The state highway system in Kansas is ranked the nation’s second best in overall highway performance and efficiency in an annual report by the Reason Foundation.

Missouri’s highways ranked eighth.   (Click here for the full report)

The Annual Highway Report measures the condition and cost-effectiveness of state-owned roads in 11 categories, including pavement condition, deficient bridges, spending per mile and more.

Kansas was able to achieve this performance while spending 24 percent less than the U.S. average in per-mile disbursements, according to the report.

The report’s rankings are based on data that states reported to the federal government for 2009, the most recent year with full spending statistics available. Kansas has consistently scored well in the Reason report, having been ranked number three in the nation in both 2008 and 2007.

In 2010, Kansas highways were ranked the nation’s best in a report published in Reader’s Digest magazine.

As in prior years, the best-performing states tend to be smaller, rural states with limited congestion. But several larger states with large urban areas also rank well: Missouri (8th), Texas (11th) and Georgia (12th).

The report states that although it is tempting to ascribe these ratings solely to background circumstances, a more careful review suggests that numerous factors are likely also affecting overall performance. The reports lists factors such as terrain, climate and geography, urban congestion, system age, budget priorities, unit cost differences, state budget circumstances and management philosophies.