[bigtunacan]

In both cases it depends on the area of the state and how populous. Far southern Iowa near Whatcheer for example is mostly gravel with paved roads only in the cities and major highways, but by contrast nearly the entire corridor area is well paved. Same for most of the Boone area.

Wisconsin is no different in that. Most of Jackson, Levis, BRF, and that whole area is gravel except for major highways and in town. Pretty poorly maintained gravel at that.

The roads do seem disorganized and wandering, but much of that is because the roads are built wherever they won’t flood since we’re nothing but marshes, wetland, lakes, rivers and ponds

[superkuh]

Iowa has about 40/60 paved/unpaved ratio. Wisconsin has about 85/15. (stats counting only primary and secondary (county) roads).

ref: https://bikeiowa.com/Feature/1543/iowa-gravel-what-makes-it-..., https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2008/h..., https://topslab.wisc.edu/research/tsmo/topms/data/

I acknowledge this may not be a 'bad' attribute, it could be Iowa just has so many unpaved extra roads it skews it. But when I think Iowa, I think driving on rough roads.