8 of America’s Most Expensive Toll Roads

The original idea behind toll roads was to provide a simple trade-off: Pay a little extra now to benefit from better roads and faster travel later. But since the emergence of the first paid highway in the U.S. in 1792, “a little extra” has skyrocketed to an eye-watering fee on some stretches of highway. Here’s a closer look at the eight U.S. toll roads that currently cost the most to drive end to end, as of 2026. 

8. New Jersey Turnpike

Price: $21.35 cash ($15.93 toll pass)
Distance: 117 miles

When it opened in 1951, the New Jersey Turnpike was the third-longest toll road in the United States. Stretching between Ridgefield Park and the Delaware Memorial Bridge, it provides a vital transport link between New Jersey’s suburbs and major cities like Newark, New York, and Philadelphia. 

The New Jersey Turnpike also regularly makes its way into pop culture. Simon and Garfunkel mentioned it in their song “America,” as did Bruce Springsteen in “Soul Trooper.” A sign reminding drivers to drive safely, painted on a storage cylinder in Linden, features in the opening sequence of The Sopranos. The turnpike is also known for rest stops and service areas honoring famous New Jersey residents, including Thomas Edison, Vince Lombardi, and Walt Whitman.

7. E-470 – Colorado

Price: $22.25 cash ($13.95 toll pass)
Distance: 47 miles

The E-470 is a semicircular beltway loop around the Denver metro area, connecting the suburb of Thornton and Douglas County. With a speed limit of 75 mph, it incorporates 23 interchanges and 101 bridges. It also forms part of a group of toll roads and express lanes that make Colorado the country’s fifth-most-expensive state for tolls. 

Designed for efficiency and to avoid downtown congestion, the E-470 was constructed in sections between 1991 and 2009. It has the potential to be widened to eight lanes and to incorporate multiuse recreational paths as well. 

6. Kansas Turnpike

Price: $22.92 cash ($11.46 toll pass)
Distance: 236 miles

Running southwest from Kansas City to South Haven, near the Oklahoma border, the Kansas Turnpike was built in just 22 months, beginning in December 1954. The goal was to create a safer journey between Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita. Predating the interstate era, it now incorporates sections of I-35, I-335, and I-70 — welcoming around 120,000 daily motorists. 

Recent infrastructure developments saw the removal of toll booths in 2024 to make it a cash-free road; bills are instead mailed to the address associated with your license plate. Driving end to end offers views of far-reaching prairies and the Flint Hills, along with nearby attractions like the 8,000-acre El Dorado Lake and 11,000-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.  

5. Ohio Turnpike

Price: $22.75 cash ($15.50 toll pass)
Distance: 241 miles

Travel across the Midwest became easier in 1955 with the opening of the Ohio Turnpike. Some 10,000 workers took 35 months to complete the job. The east-west road now cuts across northern Ohio, linking with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the east and the Indiana Toll Road in the west. Around 56 million vehicles traveled on the Ohio Turnpike in 2024, over five times more than in its inaugural year. 

Not only a commuter thoroughfare, the road also offers access to dozens of Ohio attractions. The thrilling roller coasters of Cedar Point on the shores of Lake Erie are a short side trip away, as is Cuyahoga Valley National Park, one of the country’s newest national parks. 

4. Florida’s Turnpike

Price: $23.97 cash ($19.05 toll pass)
Distance: 312 miles

With its slogan of “The Less Stressway,” Florida’s Turnpike winds over 300 miles through central Florida, offering a quieter alternative to its parallel interstates. From Miami Gardens, the roadway travels north to Wildwood in the Orlando area via interlinking expressways and parkways. The turnpike handles approximately 3 million daily customers, connecting Orlando and cities along the state’s east coast. 

In Orlando, Florida’s Turnpike passes by world-famous attractions such as Universal Studios Florida. Farther south, it runs along the Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area and wetlands of Fort Drum Wildlife Management Area, offering a glimpse of the state’s varied natural beauty. 

3. Texas State Highway 130

Price: $26.58 cash ($18.87 toll pass)
Distance: 91 miles

Texas State Highway 130 is a welcome alternative to the stop-and-go traffic of Interstate 35. The toll road stretches from Georgetown to Seguin, largely avoiding the congestion of Austin. The southern section, segments 5 and 6, has the highest legal speed limit in the nation at 85 mph. The highway as a whole utilizes open tolling, thus allowing drivers to cruise through without slowing for booths. 

It’s also part of one of the largest toll networks in the U.S., covering around 850 miles and over 50 individual tolled roads. Within easy reach from State Highway 130 is the Circuit of the Americas, the venue for the United States Grand Prix. 

2. New York State Thruway

Price: $39.66 cash ($22.66 toll pass)
Distance: 570 miles

The New York State Thruway (officially named the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway) is the backbone of New York’s toll system. Carrying major stretches of I-87, I-90, and I-287, it links New York City’s northern border with Yonkers, travels up to Albany and Buffalo, and then continues to the New York-Pennsylvania border. 

As well as being among the priciest roads for an end-to-end trip, it’s also one of the country’s busiest toll roads. Some 338 million vehicles used the New York State Thruway in 2024, generating $1.1 billion in toll revenue. From Yonkers, the roadway loosely follows the course of the Hudson River to Albany, with glimpses of the Catskill Mountains between Kingston and Saugerties.

1. Pennsylvania Turnpike

Price: $120.74 cash ($60.27 toll pass)
Distance: 361 miles

Costing around three times as much to travel end to end as its nearest competitor, the Pennsylvania Turnpike is the priciest toll road in the U.S. This is partly due to a 2007 state law obliging the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to make yearly payments to the state’s transportation department for improving public transit in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and other cities. 

Built in 1940, the Pennsylvania Turnpike is often called “America’s First Superhighway.” From Lawrence County, it cuts through the Appalachian Mountains en route to the Delaware River-Turnpike Toll Bridge, where it becomes the New Jersey Turnpike. 

About the data: Prices are for end-to-end travel for passenger cars on the specified toll road, as sourced by Reddit user ixvst01 and verified by Daily Passport. The first price shown is the cash (pay-by-plate) rate; the price in parentheses is the discounted amount for having a transponder or highway pass. Bridges, tunnels, express lanes, and national park roads are excluded.