The United States operates over 8,000 miles of toll highways, bridges, and tunnels. Examine the priciest routes by total crossing cost and cost-per-mile, along with verified free bypass corridors.
Spanning 360 miles from the Ohio border near Pittsburgh to the New Jersey state line outside Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Turnpike has implemented annual 5% toll increases for over 15 consecutive years. If you do not have an active E-ZPass registered to your vehicle, cameras capture your license plate, triggering a 100% surcharge invoice.
Connecting Virginia Beach/Norfolk with Virginia's Eastern Shore peninsula across 17.6 miles of open ocean trestles and underwater tunnels, the CBBT charges up to $21 per crossing.
Privatized in 2005 on a 99-year lease, the Chicago Skyway connects the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) in Chicago to the Indiana Toll Road. At $7.20 for under 8 miles, it is one of the most expensive short-distance toll stretches on Earth.
Entering Manhattan or Staten Island from New Jersey involves substantial Port Authority and MTA toll fees. The George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge charge eastbound drivers up to $17.63.
Accepted in 19 states (ME, NH, MA, RI, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, VA, WV, NC, OH, IN, IL, KY, FL, MN). Interoperable with Florida SunPass and NC Quick Pass.
Used on Florida’s Turnpike, Alligator Alley (I-75), Beachline Expressway, and Orlando/Miami express lanes. SunPass PRO works across all E-ZPass states.
Required on Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Area bridges, and Express Lanes (I-10, I-110, SR-91, SR-73/241). FasTrak Flex allows HOV 3+ toll exemptions.
Used in Dallas-Fort Worth (NTTA), Austin (CTRMA / SH 130), and Houston (HCTRA / EZ TAG). Interoperable with Oklahoma PikePass and Kansas K-Tag.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) is widely recognized as the most expensive toll highway in America. Driving the entire 360-mile mainline without an E-ZPass can cost over $112 in Toll-by-Plate invoices. By cost per mile, the Chicago Skyway (over $0.90/mile) and Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel ($18–$21 for 17.6 miles) rank highest.
Toll authorities charge a 50% to 100% markup on Toll-by-Plate invoices to cover the cost of optical license plate recognition (ALPR), DMV registration lookups, paper billing, and processing overhead. Having a transponder or avoiding the toll road altogether saves significant money.
Interstate 80 (I-80) runs east-west across northern Pennsylvania and is completely toll-free. For drivers traveling between Ohio/Midwest and New York/New Jersey, I-80 provides a multi-lane expressway that bypasses PA Turnpike fees entirely.
Yes. Rental companies typically add daily administrative convenience fees of $4.95 to $11.99 on top of cash-less Toll-by-Plate rates for every day a toll is incurred. Using TollFreeRoads.com prevents these unexpected rental car markups.