expensive U.S. states and major cities for booking an Uber ride in 2025.
Cheapest US Destinations for Uber
It turns out that Indiana is the state with the cheapest 30-minute Uber ride at an average cost of $30.35. Travelers can find similarly pleasant rates in states like Utah ($30.71), Texas ($30.86), Oklahoma ($31.54) and Iowa ($32.37).
Illinois, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arizona round out the 10 cheapest states for an Uber ride this summer, with a 30-minute ride typically coming in between $32.39 and $32.84.
Average Uber ride cost by US state. (Photo Credit: CashNetUSA)
When it comes to the cheapest cities to hail a ride, Fort Worth, Texas, and Indiana's capital city of Indianapolis are the cities tied for the cheapest Uber rides at a rate of $28.33 for a 30-minute trip.
There's a seven-way tie for third third-cheapest, however, with Tucson, Mesa, Omaha, Miami, Oklahoma City, Raleigh and Houston costing riders approximately $1 per minute of travel time on average.
Elsewhere in the South, Memphis ranks 10th with a rate of $31.88.
Most Expensive US Destinations for Uber
The most expensive states for an Uber ride in 2025 are mainly found in the Pacific Northwest, where Washington, Alaska, Wyoming and Montana rank worst for affordability.
A 30-minute trip in Washington will set travelers back $53.46 on average. The Last Frontier isn't even two dollars better, though, while Wyoming and Montana check in at $48.56 and $47.23, respectively.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, New York rounds out the top five priciest places with the average 30-minute ride exceeding $45.
The cheapest and most expensive US cities for Uber rides. (Photo Credit: CashNetUSA)
Other states threatening to blow up travelers' budgets include Louisiana, Oregon, Delaware, Alabama and New Jersey, which round out the top 10 most expensive for Uber with 30-minute rates ranging from $40 to $45 these days.
On average, the most expensive Uber ride is in Seattle, where travelers will spend a painful $60 for a 30-minute trip on average.
There's a dramatic drop-off to second-worst Cheyenne ($51), while Reno and New York City will set riders back a cringy $47 for a 30-minute trip.
Tied for fifth are San Diego, Baton Rouge and Newark at $45 for a 30-minute ride, with Anchorage, San Jose and Portland (Oregon) possessing average rates above $43.
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