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

[OCGuy81]

In Oregon, the out of state plates I see the most of are primarily Utah and British Columbia.

[MATraveler128]

In Massachusetts, it's Maine, New Jersey, and Florida. I also see a lot of Pennsylvania plates.

[Max Rockatansky]

Virginia given I'm near a Navy base.

[bing101]

In Northern California I seen lots of Colorado, Texas, Hawaii, Utah and Washington State license plates here.

Occasionally some Georgia and Florida license plates are seen here. Some of this is that some of the out of state people are assigned to Travis Air Force Base here and some of this is that they go to work or take college classes in Sacramento or Bay Area.

[freebrickproductions]

Hmm...

Probably Kentucky and North Carolina, if I had to guess.

[JayhawkCO]

Texas, easily.  Since all the states that border Colorado are so large, there's nothing else that's close and/or has a large population (Dakotas, Montana, etc.). I'd say there's at least 10 times as many Texas plates as any other non-bordering state, which second place would probably be California.

[1995hoo]

We see a lot of out-of-state plates here given our proximity both to DC and to various military installations. I think Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York seem to be the most common, although lately I've been seeing a lot more Texas plates than usual.

I see a surprising number of Alaska and Hawaii plates. In terms of East Coast states, I see very few from Maine or Rhode Island and surprisingly few from Connecticut.

[kphoger]

Texas, easily.

Also Arkansas.

And Maine and Indiana are also common on trucks.

[NWI_Irish96]

Texas, easily.

Also Arkansas.

And Maine and Indiana are also common on trucks.

I don't really notice the plates on trucks. For me, it's definitely Wisconsin, with Missouri and Tennessee after that.

If I drove on the Toll Road more, I'd see a lot of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

[BrianP]

We see a lot of out-of-state plates here given our proximity both to DC and to various military installations. I think Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York seem to be the most common, although lately I've been seeing a lot more Texas plates than usual.

I see a surprising number of Alaska and Hawaii plates. In terms of East Coast states, I see very few from Maine or Rhode Island and surprisingly few from Connecticut.

The thing I wonder in this area with tags from states like Florida and maybe Texas and Georgia is how many of those are rental cars.  It wouldn't surprise me that the results of this inquiry are tainted by that.

An example that I just googled:
https://www.denver7.com/traffic/driving-you-crazy/driving-you-crazy-why-do-so-many-colorado-rental-cars-have-out-of-state-license-plates

[doorknob60]

In Idaho, it's California, and it's not even close. I see more of them than some touching states like Wyoming and Montana (of course, not really surprising considering the population difference).

Colorado is probably 2nd most common for non touching states, and maybe Arizona.

[pderocco]

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.

[Scott5114]

Las Vegas is a plate-watcher's paradise because of all of the traffic coming in and out, as well as people relocating here from elsewhere.

Snarky answer: Oklahoma, because it doesn't border Nevada and that's still what's on my car.
Actual answer: It seems like I see Texas and Washington about equally often, but that may be confirmation bias because I'm used to seeing Texas plates all over Oklahoma, so I may just notice them more readily.

[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. 

[SectorZ]

Maine all day for me, but there's only a 15 mile gap (and I'm only 45 miles from Maine as it is) and so many people escape Mass reg. fees by quasi-illegally registering vehicles there. All the trailers routinely registered there as well.

If on an interstate I feel Indiana becomes a distant second of non-bordering states. Behind that Florida it seems.

[Rothman]

C'mon people:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=27139.0

[Hunty2022]

Probably Florida for me.

[webny99]

This should be merged, and my response in the previous thread still holds, but I am surprised Florida hasn't been mentioned more. Between snowbirds and rental cars, no other non-bordering state comes close.

[pderocco]

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.

[KeithE4Phx]

In Arizona, most of the snowbirds are from the upper Midwest and northern Mountain States these days:  Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois.  There are also some from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, but not to the extent of the others.  If you include Canada, we get quite a few from BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan as well.

[OCGuy81]

C'mon people:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=27139.0

Sorry all! I didn't see this one.  The search functionality on here leaves something to be desired, but please, feel free to merge these two threads. :-)

[OCGuy81]

In Arizona, most of the snowbirds are from the upper Midwest and northern Mountain States these days:  Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois.  There are also some from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, but not to the extent of the others.  If you include Canada, we get quite a few from BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan as well.

Oh yeah! I remember going out to AZ for spring training on multiple occasions, and one could easily see all 50 state plates in a single day that time of year.

You're right, upper Midwest states did dominate.

[1995hoo]

We see a lot of out-of-state plates here given our proximity both to DC and to various military installations. I think Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York seem to be the most common, although lately I've been seeing a lot more Texas plates than usual.

I see a surprising number of Alaska and Hawaii plates. In terms of East Coast states, I see very few from Maine or Rhode Island and surprisingly few from Connecticut.

The thing I wonder in this area with tags from states like Florida and maybe Texas and Georgia is how many of those are rental cars.  It wouldn't surprise me that the results of this inquiry are tainted by that.

....

Hard to know. Good chance it's a combination of both. I note that there are several Florida and Texas plates in my neighborhood, including two Texas plates belonging to people living on my street (one a renter we assume is in the Armed Forces because he's renting from a military owner, the other a homeowner we know to be in the Armed Forces).

The most unusual plate I see on a regular basis is that in a nearby condo development, there's a Suburban parked with "EDOMEX" plates—i.e., the State of Mexico (the area around Mexico City). It's one of only two Mexican plates I've ever seen in the DC area and it's been there for several months. I have no idea whether it's someone living here long-term, which would be mildly odd because I'd normally expect a "Diplomat" plate in that situation, or whether it's someone who drove up here for a long-term visit. Either way, I'm not inclined to report the person as a tax evader the way I might if someone who was clearly not in the military and not a college student maintained out-of-state plates for a long time. (I'm sure I have mentioned at some point how a guy who used to live across the street pissed me off one day, so to get back at him I reported a non-mobile car in his driveway with expired New Jersey plates as a potential tax evader. The county not only added the car to the tax rolls, they dunned him $100 more for not getting a Virginia plate within 30 days of moving in.)

[OCGuy81]

We see a lot of out-of-state plates here given our proximity both to DC and to various military installations. I think Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York seem to be the most common, although lately I've been seeing a lot more Texas plates than usual.

I see a surprising number of Alaska and Hawaii plates. In terms of East Coast states, I see very few from Maine or Rhode Island and surprisingly few from Connecticut.

The thing I wonder in this area with tags from states like Florida and maybe Texas and Georgia is how many of those are rental cars.  It wouldn't surprise me that the results of this inquiry are tainted by that.

....

Hard to know. Good chance it's a combination of both. I note that there are several Florida and Texas plates in my neighborhood, including two Texas plates belonging to people living on my street (one a renter we assume is in the Armed Forces because he's renting from a military owner, the other a homeowner we know to be in the Armed Forces).

The most unusual plate I see on a regular basis is that in a nearby condo development, there's a Suburban parked with "EDOMEX" plates—i.e., the State of Mexico (the area around Mexico City). It's one of only two Mexican plates I've ever seen in the DC area and it's been there for several months. I have no idea whether it's someone living here long-term, which would be mildly odd because I'd normally expect a "Diplomat" plate in that situation, or whether it's someone who drove up here for a long-term visit. Either way, I'm not inclined to report the person as a tax evader the way I might if someone who was clearly not in the military and not a college student maintained out-of-state plates for a long time. (I'm sure I have mentioned at some point how a guy who used to live across the street pissed me off one day, so to get back at him I reported a non-mobile car in his driveway with expired New Jersey plates as a potential tax evader. The county not only added the car to the tax rolls, they dunned him $100 more for not getting a Virginia plate within 30 days of moving in.)

Being in that metro DC area, do you see a lot of Consulate plates?

[Rothman]

We see a lot of out-of-state plates here given our proximity both to DC and to various military installations. I think Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York seem to be the most common, although lately I've been seeing a lot more Texas plates than usual.

I see a surprising number of Alaska and Hawaii plates. In terms of East Coast states, I see very few from Maine or Rhode Island and surprisingly few from Connecticut.

The thing I wonder in this area with tags from states like Florida and maybe Texas and Georgia is how many of those are rental cars.  It wouldn't surprise me that the results of this inquiry are tainted by that.

....

Hard to know. Good chance it's a combination of both. I note that there are several Florida and Texas plates in my neighborhood, including two Texas plates belonging to people living on my street (one a renter we assume is in the Armed Forces because he's renting from a military owner, the other a homeowner we know to be in the Armed Forces).

The most unusual plate I see on a regular basis is that in a nearby condo development, there's a Suburban parked with "EDOMEX" plates—i.e., the State of Mexico (the area around Mexico City). It's one of only two Mexican plates I've ever seen in the DC area and it's been there for several months. I have no idea whether it's someone living here long-term, which would be mildly odd because I'd normally expect a "Diplomat" plate in that situation, or whether it's someone who drove up here for a long-term visit. Either way, I'm not inclined to report the person as a tax evader the way I might if someone who was clearly not in the military and not a college student maintained out-of-state plates for a long time. (I'm sure I have mentioned at some point how a guy who used to live across the street pissed me off one day, so to get back at him I reported a non-mobile car in his driveway with expired New Jersey plates as a potential tax evader. The county not only added the car to the tax rolls, they dunned him $100 more for not getting a Virginia plate within 30 days of moving in.)

Being in that metro DC area, do you see a lot of Consulate plates?

I certainly did when I lived in the DC area.  Those "D" plates caused a lot of grumbling because they were perceived to be worse drivers, partially due to an assumption of diplomatic immunity.