Ranking of the most common license plates in your area

[hotdogPi]

It will be different for everyone. All types of plates from the same state count as the same.

For me:
1. Massachusetts
2. New Hampshire
3. New York
4. Maine
5. Connecticut
6. New Jersey
7. Rhode Island
8. Florida
9. Pennsylvania
10. Texas
11. Quebec
12. Vermont
13. California
14. Ontario
15. Ohio

Your list does not have to be exactly 15.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

In this part of the world:
1. (by far) Spain. We dropped provincial codes back in 2000.
2. Everything else.

[Zeffy]

1. New Jersey
2. Pennsylvania
3. New York
4. Connecticut
5. Massachusetts
6. Maryland
7. Delaware
8. Virginia
9. Florida
10. Texas (I've seen more Texans than mostly every other non-listed state up here)

[briantroutman]

One thing that has surprised me about living in California is how very very few out-of-state plates I see. And the infrequent times I do see other states' plates, I don't see any noticeable bias in the results, other than that I see more populous states' plates (Texas, New York, Florida) slightly more often. There might be a slightly higher chance of seeing Oregon or Nevada plates, particularly on the Interstates which connect to those states, but I'm nearly as likely to see a Pennsylvania plate.

Perhaps this phenomenon is more pronounced in the Bay Area because you don't have as many families with luggage strapped to the roof of their Caravan headed to a taping of The Price Is Right.

So the list is:
1. California
2. 49-way tie

[slorydn1]

There are 3 Marine Corps bases (MCAS Cherry Point, MCB Camp Lejune, MCAS New River) and 2 Coast Guard stations (Hobucken and Fort Macon) within 30-35 miles of my house so I see pretty much every state plate there is to see (yes even Hawaii and Alaska) on a very regular basis. I guess if I had to really think about the second most common after NC I would have to say Virginia plates, after that it's pretty much even.

[corco]

I'd hazard-

1. Montana
2. Washington (especially on I-90)
3. Alberta
4. Wyoming
5. Idaho
6. California
7. Colorado
8. Utah
9. North Dakota
10. Oregon
11. South Dakota
12. Tennessee (in the summers, stupid Blount County rental cars)
13. Saskatchewan
14. Minnesota
15. Arizona

[bandit957]

Kentucky, then Ohio, then Indiana.

I'm pretty sure I saw a Guatemala plate in my area once. I know that one time I saw a Mexico D.F. plate at the McDonald's right in my neighborhood, which is interesting since it wasn't right on an Interstate. I was in line right behind the driver as he ordered a meal inside the restaurant, so I got to meet a real live foreign tourist right in my hometown. This seemed unusual, because why would the neighborhood get any tourists from another state, let alone another country?

[cjk374]

Around here, it's pretty much the states within driving distance of where I live in north Louisiana:

1.  Louisiana
2.  Texas
3.  Arkansas
4.  Mississippi
5.  Oklahoma
6.  Alabama
7.  Tennessee
8.  Florida
9.  Georgia
10.  Missouri

[hbelkins]

Kentucky, obviously. Then Ohio, followed by West Virginia and Indiana in roughly equal numbers, then Virginia, then Florida.

Keep in mind that I don't travel much beyond driving between work and home these days.

I have seen plates from New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania recently in places where I wouldn't have expected them.

[xcellntbuy]

When I lived in south Florida, naturally most plates were from the state itself, along with New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Now living in middle Georgia, its all Georgia, all peaches, all the time.  I do see a car around town (Milledgeville) with Alaska plates, often.  A very long way from home.

[Doctor Whom]

1. VA
2. DC
3. MD
4. United States Government
5. NY
6. NJ
7. NC
8. TX
9. Diplomatic
10. DE

[KEK Inc.]

1.  Washington
2.  Oregon
3.  British Columbia
4.  Idaho
5.  California
6.  Alaska
7.  Colorado
8.  Arizona
9.  Nevada
10.  Montana

[cpzilliacus]

1. Md.
2. Va.
3. D.C.
4. Penna.
5. W.Va.
6. N.C.
7. Del.
8. N.J.
10. N.Y.
11. Texas (favored by many military people)
12. Florida (military)
13. N.H. (military)
14. U.S. Government
15. Diplomatic

[Thing 342]

You see all kinds of plates in Hampton Roads, given the huge military presence.

1. VA
2. FL
3. MD
4. NC
5. PA
6. NJ
7. SC
8. AK
9. TX
10. GA

Nexus 6

[SignGeek101]

1. Manitoba
2. Ontario
3. Saskatchewan

The next three are pretty close.
4. Alberta
4. North Dakota
4. Minnesota

5. British Columbia

That's about it. No one really drives here, not much to see really 

[SSOWorld]

by location past to present:

Northern WI:
1) Wisconsin
2 (distant): Michigan

SW WI:
1: Wisconsin
2(Tie): Iowa and Illinois
3: Minnesota
4: the rest

Los Angeles area (Santa Clarita and Sylmar):
Troutman already mentioned it but I'll modify it:
1) California
2) everyone else - including me

I've seen a Mexico state plate in SW Wisconsin once - but obviously have sighted more of them in CA.

I've seen quite a few Canadian province plates around WI - mostly Ontario.

[noelbotevera]

When I was living in Lumberton:

1. The Carolinas
2. Virginia
3. Georgia
4. Tennessee
5. Alabama
6. Louisiana
7. Mississippi
8. West Virginia
9. Pennsylvania
10. Ohio

In Chambersburg:
1. Pennsylvania
2. Maryland
3. Ohio
4. West Virginia
5. New Jersey
6. New York
7. Rest of the Northeast
8. The Carolinas

[DandyDan]

In the Omaha area:
1. Nebraska
2. Iowa
3. Missouri
4. Kansas
5. South Dakota

After that, the presence of Offutt AFB tends to bring everything up.  I even see Hawaii and Guam once in a while.  Just within the apartment lot where I live, there's 3 Texas and 3 Florida.

[spooky]

Home is on the South Shore, work is in the south suburbs of Boston.

1. Massachusetts
2. Rhode Island
3. New Hampshire
4. Connecticut
5. New York
6. New Jersey
7. Pennsylvania
8. Florida
9. Tennessee (rental cars?)
10. Maine

[Dr Frankenstein]

A rough, unscientific, out-of-my-ass list...

• Québec
• Ontario
• New York
• Vermont
• New Brunswick
• Massachusetts
• Nova Scotia
• Alberta
• Florida
• New Jersey
• Maryland

Other occasional sightings include, especially during the summer (in no particular order): Prince Edward's Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Virginia, Ohio, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Wisconsin, California, Michigan, Pennsylvania.

[JakeFromNewEngland]

1. Connecticut
2. New York
3. Massachusetts
4. New Jersey
5. Pennsylvania
6. Rhode Island

[kkt]

My daughter and I had a bet about which was the 2nd most common plate last year, and counted them for a weekend.  In the Seattle area cities, California was the 2nd most common, but in Mt. Rainier National Park, Oregon was the 2nd most common.  Overall it came out closer than either of us expected, but California just barely won out.

[SteveG1988]

On the road i've been seening more flat NJ tags than the old pre 2014 embossed ones for some reason.

back home it is normally: 1993-2014 embossed, then Flat, then 1978-1992 Blue, and rarely the 1959-1977 era yellow.

[jakeroot]

1) Washington
2) Texas (I live near a military base)
3) Oregon
4) California
5) British Columbia
6) Idaho
7) Virginia (military)

[Brandon]

1. Fucking Illinois Bastard
2. Hoosier
3. Cheesehead
4. Michigan (Troll or Yooper)
5. Idiot Out Wandering Around
6. Missouri
7. Fuckeye
8. Minnesota

And that about sums it up for the most common Chicagoland plates.
If you have any trouble deciphering the names, please comment below.