Department of Transportation
DOT · FY2017–FY2026 budget trends
Funds highways, bridges, transit, and rail through grants to states and localities. Regulates aviation safety through the FAA and sets vehicle safety standards through NHTSA. Commands $124 billion in grants plus $9 billion in contracts.
💰 Taxpayer Accountability
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act supercharged DOT spending, but whether the money reaches actual infrastructure or gets consumed by bureaucratic overhead and politically motivated project selection remains to be seen. Highway projects routinely cost multiples of initial estimates, and transit boondoggles have become a fixture of American infrastructure spending.
Budget Authority (FY2026)
$222.6B
Total Contracts
$9.0B
Total Grants
$123.9B
Budget Growth (FY17→25)
+97.4%
+$66.5B
Contracts vs Grants
Budget Trend
Year-over-Year Changes
| FY | Budget | YoY | Obligated | YoY | Outlays | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $140.7B | — | $91.1B | — | $91.3B | — |
| 2018 | $151.6B | +7.8% | $96.2B | +5.5% | $92.1B | +0.9% |
| 2019 | $159.3B | +5.1% | $98.9B | +2.8% | $93.6B | +1.6% |
| 2020 | $207.9B | +30.5% | $147.4B | +49.1% | $124.8B | +33.4% |
| 2021 | $263.4B | +26.7% | $165.3B | +12.1% | $148.7B | +19.1% |
| 2022 | $375.8B | +42.7% | $268.9B | +62.7% | $243.6B | +63.8% |
| 2023 | $267.8B | -28.7% | $139.0B | -48.3% | $124.6B | -48.9% |
| 2024 | $293.2B | +9.5% | $152.4B | +9.7% | $134.7B | +8.2% |
| 2025 | $323.4B | +10.3% | $169.6B | +11.3% | $144.6B | +7.4% |
| 2026 | $222.6B | -31.2% | $17.4B | -89.8% | $33.9B | -76.6% |
How This Agency's Growth Compares
Department of Transportation grew +97.4% from FY2017 to FY2025 — #4 growing of 18 major agencies.
| # | Agency | Growth % | Growth $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Energy | +154.4% | +$49.4B |
| 2 | Department of Homeland Security | +153.1% | +$44.4B |
| 3 | General Services Administration | +107.7% | +$12.9B |
| 4 | → Department of Transportation | +97.4% | +$66.5B |
| 5 | Department of the Interior | +90.5% | +$8.8B |
| 6 | Department of State | +84.0% | +$16.2B |
| 7 | Department of Health and Human Services | +66.7% | +$809.9B |
| 8 | Social Security Administration | +64.9% | +$643.6B |
| 9 | Department of Defense | +52.8% | +$173.1B |
| 10 | Department of Agriculture | +49.9% | +$61.7B |
| 11 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | +43.8% | +$23.7B |
| 12 | Department of Veterans Affairs | +41.7% | +$84.8B |
| 13 | Department of Education | +28.1% | +$21.1B |
| 14 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | +24.4% | +$4.5B |
| 15 | Railroad Retirement Board | +15.1% | +$1.9B |
| 16 | Department of Labor | +10.1% | +$1.1B |
| 17 | Department of Justice | -2.5% | -$292.0M |
| 18 | Agency for International Development | -26.6% | -$4.4B |
Related Agencies
Related Pages
Budget Functions
How federal spending is categorized by purpose and function.
Read more →Top Contractors
Which companies receive the most federal contract dollars.
Read more →Spending Explosion
How federal spending has grown dramatically since 2017.
Read more →Sub-Agencies
Detailed spending by sub-agencies and bureaus.
Read more →Source: USASpending.gov · U.S. Department of the Treasury