Motor Vehicle Fuel Consumption and Travel in the U.S., 1960-2006

Updated April 8, 2022 | Infoplease Staff
The following table represents over 40 years worth of motor vehicle fuel consumption and travel data for the United States, as compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation. It's America's love affair with the car -- reduced to numbers.

1960 1970 1980 1990 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Number registered (thousands)
Passenger car 61,671 89,244 121,601 133,700 136,066 129,728 129,749 131,839 132,432 133,621 137,633 135,921 135,670 136,431 136,568 135,400
Total1 73,858 111,242 161,490 193,057 205,297 210,441 211,580 215,496 220,461 225,821 235,331 234,624 236,760 237,243 247,421R 250,852
Vehicle-miles traveled (millions)
Passenger car 587,000 917,000 1,112,000 1,408,000 1,541,458 1,469,854 1,501,820 1,545,830 1,569,100 1,601,914 1,628,332 1,658,640 1,672,079 1,699,890 1,708,421R 1,682,671
Total1 719,000 1,110,000 1,527,000 2,144,000 2,422,775 2,485,848 2,550,373 2,625,367 2,691,056 2,749,803 2,797,287 2,855,756 2,890,450 2,964,788 2,989,430R 3,014,116
Fuel consumed (million gallons)
Passenger car 41,171 67,819 69,982 69,568 68,317 69,221 69,867 72,209 73,283 72,916 73,559 74,949 75,455 75,402 77,418R 74,983
Total1 57,880 92,329 114,960 130,755 143,266 147,365 150,332 154,884 161,411 162,260 163,478 167,730 170,069 178,536 174,787R 174,930
Average miles traveled per vehicle (thousands)
Passenger car 9.5 10.3 9.1 10.5 11.3 11.3 11.6 11.7 11.8 12.0 11.8 12.2 12.3 12.5 12.5R 12.4
Total1 9.7 10.0 9.5 11.1 11.8 11.8 12.1 12.2 12.2 12.2 11.9 12.2 12.2 12.5 12.1R 12.0
Average miles traveled per gallon
Passenger car 14.3 13.5 15.9 20.2 22.6 21.2 21.5 21.4 21.4 22.0 22.1 22.1 22.2 22.5 22.1R 22.4
Total1 12.4 12.0 13.3 16.4 16.9 16.9 17.0 17.0 16.7 16.9 17.1 17.0 17.0 16.6 17.1R 17.2
Average annual fuel consumed per vehicle (gallons)
Passenger car 668 760 576 520 502 534 538 548 553 546 534 551 556 553 567R 554
Total1 784 830 712 677 698 700 711 719 732 719 695 715 718 753 706R 697
1. Includes personal passenger vehicles, buses, and trucks.
R. Revised
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation. Web: www.dot.gov .

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