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December 12, 2006 2:30 PM, EST

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raffic on U.S. highways climbed to an all-time high in 2005, the Department of Transportation said Monday.

According to the newly released “Highway Statistics 2005,” an annual compilation of data reported to the Federal Highway Administration by all U.S. states and territories, Americans drove nearly three trillion miles on U.S. highways last year.

This figure represents a 27.4 billion-mile increase over travel in 2004 and is up nearly 25% over 1995, DOT said.

“These figures underscore the importance of our efforts to fight traffic congestion,” said DOT Secretary Mary Peters. “It is clear that our ability to keep traffic moving smoothly and safely is key to keeping our economy strong.”

There were 241.2 million vehicles registered in the United States last year, including 6.2 million motorcycles — the most ever recorded in both categories.

“America is the most mobile nation in history,” said FHWA Administrator Richard Capka. “As these new data show, our interstate is every bit the critical infrastructure President Eisenhower foresaw 50 years ago when he created it.”

The “Highway Statistics” series, which consists of statistical data on motor fuel, motor vehicles, driver licensing, highway-user taxation, state and local government highway finance, has been produced each year since 1945.