Excluding states that border yours, what out of state plates do you mostly see?

[vdeane]

In Rhode ISland, most of the out-of state plates besides MA and CT are New York, New Jersey, and Florida. The former two have discovered RI as an ideal place for second homes...cheaper than the Hamptons and 2 hours closer to home than the Cape. 

FYI, Rhode Island and New York have a water border.

[kphoger]

In Rhode ISland, most of the out-of state plates besides MA and CT are New York, New Jersey, and Florida. The former two have discovered RI as an ideal place for second homes...cheaper than the Hamptons and 2 hours closer to home than the Cape. 

FYI, Rhode Island and New York have a water border.

It still fits the spirit of the thread, because you cannot drive directly between New York and Rhode Island (notwithstanding the Montauk–Block Island ferry).

[jp the roadgeek]

Definitely the Northern New England states and NJ in CT.

[fhmiii]

Colorado and Texas, hands-down.

We see lots of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas (of course), Illinoi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.  Not so many Arkansas or Kentucky, at least on in the Northwest corner of the state.

Tennessee may not be as common as I think. I have several family members that live there so maybe I just pick up on it.

[Flint1979]

In Michigan, I see a lot of Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, California, Arizona.

[hbelkins]

Michigan, easily.

[VortexJamz]

Up in New York I tend to see plates from Maryland, Ohio, Maine and oddly enough California.

[LilianaUwU]

I tend to see quite a few British Columbia plates.

[loosegravel]

Here in Texas I notice plates from California, Florida, Michigan, & Minnesota.

[andrepoiy]

In the Greater Toronto Area, probably Alberta. In Kingston, ON, during school months, it would be BC (due to the number BC students coming here for studies)

[Dough4872]

Here in SE Pennsylvania, I would probably say Virginia

[CovalenceSTU]

Where I am in Oregon:

• British Columbia
• Iowa (surprisingly)
• Montana

[froggie]

Yeah I was going to say Texas. A ton of rental cars are tagged from there.

This is true, but TX/FL are also popular retirement/wintering states for Midwesterners, so that probably also explains some of it in MN/WI.

Another possible explanation is, especially in southern Minnesota west of Mankato, there are a lot of migrant farm workers.  Most of the Texas plates I see here are for that reason.

Since I never responded in the original 2020 thread, I'll respond here.  The bulk of non-adjacent out-of-state plates in Vermont hail from predictable locations:  Maine, Connecticut, and New Jersey.  During the summer, we also see a lot of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia up here.

[JayhawkCO]

I think for the category of "states you least likely see", this plate I saw yesterday takes the cake.

[NWI_Irish96]

I think for the category of "states you least likely see", this plate I saw yesterday takes the cake.

Most likely Air Force officer who just transferred. They will pay to ship your car.

[JayhawkCO]

Yep. I see a fair amount of Hawai'i plates. I had only ever seen a Guam plate a) in Guam or b) on the wall in my garage in my license plate collection.

[SP Cook]

In WV:

E-W roads: Indiana, Illinois, Missouri.
N-S roads: Ontario, New York, North Carolina.

[bing101]

I live in San Diego, so not surprisingly the most common are either Arizona or some Mexican state (I never notice which). Beyond that, the other bordering states, Nevada and Oregon are fairly common, but Washington seems a little more common than Oregon.

When I was an avid street skater, I used to occupy my mind by looking at license plates. I always noticed that Massachusetts plates were at least twice as common as New York plates around here, which seems odd given their relative populations, and the fact that they're both very far away. I wonder if NY is skewed because so many residents live in NYC and simply don't have cars. Or maybe it's their provincial views, as famously satirized by Saul Steinberg's New Yorker cover half a century ago.

Wow never knew some parts of San Diego have lots of Massachusetts residents or tourists.

Not lots. Certainly far fewer than western states. But there's a noticeable disparity.

True too but then again I see more Texas License plates here in NorCal given the recent hype in my area for people in NorCal to move to places like Austin, Dallas and Houston areas. 

[kkt]

We see quite a few Alaska plates, considering how small its population is.  Another case of having their car shipped if they're moving or just come down south for the winter.  Turn the car over to the shipping company, get on a plane to Seattle, get the car a week later in Tacoma.  Expect to need a new battery.

[wriddle082]

In South Carolina, it's Ohio.  Definitely Ohio.  Waaaaay too much Ohio.  Virginia and Florida are also up there.

When I lived in Tennessee, it was usually Illinois and Texas.

[bzakharin]

I think it's Maryland here in southern NJ, although I'm not 100% sure.